Ferrari has taken the covers off the car that Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso will hope to take to the F1 world title in 2010.

Ferrari has taken the wraps off the car it hopes will both redress and erase memories of one of its poorest seasons in recent memory, unveiling the F10 to a packed house at its Maranello base.

Having achieved just a single win in 2009, courtesy of the now-departed Kimi Raikkonen in Belgium, and seeing the more competitive Felipe Massa sidelined by a serious head injury in Hungary, the Scuderia is keen to get back on track, admitting that it simply wasn’t up to taking on the likes of Brawn, Red Bull and, latterly, old rival McLaren a year ago.

With Raikkonen replaced by double world champion Fernando Alonso, and the recovering Massa back in harness – and scheduled to give the F10 its maiden run this afternoon [Thursday] – team boss Stefano Domenicali spoke of 2009 being a ‘turning point’ on a road that he hopes will lead back to multiple victories, and a renewed title challenge, in 2010.

“It’s a very important season for us,” Domenicali admitted, “We come from a season which was not positive, [but] we have the potential with everything we have to do well. We have two new drivers, but two extraordinary drivers from a professional and personal point of view.”

The F10 has, the team hopes, benefited from a longer development period than some of its expected rivals, work on its predecessor, the F60, having been canned mid-season when it became apparent that Ferrari was not going to challenge for either championship. The new machine has naturally borrowed from the success stories of last season, with a front end that resembles that of Adrian Newey’s RB5 Red Bull challenger, while the remainder has also undergone a makeover to redress the aero problems and technical failings that blighted 2009.

As expected, the car is longer than last year’s due to the need to carry more fuel after refuelling was banned for 2010, and the change will also see the F10 carry bigger brakes to provide the necessary stopping power for the heavier machine. The new design also features a bigger rear diffuser, a key element of the F10 after the Scuderia was caught on the hop by the introduction of the ‘double diffuser’ that dominated early 2009, and narrower front wheels as dictated by the regulations. The livery remains predominantly scarlet, but with noticeably white wings.

Massa is due to give the car a shakedown after the launch, but will not get to discover its true potential until meeting rivals on track on Monday in Valencia.

Ferrari finally confirmed on Wednesday that Fernando Alonso will race for the team next season, replacing Kimi Raikkonen as Felipe Massa’s team mate. Giancarlo Fischella will continue in the role of reserve driver.

Alonso, who has spent the bulk of his Formula One career with Renault, has signed a three-year agreement with Ferrari, starting in 2010…

Ferrari has announced that double F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso is to join the team alongside the recovering Felipe Massa from 2010 onwards, in-place of Kimi Raikkonen and on a three-year deal reputed to be worth as much as €25 million per season.

The worst-kept secret in the F1 paddock was unveiled ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka – a race in which Alonso has twice triumphed, albeit on one of those occasions at Fuji – and BBC Sport reports that the deal was actually signed all the way back in July, 2008, according to sources close to the Maranello-based outfit. There are understood to be options to extend the agreement, which will see the Spaniard earn between €19 million and €25 million a year.

Whilst praising Alonso as an ‘amazing talent’, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali made a point of thanking Raikkonen – who most believe to be McLaren-bound in 2010 in-place of countryman Heikki Kovalainen, returning to the team with whom he competed in the top flight for five years from 2002 to 2006 – for his efforts and performances over the past three seasons, at the end of the first of which the Finn defeated Alonso and Lewis Hamilton to lift the drivers’ crown.

“We are very proud to welcome to our team another winning driver, who has demonstrated his amazing talent by winning two world championships in his career to-date,” stated the Italian. “Of course, we wish to thank Kimi for everything he has done during his time with Ferrari. In his first year with us he managed to win the drivers’ title, thus making his contribution to Ferrari’s history, and he played a vital role in our taking of the constructors’ title in 2007 and 2008.

“Even during a difficult season like this one, he has demonstrated his great talent, with several good results, including a great win at Spa. We are sure that we can share more good times together in the final three races of this season.”

Raikkonen had to be bought out of his pre-existing 2010 contract with the Scuderia in order to negotiate an early release to accommodate his replacement, and the 18-time grand prix-winner confessed that it would be an emotional departure.

“I am very sad to be leaving a team with which I have spent three fantastic years,” the 29-year-old commented. “With common consent, we have agreed to terminate the contract binding me to Ferrari to the end of 2010, one year ahead of schedule. I have always felt at home with everyone here, and I will have many happy memories of my time with the team.”

The Alonso/Ferrari deal has been revealed earlier than planned due to the mounting paddock speculation on the matter. Renault managing director Jean-François Caubet had already hinted in Singapore that the Enstone-based concern had lost the 21-time grand-prix winner, admitting that ‘Fernando will miss Renault and Renault will miss Fernando’ as he alluded to the fact that the Oviedo native has spent all-but two of his eight seasons in F1 with the French manufacturer, becoming both the sport’s youngest-ever race-winner and world champion with the Régie, records he has since surrendered to respectively Sebastian Vettel and former team-mate Hamilton. Both of his drivers’ titles were similarly achieved with the team.

The belated confirmation is also likely to unlock the driver market, with current BMW-Sauber incumbent Robert Kubica widely anticipated to fill his fellow poker player’s shoes at Renault.

Massa, for his part, is continuing to recover at home in Brazil from the head and eye injuries sustained in the accident he suffered during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring back in late July, when the São Paulista was struck on the helmet at high speed by a suspension spring that had flown off the rear of the Brawn GP of compatriot Rubens Barrichello just ahead of him on the track.

Hopes that the 2008 world championship runner-up will return to action fit and ready in time for the 2010 F1 campaign have been boosted by the news that earlier this week the 28-year-old got behind the wheel of a go-kart for the first time since his accident, and is due to fly to Italy to test Ferrari’s simulator next week.

Massa’s current stand-in Giancarlo Fisichella will remain at Ferrari as reserve driver in 2010, with Spanish banking giant Santander coming on-board as a key sponsor.

The long-term future of F1 has been called into serious question after the Formula One Teams Association announced that it is to set up a breakaway championship.

In a statement issued late on Thursday evening, eight of the current F1 outfits – BMW Sauber, Brawn GP, Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso, Renault and Toyota – revealed that they have taken the decision not to change their conditional entries for the 2010 campaign and will instead now look to go it alone with their own rival series.

While Williams and Force India had already lodged unconditional entries for next season, the remaining eight teams insisted they were unhappy with the planned budget cap rules, and indeed weren’t happy with the way in which the FIA was trying to trying to push the plan through despite opposition from the teams – who had already been trying to bring down costs themselves.

As a result, those eight teams had only lodged conditional entries for the 2010 season, with the FIA setting a deadline of today [Friday] for the teams to confirm they would be competing or risk missing out on a slot on the grid.

As a result of what the teams refer to as a ‘campaign to divide FOTA’, they insisted there was no option but to form a breakaway.

“The FIA and the commercial rights holder have campaigned to divide FOTA,” the statement read. “The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006. Despite this and the uncompromising environment, FOTA has genuinely sought compromise.

“It has become clear however, that the teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship.

“These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners. This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide, partners and other important stakeholders.”

It remains to be seen how the FIA respond to the announcement, especially in the case of Ferrari, Red Bull and Toro Rosso, who were named as unconditional entries on the list revealed by the FIA a week ago; the governing body insisting they had already agreed to commit to the sport.