159 replies to this topic

[JHS]

mikathegreat2, on 29 June 2009 - 10:50 PM, said:

Sutil  is 1 of the best wet weather drivers out there, behind Vettel & maybe Lewis but not so good in the wet so he might stay! Fisi is olf & Liuzzi should replace him as he's FI's chief test driver!

For my money he's too accident prone. And if he was that good a wet weather driver he wouldn't have stuffed it at China when he was in a points position.

Thinking about it, it's probably more likely that GP2 star Nico Hulkenberg will go to Williams if Nico Rosberg goes. Also maybe Lucas Di Grassi in at Campos alongside Petrov.

Alonso to Ferrari? That's almost as old as the "Webber to Renault" rumour. Nothing at all to prove it, but then again, that's the rumour mill.

[mikathegreat2]

HandyNZL, on 30 June 2009 - 08:24 AM, said:

Romour mill has Alonso being named at Ferrari at Monza......everyone hold ya breath...

I hope it's true, then he'd be unstoppable (well, if it were 2008 regs)!

[JHS]

No, if Felipe baby was anywhere in a 2 mile radius of his car, he'd throw a tantrum and go crying back to Renault. Again.

[Cinco]

But he wouldn't be.  You know Ferrari have never been afraid of team orders and never will be.  And they've always regarded Felipe as a number two; I can think of a few races where the strategy worked against him intentionally even when he had the faster car, but that's just F1.

I just hope that if Alonso's at Ferrari, McLaren put out a good car next year.  Alonso vs Hamilton makes me care a lot more than I do now.

[JHS]

Apart from this year when Felipe is clearly the Number 1 driver......oh and last year as well. For any team to put Felipe as a "Number 2" driver despite outclassing Kimi for the past 2 years is stupid.

Personally, i feel that Fernando is over rated. He just doesn't strike me as a team player which is something Ferrari have struggled to find since Schumi retired.

[Rainmaster]

Alonso is the best all round package, so it makes sense for Ferrari to pursue him. There is also the Santander factor. So I do expect to see Alonso in a Ferrari in either 2010 or 2011.

[JHS]

Sure he's good when the car is good, like Hamilton is, but the past 2 years he hasn't really been able to help the team develop the car. Neither really have Felipe or Kimi so i don't know.

Edited by JHS, 30 June 2009 - 07:13 PM.

[Cinco]

JHS, on 30 June 2009 - 07:12 PM, said:

Sure he's good when the car is good, like Hamilton is, but the past 2 years he hasn't really been able to help the team develop the car. Neither really have Felipe or Kimi so i don't know.

I don't think any of the drivers out there today are good when the car isn't good, though.  It is motorsport, not driversport, as our old friend DOF likes to say.  And it's true.  It's just more interesting for the general public to talk about and support humans and automobiles.  Most of us can't analyze the cars, but we can say "oh Bourdais had an off, he's so rubbish, blah blah blah," so we talk about that instead.  Drivers really don't make a lot of difference, some are better than others, and the occasional legend comes along and can do well in a not-so-good-car but in normal conditions, it's 80% car, 19% strategy, 1% driver.

Alonso is a better option than Massa (it doesn't mean he has more talent or anything since you can't measure that), in my opinion simply because we know he can win WDCs, while Massa's had plenty of chances and hasn't (driver errors early in 2007 and 2008 cost him big, which isn't the sole cause of his losses in either season as team errors let him down both years, but he did make driver errors a few too many times, and that isn't to say Lewis didn't either in 2008 because he did, neither were super super impressive) and while driver may not count for much, any advantage that can be exploited should if you want to win.

[JayStorm]

If Alonso were to go to Ferrari. I'm betting Massa will be chosen to stay on, unless they are allowed a third car.

So do you reckon that if it came to Raikkonen losing his seat at Ferrari that he would retire/move to rallying for instance or would he be prepared to race for another team, as long as they were doing well. Brawn for instance?

[Rainmaster]

JayStorm, on 01 July 2009 - 11:29 AM, said:

If Alonso were to go to Ferrari. I'm betting Massa will be chosen to stay on, unless they are allowed a third car.

So do you reckon that if it came to Raikkonen losing his seat at Ferrari that he would retire/move to rallying for instance or would he be prepared to race for another team, as long as they were doing well. Brawn for instance?

Ferrari will be Kimi's last team in Formula One, he has said as much and I don't think there is any doubt that he is looking ready for a change soon enough. I think he will go to the WRC, he is certainly making some overtures about doing that, e.g. competing in the Finnish WRC event this year. The only question is when will Kimi leave F1, at the end of this year or the next? He has a contract, but these things are negotiable.

