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TotalF1 Jens

McLaren

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Im starting to get pretty tired of this McLaren wont do it this season, they cant keep up this and that.

As a hardcore McLaren, Hakkinen, DC fan I must point out a few things, I MUST!

I think that the statements from DC and Ron Dennis are sort of cr*p. Sure the return to Europe will help greatly to their performance, and I personally think it will raise them equal or above Ferrari's bar. The reason follows...

In Australia McLaren was well at the pace. Hakkinen easily stayed behind Schumacher at Melbourne until his suspension began to fail, thats why he began to drop off the pace and eventually out of the race. Im sure he wouldve won had his suspension not screwed up, and he said it himself.

As for Malaysia, I dont think the car caused Hakkinen to fall behind. He fell back thanks to Rubens (again) punting Ralf into a spin at the first turn. As you mightve seen that forced Hakkinen to slow to avoid hitting him, and he lost places. Then the rain came in and frankly, Ron Dennis made the right call with tyres since he could not have anticipated such a long period of time behind the safety car, and the rest of the race was undoubtedly bad luck. Youd think that both Ferraris going off the track and being in the pits for 1.5 minutes would make McLaren's race easy but they caught up to the pack thanks to the infamous safety car.

You can disagree with me all you want, but a bad setup on the car (which can happen to anyone, look at Ferrari at Silverstone last year with Schumi) and bad luck foiled McLaren's race at Malaysia, PERIOD.

I think Sam may find a lot wrong with this (READ NEWEST SAMUEL SAYS, A GREAT READ, Good job sam)... :)

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Just reminded myself there, what do you guys think of next year when there will be no safety car and instead all the cars will put on their speed limiters simultaneously? I like it, a lot! Remember Hockenheim last year, it was Hakkinen's race until the SC came out and Rubens caught up, also that friek on the track... :

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Ah, Jens, so much said, I have to try and break up my response to all your enlightening comments. :biggrin:

first of all..........they are taking away the safety car next year? I didn't know? why didn't any one tell me? i think that sounds most intriguing.....boy that will change racing strategies immensely!

secondly, mika at australia.....yes he had ability to win, but his car was unreliable.....mclaren have stated repeatedly that their car WONT be reliable till the european races....the aussie race matched what ron dennis said.

thirdly mika at malaysia, ....i hate to say it but your comments do sound a little like sour grapes, but then i am a schumacher fan [both of them] and therefore terribly biased. DC had a good start, but when push came to shove, his car was NOT up to it, again emphasising what mclaren have already stated about their car.

If mclaren really believe that the car isn't up to scratch, then the drivers will believe it and race accordingly. Its like the placebo effect in medicine. Believe it and it shall be true.

Mclaren are an awesome team and if they have their car in a 'comfortable' zone by san marino, then the championship is still anyone's game. schuey could still be out with another broken leg or heaven forbid, something worse.

Ferrari may discover their car is perfectly suited to high humidity tracks and not european races.

We have only had 2 races, and until mclaren are in a position to show how hot they are, we have to trust them when they say they aren't happy with the car.

Lastly, who has time to read sam's excellent writing, ...i am too busy responding on this board LOL

;)

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I'm disgusted, December! ;)

Anyway - where to start!! I think I'll keep this short... :)

DC - he's done a great job over the last 2 races - I think I said that in the old column - he's been very refined and mature in the race, even if he was a bit cr*p in qualfying. My only problem is with Hakkinen and Ron Dennis - I'm allowed to say all this because I only write a column and not unbiased news articles... :)

McLaren probably will get it sorted, but there's something up with the car that is really very wrong - Hakkinen couldn't get past anyone on the straights when his Mercedes engine should have been blasting past the field.......this'll be contentious, but maybe ARROWS ARE USING TRACTION CONTROL!?!? It would explain Verstappen's apparent great start and brilliant race in the rain....delete the enging mapping in an extra pitstop and you have a great showing that everyone raves about, but a low down out-of-the-points finish that doesn't look suspicious, and the FIA have no trace of the system..........ooh - that'll get you all talking...

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When I read what I wrote now, some of it is just sour grapes...but whatever,Mclaren will whack the other teams til theyre red!

Arrows using traction control...? Could be...but Verstappen did have a great race. I think the reason Hakkinen wasnt able to pass on the starights was due to his tyre choice. With wets you cant go flat out since they will wear immediately, and when he took slicks the track was still slightly damp and that was seen when Mika started to do fastest laps very near the end of the race. Thats a fact.

But Verstappens race was great, maybe a bit too great... I think they were just running very low wing, so he was as fast on straights.

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Jens, its a big person that can admit that there may have been some sour grapes in your post.

I hope you didn't think i was attacking you with my reply.

I genuinely enjoy your comments and the way you make me think about things.......but you never did answer my q about no safety car next year....

well?

oh and btw, are you male or female...i didn't know which gender-noun to use, so i used 'person' :)

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i agree with jens.  no way was Jos' arrows using TC, i also think he used a very low downforce config.

out of interest (and because i forget) where did the second arrows finish?

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Sam........Just read your column [feel better now? ;) ] Its interesting and informative and I agree with just about all you have written.....

bummer you haven't mentioned the safety car lol

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You're not supposed to agree with me!! ;)

The safety car? I think it's a terrible idea...the safety coming out adds much more spice to a race, and bunches all the cars up so some gain time, and others lose their advantages - it brings a bit of exciting strategy...

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I am not supposed to agree with you??? :shocked:

why didn't you say so??

its too late now, i actually read your column and actually agreed with it.

sorry sam, you will have to write something more 'controversial' for me to swing at you with a sledgehammer :)

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(arrives running) sorry I didnt reply earlier (pant, pant)

I am male, and Jens is a Danish/German name. My father is Danish and my mother is Finnish so obviously, I am a pure Hakkinen fan.

The safety car decision was supposedly made after problems with the scrunch up, like the Mclarens losing their overpowering lead at Hockenheim, and Button going off at Monza due to Schumis 'brake warming'. Im not sure if it was 2002 or 2003 that the SC would be gone but it was in the last F1 Racing magazine under rule changes, or it mightve been Autosport, not sure.

And December you can criticise me if you want but I did not take your post as criticism, mor as an opinion. But criticise all you want, it makes talking a lot more interesting

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I think I'm in need of writing a controversial column...Schumacher drove badly, McLaren needn't bother turning up to the races, Gaston Mazzacane is actually talented, and Jean Alesi is one of the worst drivers I've ever seen...

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