Alonso could start driving for Ferrari

Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso could start driving for Ferrari in 2011 or even sooner if Kimi Raikkonen doesn't shine, Italian sports paper La Gazzetta Sportiva reported on Sunday.

Gazzetta wrote without attribution that a deal had been made that could bring Alonso to Ferrari in 2011 on a contract of three or four years, although both sides are keeping their options open.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo was vague about the team's long-term driver options when chatting with journalists at a recent holiday dinner, the paper reported.

"We have Massa and Raikkonen under contract for the next two years," Montezemolo said. "As for the future, we'll see. Alonso is a great champion, but life is long. He's young."

Gazzetta indicated that the pressure is on Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, to deliver. Ferrari officials declined to comment on the report.

Last month, Alonso opted to stay with Renault, signing a two-year contract extension that will keep him at the French Formula One team through 2010.

Desafio Internacional das Estrelas

Rubens Barrichello took overall victory in the International Challenge of Go-Kart Champions on Sunday, 30 November, a charity race organised by his Brazilian compatriot and fellow Formula 1 star Felipe Massa.

Barrichello held off stiff competition from a field that included Michael Schumacher, Massa and Lucas di Grassi – as well as a host of big names from other motorsports such as NASCAR's Jeff Gordon.

The annual event took place over two races and in front of a 12,000 strong crowd at the Ingleses kart track in Florianopolis, Brazil.

Barrichello won the first race from di Grassi, but only after his ex-Ferrari team-mate Schumacher span out from a promising second position.

Massa then took victory in race two but couldn’t stop Barrichello taking the overall honours; a fifth place finish was enough for the Honda driver to pip di Grassi by a single point in the final standings.

Barrichello and di Grassi are two of the drivers fighting over a drive at Honda next year, Barrichello having raced there since 2006 while di Grassi took part in an evaluation test at Barcelona earlier this month.

The pair fought wheel-to-wheel in both races, but it was the veteran of 270 Formula 1 races who finished on top.

Last year’s event winner Schumacher could only manage eighth overall, after a combination of his mistake in race one and a loose exhaust early in race two ruled him out of contention.

Other ex-Formula 1 drivers present were Luciano Burti, Antonio Pizzonia, Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer and Force India’s third driver Vitantonio Luizzi.

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pic 1: Felipe Massa International Challenge of Go-Kart Champions - All the Drivers
pic 2: Filipe massa

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pic 1: Vitantonio Luizzi
pic 2: Tony Kanaan

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pic 1: Michael Schumacher
pic 2: Felipe Massa International Challenge of Go-Kart Champions - Luca DiGrassi, Rubens Barichello and FIlipe Massa

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pic 1: Felipe Giafonne
pic 2: Felipe Massa International Challenge of Go-Kart Champions - Start

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pic 1: Drivers on the pick up truck
pic 2: Michael Schumacher kart

Toyota F1 - Next to Go?

Toyota, the car manufacturer, has announced a record loss of $1.7 billion, or 1 700 000 000 dollars, over 2008. Of course, this puts their future participation in Formula 1 under doubt, especially since they have been long complaining about the standard engine formula, as well as not achieving the expected and also desired results (had their first calculations worked out, they would have been world champions by now).

Toyota F1 leaving would result in no less than 16 cars. Since Mr. Ecclestone wants at least 20 cars on the grid, rumours has it some top teams (ie Ferrari and McLaren if 18 cars, BMW and Renault if 16 cars) would get to run a third, non-constructor-points-scoring, car in order to reach the desired field of 20 cars. This would give these teams no huge advantage in the constructors situation since one pre-determined driver would be the 3rd driver (ie Luca Badoer in Ferrari, Pedro de la Rosa in McLaren, etc.) would not be able to score points for their respective teams. We could, though, for the first time in modern F1, perhaps ever, see a podium with drivers from one single team, if this new suggestion comes true. I hope it does.

2009 is looking less and less certain by the day - I'm thinking BMW will come out victorious, or Renault. McLaren as an outsider. Ferrari won't be close, I sadly believe.

Peace out, bruvvas!

Race Of Champions ROC Schumacher Vettel and Loeb

Loeb, the five times World Rally (WRC) champion, kept his composure despite fierce pressure from fellow finalist, Britain’s David Coulthard, to become the champion of champions.

With a best-of-three format for the final, Frenchman Loeb took the honours in the first race to put the pressure on the newly retired F1 driver. Coulthard responded in spectacular fashion, giving the massive British crowd hope of a home victory by piloting to victory in the second heat, driving the KTM X-Bow.

With the stage set for a thrilling finale, the two driving greats turned the famous football stadium into a adrenalin-fuelled amphitheatre; slipping and sliding the purpose-built ROC Cars to a nail-biting finish with Loeb taking the honours by just 0.3 seconds.

