Official Discussion Thread of the 2009 Formula 1 Season

"kicked out". It's merely a technicality. They're just as united as ever.
 
Kicked out? Come on.

If you remember the circumstances you would know thats hardly the case.
 
Kicked out? Come on.

If you remember the circumstances you would know thats hardly the case.

+1

I agree. They didn't get kicked out, they sided with the FIA and made the choice of leaving the FOTA group by entering the 2010 F1 championship.
 
:lol::lol::lol: No, I believe you're absolutely right on the three-car bit. I'm a bit reticent to post stuff like this now after I got a bollocking from another forum member.

But he was an idiot. So please continue. :p
 
Ferrari and Santander held a press conference a few minutes ago; a main sponsorship deal was announced for the next 5 years, no mention of any driver moves. And Monza is regularly the place where Ferrari finalise their line-up for the next season.
 
Ferrari and Santander held a press conference a few minutes ago; a main sponsorship deal was announced for the next 5 years, no mention of any driver moves. And Monza is regularly the place where Ferrari finalise their line-up for the next season.

Is Marlboro completely gone or are they sticking around as a minor sponsor?
 
Is Marlboro completely gone or are they sticking around as a minor sponsor?

They have a major contract until 2011 at least. So they're not the main sponsor any longer, but they're the second most important one. And I think they get some of the money from Santander for the space on the cars (I think that's one of the terms of the Marlboro-Ferrari deal).
 
They have a major contract until 2011 at least. So they're not the main sponsor any longer, but they're the second most important one. And I think they get some of the money from Santander for the space on the cars (I think that's one of the terms of the Marlboro-Ferrari deal).

Yeah Marlboro has the rights to the space on the cars but they can't put their logo on it due to tobacco laws I think. If another sponsor gets on the car, I was under the impression the essentially have to buy the rights to the space from Marlboro, though Ferrari may have worked something out with them.

And this more or less confirms Alonso to Ferrari imo, a spanish sponsor, the same spanish sponsor that signed a deal with Mclaren when Alonso went there, signing at Monza.
 
Kubica: Ferrari called me

11 September 2009

Robert Kubica remains calm over his job prospects for 2010 but did admit on Thursday that Ferrari have been in touch with regards to driving their second car for the remainder of the season. The Pole, however, prefers to concentrate on his long-term commitments as opposed to the final five races of this season.

With Giancarlo Fisichella having been drafted into Ferrari to substitute for the injured Felipe Massa for the rest of the season, the Italian will remain the official reserve driver next year and will only race should another team wish to loan him from the Scuderia.

"I think I'm in white, so there's no more speculation," BMW driver Kubica said in Italy. "Yes, there was some contact and I was in the interest of Ferrari but I don't think it's so easy to change teams during the year and, anyway, I think we will have a competitive car here with BMW so I'm happy to be where I am."

Source

Interesting...
 
Fisichella gets ready to bubble

He looked, somebody suggested in a manner that was not meant to seem unkind, like a freshly scrubbed kid on his first day at big school, as Giancarlo Fisichella sat proudly in the press conference at Monza on Thursday in his Ferrari gear. The smile was rarely off his smooth-shaven face. It said that Christmas had come early, and he was still having trouble believing it.

?Every day since last Thursday has been a fantastic experience, since the announcement, when I got into the factory, doing the seat fitting,? Fisichella said of the ride of his life. ?Going around now I?m much more popular after 14 years of Formula One, so Ferrari is amazing. Even this morning, I was so excited, so nervous, coming here.

"Actually I enjoyed driving up the motorway with Robert (Kubica), because I met him in my car - we weren?t on the limit, obviously. But it?s just great, so I need to thank Dr Vijay Mallya, because he gave me the possibility to move to Ferrari; the president Luca di Montezemolo, I have been his personal choice; Stefano Domenicali; even my manager Enrico Zanarini did a fantastic job, so it?s a dream coming true, it?s fantastic for me.?

