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Door is open for Rossi – Montezemolo

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:47:54 +0000

Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo has suggested the door will be open for Valentino Rossi if he wanted to make a switch to Formula 1 next year.

The Italian MotoGP champion recently tested for the Ferrari team again at the Barcelona circuit, and the Italian squad was impressed with his performance.

Rossi had been linked with Ferrari in the past, and rumours have reemerged again following the test.

Di Montezemolo said during the launch of Ferrari’s new car that he would welcome Rossi if the possibility arose next year.

“He’s a friend and an undisputed champion, from Emilia-Romagna, a great fan of Formula 1 and engines, and also a potential Formula 1 champion,” said di Montezemolo.

“If there was the possibility in 2011 and he wanted to do it and had the possibility for testing and adapting to F1, then why not?”

The Ferrari head insisted he is in favour of allowing teams to run three cars in the future, a move that would help drivers like Rossi or young stars race in Formula 1.

“I want to be a little more general: I spoke about the possibility of a third car, but I didn’t say that Ferrari needs to have three cars,” he said. “I’m well aware of the objections coming from the small teams. I was talking from the point of view of the interest of Formula 1 and of potential new entries in Formula 1.

“The third car could also be helpful for young drivers, to let them grow. It’s not right that a boy, who has never driven in Formula 1 starts into a race without training and tests. Here’s the idea: I would happily give a Ferrari to an American, German or Australian team and let the car be managed by them.

“They would definitely spend less than if they had to build a car on their own from scratch. They could hand it over to a talented and strong driver or try it with a young driver with a certain potential.

“I told Domenicali to work on the possibility that some teams, like ours, could hand over cars to other teams.”

An update on Silverstone’s development

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:49:41 +0000

The building works to update Silverstone are well under way with the new Arena layout set to be ready for the 2010 season.

As AUTOSPORT reported on Tuesday, circuit bosses are confident that this year’s British Grand Prix will be able to run on the new configuration, while MotoGP’s first race back at Silverstone will use the new track on June 20.

The infield area of the circuit is being redeveloped to include the new Arena section, the current start/finish straight is being widened, the Stowe circuit is being extended, and work has begun on a new pit and paddock complex between Club and Abbey corners.

The site has 230 people working full-time on the building with £7million already invested. So far, 180,000 tonnes of earth have been moved and 8000 tonnes of new asphalt already laid.

The grandstands on the current pit straight have been removed so the track can be widened on the run to Copse corner. They will be re-built once the track works are complete. Ninety per cent of the circuit’s kerbs are being replaced to accommodate both bikes, for MotoGP, and cars.

The new pit and paddock complex is due to be completed for 2011, with 2010 events still using the current pits. The new pit lane entry will leave the current circuit on the inside of the track in the Vale section, between Stowe and Club corners.

The National straight will become part of the GP circuit, with the track joining it from the new Arena section. As a result, an asphalt run-off area has replaced the gravel bed at Brooklands corner.

To see a picture gallery of the work at Silverstone this week, click here.

Dovizioso wants to develop bike

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:08:46 +0000

Andrea Dovizioso believes Honda needs to allow him to develop the RCV 212 in order to fight for the MotoGP world championship.

The Italian won at Donington in his maiden top class season last year, while Pedrosa won at Laguna Seca and Valencia, but the pair only finished third and sixth in the standings.

Dovizioso admits it was a difficult season and calls on Honda to follow his advice in 2010.

“For me, 2009 was the first year I felt a door slamming in my face,” he told Motosprint. “I got to a place everyone dreams of but I didn’t get the results.

“I’m not like Valentino [Rossi] who was called by Yamaha to develop and everyone has always followed him. I wasn’t given power by Honda to immediately change what I wanted to change.

“That’s also because the changes I wanted were too big. Honda said ‘it’s impossible to do everything now, it’s better to work for 2010′. I would like to change many things and the people at Honda have understood the situation.”

Dovizioso believes the changes he wants to make could help Pedrosa to win the 2010 title.

“In my opinion, Pedrosa too could benefit from the modifications I ask for. He can easily fight for the title, I have no doubt he can do it.”

Moto2 attracts big entry for debut

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:35:27 +0000

The inaugural Moto2 championship will see a full field of 39 bikes, with another two entries waiting in the wings as reserves.

