MUGELLO, Italy — Michael Schumacher was back in the cockpit of a Formula One car Friday — and it felt good.
Schumacher borrowed an old Ferrari to test his form ahead of a comeback to F1 as a substitute for injured driver Felipe Massa.
“A great feeling to be back in an F1 car,” Schumacher said after testing it on the Mugello circuit. “After a few laps, I was able to drive constant times, and I am quite happy with the time I did.”
Schumacher, who retired in 2006, was back behind the wheel just two days after Ferrari announced the seven-time F1 champion would replace Massa until his return, starting with the European Grand Prix on Aug. 23 in Valencia, Spain.
Massa, 28, underwent surgery on multiple skull fractures after he was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tire barrier during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix last Saturday. He is expected to return home to Brazil on Monday.
Stewart takes pole at Pocono
LONG POND, Pa. — Tony Stewart won at Pocono Raceway this season from the rear of the field. He gets to try it this time from the pole.
Rain washed out Sprint Cup qualifying, putting Stewart on the pole for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500 and giving the points leader a shot at sweeping the races on the triangle track from worst and first.
“You don’t have to be on the pole to win here,” Stewart said. “It’s obviously a lot easier if you can start up front and don’t have to pass 42 cars to get there. It’s not a deal-breaker if you have to start 43rd. We proved that last time.”
IndyCar unveils “X” factor
SPARTA, Ky. — Following a string of largely uninspiring races, particularly on ovals, IndyCar is borrowing a page from video games in an effort to shake things up.
The series will unveil the “push to pass” button during tonight’s Meijer Indy 300 in Sparta, Ky. The boost button is akin to mashing the “X” button in a video game, only drivers will be doing it at 200 mph.
The button, which will be placed on the steering wheel, can be hit a maximum of 20 times during a race. Each boost will last 12 seconds and give the driver up to 20 extra horsepower depending on the car’s fuel mixture. The more fuel a driver is trying to save, the bigger the push. The Associated Press
