+1000 Something is wrong in Ron's approach when : Prost leaves and says Senna was favored. DC leaves and says Mika was favored. Montoya leaves and says Kimi was favored. Kimi leaves and says he's enjoying F1 more at Ferrari. Alonso says LH was favored and both lose WDC. I remeber JT saying that it was Kimi who came to him and said he wanted to drive for Ferrari and that they talked about it for a few minutes and then shook hands. Someone needs to tell RD that these drivers are not robots but they're human beings with feelings and emotions who like to be treated with respect and dignity.
You need a hitsory lesson on McNamara False. Do you have numbers to support your statement? Fiat earned 1.07 billion Euro in 2006, aided significantly by asset sales in the fourth quarter. Toyota's profits in that same period were in excess of $12 billion USD.
It's tough to find a thread in this section with as much agreement! Ferrari has a great pairing with these two. Both great drivers, but unlike LH and FA, they can coexist, and even (gasp) work together. For Ferrari, that means the team is stronger with both than with either alone, and that's what a real TEAM is about. The other guys absolutely threw it away because they could not do this. Period. In most businesses, employees like that would get sh#t-canned. Plus, my wife likes Massa, and Alonso's eyebrows make her queasy.
You may be right, but I think the problem is partly that McLaren don't have number one and number two drivers, they let their drivers race one another until one no longer has a chance to win the WDC (which in my view is a good thing for the sport). In at least some of the cases you mention I suspect the claim that the team was favouring the other man is just an excuse made by a driver with a big ego who can't/won't accept he's not as good as the other guy.
Brawn impressed by 'exceptional' Raikkonen By Biranit Goren Thursday, October 25th 2007, 13:05 GMT Former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn has hailed Kimi Raikkonen's 'exceptional' comeback this season to clinch the world championship in the final round and predicted the Italians will be even stronger next year. Brawn, who left Ferrari a year ago to go on a sabbatical and has yet to confirm his plans for next year, told autosport.com today he was particularly impressed by Raikkonen's work ethics and his loyalty to Ferrari, which the Briton admitted reminds him of Michael Schumacher. "I was particularly pleased for Kimi because he struggled a little at the beginning to adapt to the new team, car and particularly the Bridgestone tyre characteristics," Brawn told autosport.com. "What impressed me was that he worked with his engineers, understood the issues, got on top of the situation and, importantly and in the style of Michael, he did it in a quiet way within the privacy of the team. "His performance in the second half of the season was exceptional." The Briton also complimented Raikkonen's teammate Felipe Massa, saying the Brazilian showed impressive pace over the season. "He also made great progress, and if it wasn't for a few reliability issues, he would have been a challenger at the end," Brawn said. "He pace is impressive and he is also someone who is willing to work for the team. "So, a wonderful result from and for everybody." Brawn said he was not surprised the team were able to bounce back from their problems at the start of the season - and from the major reshuffle that took place a year ago. "Obviously all of the changes at Ferrari in the winter of 2006 caused some disturbance and it took a little while for everyone to settle down to the new regime," he said. "But the people involved had been carefully chosen and ultimately they have all shown they are more than capable of doing the job. "Within the team we had a motto, 'Non mollare mai' which literally means 'we never give up' - something they have fully demonstrated." Brawn, who is widely rumoured to be returning with Ferrari as team chief - with Jean Todt remaining as CEO of the Ferrari company - also warned that the Italian team will only get better on the back of the 2007 season. "The Team will learn from their mistakes and undoubtedly be stronger next year," he stated. "So therefore lots of reasons for Ferrari to be proud of this season and optimistic for the future."
Yeah right, and you are gonna give a "hitsory" lesson to me?... like me teaching you about how many wins or championships your McLiaren team had won in 2006, 2005, or 2004 or ever...? As WIKIPEDIA states on Robert McNamara...kinda verbatimed...so you have your history and orthography lesson after all!!! •After earning his MBA, McNamara worked a year for the accounting firm Price Waterhouse in San Francisco. •the analytical approaches used in business to officers of the Army Air Forces (AAF), he entered the Army as a captain in early 1943, serving most of the war with the AAF's Office of Statistical Control. In 1946 McNamara joined Ford Motor Company, due to the influence of a Colonel he worked under named Charles "Tex" Thornton. Thornton had read an article in Life magazine which reported that the company was in dire need of reform. He was one of ten former WW II officers known as the "Whiz Kids", who helped the company to stop its losses and administrative chaos by implementing modern planning, organization, and management control systems. •On November 9, 1960, McNamara became the first president of Ford from outside the family of Henry Ford. McNamara received substantial credit for Ford's expansion and success in the postwar period. •President-elect John F. Kennedy first offered the post of secretary of defense to former secretary Robert A. Lovett. Lovett declined but recommended McNamara; Kennedy had him approached by Sargent Shriver regarding either the Treasury or the Defense cabinet post less than five weeks after McNamara had become president at Ford. At first McNamara turned down the Treasury position; but eventually, after discussions with his family, McNamara accepted Kennedy's invitation to serve as Secretary of Defense." ...I dont espect you to see any resemblance between Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo and Robert McNamara, but the rest of the Fchat surely would...dont bother. When did I say in the world...????...yezzz , who do you think you are, Mr.Fchat-accuracy-police? ITALIAN MARKET...figures as follows...no other brand GREW THIS MUCH...or EARNED THIS MUCH...usuall numbers are around 4%-7% growth...32.3% is just whooping. "In its monthly review of car data, the ministry said Turin-based Fiat, Europe's fifth-biggest car maker by volume, registered a total of 32.3% of all Italian new cars last month for all its mass-market car brands, including Alfa Romeo and Lancia. Helped by the Fiat brand's best monthly performance in over five years, April's share was above the 31.8% recorded in March, while the overall market for new cars expanded 9.6% from April 2006. The auto sector has been buoyant in Italy since the start of the year, boosted by the introduction of short-term government incentives to buyers to trade in less environment-friendly older models." "Overall, the number of new cars registered in Italy, overwhelmingly Fiat's biggest market, jumped in April to 205,442 from 187,509 in the same month a year earlier." "European peers had mixed fortunes in Italy in April. While Peugeot SA's (12150.FR:12150.FR12150.FR, , ) Citroen brand saw its April market share remain stable at 5.4%, Germany's Volkswagen AG recorded a drop in its share to 5.7% in April from 6.2% in March. Meanwhile, market share at General Motors Corp.'s (GM:General Motors Corporation GM 38.58, -0.11, -0.3%) Opel brand slipped to 6.9%in April from 7.3% a month earlier. Ford Motor Co. (F:Ford Motor Company F 8.62, +0.04, +0.4%) also saw its share drop significantly, falling to 8.3% from 9.1% in March. ...you can knock yourself out out at... http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/fiat-share-italys-april-new/story.aspx?guid={175CE951-53EA-46B0-B287-17060E2CC52C}&dist=TQP_Mod_mktwN ...sad thing is all Ive learned from you, is how to use the IGNORE button...