The new series, in which chassis choice is free but all competitors run identical Honda engines, was over-subscribed when entries were first opened last year, and has remained at capacity despite Aprilia’s last-minute decision to pull the plug on its chassis project.

Moto2’s predecessor 250cc averaged 25 entries in its final season.

The entry is led by former MotoGP riders Toni Elias, Alex de Angelis, Gabor Talmacsi, Yuki Takahashi and Niccolo Canepa, with ex-Kawasaki MotoGP racer Anthony West among the reserves having joined the MZ team.

Roby Rolfo and Fonsi Nieto – two more riders with MotoGP experience – join Moto2 from the Superbike World Championship.

All of last year’s 250cc title contenders have moved into MotoGP rather than contesting Moto2, with Mattia Pasini, Raffaele de Rosa, Thomas Luthi, Mike di Meglio and Alex Debon the main ex-250cc men in the Moto2 field. 125cc graduates also feature strongly, led by reigning champion – and former 250cc racer – Julian Simon.

Actor Antonio Banderas is also a Moto2 supporter and is backing Spanish squad Promoracing. The team, which has title sponsorship from Jack&Jones, will run American Kenny Noyes and 125cc graduate Joan Olive.

2010 Moto2 entry list

No. Rider Team Chassis
2 Gabor Talmacsi Speed Up Aprilia Speed Up
4 Stefan Bradl Viessmann Kiefer Racing Suter
5 Joan Olive Jack&Jones By A.Banderas Promoharris
6 Alex Debon Red Bull Ajo Motorsport FTR
7 Axel Pons Pons Racing Pons Kalex
9 Kenny Noyes Jack&Jones By A.Banderas Promoharris
10 Fonsi Nieto G22 Holidaygym Moriwaki
12 Thomas Luthi Interwetten Moriwaki Racing Moriwaki
14 Ratthapark Wilairot Honda-Sag Suter
15 Alex de Angelis Scot Racing Team Scot
16 Jules Cluzel Forward Racing Suter
17 Karel Abraham Cardion Ab Motoracing RSV
24 Toni Elias Gresini Racing Moto2 Moriwaki
25 Alex Baldolini Caretta Technology Race Dept I.C.P.
29 Andrea Iannone Speed Up Aprilia Speed Up
35 Raffaele de Rosa Tech 3 Racing Tech 3
37 Fabricio Perren Kino Racing Kino
39 Robertino Pietri Italtrans S.T.R. Suter
40 Sergio Gadea Pons Racing Pons Kalex
41 Arne Tode Racing Team Germany Suter
44 Roberto Rolfo Italtrans S.T.R. Suter
45 Scott Redding Marc VDS Racing Team Suter
48 Shoya Tomizawa Technomag-Cip Suter
52 Lukas Pesek Matteoni C.P. Racing Moriwaki
53 Valentin Debise WTR San Marino Team ADV
55 Hector Faubel Honda-Sag Suter
56 Vladimir Leonov Vector Kiefer Racing Suter
59 Nicola Canepa Scot Racing Team Scot
60 Julian Simon Mapfre Aspar Team RSV
61 Vladimir Ivanov Gresini Racing Moto2 Moriwaki
63 Mike di Meglio Mapfre Aspar Team RSV
71 Claudio Corti Forward Racing Suter
72 Yuki Takahashi Tech 3 Racing Tech 3
75 Mattia Pasini JiR Moto2 TSR
76 Bernat Martinez Blusens BQR BQR-Moto2
77 Dominique Aegerter Technomag-Cip Suter
88 Yannick Guerra G22 Holidaygym Moriwaki
95 Mashel Al Naimi Blusens BQR BQR-Moto2
TBA tba JiR Moto2 TSR

Reserves

27 Vincent Lonbois Marc VDS Racing Team Suter
TBA Anthony West MZ Racing Team MZ

FIM releases 17-bike MotoGP entry list

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:59:22 +0000

Motorcycling’s governing body the FIM has confirmed a 17-bike field for the 2010 MotoGP season.

The loss of the Hayate Kawasaki and Scot Honda teams has been balanced out by the arrival of two 250cc graduate squads, with Aspar running a Ducati for Hector Barbera and Daniel Epp’s Interwetten team bringing 250cc champion Hiroshi Aoyama on a satellite Honda.

