| Author | Message | ||
| PSk (Psk)
Member Username: Psk Post Number: 676 Registered: 11-2002 |
Yes Jack you could be right  I have been thinking about Ferraris 2003-GA's lack of performance and one thing has sprung to mind this morning, and that is: We have had a change of test driver from whoever it was to Massa. I know we still have Badoer, but Massa is too young and inexperienced to be a test driver. Personally I think the guy is way, and I mean WAY, over rated and from watching his first season appeared to be a young guy way out of his depth ... who drives by fighting the car. Hardly the fastest way. He may have a future but he needs to be put back in a F3 car and given atleast a couple of years to mature and hone his skills. Thus we have half of the testing team dictated by a guy who is way below par of the rest of the F1 field ... and maybe he is involved in tyre testing! I know that MS and RB do a lot of testing, but the lions share must now fall some what on Massa's shoulders and IMO this is a weakness. I would rather have Damon Hill as our test driver, as while he is NOT a racing driver, he is a mature fantastic test driver and knows how to develop a car ... something which Irvine also is weak at, which was aptly demonstrated when MS broke his leg. Food for thought ... Pete | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Intermediate Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 2044 Registered: 6-2001 |
It isn't the car. It's the tires. Bridgestone has fallen behind. The limiting factor is where the rubber meets the road. However, if not for Michael, then Ferrari probabaly would be in the lead for the championship. Art | ||
| Jack (Gilles27)
Intermediate Member Username: Gilles27 Post Number: 1116 Registered: 3-2002 |
PSK, it's been a while since I played, but it seems like the video game version of the track has more elevation changes than the real thing. | ||
| PSk (Psk)
Member Username: Psk Post Number: 675 Registered: 11-2002 |
Funny thing is I actually like the track The Adelaide hairpin gives them all heaps of time to get out of the draft and pass!!!, or atleast try to. Not many tracks can say that. The sequence from them on is very technical and difficult (on my games anyway) and there is elevation changes. I even used to like the old chicane before the start finish line as it was a real challenge to dive in there and flick out of. Then the sequence after the start finish (while hopeless for passing, and extremely dangerous with the pit exit right on racing line) is very, very fast and demanding, and important for speed on the back straight (or next straight). Aparently it was designed for TV viewing ... but it does not appear to do that well. Pete | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1503 Registered: 10-2002 |
In the forefield of the GP Jon and I chatted about the track: http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/14/278961.html?1057154201 If it sucks in the sim, it most likely does so in real life. Yup, no flow. All bizarre stuff. BTW: I complained about the chicane before s/f line as it was up until this year. One would think they learned something. Nott. They rebuilt that section and it still blows. Ils sont foux les Francais! | ||
| Jack (Gilles27)
Intermediate Member Username: Gilles27 Post Number: 1105 Registered: 3-2002 |
I guess I never gave much thought to the track before, but it's really just a bunch of straights connected by hairpins! Woopee. | ||
| Hubert Otlik (Hugh)
Intermediate Member Username: Hugh Post Number: 1013 Registered: 1-2002 |
Jack, yah, that chicane before the front straight is retarded; could they have made the burms any harder (concrete walls would have been better). And, don't know if anyone has said this, but magny-cours is boring as hell; flat, no elevation changes, no camber changes, and the entire track has NO flow. | ||
| James Dunne (Audiguy)
Junior Member Username: Audiguy Post Number: 104 Registered: 6-2003 |
I have to agree that Bridgestone has to kick it up a notch right now. If Michael can make the car he is driving just fractionally slower than the leader with the Bridgestones, he is proving he is the quality of the class as far as drivers go. If he had the tires, he would have probably been 1/4-1/2 second quicker per lap during the race. Think about it, 1/4 second quicker per lap over 75 laps = about 18 seconds of track time. Not counting the backmarkers that he had to pass to catch back up, he would have never fallen behind as far as he did. It would have probably equated to about 30 seconds less driving time during the race. Where would that have put him. Tires, tires, tires. That's the culprit. Come on Bridgestone, give us a little help here. | ||
| Jack (Gilles27)
Intermediate Member Username: Gilles27 Post Number: 1100 Registered: 3-2002 |
Well, the one thing I know for sure is that track BLOWS. It's like, what, 12 feet wide?! Besides the aerodynamic issues, the biggest problem with F1 IMO is the layout of the tracks. When they rebuilt that last corner, what was the point of that ridiculous chicane? It's as if the FIA's criteria for good tracks include everything except the tarmac. "Hmmm, let's see here. BIG Paddock. Lots of heli-pads, nice. Ooooh-big grand stands. Where's the chicane? Oh, there it is. Excellent job, boys." | ||
| MFZ (Kiyoharu)
Member Username: Kiyoharu Post Number: 294 Registered: 2-2003 |
Luckily, Ralf is far behind in the points..... Umm, he's only 11 points behind Michael, also the only person to finish in the points in every race of this season so far this year and there's still 6 races to go. Not exactly that far behind to me. | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1497 Registered: 10-2002 |
I wouldn't go as far as Frank. I still think MS in a class of his own. Also I disagree with Mitch. One DNF on Michael's behalf and another Ralf victory and the WC goes down to the wire in Suzuka. PSK is right: the title just went a good part farther away, the Italian press is rightfully worried. | ||
| Mitch Alsup (Mitch_alsup)
Member Username: Mitch_alsup Post Number: 845 Registered: 4-2002 |
"Now that the BMW has a car as good or better than Ferrari, Ralph will be hard to beat." Luckily, Ralf is far behind in the points..... | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Advanced Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 2635 Registered: 9-2001 |
I think the race shows that Ralph is as good of a driver as Michael if he has a good car. Now that the BMW has a car as good or better than Ferrari, Ralph will be hard to beat. | ||
| PSk (Psk)
Member Username: Psk Post Number: 661 Registered: 11-2002 |
All I can say is thank God for MS. We are hanging on to the WC by the skin of our teeth. If we had ordinary drivers like Ralph, etc. we would be heading down hill so fast that the Italian press would be in disarray. In the end MS's brilliance is masking a piece of sh!t car (unfortunately named after the FIAT founder ...). Ferrari should really use Barrichello as the bench mark for testing and let MS go home. I doubt quite honestly if the 2003 car driven back to back by Barrichello would be any faster than the 2002 car. Yep I know everybody has moved forward, but the 2002 slaughtered the rest and looked very competitive at the beginning of the year ... only missed out on wins, etc. due to bad luck. The 2003-GA on the other hand has struggled everywhere. Gosh I hope the development team is motivated and working overtime ... otherwise good bye WC. Even the Ferrari president is now worried ... as quoted on F1-live.com. I hope Bridgestone can find a miracle tyre to help us through to the end of the year ... but I cannot see MS keeping his brother behind in points while the Williams just keeps getting faster. Pete BTW: That was a very, very boring race ... please bring back the old qualifying system. This has just proved (as I have always said) that a single dominating car kills close racing ... nothing wrong with the system (qualifying or points). Just kick the other teams up the arse and motivate them to build a good car too. I think Bridgestone need the biggest kick at the moment |