Sports - Formula One #32: Strength, Felipe - We're With You - Page 7

perrygraham · 08-03-2009, 02:38 PM

Quote:

"It was for this reason Alguersuari, who drove an F1 car for the first time in Hungary, did not have the opportunity to familiarise himself with the Toro Rosso before he made his race debut. Williams sees no distinction between Alguersuari's situation and Schumacher's and feels any deviation from the rule would create a precedent for the future."

But to be fair, Alguersuari or Torro Ross for that matter didn't even ask for a test drive. Maybe they would have allowed him to test the car, I mean have you seen his first lap on Friday's free practice, he was so slow it cracked me up.

Piquet should live with the decision Renault made. IMO the team was patient enough and I don't think he was treated unfair by the team. Sorry, but I won't miss him.

-Supersonic- · 08-03-2009, 02:58 PM

But Sir Frank Williams has already said no to Ferrari's request, so I don't think that Schumacher will get a test.

Ele, that is absolutely not true what you just said. Nelsinho's treatment inside the team was ridiculously unfair. You (and almost everyone in the world) probably don't know about most of the things that happened inside the team and how unfair it was. I obviously don't know about everything that happened, but I do know a lot and I can guarantee that the treatment he was having inside the team was unfair.
The truth is that Briatore is doing absolutely everything to please Alonso only so he can keep driving for Renault.

Brucas4life · 08-03-2009, 04:33 PM

Red Bull and Toro Rosso have joined Williams in blocking Schumacher from testing the 2009 car. Apparently the other 5 were willing to agree to let him test the car.

perrygraham · 08-03-2009, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -Supersonic- (View Post)

Ele, that is absolutely not true what you just said. Nelsinho's treatment inside the team was ridiculously unfair. You (and almost everyone in the world) probably don't know about most of the things that happened inside the team and how unfair it was. I obviously don't know about everything that happened, but I do know a lot and I can guarantee that the treatment he was having inside the team was unfair.
The truth is that Briatore is doing absolutely everything to please Alonso only so he can keep driving for Renault.

Well, okay, I'm not interested enough in Renault to follow everything that's going on in that team so I give you the fact that Piquet wasn't always treated the best if you say so. But - and this is my point - he didn't impress with his driving at all, you kinda waited for him to turn his car around or make other mistakes, well at least I did. I've nothing against him but to me he didn't do anything remarkable that makes me think he belongs into F1. I mean look at Sutil for example, he hasn't the best material but he had some races, especially in rain, where he brought attention to the team and performed really well and without Raikkönen he actually would have scored some points.

Quote:

Red Bull and Toro Rosso have joined Williams in blocking Schumacher from testing the 2009 car. Apparently the other 5 were willing to agree to let him test the car.

Yet another decision that devides the teams. I kinda wish Ferrari wouldn't have asked for it.

-Supersonic- · 08-03-2009, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perrygraham (View Post)

Well, okay, I'm not interested enough in Renault to follow everything that's going on in that team so I give you the fact that Piquet wasn't always treated the best if you say so. But - and this is my point - he didn't impress with his driving at all, you kinda waited for him to turn his car around or make other mistakes, well at least I did. I've nothing against him but to me he didn't do anything remarkable that makes me think he belongs into F1. I mean look at Sutil for example, he hasn't the best material but he had some races, especially in rain, where he brought attention to the team and performed really well and without Raikkönen he actually would have scored some points.

All the mistakes he made are completely understandable. Do you have any idea what it must be like to race every weekend with your prick boss threatening to fire you? And do you have any idea what it must be like to carry on the name of a three-time world champion? And to be constantly compared to a the best driver on the grid, who, on the top of that, had a better car? He was always under a lot of pressure. You can't compare him to a guy who drivers for Force India at all. Nelson was under a lot of pressure and he always tried to take some time out of a really bad car, so he pushed incredibly hard and that makes any driver makes mistakes. It's completely understandable.
Piquet has an amazing career as a driver. He has won lots of titles and he has performed very well in a lot of categories. Most people who never even watched one single race of Nelson before Formula 1 is now saying that he is not a good driver. Of course that under the conditions he's had in Renault, no driver would perform well.
He is a good driver and he'll show it when he's driving in better conditions.

I agree with Red Bull's decision to say no to Ferrari. If their driver didn't have the chance to test, then no other driver should. But this is all a stupid decision because I'm sure that Michael will perform really well even without testing.

goodnightboy · 08-03-2009, 07:37 PM

Weeell I don't know about Piquet Jr so I can't comment, although my personal (perhaps uninformed) opinion is that while he got the shaft a lot, he didn't make use of his opportunities either... we'll see his true level if/when he returns to F1. The only question is whether any of the teams will give him a drive.

