Pirelli will use the former Renault team’s 2010 car for private track testing this year, the sport’s official tyre supplier announced on Wednesday.
Until now, the Italian marque has tested with Toyota’s 2009 car, the TF109, which was deemed now too outdated to use for the next generation of Pirelli tyre.

“The Toyota is no longer able to generate the same sort of forces that we need to simulate in order to meet the current requirements of formula one,” said motor sport director Paul Hembery.

Another reason is that the Toyota’s fuel tank was not big enough to simulate a race-load of fuel, for the current regulations that came into force in 2010.

Pirelli said the Renault R30, originally raced by Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov, will be run in plain black carbon, driven by a test driver whose identity will be revealed “later this month”.

The car will be adapted to simulate this year’s regulations, and run by Pirelli’s own technicians, “with no team member connected to a current formula one team” in order to “ensure complete impartiality”.

Pirelli said it will test four or five times this year, beginning in May, with an observer from each F1 team invited to attend.

 Pirelli is closer to finding a solution to its current lack of a F1 test car.
In the past two years, the sport’s Italian supplier has used the last car raced by defunct team Toyota to develop its tyres.

But Paul Hembery, Pirelli motor sport director, has said the 2009-spec TF109 is now too outdated and has been retired.

It is believed the marque initially intended to find an agreement to run a competitive 2011-spec car, but the new plan could be to acquire a single seater from the 2010 season.

“We do most of the work in the simulator,” Hembery told the El Pais newspaper, “but it’s more difficult to work on the compounds because it requires the interactivity with the asphalt.”

The Briton admitted that, so far, the teams have been unhelpful in terms of agreeing a solution for a new-specification car, because of the potential performance advantage that could be gained by the chosen team.

Hembery, however, used the example of the common electronic unit which is supplied to all teams by a McLaren subsidiary.

“They all have it and no one complains,” he said.

“But we have asked for help and they tell us that we should continue with the Toyota, and that’s nonsense,” added Hembery.

He said talks are still taking place.

“We have to find a car that was competitive in 2010, which was reliable and that allows us to incorporate all the systems that allow us to do our work.”

Ferrari has restructured its aerodynamics department and upgraded its wind tunnel in a bid to track down the championship-winning Red Bull team in 2011.
That is the announcement of the Maranello based team’s chief designer Nikolas Tombazis, after Red Bull’s car proved the class of the field for the second consecutive season last year.

Ferrari would have won the drivers’ title if not for the race strategy blunder in Abu Dhabi, but Ferrari figures including Tombazis openly admit that the F10 was not as quick as the RB6.

“Mainly in the area of aerodynamics our car was not as good as the Red Bull,” Athens-born Tombazis told the German magazine Sport Bild.

“That’s why we have restructured the aerodynamics department, upgraded our wind tunnel and launched an ambitious development programme.

“And of course we are looking to have new and innovative components,” he added.

Fernando Alonso will give Ferrari’s 2011 car its track debut at the Valencia group test beginning 1 February.

“But we are expecting a fairly big step up for the first race,” revealed Tombazis. “The configuration has a lot of development potential.”

A cheeky Italian journalist risked the ire of Luca di Montezemolo on Tuesday during the Ferrari president’s annual Christmas dinner for the country’s media.

Asked what Christmas present he is planning for Fernando Alonso, the 63-year-old replied: “What the heck do you give him?

“He earns enough,” laughed Montezemolo, who gave each of the reporters a model of this year’s F10. “And I already give him a F1 car!” he quipped.

Amused that Montezemolo seemed not to be planning a gift at all, the questioner cheekily hit back: “I’m not asking you what you’re going to give Chris Dyer…”

Chief engineer and Australian Dyer is thought at risk of losing his job after bungling the race strategy that cost Alonso the drivers’ title last month in Abu Dhabi.

Montezemolo repeated again that Ferrari is not planning a major staff upheaval before the 2011 season, but that “some adjustments” are likely to take place.

He also played down rumours he is preparing to enter Italian politics, or that Ferrari to be floated on the stock exchange.

Montezemolo will similarly meet with international journalists on Thursday.

Ferrari’s 2011 car will be launched officially in the week proceeding the first group winter test at the end of January.

That was one of the revelations made by Luca di Montezemolo on Tuesday as he met with the Italian press at Fiorano for a traditional pre-Christmas media event.