Team Germany retained their title in The Race Of Champions Nations Cup at Wembley Stadium. The reunited pairing of seven-time F1 champion, Michael Schumacher, and F1’s youngest ever race winner, Sebastian Vettel, never looked troubled as they powered undefeated through the heat events before beating Team Scandinavia in the final.

The Race Of Champions, which brings together the best stars of motorsport from around the world, descended on Wembley Stadium for the second year, bringing its purpose-built tarmac race track and selection of high-performance cars to transform the football pitch to an adrenalin-fuelled amphitheatre. Taking the fight to the victorious German duo was the Team Scandinavia pairing of Le Mans 24 hour winner, Tom Kristensen and former German touring car (DTM) champion, Mattias Ekstrom.

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pic 1: Wembley Stadium
pic 2: Race of Champions 2008 at Wembley Stadium. Lewis Hamilton does a few donuts in his F1 car

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pic 1: Race of Champions 2008 at Wembley Stadium. Christmas-themed cheerleaders
pic 2: Race of Champions 2008 at Wembley Stadium. The full drivers' line-up supporting the Institute for Brain and Spinal Cord Disorders (www.icm-institute.org)

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pic 1: Michael Schumacher Race of Champions 2008
pic 2: Michael Schumacher and Vettel Race of Champions 2008

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pic 1: Michael Schumacher Vettel Germany Race of Champions 2008
pic 2: Michael Schumacher Race of Champions 2008

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pic 1: Michael Schumacher Race of Champions 2008
pic 2: Michael Schumacher and Carroll Race of Champions 2008

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pic 1: David Coultard DC
pic 2:David Coultard DC

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pic 1: Lewis Hamilton
pic 2: At the Race of Champions 2008 at Wembley Stadium. Team USA's Carl Edwards and Travis Pastrana

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pic 1: Race of Champions 2008 at Wembley Stadium. Terry Grant completes a whole lap of Wembley on two wheels
pic 2: Race of Champions 2008 at Wembley Stadium. Sébastien Loeb after winning the Race Of Champions tournament

Formula 1 Teams for 2009

As I see it, there are a few possible outcomes. I will show everything in percentages. First of, what will happen for 2009, the amount of teams to race:

10 teams (incl. newly purchased Honda): 30%
9 teams: 35%
8 teams: 20%
7 teams: 5%
0 teams: 10%

0 teams? Yes, you read it right. I think it's a 10% chance that there will be no Formula One Season in 2009. Like the NHL lockout, just Formula 1. They take a year off because there's not enough teams.

Put it this way: Red Bull with Toro Rosso drops out, as well as Renault or Force India. That would leave 6 teams on the grid. 12 cars. The others would probably agree to take a year off and fill the line-up for 2010 instead.

So, which teams are in for it? Percentages show the likelihood of them competing in 2009:
McLaren: 80%
Ferrari: 85%
BMW: 85%
Renault: 75%
Toyota: 85%
Toro Rosso: 60%
Red Bull: 65%
Williams: 75%
Force India: 70%
Purchased Honda team: 40%

I will re-arrange that to enlist them in a "Likelihood of 2009 participation" rank:
1. Ferrari - 85%
1. BMW
1. Toyota
4. McLaren - 80%
5. Renault - 75%
5. Williams
7. Force India - 70%
8. Red Bull - 65%
9. Toro Rosso - 60%
10. Purchased Honda - 40%

I hope this provides a fair overview: My friends, do not be surprised if the 2009 Formula One Season is cancelled.

Williams and Red Bull/Toro Rosso?

So, now that Honda has taken off, people are starting to worry. It seems there are three teams in trouble financially. Red Bull is the likeliest, which means we'd lose another 4 drivers, giving us 14 cars on the grid in 2009. That's utterly crap.

Williams are not looking totally certain either, but I think they will be in it for 2009.

Teams that seem uncertain:
Williams
Red Bull
Toro Rosso

Teams that have dropped out:
Honda

Teams that I have not heard about:
Force India
Renault

Teams that have re-confirmed their 2009 participation:
Ferrari
McLaren
BMW
Toyota

I will make a list similar to the driver rumours, for teams, in the coming days! Keep your eyes open

Honda's Dead

They've quit Formula 1. Economy fucked them up. Japan stinks, I suppose. Toyota, the other Japanese team, has confirmed that they are staying, though. I wonder what Ross Brawn is thinking now? "I left Ferrari, I joined the crappiest team in the field to make them good, and the team ceased existing before I had a chance to do anything. Crikey!". I also wonder what Jenson Button is going to do. Negotiate with Toro Rosso? Honestly, Button is a great driver. Sebastién Buemi and Jenson Button in Toro Rosso? Why not?

Race of Champions soon. Watch it. Don't know when but it should be soon. Mattias Ekström will try to defend his 2007 win (in which he beat Michael Schumacher, as well as Sebastian Loeb (in a Citroën rally car) among others). I'm hungry now. I want some food. Readers, feed me with comments. Please? Do you readers even exist? I feel so lonely!