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#816 2009 Italian Grand Prix

2021-12-30 00:00

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#2009, Fulvio Conti, Translated by Sofia Monteferri,

#816 2009 Italian Grand Prix

Felipe Massa is still a Formula 1 driver: this is the result of the medical tests carried out on the Brazilian on August 31, 2009 in Miami. After his

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Felipe Massa is still a Formula 1 driver: this is the result of the medical tests carried out on the Brazilian on August 31, 2009 in Miami. After his accident in Hungary, everybody was concerned about the continuation of his career, but, according to the doctors, he will be able to race again. In 2010, though.

 

"The result of the check-ups (impact test, neurometric and cognitive ability tests) is positive: he’s fit for competitive activity. But first, plastic surgery is required on his braincase, that got hit by a spring in the Hungaroring accident. The driver will undergo surgery in the next days and, after a short recovery, Felipe will gradually go on with the physical preparation".

 

Massa is thrilled:

 

"Finally, I’ll begin training again to get back in shape and then I’ll try with go-karts. Formula 1? One step at a time".

 

Ferrari is waiting on him for the next season. And it could be the solution to one of the many problems the team from Maranello has been dealing with: the future driver line-up, that is to say - unless any last-minute surprises - Alonso-Massa, with Kimi Raikkonen surely leaving (Brawn GP, McLaren or Renault are his next possible destinations). But another matter in surely more urgent now: who will drive car #3 until the end of the year? Badoer is already out of question. Giancarlo Fisichella is a possible choice, even though some people in Maranello didn’t appreciate the excessive self-exposure of the Italian driver in Spa. Another name is Robert Kubica: the team has always liked him for being a good and fast driver. Ferrari had doubts regarding his height, because he is tall and this seemed incompatible with KERS, but it looks like the team got over them. Ferrari would have three top drivers (Alonso, Massa and Kubica) signed, but they might solve this problem with a loan or a transfer. Meanwhile, Bernie Ecclestone reveals in an interview for Times he’s worried about Renault’s possible farewell to Formula 1. He talks about the inquiry opened by FIA on the accident of Nelson Piquet Jr. in Singapore 2008. According to the accusation, the accident, which caused the deployment of the Safety car (and that Alonso took advantage from), was not unintentional.

 

"This whole story might push Renault to leave the track, but I hope we won’t get to that point. All I know is that Flavio (Briatore) keeps on saying he knows nothing about it. FIA will find out the truth: they would get mad, if everything was true".

 

More than ever, it’s a personal choice. Giancarlo Fisichella, Italian, 36 years old, will replace Luca Badoer in the next Italian Grand Prix and in the four races left until the end of the World Championship. On September 3, 2009 he’s preferred to the Polish Robert Kubica, who stays in BMW. Ferrari has made its decision. Or, more precisely, Luca Montezemolo points out that he made it himself:

 

“I chose Fisichella for different reasons. First of all, because he deserves that. Second, he is in great shape. Finally, he is an experienced driver. We all wanted an Italian driver in Monza. It’s a long-term choice because he will be reserve driver for Ferrari in 2010”.

 

He’s determined to dispel any doubts, to reach an agreement with Fisichella and Force India and to draw present and future strategies, since the arrival of the Italian driver in Maranello is not temporary. His permanence is destined to last long. Fisichella would be a Ferrari driver even for free (top secret salary, but possibly he will get paid depending on his placements, similar to the 200.000 euros per point he gained with his previous team) and he obtained what he wanted: staying in his new team even in 2010, as a reserve driver. He would even have an official seat for the next World Championship, along with Alonso (already confirmed), if Massa had problems during his physical recovery and if Raikkonen’s highly probable farewell was confirmed, however the seasons ends. Fisichella wanted to fight to the very end: five races to embarrass Ferrari about next season’s line-up. 

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Meanwhile, contrary to what Kubica apparently did, he didn’t put his foot down, he didn’t demand a seat at all costs, but he got involved unconditionally, impressing Montezemolo. Ferrari president is determined more than ever to give a boost to his team with the third place in the current Constructors’ World Championship and the possibility of winning the title next year, which means securing a fast, talented and reliable driver, just in case circumstances require him (Massa has got his contract, but his return to the top-level is a bet after that terrible accident). Fisichella made it. And Ferrari can’t go wrong with him. Such a move was also profitable in terms of economic impact, if Force India (that could now sign the Italian Liuzzi) is saying the truth:

 

"We released him for free".

 

It seems that Mallya, Force India owner, was afraid of spending too much money since his car has become competitive and that’s why he let the driver go: affection for him, but also for his wallet.

 

"My son’s dream has come true. I shouldn’t be saying this because I’m his father, but I will: he deserved that. When he called me, I felt my heart pounding. He screamed: I’m a Ferrari driver, they chose me! What a thrill".

 

Roberto Fisichella, Giancarlo’s father, is really excited: a workshop in Rome and an innate, mad passion for Formula 1. Incredulous in his workshop and surrounded by his friends toasting with him, Roberto Fisichella drowns himself in memories:

 

"I used to take him to a go-kart track nearby: that’s how I conveyed him my passion for racing".

