Kimi's engine to be inspected...

i don't think an engine change is needed. i doubt if the engine is even damaged after all. this could be just some mind games Ferrari's trying to play with it's rivals.

however, Kimi said at Sepang yesterday that Ferrari will run his aussie used V8 thru practice at Sepang next weekend, build up to the Malaysian Gp, before making a final decision.

 

yes. it's currently 1439 hours here. practice should be still going on. heavy rain for the past 2 hours.

 

In my opinion, they should change the engine. If Ferrari's collossal lead from Ausi has remained (which in all probability it has), then I see no reason why Kimi couldn't win from 11th position, assuming he gets pole.

Remember, Kimi is at least 1 second a lap quicker than his competitiors!

 

Realistically, the chance for a new engine to score points is greater than the chance of a failing motor to score points.

But, we aren't the people that designed and built the motor, nor are we privy to what that motor experienced during the last race.

Any number of things can go wrong on a race motor, and I'm sure most of us have no clue as to what those things are, and how teams go about predicting failure via sensors and what not.

After last season, I'd be shocked to learn that Ferrari haven't learned from their mistakes; safe bets are on the side of Ferrari that they have learned and have taken steps that mitigate failure and are acutely concerned about the weaknesses in the engine.

A team like Ferrari also must compare all that to the drivers they have; Massa probably cannot drag an ailing car home whereas Schumi could have, or bolting a new rocket to Kimi's ass and sitting back while he blows the doors of everyone is probably a safe bet, if you look at how Kimi drives.

Me? I'd give Kimi a new rocket and enough room in which to use it; better to finish in the low end of points than not to finish at all.

Where speed matters the most, and not smarts, I'd give Kimi the edge short term over Alonso.

Minor setback over a race,but big enough to warrant concern over a season.

I hope Ferrari can teach Kimi to be fast and smart, which they probably will.

 

we will find out after practice sessions in a little over one week...even with new engine, and starting mid or back, kimi will bring home the points...

 

http://www.formula1.com/race/news/5866/771.html

He's not smiling yet.

 

They will change his engine, and he will do no better than fourth, Alonso for the win.

It's going to be a long season.

 

I think they ought to go with 'you race the motor you qualified with', and be done with it.

 

I would use the engine for qualifying, drive the snot out of it and change it thereafter. With rain in the forecast and this being a wide track, anything is possible and a ten place penalty from pole is not that hard.

 

If it breaks during Quali then bye bye race points. You can't come from dead last in the rain as easily as in the dry.The back markers will be sliding more, more unstable, more unwilling to get off the line and when the track is drying, there's only one driving line anyway.

I say, swap engines before Quali and start near the top. This is the safest way to secure the most points.

 

Almost as good as winning from last place on the grid, as Kimi demonstrated in Bahrain. Now this is Kimiesque!

 

Kimi never won Bahrain.

2004 Schumi
2005 Fred
2006 Fred

 

Sounds like a little PR and pre race drama to make you think that KR isn't a shoe in to win the next race. I'm sure the engine will hold and this will prove itself.

 

The last place you want to be in the rain is on the traditional racing line. That's where all the rubber and oil is and it makes that part of the corner very slippery. Take a look at any of the rain-meister's wet racing lines and you'll see they're off of the normal apex and turn-in points are also off from their normal spots.

IMO it's a great deal easier to come from the back in a wet race than a dry if you're good at racing in the wet. Why? Because the performance/talent gap is that much wider.

 

+1 basic racing rule, heck they even taught me that at Skip Barber when it poured on our 2nd day

+1

 

So.... whatever race Kimi started from last place and won? That one.

 

If you can see ...

I love racing in the rain but it is a bit of a lottery and that first lap is damn friggin scary because you can't see bugger all until the cars separate a bit. I used to look out the side and knew the track so well that I would start braking by memory ... hoping the guy behind me was on to it.

Pete

 

Yeah the gap is wider if it's a time trial. On a wet track like I said, there will be more sliding and running wide by the back markers and if pressured they will slip up even more. Assuming you're pushing 100% most likely you'll be trying to over take or be next to the slider in question as that's when he's under the most pressure.

Good point on the wet line and that proves my point on the sliding and there's still only one racing line.

Good luck making up your own line when passing for position. One racing line means "same ol' same ol'" for F1.

It'll take 20 laps for you to get by and when you do, your tires will be shredded and you'll be out of fuel "see you in the pits!".

 

You know I think is great that Ferrari's prospects for victories or podium finishes is so high that we wouldn't worry if either driver started from P13-15, or even the pit lane, but then again, we're talking about a car coming from the back half of the grid to first place. Just think about. That is called dominance. When its that predictable of the finish, it really makes me wonder why teams even try to beat the front runners when they have that little of a chance.

 

A midfield team's motivation is a bit different:
- sponsor money
- TV (=Bernie's) money
- hope for an occasional pileup at the front
- move up in the food chain
- love of racing (e.g. Williams)