134 replies to this topic

[Lel]

This appeared on Pitpass today and it seems pretty plausible...what do you think?

http://www.pitpass.c...es_art_id=39644

Nico Hulkenberg has revealed that following Felipe Massa's accident at the Hungaroring in July, he was approached by Ferrari with a view to replacing the Brazilian.

Hulkenberg is managed by Willi Weber, who just happens to manage another German driver. Could this be the same driver who, according to our sources, following a brief (secret) outing in the F60 at Mugello, is said to have claimed that driving the car would damage his reputation and similarly turned down the chance of replacing Massa?

[FlatOverCrest]

I am sorry I am missing the part in your post that gives evidence at all of Schumacher driving the F60 in "Secret!!"

[Szoelloe]

This appeared on Pitpass today and it seems pretty plausible...what do you think?

http://www.pitpass.c...es_art_id=39644

Nico Hulkenberg has revealed that following Felipe Massa's accident at the Hungaroring in July, he was approached by Ferrari with a view to replacing the Brazilian.

Hulkenberg is managed by Willi Weber, who just happens to manage another German driver. Could this be the same driver who, according to our sources, following a brief (secret) outing in the F60 at Mugello, is said to have claimed that driving the car would damage his reputation and similarly turned down the chance of replacing Massa?

wtf??

(it is downright shameful to quote pitpass on austosport. typically the kind of s...t posted there)

Edited by Gilles4Ever, 04 December 2009 - 14:36.
edited quote

[ForeverF1]

It means that perhaps, it was nothing to do with his neck injury why he did not take the drive.

[RodrigoL]

This appeared on Pitpass today and it seems pretty plausible...what do you think?

http://www.pitpass.c...es_art_id=39644

Nico Hulkenberg has revealed that following Felipe Massa's accident at the Hungaroring in July, he was approached by Ferrari with a view to replacing the Brazilian.

Hulkenberg is managed by Willi Weber, who just happens to manage another German driver. Could this be the same driver who, according to our sources, following a brief (secret) outing in the F60 at Mugello, is said to have claimed that driving the car would damage his reputation and similarly turned down the chance of replacing Massa?

Wouldn't surprise me one little bit.

(Ferrari breaking the rules or Schumi fabricating a neck issue because he wasn't man enough to drive a POS car alongside a WDC.)

[JPW]

The usual unsubstantiated crap from Spitpass

[Snap Matt]

Nobody seems willing to put their name to a claim that Ferrari ran an F60 for Schumacher. I would have thought that a simulator run would be enough to confirm the problems with that car anyway to somebody with his experience. While there have been enough theories put about that Schumacher was actually fit enough to race, the conspiracies are still not as easy to believe as the broken neck story.

As dull and unappealling as it is, I suspect that Ferrari didn't break the testing ban and Schumacher genuinely would have been unwise or unable to risk making his neck worse.

[bonjon1979]

I find this difficult to believe. The amount of press coverage he was getting at the time, if Schumacher was within a 100 miles of Mugello then there'd be any number of long lenses trained on that track and we would've seen the evidence. Ferrari would have to be incredibly foolhardy to break the testing ban as it would be so easy for someone to get a photo of the car going around the track. Crazy conspiracy theory.

[Nuvol]

posting a news from pitpass should be bannable offence.

[shonguiz]

The who wrote this POS should quit writing.

[slideways]

The usual unsubstantiated crap from Spitpass

Yep. A couple of fat winos dreaming up ways to score more hits on their website, in between writing jaded/abusive/disrespectful article #2832.

[Risil]

The reason Pitpass's reputation is a little dodgy is because the FIA refuses to allow any sort of investigative journalism into its workings. I find it a little strange that Pitpass.com seems the receptacle of all this vitriol, and not the FIA with its incompetent and often shady practices. Although I only open it up hoping for a new Mike Lawrence article.

Secret test or not, the direction of the story is entirely plausible for as shrewd a careerman as Schumacher.

[klover]

The usual unsubstantiated crap from Spitpass

I find it hard to believe that an MS fanboy like Balfe would post unsubstantiated crap about his hero especially when it's quite unflattering and suggests he chickened out not because of a neck injury but because he realized he would be dead slow. Apparently he had more good sense than his fanboys who predicted he would give Kimi a run when in fact he would have slotted nicely between Fisi and Badoer performances.

[FlatOverCrest]

The thing that I just dont understand when someone comes out with a fabrication like this, is did they honestly stop to think for one second about what they were saying.

