This just in from Ferrarilist.com! <<spain's gds ("AS") reports that kimi has signed two "pre-contracts", one with ferrari and one with renault. depending on what schumi decides, kimi will choose his ride for next year. in short, they won't be teammates ...>>
That seems to be a rumor that I have heard and read for the last two months. All I know is that Ferrari does have some sort of option with Kimi. The world would love to see Kimi and Michael on the same team, please make it so.
I feel that if Michael and Kimi were on the same team, Kimi would not get a fair break. Although Kimi is obviously the better driver [my opinion], everyone from Bernie on down would see to it that Michael gets the preferential treatment (as he always has). I don't think it's anything personal (never has been), it's just that Michael has always generated tons of revenue for the sport.
Autosport is reporting that Ferrari is delaying their driver decision until after Monza. Hopefully we'll find out before Brazil. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/54190
I don't completely agree. We saw last week how Michael did NOT get preferential treatment. We saw that Team Ferrari's primary motive is the Constructor's Championship. If Kimi and Michael were on the same team, all Team Ferrari would care about is how to place two cars as high up on the points as necessary to win the CC. They would have equal equipment. When MS started winning for Ferrari, the fans in red started attending the races in greater numbers. No matter who drives for Ferrari, as long as they are winning, and the Italian tifosi like him (or her), the fans will continue to show up. I would also suggest that more recently, the greatest generation of revenue and interest to the sport has been from Spain because of Fred's winning the Driver's Championship.
that thing has been circulating for over 4-5 months now. i don't believe it. if he signs for the scuderia, he signs with them. if he signs with renault, he signs with them. i'm not really worried, given the fact that Massa is improving here. but, at the same time, i read somewhere saying that Ferrari will retain MS and Kimi, with Massa being the world's highest paid test driver for a season or 2, ( depending on MS ). either way, Ferrari will still have the strongest line-up next season.
I dunno about that, I think Massa was just faster. If MS had gotten around Alonso I think the result would have been different. I really don't know what Ferrari was thinking by stacking them on the pit stop either.
If Ferrari had made Massa drive around and come in behind Michael and all the other drivers, Massa would have rejoined the race as the last car "on the lead lap", with Michael leading the race. Massa would have had a hard time getting back into the points,. Assuming Michael wins, Ferrari as a team would have gotten 10-12 points, assuming Massa could have fought his way into 7th or 8th place. As it is, Ferrari scored 16 points. Many more than they would have if they had kept Massa out on the track, waiting for his pitstop. And if Michael had had some sort of problem and DNF'd, then Ferrari would have gotten 0-2 points. A far cry from 16.
Ferrari's perhaps but MS absolutely not. Had he been ahead of FA, there is no question that Massa would have been ordered to move over. I seriously doubt that MS would sacrifice a shot at the Driver's championship to secure the constructors title for the team. If there is one absolute truth about Schumacher, it is that he places his goals ahead of the team's. If that were not so, then Ferrari would have already announced Kimi's signing. Everything Schumacher has ever done throughout his career is to ensure that HE is in the best possible position to win. I have absolutely no argument with that, I would likely do the same if I were in his shoes. However, to suggest that he would subordinate his own championship aspirations to ensure the team is better placed for a constructors title is quite simply naive. ***Please hold for the usual drivel from Imperial83***
You can't wait for something you know is true. Michael Schumacher is the greatest team player racing champio ever. He sacrificed his own personal ambition for the good of the entire team in Turkey! Coming back to topic... The rumors are right. Sadly, there is tremendous pressure on Michael to call it a day. Ferrari has decided that it will be Kimi and Mass in 07. Michael just has to bow out now!
That would have been an interesting scenario. I was watching the GP and wondering how Ferrari would have managed to place MS ahead of FM in case FA was overtaken. How would they have instructed Massa to let Schumaker in front while everybody (FIA) is monitoring their radio communications? Massa was still a fair distance ahead with only a few laps to run. How could Ferrari slow down their leading car and let MS win with all the adverse publicity they had in Austria a few years ago when Barichello let Schumaker by on the last lap. Plus, I understand that team orders are banned now, aren't they?
I'm going have to support you here for a moment. On a larger scale, think about what he undertook in '96 by foregoing more immediate success to embark on his long term project with Ferrari. As far as Michael retiring, I think this is a good time for it. Even if he doesn't manage to capture the Championship, he's taking it down to the wire and getting the most out of the season. If he were to stay another year and not win it again, you would see all the closet critics come out and say he's over-stayed his tenure, blah blah blah. Whether he's 1st or 2nd this season, he'll go out on top.
I think Michael would definitely had to have worked for the first place spot (ie close the gap between him and Massa on his own), but I'm sure if he could close the gap to within 2-3 seconds without Massa slowing down up until that point that Massa would have already had orders before the race to let Michael by.
I think Massa was fully instructed as to what the team's expectations are before he was even offered a contract. If Massa failed to allow MS through, under the scenario you outlined above, then I suspect he could write off any hope of a ride in 07. Ferrari has demonstrated in the past, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that they place themselves above the good of the sport. Austria, and their reaction to the criticism that followed, is only the most recent example. If it means teh difference between MS taking another title or losing, Ferrari will circumvent any restriction and the FIA would find a way to turn a blind eye. ***Stay tuned for impy's next idiotic response****
hello, if michael get's the preferential treatment, what was he doing parked behind massa during the first round of pitstops in turkey last weekend. i suggest you visit www.itv-f1.com for a critical but accurate analysis of ferrari and schumacher. cheers, joseph
I think Michael set the fastest time during the race, so I do not believe Massa was faster, he just had a less eventful race. Ferrari was thinking Constructor's Championship when they allowed Massa to come in first. A logical decision that would be made time again if necessary. The FIA rules also discuss any team orders that would allow a driver to pass his teammate if not done in a truly competitive manner. Ferrari would likely have been penalized if they allowed Schumacher to come in first, leaving Massa out to hang, way too obvious. Also, Massa would likely then not have placed ahead of the second Renault, costing Ferrari Constructor's Championhsip points. You must think of two championships, and from the team perspective, the most important is the Constructor's. It means $$$$ for the following season. From the individual driver's viewpoint, it is the Driver's Championship. In Turkey, we saw what truly is Ross Brawn and Jean Todt's priority, and if I were in their shoes, I would do the same. Otherwise Luca would have my head.
According to Bild Montezemolo has given MS a deadline for the Monza race to make the decision. Weber was unhappy, but c'mon how much more time does MS need to make this call? He is basically blocking the transfer carousel.
Yes yes yes... bring on the conspiracy theorists... JFK was killed by aliens and cows fly when no one is looking... The whole world wants Ferrari and Michael Schumacher to win. The FIA will turn a blind eye to everything. It is all a big farce! If you think that the sport is biased and that Ferrari is going to win because the rules will not be upheld then stop watching F1.... quit... go watch NASCRAP... F1 and Ferrari have plenty of real fans. Massa has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is worthy of a race seat at Ferrari so all this crap of number one and number two is nothing but closet critic talk! Michael has shown Ferrari what it had forgotten... the hunger to win! Kimi will replace Michael in 07 and he will be alongside Massa. It is upto the real Ferrari fans to support the Scuderia and it is upto the bandwagon fans to keep barking their usual rant!
