VeloceToday.com

The Online Magazine for Italian and French Classic Car Enthusiasts

massa

Italian Grand Prix 2011

By

Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso

By Erik Nielsen
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media

Sebastian Vettel has solidified his title effort with a remarkable weekend at Monza where he made the effort of dominating an event look easy. The young German has proved without a doubt that the title of Meister has been passed from the previous generation and the Red Bull driver is not some lucky rookie, but the real deal. It didn’t look like that claim could be made when he was out dragged on the straight by Fernando Alonso, much to the joy of the thousands of tifosi who crowded the circuit, but just a little bit further down the track and Vettel walked away from the Ferrari and wasn’t challenged again.

[Read more…] about Italian Grand Prix 2011

Canadian Grand Prix

By

Fernando Alonso

By Erik Nielsen
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media

Weekends in the late spring are usually spent on one of two main activities. There is the productive side, endless honey-do lists, grass that needs cutting, brakes that need changing, and any other activity that can only be done on the weekend as work precludes either the time or the energy to needed to tackle the list. And then there is the non-productive side, loafing on the couch, having an adult beverage (or seven) with friends and turning on the selective hearing when it is suggested to move one’s “fat ass” off the couch.
[Read more…] about Canadian Grand Prix

Turkish Grand Prix

By

The start of the Turkish Grand Prix.

By Erik Nielsen
Photos courtesy Ferrari Media

Several years ago, Ferrari fans were perfectly happy with routines. Michael Schumacher would have a flawless qualifying session, have an uneventful race and cross the line with a gap to second place that could occasionally be measured with a calendar, rather than a stop watch. But should the same type of performance happen from another driver and team combination, the talk quickly changes to how F1 has lost its magic and it is more about the money than the show. It was about the money back then, too, but one didn’t feel like a complete futz for spending $30 for a coffee cup with the scudetto on the side of it when your team was winning.
[Read more…] about Turkish Grand Prix

Malaysian Grand Prix 2011

By

Felipe Massa

By Pete Vack
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media

Malaysia. One of those new-fangled F1 venues one has to Google to get a location, despite being more than a decade old. It’s new to someone who remembers Avus. Hot, humid, huge, teaming with the energy of a new world, the Malaysian Grand Prix is new money. Bernie goes where the money is and of course, Bernie himself was on the grid at Malaysia.
[Read more…] about Malaysian Grand Prix 2011

Ferrari Testing in Barcelona; Bahrain Cancelled

By

Alonso, Ferrari, Barcelona. But no Bahrain.

By Roberto Motta
Photos: Ferrari-Media

The Bahrain Grand Prix, first race of Formula One Championship has been postponed. The decision was taken by the Arabs organizers as results of the sad events that are happening on these days in this country.

Catalunya Testing

On Friday February 18th, the Ferrari 150th Italia started its third test session in preparation for the Formula 1 World Championship, at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.
[Read more…] about Ferrari Testing in Barcelona; Bahrain Cancelled

Ferrari 150 Italia Tests at Jerez

By

Alonso out in the Spanish sun for a weekend of testing.

By Roberto Motta
Photos: Ferrari-Media

Thursday and Friday 10-11 February, 2011 Massa Up
Andalusian circuit of Jerez de la Frontera; F1 testing take two. Felipe Massa started testing in the early morning at the wheel of of his Ferrari F150 Italia. The Brazilian driver’s program has the same objectives as last week at Valencia; finding the best set-up for the car, increasing understanding of the Pirelli tyres behaviour, aerodynamic testing and starts.
[Read more…] about Ferrari 150 Italia Tests at Jerez

Europe Beckons. Starting with Barcelona.

By

Button at speed. The one to beat?

F1 Preview by Philippe Defechereux

Here we are, after a three-week hiatus, waging our reputation at the game of forecasting once again. Barring rain in Barcelona –somewhat unlikely in May- it should prove a little easier this time.

Perhaps not. Those three weeks were, in fact momentous, off the track. First, the volcanic plume from Iceland left a lot of F1 people ashen-faced in China (pardon the pun), as they wondered how or even whether they could get home to Europe. Good news, after a few stressful days, it all calmed down and everybody got home early enough to plan new tricks. [Read more…] about Europe Beckons. Starting with Barcelona.

Formula 1 Pre-Race Preview: Shanghai

By

Petrov with the Renault a bit off line. Still, Renault is definitely back in business. Photo PlanetF1

You might know Philippe Defechereux by his books—”Watkins Glen, 1948-1952, The Definitive Illustrated History,” and “James Dean: From Passion for Speed to Immortality”. Oh yes, and the three part look at the D.B. at Sebring in VeloceToday. Since 2010 is turning into a thrilling F1 season, and Defechereux is literally chomping at the bit to express his considered predictions, we have asked him to craft regular pre-race articles (a high-risk occupation). Note that Erik Nielsen will cover the race for us and see how far off the saddle Philippe falls every week.

Ok, ladies and gentlemen, I might just be the way my mind works.

The Editor-in-chief of this fine online magazine has now asked me to write the Formula 1 “Pre-Race Preview” for the Formula 1 races to come. Imagine if I had started doing this before Melbourne and Sepang… I would already look like a total fool.
[Read more…] about Formula 1 Pre-Race Preview: Shanghai

Bahrain Grand Prix

By

Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso, Stefano Domenicali and Lewis Hamilton

Ferrari Debuts on Top

by Erik Nielsen
Photos courtesy and copyright FerrariMedia

There is nothing like holding the first race of the F1 season in the middle of the desert to remind most northern hemisphere residents that it is still cold outside and that prime driving season is likely still months away. Or at least that is theory to get millions of eyes tuned into the race and one reason the Bahrain government subsidized the weekend. [Read more…] about Bahrain Grand Prix

Hungarian Grand Prix

By

Hot Flash: Schumacher to Replace Massa

Michael Schumacher will be replacing the injured Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix in Valencia. Ferrari confirmed the decision on Wednesday evening.

retro
Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, and Mark Webber

by Erik C. Nielsen
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media

The Formula One season so far seemed to be a shuffle of the teams at the top of the leader board. Brawn GP came out of the ashes of the old Honda effort to mop up the competition. Red Bull Racing played a strong second fiddle; German fans felt they had their next-generation boy wonder in Sebastian Vettel; and, the legions of tifosi were scared that Ferrari had decided on benchmarking their performance to the efforts of the Scuderia in the late 80s and early 90s. This weekend’s results showed more consistency with the pecking order being restored to last year’s table.

The major incident of the weekend was Filipe Massa’s incident when he was hit in the head by an errant spring from Rubens Barichello’s Brawn GP in qualifying. As of 12:17 GMT today, according to a report on Autosport.com, Massa’s doctor, Dino Altmann, said that Massa will be able to race again.
“I have no doubt Felipe will race again,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport. [Read more…] about Hungarian Grand Prix

German Grand Prix

By


A podium finish for Massa and Ferrari, but is that all there is?

by Erik C. Nielsen
Photos courtesy and copyright Ferrari Media

Tides are Turning
Grand Prix of Germany

The one constant in F1 is change. At each and every race, every team brings new improvements to their cars. Most of the changes are aerodynamic with super computer simulations and thousands of hours of wind tunnel testing to have this element exactly this shape, this size and this angle to maximize performance and fit within the rules.
[Read more…] about German Grand Prix

MENU