Liuzzi takes Fisichella spot

Share

Force India have confirmed Vitantonio Liuzzi has replaced Giancarlo Fisichella for the remainder of the season.

Liuzzi has been promoted from his role as test and reserve driver with the team, a position he has held since the start of 2008.

The 28-year-old will now make his race debut with Force India in front of his own fans at this weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Liuzzi, who last drove in Formula One at the end of the 2007 season with Toro Rosso, appreciates he has been given his chance courtesy of the chain reaction sparked by Felipe Massa's accident

"I can't wait to get back into the car in race trim, particularly at my home grand prix in Monza," said Liuzzi, who competed in 39 grands prix over three seasons from 2005 to 2007.

"I really appreciate the opportunity Vijay (Mallya) has given me, particularly now Force India has a great car that's performing very well.

"I am confident I can carry on our progress. I'm very motivated, in good shape and hungry to get some more points on the board.

"Although it's unfortunate this came about as a direct result of Felipe's accident, this is my opportunity to show people what I can do, and I'm really looking forward to it."

Team owner Vijay Mallya, who released Fisichella to Ferrari last week, is confident Liuzzi will not let down the team.

"I'm delighted to give Tonio the opportunity to get back into a race seat, which I know he has been itching to do for the past two years," said Mallya.

"Force India is now in a very competitive position and we need a driver who can continue this momentum.

"This will be the chance for Tonio to demonstrate to both the team and the field he has the commitment, speed and professionalism to perform, and I am sure he will seize this opportunity."

Renault could be severely punished

Share

Renault could be thrown out of the Formula One world championship if found guilty of causing a crash at the Singapore Grand Prix.

The crash helped Fernando Alonso win last year's inaugural night race.

Just five days after details emerged of the incidents that unfolded in the sport's historic first night race last September, the FIA will now sit in judgment on Renault.

An extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council will take place in Paris on Monday, September 21, with Renault facing charges of being in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

Article 151c relates to 'any fraudulent conduct or act prejudicial to the interests of any competition, or to the interests of motor sport generally'.

The charge is that "the team conspired with its driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of its other driver, Fernando Alonso".

In this instance the FIA's powers are wide-ranging, as McLaren found to their cost in 2007 when they were fined £50million for being in breach of the same article in relation to the spygate saga.

Should Renault be punished, it is almost certain the penalty will be severe, especially as deliberately crashing a car puts the lives of not only the driver, but also marshals and spectators at risk.

Alonso would naturally be stripped of his victory, potentially even all his points from last season, which may result in Renault being forced to pay back all their prize money for 2008.

In addition, there is the real prospect of their exclusion from this year's championship, which in turn may ultimately lead to Renault's decision to withdraw from the sport altogether.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone sounded a warning this week there would be "a lot of trouble" if the allegations are found to be true.

Ecclestone also suggested Renault could follow Honda and BMW out of F1 due to the adverse publicity they are currently receiving.

Alonso certainly appeared fortunate in taking the chequered flag in Singapore as the double world champion had started from 15th on the grid.

Intriguingly, Renault had opted to fuel Alonso short for his first stint, a bizarre tactic when starting so far down and on a typical street track where it is notoriously difficult to pass.

Renault gambled on there being a safety car incident, and just two laps after Alonso made his first pit stop on lap 12, Piquet's crash turned the race on its head.

It brought the safety car into play, shaking up the field, with the Spaniard ultimately giving Renault their first win for two years at a time when it was strongly rumoured they were considering quitting the sport.

Piquet explained the incident away by claiming he was trying too hard, made a mistake and scraped one wall a little too closely.

Only recently Piquet was sacked by the team, with the suggestion it was he, or his father/manager Nelson Piquet snr, who blew the whistle, prompting an investigation, and now subsequent hearing.

Renault were last night refusing to make any comment, and confirmed they will not do so before attending the hearing.

Hamilton retains title dream

Share

Lewis Hamilton is refusing to give up hope of retaining his Formula One title until the maths tell him otherwise.

Hamilton concedes it is a crazy proposition, but the very fact he is even thinking about the drivers' crown is testament to the great competitor he is.

At present, Hamilton trails championship leader Jenson Button by 45 points with just five races remaining, leaving the 24-year-old in a virtually impossible position.

"I know I've been very lucky," said Hamilton.

