Latest F1 news in brief
- Praise for Massa, pressure for Raikkonen
- Hamilton to work hard in break – Dennis
- Heat to blame for fuel rig fires
- Toro Rosso to add staff to Faenza workforce
Praise for Massa, pressure for Raikkonen
(GMM) The Italian press was all praise for Felipe Massa in the wake of the Hungarian grand prix.
Following McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton's earlier dominance of the event, Brazilian Massa looked set for an inspired win against the odds until his Ferrari engine cruelly failed within kilometers of snatching back the championship lead.
"What more can Ferrari ask of its driver?" the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport wondered.
Another difficult weekend for reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen, however, leaves speculation raging about the future of Ferrari's other driver.
"He seems a pale imitation of the driver of the past," Tuttosport, an Italian national sports newspaper, said.
"This Raikkonen is not the driver that Ferrari needs. He needs to ask himself whether he really still has the desire."
The Finn himself is refusing to commit to formula one beyond 2009, but he insists the rumors about his future – especially those predicting retirement at the end of this season – are without basis.
"I never said anything like that. Somebody made it up," Raikkonen said.
Hamilton to work hard in break – Dennis
(GMM) Lewis Hamilton is in for a busy August after saying in Hungary he could do without the three-week summer break.
Sunday's checkered flag marked the end of a relentless stretch of eleven grands prix and tests in between.
For most of August, the three-week break until Valencia and the test moratorium means much of the tired F1 world can pull away and recharge for the final seven-race sprint that will crown the 2008 champion.
But championship leader Hamilton said: "I don't need a break."
The Briton's comments did not go unnoticed by his boss, McLaren team principal Ron Dennis.
"I think Lewis has definitely set himself up for a more intense training program for the next three weeks by saying that," he is quoted as saying by the Daily telegraph.
Dennis has always been one of the staunchest supporters of the August break, which will not appear in the schedule in 2009.
"This break is essential for the mechanics and the rest of the people who travel with us," he added.
Heat to blame for fuel rig fires
(GMM) The ambient temperature at the Hungaroring is most likely to blame for the small fires during pitstops on Sunday.
Small fires blighted the pitstops of Honda's Rubens Barrichello and Williams' Kazuki Nakajima, while Sebastien Bourdais had fiery moments during two of his stops on Sunday and even had to stop again so Toro Rosso mechanics could clean fire extinguisher foam from his visor.
It is believed that so-called 'back-pressure' caused by the high temperatures in Hungary contributed to the problem in more than one case on Sunday.
But Honda sources are reporting that they believe Barrichello's small fire was caused simply because the nozzle was not applied completely squarely.
The heat may have affected the Intertechnique fuel rigs, but the drivers seemed unfazed at the end of the 70-lap race.
"I don't feel (the heat) limited or slowed me down at all," said race winner Heikki Kovalainen.
"It was ok," his Finnish countryman Kimi Raikkonen concurred. "It's harder for the cars, for everybody, but it was no problem."
Toro Rosso to add staff to Faenza workforce
(GMM) Toro Rosso has launched a major recruitment drive ahead of needing to become a full constructor by 2010.
With Red Bull's long-term support faltering, and the looming crackdown on customer cars, it is believed team co-owner Gerhard Berger has ordered the addition of 50 staff to the Faenza based ranks.
Toro Rosso will continue to receive Red Bull Technology's input on the chassis front in 2009, but the team may need to go it alone for the following season.
"We are trying to grow, and if we want to improve our performance we have to grow," Berger is quoted as confirming to GPWeek.
"I wouldn't say 50 people but I would say that we definitely want to strengthen ourselves for the future," he added.
It is reported that the first major new appointment at Toro Rosso is Fabio Segalini, who was heavily involved in the design of the first GP2 car.