Cut from Autosport.com: > Q: Can you comment on the rumour that Ferrari are interested in Lewis Hamilton and have offered $35 million? > Todt: "It's untrue speculation." Which, in F1, pretty much means "we've signed the guy!"... The full article: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61414 Enjoy, Ian
Translation: He wants $40M and we're still kicking it around. BTW, not unless McL continues with the bone head moves it would come off as pretty slimy if LH jumped ship after them investing so much money in the guy.
I agree, but I think it is in McL's best long term interests to take care of the guy big time. It seems like his fan base is already huge and they would be retarded to let him go, imo.
Perhaps there will be a trade. LH goes to Ferrari and the McCheater Team is not banned from F1. After SF gets all the damning evidence they need for a full court press, watch out.
You think that if Kimi was in McLaren and LH in Ferrari - Ferrari would've won the race ? I think Ferrari's problem is the car.
Ferrari has a few problems and if they dont rectify them then we may be back where we were in 95 before long - they have to get Ross back as the pits and stratagies are falling apart. - They need someone who will test for them regularly..Kimi has said that he will not test just wants to drive - The Poll positon means a lot more now than ever before and Kimi is not there in Quali. Yes hes close but that only counts in horseshoes and grenades. - Massa is a great qualifier and tester but his luck on race day sucks and that mostly comes from my first point. Yes I believe that Ferrari can obtain the services of Lewis sometime in the next couple of years but if they continue to decline he may not want to come. If he does come then they may have to cut loose Kimi as it is very obvious that 2 number ones on one team wont work. Massa would be happy to work with Lewis as they get along off the track. IN SHORT, Ferrari have to wake up soon or we are going to be in for a long drought.
Ferrari have a business move to make now. BUSINESS - and its not a handshake. This guy means big money, and you know he's asking the same. Hamilton means winning, and Ferrari need to bend over backwards to pull this guy in. God knows, the ONLY reason I would want Alonso to win the championship is so that Hamilton could win his first with a prancing horse on his overalls. We need to win. Kimi may be the ice-man, but its almost like his brain is iced over. The first time I saw him speak, I thought he was a burn-out who knew how to drive. Seeing him pull in LH this weekend gave me a little more trust that he still has it in him, but seeing LH keep off Kimi, makes me know we want him. Sign the boy! Best Jon
That's not entirely fair. English is a very tough language for scandinavians. And while Marcus Gronholm has gotten to the point where he can express emotion in English, Kimi is probably taking his cues from Mika, who also never got much beyond the monotone interviews. After all, how good is your Finnish?
Every Finnish person I've ever met (and I can't count them) speaks English to quite a high standard. Finnish people, however, tend not to be big talkers. They're especially not big on small talk. Onno
Sounds very promising - and chimes with our thoughts back in April. Forza Lewis ! http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=136641785#post136641785
Don't know what LH's contract with the McCheater Team is. If he has an escape clause for "embarrassing and/or unsportsmanlike behavior" in his contract as Alonshole supposedly does, then he can put himself on the market. Nobody on the McCheater Team is reportedly speking to Lewis. LH is a phenomenon. He is the Tiger Woods of auto racing. He has the potential to be the next Schumi. Todt and Ferrari would be in error if they didn't try to get him on the SF team IMVHO. Forza Ferrari
Right, just like Bill Clinton never had sex with Monica what's her name either. If I were Ferrari right now, I will be talking to both Alonso and Hamilton, but be after Hamilton more since he is the prized pupil of Ron Dennis, and IMO, the better of the two. While at the same time, continue to press on with the Ferrari-McLaren-Stepney-Coughlan scandle with FIA and the courts. IMO, RD and McLaren is being held together by Elmer's glue at this time with RD at the verge of spending the rest of his years inside a padded room thinking of a much happier time and place.
http://www.f1complete.com/content/view/5683/617/ Too good to be true? Todt to pay $35 million a year for Lewis.
I've talked to Mika Salo on many occasions and his English is better than most Americans! My Finnish is limited to kitos. Carol
Great idea as long as he wouldn't communicate to anyone! If F1 is like another racing series, when a specific cable is attached to the helmet it automatically identifies who the driver is. Carol
Ferrari does not need a driver that thinks he is bigger than the team. Even MS thought he was part of a team. LH has proved recently that he thinks he is winning the races by himself and McLaren are just his prep team or something. Sorry we need a team player at Ferrari. After all if Kimi was more of a team player we would be winning, as the car development would have moved forward. Instead poor Massa is simply not up to the job. On top of this we have yet to see LH develop a car, but we have seen him make mistakes in car setup. Thus take the expertise of Alonso away from McLaren and LH might not be winning so easily. LH is fast, but so are many of these drivers. Ferrari needs car performance not a near teenager, I am god, ego. Pete
mclaren will never let hamilton go. british chasis maker + british driver = mega dollers. Alonso will probably move to BMW but I'm sure Mclaren will do everything in their power to keep him. Arguing drivers really doesn't mean **** since they are producing results despite all the bickering.
All good points except Kimi comment. The development of the car is good enough (see winning form in the dry at the 4 previous races. including Hungary, which was supposed to not suit the F2007). If Kimi had not had the failures at Barcelona and Nurburgring (no fault of his own), he'd be within striking distance of WDC lead.
Phill, i really don't see him going anywhere. the only person might move out is, Fred. Hammi owned up to his mistakes, and apologized to Ron as well as other team members. i think he cleared the air with the rest of the team. the only person who is still bitter is Fred.