 

All smiling, he remembers Fabrizio Stilli, owner of the Ideal Bar, a café in the area:

 

"When Giancarlo went go-karting, his father let him skip school".

 

Fabrizio is friend to Giancarlo Fisichella and he has always been a fan. He says:

 

"Before karting, when Giancarlo was too young and not allowed to drive, Roberto let him sit in the driver seat of his car".

 

A steady stream of people in the café: Fisichella is the news of the day, that’s all you hear. Even Chiara Di Vittorio, lively ten-year-old, points her finger to the giant picture of Fabrizio and Giancarlo that the café owner is showing to the photographers, and says:

 

"He is Fisichella. I know him".

 

Chiara’s mum, Letizia, a beautiful woman dressed in burgundy, smiles:

 

"Giancarlo deserves that: he’s a simple guy, who stayed simple despite the success. He’s one of us".

 

Fabrizio Stilli continues:

 

"Naturalness is his most beautiful quality. In January, his wife Luna called a belly dancer as a birthday present: we were crying with laughter as he was trying to imitate her".

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Fabirizio and his friends are organizing a huge trip to Monza next weekend. At the same time, while his father is waiting for him for a toast:

 

"I'm not going to Monza. I’m always worried, I don’t really like following him when he’s racing" .

 

And his friends cannot wait to celebrate him (including Alessio di Carlantonio, who was mistaken for his assistant and everyone wanted to take pictures with him), Fabrizio Stilli gets nostalgic:

 

"The only sad part is the absence of Tonino, Giancarlo’s great friend: he died three years ago. He is not here to see that everybody’s dream has come true".

 

Giancarlo Fisichella has already tested Ferrari…

 

"Let’s say so. In 1996, I did an endurance test along with three other drivers, two hours each. That’s it. But maybe it was better like that: I could have ended up next to Schumacher, running the risk of skipping too many steps".

 

Fisichella was promised another test by Montezemolo himself. Why didn’t it take place?

 

"I would have loved to drive F2004, but I didn’t find the right feeling and it would make no sense. Thanks anyway".

 

2005. Yet again, Giancarlo Fisichella told the story about the biggest disappointment of his life.

 

"I’m fast but it seems that Ferrari won’t notice me".

 

Italians will never drive for Ferrari. His Majesty Schumacher doesn’t like that. Giancarlo understood everything. He got over it with time and he staked everything on Renault: he would win with the French. Nobody believed in that dream anymore. Not even his representative, Enrico Zanarini. The one who, three years before, in a restaurant in Fiumicino, promised to make his dream come true. Everything else happened in a moment. The Renault years passed by without any triumph and Giancarlo found himself stuck in the role Formula 1 gave him: former promising talent and first driver for a parody-team, Force India. Fisichella ended a race in P19 last year and he thought about quitting.

 

"I’ll try one more year, then we’ll see".

 

Someone like him has got many alternatives. Good-looking, great dancer, born in Rome and AS Roma fan (Francesco Totti is one of his best friends). It would take a small effort to find something else to do. Maybe being on set with his wife Luna (“She’s beautiful, she’s always been the only woman for me. I saw her for the first time when she was a young girl working for Italian television”). Or maybe having more free time to spend with Carlotta and Cristopher, his children. But then, when time seemed to break that old promise in Fiumicino and Giancarlo’s career path seemed to lead elsewhere, the impossible happened. An end of season full of incredible human and racing affairs – Massa’s accident, Schumacher’s refusal, Badoer’s disaster, Force India’s resurrection – put him behind the wheel of car number #3. Finally, Ferrari, thirteen years after that weird endurance test. When his manager called him to give him the news, Giancarlo was right in Fiumicino, where Fizzy (his Canados 80) is moored and where he chose to wait for the call. Even before hanging up, he was already on the road to Maranello.

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"I’m on cloud nine. My dream is coming true and I still can’t believe that. Incredible things happened to me this last week: pole position and P2 in Spa, and also the call from Ferrari now. I will do my best. I want to say that I’m so sorry for Luca: I know how much he cares about racing in Monza at the wheel of a Ferrari".

 

This is his first official statement as a Ferrari driver. But those who know him are well aware that he was thinking about something else, while driving to Maranello:

 

"At the end of the day, I deserve that".

 

On Monday, September 7, 2009 the happiness of Giancarlo Fisichella is amazing. Just a look at this Italian eternal child, radiant in his long-awaited red polo shirt, to be overwhelmed by an inexplicable good mood. Otherwise, just a look at his press conference to see him trying to hide his emotions.

 

"Not true… I have not slept with my steering wheel next to me".

 

Everybody is talking about it…

 

"I can explain. F60 steering wheel is different from Force India’s. Other than KERS (three more buttons), it has got different controls in different colours. And I got them customized and the steering wheel printed to memorize it all".

 

Do you mean that you asked for a copy of the steering wheel?

 

"It’s like a bigger picture that I took home with me to learn better. But I did the bulk of the work in the simulator".

