Is F1 a TEAM sport, or not?

A few comments:
- Agreed on Rory Byrne and Barnard.
- Agreed that I don't really care either who sits in the red car.
- Agreed that the dream team you mention is responsible for the return to victory and that Todt played a big role in that.

However:
The way Todt let the team in general and Eddie Irvine down in 1999 is IMHO unexcusable. If he hadn't thrown in the towel and basically stopped the development of the car, heck if he even had managed his team to give Eddie four wheels at the Nuerburgring pitstop, Eddie would have been champion. But Napoleon wanted his pet boy to win.

It took Montezemolo to set Todt's head back on straight and get the team back up. Todt had given up after Silverstone, Montezemolo made the charge for the title and the win of the constructor's title possible. It was him who called MS and got MS's unmotivated ass (remember he pretended to be still laying in bed, but his daughter answered the phone and told Luca her father was in soccer practice) out of temporary retirement to help Eddie. Which MS then brilliantly did, but it was too late.

Finally it was Todt who ordered Rubens back at Zeltweg and who is currently responsible for holding Rubens back in Canada and Indy.

Todt is a flawed genius. Not the god people make him to be.

 

Some would argue that had Jean Todt not stopped the car development in 99 to focus resources more on 2000 there would have been no titles in 2000.

Some would argue that had Jean Todt not ordered Rubens to allow Michael to overtake for te victory that it could have come to haunt the team back if they had lost the driver's title by just those points.

Some would argue that had Jean Todt not been in charge, many of the machanics and development engineers he has brought to the team would have never joined.

Some would argue that had Jean Todt not come to Scuderia Ferrari, the team would still be looking fo its next world championship title.

Some would argue that without Jean Todt Ferrari would still be struggling.

Some would argue that in a team, every member, including Jean Todt plays an extremely vital role in the team. Take out just one piece of the puzzle and everything goes down the drain.

Some would argue that to have a winning team you need a leader. Some would argue that Jean Todt is that leader. Thank you Jean Todt and ALL THE OTHER MEMBERS of this great Ferrari team for the memories and for the many more victories to come.

 

Imperial83, I never questioned Todt's ability and merits to have brought the team together. It wouldn't have happened without him.

Todt's flaw is, that he only sees MS (you see that in his overreactions when MS wins or looses) and nothing else. Nor the #2 driver nor the greater goal. That's why he dropped the ball in 1999 where Ferrari could have easily won the WC. That's why he is flawed. That's why Montezemolo was needed, but came too late.

On a side note: Personally I think Montezemolo is the coolest and most impressive manager I have ever seen. Not that I have seen that many, but anyway. I have read quite a bit about that guy and so far have yet to find a flaw. This guy is smarter and better than anybody: Got Ferrari the titles with Lauda, then went on to organize a World Cup Soccer tournament, then brought Ferrari production cars back from the dead, then created the current winning F1 dream team and now is rescuing Fiat from the dead. The guy is unreal.
Just my $ 0.02.

 

Luca Cordero di Montezemolo is a great man. I have had the honor of meeting him. This man saved Ferrari. No two ways about it. He was man of the Year in 2001. He is the guiding light, the visionary, the one true Ferrari leader and I run out of words for words cannot describe this man's greatness.

 

it hasent been a sport since ayrton senna got killed even though i love ferraris and they now win all this team tactics is boring to watch put them in 20 identical cars and then see who is the best

 

That is a real dumb idea for F1. I think a mojority of F1 fans want to see different drivers in different cars made by different constructors. To me F1 is all about the constructor providing the best possible car for their drivers in partnership with the tire and fuel companies. F1 is a team sport and always was a teamsport. There are plenty of other series around that have 20 drivers driving the same mundane car. F1 is all about different constructors and different cars.