Tag Archives for FelipeMassa
Ferrari’s 11-year-old wunderkind beats F1 driver in karting competition
Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari
Lance Stroll in the Ferrari karting challenge, Montreal – Click above or below for high-res image gallery
Montreal has some great karting tracks. The French-Canadian metropolis, after all, is a veritable motorsport me… Continue reading
Ferrari signs 11-year-old to development program, renews Massa contract
Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ferrari, Canada
We don’t know about you, but when we were 11 years old, most of us here at Autoblog were dreaming about one day driving a Ferrari. Never in our wildest dreams could never have imagined being signed to a contract with the Scuderia. Not at that age, anyway. But that’s exactly what’s happened for Lance Stroll.
An eleven-year-old racing prodigy from Montreal, Stroll has already been kickin’ butt and taking names in pro karting series at home and around the world. He’s won several karting races and titles, and was named Rookie of the Year and then Driver of the Year by the Fedération Sport Automobile du Quebec. Not bad for a kid who hasn’t even reached his Bar Mitzvah yet.
As part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, Stroll will be joining a rapidly growing roster of older drivers – including several European feeder formula champs – being supported by Maranello in their budding careers. Stroll’s contract was announced in the ramp-up to the Canadian Grand Prix which returns to his home town of Montreal this weekend.
Against the backdrop of aspiring drivers being recruited by Formula One teams at decreasing ages, Ferrari’s program was launched after Felipe Massa was sidelined last season and the team struggled to find a suitable replacement. Massa’s contract, incidentally, was also officially renewed for another couple of seasons, confirming earlier reports. Both announcements can be found after the jump.
[Source: Ferrari]
Continue reading Ferrari signs 11-year-old to development program, renews Massa contract
Ferrari signs 11-year-old to development program, renews Massa contract originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Scuderia Ferrari chief says Massa is here to stay
Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ferrari
The 2010 Formula One season isn’t even halfway through, and already speculation has been ramping up for next year’s line-up. The biggest piece of the puzzle revolves around Felipe Massa, the Brazilian driver who has – notwithstanding a few seasons spent farmed out to Ferrari-powered Sauber – been with the Scuderia since advancing to the series in 2002 with the European Formula 3000 title under his belt.
Word around the paddock is that Ferrari has been unsatisfied with Massa’s performance this season. After coming a close second in the championship in 2008, Massa suffered a crippling crash last season, sidelining him for the remainder, only to return to the scarlet cockpit this year. So far, however, Massa’s been languishing behind his rivals, currently sitting seventh in the standings while his team-mate Fernando Alonso holds on to fourth place.
The lackluster performance has led to rumors that Ferrari would opt to release Massa – who is managed by FIA president and former Ferrari CEO Jean Todt’s son Nicolas – rather than renew his contract which is due to expire at the end of this season. That, in turn, led to speculation that either Red Bull’s Mark Webber or Renault’s Robert Kubica could get called up to Maranello. But speaking with the BBC in the ramp up to this past weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix, team principal Stefano Domenicalli indicated that Massa’s contract would, in all likelihood, be renewed after all. Nothing is certain until the papers are signed – and even then things can change – but for now it looks like Felipe is set to stay in the red.
[Source: Autosport | Image: Alberto Cridpa/AFP/Getty]
Scuderia Ferrari chief says Massa is here to stay originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Reports place Red Bull’s Vettel, Webber at Ferrari
Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Ferrari, Rumormill
After winning three out of the seven races so far this season and topping both championship standings, Red Bull’s dynamic duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber must be looking mighty tempting to any number of rival teams on the grid. But the most alluring, according to recent reports, could be Ferrari.
For his part, Vettel is widely regarded as the personal favorite of one Bernie Ecclestone, who could be helping to broker a deal that would see the young German wearing red in the near future. Vettel, however, is on a long-term contract with Red Bull, leaving the possibility open for a few years from now.
More likely for the near future, however, could be Webber. The 33-year-old Australian driver – fresh from back-to-back victories at the Spanish and Monaco grands prix – is on a year-to-year contract with Red Bull, which could leave him free to switch teams in the off-season. Red Bull chief Christian Horner has hinted at his intention to retain the driver currently topping the standings, but until a contract is signed… mind you, contracts in F1 aren’t worth what they once were.
While Fernando Alonso continues to impress, Ferrari is widely speculated to be dissatisfied with their second driver Felipe Massa, and could cut the Brazilian lose for next season. Alternative reports place Renault’s Robert Kubica in the Scuderia’s hot seat, but only time will tell.
[Source: ESPN | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]
Reports place Red Bull’s Vettel, Webber at Ferrari originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 May 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Video: Felipe Massa’s new “simplified” steering wheel explained… in nine minutes
Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Ferrari, Racing
Despite what you might assume after traveling on America’s highways and byways, operating a vehicle isn’t terribly complicated. At most, there are three pedals, a steering wheel and a gear shift lever. Everything else is just periphery. While the onslaught of infotainment doodads and climate control wizardry have turned the cockpit of your favorite conveyance from an exercise in simplicity into a buffet of dials and buttons, we assure you it’s nothing like what Felipe Massa has to contend with.
You see, for 2010, Ferrari decided to make things easier on Mr. Massa by simplifying his steering wheel. The old tiller was a maze of controls, thanks largely to the KERS system the team employed for 2009. Now all it takes to get cozy with the interface that controls the F10 racer is a mere nine minutes of your time and a memory like a steel trap.
Is it possible to have any more respect for our favorite Formula One pilots? We didn’t think so until we caught sight of the video after the jump. Somehow, imaging trying to remember whether or not the engineer said the front wing should be at a seven and the fuel consumption at a four or vice versa while lapping a circuit at mind-bending speed just makes our heads hurt.
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading Video: Felipe Massa’s new “simplified” steering wheel explained… in nine minutes
Video: Felipe Massa’s new “simplified” steering wheel explained… in nine minutes originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 May 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