 

An Italian replacing another Italian at Ferrari and making his debut in Monza. Fear?

 

"Starting off in Monza driving for Ferrari is the best for any Italian driver, as well as for the journalists, who will have a lot to write about. There will be some pressure at most".

 

Okay, let’s just call it pressure.

 

"I will handle it. It is not my first Grand Prix after all, I already did 226. I’m very focused and in great shape, both physical and mental".

 

Minimum result in Monza?

 

"I aim to stay focused and bring home as many points as possible, to make sure the team reaches the third position in the Constructors’ Championship. A podium or a win would be everyone’s dream".

 

You obtained a contract with Ferrari after chasing it for fourteen years.

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"I had the chance of a lifetime in Spa, the right car to score points with Force India and to tell the world: Fisico is here. I seized it. Then I waited. But nobody called me. Only my father, pressing me. So what? Did you get the call? Why not? And I’m like: Dad, I have no idea, there’s nothing I can do about it. But then, on Wednesday at 10 a.m., Enrico (Zanarini, his manager, gloating and smiling at the back of the room, editor’s note) calls and tells me: I got a call from Maranello. I don’t remember my reply, I only know I felt a huge emotion but I didn’t share the news with anybody because in the past I got a taste of it and then got deceived (in 1995, editor’s note). On Thursday, though, we signed and I immediately called my father. He couldn’t believe that".

 

What about Badoer?

 

"I’m sorry for Luca. But I need to say something: betting on him was the right choice. I’m sure we have not seen the real Luca".

 

And Massa?

 

"He encouraged me. I told him: It’s your car, you can get it back whenever you want".

 

And how about Schumacher?

 

"I know he was in favour of my engagement. I’m glad".

 

Did the other drivers call you? Trulli, for example?

 

"Actually, no. I only heard from Barrichello. A text message: Congratulations. We are always there, the veterans".

 

Will you end your career next year or will you keep on racing?

 

"I don’t know yet. As agreed with Ferrari, I will be reserve driver in 2010. We’ll see… I might have chances with another team or here in Maranello".

 

It would be the best option for you…

 

"The mechanics speak Italian…".

 

Ferrari said yes after a long courtship, right before the Italian Grand Prix. And now Fisico - born Giancarlo Fisichella - will say yes to his Luna. Before an altar. Love story with a funny ending, since he has always sworn:

 

"I’ll get married when I quit racing".

 

Perhaps, back in July, when they organized their wedding, Fisichella must have thought about leaving Formula 1, considering the pros and the cons of a career that seemed to be far away from a real turning point. But then: wedding and Ferrari. A love dream with Luigina Castellani (aka Luna), mother of his two children, that comes true after a long time. 

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Seventeen years later, to be precise. Since Luna, dancer with a statuesque body, met Giancarlo in 1992, in a nightclub in Rimini. Love blossomed immediately. And she put sequins and spangles aside to step into the shoes of a girlfriend and a mother. The wedding date is still a mystery.

 

"Yes, I’m getting married but nobody knows it".

 

The Italian driver from Vallelunga, where he’s training before his debut in Monza (coveted spotlight by any Italian driver), says it will be on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. But it’s well known that marriage banns have already been published on a board on the Capitoline Hill as well as at the entrance of his neighbourhood church, meeting point for the local believers and for the kids playing football in the church field. The same field where Giancarlo, born and raised in the district where his dad Roberto still has his body shop, used to play as a child. While Roberto proudly talks about his son called by the big Ferrari family, he doesn’t want to say anything about the wedding.

 

"We can’t talk about his private life, you know. And with the Ferrari affair now…".

 

And it’s because of the new engagement that his wedding, previously scheduled on October, will be postponed.

 

"Since the banns have been published, you have six months to get married".

 

These are the words of the neighbourhood priest. And he keeps on telling how Fisichella went to the parish sacristy with his parents to make arrangements in mid-July.

 

"They were so excited. But I think they’ll get married elsewhere. I know Luna does not want her wedding to be public and they might celebrate it in their house garden. They need the bishop authorization for that".

 

Few guests and banished reflectors. A day to spend with family and close friends. Totti, Mihajlovic and Biaggi throwing rice at the newlyweds. At the same time, while FOTA welcomes again rebel Williams and Force India, and Williams and McLaren reject the hypothesis (that Ferrari approves) of having three cars per team, Ferrari president Luca Montezemolo announces a new sponsor: Banco Santander. It is not a random sponsor, since the bank is also linked to Fernando Alonso, fact that fuels the rumours about the arrival of the Spanish driver in Maranello in 2010:

 

"Sponsors don’t choose the drivers".

 

Then, Montezemolo talks about the next race:

 

"Monza has never been a favourable track to us, not even when we were at the top. We know that. But we’ll see…".

 

It will be Giancarlo Fisichella’s debut this weekend.

 

"I’m happy about this choice, which is not temporary. We were thinking about the future too".