Edited by El Maestro, 01 July 2009 - 04:36 PM.

[JHS]

My predictions:

Ferrari
Massa
Raikkonen

McLaren
Hamilton
Rosberg

BMW
Kubica
Heidfeld

Renault
Alonso
Kovalainen

Red Bull
Vettel
Webber

Toyota
Glock
Trulli

Williams
Nakajima
Hulkenberg

Brawn GP
Button
Senna

Toro Rosso
Buemi
Alguersuari

Force India
Fisichella
Liuzzi

Campos Meta
Pantano
Grosjean

US F1
Summerton
Bourdais

Manor Grand Prix
Pizzonia
Di Resta/Carrol

[mikathegreat2]

Rumors goin around that Kimi is to retire from F1 & move down to WRC (or up in many peoples cases)!

[Rainmaster]

More like sideways really. You know, like a crab.

[Quiet One]

Kimi got the crabs?

[Cinco]

Quiet One, on 03 July 2009 - 09:38 PM, said:

Kimi got the crabs?

I was about to make a joke about crabs.  And then you made one.  So now I can't.  I hope you feel bad for stealing from a little kid.

By the way, Kimi has to stay at Ferrari, because if he leaves, I can't call them Fer-sure-arri and I always entertained myself when I called them that.

However, I would like to see him take the JV road and start a music career.

[Persevere]

Kimi to call it quits?  I would say that's as likely as any other rumor being passed around at the moment.  The driver who once showed such amazing speed and car control simply hasn't been himself since the start of the 2008 season.  He is somewhat enigmatic so maybe only he knows why.  If moving on to some other form of racing - rallying, for example - is what he wants to do then more power to him.  From Ferrari's stand point they need to do something dramatic for the future, starting with the 2010 season, if only to put this year behind them.  Whether that kicks off with Alonso or Vettel, to name those two, who knows.  The successful transformation at Ferrari during the Todt/Brawn/Schumacher era was accomplished with the right mixture of professionalism, efficiency and brilliance.  I think they have to start with a driver shake up and re-build from there.

[Quiet One]

Persevere, on 03 July 2009 - 11:23 PM, said:

Kimi to call it quits?  I would say that's as likely as any other rumor being passed around at the moment.  The driver who once showed such amazing speed and car control simply hasn't been himself since the start of the 2008 season.  He is somewhat enigmatic so maybe only he knows why.  If moving on to some other form of racing - rallying, for example - is what he wants to do then more power to him.  From Ferrari's stand point they need to do something dramatic for the future, starting with the 2010 season, if only to put this year behind them.  Whether that kicks off with Alonso or Vettel, to name those two, who knows.  The successful transformation at Ferrari during the Todt/Brawn/Schumacher era was accomplished with the right mixture of professionalism, efficiency and brilliance.  I think they have to start with a driver shake up and re-build from there.

Or...they should let Kimi get the crabs. That would shake him up fer sure...

[cristiano84]

Latest insider rumours:

1) Vitantonio Liuzzi appears set to sign a contract to be a Force India race driver in 2010. The 28 years old italian told a journalist friend of mine that he is "very close to sign with them" and that he hopes "an official announcement will come shortly afterwards". He will replace veteran and fellow countryman Giancarlo Fisichella, while Adrian Sutil is set to stay, courtesy of sponsor Medion. The article can be found in the website www.stopandgo.tv

2) Kimi Raikkonen is in talks with Brawn Gp to replace Rubens Barrichello in 2010. With news that his Ferrari contract could be ended one year earlier to make room for Fernando Alonso, the finn's manager Steve Robertson has met with Ross Brawn in the team motorhome on friday.

[Smu3l3y]

Brawn GP
Engine: Mercedes
Drivers: Jenson Button & Rubens Barrichello

Red Bull Racing
Engine: Renault
Drivers: Sebastian Vettel & Mark Webber

Toyota Racing
Engine: Toyota
Drivers: Timo Glock & (get rid of trulli)

Scuderia Ferrari
Engine: Ferrari
Drivers: Felipe Massa* & (Get rid of  Kimi Raikonnen*)

McLaren Mercedes
Engine: Mercedes
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton* & not sure ( adrian Sutil would be good choise)

Renault F1
Engine: Renault
Drivers: Fernando Alonso & Heikki Kovalainen(kovy would be better in a renault
but alonso would never accept a team mate who is as good as him)