Nearly one third of the riders on the grid will be contesting a full MotoGP season for the first time. In addition to Barbera and Aoyama, highly-rated Superbike world champion Ben Spies moves across to MotoGP with Tech 3 Yamaha after various one-off outings in recent years, and former 250cc champion Marco Simoncelli will race for Gresini Honda.

Suzuki is also promoting a 250cc frontrunner by signing Alvaro Bautista, while Aleix Espargaro gets a full season with Pramac Ducati after impressing on substitute appearances last year.

This influx of rookies has resulted in several departures, with Chris Vermeulen and James Toseland returning to Superbikes after losing their Suzuki and Tech 3 rides respectively. Fellow MotoGP refugees Toni Elias, Alex de Angelis, Niccolo Canepa and Gabor Talmacsi have all opted for the new Moto2 series.

Italian team FB Corse and Spanish outfit Inmotec have both been working on new MotoGP designs with the aim of racing in 2010, but neither has been included on the official entry list.

2010 MotoGP entry list

No Rider Official team name Bike
4 Andrea Dovizioso Repsol Honda Team Honda
5 Colin Edwards Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha
7 Hiroshi Aoyama Interwetten-Honda MotoGP Honda
11 Ben Spies Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha
14 Randy de Puniet LCR Honda MotoGP Honda
19 Alvaro Bautista Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki
24 Marco Melandri San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda
26 Dani Pedrosa Repsol Honda Team Honda
27 Casey Stoner Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati
36 Mika Kallio Pramac Racing Team Ducati
40 Hector Barbera Aspar MotoGP Team Ducati
41 Aleix Espargaro Pramac Racing Team Ducati
46 Valentino Rossi Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha
58 Marco Simoncelli San Carlo Honda Gresini Honda
65 Loris Capirossi Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Suzuki
69 Nicky Hayden Ducati Marlboro Team Ducati
99 Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha Team Yamaha

Teams agree to points system tweak

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:36:44 +0000

Formula 1 has edged closer to a further overhaul of its points structure for the 2010 season after teams approved a new system that will offer greater rewards for winning, AUTOSPORT can reveal.

Just more than one month after the old 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 system was replaced with a MotoGP-type format (25-20-15-10-8-6-5-3-2-1), sources have revealed a meeting of F1 think tank the Sporting Working Group in London on Friday approved a further overhaul to reward more for race wins.

Rather than there being a five points different between first and second, teams agreed to expand that difference to seven points – with further tweaks to the points taking place lower down the order.

The new points structure approved by the SWG is: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1.

The matter still needs to be approved by next month’s meeting of the Formula 1 Commission before the FIA World Motor Sport Council can put it into the 2010 regulations, but this is likely to be a formality with teams already having voted in favour of the changes.

Although yet another change to the regulations is not ideal for F1, especially after such fanfare in December at the first amendment, Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner is adamant that the sport should always be ready to put its hands up if it thinks things are wrong.

He also believed a greater points gap between first and second would provide greater motivation for drivers to fight harder for the win.

“I think you should never be afraid of change so long as it is a change for the better,” he told AUTOSPORT ahead of the SWG meeting.

“And I think that what the points are trying to be designed to do are first of all – to generate a pecking order perhaps lower down in the top ten – so that with the points going down to 10th place there is reward for a top ten finish.

“But I think also one of the factors that Bernie is keen to look at is perhaps having a heavier weight between first, second and third, so there is more emphasis that rather than drivers cruising and collecting points, that they have to go for it.

“It is not because drivers don’t want to take the risk, but if the points difference between a win and second is two points it is not the end of the world, whereas if it is a significant number then it adds motivation for the drivers to push each other very hard.”

AUTOSPORT understands that the SWG also discussed the idea of awarding points for pole position or fastest lap, but neither of these concepts were agreed.

The SWG also talked at length about the possibility of introducing a rule that would force drivers to make two mandatory pit stops during a race, but this was not approved either. F1 drivers will therefore only need to make a single pit-stop in 2010 so as to ensure that they run on both types of tyres made available.

Yamaha: Rossi might consider F1 again

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:36:50 +0000

Yamaha MotoGP team boss Davide Brivio has suggested that Valentino Rossi’s strong performance in his Ferrari test this week could reawaken his interest in switching to Formula 1.

