51 replies to this topic

[March76]

Was watching the Hungarian GP last night from the couch and was surprised to hear Peter Windsor saying before the race that Kimi had changed his suit from Puma to Alpinestars... much to the annoyance of Ferrari & Puma.

On the podium after the race Kimi is clearly wearing an Alpinestars suit (with Puma logo on the waist though) then suddenly in the press conference he's in a Puma suit again. Look closely at the pictures of podium and press conference, particularly the shoulders of each suit, and you see what I mean.

Only comment Windsor made was that Alpinestars is Kimi's favourite suit and he wanted to feel more comfortable apparently. Kimi being his own man was allowed, through clenched teeth probably, by Ferrari to go ahead. Love to know what Puma think about all this.

What's he up to?

[Melbourne Park]

Strange - I thought the suits were hand made. The bikers gear certainly is hand made. So comfort wise, both suits would be perfectly comfortable.

Strange he should cross Ferrari marketing structure.

[marchi-91]

Well Michael was allowed to have his own hat sponsorship so I fail to see how this is double crossing Ferrari.

As long as Puma is on his kit then I really don't think they car what suite he wears.

[Lazy Prodigy]

It was pretty obvious it was Alpine Star with Puma sewed on it. But It was funny when he came to the pc it a different suit

[TickTickBooom]

It's not a different suit, it's a flack-jacket affair he puts on over the top of his overalls so the sponsor logos are all clean, crisp and facing the right way. He used to wear one with McLaren, too. That's why he always looks as if he's got his ice hockey shoulder pads on under his racesuit.

Anyway, lots of the teams have them for their drivers in the event of them going into the PC after the race.

[Zarathustra]

They usually wear a nice shiny jacket for the PC. Ferrari knew what they were getting in Kimi - someone who needs to be allowed a bit of leeway with the corporate stuff but can get the job done.

[OfficeLinebacker]

Yeah isn't clothing an individual thing? Like shoes in the NFL or in soccer?

[March76]

Originally posted by TickTickBooom
It's not a different suit, it's a flack-jacket affair he puts on over the top of his overalls so the sponsor logos are all clean, crisp and facing the right way. He used to wear one with McLaren, too. That's why he always looks as if he's got his ice hockey shoulder pads on under his racesuit.

Anyway, lots of the teams have them for their drivers in the event of them going into the PC after the race.

Good point - I forgot about those race suit 'jackets' they have. Was wondering why their shoulders always look huge and their gear so nice and clean for the press conference.

[devil500]

Any idea why he would change suit's are the Alpinestars suits better made seems lots of drivers are going toward them these days..

[Cool Beans]

I remember when Kimi came to Ferrari he had some trouble with the racing suits. They had to try several versions but he still wasn't comfortable with the new suit.

[pingu666]

Originally posted by March76


Good point - I forgot about those race suit 'jackets' they have. Was wondering why their shoulders always look huge and their gear so nice and clean for the press conference.

ahh i wondered why they often looked so hilarious in the press conference

[devil500]

Originally posted by beancounter
I remember when Kimi came to Ferrari he had some trouble with the racing suits. They had to try several versions but he still wasn't comfortable with the new suit.

I guess well the parties do add a bit more weight you know

[Melbourne Park]

Originally posted by OfficeLinebacker
Yeah isn't clothing an individual thing? Like shoes in the NFL or in soccer?

That would depend on his contract with Ferrari. Who knows, maybe he had a previous contract with AlpineStars who are now demanding he wears their gear? He might be caught up with a previous deal that is against what he signed for with Ferrari?

I do doubt the comfort issue - it would surprise me that they bought stock clothing. I saw a TV program on the MotoGP gear, its all hand made for each driver. But they use various things outsourced as well. But MotoGP suits have armour and padding to protect the driver in an accident, and also the back of their suits are aerodynamically shaped as well. But considering all, I reckon F1 drivers would get what they want concerning comfort. Although the car is a different issue - I recall that Webber's RBR4 water supply was boiling hot! He also drove with some heat in the car, which gave him second or third degree burns! Drivers race cars with cockpits that don't fit, and also with seats that hurt them as well. A good seat costs about 25K euro I think, specially fitted to the drivers body. IF Kimi goes down to the sports shop and buys a race suit - no I don't believe that. Heck the suit colour would have to be the exact same colour as what Ferrari (and the tobacco) company have agreed upon. There are colour tables which define colours, and such colour tables exist for paper labels (such as the Hienz label which is a particular red and the label providers have to get that colour exactly right), and there are similar colour tables for cloth and material.

