Speedtv.com Ferrari F1 article

From Speed's website today. Interesting comments from Marc Surer


F1: Bosses, Drivers Marring Ferrari Charge
Written by: SPEED Staff / GMM
Date: 08/13/2008 - 05:39 AM
Location: Milan, Italy

The root of Ferrari’s problems at present are perched on the pitwall and sitting in the cockpit of the F2008, according to the Italian team’s former boss.

Cesare Fiorio, who preceded Jean Todt’s ultra-successful reign at the Maranello team, said that even though the car failed within sight of victory for Felipe Massa in Hungary, the technical department is not Ferrari’s main issue.

“I suspect the Ferrari is still the best car but it is being spoiled by errors from the command post and by the drivers,” he told Switzerland’s Motorsport Aktuell.

69-year-old Fiorio, most recently involved with Minardi in 2000, also has another piece of advice for the team he led at the end of the 80s and early 90s.

“Ferrari need to decide on who to put the money on—Massa or Raikkonen,” he said.

Appointing a number one driver for the remaining seven races of 2008 would be a difficult decision, however, given that Kimi Raikkonen leads his teammate Felipe Massa by just three points.

In a survey conducted by the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, 56 percent of the readers believe Ferrari should back the Finn.

However, the reigning world champion, Raikkonen, is currently struggling with his F2008, particularly in qualifying.

“Kimi seems to have the same trouble as Heidfeld in getting the car going for a fast lap,” said Marc Surer, a grand prix driver of the 80s and now a Swiss commentator.

Surer wonders if motivation is also a problem for Raikkonen, 28.

“He has been champion already. Sometimes it appears he wants to watch rather than race,” the Swiss said.

Brazil’s Massa, meanwhile, observes that Raikkonen occasionally gets his 2008 car working well for a single lap.

“Four times out of five I can get the tires into the correct temperature window,” he explains to Auto Motor und Sport.

“With Kimi it is more like one in five. But when he does it, he is really quick,” Massa said.

 

I don't think Ferrrari was winning so much when Fiorio was in charge, so I am not sure how credible his comments are at the moment. At this point, both drivers are still very much in the hunt for the WDC, Ferrari leads the WCC. I do not believe there is a clear #1 driver at this time in order to put "all of my eggs in one basket".

If Kimi is "disinterested" and still second in points, then its not a bad way to be disinterested. I have a lot more faith in the group on the pit wall than most. Just as I continue to believe in either Raikkonen's or Massa's ability to win the WDC in 2008.

 

yeah, I smelled some sour grapes too.

 

+1 His era was one of the less successful eras for Ferrari. Other than the odd year where they came close Prost and Mansell, the quality of the team followed more of a gradual slide until Todt, Brawn and Schumacher took the reins. I suppose I'll listen to Surer's comments about Kimi, because I agree to a small degree. But he's not really qualified to take us inside the mind of a champion grand prix driver.

 

This is also posted on PlanetF1.

Im torn between the 2 drivers but currently, Felipe seemed to have the momentum in Hungary and was essentially the winner and Kimi knows it and so does the team. Kimi is playing catch up with Felipe no matter what the points say. Felipe has outqualified him 7-4 and Kimi has actually been getting worse and not better. Im a Kimi fan over Massa but reality is Felipe appears more reliable and consistent for the most part and Id put my money on him. The recent history,(2 races)- with Kimi show he is not as reliable or as fast and getting on the front row or 2. Of course in one weekend all that can change and change dramatically. This is a very exciting season. Sooner or later Ferrari will have to make the call though.

 

On what basis do teams decide fuel loads for Q3? Both drivers need to have a good shot at pole but wouldn't one guy be slightly heavier, so that he can run a couple of extra laps, at the risk of losing pole?

Now how do they decide whom to fuel lighter? The one that has dominated the practice laptimes? Or the one who they think will be able to come on pole, regardless of practice times? I figure that since Massa has been qualifying better, it makes sense to put him on the lighter fuel load, but then that takes away whatever chances Kimi may have, of putting his car on pole.

How does the strategy get decided?

 

If I recall correctly, the driver with the fastest time in Q2 gets to choose what strategy he wants, and the other driver has to work around that.

 

Depending on the status of the driver, driver input usually prevails if their status is that of #1. Involved inthe decision is circuit configuration, length of pit lane and entry/exit, weather, competition's perceived performance, etc.

 

No number 1 needed.They are both still in the hunt.Like I said in another thread,if Kimi can put down the vodka bottle his form will be at peak.Massa is pure passion,driving for his dreamteam and living his own dream.The recent downfall is simple,effort was lower.WE were a lil bit dominant in that early-mid season point in time.Got a lil to compfy while those punks at McLaren were goin all out.BMW also but thats hard to back up due to their extreme lack of "Championship/winning" pace as of late.

 

You are right on this, except for one thing . . . Massa Sucks! (And I was VERY LATE IN JOINING THIS GANG--now, I say it every chance I get. )

 

Well the Scuderia is a gang,and the goonies are the Tifosi! BTW,say "MASSA SUCKS" again and it's on.LOL

 

Yep, that contributed to the discussion in a very meaningful way.

 

Ever since Ross Brawn and Jean Todt left the racing team, it seems that everything is a mess: race strategies, reliability, pilot management and motivation etc...

The main fault is to the boss Stefano Domenicali, as he's in charge...

 

Stefano won the Championship in his 1st year at the helm.

 

Yeah cause the FIA totally didn't have a hand in that one.....

 

massa description of the difference between himself driving and kimi is pretty spot-on for this season. i'm a kimi fan and support him, but massa's earned himself the right to fight for the title, at least for a couple more races.

 

I hope your not talking about Stepneygate.Because they were caught.No 10 year discussion needed.

 

Agreed they were caught, but how does that display that Stefano was a good team leader?

 

For starters even if McLaren wasnt DQed,they would have still lost.He did it legit, with or w/o the DQ.

 

Can you precise that because I have my doubts... How many points would the McLaren Team have VS Ferrari. I'm not talking about the driver's world championship but the constructor's...

By the way look at the mess they have done this season... The responsibility ultimately falls on the head of the team...

 

No problem.No reason to doubt brother.It is a fact that even if McLaren wasnt docked all of their WCC points,they still would have lost to Ferrari by a few(forgot exactly how many).

 

To be exact, by one. Regardless of the end result of last season, my beloved Scuderia is a mess right now. And it ultimately comes from the people at the helm. Last year I loved how the season ended, but if we have to be real, Kimi and Ferrari did not exactly win without a couple of gifts from Lewis and Massa. And after seeing all the strange accidental f-ups this season, I am getting more and more scared that my favorite sport is becoming more and more scripted, er not a sport anymore...