Rossi has repeatedly insisted that he has now missed his chance to join the F1 fray and that his occasional tests for Ferrari are only for his own entertainment.

But after Rossi lapped close to current F1 pace in a 2008 Ferrari fitted with GP2 slicks on Thursday, Brivio said he fears the seven-time MotoGP champion will start pondering his future again.

“I have to be worried about these excellent times because Valentino really could get the desire to change sport,” Brivio was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.

Rossi’s Yamaha contract expires this season, and he has been linked with a switch to Ducati after voicing concerns about how long Yamaha could continue giving him and team-mate Jorge Lorenzo equal status.

But Brivio reckons Ducati is no longer Rossi’s most likely alternative if he leaves Yamaha.

“The greatest danger is Ferrari,” Brivio said.

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali has said that Rossi would be an ideal candidate should F1 rules change and allow teams to run third cars.

Capirossi keen to race in 1000cc era

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 07:43:57 +0000

Loris Capirossi says he expects to continue racing beyond 2010 as he believes MotoGP’s forthcoming move to 1000cc bikes will suit him.

The Italian has been a world championship rider since joining the 125cc series in 1990 and is the most experienced man in the current MotoGP field. He will achieve his 300th start at world level at the start of the 2010 season.

MotoGP is due to change to 1000cc engines for 2012, although series supremo Carmelo Ezpeleta has hinted that the new rules could be brought forward to next year.

“If the 1000cc bikes come back in 2011, and I think this is possible, then I’d be the happiest rider on Earth,” Capirossi told Italian magazine Motosprint.

“It’s 99 per cent certain I’ll still be on the track after this season. I absolutely think so, because I’ll decide to hang up the helmet based on my level of satisfaction. If it’s an enjoyable season, with me fighting, if I’m satisfied with myself, then I may decide to quit.

“But after a 2009 so full of trouble, I’m not even thinking about this possibility.”

Capirossi is staying on with Suzuki for a third season in 2010, and will be paired with 250cc graduate Alvaro Bautista. So far Capirossi’s Suzuki stint has only delivered one podium finish in two years, and although he said he would probably retire if he was outpaced by Bautista, he did not want to stop without getting back among the frontrunners.

“If Bautista beats me race after race, then I will understand the problem is me and I will stay at home,” said Capirossi. “But if the bike doesn’t give me the chance of showing my worth, then it’d be difficult accepting to quit.”

The 36-year-old said his priority was to bow out in style, and that he would seek another team if Suzuki did not allow him to do so.

“I hope to find a competitive Suzuki this season, but if the bike isn’t and it doesn’t bring me decent results, then I won’t quit anyway,” Capirossi suggested.

“I’ll carry on racing, maybe after sorting out something else. If the bike goes well and I manage to get what I want, then I may decide to quit. I want to quit in a honourable way for myself, not for other people.”

Rossi thrilled with his F1 test pace

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:05:24 +0000

Valentino Rossi was ecstatic after lapping close to recent Formula 1 pace at the end of his two-day Ferrari test at Catalunya.

The MotoGP champion set a time of 1m21.900s during a qualifying simulation late this afternoon. Although direct comparisons are impossible as Rossi was using a 2008 Ferrari chassis fitted with GP2 specification slick tyres, Jenson Button’s pole time at the venue last year was a 1m20.527s, while Kimi Raikkonen took the top spot on the 2008 grid with a 1m21.813s.

“We kept the last three quarters of an hour to try a ‘time attack’ with little petrol and fresh tyres,” said Rossi. “I would have given anything for such a lap time.”

He added that he found the Barcelona track more enjoyable than Mugello, the venue for his last F1 test in November 2008.

“It’s more fun here, because it’s a little bit easier,” said Rossi. “It’s more effort in Mugello, but this track here is really wonderful, with motorbikes and cars, although I have to say that Turn 10 is a little tight and you’re braking much later.”

Ferrari’s Luca Baldisserri said Rossi had made great strides during the test, which had been disrupted by poor weather.

“We tried different set-ups and he improved a lot,” said Baldisserri. “This means that the driver learns quickly and has room for improvement.”

Rossi will now hand the F2008 over to Felipe Massa, who will test tomorrow to continue his preparation for returning to F1 after last year’s head injury.