Jean Todt & Ross Brawn concerned

I'm not debating that it was a win. After all it counted as a GP and gave full points.
As a sportsman it's just not something anybody should be proud of. Or to put it differently: I think MS' 2nd in Imola and Rubens' 3rd in Melbourne were much greater achievements. Especially now in hindsight where we see how good/bad the 05 car really is.

PS: Not to open a whole other can of worms, but it had a bit the feel of the Olympic games when USA and the USSR were at odds over Afghanistan and didn't send their athletes to either games.

 

Hmmm, okay I am going to get in a lot of trouble with this post ... so flame suit on, BUT:

There is some truth in what Pistole said.


Now separate the passion and read calmly what I am going to say


Many years ago I warned that I was concerned that Ferrari were too happy with the same team and were completely uninterested in change (from what we could see from the outside of the organisation).

This attitude or management style leads to this sort of season, ie. the engineers have simply run out of ideas. Yes this happens and anybody that has actually been involved with the design industry knows that what I just said is fact.

What we have witnessed over the last 5 or 6 years is Ferrari going in exactly the same direction with each and every car, they have thus been implementing the current designers thoughts and improving as they get better at it each year. This simply has run it's course and NOW is NOT the right direction.

The problem is, we have a designer who undoubtably is passionate about his views and thus will have trouble with starting again with a clean sheet of paper. And this is why they are struggling with what is currently wrong ... they cannot see it because they are so entrenched with their views. It is perfectly natural and what happens if you live and breathe design.

Now ofcourse the v8 engine MIGHT give him the boost he needs to think laterially again, BUT they need to rethink their solution.

Renault have relatively new people and they have peaked (as expected) and McLaren have been struggling with new ideas and people for the last few years and finally got all the dots lined up.

Ferrari need to implement managerial changes NOW before it is too late and get some fresh blood in (just like they did in '95 or '96 which started this current run) and in a couple of years they will climb back to the top again.

I have said this many times before and Ferrari have fallen in to the trap many companies make who are scared of change. You MUST embrace change and use it to your advantage.

All Ferrari have been doing is basking in their current luck and the time of MS, but don't get me wrong they have been working very, very hard at making what they think is right, DEAD right. But now what they think is right, well is wrong .

It happens to all designers:
- Once upon a time it was Gordon Murray who had all the right ideas, then
- Barnard (or maybe he was before Murray) and he burnt out at Ferrari, then
- Roy Berne (sp?) and he is now dried up, thus now
- It is the Renault and McLaren guys.

I personally do NOT expect Ferrari to improve UNLESS they implement large scale and what appears drastic management and design team changes. Now is the time, er actually too late ... and why it is very, very hard to stay at the top in F1.
Pete

 

They're not getting the title this year. Simple.

It's Alonso's year barring any epic crashes, failures, etc. Otherwise, it'll be Kimi's championship debut.

Ferrari got caught napping; no one's fault, per se, as it's racing and it happens... look at MotoGP - Honda STILL can't beat Rossi.

 

Hubert,

You are right and also bring up a perfect example.

Rossi left Honda and went to Yamaha. Yamaha were desperate to win and thus were prepared to implement what ever it took and thus embraced change big time ... and Rossi had all the suggestions. Out of this came a MUCH better bike, good enough for the BEST rider to win with.

Honda on the other hand have been simply refining what is probably the best bike on the grid, but it NOT good enough to beat the Rossi/Yamaha combination. Honda need to rethink and go laterial to come up with something MUCH faster that suits their riders better to beat Rossi.

Thus until Honda do something drastic and stop warming over their current design ... well the track is Rossi's. Unless ofcourse another team does the goods.

Pete

 

From what i understand the F2005 was not directly designed by Ross + Rory. instead it was designed by Tombias (SP?) As ferrari feel that he will be the replacement for Ross and Rory in the future

 

That is great ... but has he been brain washed by Rory's ideas I wonder, but then all engineers are influenced as they progress, and not at all bad teachers

Good news ... thus we just have to give him time.
Pete

 

History has shown us that no one can remain dominant forever in F1. Its highly creditable that Ferrari has stayed on top for so long - 6 years in a row (if you include 1999).

The team stability has helped them withstand the constant shocks that the rule-mongers throw into the pot every year to change things so far.

I think Ferrari hasnt been the most innovative of all the teams as compared with Renault or McLaren both of which have been adopting a radical strategy to get ahead. It is also true that Ferrari is very linear in its development approach.

But that is what most people do when they are successful. Its easy for a bystander to say "Be more creative... change everything" but I guess it is easier to improve than innovate when you have a car advantage.

The way the rules are changing it is a crap shoot as to whcih is more successful: - strategy A -innovate at all costs or Strategy B - kaizen.

Last year strategy A ruled, this year B seems better. Next year who knows

 

Just an observation on the "bogus" win: How many races did Alonso win when Kimi's car got parked (or fell apart)?

You see Renault rushing to toss out those points?

In order to finish first, you must first finish. And even firster, you must start.
Ironic, that it was America that taught Michelin (metaphorically speaking), "Y'all don't bring a knife to a gun fight".

 

Perfectly stated, I couldn't stand the booing MS recieved on pole. WTF do they want from him? Michelin couldn't take they bank so their cars tanked, Bridgestone could, so Ferrari kept going, and they "won". Again, no one here liked how it was won, just that it was won. And yeah, we will probably overtake McLaren before Monza, but I don't know about Renault, Alonso can't be stopped. We really just need Barrichello to pick up the pace. BTW, he got 2nd in Melbourne t12.

 

Oops, you're right of course.

 

Whatever, they crossed the line first. Still not a win in my eyes or many other people's. You have good reason to believe now with the FIA meddling in the championship now, yet again............

 

Mclaren and Kimi and very fast, faster than Alonso at times, i don't think they'll catch him either. Only time will tell.

 

Yes but I don't find McLaren to be as reliable as the Ferraris. Kimi lost Europe because his tire damaged his suspension to the point of it exploding, and he retired from another due to some driveshaft problem. Now that Ferrari has sorted out their gearbox and tire situations, they should be able to finish the rest of the races for the year.

 

If you have read up... Mosley does not want to take away points from the drivers or constructors in the final decision. So the FIA are not meddling with the championship.