"For the past two seasons I've been in with a shot at the championship right until the end of the last race of the season, so obviously this year feels a bit different.

"But it's been fun to just push like crazy and try and get the maximum result from the car at each race, rather than looking at stringing together a more consistent title bid.

"It means we can keep attacking everywhere, and I think the last five races should be good for us for a lot of different reasons.

"I might have missed out at Spa (Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix), but I really want to win Monza (Italian GP on September 13) and see how competitive we'll be in the flyaways.

"The five remaining races are a great mix of circuits, and I'm looking forward to all of them.

"But I'll still be going for it, trying to get every single point I can.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I'm not going to put the title out of my mind until I know that it's mathematically impossible."

Hamilton certainly found himself in an unusual situation in Spa as it was only the third time in his F1 career he had retired from a race.

His first-lap accident, when he was broadsided by Jaime Alguersuari in his Toro Rosso after trying to avoid Romain Grosjean's collision with Button, resulted in a frustrated Hamilton watching from the sidelines.

"It was a really odd feeling to be stood at the side of the track watching the others come through behind the safety car," reflected Hamilton.

"To be honest, I can't remember the last time I failed to finish a race.

"The reliability of our car has been so phenomenal that it rarely happens, so it was definitely a feeling I couldn't really get used to.

"It was a pity because I love racing at Spa and was really looking forward to a strong, attacking afternoon.

"I hadn't had the best of starts and I'd lost a few places, but I was pretty confident we'd have the car beneath us to help us get back into the points."

It is why Hamilton is confident of a strong end to the season as he added: "We know we've taken huge steps with the car since the start of the summer.

"It's frustrating we didn't get to see our race pace at Spa, but we've a low-downforce package for Monza and some more upgrades ahead of Singapore, so I think we'll be in the hunt among the frontrunners.

"The most important thing is we keep learning from this year's car so we can make next year's into a winner."

Fisichella 'over the moon' with move

Share

Giancarlo Fisichella realised a life-long dream by signing for Ferrari.

Fisichella has signed for Ferrari for the final five races of the Formula One season after being released from his current contract with Force India, and will be the team's reserve driver in 2010.

The 36-year-old replaces Luca Badoer after his torrid time in the European and Belgian Grands Prix in which he qualified at the back of the grid and was last of those that finished.

With Ferrari this week confirming Felipe Massa requires plastic surgery after his horror smash in Hungary and will not return until next season, the team desperately needed a more experienced driver as stand-in for the remainder of the year.

Following extensive discussions between the two teams over the last 24 hours, Force India owner Vijay Mallya reluctantly agreed to part with Fisichella.

It means the 36-year-old will become the first Italian to drive a Ferrari at the team's home race at Monza - the next round of the season on September 13 - since Ivan Capelli in 1992.

"I'm over the moon," said Fisichella. "I can still hardly believe the fact we are realising the dream of my life, and I want to thank Ferrari and its president, Luca di Montezemolo.

"I am also very grateful to Vijay for allowing me this opportunity to drive for Ferrari.

"It is true that it has always been an ambition to do this, and for Vijay to have allowed it to become a reality is very generous.

"I hope in turn I have helped Force India grow and be on the right path to achieve their own ambitions.

"They are now a very competitive team and I wish them all the very best."

It has been a remarkable week for the Roman in which he started from pole and finished second in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.

Now being able to look ahead to the final five races with Ferrari, Fisichella added: "I'll do my best to reward the team for the great opportunity I have been given.

"I know it will not be easy, but I will always try and get the best result possible."

Expressing his sympathies towards Badoer, who has spent the last 12 years with Ferrari, Fisichella said: "I want to say I feel sorry for Luca.

"I know how much he cared about racing a Ferrari at Monza because an Italian will always give his maximum to drive a red in front of our fans."

Explaining his decision to release Fisichella, Mallya said: "For any Italian driver, a Ferrari race seat is a long-held dream, and for Giancarlo it was no exception. No one should stand in the way of this."

Mallya dismissed speculation a deal for Fisichella had been agreed with Ferrari in return for money apparently still owed for engines used last season.

"We would like to stress we have not agreed any financial settlement with Ferrari," added Mallya.

"This agreement has been made in good faith and for the good of Giancarlo and the sport in general.

"A competitive Italian driver in a Ferrari for Monza is a positive story for Formula One, which can only help raise the sport's profile in these difficult times."