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Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher gets back on a motorbike, one of his passions despite the accident that caused those neck injuries last February that didn’t allow him to race. The test took place on Monday, September 7, 2009 in France, on the Bresse circuit. He rode a Honda Fireblade for the team Holzhauer. Sabine Kehm, spokesperson of the German driver, promptly said:

 

"It was a simple bike ride with his friends. It was not even the first time since the accident. Michael has fun on motorbikes and nothing can change that".

 

On Thursday, September 10, 2009 we’re on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix. It was supposed to be the weekend of Giancarlo Fisichella’s debut with Ferrari, of Jenson Button’s fight, of Sebastian Vettel and Rubens Barrichello’s chase. In short, a weekend of sport in Monza, one of the milestones in Formula 1. A weekend of sport which turned into venom and hate. Flavio Briatore is the target this time and it seems that somebody is going to get hurt. We don’t know who: the prosecution (Max Mosley’s FIA) or the defence (Renault and Briatore). But the reckoning is about to come. We’re talking about the so-called Renault connection: the French team is accused of fraud for allegedly making his second driver Nelsinho Piquet crash into the wall, last year in Singapore, to facilitate Fernando Alonso. On September 10, 2009, in a secret service style, FIA releases the secret report made in July by Piquet, after his turbulent firing from Renault. A terribly clear document:

 

"During that Grand Prix, Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds, technical director of the team, asked me to intentionally crash into the wall to positively affect the team performance. I complied with their request and hit the barrier between lap 13 and 14".

 

The accusation is well detailed:

 

"I got asked that just before the race, in a meeting with Briatore and Symonds. Soon after, Symonds showed me on a map the exact point where I had to crash".

 

In that part of the track, the only solution would be a Safety car deployment.

 

"Symonds also told me when I had to go off track, so that Alonso’s car could start the race with an aggressive fuel strategy: a lighter car, with the required amount of fuel to reach lap 12. This way, at the start of the race, the Spaniard was able to overtake many drivers (all heavier than him), refuel on lap 12 and then escape, while the other drivers needed one more stop. The strategy actually worked and Alonso won the race".

 

Piquet Jr. also reveals his subsequent behaviour:

 

"Just to avoid any mistakes, I asked several times by radio (all of the dialogues have been recorded, editor’s note) to confirm the exact lap. After the race, I informed a family friend, Felipe Vargas, about the deliberated accident, and he informed my father, Nelson Piquet".

 

Nelsinho talks about his fragile emotional and psychological conditions to justify himself:

 

"Since Briatore refused to tell me about the renewal of my contract, I thought that accepting the proposal would put me in a better position".

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No reactions from Renault. When Alonso was interrogated by FIA in Spa, he just said he didn’t know anything about this whole story and he only accepted the team strategy. Symonds confirmed the meeting Piquet talked about, arguing that the driver himself talked about the affair that morning. Briatore, on the other hand, claims that he’s been victim of extortion by Piquet’s family. FIA is incredibly ambiguous because, after scheduling the hearing of the parties on September 21, 2009 (at the next World Council in Paris), they couldn’t protect the secret of a report that might cost the career to several protagonists:

 

"Fuck him".

 

It is the advice that Bernie Ecclestone gave Nelson Piquet as soon as he knew about Nelsinho’s version of that strange accident in Singapore last year. Fuck him: talk to the FIA and let’s take Briatore out. His time has come. Just like that, down on paper: Nelson Piquet himself followed Ecclestone’s advice and he said everything to the FIA officials. He also included a significant detail:

 

"Alonso knew about the deal".

 

In times like this, it’s easy to understand how bad Formula 1 atmosphere is. When the storm hits. When denials (Ecclestone’s: “Piquet told me he wanted to destroy Flavio”; and Alonso’s: “I’ve never known anything about it”) are distant and barely audible voices. When rubble is all that is left. And in times like this, Flavio Briatore gives his best. Just a minute after free practice, the great accused of the crash-gate, as the British name it, calls the journalists and, out of his mind, he tries to defend the job of 700 people daily working for Renault. Did you plan the Singapore accident in 2008?

 

"We reported both Piquet’s to the criminal court in Paris: blackmailing and calumny. Apart from that, we are sure that the FIA World Council, on September 21, will be neutral".

 

Do you think there are any prompters?

 

"I don’t want to, although this leak makes me doubt enough. The Federation told us not to talk about it. We complied with their order and now we get crucified in public".

 

Nelsinho’s accusation is well detailed. He states that he asked several times by radio what lap they were in, to make sure he crashed at the right time.

 

"It’s absolutely false. Piquet only asks once which lap he is in, on lap 8. At the end of the day, it is not even surprising that he crashes: he was involved in seventeen more accidents.

 

Nelsinho will be happy after this declaration.

 

"I was criminalised by Piquet despite putting him at ease in every way at Renault. We even found a doctor for his psychological weakness. I read he calls me an executioner and he blames me for not letting a friend in the paddock: the truth is I pushed him away at the suggestion of his father. They lived together and it was impossible to understand their relationship. His father asked me to intervene and I did it".