It would seem that Mr Senna has not had a whipping boy for about a week or two and you are now the one.
I would put my money on Sergio Marchionne the Fiat SpA CEO as the reason behind the Fiat turnaround. General Motors also sent 2 Billion dollars to Fiat on his watch. LDM on the other hand took 45 attempts to choose a new RED for the 599. As for stability; things were not too stable in the executive offices at Fiat when Sergio cut out a lot of the dead wood there. Even something as simple as building more product lines from fewer car platforms was not accomplished until Sergio got into the problems at Fiat. The maxim nowadays is 'build a car that people really want to get their hands on'. Sergio has delivered, while other car company managers are still 'talking'. CH
I respect Massa as a driver and enjoy his spirit as a person. As a business owner, I would welcome and appreciate the same qualities he displays in building a good team. Bravo.
...in that you are absolutely right sir. Marchione is one great piece of FIAT success too, of course Luca is not alone in this.But the way he has run Ferrari for the last 17 years is just a demonstration of his capacity...INCLUDING his input for the F1 team. the new product focus on the model line has been clue to FIAT rebirth, among other design efforts directed by Luca...Marchionne is a famous Financial Mind...maybe Luca isnt that Financially oriented, he´s a lawyer and a racer, but for sure has the passion and the guts to do the things that need to be done, he´s one of the best speakers I´ve heard, and knows how to motivate people.
That wasn't just competition between the LH + Alonso. It was bubbling, foaming, hate your guts, spite + callousness. Competition can be a good thing. But add some 'secret' ingredients, eg. the B.media, LH + his dad's bubbling arrogance, Alonso's + Rd'd personalities + detonator ready ... 5.4.3.2..1 showtime. That type of BS ends in bloody triumph or complete disgrace. As mentioned b4, Alonso's serene smile in Brazil is a well deserved finale. Collage it with LH hanging from that crane = McL 07. Turn 180 -> Yellowbird's post WDC photo of Massa. Kimi. Todt.
McNamara oversaw the Vietnam War as SecDef. There are 58,000 names on a wall in Washington DC due to McNamara's "managerial excellence". McNamara himself later admitted his responsibility for those deaths on film 30 years later. If this is the sterling example of professional achievement that you find worth emulating, then I feel sorry for you. What next, you going to cite Neville Chamberlain as the model for diplomacy? Wow, Fiat sells a lot of cars in Italy...who'da thunk it. That has got to be the most ridiculous example of managerial talent that I can possibly imagine. YOU could sell Fiats in Italy, for chrissake. I make my living as a portfolio manager, I have forgotten more about corporate finance and investment analysis than you will ever know. If you want to buy Fiat shares, I am more than happy to sell them to you.
The only performance I'd call great (in recent memory) when a driver comes roaring from the back was Kimi in 2005 in Japan. He started 17th or so and came all the way up and actually passed both Fernando and Fisi with the race almost over. That was incredible. All the other times, Kimi in other races, Michael in a few, Massa, even Montoya in one, just wasn't the same. I wasn't impressed with those performances because it was just expected. Coming from 17th to win...now that's almost unheard of.
I think the bottom line is that FIAT has made a pretty good recovery in realtion to how bad off they were 3-4 years ago....
Was Luca, involved with the GM-FIAT Deal, several years ago? Where GM, had to pay FIAT, a penalty of about 2 Billion Dollars, if they didn't buy a majority share of FIAT? I still cannot fathom the logic that GM, used in agreeing to a deal like that? How did Luca, pull that off? Ciao...Paolo
pppfffttt....you and your accuracy...did I ever said I liked McNamara? Or supported his involvment in the Vietnam war?...and Im on Churchil side by the way...or you mean the Chamberlain on the NBA? ...the relation was auto industry-government in a managerial level...and LDM being a great manager is no secret to anybody... WRONG...they dont sell much...You know a lot of carmarket share dont you?...you didnt even read the numbers...he´s the 5th seller...way down in the foodchain for italy, and since this guys took over they are SELLING more CARS than any leader, growing faster, making more money... nevermind...why do I bother....
Personally I like Kimi + Massa much better than MS (or LH type of life forms), and these guys still have years ahead of them.
You cited him as an analogy for LdM to move into government because of his excellence in business management. My point is that if you wanted to do so, you could have found a hell of a lot better example than McNamara. I am not questioning if LdM has done an excellent job, I think he has done well. However the points you make in support of your statements are ridiculous.
