Anyone else feeling uneasy?

Jacques Villeneuve was on Windtunnel and said something like "most top drivers work hard to develop the car, Kimi just doesn't give a ****"

paraphrasing, but it was to that effect.

Curious to see if that will hold true and we will see Ferrari (at least kimi's car) struggle like it did in Bahrain for the rest of the season

 

+1 Excellent Post.

 

I do not know a soul that works in an F1 garage that will say that Fred Alonso does anything more than show up and drive the car, same as Kimi Raikkonen. Where do you get this information?? To quote Flavio, Giancarlo did the development work on the championship winning Renault, that was the biggest reason he kept his job for 2007. Now they admit the problem with the car is not the drivers, its the car, specifically the rear suspension.

On top of that, its been a long time since Ron Dennis has hired first and second string drivers that assist in developing the car, his style has become to let the engineers in his Taj MahClaren building do the work, and let the drivers focus on driving. Montoya didn't do it, neither did Kimi when at McLaren. Mika did some development work, but not to the extent that Michael Schumacher did with Ferrari.

Michael Schumacher was instrumental in developing all of the Ferraris since he joined the team, and he passed on that knowledge to one Phil Massa. Right now at Ferrari, its Phil and Luca that do the development work from trackside. Coultard got his job because of his development abilities, and Trulli does the same.

But Alonso? No way.

 

+2

 

I think this year will be much more interesting since there are so many evenly matched drivers.

I think KR, will unfrortunately show that he is really not as great a driver as some suspected.... being out qualified by Massa 2x and held at bay by Hamilton?

I think Ferrari are probbably still at the top of the list, but Mclaren are very close behind... I think Ferrari should win the WC... but it will be close.

Hamilton will be a World Champion, no question... I was talking with my dad today about this, and he has been a F-1 fan since the early 50's, and he was saying that no body else has ever placed in the 1st three F-1 races of their career... only Baghetti - who won his first race out... in a Ferrari... has bested Hamilton.

So I dont feel uneasy about Ferrari's chances, but its gonna be a close one!

Unless Mclaren have a real huge update for the European races coming up....

 

well, so is Ferrari. Kimster quoted saying that Ferrari will be racing the spanish go with new aero updates to the car, etc. i'm starting to wonder since the 'movable floor' saga, why is the ferrari struggling overtake..

 

Tell us how you REALLY feel about Hamilton ?

He's been on the podium 3 times, you cannot ignore that, it's better than any other #2 driver - and most #1 drivers if not all of them.

So he may plug in a new motor and start further back - that might show us what he is capable of.

 

I think it's excellent that McLaren is resurgent and BMW is moving to the front. Why would anybody want racing dominated by one team? That would be boring as Hell. And memo to all the FA bashers: He's looking pretty smart moving from Renault to McLaren now, isn't he? I'm not a fan of his, but he's due some credit, and he didn't get to be WC by being slow, scared or stupid.

Jack

 

C'mon Mike, he didn't actually tell him directly. Todt passed the message to Luca and he told him......

 

Been there and said that ... here .

Pete

 

Why would anyone feel uneasy?! Surely, a win where it comes down to the wire (even if a non-Ferrari) is preferable to a boring foregone conclusion Ferrari win early in the season?

 

Hamilton is good, no doubt, but remember Kimi has been on the podium all three races, as a No. 2 driver. I do wonder what he would be able to do with a lesser car. I'd like to see him get stuck behind Trulli and work it out. He hasn't really been tested yet, so I think your point about the engine change is a good one. I would like to see if Hamilton can work his way up the field.

 

Mike:

Trying to argue Massa with Ron is like trying to argue theology with bin Ladin...

 

Unless you have missed the first three races, it is obvious that Hamilton will be able to work his way up the field. He is clearly a first-tier driver that is a master at racecraft, not just fast laps.

 

Uneasy is not the not the feeling, excitement describes the feeling better. We know Ferrari started out with the faster car, then the McLaren's caught up while Ferrari had to change the under tray of the car. The angst comes from not knowing if Ferrari can improve the car more than the McLaren engineers can. There is also a question as to who has the better drivers, are Massa and Kimi better than Lou and Fred? OK, never mind you are right, I am starting to feel uneasy!

 

Well he did do that in GP2, he spinned out at the start of the race. He fought through the field from the back and won the race. There is a thread that quotes Hamilton saying that Michael Schumacher stopped him in the paddock at the Turkish Gp and told him that what he did was "amazing". DC did that in Bahrain, he came up to 7th place. If DC can get up to 7th in a Redbull, then I think it's safe to say that Hamilton can at least get up to the top 3 in a Mclaren.

 

Disagree with you. Communication and respect are important at Ferrari. Kimi is a faster driver than Massa, for now. So why isn't he?

 

No, I watched them all. I just haven't really seen him do anything that confirms what you suggest. He can probably do what you suggest, but I'm not ready just yet to crown him WC. I want to see him work for it a little.

Now for what is obvious. It is obvious he's Ron Dennis' boy (and any brilliant "racecraft" comes from RD). It's obvious that he knows how to make his team look good. It's obvious he has a much better car than Scott Speed has (teehee).

If he ever has to work through the field, I would like to see how he'll handle the likes of Nico Rossberg, Robert Kubica, Jarno Trulli. You know the ones that can make their cars wide when needed. That's all I meant.

 

I'm not saying he isn't good. He seems to have a lot of natural ability. But I still want to see him do it in an F1 race. The stakes are higher, the competition is more fierce. I want to SEE him do it. Then I'll decide if he's the second coming of MS!

 

Nate,

You obviously missed what he did to Massa at Bahrain. That was no RD racecraft, that was a driver knowing how to out fox/driver another competitor.

Pete

 

One thing I find amusing on this site is how we all go on about what is important at Ferrari, etc. and yet none of us have any bloody idea.

All we know is what a few low life reporters have led us to believe. For all we know Todt and the mechanics could have threatened MS with anal sex for every race he lost, or whatever.

Basically we know nothing of the inner workings of the Ferrari F1 team, just what they want us to know.
Pete

 

You know I was going to reply in agreement with you're post, until I read the second paragraph....lmao.

 

Yes I'm quite sure that never happened , just making a small point.

Pete

 

You mean Malaysia?

 

Yes, my mistake ...

Pete