And just to be clear: it's not that I champion Todt for the presidency and I've heard a lot of unsavoury things about Schumacher - and I remember not liking him even back when I wasn't watching the sport regularly. I'd much rather Vanaten, I think most people would. It's just that I think Christine and Mr C are overreacting somewhat

Vicky, Sidepodcast is quite good apart from several biases. What I really like though is that the people who comment are really nice. Mostly you get a lot of idiots trying to be obnoxious but not in the Sidpodcast comments. So it's informative and good.

perrygraham · 08-04-2009, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodnightboy (View Post)

It's just that I think Christine and Mr C are overreacting somewhat

Vicky, Sidepodcast is quite good apart from several biases. What I really like though is that the people who comment are really nice. Mostly you get a lot of idiots trying to be obnoxious but not in the Sidpodcast comments. So it's informative and good.

Yeah, I like this side for the comments especially and thought it's a very professional site when it comes to F1 with posters who know a lot about F1, that's why it surprises me so much that they reacted in that way.

Quote:

All the mistakes he made are completely understandable. Do you have any idea what it must be like to race every weekend with your prick boss threatening to fire you? And do you have any idea what it must be like to carry on the name of a three-time world champion? And to be constantly compared to a the best driver on the grid, who, on the top of that, had a better car? He was always under a lot of pressure. You can't compare him to a guy who drivers for Force India at all. Nelson was under a lot of pressure and he always tried to take some time out of a really bad car, so he pushed incredibly hard and that makes any driver makes mistakes. It's completely understandable.

Mhm, I don't follow your argumentation. He's a F1 driver so he has to deal with pressure, and not having the best car isn't an excuse for making mistakes on the track. That's what turns a good driver into a great one. I'm not saying Piquet is a bad driver but he's clearly not the best.

To me drivers are the best when they're actually able to develop a car and be helpful for the team during it's development. There aren't many drivers who are able to do that.

I get that it's not maybe not the best circumstance to not only drive against other teams but also against your own team but sometimes you have to live with it or search for other opportunities. Look at Alonso's nightmare with McLaren. Maybe Indycar is a solution for him, who knows. I don't see him in the F1 in the near future.

Brucas4life · 08-04-2009, 11:48 AM

Don't get me started on Alonso at McLaren, what a disaster that was.

More news:

Quote:

Ferrari fume at rivals' test snub

Ferrari have hit back at the teams who blocked Michael Schumacher from testing this season's car before his F1 return. He is set to replace the injured Felipe Massa, but Formula 1 rules prevent on-circuit testing during the season.

In an apparent swipe at Williams, who opposed the move, a Ferrari statement read: "Guess who opposed the test? A team that hasn't won anything for years and yet didn't pass over the opportunity to demonstrate once more a lack of spirit of fair play."

Williams, who have not won the world championship since 1997, were backed up by Red Bull and Toro Rosso, who are also opposed to Schumacher getting behind the wheel of Massa's F60 car.

All three teams argue that seven-time world champion Schumacher, 40, should be treated no differently to Spanish teenager Jaime Alguersuari, who replaced the sacked Sebastien Bourdais at Toro Rosso last month but was unable to track test his car before his F1 debut in Hungary.

"Just for the record, the Scuderia Ferrari had given its approval to let Alguersuari test, but it seems even in this instance someone decided to stick to the precise wording of the regulations," added Ferrari's statement.

Massa fractured his skull during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix after he was struck on the helmet by a spring from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn GP car.

Schumacher is due to replace the Brazilian at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on 23 August, but has only had a chance to drive Ferrari's 2007 car, at the team's Mugello test track last Friday.

McLaren, Renault, Toyota, BMW Sauber and Brawn GP were all prepared to let Schumacher spend one day behind the wheel of the F60.

Source: BBC

goodnightboy · 08-04-2009, 08:00 PM

Oh give it up Ferrari. Rules are rules.

Quote:

Richards: Cosworth rumours are true

Prodrive boss Dave Richards has confirmed that rumours teams unwilling to sign with Cosworth were not even considered for next year's Championship are in fact true.

In June this year, the FIA named USF1, Campos Meta and Manor GP as the three new teams for next year's Championship, announcing that it all three would be using Cosworth power.

It didn't take long for reports to surface claiming that motorsport's governing body had insisted that all teams wanting a place on next year's grid use Cosworth power - and if they didn't agree, their application would not be considered.

Richards has now confirmed that the rumours, at the time backed up by an unnamed boss of one of the unsuccessful candidates, are in fact true.

"Exactly that was said to me," Richards told motorsport-magazin.com, "I must have a Cosworth engine if I wanted to be in the F1 World Championship.