WilliamsF1
Engine: Toyota
Drivers: Nico Rosberg & Nico Hulkenberg

BMW Sauber
Engine: BMW
Drivers: Robert Kubica & Nick Heidfeld ( nick has been around to long and never really impressed

Scuderia Torro Rosso
Engine: Ferrari
Drivers: S�bastien Buemi & Bruno Senna

Force India
Engine: Mercedes
Drivers: Adrian Sutil & Tonio Liuzzi


New Teams
Campos Grand Prix
Engine: Cosworth
Drivers: Vitaly Petrov & Romain Grosjean

Manor Grand Prix
Engine: Cosworth
Drivers: Lucas Di Grassi & Kazuki Nakajima

Team USF1
Engine: Cosworth
Drivers: Dario Franchitti & David Brabham ( hes to old realy aint he )

[mikathegreat2]

I'd say IF, Jaime Alguersari performs well for STR, he'll get a seat for next year!

[Cinco]

Bestestest driver predictions ever:

Brawn Grand Prix
Jenson Button
Robert Kubica

Red Bull
Mark Webber
Sebastian Vettel

Toyota
Don't care
Timo Glock

Ferrari
Fernando Alonso
Felipe Massa

Williams
Nico Hulkenberg
Kazuki Nakajima

McLaren
Lewis Hamilton
Heikki Kovalainen

Renault
Don't care
Lucas Di Grassi

BMW
Nick Heidfeld
Nico Rosberg

STD
Sebastian Buemi
S�bastien Loeb (I'm well aware of what I just typed...he said something in some foreign language about how he'd love to help if there was an open seat)

THE FORCE
Adrian Sutil
Vitantonio Leee-oser (ahahahahhahahaha see what I did there, I sure do, get it, it's like, loser, hahahaha)

Team US F1
Rubens Barrichello
John Summerton

Campos Meta
Pedro de la Rosa
Bruno Senna

Manor Motorsport
Don't care
Don't care

[Quiet One]

[Insider]

cristiano84, on 12 July 2009 - 08:04 PM, said:

Latest insider rumours:

1) Vitantonio Liuzzi appears set to sign a contract to be a Force India race driver in 2010. The 28 years old italian told a journalist friend of mine that he is "very close to sign with them" and that he hopes "an official announcement will come shortly afterwards". He will replace veteran and fellow countryman Giancarlo Fisichella, while Adrian Sutil is set to stay, courtesy of sponsor Medion. The article can be found in the website www.stopandgo.tv

2) Kimi Raikkonen is in talks with Brawn Gp to replace Rubens Barrichello in 2010. With news that his Ferrari contract could be ended one year earlier to make room for Fernando Alonso, the finn's manager Steve Robertson has met with Ross Brawn in the team motorhome on friday.

Insider rumours, eh! I have heard this story too from an my old friend Willi, a freelance photographer and if it is true, [and I have no reason to believe otherwise], it won't have gone unnoticed by Ruben's people either.  It probably fuelled his post-race frenzy. He was quite within his rights right to slag BGP off - both he and JB had realistic podium chances severely compromised by the team's p**s poor, pitwall performance - I just don't think he should have done it in public.  I have one problem with Kimi going to BGP and that is his technical feedback is probably the worst on the grid! Jens was bad but has improved immensely.  Nevertheless, neither he nor Kimi are as efficient as Barrichello in this area.  If Ross does let Rubens go, one of the new teams would be missing a trick if they didn't sign the Brazilian. As far as Sutil is concerned, he should get away if he wants to get on.  Ross would do well to lure him Brawn's way.  That would keep Mercedes happy and the Medion cash would be handy.  It would also keep a fire under JB's posterior.

[Insider]

Brawn GP
Engine: Mercedes
Drivers: Jenson Button & Kimi Raikkonen

Red Bull Racing
Engine: Mercedes
Drivers: Sebastian Vettel & Mark Webber

Toyota Racing
Engine: Toyota
Drivers: Jarno Trulli & Timo Glock

Scuderia Ferrari
Engine: Ferrari
Drivers: Felipe Massa & Fernando Alonso

McLaren Mercedes
Engine: Mercedes
Drivers: Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg