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Pat Symonds, technical director, supposedly admitted a meeting took place that morning.

 

"This has to be discussed in front of the World Council. I don’t want to talk about it. I can only say we sued him at the criminal court in Paris: blackmailing and calumny".

 

Will you claim damages? To Piquet or to FIA?

 

"For the moment, we are only defending the team and its 700 workers.  Then we will see".

 

Did you really advance the hypothesis of intentionally crashing that morning?

 

"I don’t want to go into the substance. We will do it with FIA".

 

The declarations of Nelsinho Piquet passed from the FIA offices to a website, www.f1sa, acronym for Formula 1 societe anonyme. Even the name is menacing. Do you have any ideas how it happened?

 

"No".

 

Both FIA and FOTA (the association of the teams) officially complained…

 

"I only know about FOTA".

 

FIA too. Flavio Briatore smiles, then says:

 

"Surely, we didn’t leak the news".

 

Don’t you suspect that this story might be a revenge for the positions you took against Mosley?

 

"You have to say that. We were the only ones not interested in letting that report out".

 

Do you feel like the target?

 

"You always feel like the target in Formula 1".

 

In the meantime, the first session of the Italian GP finished with the McLarens on top with Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen first and second fastest, respectively. Force India's Adrian Sutil finished the session in third. Renault's Fernando Alonso finished fourth while his teammate Romain Grosjean ended up fifteenth. Fischella, driving for Ferrari for the first time in his career, finished eighth ahead of teammate Kimi Räikkönen, who ended the session in tenth. Toyota's Trulli and Timo Glock were at the back of the pack. Championship leader Jenson Button ended seventh while his Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello finished twelfth. In the second session Force India's Adrian Sutil was the fastest, ahead of the two Renaults of Grosjean and Alonso. Hamilton was eleventh with Kovalainen coming in fourth. 

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Button finished 19th on a Brawn, only Fisichella separating him from the last place. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel came in eighteenth, and Mark Webber in fourteenth. Giancarlo Fisichella is happy for his Ferrari debut. But the chronometer is ruthless:

 

"You are last".

 

The debut in Monza would look like a déjà-vu if it weren’t for the numerous differences between his first day and Luca Badoer’s, who was dumped after two races: first of all, the slight distance - around 0.8 seconds - with teammate Kimi Räikkönen. Second, Fisichella only ended last in the second session of free practice, while he was eighth in the first with a time of 1’24’’732 (ahead of Räikkönen, tenth). No déjà-vu then. In spite of the standings, Fisichella can say he’s satisfied.

 

"We were not looking for the performance. We had a lot of fuel. And I’m convinced we have the potential to be in the top ten".

 

Fisichella didn’t want to leave anything to chance on his Ferrari debut. The night before, he stayed at the circuit until 8pm to review the track with Bob Smedley, his track engineer (they’ve been knowing each other for years, since the days at Jordan):

 

"Break here, push there, open the KERS here, careful with those kerbs".

 

Unharmed despite the fans’ enthusiasm (one of them almost caused him back damage because of an excessive pat on his shoulder), Fisichella shows up in the garage at 8am to fine-tune the last details, to talk to the mechanics and because some physical contact with your car never harms. Then, as drivers say, he put his visor down and stopped thinking. His first laps were cold, to get used to that dream coming true. Half session, Fisichella pits because his front left tyre was useless after harsh braking at the Ascari corner.

 

"I had to go for the softest tyres ahead of time. They work better, giving me more confidence, which made me go faster".

 

He kept on improving his lap time lap by lap. At the end of the first session, everyone in the team was satisfied with the performance. But the second session is different: Giancarlo is a lot slower.

 

"In the morning, Rob helped me handling the KERS and all the selectors on the steering wheel from the garage. You need to focus. From this point of view, the difference with Force India is incredible".

 

Force India, exactly. They’re very quick, maybe even more than Spa. Sutil, former teammate of Fisichella, sets the fastest time (1’23’’924) and Vitantonio Liuzzi (former reserve driver, making his debut now), the twelfth.

 

"Right, they were very fast. But they had little fuel".

 

Meanwhile, talking about Ferrari driver for life is restrictive. If the eleven years as an amazing driver, his five titles, his substantial contribution to the six Constructors’ titles and all of his records were not enough, Michael Schumacher might spend the same number of years as a test-driver and advisor after announcing on his website the contract (ending in December) extension for three more seasons, until the end of 2012. He reached the agreement with president Luca Montezemolo on Thursday in Monza. The German, very attentive in the garage and generous with advice to Fisichella, is radiant:

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"I’m glad because I’ve always loved being part of the Ferrari family and being involved in their projects. The agreement involves a big contribution of mine in the field of road cars".

