Silly Season 2011/2012

[dren]

I'm curious how much Massa has fallen back is due to his injury and how much of it is due to Ferrari building the car around Alonso. At least back in the Schumacher days, Barrichello would occasionally give him a run for his money.

[beelsebob]

I'm curious how much Massa has fallen back is due to his injury and how much of it is due to Ferrari building the car around Alonso. At least back in the Schumacher days, Barrichello would occasionally give him a run for his money.

I would honestly bet it's 90% due to his injury. His first season after being injured was pretty awful. That along with seeing a show with Richard Hamond interviewing Stirling Moss in which both of them stated that while they felt that they had fully recovered from their injuries, when they went out driving they quickly noticed that they no longer had their edge. I would imagine that Massa is very similar.

[nacho]

It's hard to imagine he is the same driver that many times managed to be faster than Schumacher or Raikkonen.

[ESPImperium]

I think that Massa is a good driver, but no longer is he a driver that is sharp end material any longer, i think he is now mid pack material, and posibly only have another few years left in F1, id say that maybes 2014 will be his last year as i can see him go down the order quite quickly. 2008 was his strongest ever, 2009 he was improving futher, however if he didnt get hit he would have been fighting Alonso hard enough to worry Fernando regularly.

Massa is there for Fernando to have a "test driver" so to speak, however im sure he will have a new team mate for 2013.

If i were Massa, id think about a career in ALMS soon, as im pretty damned sure that he would be able to walk into a top team and perform as well or better than the current sharp end drivers in ALMS.

In F1 there are now too many drivers sitting in seats that they shouldnt, however the teams now need a solid and proven driver with the lack of testing time avalable.

Whitch i think should be raised to 24 days now with 12 days pre season and three 3-day tests for young guys and Test & Reserves who havnt taken part in a GP in the last 2 years. Have a Spring, Summer and Autum test and have them at non callander tracks as well. Id also like to see the straight line days done away with, as if you are gonna go to to do s straight line test, you may do a track day with a young guy for up to a maximum of 500km on that day, and those days id have 3 of.

But testing is a bug bear for me, id like to see it back but in a more limited form, as i (and id never thought id say this) aggree with Mr De Montezemolo, there needs to be some testing, but quality testing that is also cost effective for all involved.

There are many issues in F1 at present, and its trying to have all the answers to satisfy all involved.

[PNSD]

If we should be so lucky he'd frontline an effort for a Ferrari LMP1 program :p!

I can't see him leaving the Ferrari group, and I can't see them splitting from him. I think when it comes time to replace him they will do as much as they can to find him a home within the group.

[MIKEY_!]

I agree that there should be more testing, that way we would see more young guys coming through. Personally I want to see the top drivers going to different teams, meaning no top team has two top drivers. That would liven things up, rather than having only RBR, Mclaren and Ferrari getting up there, have some Renault/MGP/others action. Not sure how that could be achieved but we can dream.

What about a set testing budget rather than time restrictions?

[MIKEY_!]

Not sure if this has come up here before but:

Raikkonen was at the Williams factory last week. Neither side has denied the visit; if anything they admitted openly that it did happen. However it was NOT to the F1 factory. It was something to do with the car that Williams is making for Jag. Having said that... never say never

From the Williams FW33 thread.

[ESPImperium]

Id say time restrictions are more feasable.

Ive had a look at my previous stance on Testing where id have 4 pre season tests with 15 days testing with the last 4 day test being a 2 car test per team and each race driver being limited to 7 days full testing, and have came to this as my ultimate testing plan each year;

Pre Season (12 Days/16 effective)
Test 1: Jerez - 4 days (Single car)
Test 2: Motorland Aragon - 4 Days (Single Car)
Test 3: Barcelona - 4 days (Dual Car)

* This gives 16 days effective testing.
* Limit race drivers to 7 days testing.
* This gives 2 days for young guys and reserve drivers to get to grips with equiptment for up to 2 days minimum.

