Felipe Massa’s Woes Continue Into 2012

After a disastrous 2011 season for Felipe Massa, which saw him become the first Ferrari driver not to step on the podium since Ivan Capelli in 1992, it looks like 2012 is shaping up to be an equally frustrating year for the Brazilian.

In 2011, Massa suffered a season-long feud with Lewis Hamilton which saw the two come together on track numerous times over the course of the season. Felipe Massa was also overshadowed by a much stronger team-mate in Fernando Alonso, who secured Ferrari’s only win of the year at the British Grand Prix.

With question marks now over the security of Massa’s drive with Ferrari, it’s unquestionable that the Brazilian has no option but to up his game in 2012. And so far it’s not gone according to plan, as Massa spun off and beached himself in the gravel in only the first practice session of the Australian Grand Prix.

The incident occurred at turn 9, where the Red Bull of Christian Klien had a violent shunt under similar circumstances in 2006. Back in the Ferrari garage, there was shakes of the head as the mechanics watched the replay of the spin, clearly noticing Massa dip his left-rear wheel on the grass. This caused Massa to loose control of his Ferrari, and prematurely end his session deep in the gravel.

Whether this early mistake will set the tone for Massa’s 2012 season, or whether he’ll bounce back strong, time will tell. However, one thing is for certain and it’s that Massa has a lot to prove if he wishes to remain a Ferrari driver for much longer.

Picture Copyright © Reuters

HRT To Extend Williams Partnership Into 2012

 

It was announced today that the HRT Formula 1 team have extended their deal with Williams which permits use of their gearbox and also a new addition of KERs for 2012. 

HRT are currently lying last in the Constructors’ Standings whereas Williams are only 5 points ahead of them and are currently struggling in their worst season in their history in F1. 

The extension of this deal will now permit HRT to use the KERs device, something which they haven’t had on their cars this season and which could well boost them into the right direction of gaining their first ever points in F1. 

Since their first race in last years Bahrain Grand Prix, HRT have struggled to make an impact on the F1 world and have since used 7 different drivers with a mix of rookies such as Bruno Senna, Karun Chandhok and Daniel Ricciardo and experienced drivers such as Christian Klien, Tonio Liuzzi and Narain Karthikeyan. Even using many different drivers in such a short time, their highest finish in a race has yet to better 14th, and that was in the 2010 Australian and Korean Grands Prix. 

HRT Team Principal, Colin Kolles, will be hoping that these new additions to next years car will have a positive effect on the team and push them towards higher finishes next season. 

Chandhok Not To Race Indian Grand Prix

Indian Team Lotus Reserve Driver, Karun Chandhok, will not race in this weekends inaugural Indian Grand Prix after the team have elected to keep regular drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen in their respective seats.

Team Principal, Tony Fernandes, had previously hinted that Chandhok would drive his inaugural home race alongside fellow countryman Narain Karthikeyan who was yesterday confirmed alongside Daniel Ricciardo at HRT for the Indian Grand Prix replacing Tonio Liuzzi, however those hints have fallen to nothing as Team Lotus have elected to stick with their regular drivers instead.

Karun Chandhok has driven in 8 races this season as a Friday Test Driver for the team and has raced in only one whole weekend at the 2011 German Grand Prix where he qualified a lowly 21st after being out-qualified by his team-mate and Virgin driver Timo Glock. In the race he finished 20th which turned out to be nothing more than last of the finishing drivers as he was out-raced by his team-mate, both Virgin cars and Ricciardo in the HRT leaving him 4 laps off the pace. 

In 2010 he raced part of the season with HRT in their inaugural season in Formula 1 before being replaced at the 2010 German Grand Prix by Japanese driver Sakon Yamamoto who was then replaced by Christian Klien during the 2010 Singapore Grand Prix. 

Chandhok made an explosive start to the 2011 season when he crashed literally seconds into FP1 at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix on the exit of Turn 3 when the car spun to the right and slammed into the wall. 

Maybe these statistics are what put Team Lotus off having him in the car for next weekend, or maybe he failed to produce the right amount of sponsorship money the likes of which Karthikeyan has produced with his Hero Motors deal who will sponsor him and HRT for the Indian Grand Prix.