Mallya is convinced his team will continue to be strong for the remainder of the season, with reserve driver Vitantonio Liuzzi expected to replace Fisichella.

Mallya stated: "For Force India, this sport is a team effort and removing one part, even a major one, will not significantly affect our performance.

"The competitiveness of the team seen in Belgium was a result of hard work in the factory and wind tunnel, and we have further developments coming for the final races.

"So we are confident this momentum can be sustained. We are now looking forward to a strong finish to the season."

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is convinced Fisichella will play a significant role through to the end of the year.

"We have chosen Fisichella because we can expect him to make a valuable contribution in this final part of the season," said Domenicali.

"Giancarlo has shown, throughout his long career, that he is fast and competitive, and we are therefore proud to be able to run an Italian driver in our home race."

"No financial crisis in F1"

Share

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said that F1 did have a brush with the recession but sponsors are coming back.

"I don't know about India but most of the world is in recession. Sponsorship was obviously a problem as a lot of big names were reconsidering but it is better now and sponsors are coming back," he said.

"There is no financial crisis now and there is no shortage of sponsors in Formula One," Ecclestone told PTI.

At the same time, he expressed eagerness to explore more corporate entities in India, the second fastest growing economy in the world, saying the more the better.

He was responding to a query on whether F1 would be looking beyond Vijay Mallya for sponsoring teams.

"When I come to India in October. I would meet with people and see what is the best way to move forward," he said.

The recession took a toll in this year's F1 with Honda pulling out and BMW announcing that they would not race from next year. Toyota is also uncertain to return to F1 circuit once the season ends.

In view of this, Formula One authorities had initially contemplated a cap on expenditure of all F1 teams, even though frontline teams like Ferrari and McLaren were against the move. But the proposal has temporarily been shelved.

F1 to focus on India, 2011 track

Share

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has said the foundation stone of the race track in India would be laid in October for the 2011 event.

Brushing aside government's stand that Formula One is not a sport, Ecclestone said it's been long time that they have signed the contract with the promoters in India and there was no question of the event being shelved despite the Indian government's refusal to give concessions.

Asked specifically whether the F1 race in India would go on, Ecclestone told PTI from London," It's been on for a long time. There's never been any doubt. The contract has been signed long time back."

Ecclestone, the President and CEO of Formula One Management, said that the foundation stone for the project in Greater Noida would be laid at the end of October.

"We are waiting for the circuit to be constructed. The foundation stone would be laid in late October. I will be in India to lay the foundation stone," he said.

Ecclestone made light of sports minister M S Gill's view that Formula One was not a sport.

"Everybody is entitled to their views. That's the good or the bad part of democracy. If the Sports Minister doesn't think it's a sport, I can't do much about it. That's his view.

"The rest of the world thinks it is a sport," Ecclestone said.

Motorsports administrators in the country have reacted sharply to the Sports Minister's views against Formula One with Force India co-owner Vijay Mallya questioning the basis of Gill's assessment for F1 being "expensive entertainment".

Gill had insisted that it was technology and not any sporting skill that determines the outcome of Formula One races.

The 2011 Indian Grand Prix has run into rough weather after the Sports Ministry denied JPSK Sports, promoter of the event in India, approval to the remittance of USD 36.5 million to Formula One Administration in UK.

Adamant Sports Ministry officials maintain Formula One does not have the social relevance of an Olympic sport and have refused to give their nod to the transaction, which comes under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (GEMMA) because it's not desirable.

On how he planned to make F1 popular in India, Ecclestone said he would try to meet people and see how it can be done when he visits the country in October.

"Let's see, when I come there in October. I would meet with people and see what is the best way to move forward," Ecclestone said.

Ecclestone, a former Formula One driver himself, was impressed with Force India's second-place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix last week.

"Force India should have won actually. They were unlucky.

"It's good to see Vijay's (Mallya) team doing well. He has done a good job for Force India," he said.

Asked if there were plans to have more night races, the first of which made its debut in Singapore last year, Ecclestone said a few more venues were being considered.

"We are looking at five other countries for night races," he said, without divulging the names of the countries.

On whether the sports was feeling the effects of global economic downturn, Ecclestone said things were looking up now after a few months of sponsorship problems.

"I don't know about India but most of the world is in recession. Sponsorship was obviously a problem as a lot of big names were reconsidering but it is better now and sponsors are coming back," he said.