He?s been spending a lot of time at meetings in Maranello, doing his seat fitting, talking with the engineers about the programme and how they operate at Ferrari, as well as having a run in the simulator. ?I did every day about two or three hours. It is good to learn, especially the different steering wheel and how to manage the KERS, the adjustable front flaps which we didn?t use in Force India. I feel on top of it. But obviously when you are going to drive the car for sure it is going to be different behaviour to Force India and I will need extra laps to get comfortable.

?Obviously it?s going to be different in the car; when you drive you are very concentrated not to brake late and to do the best you can. But KERS is not so difficult; you know you just need to switch a button and go flat out from the exit of the corner. It?s going to be difficult to manage it at the beginning, for sure but once I have done 30 or 40 laps it will be much better, I?m sure.?

And he admitted that part of the excitement was the effect his new role has had on family and friends. ?It?s my life?s dream, but it was especially also my father?s dream and all my family. All my friends are really proud of what has happened to me. I?ve had a lot of texts and phone calls from a lot of friends and that has been amazing. Even the press has been fantastic with me, so for a few days it?s been like living in a dream for me. Actually, it?s fact, so I?m looking forward to being really comfortable in the team. When I went to Ferrari, I felt the fantastic atmosphere. The mechanics are so nice. It?s great, just great.?

He spent all of the recent Belgian Grand Prix studying the back of the car he?ll now drive, but he was cagey when asked to assess Ferrari?s chances here.

?Yeah, obviously I cannot say a lot about the car apart from the colour, which is red! It is amazing for me to be here in Monza with my home Grand Prix with a new team and in a Ferrari car which was my dream since when I was young. It is just great. I am sure it is going to be good for Ferrari performance this circuit, with the KERS and the aerodynamic package. Obviously, I need to get comfortable and confident with the car. I will spend first of all the morning to learn everything but I am sure the second free practice will be much more comfortable and I can already be confident to be competitive.?

He was also cagey about his goal for the next five races. ?Well, the target is obviously to finish third in the constructors? championship for Ferrari, so we need to score a lot of points with Kimi (Raikkonen). My target is to score points in every race if possible and it would obviously be nice to get on the podium, but we will see.

?I just want to do a proper job, to try and score points in every race and do my best, be much closer to Kimi and that?s all I have to do. It?s my dream to win straightaway on Sunday, but it?s not easy to jump from a Force India car to a Ferrari car and be comfortable straight away. I?m sure I can do it, I can be quick, so I?m positive, but step-by-step.?

David Tremayne

Source


A dream come true indeed.
 
Lucky man! I hope he does well. He'll probably explode from the joy
 
Santander might become F1's new Marlboro...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78578

McLaren set to retain Santander

By Jonathan Noble Saturday, September 12th 2009, 17:59 GMT

McLaren is set to retain its sponsorship deal with Santander in 2010, AUTOSPORT has learned, despite the Spanish banking giant's high-profile new deal with Ferrari.

Santander announced in the build-up to the Italian Grand Prix that it was embarking on a five-year major sponsorship deal with Ferrari from next year - an agreement that could see the company tie-up with Fernando Alonso at some point.

While the Ferrari deal was in place for some time, discussions are believed to have continued with McLaren about extending its current deal too - especially because of the huge success the bank's profile has enjoyed through its association with Lewis Hamilton.

It is understood that a deal is now close to being confirmed, with an announcement expected in the next week ? and perhaps even in the build-up to Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.

Santander chief Emilio Botin declined to comment about the McLaren situation when asked about the chances of a deal at the Ferrari announcement.

"Today we are here to speak about Ferrari," he said on Thursday. "From 2010, for five years, Santander will work together in red."

McLaren has also declined to comment about the state of negotiations with Santander.
 
^That's just weird. I doubt Ferrari will want the same on their car as McLaren...
 
^That's just weird. I doubt Ferrari will want the same on their car as McLaren...

Nah... they'll just appeal to different markets. Abbey's promotional campaigns in the UK (them being Santander's UK subsidiary) are still centered around Hamilton and McLaren, and I don't think they plan on ditching that source of profit.
 
So I'll have to bear with that evil sign, that haunted me after Brasil 2008 in my nightmares, on my beloved Ferrari ?

I'll need therapy again..

logo-santander.jpg


It's like kriptonite to me.. :censored:
 
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