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Alonso beats Massa on ice

ESPNF1 Staff
January 17, 2011
Fernando Alonso shows off his skills in a FIAT 500 © Sutton Images
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After a week on the slopes of the Italian Dolomites, Fernando Alonso has been warming his posterior in Ferrari's 2011 car ahead of its launch next week.

Alonso was in Maranello on Saturday for a final seat fitting in, what Ferrari referred to as, the "288 chassis" - likely a codename rather than the actual chassis designation. He was joined by technical director Aldo Costa, chief designer Nikolas Tombazis and his race engineer Andrea Stella, and apparently discussed "the latest developments on the car".

Team-mate Felipe Massa will be in town on Monday for his fitting, but with his pride ever so slightly dented after Alonso pipped him to victory in an ice karting/FIAT 500 race last Friday.

Alonso led Massa home in the karting event and then dominated the FIAT 500 race, all of which took place on a frozen lake at the ski resort of Madonna di Campiglio. Also taking part were Ducati Moto GP riders Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi and Ferrari's test drivers, Jules Bianchi, Marc Gene and Giancarlo Fisichella.

The top three in the FIAT race were Alonso, Hayden and Rossi and a safety car had to be deployed with five laps remaining. Fisichella salvaged some Italian pride by winning a ski time trial earlier in the day.

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