Renault F1
Engine: Renault
Drivers: Heikki Kovalainen & Bruno Senna

Williams F1
Engine: Toyota
Drivers: Anthony Davidson & Nico Hulkenberg

BMW Sauber
Engine: BMW
Drivers: Robert Kubica & Adrian Sutil

Scuderia Torro Rosso
Engine: Ferrari
Drivers: S�bastien Buemi & Sebastien Loeb

Force India
Engine: Mercedes
Drivers: David Coulthard & Tonio Liuzzi


New Teams
Campos Grand Prix
Engine: Cosworth
Drivers: No idea

Manor Grand Prix
Engine: Cosworth
Drivers: No idea

Team USF1
Engine: Cosworth
Drivers: John Summerton & Rubens Barrichello

[BradSpeedMan]

Insider, on 13 July 2009 - 08:11 AM, said:

I have one problem with Kimi going to BGP and that is his technical feedback is probably the worst on the grid! Jens was bad but has improved immensely.  Nevertheless, neither he nor Kimi are as efficient as Barrichello in this area.

This is contrary to anything I have ever heard or read following F1 for over 10 years, and not only because his my fav driver... not only do I believe this statement to be false, it's pure blashemous!!!

Prove it please

edit: already 2 reliable articles comes to mind regarding his tech feedback, notably one statement from the boss of Bridgestone. Let's first hear what you have to say... this should be fun, gloves on Mr Insider!

Edited by BradSpeedMan, 13 July 2009 - 08:53 AM.

[mikathegreat2]

Quiet One, on 12 July 2009 - 10:25 PM, said:

Secondeded!

[medilloni]

BradSpeedMan, on 13 July 2009 - 08:46 AM, said:

This is contrary to anything I have ever heard or read following F1 for over 10 years, and not only because his my fav driver... not only do I believe this statement to be false, it's pure blashemous!!!.................

Stay cool Brad, I've heard that his feedback is very good, but his engineers sometimes struggle with, "I must be sh1t faced, the front end has a mind of its own"", "the back end could do with liposuction" and "Massa's faster than me again, we've got to work it out.  Dood.".

Btw,blashemouse? Is it Kimi-speak for Danger Mouse?

Only kidding    Here, this'll cheer you up..... http://www.thedailym...?-200907061880/

[BradSpeedMan]

medilloni, on 13 July 2009 - 12:33 PM, said:

Stay cool Brad, I've heard that his feedback is very good, but his engineers sometimes struggle with, "I must be sh1t faced, the front end has a mind of its own"", "the back end could do with liposuction" and "Massa's faster than me again, we've got to work it out.  Dood.".

Btw,blashemouse? Is it Kimi-speak for Danger Mouse?

Only kidding    Here, this'll cheer you up..... http://www.thedailym...?-200907061880/

[Quiet One]

medilloni, on 13 July 2009 - 12:33 PM, said:

Stay cool Brad, I've heard that his feedback is very good, but his engineers sometimes struggle with, "I must be sh1t faced, the front end has a mind of its own"", "the back end could do with liposuction" and "Massa's faster than me again, we've got to work it out.  Dood.".

Btw,blashemouse? Is it Kimi-speak for Danger Mouse?

Only kidding    Here, this'll cheer you up..... http://www.thedailym...?-200907061880/

Indeed. His comments after the retirement were crystal clear. Something like: "Thecarjustgavesomebluesmokeanddidn'tworkanymoreIdon'tknowwhathappenedI'mthirstyisOktoberfestalready?"

[Insider]

BradSpeedMan, on 13 July 2009 - 08:46 AM, said:

This is contrary to anything I have ever heard or read following F1 for over 10 years, and not only because his my fav driver... not only do I believe this statement to be false, it's pure blashemous!!!

Prove it please

edit: already 2 reliable articles comes to mind regarding his tech feedback, notably one statement from the boss of Bridgestone. Let's first hear what you have to say... this should be fun, gloves on Mr Insider!

My point was that Kimi could care less about most of the technical side of F1 racing.  This from Chris Dyer in a Daily Telegraph article on Kimiin 2008:

Quote

Dyer worked with Michael Schumacher, who won five of his seven world titles with Ferrari. 'Kimi is more relaxed than Michael, and less concerned about technical details. If we turn up with a new part, Kimi will say, "Let's throw it on and see what happens"; Michael would have wanted to know what the simulation tests said. What you see is what you get with Kimi: he never plays games. But on the track, he is very strong mentally. He is not affected by pressure.'

JB was very much the same sort of driver until he met Brawn.  Kimi knows how to make a car go faster, for sure,[sorry!] but it's instinct more than engineering knowledge. Ross would want a little more input - it's the way he is - but, I think KR and JB are a hell of a driver team and if the rumours are true, it's a another master stroke from Brawn.