In Season Group tests (9 days)
Test 1: Mujello - 3 Days (Single car)
Test 2: Imola *OR* Paul Ricard - 3 Days (Single car)
Test 3: Abu Dhabi - 3 Days (Single car)

* Race Drivers are exempt from all in season testing.
* Development Drivers and Test & Reserve drivers only.
* Test & Reserve drivers have to not have taken part in a race in the last 2 years abd not be over 28 years of age
* Teams that finished P11 & P12 in the constructors title the year previous can use Race Drivers for a total of 5 of the 9 days if they wish.
* Drivers have to do full days testing, no half days.

Personal Days (3 Days)
* Teams are allowed to have 3 personal days at any non callander track
* Race Drivers exempt from theese days
* Only for development drivers
* Distance limit 500km
* This should replace straight line, TV and shakedown days as personal days should be used for all of theese.
* Theese days should be completly transparent with teams having to make a press release after with driver, chassis used and laps and distance covered.
* Teams that finished P11 & P12 in the constructors title the year previous can use Race Drivers for 2 of the 3 days if they wish.
* Drivers have to do full days testing, no half days.

General rules:
* Testing will be covered by an allocation of 8 engines that can be used, this should limit test milage a bit.
* Test milage for the season should be no more than 15,000km, an engine average of 1875km.
* Test cars shall have a green T Cam on the roll hoop and carry the associated number of the test/reserve number for that team when using a test/reserve driver. Race drivers have to use their allocated number and associated T Cam colour.
* Testing should be done by by co operation race team with them using this opertunity to take trainees or junior mechanics to experience what happens in a garrage, thus being a propper young guys test accross the team.
* Demonstration events teams go to must be done with a 3 year old car.
* Teams can do up to unlimited testing for young guys with a 2 year old car if they so wish.

Theese rules are designed to give race drivers more of an emphisis on getting it right at the weekend and experienceing new parts at a race weekend. They are also designed to give many more days to young guys to get up to speed, they are also designed to try and give the teams down the tail end a chance to get into the mid pack and get the mid pack closer to the front.

[xpensive]

Tell me it isn't so?

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns23571.html

I would truly hate to this happen, with both team and driver doing a swansong season just to make up the numbers.

[MIKEY_!]

VERY comprehensive ESP, well done =D> =D> =D>

[ESPImperium]

Thanks Mikey. There is much more i could add with regaurds to FP1 at race weekends also. However theese rules would be basis for my testing rules, and it would be done in simple language where no loopholes could be argued, as there is too much breaching loopholes in F1 i think.

As for Kimi, would be the coup that Williams want, or have wanted for years now since they lost JPM and Ralf. Would bring some major sponsors along im sure. It also shows that Kimi has grown old or all other forma of motorsport and wants a F1 thrill back, and id welcome him back. Also would mean the the last 6 WDCs would be on the grid. that its self could make history as we would have the last WDC back to 2000 on the grid.

[donskar]

Tell me it isn't so?

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns23571.html

I would truly hate to this happen, with both team and driver doing a swansong season just to make up the numbers.

Well, he wouldn't go to Williams for the money, because he won't get it there. And he wouldn't go there for another WDC, because they are hopeless. A marriage made in hell.

[marcush.]

williams GP is now depending on good press and perception .Having a former Worldchampion as a potential driver is fueling interest and is surely enhancing the Status of Williams in these times.

[munudeges]

I would truly hate to this happen, with both team and driver doing a swansong season just to make up the numbers.

It appears that it is so. It would appear to be at first sight an ill-advised swansong for both, but Raikkonen has always been a driver who's made considered decisions about where he's gone, or not gone, as the case may be.

Everything sensible tells me that Williams is going the journey at some point soon, but with the Renault tie-up that seriously seemed to annoy Red Bull and Patrick Head allegedly finally being ejected from the team there might be a few breaths yet.

[munudeges]

I'm curious how much Massa has fallen back is due to his injury and how much of it is due to Ferrari building the car around Alonso. At least back in the Schumacher days, Barrichello would occasionally give him a run for his money.

Personally, I don't think Massa's injury has effected him. There are still flashes of Massa when he was at the front, and there were flashes of his current indifferent form when he was at the front, but I believe that he has had his time in the sun as a front running driver where Ferrari gave him all the help they could possibly give him.