Formula 1 will be racing at Sepang this weekend and the Ferrari team has decided to pay tribute to the late Marco Simoncelli and went to turn 11 were the Italian rider lost his life, with a pit board message that read, “Sic, sempre con noi” (Sic always with us).

Drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso were present along with Matteo Orsi, Edoardo Bendinelli, Massimo Rivola, Massimo Balocchi and Roberta Valloros in representation of the Ferrari team.

Alonso who had previously tweeted that racing at Sepang would be difficult from now on, said, “It won’t be the same thing: here we will always think of Marco. I think that the Ferrari family and all the Italians who love sports and motor racing will remember him forever. His death was one of those things you would have never expected: we will remember him always and will always be a hero to us all. “

“We wanted to go to the Turn 11 to do something to remember Marco,” said Massa. “I think it was the least we could do for him, for his family and all his fans. I think everyone this weekend will race with the thought of Marco. ”

Source | motorionline.com

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The long awaited racing battle between Valentino Rossi and Ferrarista Fernando Alonso may not take place at all in this year’s Vrooom event.

Apparently Rossi is still not in tip top shape after his shoulder surgery (which doesn’t sound good) and doesn’t want to take any chances that could compromise his recovery just for the fun of racing on ice with a Panda 4×4 or go-kart or whatever they’ll be using this year.

Father Graziano who accompanied his son to Madonna del Campiglio, and will race anything on two wheels or four that will drift, could step in to take his son’s place in the highlight event.

According to the Gazzetta dello Sport between photoshoots, press conferences and the fun and games of the Vroom event, Rossi will continue his hard rehabilitation process (at the hotel’s pool and gym) and fitness training to try to be ready for the Sepang test in February.

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The traditional week long Vrooom event at Madonna di Campiglio organized by Ferrari and Ducati, that kicks off January 10th to present the teams to the international press will have everyone drooling. Not only will we finally see livery that Ducati has thought up for the 2011 season, Valentino Rossi will finally be liberated from his Yamaha gag order, and will be able to talk freely during the Ducati press conference that will be held on Tuesday the 11th.

Friday will see the “Challenge Exhibition” where the Ducati riders and Ferrari drivers will face off during the organized ice races, usually on 4-wheels (last year on the 4×4 Panda’s was won by Felippe Massa and shifter go karts race by Nicky Hayden).

What will be interesting is that Rossi should be (depends on his shoulder) racing against Fernando Alonso. The two champions, once upon time provoked each other, that resulted in ruffled feathers and testosterone levels sky rocketing, to the joy of sports journalists.

Continue reading: 2011 Vrooom - Rossi vs Alonso

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Okay it’s only kart race and MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi and Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso are doing it for “Friends of Iker vs. Friends of Rafa” the second annual event that tennis star Rafael Nadal and Real Madrid goalie Iker Casillas organize with the Red Cross help battle the global issue of malaria.

The event which includes competing in a tennis match, a soccer match and new to this year, a kart race by relays and will be held on December 16th at the Palacio de los Deportes in Madrid.

The list of athletes set to attend this year’s event is a veritable who’s who of sports superstars, which includes tennis players David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco and Novak Djokovic, footballers Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Diego Forlán (Atlético Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Raúl (Real Madrid), David Villa (Valencia CF) and Xavi (FC Barcelona) also joining will be Rossi’s teammate Jorge Lorenzo, former World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz, and last year’s Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, among others.
Tickets cost between € 6-10.

Source | visordown

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