Kubica to replace Massa in 2011?

So? Massa speaks Italian too, and is enjoying his best start of the season.

 

Added to the fact that Ferrari are very happy with their two current drivers and wouldn't want to upset Alonso (which hiring Vettel next year would surely do).

 

Spot on. I think Ferrari will get Vettel and their rising young italian star when FA retires. Maybe 2-3 years. How long is Fred's contract, btw?

 

It's a 3 year contract so that take him up to 2012.
Vettels contract is until the end of 2011 with an option for 2012 so the choices would be to either wait until the end of 2012 and swap Alonso for vettel or, sign Vettel for 2011 and run them both for a year (this of course assumes that Alonso won't want to continue with Ferrari after 2012). If Alonso wants to carry on with Ferrari past 2012, run both Alonso and Vettel.

 

+1. Good pairing of FA and Kubica. No need for Vettel at Ferrari at all.

 

Along with half the drivers who are mid pack until they get a good ride. JB can attest to that. Its honestly more car than driver to a certain degree these days. FA was where last year in the Renault? 9th.

 

Well, if he up himself a bit he might score the job as PS4 testdriver.

 

The difference between FA and Massa is, that in the years when Fernando had a good car, he scored the WDC. Twice.

 

And Felipe lost by 1 point. How many true 'mid-pack' drivers even get to that point. He's a racer and has a nice legacy assured at Ferrari. I do not rate him mid pack at all. Ferrari, the team certainly do not as well. They have the pick of drivers, they keep Felipe. Im happy that annoys many on this board

 

Which would have been 15 points had the FIA not gifted him some to keep the championship open.

In the same way Arnoux, Irvine and Barrichello have. Yet nobody speaks of them much anymore.

They kept him so far because he is a good reliable #2.

 

Add 20 for Singapore and Budapest.....

 

And even more if you throw in the races he blew himself by going off track.

 

I think he lacks more than just attitude to become champion. Driving in the wet and driving in traffic are two other things he is rather mediocre at.

 

I really can't see why Ferrari would dump Massa for Kubica.

What's wrong with Massa? Not much, and I can't understand why he is so criticised on this forum.

After all, had Renault not cheated in Singapore 2008, Massa would have been WDC, and he missed the championship by one point, I believe. Massa was robbed from a championship, never forget that.

He is maybe not the fastest driver, but has scored many points and podiums for Ferrari, and several wins. He hasn't got an inflated ego but shown loyalty and got on well with his team mates. He was certainly more dedicated the last few years than Raikonen.

What's so special with Kubica? He doesn't strike me as being anything special. He was heralded as the new talent, but has gone flat after his first year at BMW.

 

True. And a great starter and a diligent team player.

Dunno. Button remains a bit of an enigma to me. When he arrived on the scene, I thought he had "it". Then he made some dumb career moves and disappeared for years into obscurity. Only to strike with the perfect kind of speed and car treatment when fate gave him a very last chance with a brilliant car. Is he better than Massa? I can't say and to some degree I don't care. His WDC was a one-time wonder.

That is a bold assumption. We have no idea how that race would have ended without the Renault incident. Way too many variables in that play.

If Massa had won that championship, it would have been Hami robbed of the title. After all the FIA already stole a bunch of points from him at Spa.

 

I'll never forget the points he was gifted by the FIA.

Had he won it would have been a hollow victory, not by any means his fault though, blame Porno Max and show fixing mate Mernie.

 

Button can pass and smartly IMO Massa cannot, Button can win and has done this year using his smooth style, and feel for driving in the wet something he is also good at Massa, not sure now but has been hopless in the past.

Massa a great qualifier and good at winning from the front. It's a tough call who you would want on your team, this year I would say Button is a better bet, but not alot in it.

 

Called this one 2 years ago! Vettel and Kubica at Ferrari would make a dreamteam. Vettel excels almost always and kubica would easily keep up....

 

Had not Piquet junior 'parked' his car on the wall at Singapore 2008, probably that Alonso wouldn't have won, and the refuelling incident that cost Massa the race would never have occured.

Then if Glock hadn't been told to slow down to save fuel in the last lap of the last GP, allowing Hamilton to score 1 point, Massa would have taken the title.

Massa was well and truly robbed of that championship, by cheating and chicanery.
For me he remains the moral victor in 2008.

Hamilton lost the title he deserved the year before, in 2007.
Raikonen was WDC that year, by 1 point, by default really because he was very unconvincing all season.

The only title Raikonen deserved was the year where tyre restriction came into place and McLaren unreliability cost him the crown. He was the fastest that year (faster than Alonso for sure), but kept being let down by mechanical failures.

 

Robbed? ENOUGH ALREADY! The FIA gave Massa MORE THAN ENOUGH help. Better wipe the dirt off the red tinted glasses. Jeez Louise!!!

 

Yes funny I say that all the time-in '05 Kimi was let down by the McL (a Newey car), but he benefited by LH losing the WDC in 07 as LH benefitted by Massa losing it in '08 (btw Massa spun out in Malaysia pissing away 8 points-all blame can't be put on the Singapore pit stop debacle so he needs to reflect on that and quit whining about Piquet.)

That's racing. Tomorrow Vettel will lead and either something will fall off or a frog will leap into his air intake. Guy has ZERO luck,

PS-Red Bull was touted as being able to do 2 second pit-stops-but how much time does it take them to do it right?

 

Don't forget 2003....challenged Schumacher to the title until the last round, also reliability...

It was only 7 points in the end....he 'would' have won it if it wasn't for the fact that Ferrari where stupid or his engine kept together for 3 more laps....If if if....

+1

 

I'm a big Irvine fan and with a 4th tire at the Nuerburgring pitstop Eddie would have won the race and the WDC. He is the moral victor in 1999 for me.

But that only goes so far. Eventually you have to face reality and realize that your hero never won it. I'll always be a big Irvine fan, whether he won the title or not. But the fact remains, that he didn't. And probably for a reason. <sigh>