Ferrari would also be involved with putting the labels on the suit, and in the correct position. Kimi would not sew his labels on late at night after sneaking in with his new racing suits that he bought himself from Alpine. OK they might have supplied him with ones identical to his other suits - but Ferrari would still have to oversee the labels, and likely have to get more labels for a new suit.

Ferrari must know all about it IMO.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Drivers are generally allowed their own suit/glove/boot/helmet deals as long as it doesn't clash with a team sponsor. So Kimi has an Alpinestars suit (but not branded) at a Puma team just like Montoya did at Williams(Puma at the time) and McLaren(Sparco).

I am kinda surprised Ferrari allow it considering just how much money they get from Puma.


What I'm always surprised by is football players who will have Nike boots when the entire team is sponsored by Adidas.

[Lazy Prodigy]

Puma must have saw something good with the puma logo on the alpine star suit ;) Maybe Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, and Puma dont care as long as the puma logo was on and the usual stuff. It was strange though.

[yvonne.kk]

bad quality

[Burai]

Originally posted by devil500
Any idea why he would change suit's are the Alpinestars suits better made seems lots of drivers are going toward them these days..

99% of the time it's money. F1 drivers very rarely choose their own gear based on preference, it's all about how much money and free product they get. That said, I do remember a few years back DC running back to the pits in his socks because he didn't want to ruin his boots as he'd paid for them but the socks were free.

[Melbourne Park]

Originally posted by Burai


99% of the time it's money. F1 drivers very rarely choose their own gear based on preference, it's all about how much money and free product they get. That said, I do remember a few years back DC running back to the pits in his socks because he didn't want to ruin his boots as he'd paid for them but the socks were free.

I remember that. Knowing DC its probably a true story too. I wonder if the socks were clean ...

[Dino Scuderia]

Originally posted by March76
Was watching the Hungarian GP last night from the couch and was surprised to hear Peter Windsor saying before the race that Kimi had changed his suit from Puma to Alpinestars... much to the annoyance of Ferrari & Puma.

On the podium after the race Kimi is clearly wearing an Alpinestars suit (with Puma logo on the waist though) then suddenly in the press conference he's in a Puma suit again. Look closely at the pictures of podium and press conference, particularly the shoulders of each suit, and you see what I mean.

Only comment Windsor made was that Alpinestars is Kimi's favourite suit and he wanted to feel more comfortable apparently. Kimi being his own man was allowed, through clenched teeth probably, by Ferrari to go ahead. Love to know what Puma think about all this.

What's he up to?

The same Peter''I love lewis'' Windsor that cant stand kimi and is always saying something about him every time he has a chance?
if Kimi changed the suit then he had agreed that with Ferrari, there is no way in hell he would have done that with out their permission

[Hacklerf]

really.... who cares?

[Lazy Prodigy]

Originally posted by Hacklerf
really.... who cares?

Peter Windsor does

[VoidNT]

Originally posted by Lazy Prodigy
Peter Windsor does

His latest encounter on starting grid with that photographer Cahier at Budapest was funny.

[Hacklerf]

why what happened?

[Dooly Tilly]

Originally posted by VoidNT


His latest encounter on starting grid with that photographer Cahier at Budapest was funny.

What happened?

[glorius&victorius]

Originally posted by March76
Was watching the Hungarian GP last night from the couch and was surprised to hear Peter Windsor saying before the race that Kimi had changed his suit from Puma to Alpinestars... much to the annoyance of Ferrari & Puma.

On the podium after the race Kimi is clearly wearing an Alpinestars suit (with Puma logo on the waist though) then suddenly in the press conference he's in a Puma suit again. Look closely at the pictures of podium and press conference, particularly the shoulders of each suit, and you see what I mean.

Only comment Windsor made was that Alpinestars is Kimi's favourite suit and he wanted to feel more comfortable apparently. Kimi being his own man was allowed, through clenched teeth probably, by Ferrari to go ahead. Love to know what Puma think about all this.

What's he up to?

did he change underwear too? and deo?

[potmotr]

Speaking of that press confernce, it is interesting that in the autosport photos Heikki was sitting his just his branded thermal underwear and not the overalls, zipped up and attached fast around the neck as normal. I didn't see the PC on TV. Was he like this throughout?

As for Kimi, you'd think the driving suit would be the least of his problems after his showing in the past three races...

[OfficeLinebacker]

Originally posted by Dooly Tilly
What happened?

Yeah who won the rematch?

