Felipe: 1
Maybe we should keep a tally of the time difference too. Massa up by one but only 0.003 of a difference.
True. However I think you're looking at a rather unique event. Once the season is over, the score won't even be close.
Well Massa's deck is already stacked against him as today's pit stop hose job proved. For this fact alone Massa will never outscore Alonso. Has Santander lobbied against Massa as part of their contract or something? Section 8, part c: 'ensure Alonso is given tire priority regardless of Massa's race positioning'. Part d: 'ensure Massa never appears in front of Alonso for longer than 9 laps no longer than halfway through the race' Ferrari should be ashamed of themselves.
I'm a Big Massa fan, here's the plain facts: Alonso is typically faster than Massa, both in quali and the race. Accordingly, he's Ferrari's number one. Both pre and in-race strategy will favor Alonso as he is the teams best bet for a championship until Massa proves otherwise. I don't necessarily like it, but that's how you play the game. Massa needs to make the team NEED him. The only way he can do that is to overcome Alonso's pace and the number 2 strategy and win. Until he does, he's going to be the number 2. And, based on past performances, rightfully so. Mark
Agreed, but even if equally fast as Alonso or slightly faster, it will be difficult for him to BEAT the other driver with the best strategy. I like Red Bull's approach to letting their drivers compete much better than Ferrari's. Ferrari's approach takes the sporting competition right out of the sport.
That's wrong on so many levels: 1) Vettel is #1 at RB. Just ask Webber whether he feels treated the same way. Particularly when it comes to new parts. 2) Vettel is #1 at RB and Alonso #1 at Ferrari for a reason: Because they have the chance to win the title based on what they bring to the table. 3) It is a team sport. You need a #1 and a #2 driver if you want to win the WDC as well as the WCC.
I like Fernando, he's a genuinely great racing driver and he is not the type of driver to pull any Senna-like or occasionally Schumacher-like dirty maneuver, at least not regularly anyway. It's Ferrari themselves as a team who are upsetting, tey have no business ruining Massa's race like that. If they were deciding who had a better chance to win at that point in the race, it would have clearly been Massa as he was faster than Fernando during the first stint.
I agree. I think FA pitted early to get away from the train and it paid off. FM had a decision to make after Vettel pitted and it wasn't the wrong one (I'm suprised that he *asked* Smedley 'what do we do?'. The driver should know if his tires are going off to his disadvantage. Smedley could have told him if Vettel/Alonso were faster, but FM had the open track and a chance to put in a great lap if the tires were wiliing. Only he knew if that was the case) Felipe may be the red-headed step-child, but he needs to think like a champion to win races. His radio transmission almost sounded like he was resigned to the team getting Alonso past him, so he was passive in his communication. I don't think that's the case in the first race of the year. A Ferrari 1-2 is better than a Ferrari 2-4
Let´s face it as it is...i hate Alonso and love Felipe but, trurh is since Fernando joined the team, Massa sucked most of the time. Obviously something very wrong hapened to him...after being in a coma i believe he came back to soon and perhaps he never recovered as he should...then maybe he had a couple of cars that didn´t suit his style, he start loosing confidence in himself and the hole thing got out of proprtion making him look very bad...during the whole time, Fred was geting better and better and simply crushed what was left og Massa´s trust....somehow (he probably got a good shrink) he managed to get his act together in the third part of last year´s season, he recovered his old speed, started to beat Fred and regained confidence...he finished the year on top and carried that trough the winter, he obviously likes how the f 138 drives and it´s showing....If he is able to keep this form and i believe he can, Alonso is going to have a ral fight on his hands, and if he edges Fred, Ferrari won´t try to stop him...whatever happens, it´s good to see taht this year we will have a real shot at the w.c.c Forza Ferrari!!!
Actually Massa should be ashamed of himself for being a ***** on the first lap. Alonso was all over him and he was weaving all over the track to keep Alonso behind him. Massa takes too long to get up to speed ... if Alonso had got passed then who knows he might have been able to push Vettel and guess what, Ferrari might have won the race ... but no Massa drives like a *****. And all that think Webber has an even chance in RB are delirous. Webber practiced over the winter to solve his starting issues, but guess what he really needs to talk to his team and get that RB team member to stop pushing the "prevent Webber from getting a good start and potentially knocking Vettel out in the first corner" button. Ever since Silverstone a couple of years ago when Webber got a really good start and DID push Vettel off on to the grass in the first corner this has happened when they are side by side ... Either that or Webber simply needs to be sacked. Pete
Singapore ring a bell? Also the spygate scandal. Alonso has never seemed to me to be a stand up guy behind the image he tries to project to the world.
90% of racing drivers would sell their grandmother to prostitution to win a race ... and in the end, who the fnck cares about their image out of the car. The world idiolises soccer/rugby league heros that rape and beat their wives off the field, why do F1 drivers have to be so saint like? Pete
Racer. It's a dirty word. If you like your sports altruistic and non competitive check back in 20 years. By then, what remains of sport should be completely buried by corporate, environmental and safety interests.
If I remember correctly, Senna and Schumacher were world champs and considered by many to be amongst the greatest drivers off all time. And Massa? Maybe he could learn a little from these guys, don't you think?
I don't think it was so much as Ferrari ruining Massa's race, but more Alonso making the correct call to get ahead of Vettel. Wasn't it Alonso who made the call to come in early to try and get in front of his teammate (along with Sutil and Vettel)? Brundle was quick to point out that, for some reason, Alonso didn't DRS on the main straight. Perhaps Alonso WANTED to be 5th? To be on the clean side of the track? He kept making a point about how he had a better start the Massa. Perhaps alluding the fact that he was on the clean side. *edit* 5th. Sorry
It's the other way around - the only reason Massa is still with Ferrari is that Santander insisted they keep him. It was said that back in 2009 Massa was going to be dropped by Ferrari, but Santander was doing an IPO in Brazil that year. Massa's family was good friends with Santander Brazil's CEO Fabiola Barbosa, who intervened on Massa's behalf with Ferrari as they wanted him as a promotional asset. Santander Brazil also did a personal sponsorship deal with Massa back then, worth about 8 million/year.