1: Mugello..... has more bloody tourists and chaps looking to snap photo's of new Ferrari's etc than you can shake a stick at, even just visiting such a well known venue....SO...
2: An F1 car is bloody loud!!! To any of the above...the distinctive tones of an F1 car going around Mugello, would attract the above like Bee's to a flower...
3: A racing circuit by its very design cannot be completely closed off and somebody somewhere will have taken that photo showing an F60 running, let alone that it was Schumacher...

I dont think it would be inappropriate for the entire Autosport forum members to head over to Pitpass and advise said writers of their INCREDIBLY stupid pile of horse manure, which might also be considered a borderline libel case from Ferrari.

Whatever anyones perceptions of Ferrari or MS, neither would be this incredibly stupid and to think that they might be, is almost as lunatic as the accusation itself.

This is not journalistic content, but mere bull feces!

[WebBerK]

The story is true

A little worm told me that Ferrari was running secret tests inside the European Particle Accelerator Super Tunnel and told to the press that it was broken by some bird sh!t.

The oval layout also helped them to the IndyCar shift after 2013, when Ferrari intends to leave F1.

[RodrigoL]

I find it hard to believe that an MS fanboy like Balfe would post unsubstantiated crap about his hero especially when it's quite unflattering and suggests he chickened out not because of a neck injury but because he realized he would be dead slow. Apparently he had more good sense than his fanboys who predicted he would give Kimi a run when in fact he would have slotted nicely between Fisi and Badoer performances.

This thread reminds me a lot of when Tomecek revealed Mercedes will buy Brawn. We've even got some of the same people ranting it's all absolute bo***cks.

We'll see in the end...

[Kooper]

The thing that I just dont understand when someone comes out with a fabrication like this, is did they honestly stop to think for one second about what they were saying.

1: Mugello..... has more bloody tourists and chaps looking to snap photo's of new Ferrari's etc than you can shake a stick at, even just visiting such a well known venue....SO...
2: An F1 car is bloody loud!!! To any of the above...the distinctive tones of an F1 car going around Mugello, would attract the above like Bee's to a flower...
3: A racing circuit by its very design cannot be completely closed off and somebody somewhere will have taken that photo showing an F60 running, let alone that it was Schumacher...

the obvious thing you're overlooking is that the test took place at night... Frans will back me on this.

[Clatter]

the obvious thing you're overlooking is that the test took place at night... Frans will back me on this.

Are the cars silent when run in the dark.

[saudoso]

1: Mugello..... has more bloody tourists and chaps looking to snap photo's of new Ferrari's etc than you can shake a stick at, even just visiting such a well known venue....SO...

Hehehe, done that!

[MegaManson]

This thread reminds me a lot of when Tomecek revealed Mercedes will buy Brawn. We've even got some of the same people ranting it's all absolute bo***cks.

We'll see in the end...

Its definitely true

Balfe if he didn't have hard facts would be the subject of a massive lawsuit for libel from Ferrari, it would wipe him out financially so he would not go to print unless he was sure of his facts

He runs Pitpass out of a bedroom he is not a corporation

It's true

[Mandzipop]

Are the cars silent when run in the dark.

No, dont be silly. Professor Dumbledore cast a spell to make the track look deserted. Its a similar spell that he used on Hogwarts so that the building and grounds looked totally different outside of the school. I cant believe you didn't know that.

[Clatter]

No, dont be silly. Professor Dumbledore cast a spell to make the track look deserted. Its a similar spell that he used on Hogwarts so that the building and grounds looked totally different outside of the school. I cant believe you didn't know that.

But Dumbledore was killed before the test took place. Anyway it would be more likely Snape.

[rabauke]

Schumacher wouldn't have been able to drive the current F1 car without being caught. At least not in the open. Which brings me to the following 27 km underground location:

"In the original timeline of the Large Haedron Collider (LHC) commissioning, the first "modest" high-energy collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 900 GeV were expected to take place before the end of September 2008 [...] However, due to the delay caused by the above-mentioned incident, the collider was not operational until November 2009."

Was the "incident" really unconnected to a possible Schumacher return? I find that hard to believe. I have yet to speak to anyone who would deny that Schumacher used this secret underground test track to prepare for a possible return to F1.

[Mandzipop]

But Dumbledore was killed before the test took place. Anyway it would be more likely Snape.

