I wonder what makes them so sure that Massa will be in top form to drive for next year? Looks like they wanted to axe Kimi regardless. All the best with the scandal ridden guy. Even if you have a supposed top driver it doesn't guarantee you win in the F1 circus.
Kimi was way too expensive for the results for them... even though I still insist Ferrari scapegoats their drivers when the car/team management is what lacks.
Congratulations Ferrari, you just got cancer. how stupid you have to be to fire a driver like Raikkonen after he brought you 3 titles and defending the honor on a crap car? and keep instead a wrecked driver who might not be fast anymore, and will conflict with the arriving prima donna... First time there is 2 drivers i can't stand at ferrari, it's going to be hard to cheer for the scuderia... I hope they win the constructors title but I wish Kimi takes the drivers title and give'em a good finger.
There were better choices. Looking forward to Massa's return. Could care less if Alonso even shows. Rewarded for his immunity at Mclaren and his "who me" at Renault and the cheating. Too bad, talented but hardly a class act. Ferrari for all their talk of fairness etc have not chosen well. This driver does not deserve this seat.
Lets look at this yet again: Alonso: A driver that in 2007 has used knowingly illigally obtained information. Was part of using that information to obtain better results. This being a World Champion that very year. The information was stolen from no other than Ferrari. Only when faced with the possibility of getting caught up in the McL mess did he go to the Stewards and for immunity spilled the beans on what he and the others have done. He is a known cheat and by selling out his own team, clearly not a team player. The same year he goes and purposely blocks his teammate in qualifying, a teammate that has outshone him the entire year with much better driving talent that he has. So instead of working on his own game...he simply takes out his team mate. Again, clearly not a team player. Last year, and please don't make me go through this whole thing again, read the Massa 08 World Champ thread, it is laid out there completely, he must have known that they were crashing Piquet to give him a better chance which ultimately resulted in the win in Singapore 08. With a history as such, for a team like Ferrari, to hire this lose canon who actually shouldhave been expelled from FIA events in 2007 for his part in the McLaren scandal, is the worst publicity that this company can hope for. I am shocke, outraged and will not under any circumstances cheer Ferrari for as long as Alonso will drive for them. A sad day in Ferrari's history and ultimately may result in Championships but tainted with knowing that the guy is a cheat and liar. As of today I will not use Shell an longer.
This has been a long time coming guys. Love him or hate him, Alonso is widely regarded as the best driver in Formula 1.
Terrible news - not a fan of this decision from Ferrari. Yes, in fact you could do that. >8^) ER Image Unavailable, Please Login
You sum up my feelings entirely... When Ferrari signed KR they paid him MS bucks but did not get the MS performance. I personally like Kimi and think he is a talented driver (drivers are paid for their speed, not their personality, if you're good it doesn't matter how many personality flaws you have and if you're not good the greatest personality in the world will not keep you from getting axed). Unfortunately they are chasing the genie in the bottle. MS's dream team doesn't come along very often, many tifosi are coming to realize just what he brought to the table. Something rare and not easily replaced... With FA they are again trying to regain what they had w/MS. My feelings are that he is very similar to Prost. Very fast and technically proficient, but not good with pressure from a good teammate. Having been an F1 fan since 78, the FA/LH battle couldn't help but remind me of the AP/AS McLaren meltdown. Massa has certainly raised his game in recent years (perhaps with more than a little help from his mentor MS...). If FA had problems dealing with a rookie teammate with equal/superior speed, what on earth is he going to do when Massa matches/beats his times. This looks like an explosion waiting to happen. I predict this ends in tears...
I'm particularly not a LOVER of ANY F1 driver, But the team of FERRARI!!!! Hey, as long as he does well for the team i'll be a big fan of his!!!!!!! Would all you still love Massa as much if he was on McLaren??????? NO, Cause your a Ferrari fan and want the best for "YOUR TEAM" That being said, Were getting arguably the 2nd best driver in F1. It's a good thing. Now lets see some points!!!!!
