I was thinking the other way. Are there any drivers that don't bring either cash or sponsorship? The minnows bring cash the stars bring (or assure) sponsor bucks.
No, it's the engineering team that needs to go. Sometimes the problem is the driver. Sometimes it's the car. Sometimes it's both. This time, it's the car. Replace the driver, the problem still remains. Replace the car, the situation improves. It's time to get some new faces in the engineering department. -F
I respect Alonso for his hungry to win even with all the millions he is being.. But... and I have a red tint in my eyes... He is a snake to say these things... I hate when a driver who wants to jump ship to another team that is doing well... I repsect Hamilton for going to a "crappier" team at the time and turned it into something better.. It's no surprise that Ferrari is lacking in terms of pace but for the money that he is being paid maybe he should try harder as the #1 driver in the team and all his "engineering" skills. Guess he won't be getting that LaFerrari after all
Wanted to also point out if Merc can turn their team around after a 3 year slump then anyone can do it...
Perhaps; you mean Luca right? But this is an engineering problem so the focus should be on those who are on the engineering team. Start with Domenicali and work your way down. The chassis and aero aren't working well together nor is the aero working well with the rest of the car. This isn't personal, it's business, and engineering. Ferrari F1 engineering needs help. They need new ideas. They need new blood. -F
These are the only engineers who haven't cut it. The drivers they should keep they kiss off. Massa they keep. Who makes these decisions?
It's not like they will go broke if they don't win. Ferrari will just continue on win or lose and the big money will still roll in even with Alonso being unhappy. There were lots of lean years in the past when they were crapola and the engineers were wandering in the wilderness without any good grasp of how to 'fix it'. So now it's just 'business as usual' with everybody still getting paid and they get a nice August holiday... Hopefully the guy in town will have a good supply of extra TV's in stock. LdM will probably be shooting a few more of them before this season is over. CH
I can't disagree with the point you are making. Management is not doing their job very well either. -F
A fish stinks from the head down. Luca is single handedly responsible for Ferrari's survival as an independent marque and for many of its championships but when a problem like this persists for so long you have to say that the buck stops at his desk.
You're kidding, right? This OP made this thread the second Alonso lost the WDC last year at the last race. He comes back and bumps it over 6 months later after Ferrari has a terrible race and Alonso is frustrated with the team. No posts in between on the F1 forum...he's a troll.
in 1980/1(?) the T5 was a marginally developed version of the T4-champion ship winner the season prior... the 126c was the new formula to begin the following season... ferrari did what ANY major team would do-spend no money-and minimal effort, on an obsolete formula... I WOULD concentrate ALL my resources on the coming formula: 1.5 liter "blown" Fast forward this year, clearly "the other guy is dominant in the waning iteration of the CURRENT formula"-which expires at seasons end... I would do as Ferrari IS doing: the best I can with what I have, without blowing too, too, much time, money, and resources-in general-on an OBSOLETE formula with a car which is-at BEST-ocassionally competitive... despite a top dier driver team... Only with the advent of the new formula's implementation next yuear will it be demonstarted how efficietntly Ferrari has allocated their considerable resources... then, and only then, can we ***** about the engineering, management, and finally the drivers... Perspective: When Berger waas driver-with turbo formula-the cost per engine was 1.2Million US...his team ate 62.5 million in engines alone in 1 season, at a time when annual cost per car was in the 240million/car/season! Nearly 25 years ago....
Somebody doesn't have to be posting in this forum every day to have an informed opinion. Have you ever considered that many f1 followers might only lurk in this forum precisely because some others are so quick to call a dissenting opinion 'stupid'. Probably not. Either way people are debating the point 200 posts later because there is one, whether you agree with it or not. Besides, the mod already made it clear --
I am still not convinced that fred is el magico when it comes to developing the car. Something in the feedback loop is broken because the car seems to get worse instead of better. Or at least they paint themselves into a development corner. I still think that fred might be giving feedback that maxes out the car to suit his very aggressive driving style but maybe takes them in a direction that ultimately falls short of the competition. And makes the car hell to drive for Phil-- not that he needs any more excuses. And yes I know there is very little testing nowadays but the feedback over the course of a season is still important.
The Ferrari team is toxic for any team environment. Always has been except when they replaced all that matter with the Benetton team in the (Michael) Schumacher years. One day you will all see as I do that Italians, while passionately loving motorsport, are not good at it. Yes Ferrari is the most successful team but considering the company and the advantage they had in the early years they should have won twice the number of champsionships than they actually have. I've watched the excellent A1 Grand Prix series and the Italian team was constantly last, when it managed to get out of the pits. IMO team and Italians don't go together, so lets blame the real issue please: Luca's attempt to run an all Italian Ferrari F1 design/manage team again. The Ferrari F1 team drove Surtees, Lauda, Prost and probably many others nuts ... only fair that they are wearing Alonso out, especially as the car is slowing. Pete
You only show up when things aren't going well for Alonso. You were conspicuously absent when he was winning races earlier this year and your motivations are very clear. I'll ask again, for the sake of this "great discussion" - who do you think Ferrari should replace Alonso with? Bascially, you think Ferrari should dump Alonso. Thus, you're either a troll or don't know what you're talking about, either way it doesn't look great for you.
Pete, This is more or less what I had in mind in post n° 161 of this thread, to which you answered in post n°163 about eight months ago. "So far, so good" (so to speak; so bad would be better)...even if there is still mathematically a possibility for this year. Rgds
There was no sensible way for Alonso to stay at McLaren. I still believe the TEAM, not just LH, did not gel with Alonso so the partnership was never going to be successful. Pete BTW: Aircon is not PSk, and PSk is not Aircon. We both were given the name Peter and live in Australia but that's where it ends . One day I hope we will meet but this has not as yet happened.
Before Alonso goes I think certain other people in the team need to go or at the very least be held accountable for the poor cars he has had the last few years.
If Alonso goes and Massa stays I'll eat Pirellis until I see Charlie Whiting giving me the ok to go to hell!