Ah but thats where you are wrong. LdM came to an agreement with Snape and Dumbledore that Snape would pretend to kill Dumbledore and Dumbledore was then secretly whisked off to Maranello. He took a couple of years off so nobody would suspect, however when Ferrari realised how bad things were last season they called him in for advice and the decision was to scrap the F60 so he could work on the F2009 and use his new role to help out in any other way possible. If Ferrari have another bad year again with team mistakes he will be brought in to replace SD. It'll all come out in one of the spin off books. Mark my words. Its part of their cost cutting measures.

[OfficeLinebacker]

I have yet to speak to anyone who would deny that Schumacher used this secret underground test track to prepare for a possible return to F1.

I can corroborate. I talk to a lot of people on a daily basis, and not a single one has denied, nor is prepared to deny, said FACT.

(This is fun, I could SO be a pundit/TV show anchor)

[FlatOverCrest]

NEWSFLASH....

Michael Schumacher photographed testing F60 on the moon! Barry Jones a fat, spectacled individual living at home at the age of 48 was reported to have seen the former world champion testing through his large telescope. he said he only happened to see the former world champion testing, as the moon was low in the sky just over the roof of Mrs Melchetts house and she wasnt taking her usual early evening shower and the moon caught his eye...

[klover]

Its definitely true

Balfe if he didn't have hard facts would be the subject of a massive lawsuit for libel from Ferrari, it would wipe him out financially so he would not go to print unless he was sure of his facts

He runs Pitpass out of a bedroom he is not a corporation

It's true

I wouldn't say definitely but I wouldn't discount it being true either. Anyway, here's Balfe's response:

Where exactly did we use the word "rumour".

If ever we do run a story containing a rumour we use the word rumour in order to make things quite clear.

In this case, without naming anyone, we report something that we have been told by a highly trusted and reliable source. At no point do we use the word rumour.

[Slowinfastout]

Anyway the neck injury excuse was never really convincing... if there was a doubt health-wise, MS would never have stepped in the car in the first place..

It was like the Glock injury except it was self-inflicted ;)

[FlatOverCrest]

I wouldn't say definitely but I wouldn't discount it being true either. Anyway, here's Balfe's response:
Where exactly did we use the word "rumour".
If ever we do run a story containing a rumour we use the word rumour in order to make things quite clear.
In this case, without naming anyone, we report something that we have been told by a highly trusted and reliable source. At no point do we use the word rumour.

Let's just entertain this for a moment....

If true.... WHAT would Jean Todt do to his former team for breaking the test ban rules....

WHERE....could such a test take place? If it was for example "underground" where on Earth could they find such a facility. Other than maybe under the Romainian Parliament building!

Maybe the Pope gets bored some nights and has a race track under the Vatican that Dan Brown knows nothing about...

This is either pure fabrication....in which case...VERY EXPENSIVE.....

or true

In which case if found guilty of breach test rules.... VERY EXPENSIVE!!!!

Either way...someone, might be forking out a lot of money shortly!!!

[Frans]

it's treu

Edited by Frans, 04 December 2009 - 19:22.

[raiseyourfistfor]

not surprined that Ferrari would break the rules

[ThomFi]

Wouldn't surprise me one little bit.

(Ferrari breaking the rules or Schumi fabricating a neck issue because he wasn't man enough to drive a POS car alongside a WDC.)

Actually it’s Räikkönen, who never ever competed against a world champion in formula 1.

A totally inexperienced Schumacher, with only one (very short) race in a Jordan, faced a three time wdc and beat him 4 to 1 in qualifying and finished every race he crossed the finish line in front of him. Despite the fact, that Schumacher suffered an engine failure in Japan and was involved in a crash in Australia, he ended up only 0,5 points behind Piquet.

And in the list of Räikkönens teammates,

Nick Heidfeld, David Coulthard, Juan Pablo Montoya, Pedro de la Rosa, Alexander Wurz, Felipe Massa, Luca Badoer, Giancarlo Fisichella,

Schumachers so called lapdog Massa might be even the strongest.

Edited by ThomFi, 04 December 2009 - 22:23.

[klover]

Let's just entertain this for a moment....

If true.... WHAT would Jean Todt do to his former team for breaking the test ban rules....

WHERE....could such a test take place? If it was for example "underground" where on Earth could they find such a facility. Other than maybe under the Romainian Parliament building!

Maybe the Pope gets bored some nights and has a race track under the Vatican that Dan Brown knows nothing about...

This is either pure fabrication....in which case...VERY EXPENSIVE.....

or true

In which case if found guilty of breach test rules.... VERY EXPENSIVE!!!!

Either way...someone, might be forking out a lot of money shortly!!!