 

A marriage that confirms his important role in the development of production cars, but that also leaves the door open to a clamorous return to the track if his neck pain disappears. Neck pain that forced him to stop on August 11, 2009, when he got nominated as Massa replacement (he even did a test at Mugello). Other than that, his return to the track would be possible if Ferrari’s project of having three cars per team starting 2011 was approved, even though the other teams are not in favour. Schumacher keeps on wearing red and there’s a chance Alonso will do the same. Last Thursday, at the presentation of the new sponsor, the Spanish bank Santander, Montezemolo avoided the subject. Nevertheless, on Friday, Alonso states in reply to Hamilton, who presented the battle between him with McLaren and the Spaniard with Ferrari as the great fight of the next decade:

 

"This battle would be great. Exciting. And I’m ready to take up the challenge".

 

Clear message. Yet another attempt to approach the team from Maranello. On Saturday, September 12, 2009, the final practice session ahead of Qualifying once again saw Sutil fastest, ahead of the Brawn of Jenson Button with teammate Barrichello in fourth. The two McLarens ended fifth and sixth, with Fisichella's replacement at Force India, Vitantonio Liuzzi, in seventh. The two Red Bulls ended the session 17th and 18th. Fisichella ended the session last, with the other Ferrari - Räikkönen's - in twelfth.

 

"You will say the car doesn’t work well…".

 

Three minutes since the end of free practice. The screens keep on showing the images of Fisichella going back to the motorhome. Crowd gathers there as always. Including Luca Badoer, who cannot hold back a gasp. Some journalists approach the driver and he says, before leaving:

 

"I was not the problem. Can you see it now?"

 

A few hours later, Fisichella will qualify for Q2. Five minutes into the session, Liuzzi ran off the track but did not damage his car and managed to proceed through to the next part of qualifying. Räikkönen topped the session ahead of Hamilton and Kovalainen. Both Toro Rosso’s and both Williams cars were knocked out along with the Toyota of Timo Glock. Fisichella made it through the next session, making it the first time since the Hungarian Grand Prix that both Ferraris reached Q2. Grosjean also progressed to Q2. The second session, lasting 15 minutes, decided the positions from 11th to 15th. Only five minutes into the session, Nick Heidfeld's BMW engine gave way and left in 15th for the race. Seven minutes later, the other BMW of Robert Kubica appeared to have the same problem and pulled off with engine problems just before the first corner. Kubica qualified in 13th. Fisichella was unable to make it through to the final session of qualifying. Button topped it, with Hamilton in second and Force India's Adrian Sutil in third. After the chequered flag had fallen, Liuzzi was the final driver to post a time moving from 13th into the top 10. The other drivers not to make it were Grosjean and Trulli. The final session, lasting ten minutes, decided the top ten positions. Early on, Alonso set the fastest time in the first sector, but Räikkönen had the best time overall. Soon after, Hamilton set the fastest lap, while Webber, Alonso, Sutil and Räikkönen traded second place. The chequered flag fell and very few cars were still out, but Hamilton came out on top and snatched the pole position from Sutil. Although Button qualified in sixth and his teammate Barrichello in fifth, they looked well-placed after the fuel loads were released and both were on a one stop strategy, while Hamilton, Sutil and Räikkönen were all on a two-stop strategy. Hamilton’s pole position is not surprising. 

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He was the bookmakers' favourite and, if he won the race, he would only confirm their predictions. What is surprising is the performance of Adrian Sutil: the German driver from Force India - only one point in his career, in Japan 2007 - reached Q3 (the top ten) only once, on July 11, 2009 at Nürburgring but then faded away on race day. This time, instead, he did better: he qualified second, only two tenths behind his World Champion teammate. Sutil, and Force India in general, after Fisichella’s great weekend in Spa, are impressive. The car became competitive, and even Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi ended the session in the fourth row, P7, with a full tank, which makes the car heavier (26 kg more than Hamilton and 24.5 kg more than his teammate) and his on-track performance more exhilarating, justifying any ambition since his strategy could require less stops. Force India impresses, Hamilton and Sutil (the only one supporting the English driver in the fight for the World Championship against Massa the year before) hug each other, reminding of a similar situation years ago in Zandvoort. But the whole world of Formula 1 is impressive. Old dominators such as McLaren or Kimi Raikkonen - third with Ferrari, with a heavier car - are back because the new ones cannot stay in power: Brawn Gp, in fifth with Rubens Barrichello and sixth with Jenson Button; Red Bull Racing, even worse, in ninth with Sebastian Vettel and tenth with Mark Webber. The old guard, McLaren and Ferrari, is back. They are not fighting for the title - it’s too late for that - but they may leave their mark in Monza, with Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen, helped by the KERS. Kimi says:

 

"We have so many fans here. It’s our home race and I’ll do my best to make them happy".

 

Giancarlo Fisichella agrees. Disappointed in the morning because of an accident but persistent enough to bounce back in the afternoon and place in P14, not far away from the best. It proves that any race could turn the tables, with the rain being another wildcard. But the fuel load of Brawn Gp and Red Bull Racing might reverse the situation as well, fuelling the suspense. Barrichello and Button (35 kg more than Hamilton) smile. They will have one pit-stop less, and Red Bull Racing will probably do the same. Barrichello, faster than his rival Button, is more worried about his gearbox, that has to last four races. In Spa, he got stuck on the grid and the second start might have damaged it. The team wants to change it, but the Brazilian argued not to: he would lose five positions and end up in the fifth row.

