Aggressive? Is that what you call it? How about incompetent, that seems more appropriate. Aggressive passing is what JPM used to pull on Schumacher. All I saw of Massa was him being taken to school by a rookie running in only his second GP. I don't want Massa to try, I want him to do. Two races into the season and all I have seen is mediocrity and all I have heard is excuses. Massa is paid to perform, not to turn pole position into fifth place at the chequered flag. He is driving a Ferrari, for chrissake, and he has been beaten two races in a row by Nick Heidfeld in a BMW?!? What next, is he going to be racing the Toyotas for position back in 12th?!? Ferrari should arrange a driver swap with Honda so we can get JB in the 2nd seat and Massa can go run behind Rubens in the battle of the Ferrari rejects.
Good point Remy, it seems that something is just a little off. In the "winning past" it seemed the Ferrari could adjust strategy at will to pass someone in the pits, get someone out of the pits with no traffic in front, etc... It could be that all the other teams have improved.
Good point - but this is assuming a screaming car; something that Kimi did not have that day. It's not like Kimi wouldn't have put in a bunch of qualifying laps on vapors, it's that he couldn't.
+1. I really hope by now all the delusional Massa fans have got over their dream and face reality. That passing attempt was pathetic. He had already done enough but then out braked himself ... and this was the second time in the same corner within 5 laps. Massa is a liability to the (any) team; fact! If Kimi had been able to get passed Massa he would probably have passed Hamilton and then the result could have been different. But basically Alonso in a McLaren versus Kimi in a Ferrari is pretty even, probably biased in Alonso favour (as I expected and indicated with my prediction that Alonso will make it 3 WC's this year) as he knows how to win a WDC as do McLaren. Great race for a change . Pete
Those of you who say "At least Massa tried, Kimi didn't", weren't watching close enough. Kimi was chasing down Hamilton like he was on a mission. He probably would have passed, with one more lap. Massa on the other hand was trying to chase down Heidfeld, until he made another mistake and the gap between them became greater. Even with another couple laps, he wouldn't have passed Nick. I was happy for Felipe when he got the pole, but now i'm skeptical. For his own sake, he'd better improve.
Not sure about that. Certainly most spellbinding first ten laps or so in a while (actually Brazil was pretty good). I was screaming at the TV at the top of my lungs. But once Massa sailed off and the positions were taken it settled into a lull. Only when the Scuderia gave Kimi the green light, *some* suspense came back, but I never really thought there was enough time to make the pass on Hamilton. I'm pretty optimistic about Bahrain though: Fresh engines for everybody and a track wide enough to pass. Should be a good fight between Kimi and the McLarens.
Malaysia is a pretty easy track to pass on ... there was lots of passing. Even Massa proved it but then took himself out. What this race had was a little suspense ... Melbourne had none, ie. Would Massa rise to the occassion, would Kimi catch Hamilton at the end, etc. I knew that nobody was going to catch Alonso ... Kimi actually drove a 'good' I'm here for the WDC race, after Hamilton out foxed Massa in the first corner. Pete
If it is true the MS was forced out by the powers that be, it is possible that they are having second thoughts. The bottom line is that if Michael was still driving for Ferrari, he would still be the best. If it were up to me, I would be on hands and knees begging him to return. That would be some story!
I don't know, I liked Melbourne, I thought it had suspense too: Would Kimi really pull it off (historic victory as a new Ferrari driver), would his engine last, how far will Massa advance, will Alonso be able to pass Lewis? I was chewing my finger nails till the end, whereas in Sepang the die was cast after the first few laps. My only question was whether Kimi's engine would hold. PS: Maybe it is also the track. I just love Albert park and can't wait until I'll get a chance to visit. What a great place to have a race. I know you don't like street circuits, but to me they have a special place.
We are all disappointed in our team's performance in Malaysia, but bickering like this isn't going to solve anything. What we should be doing is looking ahead to Bahrain, which is less than a week from now. Kimi was great last year in Bahrain, but Massa wasn't, so let's just hope Ferrari can get their act together in time. -John
I hope you do get to Albert park then . Not what I would call a 'real' street circuit but Melbourne is a like-able place. I also watched this race with my father (a big McLaren fan) ... probably has not happened for about 5 years, so I guess that made it more interesting for me . Pete
Nope. 2005 was his first year at McLaren. It's also the year he hurt his shoulder while playing tennis on a motorcycle.
BEST POST ! ! you get the best post award on this thread for the last several pages. Time to move on . . . it's always better to look at the positive aspects than the negative and look to the future . . . you never get anywhere by dwelling on something . . it just becomes a vicious circle with no positive outcome. Carol
1 Please notice the segment where it showed steam coming out of the LH pod of the ferrari when it was tested to simulate the overheating condition of Kimis engine. I'm sure they enriched the mixture, lowered revs, and whatever was needed to bring the car to the podium. Kimi ; mission accomplished. 2 FM; In the military we had an expression . Lead, follow or get the he!! out of the way. Time to step up. 3 LH; how can you not be impressed even if its 1 or 2 races. 4 Dont be picken on my boy Nico. He is the real deal. I say put him in the #2 Ferrari and watch. You can compare drivers when they are in equal cars. He proved himself beyond any expectations in that circumstance.
I haven't heard any lucid commentary from you on this forum that would give your opinions any weight. Peter Windsor wrote up an oft-quoted article suggesting Massa was the real deal and would surprise at Ferrari - where did that go? Stick around and provide some of your own insight that's backed up by reasonable discussion and then maybe your opinions will carry some weight. Until then, just more bleating.
Not to beat a dead horse (too much), but I have to say I am not surprised. Did you really feel he had improved? It had been said he had improved, but I sure didn't see it. I think Massa probably feels inferior. He was never a superstar driver and he finds himself thrust into a Ferrari, one of the few remnants of the team that MS left behind. I think he feels overwhelmed. A perfect example is his attempt to pass Hamilton. No doubt the team was telling him... "Felipe, you HAVE to get past Lewis, your car is faster, MAKE THE pass!". He committed one of the major faux pas of drivers, which is to get in over your head and screw the pooch. It was especially embarassing when it was a rookie that pushed him into it. I think its very telling about the way Massa feels about himself, his position in the team, and his abilities. He's over his head, and he knows it. I think his season is all downhill from here - the downhill slide will accelerate as his confidence level plummets.
Thank you, Carol! You also made good point. It is really time to move on. Who wants to make Bahrain GP thread?
He did well in the last half or so of last season. I was thinking that he'd carry to momentum into this year, and I hope he returns to form for the next races.
Why? Gee are we not allowed to analyse past races anymore ... WTF!!! Just because Ferrari lost you have your nickers in a twist or something. Come on if we cannot discuss this race like normal racing fans/nutters then why the heck have this section on the board? Pete
