German Car Zone

Raikkonen says he will never give up


Kimi Raikkonen says he is not yet giving up on his title hopes despite his big gap to championship leader Lewis Hamilton.
The Finn, who has not won a race since the Spanish Grand Prix in April, was fighting for victory at Spa last Sunday, but ended up crashing out on the penultimate lap.

Raikkonen is now 19 points behind Hamilton with five races to go.
The Ferrari driver insisted it was win or bust for him at Spa, and claimed he is not yet ready to give up on the title despite his situation.
"Obviously that wasn't the result we were looking for at Spa, but it was great to be back to fight for the title," said Raikkonen. "Finally I had the right feeling with the car and the Spa circuit is just the most beautiful track for a Formula One race.
"I had just one goal when I came to Belgium: victory. I just wanted to win the race, anything else would not have been enough for me, also because it meant that my competitors could have widened the gap.
"There's no point in complaining now. I did my very best, but it wasn't enough. These things happen. It's the same in ice hockey or in motocross: you give and you take, but you never give up.

"I'm not worried about what happened and I won't give up: I'll fight right until the end. The points will be counted at the end of the season: there are still five races to go. My actual position is not ideal, but as I've said many times I'm not someone who gives up easily."

Raikkonen feels Ferrari will have a competitive weekend at Monza and the world champion is eager to score his first win at the Italian team's home.
"We had a very productive test session on this track before Spa," he added. "I think that the F2008 can be really competitive: after the qualifying we'll see if it was enough.

Full article: autosport

Monza: A lap with Alex Wurz

Honda's Alex Wurz takes us for a spin around Monza, venue for the 14th round of the Formula One World Championship this weekend.


"There is something very special about Monza. The setting, the noise of the Tifosi, the old banking crumbling in the background, the name - I like it all! It's the only super-fast track on the calendar and everything happens very quickly for the drivers. It takes a few laps to get used to it, even if you've been racing all year.

"In terms of driving style, Monza is an incredibly interesting mixture. On the one hand you have to be very harsh with your car by being super-aggressive over the kerbs, but you also have to treat it with respect by being very careful with the throttle because of the low downforce.
"Turn 1 is all about braking. You don't want to out-brake yourself, which can easily happen because the approach is so fast - 340kph (211mph) - and you then have to use the kerbs a lot. You must make sure that you make a clean exit because the long straight around Curva Grande follows before you're back on the brakes from high speed for the second chicane. The braking area is bumpy and you then have to jump over the kerbs very aggressively, which is fun.

"You're in fourth gear for the two Lesmos, which are both very slippery. The first one is slightly banked in your favour, so you have mid-corner understeer followed by exit oversteer. It's then very important to have a good rhythm through the second Lesmo because it's very easy to overdrive - and underdrive - the car and you need a good exit.

"Next up is Ascari, which is one of the best corners in Formula One. Braking is difficult because it's bumpy and once you've turned in, you jump over the inside kerb. You then get straight back on the power and you should aim to do the next right and left-handers just flat. If they are easy-flat, you have too much understeer or too much downforce, and if you can't do it flat you lose too much time by lifting off.

"You then brake very late into the final corner, Parabolica. You hit the brakes at about 60 metres and change down from seventh to fourth. The car is always very nervous on the entry and you have to get back on the power before the apex, at which point you don't know where you will hit the white line at the exit. It's a ballsy situation."
Eurosport

Circuit Map



About the Italian GP
Length 5.793 km Laps 53 (306.720 Km)
Last Year 1. F. Alonso
2. L. Hamilton
3. K. Raikkonen
Record Lap R. Barrichello - 1'21''046 (2004, Ferrari)
Record Pole R. Barrichello - 1'20''089 (2004, Ferrari)
Last Year Pole F. Alonso - 1'21''997 (McLaren)

Previous winners
Year Driver
2007 F. Alonso (McLaren)
2006 M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
2005 J-P. Montoya (McLaren)
2004 R. Barrichello (Ferrari)
2003 M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
2002 R. Barrichello (Ferrari)
2001 J-P. Montoya (Williams)
2000 M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
1999 H-H. Frentzen (Jordan)
1998 M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
1997 D. Coulthard (McLaren)
1996 M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
1995 J. Herbert (Benetton)
1994 D. Hill (Williams)
1993 D. Hill (Williams)
1992 A. Senna (McLaren)
1991 N. Mansell (Williams)
1990 A. Senna (McLaren)
1989 A. Prost (McLaren)
1988 G. Berger (Ferrari)

I have my money on Hami for this one.
McLaren had the best car here last year, and I don't foresee a change in that.

Very intersting is the rearwing ferrari has retained for this GP, it's asymmetric cause there's nearly only right hand corners in Monza.