The Ferrari president said the F10′s successor will be launched on January 25-31 — before the first test of the pre-season at Valencia.

Asked to sum up the season, he told reporters: “We were disappointed, there’s no point denying it.

“But, realistically, it was more bitter in 2008, when Felipe Massa crossed the finish line as world champion.

“From 1997 onwards, except 2005 and 2009, we have either won or lost at the last race. The opponents – Williams, McLaren, Renault, Red Bull – always change, only Ferrari is there,” said Montezemolo.

Asked to give a report card for the 2010 drivers Massa and Fernando Alonso, he answered: “9 and a half to Alonso. He did not win, but (the score is) from the point of view of results, character and relationship with the team.

“Less than a 7 for Felipe Massa. For some reason with have a problem with the brothers of our drivers arriving during the season,” he smiled.

“It happened with Schumacher, Raikkonen and now Massa. I think Felipe got a bit tired mid-season and went home, sending his brother to drive,” joked the Italian.

“He gets a minus-7 but he has promised to come back next year.”

As for Ferrari: “8. You do not get full marks when you don’t win, but it was an exceptional year for commitment and determination,” he said.

On formula one, Montezemolo vowed to “fight for common sense, for races on circuits (not streets) and to have not more than 19 races, preferably 18″, he revealed.

“And to have three cars. Better to have a third car with a competitive team than a team that cannot even do GP2,” the 63-year-old charged.

“I think it’s common sense and Bernie Ecclestone agrees. Who (would run the third Ferrari)? A small but competitive team.”

Montezemolo hailed 2010 as Mark Webber’s “best season with a competitive car”.

But he played down the possibility of shock personnel changes for 2011, hinting only that “some adjustments” to the team will be announced before the new season.

As for the possibility of his near future being in politics, Montezemolo insisted: “The confidence vote (of the Italian parliament)? No comment.

“Let me do my job,” he added when pressed. “I’m so glad we have many, many things to do here at Ferrari.”

Kimi Raikkonen’s plans for 2011 are still not secure, but the Finn appears unlikely to be returning to formula one any time soon.

The 2007 world champion looks set to either stay with Red Bull-sponsored Citroen next year or switch to another world rally championship team, despite earlier speculation suggesting he might go back to F1.

“Of course you always want to decide your next plans sooner rather than later, but sometimes it’s just not possible,” Raikkonen’s manager Steve Robertson told Turun Sanomat newspaper.

“I hope we will know what direction we are going by the end of November,” he added.

Robertson said the 31-year-old driver is likely to stay in rallying for now.

“We have not talked with anyone in F1,” he insisted. “Kimi hasn’t closed the door on it; you never say never in case the right offer comes along.”

He said Raikkonen, who cleared the way at Ferrari last year for the arrival of sponsor Santander and Fernando Alonso, would have done well this year at the wheel of the F10.

“I think he would have done pretty much the same as Fernando did,” said Robertson. “Fernando drove a great season and I don’t want to take anything away from him.

“I don’t want to be misunderstood, but I think Kimi would have done a good job in that car,” he insisted.

Staff changes as the result of Ferrari’s failed championship campaign in 2010 are on the horizon, according to Italian reports.

Autosprint magazine reports that it is “not a secret” that the man most directly in the spotlight is Australian Chris Dyer, Ferrari’s chief engineer and in charge of race strategies.

“We need an improved car and we must also ensure that mistakes that we made as drivers and as a team are not repeated in 2011,” Fernando Alonso is quoted as saying.

And the Italian daily La Repubblica asked Ferrari’s technical director Aldo Costa if “heads will roll” as a consequence of the failed strategy in Abu Dhabi.

“I’m not for the automatic ‘error-guilt-punishment’ (approach),” he answered.

“I prefer a more rational response, where we understand what happened and what went wrong, and then we act,” added Costa.

He also said it is wrong to point the finger at one individual.

“We must make sure that certain decisions are shared, with responsibility not resting on one set of shoulders.

“But, anyway, we didn’t lose the championship because of the strategy in Abu Dhabi, but because our car was not as fast as another,” added Costa.

He is confident that the F10′s 2011 successor will be faster.

“This year we did reduce the gap to Red Bull,” said Costa.

“What we have done is revolutionise our working methods and this meant a period of adjustment. And we paid for having a wind tunnel that was a bit dated.

