One more year for Kimi?

Lol

Maurizio Arrivabene pushed Ferrari to produce a car to suit Kimi Raikkonen

I guess you know more than Arrivabene.

 

What underlies this request is that the 2014 car was built to suit Alonso. And Alonso's style is different than nearly every other driver in F1.

 

...

The 2015 suspension is radically different in geometry, and how it distributes the loads on the tires. The 2014 had an aerodynamically, but mechanically inferior design. Alonso believed himself to be such a driver as to be immune to the mechanical defects, but the pitiful results proved otherwise. Kimi's input was more valued for the 2015 car, and may be part of why Alonso left as he didn't like taking a second seat in anything.

If Alonso were still alpha at Ferrari, the 2015 wouldn't be as good as it is.

 

We heard a lot about the 2014 car being built to suit Alonso as the reason (read: excuse) Kimi was slower than Alonso. This year the car is built to suit Kimi, yet Vettel has consistently outperformed him thus far. Sorry, but I just don't see how he's anything more than a good second driver.

 

All hail Alonso, the greatest ever. Even in a Marusia he would be winning races. Yay verily, if put into last years caterham, even Alonso would win the next Grand Prix. He can do no wrong, and all teams want his gloriouriousness presence. Verily, but even when he didst stroll by the Ferrari pits this year when his car hadst failed, his aura didst embolden the Ferrari crew members into smiles of jubiliation.

Alonsos greatness exceeds that of all that have come before, and will follow after. When he was in hospital, did not all the teams mourn, and and drivers to, and say, "Why hast this great presence left us, we have sinned, we have turned back on the good way."

 

this. kimi has been great.

fix what is broken-the pu needs more hp, which is on the way. no great mystery here, just need to out-develop benz, and i think they can do it.

 

So why doesn't Allison back this up? Weird. There is no reason why he shouldn't but he clearly doesn't.

I guess I'll have to accept that the truth is somewhere in the middle, and of course they like to keep some things a secret.
Pete

 

Can you provide references please, instead of anti-Alonso opinions.

The change to the lower wishbone is for aerodynamic benefits not geometrical. Note also according to Allison the F2015 has aero improvements over the F2014 which is interesting, because Ferrari apparently compromised the F2014 engine/PU for aero gain ... weird that we are now being told that 50% of the F2015 gains are aero ... somebody with the F2014 obviously got it wrong, I guess.

Thanks
Pete

 

Yes this is correct, but this is an aero benefit.

I think we have to all be realistic and understand that once the carbon monocoque is designed, and it takes a long time to build, there is little that can be changed. Therefore the packaging and suspension pickup points are locked in stone.

Sure the team manager requested the car to suit Kimi, but his influence is minor compared to James Allison but I concede that James knows what Kimi likes. But they have not started from a clean sheet of paper, they have modified the F2014 which was not the best car, but it still was the second best car and the F2015 is still the second best car and improving .
Pete

 

All very amusing but Kimi is NOT the best driver on the grid either, and is unable to fight a struggling car to a good position. Unfortunately in the real world a car is rarely perfect ... if they always were the Irvines, Massas, Barchellos, etc. would have WDC next to their names and so many more.

Vettel's last race also made me wonder. Have we got a Berger Alesi pairing now? Time will tell.
Pete

 

Why doesn't JA back this - Politics maybe ?

 

People like to ignore the obvious. Last year was alonsos team. His rules as it had been for the previous years. Finally ferrari wises up to the fact that no matter how great a driver is, if he's not a team player they're not going to have success.

Schumachers team still involved having a definitive second and developing an all around great car by pounding laps around the fiorano until they got the car right.

God i miss those days.

 

Vettel has done a phenomal job!

 

Agreed.

 

Not really the same, as explained by Scalabroni here:

Videos - F1 Ferrari SF15-T vs F14T suspension, with Enrique Scalabroni


And as predicted by me here:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/143597172-post38.html

The stiffness gains are also a result of having a more appropriate pull-rod angle, where the pull-rod is now somewhat more vertical so more effectively transmitting the vertical tire displacement to the spring/damper elements. Last year's design was trying to react a vertical displacement with a nearly horizontal pull-rod, resulting in huge loads that would challenge the stiffest suspension elements.

