Problems with the new 2010 Ferrari already?

Add Webber, Button and Nico (unlikely but go with it), into the mix possibly, and so long as Alonso (and Massa ) are getting reasonably into the points at the start of the season, then there's still a chance for a WDC at the Scuderia.

Keep the faith My man, keep the faith!.

 

Even if the rumors are true its too early to write the car and/or season off.
If there is no dominant team out of the blocks, and points are spread more evenly than last year, then there is time even to re-design the aero if need be.
The past several years have shown that simple changes can completely change the performance.

When and where is the first group test ?
That will be the indicator.

Dont forget they have Alonso. Perhaps the best developement driver out there (along with MS).

 

True, but with a ban on testing his input will be limited.

 

Andreas please put down the gun and come in off the ledge
Writing them off before we've even seen the car never mind seen it in action is a bit hasty. There's a reason that the races are run.

 

Okay, so are going to pay up on your bet already then, as it seems you've given up already!.

Is this the sort of attitude that won Kimi a WDC against all the odds?. Is this the attitude that helped Gilles Villeneuve win races in a car that as uncompetitive as they come?.

Okay, so Alonso's development talents will be hampered by the testing ban. But do you know who it will affect most of all on the grid?, none other than Michael Schumacher, a man who seemingly used to test 24/7 and yet no one's writing him off already. Both of them are going to have to rely more on their raw racing talent this year and frankly, I'm not ready to give up on Alonso's racing instincts just yet.

 

+1 on all counts.

 

Well the season isn't over yet, but I have given up to some degree that I'll win that bet. Given the situation now, I wouldn't bet that Alonso outscores MS anymore. There is still hope, since I don't think MS will bag the title (nor will Alonso) but it is little hope.

 

Thats because Alonso aint no Schumacher and never will be.

 

True. And that's a good thing.

 

Like I have said before though, Schumacher's not totally invincible. His past success' have relied heavily on being able to test the car almost non stop. If you look at the races where he was outshone by his teammate, he struggled to improve because he didn't have enough time to adjust the car to suit his liking. Yes he has a lot of natural talent but that's not always been enough to get him out of trouble.
I'm not saying he's going to struggle this season, I'm just saying not to give up on the bet just yet, because it's not a done deal by any means.

 

+1 . We'll see, we'll see...

 

For Mercedes...

 

Maybe they're ok after all.

 

So this is what the new diffusor trouble is all about? Ferrari doesn't have problems, but a radically new design? I really wonder if the A3 paper sized hole will be accepted by the FIA as a "slot"

 

Very cool. I was wondering if Massa's times were a fluke; this is encouraging....
Someone go get Andreas off the bridge...

 

Seems too big and too simple to just be circulating around the media eh.

If the guy got picked up to be head of aero at Ferrari, he must have something though. I believe his predecessor is now at McLaren in the same function.

 

Absolutely. But the clever thing about the double diffusors of last year was that they managed to declare (illegal) holes in the diffusor as slots and somehow got away with it. I can't see how that works with a A3 sized hole! Nevertheless, refreshing to see that Ferrari seems to be ahead of the other teams this time. Not something we were used to over the last years.

 

Some pretty changes between McLaren and Ferrari:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80988

McLaren has signed former Ferrari man John Iley as its new head of aerodynamics.

Iley held the same role at Ferrari until mid-way through the 2009 season, when he left the team.

Ferrari's new structure has Marco de Luca as chief aerodynamicist and former McLaren man Nikolas Tombazis as chief designer.

 

The times are encouraging, but we haven't really seen the real guns yet:

Hamilton and Vettel

 

Not a hint about fuel consumption which will be crucial this year

 

Correctomundo..

 

Plenty of talk about paint and style though