I recall at least one race where Fred and Phil had some heated words. My guess is not only are they not buddies, they don't like each other very much. After all the terrible things I have said about Fred, especially when he was on the McCheater Team, I will have to hold my tongue. I will admit that he is a great driver (one of the best of all time) but not a team player. If you only had one driver on the team, maybe the best choice. He will make sure that if any driver gets special treatment on the team it will be Fernando Alonso. But he's our guy now and we have to support him and give him a chance. If Ferrari wins the world championship it will have been a great choice. Anything less and the Tifosi will not be happy campers IMVHO.
It's a sad day. I hope Massa fully recovers and blows Alonso away. I hope Kimi gets a competitive ride. I will cheer for him to beat Alonso in every race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQuowdGKpco Its true, I don't think they like each other. The thing Alonso was being a cry baby about was that massa's tire hit Alonso's sidepod and it was a little damaged. This happened in the very last few laps of the race. Alonso even won it and yet he still/I] has to whine about it. This is one of the biggest reasons I don't like the large eyebrowed prick. Toys - pram.
Turn back the clock to 1995 and the same things were said about Schumacher, I can only hope Zo is even half as successful...
Yes! Absolutely fantastic! I've been awaiting this announcement for quite some time now so it's a great feeling to finally have it out in the open. I said this will be the first time in a long time I rooted for a red car and I'll be keeping my word!
+ ten million. I think that's an issue that gets overlooked far too often. The team has been in shambles since Brawn, Todt and MS left. Proof? Look at the wonderfully botched pit stops and reliability issues that destroyed both Kimi and Massa's seasons last year.
Don't recall Schumacher having had a spy scandal? Don't recall Schumacher sabotaging his teammates on either Jordan, Benetton or Ferrari. Don't recall him accepting his teammate to crash in a race to bring out a safety car. Schumacher has done things that I find highly questionable. Hence I am not a personal fan of Schmacher. I accept him as probably the best driver who has raced F1 to date (oh boy...there come the Senna fans) but I was never a fan of the man himself. regardless of his questionable 'accidents' through his chareer, he has battled with other drivers on the track and kept those things to the track not to ask teammates to crash, ifa crash was needed, he did it himself. He did not use knowingly spyed information and actively tested them on the track. So yes, there are vast differences between the two. An yes I can accept Alonso as a super talented driver. F1 is all about marketing. Branding. That is why they pay BIG bucks for stickers on cars, on the track and patches on suits. That is why Toyota poured Billions of Dollars into their F1 department. Advertising. Branding. Marketing. Recognition. Having a shaddy character like Alonso associatd with that is counter productive. It sours my feelings for Ferrari and their current management and I am a Ferrari loyal since the early 80s. Just imagine what it does to those that are on the fence. Winning is not everything. The WCC or the WDC do not give you the merketing, despite what they may think. Not if it is tainted with the association of a knowing cheater. There is something about tainted characters. Ask yourself this: 90% of the population thinks that O.J. Simpson was guilty of murdering his ex and Ron G. He was found innocent of all charges. Would you go play golf wth him tomorrow? Would you go and purposely see a movie with O.J.Simpson? Whould you hire him as a spokesperson for your company? If you answered no, and again 90+% will, why not? You think his face will donwgrade your brand? Keep in mind you assume he was guilty even though he was found innocent. Yet with Fernando Alonso we KNOW that he was guilty he simply cut a deal to get off the hook. Ja ja,...now come those that say "using spy information is something differnt that killing your ex wife." Sure is, but one you only assume is guilty, the other you KNOW is guilty.
Agreed...BUT Alonso is the best driver in the grid WE NEED a driver with car development skills ASAP!!!...hes got plenty of that WE NEED a passionate driver BESIDES Massa to keep pushing to the last lap...Hes got plenty of that... WE NEED a team that goes all out behind one man...be it Alonso or Massa for 2010 Alonso to Ferrari is the guy for restarting the dominance stage again. Just like when Schumi Joined Ferrari,lots said he wasnt the shape for Ferrari, but was the fastest...and had 2 champs in his belt...and is a great car developer. FORZA FERRARI, now is time to come back to the magic pot and restart the spell. FORZA MASSA, now you better shine & glow!!! FORZA ALONSO...you can be the Next Michael Schumacher with Ferrari and become a Legend ..or loose that boat allthogether...so better to quit the whine and drive like never before.
