LdM criticizes Massa

Nice to see tradition being respected

Nothing like giving a vote of confidence to your driver before the season even starts.
If he's not up to the job eat the contract and sack him now.

 

+1 but didnt you know even that process is Massa's fault. Plenty here would agree it is lol!!
Ian's link points out the other side of LdM. He has so many. Poor guy he must get confused in front of the mirror in the morning.

 

Lets just balance that statement out a bit:

They spent too long causing problem for each other, instead of looking after their own races.

It wasn't all one sided, despite what certain fans might want to think!

And without LDM at the helm, would these two people have joined Ferrari in the first place?, I seriously doubt it, especially considering the mess the team was in prior to LDM returning, what with all the infighting and internal power struggles that were going on.

Like him or not, it seems to be easily forgotten that LDM turned chaos into order and prevented Ferrari (as a whole company and not just the racing side), from going into complete self destruction!

 

Balance my arse, get real, you seriously think Hamilton wanted trouble, all he wanted to do was get round him.
Massa was hell bent on not letting it happen, remember Smedley's radio messages "destroy Hamiltons race".

 

Hamilton made a mess of his race weekends and starting taking desperate chances to get past Massa, most of which did not pay off.

Massa continually made a mess of his race weekends and was desperately defending, trying not to lose places to Hamilton, most of which did not pay off.

They were as bad as each other! (As the old saying goes: It takes two to Tango!).




As for Smedley's radio radio message, show Me the proof that his statement mean't: "destroy Hamiltons race by running into him!"

Every team tries to "destroy" an opponents race by holding them up for as long as they can if their opponent is faster but behind their second driver on track. Tactics like this are used constantly, by all the teams throughout all the races.

Or do you honestly believe that if Alonso were to come up behind the 2nd McLaren car on track and was faster, McLaren would send out an order to their driver to say: "Let him past please, don't hold him up!"?

They would tell their driver to defend the position for as long as possible to "destroy" Alonso's chances of catching their other driver and in the process "destroy" his race.

Please feel free to tell Me I'm wrong about McLaren, but I've yet to see any halo's over their heads when they go racing! (or over the heads of any other team come to that, including Ferrari!)

 

No one in their right mind (and Steve )would say that Massa has as much talent as Lewis does and there is obviously some bad blood between them but I see no argument that confirms any intent on Phil's part to crash Hamilton out.

 

We run into that issue regularly in the Dutch section. In Dutch it means the same as in Latin countries.


Onno

 

It took MS five seasons to win his first championship at Ferrari.


Onno

 

Lets just balance that, read below without your Massa blinkers on.

As I posted before you edited my original post, you could argue that's what a #2 driver is for. However he did that badly.

+100

 

Button won't go to Ferrari. Why should he? He's comfortable and happy at McLaren and doing a great job for them. He's probably secretly enjoying showing up his "number 1."

 

+1

Rob is a blunt Northern lad and knows Phil much better than anyone here - How to motivate him, support him, give him a shoulder to cry on etc. The entire Ferrari team stood to benefit enormously by Phil holding him up - aka, "destroying his race". I'm 100% certain the transmission in no way meant "take him out".

If it had been say, Mark, being told the same (to hold up a faster car) I don't think we'd have the howls from the haters.......

Cheers,
Ian

 

I agree with both of you 100%.

 

Massa blinkers? I seem to recall posting:

Followed by:

I have clearly asserted that they were both equally at fault for their incidents and so fail to see how I am posting with "Massa blinkers" on!

The replies I have received however show a blatant bias in that they lay all the blame squarely on Massa without accepting that Hamilton was on occasions, the architect of his own misfortune.
However, it is strange that those in charge of the sport did not agree with you that it was only Massa who was to blame (obviously a conspiracy against Hamilton!)

(I apologize for missing your comment about #2 drivers. it was there and yet somehow I did not see it. )

I agree entirely, but unlike yourself, I do not believe that the incidents that occurred between the two were premeditated or done deliberately (by Massa or by Hamilton). It is My belief that they were unfortunate miscalculations on both sides that resulted in penalties on both sides (some deserved, some not - again on both sides [Damn!, there I go again being all biased!])

I think you're both making a terrible misinterpretation of that message.
As I read it, the message: "destroy Hamilton's race" was no different to: "Hold Hamilton up for as long as you can! and not: "Smash him off the track!"

I find it quite shocking that you both think that Rob smedley would call for Massa to deliberately run into another car and that Massa would actually do that!
(Frankly, that insinuation has to go down as one of the most disappointing things I have ever read on this site!)
At least I'm not the only one who doesn't believe it:

 

True, and the dream team (Brawn/Todt/Schumacher) produced extraordinary results. So, perhaps we shouldn't expect them from any other designer/manager/driver combination. However, I'm not saying that FA is the wrong driver to build the new dynasty around, but I certainly do question the strategy of paying for the perceived "best" talent when something else may be lacking. Ultimately, I think if the Scuderia gets the car right, they'll be battling for the overall lead with FA. Not just the "best of the rest". And, they didn't even measure up to that moniker, which went to McLaren.

However, the most important question is what mix of pure driving talent, testing, development, production, innovation and so forth will give the Scuderia the opportunity to leapfrog two VERY intense, hard-working, successful and talented competitors (Red Bull and McLaren). IMO, MS had a machine-like commitment to testing and development. Raikkonen sure didn't. I don't know if all the rules changes even allow for that any longer. But, is FA capable of the same feat? He's certainly working hard (I assume), but the question is when, if ever, will the WCC come back to the Scuderia.

CW

 

Exactly, Smedley the same clown making a mockery of, at the time banned team order rule, by making it blatantly obvious what they were doing, seems he never learnt.

 

Take away points from the opposition.

Fair enough - We're going to beg to differ on this one. It was just a matter of terminology. I really don't think the intent was for Phil to try and knock him out as you seem to be implying - Just the way they talk "up North!"

Cheers,
Ian

 

The fact that the overtaking rules have been changed this year speaks volumes to me, I suggest you read up on it, before apportioning your 2 to tango blame.

 

Sorry Steve, I believe you're mistaken in this case - No "no team orders" rule last season when this incident occurred.

I'll concede his "Fred is faster than you" comment from 2010 (?) was wrong, but as we've discussed ad-nauseam they were all guilty of it, just not so blatantly.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Yes I can agree with the up North bit, however he is meant to be top of the game stuff stupid comments IMO.

Had Brawn been there, (Northern guy) he would have got a good slap..

 

Alonso faster than you comment Ian, year before I know.. then he says sorry bonehead IMO.

 

If we can, in fact, lay the blame for the new overtaking rules on Massa's doorstep I will never forgive him his trespasses.

 

Him and the old shoe master ..IMO..