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Ferrari clear Alonso talk as speculation

Raikkonen set for official WRC debut

Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo has urged the Formula One community to get its act together, saying fans "are p****d off with all these polemics".

Despite an announcement this week that the FIA and Formula One Teams' Association have struck deal to avoid a breakaway series, the civil war in F1 continues to rage on.

FIA President Max Mosley threatened to go back on his word not to stand for re-election after Di Montezemolo, who also acts as FOTA chairman, referred to him as a "dictator".

Di Montezemolo, though, warns that F1 should get its house in order as the ongoing political war and constant changes are angering fans.

"I am very pleased for the agreement, [and] I was not surprised because I understand the spectators, they are p****d off with all these polemics - the press releases, unclear rules, rules that change every six months," he told the official Ferrari website.

"We need stability. We need peace. We need transparency. We love F1; we want a F1 as always extreme - extreme in terms of technology and competition. The best drivers, the best teams, the best cars, this is what we try to achieve.

"I am very pleased for this result and also for the very good atmosphere that I found in Paris with the World Council, the FIA. So I think together with the FIA we have done a good agreement looking ahead.

"Now, stop with all the polemics, because we love F1. We don't want to contribute to... take off the big charm and the unique elements of F1."

Source: Rivals Digital Media Ltd

Ferrari to keep KERS in 2009

Ferrari will not drop its KERS system for the remainder of 2009 just because three other teams have, Brazilian driver Felipe Massa insists.

At Silverstone last weekend, the Maranello-built cars were the only ones fitted with the controversial energy-reuse technology after Renault, BMW and now McLaren discontinued their respective versions.

But Massa told Italy's La Stampa: "We will continue to use it, because our design was based on it. We will probably race it for the rest of the season."

The 28-year-old said the system helped him and team-mate Kimi Raikkonen off the line in the British Grand Prix, but that otherwise the F60-KERS package is "not fast enough."

"KERS has been useful for us especially at the start of races, but in another way, if our car had been better and was starting from the front row, then we would not need the KERS so much," added Massa.

He had an impressive run through the midfield to fourth place last Sunday, but urges the Ferrari team to turn the majority of its attention to the 2010 car.

"We have to continue to work hard and to bring new developments for the next races, but we are finding the limits of the car that we have," said Massa.

"For sure, a car can always be improved, but perhaps the job for next year should be our main concern."

Massa is currently at home in Sao Paulo.

Source: GMM

Reports in the Spanish media have linked Sebastian Vettel with a Ferrari seat in the very near future.

Spanish sports daily Marca reported yesterday that Maranello’s sponsors and advisors are working hard to get Vettel into the team as soon as possible, with Michael Schumacher apparently personally involved.

Vettel’s spectacular performances this year – not least his drubbing of the opposition at Silverstone last weekend – will have impressed key Ferrari bosses determined to return the Prancing Horse to the top step of the podium.

The young German’s ability to set-up a winning car as well as drive it very quickly has also won him plaudits, and might be the difference between him and the current Ferrari driver line-up. Vettel has been seen to be the difference between a winless Red Bull team and a winning one. This is perhaps unfair on Adrian Newey but there is no doubt Vettel brings a lot to the table.

Marca reports that the only obstacle to the Vettel-Ferrari deal – which has been mooted by Bernie Ecclestone in the past – is Dietrich Mateschitz. The Austrian Red Bull boss is determined to keep Vettel, who has been the most successful product to date of the drinks company’s driver development programme.

But other obstacles could come in the shape of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Alonso is thought to already have a Ferrari agreement for 2010 or 2011, and is unlikely to want a team-mate as competitive as Vettel. Felipe Massa, meanwhile, is adored by the team and has a contract til 2011. Kimi Raikkonen is widely expected to retire at the end of this season.

All the moves would presumably take place in the FOTA breakaway championship, teams and drivers having signalled their commitment to it.

Source: Formula1.net

Ferrari said the 2010 season will be "a championship ... which will held, as required by FOTA, in the spirit of sport and technological competition, with clear and certain rules and a transparent governance".

The Maranello based team, to now call off its threat to break away from the official category with seven other major teams, said the outcome had been achieved because the World Motor Sport Council "accepted the proposals formulated by FOTA".

Mosley's impending departure, and his immediate replacement on F1 matters by Michel Boeri, was also intimated by Ferrari in insisting that FOTA's "objective" was to "avoid continuous (rule) changes decided by one person alone".

Ferrari also denied any backdown on the issue of cost reduction, insisting that the unwinding of budgets to early 90s levels was "constantly promoted" by FOTA".

Relief was the F1 community's buzzword on Wednesday, elucidated best by RTL, the German free-to-air broadcaster that was worried about the sport's impending United States-style series split.

"We were always confident that the two sides would agree in the end, because the differences between them were outweighed by the common interest," spokesman Mathias Bolhofer said.

Source: Paddock Talk