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

Let’s face it it’s off season and Italian sports journalists and fans are bored, so when they get Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali in a Q&A interview at the Bologna Motor Show, one of the questions naturally has to be that old chestnut of Valentino Rossi in Ferrari.

Apparently many have a very short memory span or refuse to relate to the fact that Rossi has already declared more than once, that by the time he stops motorcycle racing, he’ll be too old to turn to F1, but that doesn’t stop anyone asking the same old question.

“The door is always open for Rossi,” said Domenicali. “Beyond the personal relationship between Valentino and Ferrari that was born many years ago and is still continuing, but first he has the challenge of bringing the title to Ducati [it looks like someone forgot a certain Casey Stoner] I think he’s focused on that on the moment and we’re rooting for him and Ducati and then we’ll see what the future will bring.”

With the 2011 Vrooom Ferrari-Ducati event scheduled for it’s usual January date and Valentino Rossi expected to attend (he won’t be able to ski or snowboard), we can expect even more of this usual crap.

Everyone knows that Ferrari and Ducati are tied together in more ways than one, you just have see the week long Wrooom event to understand how important these two iconic Italian companies are on a marketing level.

Ducati has decided to give Ferarri’s F1 drivers Fernando Alonso his Christmas gift early this year by presenting him with Desmosedici RR with a personalized paint job that’s a mix between the Ferrari and Ducati liveries.

Lucky bugger, but personally I’ll never understand these freebies to someone who is already rich as Croesus and can afford to buy his own toys.

Source | motoblog

While Valentino Rossi underwent a second operation yesterday at the CTO hospital in Florence to stitch up his open wound, following his operation on Saturday, which according to his attending doctor Roberto Buzzi went well, Rossi was also checked out by Dr. Giusto Chiaracane, a shoulder specialist was also called in for a consult on the MotoGP champion’s lingering shoulder problem that he picked up during a motocross accident.

Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali was one of Rossi’s first visitors, another get well wisher was Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who through the Ferrari website has invited Rossi to return to Maranello to drive a Ferrari for a little training.

“The whole team is with you at this difficult time, we are confident that you will soon be back on track, even stronger than before. If you want during your convalescence to train a little on four wheels, remember that the door for you at Maranello is always open …”

Personally we think that getting onto his M1 would be easier for Rossi that crawling into a very tight and uncomfortable Formula 1 cockpit.

Source | sport.libero.it

You’d think that Fiat/Chrysler’s CEO Sergio Marchionne would have better things to do after introducing the company’s highly ambitious five-year plan to increase Fiat’s and Chrysler’s car production to 5.5 to 6 million vehicles by 2014, than thinking about Valentino Rossi in Ferrari.

Instead Marchionne has given his public backing and approves Luca Cordero di Montezemolo’s idea of stealing Rossi from motorcycle racing to put him a third Ferrari car.

“Luca says he would like to have a third Ferrari car with Valentino - it’s a great idea if he [Rossi] is willing to do it.” said Marchionne.

Let’s hope that Rossi isn’t willing to do it.

Ferrari’s Luca Cordero di Montezemolo who wants Valentino Rossi in Ferrari on a third car has become an old and stale chestnut and is seasonal like the monsoons.

Montezemolo who has left the presidency of Fiat to John Elkann today, continues to insist on wanting the 9 times World Champion in Ferrari:

“I hope Rossi comes to Ferrari when he wins this year’s MotoGP championship … and that will be enough, and then he can come and win in Formula 1 with Ferrari.”

Besides having a crystal ball, Montezemolo has a penchant for stroking Rossi’s ego and trying to seduce him away from motorcycle racing, but just how many times does the Italian champion have to say that he’s going to be to old to try his hand at Formula 1 racing when he retires, especially after Dorna’s Carmelo Ezpeleta has said that he is sure that Valentino is going to be in MotoGP until after 2012.

Valentino Rossi kicked off his first day of a two day test at the Barcelona circuit with Ferrari’s Formula 1 2008 car with couple of spins on the cold and damp Spanish circuit

According to Ferrari.com website Rossi was incredibly excited to get back behind the wheel after his last experience in Mugello in November 2008 and by five o’clock, the Italian rider had completed 68 laps with a best time of 1′25″2 on slick tires and a drying out track, but five seconds slower that Kimi Raikkonen’s qualifying time at Montemelò in 2008.

“I’m glad, it was a good test, although wet in the morning and with a lack of grip we had some problems. Luckily in the afternoon the track dried, I managed to run with slicks and improve my lap times,” said Rossi.

Rossi will be back on track tomorrow for the final day of testing.

They say nothing can stop Valentino Rossi when he sets his mind to something and despite having spent Thursday in a Pesaro ER for an inflamed appendix, on Friday the Italian champion was back on track at Ferrari’s private Fiorano circuit taking a spin on Ferrari’s lastest family jewel, the 458 Italia Coupe.

Rossi was at Maranello meeting with Ferrari technicians and trying out the team’s new Formula 1 simulator to order to prepare for the Barcelona test that will take place on January 20-21st.

At the Circuit de Catalunya, Rossi will be running a Ferrari Formula 1 car from 2008 due to FIA’s testing restrictions on using this year’s cars.

Source | ferrari.com

The 9 times World Champion Valentino Rossi spent the several hours in the emergency room of the San Salvatore Hospital in Pesaro yesterday for acute abdominal pain. After a series of tests Rossi was diagnosed with an inflamed appendix.

According to the doctors Rossi will not have to undergo surgery and released the rider from the hospital after a few hours.

Rossi’s small health problem could jeopardize the two day Ferrari test that was programmed next week in Barcelona and the official Sepang tests that are going to be held in Sepang, February 3rd to 5th.

Source | motoblog

Wrooom isn’t only a Ducati event, but it’s also Ferrari happening and Stefano Domenicali, the teams principal during his press conference announced that Valentino Rossi will be once again taking the wheel of one their Formula 1 cars for two days of testing, January 21 and 22nd.

Rossi won’t be at the Mugello or Fiorano or Valencia circuits, but will try out a Ferrari F2008 at the Barcelona Montmelo race track, where he’s never driven the car before.

Before anyone starts speculating on Rossi’s future career in F1, the reigning world champion during his visit at the Auto Expo in India clearly stated he’ll be too old for Formula 1 when he retires from motorcycle racing:

When I finish with bikes, I would consider shifting to cars – probably rallying – before I finally decide to take it easy. I know F1 would have been easier, but by the time I finish MotoGP, I will be too old for F1.”

When Rossi finishes the Ferrari test he’ll have a few more days of rest, before heading to Sepang where the MotoGP tests kick off on February 4th.