 

"I’ve got sixteen points less than Button. I’d rather take the risk".

 

The night falls and adrenaline leaves. Muscles and faces relax. The day was a long battle, with an expected outcome: Fisichella is not Badoer. Possibly, he will not win or score points. He might even end the race in a bad position. But one thing’s for sure: he will not start last with the only possibility of finishing last. It’s enough to feel relieved, after the races in Valencia and Spa and after the last position in free practice. His second day as a Ferrari driver could not begin worse than this: an accident on the entry of Parabolica. Fisichella was about to enter the pits when he didn’t follow the right line and he smashed the car against the barriers. In that moment, he understood the curse of the Italian drivers at Ferrari and he felt weak and slow. Nervous, he almost ran back to the boxes and locked himself in the motorhome. The next hours must have been an ordeal: his mind going from the team working on the car to the words of engineer explaining him the circuit. Then, finally, qualifying. And then, the race. The best for an athlete to handle the pressure. Lap after lap, the tension drops, the car works and Fisichella is reborn: his time in Q2 was great and he made it to Q3, the real goal of the day. Once in the garage, Fisichella gets off the car (from the left side, that brings him luck) in the ten-minute break between the two sessions instead of waiting on board. Helmet and gloves still on, he hugged his mechanics:

 

"They worked like crazy. They put back the engine hood only three minutes before qualifying".

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Fisichella didn’t reach Q3. It is not within his reach yet. So, while Raikkonen was fighting for top positions, he limited himself to go fast, improve lap by lap, study the car and end fourteenth. Such a result will allow him to reach the points zone, monopolized by his former team Force India, all of a sudden quick.

 

"I like thinking the job I did contributed to that miracle. But I have no regrets. My childhood dream came true and that’s enough for me. I should only focus on what I have to do next".

 

Few people had doubts about Max Mosley’s sense of humour, after the oddities he terrorised the world of Formula 1 with. But even less people suspected he could reach those levels. Mosley takes part to a dinner with some English journalists in a restaurant close to the circuit. During dinner, Max, who will leave his role as FIA president in October, seems to be in a good mood and the journalists give him their farewell gift: a leather crop, bought for 150 pounds from the official supplier of Her Majesty the Queen, Swaine Adeney Brigg.

 

"What else could we offer to a man that’s been a respectable guardian of Formula 1 rules for sixteen years, until it was revealed that he took part to sexy-fetish feasts with five prostitutes?"

 

Mosley surprisingly appreciates it. At first, he threatens to use it against the bystanders. Then he tries it on himself. At the end, he explains:

 

"I can’t use it with Miss B because she has a baby. But I will surely use it with Miss A, C and D".

 

On Sunday, September 13, 2009, at the start of the Italian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton kept the lead with Kimi Räikkönen in second, ahead of Adrian Sutil. Heikki Kovalainen, on a one-stop fuel strategy was overtaken by the similarly fuelled Brawns of Rubens Barrichello, off the start line, and Jenson Button, through the second Lesmo. Championship contender Mark Webber spun because of Robert Kubica at Della Roggia on the opening lap and was forced to retire. By lap 15, Kubica had also retired with an oil leak. Before this, on lap 9, the Pole was shown the black flag with an orange circle because he damaged his front wing during his contact with Webber, meaning he was called in the pits to repair it. The battle for the lead was tactical, with the Brawn cars stopping only once while Hamilton was on a two-stop strategy. Barrichello and Button were able to lap consistently faster than Hamilton despite their heavier fuel load, meaning that, when Hamilton re-joined the track after his second pit-stop, he found himself behind both Brawns in third position. Reigning World Champion Hamilton tried in vain to overtake Championship leader Button over the final few laps before crashing into the barriers at the second Lesmo as he attempted to catch Button. Hamilton's crash left debris across the race track, meaning the safety car was deployed despite being on final lap of the race. The safety car was therefore unable to pick up the leader, Barrichello, before he took the chequered flag as he would take Brawn's eighth win of the season and his third win at Monza. 

 

This race had also proven to be the 11th and last victory, as well as the last podium for Rubens Barrichello's very long, very distinguished and very up-and-down career. The safety car ended a race long battle between the similarly fuelled Räikkönen and Sutil. The latter was able to keep up with the Ferrari driver throughout the race. Both of them made their second and final pit stop at the same time, Räikkönen coming out of the pits first despite a delay leaving his garage, after Sutil drove too fast into his box, knocking over a mechanic, who was unhurt. Despite Sutil's pressure over the closing stages, Räikkönen finished third. Sutil had the consolation of claiming the fastest lap of the race, Force India's first in Formula 1. Fernando Alonso finished fifth, ahead of Kovalainen despite the Finn being on the race-winning one-stop strategy. Nick Heidfeld finished seventh after working his way through the field from fifteenth on the grid. Sebastian Vettel took the final point, ahead of Ferrari debutant Giancarlo Fisichella. Fisichella's replacement at Force India, Vitantonio Liuzzi, retired with a mechanical problem while fighting for points. Grandparents are wise by definition.