You have raised very valid points but Balfe sticks by his story explicitly stating it's not just any rumor but something that comes from a reliable source. I bet Max wouldn't mind if Todt rubs Luca's nose a little bit as a token "thank you" to Max for his unwavering support during the election campaign.

[RodrigoL]

Actually it’s Räikkönen, who never ever competed against a world champion in formula 1.

He certainly wasn't afraid to.

[ZZMS]

He certainly wasn't afraid to.

proof?

[klover]

proof?

Didn't he agree to a Ferrari deal a year before MS announced his retirement?

[RodrigoL]

proof?

Obviously you can't expect me to share the exact mind reading method that was used...

But I just stumbled upon an interesting quote from 2002 (my emphasis...)

"He wins all the time. But he has a mega package. He’s not so special that he can’t be beaten. I’m not scared of him. Good driver, yes, but if you have the right package you can beat him. Easy."

Furthermore:
-We've had many quotes of Kimi saying he doesn't care who his teammates are.
-Kimi has never come out with fractured neck stories to avoid a driver. Only to kart/ride bikes the very next week, and say 'it's all fine' in a month

The F60 test was not even necessary to know Schumi would never have come back alongside Raikkonen..
PS - is this why everyone is questioning the report.!?!

Edited by RodrigoL, 04 December 2009 - 20:16.

[ForeverF1]

Guys, keep the thread on topic. Leave driver versus driver out of it. Thanks.

[Italiano Tifoso]

I did not hear that Michael tested the F60, but i did also hear that his neck was only part of the problem getting in the way of his return.

I heard something similar but could not be certain of the source so did not post it. If my source is correct, there are far greater things that took place late last year which have now really strained the relationship between Michael and Ferrari. But until i have this firmed up, i won't dare post on this board given how quick people are to attack.

[Dragonfly]

Mr Balfe lives in a reality of his own.

[klover]

I did not hear that Michael tested the F60, but i did also hear that his neck was only part of the problem getting in the way of his return.

I heard something similar but could not be certain of the source so did not post it. If my source is correct, there are far greater things that took place late last year which have now really strained the relationship between Michael and Ferrari. But until i have this firmed up, i won't dare post on this board given how quick people are to attack.

Please do share, this a discussion forum, not worth getting upset what some people might say, you cannot please everyone, that's for sure ;)

[Jan.W]

Schumachers so called lapdog Massa might be even the strongest.

Period.

[Galko877]

Oh dear!

So if Schumacher was "afraid of Räikkönen" as RodrigoL suggests, why on Earth did he try to come back in the first place? But never mind, logic was never a strong point of the anti-Schumacher camp.

[Mandzipop]

Please do share, this a discussion forum, not worth getting upset what some people might say, you cannot please everyone, that's for sure ;)

I was under the impression that it was Corinna that didn't want him to make a full time comeback. There has been a lot of rumours about his family life. However I wouldn't be suprised about the Ferrari rumours in one way but yes in another. I get the impression that after the bike accident Corinna said never again. I think that some people in Ferrari want him around and some dont. His relationship at Ferrari is confusing atm.

[klover]

I was under the impression that it was Corinna that didn't want him to make a full time comeback. There has been a lot of rumours about his family life. However I wouldn't be suprised about the Ferrari rumours in one way but yes in another. I get the impression that after the bike accident Corinna said never again. I think that some people in Ferrari want him around and some dont. His relationship at Ferrari is confusing atm.

His "consultant" relationship has been confusing from the start. Other than taking care of Felipe baby I have no idea what exactly he is doing.

[MikeTekRacing]

His "consultant" relationship has been confusing from the start. Other than taking care of Felipe baby I have no idea what exactly he is doing.

since the other driver refused help, well...he had to focus on felipe

[ThomFi]

... Other than taking care of Felipe baby I have no idea what exactly he is doing.

Sabotaging Kimi's car at any given opportunity, of course.
Thought this was cleared up by Frans a while ago.

[BiH]

I did not hear that Michael tested the F60, but i did also hear that his neck was only part of the problem getting in the way of his return.