Hamilton fired up after Spa penalty

Lewis Hamilton says he is determined not to let his Belgian Grand Prix penalty affect his championship chances, the Briton claiming he feels "great" despite what happened last Sunday.

"I felt pretty good, to be honest," Hamilton told reporters at Monza. "I felt it was always a driver's dream to win in Spa, and when you win in such amazing conditions and in such an exhilarating way - I was so excited. My heart was racing for those last few laps.
"
I felt really satisfied with the job that I did.
"I came away from the circuit, for sure in a bit of disbelief – but this is motor racing and it is to be expected sometimes," added the McLaren driver, who arrives in Monza with a two-point advantage over Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

Hamilton said he will continue to attack as usual in order to be crowned champion despite the penalty that cost him four points at Spa.
"I damn sure plan to make sure that it has no effect on it," he added. "I still have a two-point lead and we are going to make sure that we continue to attack and perform like we did in the last two races.
"And knowing that we have that package makes us more and more confident, and if anything – we can use this as our fuel to keep on pushing.

"I feel great. For the next few races our car will suit the circuits just as well as it did at Spa, so we are going to make sure we do the best job we can."
Hamilton was handed the penalty after the race stewards deemed he had benefited from jumping the final chicane when fighting with Kimi Raikkonen.
The duo battle for several corners and made contact a few times, but eventually Hamilton emerged in front.

And the Briton denied Raikkonen was braking too early during his fight.
"Well, that's his driving, that's all," he said. "That is how he drives. If you don't have the balls to brake late then that is your problem! At the end of the day, in those situations it is the driver who can feel the grip more and put the car more on the edge.
"And I know I am great in those conditions. I felt the grip more than him, I knew where to place my car and I did place it in different positions to him and I found the grip."

Hamilton also downplayed suggestions that he would be looking for revenge in Ferrari's home race this weekend.
"I don't feel ever that there is a need for revenge. The fact is we are having a great season battling the Ferraris, which is a real pleasure. They are a fantastic team and so are we.
"We fight so closely, and it really does come down to who does the better job as a whole.
"So it means the team doing a more solid job with reliability, pitstops, and strategy – and the driver keeping the thing on the track and pulling out those tenths of a second.
"Coming here, it would be great to win like last year and beat them on their home turf. It is a hard knock, and fortunately we covered our home grands prix this year so hopefully we can do it here as well."

FP1

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Sutil Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:32.842 18
2. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:33.428 + 0.586 14
3. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:33.695 + 0.853 19
4. Glock Toyota (B) 1:36.800 + 3.958 13
5. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:36.900 + 4.058 9
6. Alonso Renault (B) 1:36.965 + 4.123 10
7. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:37.142 + 4.300 20
8. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:37.214 + 4.372 13
9. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:37.392 + 4.550 5
10. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:37.754 + 4.912 13
11. Piquet Renault (B) 1:38.057 + 5.215 11
12. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:38.303 + 5.461 7
13. Button Honda (B) 1:39.062 + 6.220 12
14. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:40.233 + 7.391 5
15. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1
16. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 2
17. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1
18. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1
19. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1
20. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1

MONZA FORECAST
Today Hi 23°C / 73°F T-storms Lo 17°C / 63°F
Tomorrow Hi 18°C / 64°F Showers Lo 13°C / 55°F
Sunday Hi 17°C / 63°F Showers Lo 10°C / 50°F

Yupp I looked at the weather forecast two hours ago, it's going to be a very tough weekend for Ferrari. That rain is not going to do them any good. Hamilton having won many of the wet races this season has nothing to worry about, especially since he prefer hard tires.

BMW Power

FP2
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:23.861 31
2. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:23.931 + 0.070 26
3. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:23.947 + 0.086 29
4. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:23.983 + 0.122 25
5. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:24.110 + 0.249 33
6. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:24.247 + 0.386 34
7. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:24.365 + 0.504 29
8. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:24.521 + 0.660 35
9. Sutil Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:24.669 + 0.808 22
10. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:24.773 + 0.912 35
11. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:25.100 + 1.239 25
12. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:25.192 + 1.331 39
13. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:25.204 + 1.343 24
14. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:25.296 + 1.435 25
15. Button Honda (B) 1:25.309 + 1.448 34
16. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:25.330 + 1.469 28
17. Glock Toyota (B) 1:25.397 + 1.536 28
18. Alonso Renault (B) 1:25.481 + 1.620 22
19. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:25.753 + 1.892 29
20. Piquet Renault (B) 1:26.195 + 2.334 23

Anyone notice the speed trap figures!



What was the V10 record? Something like 370 km/h?