Raikkonen and Ferrari

[Counterfit]

Boy, that would be great if Scott Speed got a podium in the first race due to lots of retirements, kind of like Jordan's "win" a couple years ago, after around half the cars crashed out or broke down.

Brazil '03, and yes, it would be awesome. I think it would be even better if Scott got an engineering degree and made his own car, then won a GP with it á la Dan Gurney



Yeah yeah, wishful thinking



Go Scotty!

gah, stupid white background

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Just a few days left.....I need to find out who's broadcasting the race in nthe states....the Speed Channel broadcasts are nice, but the network TV ones were crap last year.

I predict that Kimi's engine will blow up on the last lap while leading in Bahrain and he'll join Ferrari for the second race of the season, disguised as Felipe Massa.

 

[iGav]

but the network TV ones were crap last year.

no matter how bad you may think your coverage is... it's nothing in comparison to how unimaginably crap this **** is.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I wouldn't know, since I've never heard him, but my god is he wearing a mullet there?

...and apparently he has a son named Enzo. Now that is F***ed up.

 

[iGav]

I wouldn't know, since I've never heard him

You know how pant wettingly over excited teenage girls get for there fav boyband???

Similar kind of thing with that ****.

 

[Counterfit]

Just a few days left.....I need to find out who's broadcasting the race in nthe states....the Speed Channel broadcasts are nice, but the network TV ones were crap last year.

According to Speedvision's (****ing Fox ) website, the San Marino, Spanish, Monaco, and British GPs will be on broadcast. PLEASE PLEASE NOT CBS OR ABC! Ralph Shaheen is a ****ing idiot, even worse than James Allen. GIVE ME HOBBS AND MATCHETT OR GIVE ME DEATH!


In other news, perhaps a familiar face may one day drive for Ferrari?

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Damn. That would be annoying. I can see why he named his son Enzo...

David Hobbs' outbursts on the Speed Channel are always hilarious - he got all excited and called Jungle Boy a pillock when he took out Montoya at Spa...his tone was so funny I laughed even before I went and looked up "pillock".

I agree with Counterfit - the Speed announcing team is great and everyone else (the networks) blows. Matchett and Hobbs for me too. BTW, have any of you read Matchett's book The Chariot Makers? I was given a copy for Christmas and thought it was a great read, although maybe a little light for people who have been into F1 for many years.

In other news, perhaps a familiar face may one day drive for Ferrari?

Hey, this means there's a slight chance he might be killed in a firery wreck!....Sorry, did I sound a bit excited there?

 

[Counterfit]

I agree with Counterfit - the Speed announcing team is great and everyone else (the networks) blows. Matchett and Hobbs for me too.

I remember, way back in the days of Speedvision, (c. 1-2B.F. (Before Fox)), when people on their forums were bitching and moaning about Bob Varsha. They replaced him for a season with someone far far worse, and brought Bob back the next season. The bitching and moaning ceased after that.

BTW, have any of you read Matchett's book The Chariot Makers? I was given a copy for Christmas and thought it was a great read, although maybe a little light for people who have been into F1 for many years.

I skimmed through all three of his books in Border's one day, and I'd like to buy them eventually.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Varsha is a non-entity, he is neither irritating or interesting. I guess they figured they had to have at least one American in the broadcast!

I hate the Fox (faux) network. It just ruins everything it touches.

 

[iGav]

The 'respected' F1 media outlets are beginning to buzz with reports that an announcement regarding Ferrari and Kimi is expected at Imola next weekend.

 

[idea_hamster]

One small effect will be that there will less chance of Ferrari running one-two and the team telling one of the drivers to back off and let the other win.

I recall the awful race where poor Barrichello got that order from the Ferrari team -- it was just crap.

I just can't believe that ANYONE at Ferrari has the brass set needed to get on the radio and tell either Kimi or Schumi to back off....

 

[iGav]

I recall the awful race where poor Barrichello got that order from the Ferrari team -- it was just crap.

That was nothing... what about the race where Michael did that several times? Or the inter-team collusion between Williams and McLaren in '97? Or McLaren doing the exact same thing, but in the first race of the '98 season to poor D.C.

