Formula One champions Ferrari have lightened Kimi Raikkonen's load by giving the Finn a new slimmed-down car for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix. Ferrari said the 2007 champion, whose last win was at the Circuit de Catalunya a year ago, would get a lighter chassis than Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa for the start of the European season.
Ferrari must make their car quicker as soon as possible or risk racing among the also-rans for the rest of the season, Kimi Raikkonen said on Saturday. The Italian team, constructors' champions last year, have made their worst start for 17 years with no points from the first two races of the season.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
Lewis Hamilton won in Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and took championship lead.
Kimi Raikkonen led a Ferrari one-two in Malaysian Grand Prix practice on Friday with the world champions back up to speed after a difficult start to the season. Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion who won at Sepang last year, fired in a quickest lap of one minute 35.707 seconds in the afternoon to end Nico Rosberg's four-session run at the top of the timesheets. Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa was second quickest in 1:35.832.
In a thrilling race with two safety car periods, reigning champion Hamilton went from pole position to the rear of the field before finishing second for Mercedes in a superb fightback. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was third.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen spent a large part of last season denying that he lacked motivation while looking for all the world like a man going through the motions.
Kimi Raikkonen says he is determined to keep up his rallying activities wherever the Finn ends up after leaving Ferrari at the end of the Formula One season.
World championship leader Lewis Hamilton took pole position for Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix after pipping BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica with the last lap of qualifying on Saturday.
'We cannot express the sorrow in words.'
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton gave his Formula One title hopes a huge boost when he took pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday with his main rival Felipe Massa of Ferrari qualifying third.
Valtteri Bottas seized his first pole position of the Formula One season in Austria on Saturday with Mercedes team mate and world championship leader Lewis Hamilton having to settle for second.
The Ferrari world champions said on Thursday he had no explanation for the run of four races without a point that has wrecked his title defence.
Kimi Raikkonen has suggested he could walk away from Formula One after losing his place at Ferrari to Spain's Fernando Alonso.
Lewis Hamilton told a F1 appeal court that he had gained no advantage from a chicane-cutting controversy that cost him victory in this month's Belgian Grand Prix.
Force India, without a point in their debut Formula One season, achieved a modest but noteworthy first on Saturday when they reached the second phase of qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix. Giancarlo Fisichella will start his home race from 12th on the grid on Sunday after mastering the wet qualifying conditions better than world champion Kimi Raikkonen and championship leader Lewis Hamilton, who were 14th and 15th respectively.
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the French Grand Prix on Saturday with Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas alongside him on the front row.
Formula One's governing body has banned teams from sending drivers coded messages under a controversial clampdown on the use of radio communications from this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was stripped of victory in a thrilling Belgian Grand Prix after stewards decided he had gained an advantage by cutting a chicane during a last-gasp duel with Kimi Raikkonen.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton seized a thrilling Belgian Grand Prix victory on Sunday after an astonishing duel with Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen over the closing laps.
Bringing Fernando Alonso to Ferrari to partner world champion Kimi Raikkonen would not be desirable, team president Luca di Montezemolo said on Tuesday. "To line up a Raikkonen-Alonso double act would mean wanting to damage yourself. I want two equal drivers that work together," the president said.
Ferrari's on-form Felipe Massa set the pace in Belgian Grand Prix free practice on Friday while world champion team mate Kimi Raikkonen again looked out of sorts.
Sebastian Vettel trimmed Lewis Hamilton's Formula One lead to 17 points with eight races remaining.
The Ferrari driver was confirmed as 2007 F1 world champion after a court rejected a McLaren appeal that could have handed Lewis Hamilton the title instead.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen said his Formula One title defence remained alive on Sunday despite a European Grand Prix retirement extending his winless run to eight races. The 28-year-old Finn, whose last victory was in Spain at the end of April, was involved in a bungled pit stop and then suffered a spectacular engine failure at Valencia's new street circuit.
Switching to hard tyre helped Giancarlo Fisichella overcome a wobbly start and the Force India driver benefitted from Rubens Barichello's drive-through penalty to gain five places and finish 12th in the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang on Sunday.
Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen topped the timesheets in first free practice at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Friday, restoring pride for Ferrari fans after a turbulent week. Massa ended the opening practice session at Sepang with the fastest time of 1:35.392, followed by world champion Raikkonen 1.067 seconds behind.
Ferrari chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said on Wednesday he is confident his team would bounce back in Malaysia this weekend after making a terrible start to the season at the Australian Grand Prix. Neither of the Italian team's drivers completed last weekend's Grand Prix, although world champion Kimi Raikkonen picked up a point after Honda's Rubens Barrichello was disqualified from a race that only seven cars completed. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton won.
Brazilian Grand Prix stewards cleared BMW's Sauber's Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld and Williams' Nico Rosberg of alleged fuel irregularities.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Saturday after World champion Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari suffered an early breakdown. The 23-year-old pipped Poland's Robert Kubica to line up a perfect start to his second season in Formula One. Finland's Heikki Kovalainen, in the second McLaren, qualified in third place with Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa alongside on the second row.
Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton renewed their rivalry on Friday with pace-setting performances in the two practice sessions for Formula One's Australian season-opener.
Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton put McLaren on pole position for engine partners Mercedes' home German Grand Prix/
Ferrari's Felipe Massa was quickest on Thursday's final day of Formula One testing for next week's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim while Giancarlo Fisichella crashed heavily in his Force India. The Brazilian, level on 48 points with world champion team mate Kimi Raikkonen and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton at the halfway point in the season, was the only driver to lap inside one minute 15 seconds with a best time of 1:14.989.
World champion Kimi Raikkonen handed Ferrari their 200th pole position in Formula One at the French Grand Prix on Saturday. Brazilian Felipe Massa, who took pole at Magny-Cours last year, was second fastest to secure the Italian team's third front row sweep of the season.
Magny-Cours marked the turning point of the Finn's season last year and he needs another French Grand Prix win on Sunday after slipping to fourth place overall.
The Ferrari driver ruled out doing anything differently this year despite being beaten to the title by team mate Kimi Raikkonen last season.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton won the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday but the battle for the Formula One title will go on to the season finale in Brazil.
Five-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes front-row lockout with a blistering pole position at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday.
McLaren's double world champion Fernando Alonso will join the Finn on the front row with Brazilian Felipe Massa qualifying third for Ferrari.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa took pole position at the Turkish Grand Prix for the third year in a row on Saturday. Brazilian Massa, who has won at the Istanbul Park circuit for the past two years, will have McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen alongside him on the front row in Sunday's race.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances