Since 2005 Felipe Massa has organised a charity kart race called the Desafio Internacional das Estrelas (which translates as the International Challenge of the Stars). The races will take place at the Beto Carrero World kart track in Penha, near Florianopolis, in the Santa Catarina province of Brazil. It is summer in Brazil and with the school holidays throughout January, the region is filled with holidaymakers so it is a good time for a big event and Felipe has managed to pull in a good field this year, headed by Fernando Alonso, his Ferrari team-mate. Also joining them will be Ferrari’s young protege Jules Bianchi plus 2012 F1 drivers Bruno Senna and Kamui Kobayashi, plus former F1 racers Jaime Alguersuari, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Sebastien Buemi, Nelson Piquet Jr, Luciano Burti, Enrique Bernoldi, Antonio Pizzonia, Riccardo Zonta and Lucas di Grassi. The field will also include IndyCar racer Ana Beatriz, BMW DTM star Augusto Farfus, plus rising GP2 stars Luiz Razia and Felipe Nasr and João Paulo de Oliveira, a big star these days in Japan. There are also a number of local stock car heroes, including multiple champion Caca Bueno, plus Pietro Fittipaldi, one of Emerson’s grandchildren, the son of Juliana Emerson’s eldest daughter, who is racing in NASCAR leagues at the moment in the United States.
The Brazilian press reckons that the Fittipaldi, Piquet and Senna families have only once before had a member from each at the same event. The other occasion was an F1 test in Rio de Janeiro in 1984 when Emerson Fittipaldi was testing a Spirit F1 car; Ayrton Senna was driving a Toleman and Nelson Piquet was in a Brabham.
How I would love to be a fly on the wall when messrs. Piquet, Massa and Alonso get together.
Then again, as a fly, I would not be able to make any jokes about “sticking it in the wall for fernando”… Or mention that the points lost cost FM a WDC.
When it was so clear Alonso knew all about the plan because of his strange strategy, why does nobody ever pin him down about it ?
Because he was the protected “mr x” or whatever Mosely called him. Pretty ridiculous.
Mr X was someone else.
Where’s Rubens?
Exactly what I was thinking! Where’s Rubhinio?
So aside from the organiser, there’s only one other current F1 driver in the lineup, and even then it’s his team-mate. In past years Felipe has managed to cajole quite a number to take part, I wonder what the problem is this year.
Wouldn’t it be great to have them all drawing lots for Karts and grid places, racing 6 at a time for 10 laps, all day, until a clear champion emerged.
The TV rights would be worth a fortune and loads would be raised for charity.
Loads of stupid forums could be shut down as important questions would finally be answered.
Such joy!
haha when i first read the title i was hoping it would be Joe doing some karting! it would be so cool to participate in this race.
Wonder if Piquet will crash for Samurai-Nando this time? More like crash into most likely. Wish it was televised.
You find it live on the web: http://www.brmtv.com.br/
About timing and schedule: http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=179457&view=findpost&p=6086390
Nelsinho and Fernando in the same room ? Awwwwwkward.. !
No Schumacher? I thought he was a karting die-hard?