I just can't believe that ANYONE at Ferrari has the brass set needed to get on the radio and tell either Kimi or Schumi to back off....

I think there is, F1 is after all a team sport, and Ferrari are not unique in applying team orders. McLaren and Renault spent most of '05 employing such tactics.

At the end of the day, if the order comes through to hold station then the driver should respect that order regardless.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

At the end of the day, if the order comes through to hold station then the driver should respect that order regardless.

I would say rather "obey", since I doubt they would respect the idea of engineered finishes - especially since they are both likely to be fighting for the driver's championship.

Renault is looking for another driver too at the moment, and they have the pace to entice the best drivers.

 

[idea_hamster]

That was nothing... what about the race where Michael did that several times? Or the inter-team collusion between Williams and McLaren in '97? Or McLaren doing the exact same thing, but in the first race of the '98 season to poor D.C.

These do sound like instances that could get the dander up in a crowd that's looking for a race -- but I have to admit that I didn't have a T.V. from '96 to 2000...

I think there is, F1 is after all a team sport, and Ferrari are not unique in applying team orders. McLaren and Renault spent most of '05 employing such tactics.

At the end of the day, if the order comes through to hold station then the driver should respect that order regardless.

True, orders are orders, but I think that it's much easier for teams to make these decisions when they have a clear-cut No. 1 driver and a clear-cut No.2 driver.

With Kimi and Schumi -- at least at the season's start -- they both have the ability to end up number 1. (Of course, if there's a significant point gap later on, then team strategy is easier.)

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Schumi and Kimi is not like Alonso and Fisi - Alonso clearly outclassed his teammate. That won't happen with the former pair of drivers, unless Raikkonen's bad luck with mechanical breakdowns follows him to Ferrari. So team orders are even more likely to prevent the Senna v.s. Prost fight that we all want to see - all of us except Ferrari of course.

 

[iGav]

I would say rather "obey", since I doubt they would respect the idea of engineered finishes - especially since they are both likely to be fighting for the driver's championship.

Maybe... maybe not.

Thing is they can't have it both ways, I bet both Kimi and Schumacher 'respected' team orders when they've won in such circumstances.

These do sound like instances that could get the dander up in a crowd that's looking for a race -- but I have to admit that I didn't have a T.V. from '96 to 2000...

Jerez '97 was significantly worse than Austria 2002, basically Williams and McLaren colluded and fixed the outcome of the race, by gifting the win to Mika Hakkinen, incidently it was Mika's first win... and not a deserved one at that.

With Ferrari in 2002, they made an inter-team decision that whilst affecting the outcome of the race, was not against the rules in the quest to seal the championship for their driver as soon as they could... look at '99 for example, things can go very wrong. Schumacher did repay Barrichello later at Indy that year though.

Australia '98 was almost as big a farce, McLaren implemented team orders on the very first race of the season, essentially gifting Mika Hakkinen his 2nd race win.

So team orders are even more likely to prevent the Senna v.s. Prost fight that we all want to see - all of us except Ferrari of course.

I believe that Ferrari would let them race until one of them is an established and clear leader in the championship, and that is when team orders will come into play, much the same as McLaren and Renault did last season, even though team orders are now illegal.

Senna and Prost was a spectacular period in F1, but if you do some reading into that period... it's documented that it wasn't quite as 'equal' as one would like to think.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Maybe... maybe not.

Thing is they can't have it both ways, I bet both Kimi and Schumacher 'respected' team orders when they've won in such circumstances.

True, but whoever is on the losing end will make an issue out of it.

I believe that Ferrari would let them race until one of them is an established and clear leader in the championship, and that is when team orders will come into play, much the same as McLaren and Renault did last season, even though team orders are now illegal.

...Assuming that one emerges as the clear leader - I suppose I agree with you but it just seems a little artificial that team orders will potentially be deciding championships if both Ferrari drivers are still close in the points near the end of the season. In pure skill there isn't much to choose between Kimi and Schumi.

Still, if Ferrari is still struggling next season the whole question will still be purely academic. It seems like most people are banking on Ferrari's competive slump to be short-lived though. With their history I think it's a safe bet.