2015 Spanish Grand Prix - Circuit de Catalunya - 8-10 May

[evered7]

We know Ferrari has struggled in this regard over the past few years. This is the first year with a new staff and a lot of new elements on their facilities as well. So, it would be interesting to see the efficiency of their work on the upgrades.

Does anyone know the answer to this question? When Luca Marmorini was fired, he said his team deliberately designed A SMALL SIZED ENGINE compared to that of Mercedes or Renault. Anyone know if that architecture still remains small or has that gone through change as well?

Marmorini: Ferrari sacrificed engine for aero

I don't think they had an issue with the ICE. It was with the ERS where they had a deficiency to the other teams. Considering we don't get to know where how many token of changes went, I suppose we won't know it completely. Although one article posted in the SF-15T or SF Team thread speculated that detail along with future updates for each of the manufacturers.

At least they didn't find a fault with the pistons like Renault did

[Jonnycraig]

Maldonado asked to take his turn giving up his seat for FP1 and refuses..

Maldonado, who is strongly backed by the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, “made it clear to the team that his agreement gives him the right to drive in each session at every grand prix,”

http://www.grandprix247.com/2015/04/24/ ... or-palmer/

Just makes his performances exponentially more embarrassing.

[ChrisDanger]

Maldonado asked to take his turn giving up his seat for FP1 and refuses..

Maldonado, who is strongly backed by the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, “made it clear to the team that his agreement gives him the right to drive in each session at every grand prix,”

http://www.grandprix247.com/2015/04/24/ ... or-palmer/

Just makes his performances exponentially more embarrassing.

Yes, but he is really getting the last laugh, so there's that.

[dren]

Maldonado asked to take his turn giving up his seat for FP1 and refuses..

Maldonado, who is strongly backed by the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, “made it clear to the team that his agreement gives him the right to drive in each session at every grand prix,”

http://www.grandprix247.com/2015/04/24/ ... or-palmer/

Just makes his performances exponentially more embarrassing.

He wants to maximize his crash potential.

[PlatinumZealot]

Hellz yeah! If paid 10 million pounds year for my seat, I sure want to drive in every single session on the calendar! I do not wrong him.

[Jonnycraig]

Hellz yeah! If paid 10 million pounds year for my seat, I sure want to drive in every single session on the calendar! I do not wrong him.

He pays 3 times that..

[djos]

Hellz yeah! If paid 10 million pounds year for my seat, I sure want to drive in every single session on the calendar! I do not wrong him.

He's bringing 30 million per year, but I agree and that's what contracts are for.

[iotar__]

Maldonado asked to take his turn giving up his seat for FP1 and refuses..

Maldonado, who is strongly backed by the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, “made it clear to the team that his agreement gives him the right to drive in each session at every grand prix,”
http://www.grandprix247.com/2015/04/24/ ... or-palmer/

Just makes his performances exponentially more embarrassing.

What embarrassing performance (Palmer's?) and what connection did you make between driving (or not) in FP1 and performance that made you attack Maldonado? The only embarrassing part is Lotus selling Firday FP sessions, then selling news like that to the media which reports it with wrong and biased headlines like that. It should be "Lotus is refusing to put their drivers in FP session again, what kind of a sport is that?" Only one side that is acting normal here is Maldonado. I much prefer that to Grosjean's nauseating "team player" attitude and constant thanks to hard working factory team. As if other teams don't work hard or looking at cars (Williams, Toro Rosso) much harder.

Whether he brings sponsorship or not should have nothing to do with pathology like that. His job is to drive the car and achieve results which is heavily compromised by putting the other driver for money in FP to cover Lotus team principals' ineptitude at running F1 team. In case you missed it it works like that (RG Bahrain): missed FP1, broken car in FP2 which they mistook for set up problems, FP3 used to work on a car and the first time with a car that works close to expectations is qualifying. They got away with that this time but it won't last forever.

Lotus selling free practice, Sauber with two heavy paying drivers, Force India with a wasted season and useless Marussia (future McLaren's guinea pig team) is FIA's darling and "talk of the paddock". If you like Palmer so much put him instead of Hamilton, Raikkonen or Button, we'll see how they'll react.

[evered7]

Maldonado asked to take his turn giving up his seat for FP1 and refuses..

Maldonado, who is strongly backed by the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, “made it clear to the team that his agreement gives him the right to drive in each session at every grand prix,”
http://www.grandprix247.com/2015/04/24/ ... or-palmer/

Only one side that is acting normal here is Maldonado. I much prefer that to Grosjean's nauseating "team player" attitude and constant thanks to hard working factory team. As if other teams don't work hard or looking at cars (Williams, Toro Rosso) much harder.

