From GMM
Former World Champion Kimi Raikkonen has not been assigned a new race engineer for 2009 because of a falling out with Australian Chris Dyer, Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali insists.
We reported recently that Dyer, although behind the scenes of Michael Schumacher's latter title triumphs and Finn Raikkonen's drivers' crown of 2007, he had moved on to a broader track-engineering role for 2009.
The Italian Andrea Stella will now engineer 28-year-old Raikkonen, who failed to win a race after last April's Spanish grand prix.
But while there is no doubt that teammate Felipe Massa's pairing with Englishman Rob Smedley is one of the most harmonious in the entire pit lane, Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali played down the speculation surrounding Raikkonen's split.
"First of all let me underline that speculation of a negative relationship between Kimi and Chris Dyer is a complete fabrication.
"It was nothing to with technical difficulties or deficiencies," he said, insisting that Raikkonen's problem last year was simply with the F2008 car.
He said the promotion of Stella from a support role on Raikkonen's car is "a natural development" of his Ferrari career.
It also emerged from the 'Wrooom' media event in Italy that, as the result of a more intense training programme, Raikkonen has lost a couple of kilograms since the end of his unsuccessful title defence last season.
photo:Ferrari
Former World Champion Kimi Raikkonen has not been assigned a new race engineer for 2009 because of a falling out with Australian Chris Dyer, Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali insists.
We reported recently that Dyer, although behind the scenes of Michael Schumacher's latter title triumphs and Finn Raikkonen's drivers' crown of 2007, he had moved on to a broader track-engineering role for 2009.
The Italian Andrea Stella will now engineer 28-year-old Raikkonen, who failed to win a race after last April's Spanish grand prix.
But while there is no doubt that teammate Felipe Massa's pairing with Englishman Rob Smedley is one of the most harmonious in the entire pit lane, Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali played down the speculation surrounding Raikkonen's split.
"First of all let me underline that speculation of a negative relationship between Kimi and Chris Dyer is a complete fabrication.
"It was nothing to with technical difficulties or deficiencies," he said, insisting that Raikkonen's problem last year was simply with the F2008 car.
He said the promotion of Stella from a support role on Raikkonen's car is "a natural development" of his Ferrari career.
It also emerged from the 'Wrooom' media event in Italy that, as the result of a more intense training programme, Raikkonen has lost a couple of kilograms since the end of his unsuccessful title defence last season.
photo:Ferrari