“But now we have solved the problem and begun a new era,” he insisted.

Which can be downloaded to relive the entire 2010 season, with the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro as a main protagonist in an exciting Championship, with an exceptional recovery and an unfortunately missed victory.

Six chapters around the 2010 World Championship with wins, difficult moments, the epilogue in Abu Dhabi and further sections dedicated to technical in-depth articles. 28 drawings by Giorgio Piola with virtual animations of the F10′s various components, four specials about the most important issues of the season such as pit stop and new rules, also explained in a video by Marc Gené, the complicated logistical aspects and the celebration of the 800th Grand Prix for Ferrari. A detailed section with a list from 1950 until today concludes the review, with Formula 1 models Ferrari used in the pinnacle of motorsports since the beginning of the F1 Championship.

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Felipe Massa insists he is happy with the Ferrari team’s “100 per cent” support during his current trough.

The Brazilian has been in the headlines of late; struggling with the F10 car, relegated to a subordinate role for Fernando Alonso’s title charge, and urged to get up to speed by his bosses.

Some Italian media interpreted recent comments by Luca di Montezemolo and Stefano Domenicali – including the Ferrari’s president’s claim that he has “waited with great perseverance” for an improvement – as an ‘Italian ultimatum’ for Massa.

But reporting on the team’s official website from Brazil, the 29-year-old insists Montezemolo and Ferrari are actually fully supportive.

“Even though I am going through a particularly difficult time right now with a lack of results in the last couple of races, I know I can count on the support of the team, who have always been behind me one hundred per cent, especially in the difficult times,” said Massa.

“Knowing he (Montezemolo) has faith in me is something I truly appreciate: he has an excellent understanding of the sport and he knows that you can sometimes go through tough times.

“The fact his support is always there is very important,” he added.

Massa’s latest comments also tackle speculation that he is no longer pushing as hard as possible, given that the biggest prize on offer is a third drivers’ title for his teammate Alonso.

“My desire to do as well as possible for me and for the team is the same as ever and that has been my approach to the sport ever since I started in formula one,” he insisted.

Luca di Montezemolo has spelled out Felipe Massa’s supporting role in the 2010 world championship, showing no regret for the decision to put the “focus” of the Ferrari challenge on number 1 driver Fernando Alonso.

Speaking at the Paris motor show on Thursday, the Ferrari president urged Brazilian Massa to show a better performance at the decisive races, having struggled with the F10 recently.

“I have waited for Felipe with great perseverance in the last four races,” Montezemolo is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I want a strong Massa who will shave points off the rivals,” he added.

On the other hand, Spaniard Alonso has won the past two races from pole, and has been in Ferrari’s box seat at least since July’s German grand prix, where Massa was controversially moved aside whilst leading.

“The decision to focus on Alonso has been proven to be right,” said Montezemolo.

“He is extremely strong and very close to the team, and has been able to blend in well from day one despite the concerns of some,” he added.

Montezemolo showed no regrets about Ferrari’s stance; a philosophy not so openly embraced by the Maranello based team’s championships rivals Red Bull and McLaren.

“Those who race for Ferrari don’t race for themselves, but for the Ferrari team colours,” said the Italian.

“One who wants to race for himself will have to face his team,” Montezemolo insisted.

Felipe Massa’s engine usage for the 2010 season ticked over to a ninth unit in Singapore, resulting in a grid penalty.

That news alone could be interpreted as a potential threat to the title chances of his teammate Fernando Alonso, who is now just 11 points behind leader Mark Webber having won the past two races from pole.

Like Massa, Spaniard Alonso entered the Singapore round having used eight engines, the maximum allowed during the entire 19-race schedule this year.

But Brazilian Massa’s ninth engine was only installed in Singapore due to his technical problem in qualifying that stranded him at the very rear of the grid.

The necessary gearbox change resulted in a five-place grid drop, but Massa could not be pushed down the order lower than dead last.

So the Italian team also decided to install a new engine in his F10 – resulting in another negated grid penalty, this time 10 places – before the race.

A spokesman for the Italian team confirmed that the change was “entirely precautionary”.

Massa said: “Now I only have three left which have each done one race, to rotate over the last four races of the season.”