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And the winner in Monza is Grandpa Rubens, the oldest driver out there, he turned 37 in May, who seems to never grow old unlike 40-year-old Michael Schumacher after suffering those neck injuries. Barrichello wins in Monza for the third time, five years later his second triumph with Ferrari. He’s as happy as a child. The driver exalted Ross Brawn’s tactical masterpiece: full tanks, heavier cars, but one less pit-stop and goodbye to Hamilton and Raikkonen’s desires. He drove perfectly and now he’s crazy happy. The arrow gesture on the podium. Throwing a dart at the world title, since he is now only 14 points behind Jenson Button? No. It is dedicated to his son Fernando, who turned 4 on Saturday: an arrow of love, that will hit his heart. After his family, it’s the car’s turn. After the Grand Prix in Melbourne, Barrichello defined his Brawn as his white Ferrari, implying he moved from possible retiree to new protagonist. And now he wins in Monza with his white Ferrari, after winning twice with the original one, dancing samba on the giant roundabout called podium, standing above the screaming fans. Talking about Ferrari, the past emerges in those possible team orders in favour of Button.

 

"I was a Ferrari driver and I know how to defend myself. Michael Schumacher, the best of all, was my teammate, but the battle wasn’t equal all the time. I don’t want to criticize: I grew up at Ferrari and I became a better driver. Being penalized is part of life. It strengthened my personality and I learnt fighting. If you put me in cage full of tigers, I’ll make it out alive. I don’t know if Schumacher can say the same".

 

The reply of Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is ironic:

 

"If I were the tiger, I would still be afraid".

 

But Barrichello is too happy to contradict. He guarantees about Brawn:

 

"Everything’s crystal-clear. Button and I take part to the meetings together and we know each other’s secrets. It will be a fair fight".

 

However, the tigers haunting Barrichello were dressed in white in Monza (Brawn’s colour). They meant to replace his gearbox, at risk of breakage, making him lose five positions on the grid. He stood out and said no.

 

"It was a risk, but it was the right choice. I was worried and I’ve been shaking until the very last lap. It has to resist two more races".

 

Otherwise, Jenson Button, back on the podium after six Grand Prix, will celebrate. Brawn dominated, while the Saturday protagonists disappeared. Lewis Hamilton, starting on pole, dropping to third position and ending up in the barriers. Kimi Raikkonen, content with the third position. Adrian Sutil, best result with Force India, is delighted. Giancarlo Fisichella, in ninth, is still quite happy. Vitantonio Liuzzi is desperate for his retirement because he was fighting for the podium. Red Bull Racing abandons its dreams of glory: Sebastian Vettel in eighth, Webber out on lap 1. Renault is already thinking about the trial in Paris on Monday, September 21, 2009, with the Piquet’s accusation (calumny for the French team). It seems that Renault called Prost, who declares for French television:

 

"If I got a call? I can’t confirm nor deny that".

 

Any conjectures are authorized.

 

"Massa was the one hit by a spring, but Kimi wised up".

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It’s the paddock joking about Raikkonen’s paradox. The craziest Finn in the world, the driver who, all of a sudden after two years of dormancy, decided to return to himself and show everybody how to drive a Formula 1 car. Probably, the spring fell of by Barrichello’s Brawn GP, that reached Massa’s helmet in Hungary has nothing to do with this revival. But the fact is, Kimi changed from that day, while anything was happening around him.

 

"I don’t care about who drives the other car. I drive my own car. That’s all".

 

A simple philosophy that led to great results: second place in Hungary, third in Valencia, first in Spa and third again in Monza, for a total of thirty points leading a rambling Ferrari to a decent third place in Constructors’ World Championship. Malicious say this rebirth is due to the threat of Alonso’s arrival. Stefano Domenicali does not exclude that:

 

"Please, keep on talking about Fernando coming to Ferrari. It works".

 

But he also has a different theory:

 

"People grow up, men mature. He is even more talkative and smiling now. Maybe he is simply more relaxed".

 

The interested party doesn’t even think about giving an explanation to this.

 

"I’m surprised as well. The truth is that we fixed the car these last five races".

 

This is something he would have said some weeks ago. But he went further in Monza and said, smiling:

 

“Finishing third and scoring points in Monza was important to our fans”.

 

A clumsy line, that nobody would remember about if it came out of Massa’s mouth. Pronounced by Kimi, instead, it startles everybody legitimizing the suspect that the real problem is Ferrari, not Raikkonen. The arrival of Alonso scares Maranello: they should get rid of a renewed World Champion to make room for the Spaniard. If he moved to McLaren or Brawn GP in this shape, he would be a threat. The Monza weekend ends with a sketch: a Finnish commentator, recorder on, asks Domenicali:

 

"Can we officially say that Raikkonen will be driving for Ferrari next year?"

 

Small hesitation from the team principal and formal response (maybe too formal):

 

"I don’t want to approach this topic now".


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