2014/15 Silly Season

[Juzh]

was he half a second slower than Ric in quali?

On average, yes.

Off topic this, but race thread is so flocked up with bianchi comments it's impossible to actually comment on anything else.


Tbh I think vettel was almost certainly carrying some kind of an issue, or at least had much more mileage on his PU and thus delivering less power. I think so because there was simply too much consistency in their sector times disparity. Literally lap after lap they were neck and neck trough 1st sector, then vettel pulled 0,5s in 2nd and then ric pulled 0,5s in 3rd. I'm talking about the race here.

In qualy the difference was 3/10 on average. Not 0,5s. And that's on mediums. On hard they were equal.

[djos]

was he half a second slower than Ric in quali?

On average, yes.

Off topic this, but race thread is so flocked up with bianchi comments it's impossible to actually comment on anything else.


Tbh I think vettel was almost certainly carrying some kind of an issue, or at least had much more mileage on his PU and thus delivering less power. I think so because there was simply too much consistency in their sector times disparity. Literally lap after lap they were neck and neck trough 1st sector, then vettel pulled 0,5s in 2nd and then ric pulled 0,5s in 3rd. I'm talking about the race here.

In qualy the difference was 3/10 on average. Not 0,5s. And that's on mediums. On hard they were equal.

Yeah it's easy to get mixed up here but we were talking about Ricardo vs Vergne in qually at TR.

[Juzh]

Ah, lol. Sorry. My mistake.

[FrukostScones]

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/f1/al ... s-ferrari/

stunning piece of fiction/reality; decide yourself...

[ecapox]

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/f1/al ... s-ferrari/

stunning piece of fiction/reality; decide yourself...

Interesting read. I'd assume some is true and some is false.

What I do believe is that Matiacci is a smart man. He was put in place to do what needed to be done for the team...not the drivers. He has no allegiance to anyone other than the black horse in that yellow shield. Period.

If you --- up or run your mouth badly about the team, you can say goodbye, and Alonso stopped short on numerous occasions of saying "a truck would be easier to drive than this car".

He is the best driver on the grid. No arguing that and I'll be sad to see him leave without a WDC with Ferrari.

[djos]

I really hope next year we have competitive Mercedes vs Honda McLaren vs red bull vs Ferrari with a 4 way fight between Hamilton, Alonso, Ricardo and Vettel..... Now that would be really something!

[George-Jung]

What I do not understand is that Alonso has a contract until the end of 2016 at Ferrari, so what happens if he says, "I stay"...
and he also accepts no salary increas..

[djos]

What I do not understand is that Alonso has a contract until the end of 2016 at Ferrari, so what happens if he says, "I stay"...
and he also accepts no salary increas..

There's Prolly a performance clause in the contract that lets both parties out if they want it.

[George-Jung]

What I do not understand is that Alonso has a contract until the end of 2016 at Ferrari, so what happens if he says, "I stay"...
and he also accepts no salary increas..

There's Prolly a performance clause in the contract that lets both parties out if they want it.

But Alonso is clearly not under-performing.. Therefor Ferrari shouldn't be able to sack him..?

[mika vs michael]

there are 3 scenarios...one probable, one 50-50 and a crazy one.
the probable is Vettel going to Ferrari and Alonso to McLaren-Honda for 2015.
the 50-50 is Vettel to Ferrari...and Alonso to Mercedes in 2016 and Hamilton back to McLaren
and the crazy one is Vettel to McLaren and Alonso swapping place with Hamilton in 2016, Lewis to Ferrari...

the crazy scenario is 0.5%...

[Moose]

If Lewis delivers the championship, and Merc continue to perform next year, I can't see either one of them wanting to part ways with their current arrangement.

[JimClarkFan]

there are 3 scenarios...one probable, one 50-50 and a crazy one.
the probable is Vettel going to Ferrari and Alonso to McLaren-Honda for 2015.
the 50-50 is Vettel to Ferrari...and Alonso to Mercedes in 2016 and Hamilton back to McLaren
and the crazy one is Vettel to McLaren and Alonso swapping place with Hamilton in 2016, Lewis to Ferrari...

the crazy scenario is 0.5%...

Yep, I done even think the probable one is more like a certainty, but I agree with your permutations =D>

[notsofast]

Let's take another look at what Alonso reportedly said.

“Let's say that I have a very unique position,” Alonso said. “Thanks to so many years and so much respected work that I did on the track, I decide where to go, what I do and when I do it. Probably some of the things that are happening are a consequence of my thinking."

“I have my mind set. I have a plan very clear. For the last two or three months I know what I want to do, everything is moving in the right direction but at the moment it's still not 100% complete. But everything's moving in the right direction. As I said, I'm the decision maker and whatever I do will have some consequences but I have the privileged position that I'm lucky right now."

“It's a combination of hunger for success, I want to win, I want to become champion, want to be happy, want to have a good life… there are many things that when I put them together some months ago showed me a direction to go in. I've been following that direction with some movements, everything has been going to plan and hopefully I can tell you soon. “

“The thing that you need to understand is that from the outside you see one thing but from the inside it's very different. For the last two or three months you should understand already in which direction I'm moving but you didn't get it. When I tell you you will understand: 'Right, we should have known it'.”

Notice how he doesn't say that he wants to win another F1 WDC. He doesn't even say he wants to drive an F1 car. I'm wondering if he has something else in mind. Perhaps leave F1. Or, perhaps buy out the remnants of Caterham, put in a Honda engine, move the team to Spain, and have a happy life close to home.

[zeph]

Regarding Vettel's departure from RBR:

- Kvyat's appointment as Vettel's successor makes only sense if he indeed has any real commercial value for the Russian energy drink market. He is having good first season, but I haven't really seen him taking the fight to Vergne, if anything Vergne has 21 pts. to Kvyat's 8. I kind of wonder if it was a bit of a panic move by RBR to immediately announce him as Vettel's successor.

- Vettel has finished ahead of Ricciardo in the last two races. I find the suggestion that he is running away simply ludicrous.

- I completely understand RBR not choosing Alonso, and I say this an Alonso-fan. For all his might on the track, he brings a lot of politics with him, and nobody needs that.

I wonder if Alonso shouldn't take a gap year (like Raikkonen) or retire altogether. It is also an eerily similar situation. I know karma has no place on a 'technical' forum, but damned if it doesn't look a lot like that.
Raikkonen was ousted by Montezemolo to make way for Alonso, and now it seems there is a real possibility that Alonso will be ousted by Mattiacci to make way for Vettel. Of course, the kicker would be if Raikkonen stays...

I don't know about Honda and McLaren, but if ALO is not convinced they can give him a competitive car, perhaps he should do what Raikkonen did and just take a year off. But I wouldn't blame him if he is done for real.

[Sasha]

The rumor is the contract in front of him(Honda money) is worth $80 million and I heard it's not a long term contract(2 years and an option).So if you read into Alonso statement,it sounds like he is working on his future after F1 and $80 million for two years would make a good retirement fund.

Mclaren Honda only needs him for two years(he would get more out of the car,if Button qual 6th,he would get 3rd) because by 2017 the plan is the M4/32 will equal the MP4/4.So any good driver(not the best and most expensive) would do in 2017.