What happened to Ferrari in 2009?
They eventually finished fourth in the constructors standings, just behind McLaren, and making 2009 the worst season for Ferrari since 1993. Räikkönen was Ferrari’s highest points scoring driver in 2009, finishing sixth in the standings with 48 points, one adrift of fifth-placed Lewis Hamilton of McLaren. F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen nearly bankrupted the Lotus team by being too good. His contract said that he would be awarded €50,000 for every championship point scored. Lotus thought their car would be so uncompetitive that year that it would not be a problem. Kimi went on to score 207 points.However, severe financial difficulties meant the team announced they would not race in 1995 on January 17th, bringing to end the story of one of F1’s greatest ever teams. Come 2010, and the Lotus name was back in F1, but this was through a Malaysian effort and had little in common with the original title-winning team.Räikkönen left both Scuderia Ferrari and the sport after the 2009 season, his sole victory that year having come in that season’s Belgian Grand Prix due to driving an uncompetitive Ferrari F60. On his return to Formula One, Räikkönen drove for Lotus in 2012 and 2013, scoring the team’s only victories.
What happened in the Ferrari tragedy?
The front tire of their Ferrari 335 S suddenly exploded, causing Portago to lose control of the car. The vehicle collided with a telephone pole, still moving at great speed. The impact sent the car airborne over a stream of water, tragically striking several spectators in the process. When Formula 1 racing driver Niki Lauda spoke to the BBC in 1977, his face bore testimony to the trauma he had endured during the German Grand Prix. Trapped inside the burning wreckage of his smashed Ferrari on the Nürburgring circuit, Lauda had been badly scarred and had lost part of his ear to the flames.The intense fire engulfed the car, and Lauda was trapped inside for nearly a minute before fellow drivers Arturo Merzario, Guy Edwards, Harald Ertl, and Brett Lunger pulled him from the wreckage. Lauda sustained severe burns to his face and hands, and inhaled toxic fumes that damaged his lungs.The Horrific 1957 Ferrari Crash that Ended the Mille Miglia Race. The 1,000-mile Italian road race came to a tragic end after a Ferrari spun out of control, killing nine spectators.As a man who expected his drivers to sacrifice everything to racing, it should come as no real shock that the relationship between Enzo Ferrari and Niki Lauda broke down in the wake of the Austrian’s accident at the Nürburgring in 1976.
Who is the most successful F1 team?
Scuderia Ferrari have won the most Formula One Grands Prix. Ferrari hold the record for the most Grand Prix victories, having won 248 times. McLaren are second with 200 wins, and Mercedes are third with 130 wins. Michael Schumacher is widely considered one of the best Formula One drivers ever. Hailing from Germany, Schumacher has earned seven F1 championship titles. He is currently holding the record for wins. Schumacher also holds records for the most races won in one season and for the fastest laps set.Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton hold the record for the most World Drivers’ championships, both having won the title on seven occasions. Juan Manuel Fangio is third with five titles. Schumacher also holds the record for the most consecutive World Drivers’ titles with five between the 2000 and the 2004 seasons.Ferrari (1950-present) Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1947, Ferrari is the oldest active team in the FIA F1 world championships, having taken part in every championship since 1950. Arguably, the Ferrari team is the most successful F1 team ever, in every aspect.Michael Schumacher – The Record-Breaking Champion Michael Schumacher is regarded as one of the most dominant and influential drivers in F1 history. His five consecutive championships with Ferrari (2000-2004) set new standards for excellence, making him the benchmark for future generations.Many fans and followers of F1 today may not remember ever seeing Niki race. But the Austrian’s record speaks for itself. Three World Championships, 25 wins, and 24 pole positions from 171 Grands Prix. Niki came through the ranks with a tidy, consistent, but supremely fast driving style.
Who retired from F1 in 2009?
While it was not officially announced as a retirement at the time, Kimi Raikkonen stepped away from the F1 grid at the end of a challenging 2009 season with Ferrari, despite having a contract to race with the team – who signed Fernando Alonso in his place – through 2010. In 2010, after a three-year hiatus as a consultant to Ferrari, 41-year-old Michael Schumacher succumbed to the lure of driving for the new Mercedes team headed by Ross Brawn.
Who won the 2009 F1 season?
Jenson Button became the Drivers’ World Champion and Brawn GP won the Constructors’ title. The season was scheduled to take place over 17 rounds, and started with the Australian Grand Prix on 29 March 2009. Jenson Button won his first and only World Championship driving for Brawn GP. Sebastian Vettel, finished runner-up behind Button by eleven points, in his first year with Red Bull. Button’s teammate Rubens Barrichello (pictured in 2010), finished third in the championship.