F1 Madness

Tag: 2014 grid

  • Williams Q & A with Felipe Massa

    Williams Q & A with Felipe Massa

    Following confirmation that Felipe Massa has been signed to drive for Williams in 2014 alongside Valterri Bottas, it’s time to catch up with Felipe about his thoughts on his move to Williams, the 2014 driver line-up and the season ahead.

    Q. Felipe, you have been confirmed as a Williams F1 Team driver for the 2014 season, your first time with a British team. Does it feel like you’re making a new start in your career?

    It does feel like a new start in my career. I had a great time at Ferrari but now I’m very happy to be joining Williams for 2014. I’ve always watched them and followed them as a team, especially in the successful years so I’m very proud to now be driving for this team and to start a new chapter in my career.

    Q. You had other options aside from Williams; tell us a bit more about what attracted you to the team?

    It was the best option for me; it really is a team that wants to grow and is determined to get back to where they were in the past. I want to help the team with this and I think it could be a very successful era.

    Q. 2013 has been a difficult year for the team. Why are you so convinced that things can improve going into 2014?

    Everything is changing in 2014; it is like a restart for everybody and you need the resources and personnel in place to make sure you’re on top of this. From what I see and hear at Williams, everything is in place to go in the right direction and to keep moving forward.

    Q. How impressed are you with the facilities at Grove on your first day here with the team?

    It is my first day here and I’m just trying to get to know the facilities and the area, but everything is very impressive; there is a great set up here and there’s no reason why we can’t build on this to push hard for next season.

    Q. You have a new teammate next year in Valtteri Bottas; what do you know about him and how excited are you to work with him?

    He’s proved this year to be a very good driver and very quick. Pastor was always very quick, especially in qualifying, so to keep pace with him in the first year is impressive. I’m looking forward to using my experience to help Valtteri develop further and to work together to do well as a team.

     

  • Pastor Maldonado set to leave Williams

    Pastor Maldonado set to leave Williams

    Pastor Maldonado, and his PDVSA sponsors, are set to leave the Williams F1 team at the end of the season.

    Maldonado and his backers are in exit talks with the Williams outfit, making way for the incoming Felipe Massa. Massa confirmed last weeks that he was in talks with Williams and after much speculation, it was today revealed by Autosport as well as the BBC that Maldonado will leave the team, taking PDVSA with him.

    The exit deal has not yet been concluded but it is believed that this will be completed soon in order to allow Maldonado to secure a contract with another team.

    Maldonado has already been in talks regarding a 2014 seat with Lotus, Sauber and Force India and will bring with him a £20 million per season backing of the oil company, PDVSA.

    Lotus, who have also been in talks with Nico Hulkenberg, would prefer the German driver to join their team but this rests on an investment deal with Quantum Motorsports. Should the investment deal not go through, it is most likely that Maldonado will then get the Lotus seat.

    PDVSA is contractually bound to Williams until the end of the 2015 season but it is understood that an agreement will be reached whereby Williams will be compensated for the change in plans.

    Maldonado has openly admitted that he is not enjoying the sport this year and is looking for a more competitive car to race in.

    Photo credit: Williams F1 Twitter Team

     

  • Heikki Kovalainen in contention for 2014 Caterham seat

    Heikki Kovalainen in contention for 2014 Caterham seat

    Caterham team owner Tony Fernandes has admitted to Autosport that Heikki Kovalainen could make a return to Formula One with the Caterham team in 2014.

    Neither of the current Caterham drivers, Giedo van der Garde or Charles Pic, have contracts beyond 2013 with the team, and no confirmations have been made regarding their driver line up for 2014.

    When asked by Autosport whether Kovalainen was being considered for a return to the team, Fernandes replied, “Absolutely. It is no secret that I am close to Heikki and I have a lot of time for him, so let’s see.

    “I will leave it to the team to decide who they want, and it has to be their choice finally at the end of the day.

    “It would be foolish to commit now, because plenty can happen between now and the end of the season, so let’s see what is available.”

    Kovalainen was recently called in by the team to analyse new upgrades during FP1 in both Bahrain and Spain and he was behind the wheel again in Belgium and Italy.

    All the signs are there that we could see Kovalainen returning to F1 in 2014, but nothing is yet set in stone.

    Photo by Caterham F1 Team

  • Lotus driver decision on hold

    Lotus driver decision on hold

    Lotus team principal Eric Boullier has said that decision on who will replace Kimi Raikkonen next year is on hold until the team has sorted out its financial situation.

    Raikkonen left Lotus to join Ferrari after he grew frustrated with the Lotus team not being able to give him assurances about their budget.

    Lotus team principal Eric Boullier has revealed that the priority for Lotus now is to finalise a deal with new investors Infinity Racing, which has been in the pipeline for several months now.

    Boullier has said that he can only make an informed decision about who to pick to replace Raikkonen once he knows what the Lotus team’s finances are like going forward.

    Nico Hulkenberg seemed set to be chosen to fill the Lotus seat but recently Felipe Massa also became a contender after confirming that he will be leaving Ferrari.

    Boullier spoke openly to Autosport, saying, “I want to finish what we wanted to show to Kimi, but we could not get done in time,” referring to his efforts to finalise the Infinity deal.

