Time is running out for Felipe Massa to take control of this year's Championship battle and claim his first World title for Ferrari

This year's campaign is arguably one of the most competitive in a long while as four drivers still stand a realistic chance of winning this year's title.

However, with only five races remaining and a 15-point deficit to Championship leader Lewis Hamilton, time is running out for Massa and his Ferrari team to pip the McLaren rookie to the coveted title.

The Brazilian, though, hasn't given up the battle, vowing to fight until the bitter end.

"This Championship is pretty competitive - four drivers are fighting for the title, so I have to make sure I can be more competitive than the others; try to do the maximum and stay competitive until the end of the season," he told Autosport.

Asked if his attitude this season heading to Monza would be any different to last year's now that he actually has a chance at the World title, Massa said: "I think last year for sure there was less pressure on me than this year, but I was still fighting for the Championship for the team - not as a driver - so I was pushing a lot to help the team.

"This year we are fighting the Drivers' and the teams' Championships so for sure there is a lot more pressure. But it doesn't matter; with or without pressure I won races anyway.

"In the end, you just need to do the best you can. The final result counts; the pressure, you always have anyway."

The teams spent four days testing at Monza last week in the build-up to the race, however, rather than Ferrari setting the pace it was McLaren who led the way on all four days.

Massa, though, isn't allowing last week's times to get him down as he believes Ferrari can produce the goods when it matters most, which is this coming weekend.

"They (McLaren) are strong here, but we have done some interesting work, so we will be quite strong here too," he said.

source & pic: planet-f1

Plans for an Indian GP are still on track despite reports to the contrary, according to Bernie Ecclestone

India is expected to host its inaugural F1 grand prix in 2009. However, as yet funding has not been put in place and neither has a definite layout being decided on.

This led to reports that Ecclestone had given the Indian Olympic Association until the end of this month to put plans in motion or forget about holding a race in two years' time.

The F1 supremo, though, has denied this saying: "I hope within the next two years we will be racing in India."

The 76-year-old also downplayed claims that India is not yet ready to host an event of this magnitude.

"India is the same as everywhere else in the world," he told CNBC-TV18. "We race all over the world, so why not in India?"

source: planet-f1

Jenson Button is looking forward to next year's traction control ban after doing a few laps without it at Monza this past week

While the team went about it's preparations for the Italian GP, Button opted to get a feel for what it will be like to drive without traction control. The ban on TC comes into affect at the start of next year's Championship.

The Brit did a few laps, after saying: "It was good fun to feel that you are properly in control of the car again and I'm looking forward to next year when we race without it."

As for his preparations for next weekend's race, the Brit said: "The testing that we were able to achieve this week was positive and we made the most of the available track time, despite the really poor weather conditions.

"The main focus was preparing the set-up of the car ahead of the race. We ran the Monza aero package with new front and rear wings which worked pretty much as expected, along with revised suspension components required for the unique demands of this circuit."

Button has scored one point so this season, in what has been a dismal year for Honda. His team-mate Rubens Barrichello has yet to even score a point.

The Brazilian, though, is hoping to break his duck at next weekend's Italian GP. "I was not hoping for too much from the car coming here but at the end of the day, I felt happy as the car seems to be reacting well to the track despite the aero issues that we have at the moment," he said.

"We focused mainly on the set-up for the race and set some reasonable times which is encouraging. Combined with the car feeling better, I am reasonably happy and looking forward to racing at one of my favourite circuits next weekend."


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Despite leading both Championships, McLaren understand the importance of beating Ferrari next weekend at a race where the Scuderia are thought to be the favourites

The F1 circus heads to Monza next weekend with McLaren in the lead in both title races. While Lewis Hamilton has a five-point advantage over team-mate Fernando Alonso and a further ten points over Felipe Massa, McLaren are 11 points ahead of Ferrari in the Constructors' standings.

However, it's the latter who appears to have the psychological advantage. Not only is the Italian GP the Scuderia's home race, but they also head to Monza off the back of a 1-2 finish in Turkey last weekend.

McLaren, though, are ready to tackle the grand prix with all guns blazing as they try to extend the gap in the title races.

"Whilst we are arriving in Monza leading both Championships, we are more than aware they are both still very open," CEO Martin Whitmarsh said.

"There are a lot of points to be won over the next six weeks and the determination within Vodafone McLaren Mercedes to take as many as possible is massive.

"Monza is very individual in terms of characteristics and with this in mind, the test this week has enabled the successful proving process of a number of key components and we are feeling cautiously optimistic going into this race."

And after this week's four-day test at the circuit, which saw McLaren fastest on each and every day, Fernando Alonso reckons he can put last year's Italian misery behind him and claim a morale-boosting victory this coming Sunday.

"We spent time testing these on the track this week, and we had some good feedback so I feel positive going into the race," said the Spaniard.

"It is a challenge, but it is a special circuit and it is a great feeling to race here.

"Last year did not give me any good memories, but it is a track that I would really like to win at so hopefully we can make that happen in 2007."

source & pic: planet-f1

Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has made it clear to Flavio Briatore that he's not willing to spend a fortune on signing Fernando Alonso

Briatore told reports earlier this week that he would "love to have him (Alonso) in the team, I think everyone would want Fernando because he is exceptional."

"But," he added, "he has a contract with someone."

This led to some reports that Briatore could make a bid to buy Alonso out of his McLaren contract and bring him back to Renault, with whom he won the 2005 and 2006 Drivers' Championship titles.

However, CEO Ghosn has put an end to that thought, saying Renault can achieve success next season without the Spaniard at the helm.

"Success in F1 is always the product of team work," Ghosn said when asked if Renault would make a bid for Alonso.

"It needs a perfect car, chassis, engine, tyres, team effort, and driver of course. The best driver cannot succeed without a perfect team and vice versa.

"I demand from the team to compete at the highest level. If we cannot come first we have to be at least runner-up. But I do not interfere with the daily operations, for this we have Flavio (Briatore) and Alain (Dassas).

"The team know what it takes to win. This year, we started late because the title fight of 2006 took our full efforts until the very last race. The final laps.

"We had to pay for this and we had to get used to new tyres, a new driver. But I am absolutely confident we will be successful in 2008.

"But this is not depending on one person."

source & pic: planet-f1