Felipe Massa’s engine usage for the 2010 season ticked over to a ninth unit in Singapore, resulting in a grid penalty.
That news alone could be interpreted as a potential threat to the title chances of his teammate Fernando Alonso, who is now just 11 points behind leader Mark Webber having won the past two races from pole.

Like Massa, Spaniard Alonso entered the Singapore round having used eight engines, the maximum allowed during the entire 19-race schedule this year.

But Brazilian Massa’s ninth engine was only installed in Singapore due to his technical problem in qualifying that stranded him at the very rear of the grid.

The necessary gearbox change resulted in a five-place grid drop, but Massa could not be pushed down the order lower than dead last.

So the Italian team also decided to install a new engine in his F10 – resulting in another negated grid penalty, this time 10 places – before the race.

A spokesman for the Italian team confirmed that the change was “entirely precautionary”.

Massa said: “Now I only have three left which have each done one race, to rotate over the last four races of the season.”

Ferrari will unveil yet another development of its blown diffuser layout on the streets of Singapore this weekend.

After encountering difficulties with the F10′s latest developments at Spa recently, the Italian team finally got the layout working optimally at Monza, where Fernando Alonso won from pole position.

“We now have a package that should work on all types of circuits,” the Spaniard is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport.

“We know Red Bull will be very strong at the next two circuits, but we should now be more consistent than we were before.

“Consistency is the key to this title,” said Alonso.

The next step, to be seen for the first time in Singapore this weekend, is a further integration of the diffuser and the gearbox and how the exhaust gases are directed through the rear bodywork.

“This race will be important but not decisive,” team boss Stefano Domenicali told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“The championship looks to be open right until the end, and the new scoring system helps us,” he added.

As for the new developments for Singapore, Domenicali is quoted by Tuttosport: “We need to avoid a repeat of what happened in Belgium, where our developments failed to give us what we expected because we weren’t able to test them.

“It’s impossible to predict what will happen because there are so many variables at play,” added the Italian.

He confirmed that the F10′s next developments are “aerodynamic” in nature, situated “at the bottom of the car”.

Fernando Alonso was evasive on Friday amid suggestions he is clearly Ferrari’s number 1 bet to be 2010 world champion.

After the Hockenheim team orders affair, it is claimed the Spaniard might be considered the title favourite, given that rivals Red Bull and McLaren appear less inclined to favour one driver over his teammate.

“Each team will be giving 100 per cent with both their drivers for the common good of the team,” Alonso, whose Ferrari teammate is Felipe Massa, is quoted by Marca newspaper from a sponsor event.

“Felipe Massa will be giving everything and it’s the same with McLaren and Red Bull,” he insisted.

However, McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh insists the British outfit will not be departing from recent tradition by, for example, now backing Lewis Hamilton over Jenson Button.

“What the drivers do requires extreme dedication,” he is quoted by Germany’s Auto Bild.

“F1 is far more dangerous than it seems and it would be immoral to ask someone to risk his life for someone else,” added Whitmarsh.

After winning at Monza, Alonso thinks the next circuits will suit Red Bull’s RB6.

“From now until the end of the championship, I don’t see the circuits either favouring or not favouring the F10,” he said.

“At some tracks, Red Bull will have an advantage,” Alonso acknowledged.

Fernando Alonso is confident his waning championship charge will not be further impeded by running through his allocation of engines.

This week’s Monza event is among the toughest on engines, and at Spa-Francorchamps two weeks ago, the newly-installed Ferrari V8 in Pedro de la Rosa’s Sauber had to be replaced.

The unscheduled change tipped the Spaniard over his allocation of eight engines for the season, resulting in a grid penalty.

And a look at the allocations of F1′s other cars at Spa showed that while most drivers are now on their fifth new engine, Ferrari’s Alonso and Felipe Massa have used six.

“I see no reason to worry,” said team boss Stefano Domenicali before leaving Belgium.

And Spaniard Alonso has now told GPWeek: “We are confident.

“The plan of the engines is well in control at the moment.  Fingers crossed everything stays like this and we know the programme for all the remaining races,” he added.

“It should be enough with the engines we have.  If everything goes normal there is no problem.”

A bigger headache for the Italian team is that, with Alonso more than 40 points behind with just six races left to run, the F10 seemed to take a competitive step backwards at Spa-Francorchamps two weeks ago.

“Monza will be a very important race, because the championship is not looking so easy for us,” admitted the Spaniard’s teammate Felipe Massa.