Benoit: Ferrari has given up 2009

This way, since testing is very limited, they can circumvent the rule by doing their testing on race weekend. Yes Andreas, I have to say this, sadly this takes away the opportunity for Massa to win a WDC with Ferrari. Looks like another team might get that honor.

 

One question. Will the new in-season testing restrictions limit work on the new car as well?
While some design work can proceed will track testing and wind tunnel work have to wait until the fall?
If so it will be tougher to pull a "Brawn" this time around.

 

i really hope this isn't the case. we're only 3 races in and the championship hasn't even been to europe yet.

 

You sure about wind tunnel work and CAD? My understanding that both were strictly limited once the season started. ( not that I've never been wrong )

The rule changes from last year to this year made a redesign meaningful, not so now.
In that the specs won't be changing that much they must feel that the 09 car is beyond all hope.

 

If Ferrari were to sell their 2009 car to a private party, and that private party was to do testing on the car, could Ferrari then look at the results from said private party...?

 

Sub-contracted work is counted too.
Nice try though

 

Not only that, but next year the front tires will be more narrow. Too much oversteer in this years design.

 

I just read about this, I'll try and find it. The FIA limits the amount of cfd/simulation to 80gb, or tb, (i forget which) weekly usage. This limits the amount of people/resources etc that teams will use instead of on-track testing.
It was an interesting article in a tech magazine...the FIA monitors the data usage.
Kevin

 

Assuming Alonso arrives at Ferrari next year - Massa will never get a WDC, even if he sees out his career at Ferrari. I am sure Ferrari feel he is not a #1 driver, and Ferrari wants a #1 driver, so even if Alonso doesn't make his way to red, the result would be the same, IMO... just replace Alonso with Vettel or Hamilton or whomever.

Good to hear Ferrari are accepting reality though. The only giant potential kick in the balls will be if the FIA changes the rules to change how testing is done... I can see them doing that if this seasons' results get turned on their ear, using the justification that it is detrimental to the spectacle of the sport for slow teams to have no chance to catch fast teams.

 

The sponsors will be thrilled to hear the news.

Perhaps Ferrari is mailing a rebate check as we speak.

 

I was just thinking the same thing...
Nothing like paying big bucks, only to have your team give up after 3 races...

 

But if the Fiat deal with Opel goes through and the the test car is badged as an Opel...

 

Yes, losing WDC by 1 point is not the mark of a champion.

 

I agree.

When a driver has the fastest car, the full support of the team, his teammate slowing down so he can take wins he didn't deserve, and the FIA interfering to grant him undeserved points, and he still loses the WDC, then that driver is simply not a WDC caliber driver.

Well said.

 

Mike, you're never gonna convince those dyed in the wool Massa supporters, that the FIA did everything under the sun possible to help his chances--to make it as close as possible. They simply won't accept that, even though most of us with the ability to take a step back and look at things more clearly, can easily see the ins and outs...

 

I'm sure the boys in red are combing the rules for next season in serious detail...and planning next year's car accordingly.. depending on how much the regs will change, using this year's car and the races as 'testing' could be hugely beneficial, and the right way to go. this year, it's clear that Aero performance is critical to grip levels, and any data gained over the course of the season from races and CFD will be valuable...

 

Exactly.

 

+100!

Hard to see the forest with all those trees in the way...

 

Who are you talking about, Raikkonen? Or Massa? Knowing that you are a Hamiltonian, you are probably talking about Massa? Am I close? For the benefit of those here with short memories, when did Raikkonen slow down so Massa could win, except after it was determined that Raikkonen had no chance at winning the WDC? And can you say that no other team or driver pairing has ever done that? Like when Massa gave up his position so Raikkonen could win the 2007 WDC? And of course there were no team errors to cause a driver to lose points, like the unimaginable leaving of a gas refill hose on the car as the driver drove away after being given a "good to go" signal by his pit crew.

Obviously, other drivers, especially those that drive McLarens, are never guilty of rules infractions. I get it. I know, the FIA story. Get real.

You say "full support of his team"? Then you are of course referring to BMW?

You need to be on the McLaren Love Site.

 

This is very true. I know first hand that many of the engineers in departments are not actual employees of the Gestione Sportiva but work for their respective companies still as a 'consultant'

 

Ron,

I am not a "Hamiltonian". I don't understand why some people have a need to toss those kinds of labels around like I am "secretly" a supporter of Hamilton and I hate all things Ferrari. I am always very clear where I stand. I like certain teams and certain drivers. Some teams and drivers I dislike. Some I am neutral to. I like Hamilton. I dislike Massa. I like Kimi. I dislike Alonso. I like Button. I dislike Barrichello. I like Trulli. I dislike Webber. I like Vettel. Etc, etc.

My opinions re:Massa have absolutely NOTHING to do with Hamilton. I disliked him 2 years ago when he was Schumi's lapdog and nobody thought he was anything. I still don't think he's anything, so it has nothing to do with Hamilton. Actually I never even mentioned the word Hamilton, so it sounds to me like you have Hamilton on the brain. Or, perhaps rather than me being a "Hamiltonian" you have Hamiltonitis... "a deep rooted inability to see anything nice in Lewis Hamilton and the belief that anything he does is bad".

Getting back to Massa...Raikkonen slowed to let Hamilton win *after* Massa was clearly the one who was leading the WDC fight. I am not saying he did it before. I see you acknowledge that Kimi slowed to let Massa win. Ok, good. We both know it is against the rules.. "no team orders that affect the outcome of the race". So, you are saying Ferrari cheated in 2008 to try to win the WDC. Yes, they did. I don't care, but they did, IF you define cheating to be "doing anything that is contrary to the rules". And yes, Ferrari also cheated in 2007 to let Kimi win the WDC. Again, if you want to strictly interpret the rules, then Ferrari cheated to win it (therefore Hamilton is obviously the rightful winner of the 2007 WDC, right Ron?).

When I say "full support of the team", I mean that Felipe had every resource within Ferrari working towards his WDC title bid as much as he needed and as much as possible. That is unlike, for example, McLaren in 07 when both drivers had equal support to the end.

I am not trying to say anything other than what I said.... Massa is not a WDC caliber driver, and my basis for that is he had every possible chance last year... fastest car, team/teammate cheating to try to help him win, FIA adjusting results to try to help him win, penalties handed out to anyone who got in his way or to other drivers if they got too far in front of him, and he still lost. He just isn't a WDC caliber driver. He's no Hamilton, or Alonso, or Vettel.

He'll never be a WDC winner. He won't win it this year and next year, assuming Alonso comes to Ferrari, there will be a huge difference in performance between Fernando and Felipe. Felipe will have to accept that he is the #2 driver, despite having a lucky year and kidding himself into thinking he may actually be a WDC caliber driver, when he really isn't.



Disclaimer: I do not think Ferrari cheated in 2007 and 2008... but it is a fact that the (stupid) rules were broken in order to give Felipe a better chance of winning.