    “I want to close this, because it is important for the team. It will give it the financial stability for more than five years and it will give us also two steps forward in terms of revenue, which is what we need after the last two years that were up and down

    “After that, we can then think about the drivers for next year – but also for 2015, 2016, and 2017.”

    Despite rumours that Felipe Massa will bring major financial backing, Boullier has denied any knowledge of this and is adamant that he wants to be able to choose a driver based on merit, rather than on the sponsorship they could bring to the Lotus team.

    “I want to close the financial situation to make sure that we pick the driver on merit,” he said. “And then, if we are an attractive team with an attractive combination of drivers and we can get some sponsors, fine. But that is not the priority.”

    Photo by the Lotus F1 Twitter Team.

     

  • McLaren want Fernando Alonso for 2014

    McLaren want Fernando Alonso for 2014

    According to BBC Sport, Mclaren are now targeting Fernando Alonso to beef up their driver line up for next season.

    Yes, you guessed it, the Silly Season rumour mill is back in full swing.

    BBC Sport‘s chief F1 Writer, Andrew Benson, Alonso is unsettled at Ferrari, and McLaren are hoping to use this to persuade the Spaniard to return to the team – who he drove for in 2007.

    When asked whether he wanted Alonso, McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said, “Yes – any team would. He’s the best driver. “I don’t know his contractual situation. I assume he’s under contract”.

    This news comes just after Jenson Button confirmed to SkySportsF1 yesterday that his contract with McLaren is sorted saying, “It’s done, I’ll be here next year.”

    Sergio Perez also seemed pretty confident that his McLaren seat is secure for next year, but this news is bound to be a bit of a cat amongst the pigeons. It would seem that if Alonso did join McLaren next season, it is the Mexican who will be replaced.

    Alonso is contractually bound to Ferrari until the end of the 2016 season but there has been plenty of friction between himself and the team in recent weeks.

    Di Montezemelo was exceptionally unhappy about Alonso’s critical remarks about his car. Then there’s the signing of Kimi Raikkonen as his team mate for next season. Alonso has said he is “happy” about the team choosing Raikkonen as his team mate but this move puts his number 1 spot at the team in great jeopardy.

    We’re not too sure that Alonso would be keen on a move back to McLaren though. The massive fallout with Ron Dennis and then team mate Lewis Hamilton – over Hamilton getting priority status over him.

    Then there’s his contract of course. If Alonso wanted to terminate his contract with Ferrari, there would need to be talks around this and it’s not likely that Ferrari – who now have the strongest driver pairing for the 2014 grid, would be keen on doing this.

    Whitmarsh has however confirmed to SkySportsF1 that he most certainly is interested in signing Alonso, “I would if I could,” he told them. He also refused to confirm that either Jenson Button or Sergio Perez will continue driving for McLaren next season.

    Only time will tell really. We will of course, keep you posted!

     

  • Massa will no longer support Alonso

    Massa will no longer support Alonso

    Felipe Massa has said that he will no longer play a supporting role to Fernando Alonso in the remaining races of the 2013 F1 season.

    Massa insists that he is now driving for himself, and will no longer be Alonso’s wingman since being informed that he will no longer be part of the Ferrari team in 2014.

    “I will not race for Alonso from now on,” he told TV Globo. “Right from Friday at Singapore I’ll be working for myself. I will attack all the time, every lap. It’s now the time to look after myself.”

    Massa, who has been in talks with Lotus for the seat left vacant by his Ferrari replacement, Kimi Raikkonen, added that he has enjoyed his time alongside Alonso but that fireworks can be expected from Ferrari’s 2014 F1 driver pairing.

    “I’m sure Fernando likes me, he has to. We have a nice relationship, I’m sure he sees me as a personal friend as I see him. Kimi and myself are also good friends, much more than when we were team-mates. I know both Fernando and Kimi on and off the track and I rate them as excellent drivers, but I’m afraid they will collide when sharing the team.”

    “I told the bosses to breathe as much as possible while they still can because it will be hard for them to breathe next season.”

     Photo by Ferrari F1 Twitter team

  • Felipe Massa in talks with Lotus

    Felipe Massa in talks with Lotus

    Felipe Massa has his eyes firmly set on the vacant Lotus seat after announcing his departure from Ferrari, and since the announcement was made that Kimi Raikkonen will take his place at Ferrari.

    Massa has confirmed that he is in negotiations with Lotus for the race seat.

    The possibility of a straight swop seems very enticing from many angles and it will be very interesting to see how Massa would perform at Lotus.

    Massa told Globo Esporte that Lotus appeals to him as the most competitive option remaining on the 2014 F1 grid.

    “We are negotiating,” he told the publication. “In my opinion, Lotus has a competitive car, which is what I want. We are having many conversations to try to find a way, not only for me but for Lotus, to continue with a good car.”

    Massa revealed he has also been in talks with McLaren but said he that Lotus is still his best option. “I’ve had contact with McLaren but I cannot judge, it’s hard to say,” he said. “With Lotus, the contact was very good,” Massa added.

    Nicholas Todt, Massa’s manager, last week told Canal Plus that Massa is determined to drive for a competitive team next year.

    “He never would go to a smaller team to be second driver,” Todt said. “We need to find a car that can challenge at the front in F1. The best place available is undoubtedly the one left by Raikkonen at Lotus.”

    Eric Boullier last week confirmed that Lotus is in talks with a number of drivers about the 2014 season and that Lotus will make their decision “shortly”.