I am sure Lotus prefer Maldonado's crashing skills to Grosjean's finishing in the points. They just love (re)building the car for Maldo.

[windwaves]

Maldonado asked to take his turn giving up his seat for FP1 and refuses..

Maldonado, who is strongly backed by the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, “made it clear to the team that his agreement gives him the right to drive in each session at every grand prix,”

http://www.grandprix247.com/2015/04/24/ ... or-palmer/

Just makes his performances exponentially more embarrassing.

seriously man, why doesn't he retire and disappear from F1 ?

[windwaves]

Hellz yeah! If paid 10 million pounds year for my seat, I sure want to drive in every single session on the calendar! I do not wrong him.

He's bringing 30 million per year, but I agree and that's what contracts are for.

yes all of this is true. He has a contractual right. What I contest is his decency and inability to drive and the fact that F1 lets this happen.

[Manoah2u]

Hellz yeah! If paid 10 million pounds year for my seat, I sure want to drive in every single session on the calendar! I do not wrong him.

He's bringing 30 million per year, but I agree and that's what contracts are for.

yes all of this is true. He has a contractual right. What I contest is his decency and inability to drive and the fact that F1 lets this happen.

there was a certain german driver that slashed the throat of a team figure with a glass. he was allowed to steer a f1 car still. if that's tolerated then pastor deserves a fair shot.

[f1316]

We know Ferrari has struggled in this regard over the past few years. This is the first year with a new staff and a lot of new elements on their facilities as well. So, it would be interesting to see the efficiency of their work on the upgrades.

Does anyone know the answer to this question? When Luca Marmorini was fired, he said his team deliberately designed A SMALL SIZED ENGINE compared to that of Mercedes or Renault. Anyone know if that architecture still remains small or has that gone through change as well?

Marmorini: Ferrari sacrificed engine for aero

I don't think they had an issue with the ICE. It was with the ERS where they had a deficiency to the other teams. Considering we don't get to know where how many token of changes went, I suppose we won't know it completely. Although one article posted in the SF-15T or SF Team thread speculated that detail along with future updates for each of the manufacturers.

At least they didn't find a fault with the pistons like Renault did

Yes, a few reports are now saying last year's ICE was actually quite powerful but just let down by ERS (unable to use full boost every lap) + small turbo.

If you look at this year's cars, you can see that the Mercedes powered cars have larger, more rounded curves either side of the roll hoop than the Ferrari, which is quite tight there. You wonder therefore if they've managed to retain the positive elements of last year's small engine.

[PlatinumZealot]

Maldonado asked to take his turn giving up his seat for FP1 and refuses..

Maldonado, who is strongly backed by the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, “made it clear to the team that his agreement gives him the right to drive in each session at every grand prix,”
http://www.grandprix247.com/2015/04/24/ ... or-palmer/

Just makes his performances exponentially more embarrassing.

What embarrassing performance (Palmer's?) and what connection did you make between driving (or not) in FP1 and performance that made you attack Maldonado? The only embarrassing part is Lotus selling Firday FP sessions, then selling news like that to the media which reports it with wrong and biased headlines like that. It should be "Lotus is refusing to put their drivers in FP session again, what kind of a sport is that?" Only one side that is acting normal here is Maldonado. I much prefer that to Grosjean's nauseating "team player" attitude and constant thanks to hard working factory team. As if other teams don't work hard or looking at cars (Williams, Toro Rosso) much harder.

Whether he brings sponsorship or not should have nothing to do with pathology like that. His job is to drive the car and achieve results which is heavily compromised by putting the other driver for money in FP to cover Lotus team principals' ineptitude at running F1 team. In case you missed it it works like that (RG Bahrain): missed FP1, broken car in FP2 which they mistook for set up problems, FP3 used to work on a car and the first time with a car that works close to expectations is qualifying. They got away with that this time but it won't last forever.

Lotus selling free practice, Sauber with two heavy paying drivers, Force India with a wasted season and useless Marussia (future McLaren's guinea pig team) is FIA's darling and "talk of the paddock". If you like Palmer so much put him instead of Hamilton, Raikkonen or Button, we'll see how they'll react.

That is an interesting way to look on it! Lotus selling out the seats and hiring show girls as" development" drivers are pretty much already is a mockery. Maldonado is actually not the villain here.

[evered7]

If Lotus didn't have to sell seats, Maldonado wouldn't be sitting in one. The point others were trying to make is how he doesn't seem to lose any practice session yet cannot bring the car home in points. While Grosjean gives the seat away in FP1 and still does a good job with the same car.

Maldonado isn't the villain, he is a joke.