F1 2008 -updated-

[AzShadow]

Ferrari: Raikkonen favourite for 2008

Ferrari's vice president Piero Ferrari believes Kimi Raikkonen will be favourite to win the title in 2008 after his maiden crown last year.

"Yes, definitely," Ferrari told Gazzetta dello Sport when asked if Raikkonen was favourite for next season. "In the first season he broke the ice, found confidence and belief in the team.

"He will have a car that better suits his driving style, because I think that was the problem at one time last year: his style did not suit the F2007 and viceversa."

Raikkonen took the title in surprising style in the final race of the season in Brazil after overcoming a 17-point difference with two races remaining.

The Maranello team will kick off their 2008 preparations today, unveiling their new challenger before it begins testing on Monday.

Ferrari believes the F2008 will be a significant step forward compared to last year's machine.

"The F2007 wasn't always the fastest car nor the most reliable," Ferrari added. "But Ferrari did a perfect job in the last race and that's how we won.

"The F2008 must be more reliable, because to get the titles you need to finish the races. I'm less worried about performance."

[AzShadow]

Todt says new ECU benefits McLaren

McLaren are at a clear advantage this year because they built the electronic system which all Formula One teams must now use, Ferrari chief executive Jean Todt said on Monday.

"We would have preferred that the single control unit for all Formula One teams was built by another company. We must accept the fact that McLaren with Microsoft put forward the most economic proposal," Todt told reporters.

"It is clear it is a situation to monitor. But it is obvious that, at least at the start, McLaren will have an advantage in the championship," added the Frenchman, who has handed the reins of the racing team to Stefano Domenicali while he remains boss of the company.

Raikkonen unfazed by TC ban

Kimi Raikkonen has played down his fellow F1 drivers' concerns that the ban on traction control will make the sport more dangerous, particularly on a wet track.

"This sport is dangerous anyway," the Finn, nicknamed within the sport as 'the iceman', said at the launch of Ferrari's new car for 2008, the F2008, in northern Italy on Sunday.

"You can have a big accident whether you've got traction control or not. It will make driving in the wet a bit trickier, but if you think it's too dangerous then you shouldn't be in the car at all," Raikkonen said.

"For me it's a bit more enjoyable because you can get the car sideways, and it may help with overtaking because people will probably be making more mistakes," he said.

"It is more tricky for sure, you need to be awake more of the time," Raikkonen added.

[Lilellatho]

Alex Wurz confirmed as Honda's test driver.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64586

Good news for him and for Honda; he's a great test driver and a very nice person, so good luck to him :cheesy:

[AzShadow]

Wurz seems to fit more as a test driver anyhow and yes, he will bring Honda some valuable experience. But the problem with Honda isn't really the drivers or experience but their cars. :?

Prodrive abandon F1 plans for now
Prodrive have all but abandoned plans to enter Formula One, in the wake of continued resistance to the introduction of customer cars.

The Banbury-based company had agreed a deal for a supply of customer McLaren-Mercedes for 2008, but had to scrap their entry following a legal challenge from rivals Williams about the eligibility of customer cars.

Although there had been some initial hope of the team resurrecting their ambitions for 2009, Prodrive boss David Richards has now admitted that, with customer cars likely to remain outlawed, there is little hope of his team entering F1.

[AzShadow]

Piquet thinks there is no number one and two in Renault:
http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n ... 3035.shtml

Piquet also angrily rebuffed suggestions that there is no doubt about his 'number two' status at Renault this year.

"That is an invention of journalists. In Formula One there is no number one and number two. Both the cars are equal and here it will be the same way," he said.

Briatore seems to have a different opinion, however:

Renault Team Principal Flavio Briatore might be of a different opinion however, as he expressed his philosophy on the subject last autumn when he was hoping to lure Alonso back to the team.

"It's important that the roles, number one and two, are clear, otherwise you risk to destabilise the team," Briatore said at the time. "If you hire a World Champion, then you must give him the number one status."

[Lilellatho]

He he, it should be very interesting to see how things evolve between these two at Renault and how Piquet jr. (and sr. ) cope with the reality of his no.2 status. Surely that's a certainty by now. . It might prove quite, erm, entertaining

[iceman1]

From GrandPrix.com

"It has been confirmed after weeks of rumours that qualifying will be altered in 2008 in order to make it more entertaining and to get rid of the troublesome "fuel burn" period, which was seen by all concerned as a serious "own goal" in the process of giving Formula 1 a more environmentally-friendly image. The Q3 session which was previously 20 minutes in length will now be reduced to just 10 minutes which will give the teams time to do two or perhaps three qualifying runs for those who wish to try for a better qualifying position.

[AzShadow]

Honda offer staff $2000 bonus for win

Honda has promised its hundreds of formula one staff a $2000 bonus should Jenson Button or Rubens Barrichello win a race in 2008.

The move, that would cost the Brackley based team in excess of $1.5m per victory, would apply not only to mechanics and engineers but also to the cleaners of the Brackley factory, according to the team's HR Director John Marsden.

Marsden told HR delegates at a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development conference in London this week that the motivation scheme is designed to encourage team spirit.

He also said it is hoped that the monetary incentive will keep employees motivated to stay at Honda rather than switch to rival teams.

"Everyone gets a bonus if we win - from the race staff to the cleaners," he is quoted as saying by the publication Personnel Today.

"I want everyone to feel part of the team," Marsden added. "People need to be faced with a thought process about what they would lose if they left you."

I don't think that they have to worry about the victory costs too much...

[Lilellatho]

Yeah, they'll all go grey before getting their hands on that money. osweat: Might as well said 1 milion

[Ali]

Alonso tells, crash.net reports:

“If I can win the championship again with Renault I will be very happy, but from the performance they had in 2007 no one can think that Renault will be able win this year. If we can do it then it will be something special.

“I hope for the tifosi that Ferrari has a good championship too. If I don't have the opportunity to win it, I really hope Ferrari can.

I really do not think it is an ethical behaviour. What if, at the last GP, Ferrari and McLaren's pilots have the same point and Alonso has no chance to get the title, what would Alonso do? Act as a "third" pilot of Ferrari keeping McLaren guys at bay? When will Alonso just concentrate on sportsmanship instead of gamesmanship?

[AzShadow]

It will be interesting to see how Alonso will interrupt the battle between the championship contenders (assuming he can't fight for the championship himself). He might want Ferrari to win just because he hates McLaren now.