Is McLaren Really That Much Faster

I think it is that much faster over one lap, which is a huge advantage at monaco

 

But Alonso was faster in the beginning of the race because of his soft tires, you can't have it both ways.

 

Isn't being faster on every lap a huge advantage in EVERY race?

 

Kimi is faster than Alonso!

McLaren is a WC winning team and superior to Renault that have yet to win their own WC.

I know who I would have my money on if I was a betting person.

It appears as if McLaren are back! ... but hopefully Renault will rise to the challenge.
Pete

 

NO!

NO!!!

come on, I've got $10 that says Alonso will beat Kimi

McLaren are back alright, at the BACK of the pack starting next race!!

They're a team for wankers Pete, led by the all time head wanker RD

RD is an arsehole and will never rise above ameoba!

Phew, got that off my chest

now just waiting like the 21 years before the GE (golden era) for another win.

 

A month or so ago:
1) Fisichella is on fire
2) Renault are unbeatable

A few weeks ago:
1) Alonso is on fire
2) Renault is still on fire

Now
1) Kimi is on fire
2) McLaren are unbeatable

This is what happens in F1 when there is no real racing on the track due to Mickey Mouse rule changes every day.

Renault and McLaren are nothing but flashes in a pan. One hit wonders. The current rules make F1 a lottery game and the past 6 races prove that.

Ferrari are going to be crowned World Champions again. It does not matter what a team can achieve in one or two races. When Ferrari iron out the remaining issues it will be consistent 1 - 2 or 1 - 3 finishes that really matter.

F1 is a team sport. Both the Driver's WC and the Constructor's WC are team titles that are one by the entire team. Any great F1 racer will tell you that. The team to beat after Nurburgring will be Ferrari!

 

John,

Er, read the history books mate ... no WC for Renault EVER!. Benetton may have a couple and Williams, etc. with Renault power but NONE for Renault.

McLaren is my second team ... and the blood line or the team goes back to one of the greatest motorsport driver/engineers/thinkers motorsport has ever seen ... and he was no wanker ! I will admit that RD has occasionally pissed me off ...

Okay I'll come to the party and bet $10 (AUS) that Kimi/McLaren will beat Alonso/Renault.
Pete

 

Imagine MS in Kimi's car last weekend. That would have been interesting. Remember he still recorded fastest lap in that poor Ferrari. Just think what he could have done in that rocket car that Kimi had.

 

Agree ... but remember 2003 and 2004 (German GP ... before the rear wing collapsed). Kimi is the only driver who has really pushed MS is a fair one on one race. By this I mean they have actually paced each other with Kimi pulling away when apparently on the same strategy. Alonso has beaten MS ... but that was a dog fight and MS was faster!

Also that poor Ferrari is actually quite fast ... just take so long to wind up the race is lost .

Pete

 

You misunderstand. My point was that if they had put his car on harder tires the gap between the McLaren and the Renault at the beginning of the race would have been even larger. IE: Kimi would have gapped Alonso more than just 3 seconds after 8 laps.

I never thought Alonso was faster than Kimi...

 

Yeah, but Kimi has never lapped Micheal like Alonso has. He has done it twice. Personally I don't think anyone in F1 currently has pushed Micheal the way Mika has. If it wasn't for these ridiculous rules, Micheal would have run away with the Championship.

 

That is not correct according to accounts I read on F1.com. Michael's fastest lap was actually set about 15 laps into his final stint. Kimi ceratinly was lighter than that earlier in the race when he was still pushing.

 

You missed my point.

Alonso has lapped MS (and many others) but that could be argued due to car performance, etc.

What we witnessed at the 2003 German GP, before Kimi's wing broke was 2 racers on a track with NO other traffic, with even pit strategies giving it their all. That is very rare.

And the interesting thing was ... Kimi was slowly pulling away from MS!

Now ofcourse one could acceptably argue that the McLaren was the better car that day ... fair enough, but it was all even stuff and the Kimi was sticking it to MS fair and square.

Pete

 

15 laps into MS's final stint ... lets see Kimi was already thinking about post race celebrations, etc. and thus keeping the car safely off the walls.

Thus MS had everything to prove, needed to catch RB and RS and to also show that there was life and performance left in him yet. Kimi on the other hand had the win in the bag ... he did not need to push ... but probably could have.

So we will really never know who had the ultimately faster car ... I reckon Kimi myself, 'cause the track would have been well rubbered up by the time MS set that lap and Kimi didn't respond (as a sensible driver won't have). Thus I think Kimi's car would have been quicker later in the race too IMO.

Pete

 

Hmmm... a die hard Ferrari fan ?

 

Will Renault be able to respond to McLaren?

 

Not only do I agree with the comment that
Alonso and Raikkonen are "flashes-in-the-pan"
but I will take the discussion one additional step
by stating that Bernie Eccelstone and everyone
connected to F1 managerment better be hoping
for a turn-around by the Scuderia. Soon!
Attendance at F1 venues are almost totally
correlated to the success of Ferrari. Did anyone
happen to notice the "empty seats" at Imola
that normally would be occupied by a sea of Scuderia
Red, flag-waving Tifosi.
Evening the playing field of Formula 1 with misguided
rule changes may prove to be a financial and p.r.
disaster.

 

NO! Renault was using the hard compound Michlin tires in Monaco in both cars. That is the worring part!!!

What has Renault done to the car to screw the tires so badly in the last 2 races?

- Julio.

 

On the other hand have you noticed how full was Spain and Monaco compared to previous years. I am not so sure Ferrari is who fills the races, maybe in Italy. But out of Italy what makes a GP an entry success is to have a driver of the sorroundings (meaning nationality) with posibilities to do something.

If Speed gets into the F1 I am sure Indianapolis will be packed with people, no matter what team he is driving for.

F1 is gaining terrain, on TV audiences and attendance, despite what Ferrai is doing, so therefore Ferrari is not so important to F1 as some would like.

- Julio.

 

I don't think Kimi or Alonso could be accurately described as a 'flash in the pan'. I have always admired Alonso and hope to see him do well. I am no Kimi fan, but I think he is possibly as goos as Alonso.
I agree that at most race tracks around the world the majority of fans there are cheering for Ferrari. However attendances at Monza and Imola were actually declining in the last couple of years, when Ferrari were doing very well.
Any teams domination is not good for the sport. That's what makes this season so exciting. We can see that the Renaults were great and Alonso has managed to build quite a lead. Kimi probably has the better car now, but he needs to win races with Alonso DNF'ing . The Ferrari is obviously a fast car in the race, but hampered in qualifying, but the new style qualifying should help us.
I think 2005 is shaping up to be a classic season.