Who'll score more points - Nico or MS?

That is a very good point and it proves Michael's innate talent will never fade but I believe F1 is a different animal. I remember Brundle climbing in a modern F1 car and commenting how incredible it was, how braking distances, for example, had changed radically. I'm certain Michael could adapt to any car, but three years off with a testing ban ? A few of the names have changed since the last time last MS drove, Nico is familiar with the actions of his current grid mates, this might play a role if MS decides to cut inside or outdive McHam or Vettel. 2010 will be interesting....

 

True Steve, and think of the odds you could have had last year on Jenny becoming WDC. Whoosh!!!
I'm betting Nico will be nauseatingly hungry for his first win, I can't see MB telling him to move aside for Mikey.

 

LOL jenny.. ..

Imagine going to the book makers this time last year and saying.. Er £200 Button to win the WDC 09 and MS will be racing in a Merc in 2010... whooosh..

 

Absolutely! - A friendly wager that's gonna come back and haunt one of us.....

This, plus defending my iFGP fantasy F1 title of last year just adds to the "fun" - Bring on 2010!

Cheers,
Ian

 

Good analysis, but don't forget, when MS started in F1, it had slick tyres, and also 'basic' aeros.

I really don't think it's gonna be an issue for MS.

BTW, any news if Brawn has a simulator?

 

Mercedes has one of the best F1 sims in the world in its museum in Stuttgart accessible for the general public. So I'm pretty sure they have another one tucked away for their racing team.

 

Then MS shouldn't disappoint

Edit : Andreas, have you tried it before?

 

I wish. One of my big regrets: It is almost at the end of the museum and we were running out of time with a long queue in front of it. So no, I haven't. What made it so special is, that they built it on hydraulic "stilts", like a big airplane simulator. So you really got to feel the G's.

 

Pity. Thanks for the info anyways. I'll make it a point to visit and try it, should i go to Germany in the future.

 

Thanks. Clarkson 80's hair...

 

Did he do it on purpose, or was it his real style?

 

And Piquet Jr was Hamilton's closest rival in GP2. Not bad for a pensioner!

I reckon MS will score more points. I've been a little disappointed with Rosberg to be honest, I had high hopes for him when he came in F1.

 

It's for real that Brian..

 

To be honest I hope your right. I support Ferrari 1st though but to see these two fight it out all season with Ferrari would be great to watch.

 

There is no doubt that Michael will score more points. I am really surprised that there is anyone let alone 11 people so far who believes Nico will score more points. I think if everyone had to put big bucks behind that vote that there would be nobody backing Nico.
I believe someone was asking earlier about the odds. When it was first anounced that Michael would be running he was tied for 4th with Button overall fav to win the WDC at 6.5 to 1 with Vettel 3rd Alonso 2nd and Hamilton 1st. Since then Michael has steadily moved up and today surpassed Alonso. Hamilton is still fav but barely at 3.5-1 Michael is 2nd at 4.5-1, Alonso has dropped to 5-1, Vettel is now 7-1 and Button 8-1. Massa is next tied with Nico at 11-1. But I doubt that Nico will be that high come race time and Massa should move slightly higher.

 

What a question…….
Schumi will driver circles around Nico!

 

Clarification please, are you talking about driving an F1 car or a war of the words? If the latter, Nico is in the lead going into the first turn (known as the Eddie Irving Bend).

 

Holy Cow..hahahaha...

 

I read an interview with Nico in which he said that MS was never his idol. He was always rooting for Mika and was happy when MS lost out.

I'm starting to like Nico more and more. I'll be rooting for him, that's a given!

 

The kid has spunk. That's for sure!

However I would not go talking trash and publicly talk yourself up when you're going up against a 7 time WDC with 91 wins and more poles than anyone else, when in 5 years you have achieved NONE of the above. Nada, zilch, not one single win (not even a lucky one), much less a WDC.

I don't know what Nico is thinking to go public with this line of thought.

He might want to take a page from Button, be publicly humble, work his tail off, and then if...and that's a very questionable IF...he gets the upper hand ON TRACK make statements like the recent ones. Then and only then is he standing on safe ground to make statements that he is capable on beating Schumi.

He must remember that too many people have a vested interest in MS doing well (F1, Bernie, Ross Brawn, Mercedes) due to his pedigree. They will do everything in their power to ensure success for their superstar...MS has earned their support if anyone has with his track record of proven success.

Nico has no pedigree of success in F1 by comparison. For someone with ZERO WDCs or even wins to talk the way he is smacks of foolishness...

 

I'm pretty sure he'll bag a win this year. Heck, guys like Irvine and Barrichello managed to snatch wins in the best car against the mighty MS. And they have half the talent of Rosberg.

 

True, if the car is good he can snag a win (or several), but the old saying comes to mind...

"Don't let your mouth write checks, your a** can't cover!"

To me for him to mouth off before they even get on track is foolish in the extreme...all he is doing is adding fuel to the fire for MS's motivation (as if he needed any more to begin with). Let's see how inclined MS is to help his teammate in any shape or form after Nico's statements. Would you?

Massa to me handled the situation perfectly. He gave MS his proper due, and learned from the Master. His improvement since being around MS is proof that MS is capable of giving back and helping his teammate IF the situation is handled properly. For Nico to go right up front and basically call out MS and challenge him will definitely curtail MS's enthusiasm to help Nico. The situation should have been handled much better by Nico and he should have thought through the repercussions before he made his statements. If he would have handled the situation similar to Massa, then MS could have taught him a thing or two and Nico could have emerged a much stronger competitor as a result of learning at the foot of the master. I don't know about you, but I'll gladly sacrifice a year of my career if at the end of it I learn things that will help the rest of my career.

Nico was foolish to challenge MS before they even get on the tarmac. Do your talking ON TRACK and then only AFTER you have success, then you can talk... then you've got some weight behind your words.

Nico's talk reminds me DC's (Coulthard's) years at McLaren and his annual proclamation of the coming season finally being the year he lifts the crown...never happened and DC had egg on his face year after year.

Rosberg has talent to be sure...but MS has talent AND the pedigree to back it up.

In all seriousness, if someone held a gun to your head and your life depended on you picking the one who would be more successful, who would you go with? The one who has demonstrated success (WDC's and wins) with every team he has been associated with...or one who has ZERO... It's a no-brainer, IMHO.

Nico has to realize he is very much the outsider in this situation going up against a pair that have a long history of intertwined success (Ross and MS), his optimal move would have been to be humble, work his way into the team, and then if he is inferior to MS he has lost nothing and if he is superior then his success is all the more heralded. The long history between MS and Ross goes very strong and very deep and he needs to be aware of what he's up against. Rocking the boat at this time is definitely not in his best interests...

 

It's nice to see a underdog win though..

Now and again..

 

sometimes I think we tend to forget that most of these guys are just young kids. i wish i'd been as sensible as some of them are that age (or even now) but to expect them to think through any random thought is probably asking a bit much.

 

Team orders next year at Mercedes perhaps?