 

And FA could drive around all this and still challenge and Kimi could not. Im quite pleased to see Kimi driving better and on the podium. IM under no illusions how he compares to FA. He doesnt.

The pairing at Ferrari is simply closer to each other and they have a car they like + some harmony in the team. That should always bring results. Still the team hesitate to renew Kimi waiting on more results. Prudent given his past and his unpredictable consistency. Smart move.

 

Must be. I can't come up with any other reason. He has been very specific in saying that there were no changes other than to stiffen up an area where it was flexing. Puzzling.

ingegnere,

The wishbones are still at silly angles so sorry I have to disagree with you here. In the end there is minimal suspension movement in the front suspension of a F1 car, so aero gains are far more important.

I will now watch the video link. Thanks ... [EDIT]Sorry that is NOT Ferrari saying anything that is a reporter, and I have actually watched that before and he is just guessing. Please post a real link!!

So still the only real comments come from Allison and a team manager that is a long way away from the detail and by his own admission gave them only 3 months ... hmmm, I'll stick with JA's comments thanks that there has been minimal changes to the front suspension from F14T to F15T.

BTW: How did Ferrari copy the Mercedes lower front wishbone design so well ... who sent them the design, or are we to believe that is a happy coincidence? No way they could have made that change once the Merc was unveiled, and it was not like that in 2014. Very interesting. Do we have some stealing of information going on here? ... [/EDIT]
Pete

 

Pete,

Not to derail this thread to a technical discussion, just want to make a couple of clarifications:

- Maybe you're not aware, but Enrique Scalabroni is not just a journalist, but a former F1 designer, ex-Williams, Ferrari, etc., and responsible for the 1990 641.

- There was some work done on the suspension last year, not very noticeable but probably trying to address feel/stiffness issue but they were obviously limited by having to maintain chassis pick-up points.

- Merc did have the lower wishbone with close-coupled pick up points last year, hence Ferrari "borrowing" the idea this year.

Agree that Alonso was able to drive around the issues of the car last year. Obviously his driving style doesn't rely on front end feel. Still remember the in-cars during his Renault days when he would put in full steering lock in tight turns with the tires not close to being pointed in the same direction of the car direction. Couldn't really be described as understeer, because the car was hitting he apex, so probably steering more with the rear.

 

Yes I am aware, but the point I am trying to make is Ferrari have said via JA they have not modified the front suspension. I want a link contradicting this from Ferrari otherwise I'm believing JA.

This makes sense and maybe taken over to the F2015.

My mistake. I thought this was a 2015 change ... insert embarrassed emoticon.

Agree other than the definition of understeer has nothing to do with hitting the apex but how much steering lock is required to obtain the desired change of direction. So Alonso likes an understeering front, not a nervous front. Prost also used to like a bit of understeer but no where as much as Alonso. It is unusual at this level.
Pete

 

If this is so clear-cut...not sure you should, Pete; never heard the italian saying: "Inglese italianizatto, diavolo incarnato"?

Rgds

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQzMrbDtndE[/ame]

SF15-t suspension IS different to last years, having a positive effect on the car.

 

Okay I accept James Allison lied for some confusing reason. I don't understand why he would not have said this when be so clearly said they didn't.

All in all this years car is a positive improvement.

Time will tell if "we" have the right drivers because history has shown that Kimi has Berger like motivation issues and is randomly fast, and with the last race Vettel had a shocker.
Pete

 

Vet had trouble with a particular corner IIRC, whereas Kimi seemed to nail it, <(maybe driving a dog previous years helped him in that regard) it seems the car suits both drivers, Ferrari are certainly heading in the right direction...the question is, how much more have Merc of their hand left to show..

 

I can't figure out why this thread became a Kimi vs. Alonso / Kimi vs. Vettel thread. Just because some of us support Kimi, doesn't mean we are "against" Alonso or Vettel: the two positions are not mutually exclusive.

The issue this thread addressed is whether or not Kimi will be at Ferrari next year. Based on his performance thus far, I think he has answered that question, hasn't he?