Choose Your Driver Line-ups For 2009

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Only among those that get carried away by hype. Outside of the nonsense, Kimi is the undisputable favourite since Alonso is out of the game. Or, to put it another way, Kimi will lose only by his own hand. He's got no match in the field right now.

...and here we find the ultimate truth....lovely lovely Maure

[Jez 0]

OK - let me re-phrase my comment. Will Ferrari re-sign Kimi if he doesn't win the Driver crown this year and/or make a better fist of qualifying - would you?

Good question. Insider, what's your take on the whole 'kimi is no longer motivated' opinion?

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Good question. Insider, what's your take on the whole 'kimi is no longer motivated' opinion?

I assume you've chosen to ignore my counter-question....

[maure 1]

OK - let me re-phrase my comment. Will Ferrari re-sign Kimi if he doesn't win the Driver crown this year and/or make a better fist of qualifying - would you?

If failure to win the DWC is reason enough to boot anyone, why do they still have Massa on the payroll?

Neither Kimi nor Ferrari will break the contract. They've come this far, having won a WC on their first year together, it makes no sense to punish each other over such shortcomings.

Besides which... here comes Brad:

Here's something to chew on.....Is'nt it the same that Ferrari should built a car more suited to his style of qualifying since he's champ? With the F2008 they're having to work hard to get heat into those tyres, therefore more suited for Massa.

EDIT: Do we assume Ferrari don't know this themselves.....

Massa has spoken openly about this. It's on the table, for sure.

[Max Mosley 2]

How could Pat know that? I can't remember he got flustered at Renault but anyway I think Symmonds didn't mean what you say. Do you still have a link with it? Raw interview please.

Here are some quotes for you.

The thing he really hates is being beaten by his team-mate, and when it happened with us he could be come irrational - I suspect that will be the same again.

In his career, he has always been comfortably faster than teammates, and now he's got a guy who's his equal, if not maybe a little bit quicker in the races as we've seen so far.

And I think he'll be questioning himself, deep down inside, as to whether he is really quicker than his teammate, and I think that will give him a lot of self-doubt.

The few times we saw Fernando really under pressure were when his teammate beat him. That's the situation he's in now.

PS: I think generally, when he's in the car, he's quite unemotional... But I think the only time he really - we were talking earlier about drivers' biggest challenge is beating their teammate - the only time I've seen him get really riled was when Fisi beat him. That really, really got to Alonso, really found that difficult to handle.

AR: Any particular occasion?

PS: Indy was a good example.

A lot of Fernando's strength of character comes from his self-esteem. And the only times that I saw Fernando really get upset during the years he worked for us was on the days when he got beaten by his teammate.

He would readily accept getting beaten by another car and another driver, but he always found it very difficult if he was beaten by his teammate because that attacked his fabric.

All seems clear enough to me. Sources: here, here and here (follow the links to autosport).

Only among those that get carried away by hype. Outside of the nonsense, Kimi is the undisputable favourite since Alonso is out of the game. Or, to put it another way, Kimi will lose only by his own hand. He's got no match in the field right now.

Oh Kimi is the favourite, but mainly because he is in the best team, with Kubica and Alonso nowhere. Kimi's reputation has dropped like a stone in the last 2 years, especially this one. Before he left McLaren there was a genuine debate about whether he was as good as Alonso. Not any more.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Oh Kimi is the favourite, but mainly because he is in the best team, with Kubica and Alonso nowhere. Kimi's reputation has dropped like a stone in the last 2 years, especially this one. Before he left McLaren there was a genuine debate about whether he was as good as Alonso. Not any more.

Alonso got beaten by a rookie!!!!!!!!

Kimi won the championship in his first year at Ferrari... and according to me, has the best opportunity to take his 2nd. How damaging could that be????

[pabloh20 1]

Kimi won the championship in his first year at Ferrari... and according to me, has the best opportunity to take his 2nd. How damaging could that be????

Well, I have to be honest, Brad, but I saw Kimi winning the WDC last year as a bit of an unexpected bonus that he got whilst still getting used to the team, the car, etc. This year I expected him to come out and pretty much stamp his authority on the field (as long as the car was a front runner) and on Massa. It may still happen, but I didn't think it would take him this long.

I mean this as no disrespect to Massa, as I think he can be quite a quick driver, but more of the esteem in which I rated Kimi's talents.

[Max Mosley 2]

Alonso got beaten by a rookie!!!!!!!!

Oh sure. Alonso's reputation has fallen too.

[Max Mosley 2]

Well, I have to be honest, Brad, but I saw Kimi winning the WDC last year as a bit of an unexpected bonus that he got whilst still getting used to the team, the car, etc. This year I expected him to come out and pretty much stamp his authority on the field (as long as the car was a front runner) and on Massa. It may still happen, but I didn't think it would take him this long.

I mean this as no disrespect to Massa, as I think he can be quite a quick driver, but more of the esteem in which I rated Kimi's talents.

We can only make excuses for the lazy sod so long though. Massa would be beating Kimi this year were it not for reliability woes.

[Rainmaster 7]

We can only make excuses for the lazy sod so long though. Massa would be beating Kimi this year were it not for reliability woes.

Yeah but that just means he's a car breaker

[pabloh20 1]

We can only make excuses for the lazy sod so long though. Massa would be beating Kimi this year were it not for reliability woes.

