The Massa Sucks Thread *OF COURSE THERE ARE SPOILERS*

Post of the year and last year IMO, and is 100% right regarding Massa.

I especially respect the mature comment regarding Hamilton. We have yet to see him perform a masterful race with a car that is not working well. The only time we have seen anything like this was at Silverstone, and he was convincingly average in the 2nd best car in the field (being gapped by Alonso, and lucky that there is only ever 4 competitive cars). His car was not perfect because he made a setup mistake ... easily done, but he was not able to drive around it. He's good but has yet to prove to me that he is above a Damon Hill (who also when on pole and leading was as solid as a rock, and 99% likely to win).
Pete

 

hey Luis, good to have u back. hows ur cars doing?

 

Hi Brian,
Thanks, all is well. The cars are good, saving to get a new one soon. What's new with you?

 

Schumacher backs struggling Massa

Massa has yet to score a point in this season's championship
Michael Schumacher believes Ferrari's Felipe Massa can still win the drivers' championship despite his poor start to the Formula One season.

The former world champion says Massa, who has yet to score a point, can get back to winning ways this weekend in Bahrain, where he won last year.

He said: "It's not the best of starts, but things will turn around very quickly I think in his favour.

"He is certainly still very capable of winning the championship this year."

The 26-year-old retired from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and then spun into the gravel after starting on pole position at the last round in Malaysia.

Lewis Hamilton leads the standings with 14 points, three clear of Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen and BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld, but Schumacher, who is now a Ferrari adviser, thinks Massa will soon start to catch up.

He said: "Massa is very focused, knows what is going on and what he has to do. Pressure is normal in our world and I am certain he knows how to deal with it.

"He was quickest in Malaysia, and you must be very good to do this, and he was a little unfortunate later on.

"He was very strong in Bahrain last time, so there is no reason why he cannot do it again and win impressively."

Massa's slow start to the season has increased speculation about his future with the Italian team, despite still having two years left on his contract.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo this week refuted suggestions that Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso was being lined up to replace Massa as Raikkonen's team-mate.

"We have two great drivers, the best available in terms of the package," Schumacher said.

"If Massa wins the championship at the end of the year, nobody will care or remember about the start of the season."

 

Boy, that's optimism.

Speaking of Schumacher: Can somebody explain to me why he is racing motorbikes when the alleged reason for his F1 retirement was, that his family was concerned about his health and wanted him home? It's a serious question, I really don't understand this.

 

I can't believe how much Massa sucked in Bahrain this year! I don’t care what position he finish or qualified, he should have done better d*mn it!

(I wanted to be the first to post meaningful post-race commentary )

 

thats exactly what i've been thinking all this time... so much for health concerns... he's racing moto for crying out loud! hmm... retirement reasons look shady...

 

That's just Michael doing the team player thing. He is, of course going to back the guy he regarded as the best teammate he ever had, even if he's been screwing the pooch so far this year. Only Michael and his family know for sure why he's racing motorbikes but if I had to guess, he's probably bored out of his mind and driving his wife nuts. Didn't he also admit to feeling like he had lost some of his motivation and just couldn't keep up anymore in his book? That's probably the real reason for his retirement, that and Kimi in the other car for 07

 

Because Kimi & Alonso don't race bikes.

 

He isn't embarrassed when he loses to others on motorbikes and he doesn't have any good teammates/Kimi to worry about.

 

Well I guess running Kimi to the pit wall for the 2nd race in a row was the final straw.

 

I thought it was all the traveling, hotels and media stuff.

 

Emphasis on the word "alleged".

I think it simply exposes how ludicrous his explanation really is. He quit F1 rather than face Kimi as a teammate, everything else is face-saving propoganda.

 

I thought April Fools Day was yesterday

 

Not in Oblivious-Land where all the Massa fan's live.
Massa still have a chance at the title, cmon Mike be realistic

 

Possibly the time commitment difference between a full time F-1 drive and the one-off motorcycle races he has participated in.

 

One off? He seems to be doing it every weekend now.

Anyhow, I'm more stunned about the safety argument. Motorbikes to me is about the most dangerous thing you can do on wheels, particularly compared to the carbon fibre survival cell of a F1 car that didn't have any fatalities or major injuries for 15 years.

 

+1

one of the reason i don't have a bike license.

 

I sure wouldn't call a bike safer than an F1 car, but bikes are going a LOT slower than an F1 car in the turns so that helps some I guess. They also don't have anywhere near as violent a reaction to bumping as F1 cars, maybe that is what was scaring him? any way, having been off at over 100 mph several times I can say it's not as bad as it looks on video....I can also say that now that I'm married there is no way in h*ll my wife will even let me near a track again on a bike.

 

I ride a m/c every day to work ... you cannot live in a padded cell. And that is my assumption as to why MS is now doing some sort of racing again.

When I stopped club racing and got married and had kids, bought the family car, etc. ... a part of me was going nuts. Buying a little m/c and learning a new skill and then riding to work everyday has given me that little bit of something that occassionally satisfies that "part of me". Yeah it is dangerous and yeah I'm no Stoner (by miles) but you can only live so safe!
Pete

 

If you hit something going 100mph in an F1 car, you'll be fine and walk away from the crash.
If you hit something going 100mph on a motorbike, you'll be in the air as long as it takes to read this post. Not to mention bouncing/skidding along the pavement.

 

One of the reasons I eventually sold my motor bikes. Had a few minor accidents without any lasting damage. None of them my fault, which is why I gave it up.

Pete, I envy you. Once in a while I think back on that time, look at the pics of the bikes. But then I listen to the stories of some of my ER doctor friends and the longing passes. Stay safe!

 

Heck mate don't go to the car accident ward then ... or the tripped on a footpath ward

Seriously mate, yes m/c's are not the safest thing around, hence why I do not ride like Stoner, but we have to LIVE our lives not just get to the end. When you have children you go through this phase where you worry about everything and them so much that eventually you have to worry about affecting their attitude to life. The last thing I want my children growing up is with an attitude that taking calculated risks is too risky. I want them to live a rich (by experience) and damn rewarding life. I want them to be able to sit back when they are my age and have funny and near miss stories like I have, and have a good laugh about it.

I want them also to accept that taking a risk involves thought first, not just do it and then go "heck why did that happen", or "heck Dad why did you not stop that happening". Way too many people nowadays blame every mistake they make or accident on the other person ... hardly healthy or fair.

But yeah I can understand why you chose no longer to ride. A friend of mine very recently died on his m/c, damn shame ... damn shame. But then I have an uncle with mouth cancer ...

Later this yeah I hope to upgrade to a little Ducati SS. They did make 600 and 620 (later shape) and that is all I need to go to work and back, but heck everybody raves about them so I just have to give one a go. Make a good match for my Alfa 1750 .
Pete

 

years ago, when i was a kid, my cousin broke his arm, when a car made a turn, and smashed into my cousin. thats when my mum imposed a life ban for me on the bikes. but lately, i've been riding some small powered machines

 

Massa WDC!!!!!

(Well, I figure if all the bashers are hanging out in the "Massa Support" thread, ... )

(aka: BUMP!)