I heard something similar but could not be certain of the source so did not post it. If my source is correct, there are far greater things that took place late last year which have now really strained the relationship between Michael and Ferrari. But until i have this firmed up, i won't dare post on this board given how quick people are to attack.

are you trying to say that michael got beat up by his wife for trying to comeback to f1

[Italiano Tifoso]

Ok Klover, in short;
- Ferrari were using Michael to assist them in the development of next years challenger as Kimi was of no real assistance and Massa was out injured
- Luca was working hard to get 3 cars per team as Michael did want to make a comeback in 2010 but Luca had Alonso and Massa already tied up with the team, so needed the 3rd seat and this gave Michael confidence that Luca was genuinely trying to get him a drive with them (which he was)
- Michael as we know did seriously entertain the idea about a run in the F60 to fill in for Massa but decided against it due to the time it would take him to adjust to the car given how hard it was to drive. This was seen by the relative speed differences between Kimi and Luca/Fisi which is not down to talent alone.
- The neck injury although a valid reason to not return, was in a good enough shape to return to racing but Michael did not want to risk making a comeback and performing badly mainly due to unfamiliarity with the car.
- Alonso got quite annoyed at the thought of Michael getting back involved with the F1 team, he wants to make his own mark on the team and can't do this with Michael there. This was discussed with Stefano in detail and Luca.
- Michael's consultant contract was then focused on the road cars alone to keep Alonso happy but this pissed Michael off because of all the assistance he was apparently providing the technicians on the 2010 car in the simulator.
- Given the new testing restrictions on the F1 teams, the life of an F1 driver is a lot simpler than before and this appeals to Michael (but not his wife, whole new story)
- Michael is upset in how Ferrari sidelined him to please Alonso after all the work he had done for them
- Michael is now seriously considering taking up the Merc seat next year and is free to do so as he does not have a binding contract, rather a gentlemans agreement with Ferrari.
- Big risk for Ferrari as he will take with him a lot of data from the 2010 Ferrari to Ross
- For this reason the relationship with Michael and certain Ferrari heads is quite frosty
- Merc holding out on announcing 2nd driver until Michael makes a decision on whether to return
- Rumours are that he is awaiting the first round of testing the 2010 cars to determine the relative performance of the Merc before he makes his decision
- Heidfeld is waiting in the wings should Michael not take up the seat with Merc

I cannot release the source of this, it is not my view but comments from someone within the Ferrari family. So save your attacks, if you don't like what is written here simply ignore it.
Thanks

Edited by Italiano Tifoso, 05 December 2009 - 01:55.

[halifaxf1fan]

Ok Klover, in short;
- Ferrari were using Michael to assist them in the development of next years challenger as Kimi was of no real assistance and Massa was out injured
- Luca was working hard to get 3 cars per team as Michael did want to make a comeback in 2010 but Luca had Alonso and Massa already tied up with the team, so needed the 3rd seat and this gave Michael confidence that Luca was genuinely trying to get him a drive with them (which he was)
- Michael as we know did seriously entertain the idea about a run in the F60 to fill in for Massa but decided against it due to the time it would take him to adjust to the car given how hard it was to drive. This was seen by the relative speed differences between Kimi and Luca/Fisi which is not down to talent alone.
- The neck injury although a valid reason to not return, was in a good enough shape to return to racing but Michael did not want to risk making a comeback and performing badly mainly due to unfamiliarity with the car.
- Alonso got quite annoyed at the thought of Michael getting back involved with the F1 team, he wants to make his own mark on the team and can't do this with Michael there. This was discussed with Stefano in detail and Luca.
- Michael's consultant contract was then focused on the road cars alone to keep Alonso happy but this pissed Michael off because of all the assistance he was apparently providing the technicians on the 2010 car in the simulator.
- Given the new testing restrictions on the F1 teams, the life of an F1 driver is a lot simpler than before and this appeals to Michael (but not his wife, whole new story)
- Michael is upset in how Ferrari sidelined him to please Alonso after all the work he had done for them
- Michael is now seriously considering taking up the Merc seat next year and is free to do so as he does not have a binding contract, rather a gentlemans agreement with Ferrari.
- Big risk for Ferrari as he will take with him a lot of data from the 2010 Ferrari to Ross
- For this reason the relationship with Michael and certain Ferrari heads is quite frosty
- Merc holding out on announcing 2nd driver until Michael makes a decision on whether to return
- Rumours are that he is awaiting the first round of testing the 2010 cars to determine the relative performance of the Merc before he makes his decision
- Heidfeld is waiting in the wings should Michael not take up the seat with Merc

I cannot release the source of this, it is not my view but comments from someone within the Ferrari family. So save your attacks, if you don't like what is written here simply ignore it.
Thanks

'frosty' would be an understatement. hiring alonso looks not so good if brawn/merc receive this huge data download.

Edited by halifaxf1fan, 05 December 2009 - 02:38.