I bet there are many, many drivers who would like to lift the F1 WDC title while being a lazy sod

It reminds of the story when waiter supposedly delivers champagne to George Best's room and finds the current Miss World and thousands of pounds lying on the bed and asks 'Mr Best, where did it all go wrong'?

[pabloh20 1]

Yeah but that just means he's a car breaker

Oh that is a monumental touch

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Massa would be beating Kimi this year were it not for reliability woes.

We had Hamilton running into Kimi, hell Kimi was leading hungary when he had to yield to Massa for the lead. As a matter of fact, Kimi had more woes than Massa. Kimi only majorly struggled with qualifying the last 2 races, and before that had plenty bad luck.

You know what I find most amazng about his situation, is that he's only 5 points behind the points leader... thats magic!

[pabloh20 1]

We had Hamilton running into Kimi, hell Kimi was leading hungary when he had to yield to Massa for the lead. As a matter of fact, Kimi had more woes than Massa. Kimi only majorly struggled with qualifying the last 2 races, and before that had plenty bad luck.

You know what I find most amazng about his situation, is that he's only 5 points behind the points leader... thats magic!

Ahhh, so you agree - Kimi is an unlucky, lazy carbreaker??

[Rainmaster 7]

We had Hamilton running into Kimi, hell Kimi was leading hungary when he had to yield to Massa for the lead. As a matter of fact, Kimi had more woes than Massa. Kimi only majorly struggled with qualifying the last 2 races, and before that had plenty bad luck.

You know what I find most amazng about his situation, is that he's only 5 points behind the points leader... thats magic!

Yep I just read an article saying exactly the same, it was called 'Write him off at your peril'

[Max Mosley 2]

Yeah but that just means he's a car breaker

Massa pushed his engine too hard in Hungary, yes. Kimi was saved from being able to do so because he qualified so badly and spent most of the race stuck behind Alonso or whichever no hoper it was this time.

I bet there are many, many drivers who would like to lift the F1 WDC title while being a lazy sod

Lazy ones probably? But the F1 WDC title means nothing. Given the shambles at McLaren last year, not to mention the $100million fine, it wasn't a great achievement. Kimi's reputation has obviously plummeted after being run so close by Massa.

We had Hamilton running into Kimi

Yes, fair point. Still, I think Massa deserves to be ahead this year.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Massa pushed his engine too hard in Hungary, yes. Kimi was saved from being able to do so because he qualified so badly and spent most of the race stuck behind Alonso or whichever no hoper it was this time.

Lazy ones probably? But the F1 WDC title means nothing. Given the shambles at McLaren last year, not to mention the $100million fine, it wasn't a great achievement. Kimi's reputation has obviously plummeted after being run so close by Massa.

Yes, fair point. Still, I think Massa deserves to be ahead this year.

It need to sort you and Paul out again...swiftly and quickly

yes...swiftly... and very quickly...my henchmen are on their way

[Rainmaster 7]

Massa pushed his engine too hard in Hungary, yes. Kimi was saved from being able to do so because he qualified so badly and spent most of the race stuck behind Alonso or whichever no hoper it was this time.

Lazy ones probably? But the F1 WDC title means nothing. Given the shambles at McLaren last year, not to mention the $100million fine, it wasn't a great achievement. Kimi's reputation has obviously plummeted after being run so close by Massa.

Yes, fair point. Still, I think Massa deserves to be ahead this year.

Yep, Massa got what he deserved in hungary

[pabloh20 1]

Lazy ones probably? But the F1 WDC title means nothing. Given the shambles at McLaren last year, not to mention the $100million fine, it wasn't a great achievement. Kimi's reputation has obviously plummeted after being run so close by Massa.

One swallow, does not a summer make.

I bet there are many, many drivers who would like to have plummeting reputation and still be only 5 pts behind the F1 WDC leader

Honestly, I can go on like this for ages

[pabloh20 1]

Yep, Massa got what he deserved in hungary

Of course you realise you have just given Kimi the kiss of death due to your unsporting and quite frankly, discourteous response.

Remember people, if Kimi has a bad weekend, by George it's Rainmaster's fault

[pabloh20 1]

It need to sort you and Paul out again...swiftly and quickly

yes...swiftly... and very quickly...my henchmen are on their way

I do hope your henchmen are not like Kimi, otherwise as long as I getup every morning before 12, they'll never get me

[Rainmaster 7]

Of course you realise you have just given Kimi the kiss of death due to your unsporting and quite frankly, discourteous response.

Remember people, if Kimi has a bad weekend, by George it's Rainmaster's fault

[Max Mosley 2]

One swallow, does not a summer make.

I bet there are many, many drivers who would like to have plummeting reputation and still be only 5 pts behind the F1 WDC leader

Honestly, I can go on like this for ages

I'm honestly not quite sure what your point is. Anyways perhaps we agree that Kimi is quite happy being lazy, being the favourite for the title despite it, and doesn't mind being thoroughly shown up by a guy most of us think of as a spinning top.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

swiftly and quickly....one of em has a squint-eye, so you should recognise them instanly, I hope the b#####d do what I said!

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Remember people, if Kimi has a bad weekend, by George it's Rainmaster's fault

now Rainmaster, What have you done....sigh