"However, I had an agreement with McLaren and thought that we would not be as competitive with a Cosworth engine, so I was not ready to change partner.

"If the regulations had meant, from the beginning, that we were only allowed in if we used such an engine, then I would have known the situation, but I do not believe that it is appropriate for those in charge of the sport to say such a thing."

One rumour that isn't true, though, is that Richards is considering buying the BMW-Sauber F1 team after the German manufacturer announced that would be withdrawing from F1 at the end of this season.

"We are waiting even to see if [BMW-Sauber's] place becomes free, as we do not know what happens if the team is sold to somebody else," he said, "but I do not have any interest (in buying the team).

"I live in England and will always remain there - I will never move to Switzerland, Monte Carlo or the Bahamas. My life takes place in England.

Source

***L i N d $ @ y*** · 08-08-2009, 09:22 AM

wow, good discussion going on in here. i unfortunately isn't as updated with F1 as you guys. i haven't been watching it as enthusiastically as i used to before. but i still watch the races, for sure.

for now, i'm just patiently waiting to see Schumi back in the car for the next race. i'm pretty sure every F1 fan is looking forward to that too.

goodnightboy · 08-09-2009, 04:16 AM

Random fun links until the next race:

Ask the Expert: Heikki Kovalainen, Kazuki Nakajima, Timo Glock. Yay for a picture of Timo and Nick

What the drivers will be doing over the course of the summer break. Fizzy!

Also: Now that BMW have failed to sign the Concorde Agreement, Mosley is opening up their space to the teams on the reserve list.

***L i N d $ @ y*** · 08-09-2009, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodnightboy (View Post)

What the drivers will be doing over the course of the summer break. Fizzy!

for some reason, i clicked this link first, Gwen...

Brucas4life · 08-11-2009, 01:54 AM

Just when I was starting to get over the shock of him coming back it's now all off.

Quote:

Schumacher calls off F1 comeback

Seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher has abandoned his comeback with Ferrari because of a neck injury. The 40-year-old, who retired at the end of 2006, was set to deputise for the injured Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix in Valencia on 23 August.

"Unfortunately we did not manage to get a grip on the pain in the neck which occurred after the private F1-day in Mugello," Schumacher told his website. Schumacher suffered the neck injury in a bike accident in February. "The consequences of the injuries caused by the bike accident in February, fractures in the area of head and neck, unfortunately have turned out to be still too severe," he added.

"That is why my neck cannot stand the extreme stresses caused by F1 yet. These are the clear results of the examinations we did on the course of the past two weeks and the final examination on Monday afternoon. As there were no improvements after the day in Mugello, I decided at short notice on Sunday to do that thorough examination on Monday."

Schumacher won five championships with Ferrari and had been working as a consultant for the Italian team before his decision to come out of retirement to stand in for Massa. The German, who claimed his other two drivers' crowns with Benetton, has entered 250 grands prix, winning a record 91 of them. His return was eagerly anticipated but, despite trying everything 'medically or therapeutically' possible, he has had to admit defeat.

"I am disappointed to the core," he said. "I am awfully sorry for the guys of Ferrari and for all the fans which crossed fingers for me.

"I can only repeat that I tried everything that was within my power. All I can do now is to keep my fingers crossed for the whole team for the coming races."

Brazilian Massa is recovering from the serious head injuries suffered during qualifying for the Hungarian GP. And, while the rest of the F1 drivers were enjoying their mid-season break, Schumacher had embarked on a rigorous training regime, resulting in him losing more than six pounds in weight before calling off his return.

"It's hugely disappointing," said David Croft, Radio 5 live's F1 commentator. "The F1 world was very much looking forward to seeing Michael Schumacher locking horns with Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Benson, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.
"But it's hardly surprising. The g-forces that your neck muscles particularly are exposed to in a modern-day F1 car can take their toll and give you severe punishment during the course of a race. If you are not 100% fit, there's no way you can think about driving one of these cars."

Source: BBC

goodnightboy · 08-11-2009, 04:02 AM

I was stunned too, never thought Schumacher's neck injury was that serious. I guess now people will be starting up the "Who replaces Massa?" jauggernaut again. And this time I'm assuming they'll just promote one of the reserve drivers. I mean, who else can they tap on? Villenuve? Apparently Badoer will be taking Massa's place for Valencia, although I'm not sure if that's a permanent solution.

-Supersonic- · 08-11-2009, 07:35 AM

Yeah, I've heard the news... but I don't think that Badoer will race in the next races, only in Valencia. Or maybe in Spa too, as it's just one week later. But they will probably ask Schumacher to return in Monza. Or maybe they'll get someone else...


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