[Ross Stonefeld]

The photos are usually from the post race press conference. The TV images are from the unilaterals which are a closed Q&A of the three drivers and the TV interviewer.

[V8 Fireworks]

Kimi prefers not to compete in F2008, drives STR-Ferrari with Marlboro stickers instead.

Free race suit, 50 million dollar salary and multi-million Ferrari apparel deal only to use a different race suit with no discernable benifit.

It would be like the Toyota using Hitachi monitors due to 1% superior picture quality to Panasonic. Or McLaren team using Castrol lubricants in Mobil bottle (known to be common in oil sponsored touring car teams!!! ) for 0.001% lower friction coefficient. Why not stick to the sponsor's supplied product?

[niallmckiernan]

looking at the drivers racing suits on the podium i cant see them shoulder straps that are supposed to be used to lift the drivers out of the car in the event of a bad accident. kova has them, glock and kimi dont. is it not compulsory??

[pacwest]

Originally posted by Burai
.... DC running back to the pits in his socks because he didn't want to ruin his boots as he'd paid for them but the socks were free.

He really is Scottish then.

[cheesy poofs]

Originally posted by niallmckiernan
looking at the drivers racing suits on the podium i cant see them shoulder straps that are supposed to be used to lift the drivers out of the car in the event of a bad accident. kova has them, glock and kimi dont. is it not compulsory??

It used to be for a long time, but now, the drivers can be lifted out of their cars with their seat attached to them if you need to extricate him.

[Ross Stonefeld]

See that bit around Kimi's shoulder with the white outline? It's one big handle.

[potmotr]

Kimi has been wearing a Puma suit since the start of 2007 and won a championship in one.

You have to wonder why this has become and issue now.

And I find it quite remarkable that Puma would allow this to happen.

Each shoulder lift straps on the Puma suit have the Puma 'swoosh' on it, quite clearly.

Surely this is part of the branding deal with the team.

The Alpinestars suit worn on Sunday does not.

So for Kimi to suddenly appear without those on his shoulders is amazing. Perhaps he cited the suit as a performance issue related to his recent downturn and forced the issue.

[potmotr]

Mind you, there are precedents for this.

In 1990 Benetton were contracted to use Bieffe helmets for both drivers.

Alesandro Nannini wore one, but Nelson Piquet stuck with his normal Arai, albeit with Bieffe branding.

[niallmckiernan]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
See that bit around Kimi's shoulder with the white outline? It's one big handle.

kimi definitely does not have a handle on his shoulder
http://gallery.autos...1BHV9D0NBFAPS-3


massa otoh cleary has
http://gallery.autos...ge/l__26y5677-3

[Ross Stonefeld]

As I said, do you see the big area on his shoulder, with the white outline? The bit that doesn't have the Marlboro barcode.

[niallmckiernan]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
As I said, do you see the big area on his shoulder, with the white outline? The bit that doesn't have the Marlboro barcode.

ok, i see so kimi's handles are just a different shape - to be used from the sides where as massa's are from front through to the back? i had been refering to the handles which i believe could have bolts through them and lift the driver that way(not at all familar with them but briefly heard about it before!)

[potmotr]

This should probably belong in the ITV thread, but I think it's great Peter Windsor can offer insights for his viewers like Kimi changing his brand of overalls despite his team's sponsorship agreements. I think this kind of in depth stuff is sadly missing from ITV.

[wrighty]

Originally posted by niallmckiernan


kimi definitely does not have a handle on his shoulder
http://gallery.autos...1BHV9D0NBFAPS-3


massa otoh cleary has
http://gallery.autos...ge/l__26y5677-3

in a crisis, drivers used to be pulled out of the car by the shoulder straps, HANS (and iirc drivers being removed from the car in their seat in an emergency in F1) have surpassed this need

[OfficeLinebacker]

Originally posted by wrighty
in a crisis, drivers used to be pulled out of the car by the shoulder straps, HANS (and iirc drivers being removed from the car in their seat in an emergency in F1) have surpassed this need

What? Let's say a driver is unconscious or otherwise incapacitated (it's happened since the HANS was implemented) in a burning car (also has happened).

I'd be surprised if epaulets weren't mandatory. In fact I'd go so far as to say they should all be in the same arrangement--I'm surprised that Kimi's firesuit requires a rescuer to put his hands in from the sides as opposed to either the front or the back.

[rce]

Originally posted by potmotr
This should probably belong in the ITV thread, but I think it's great Peter Windsor can offer insights for his viewers like Kimi changing his brand of overalls despite his team's sponsorship agreements. I think this kind of in depth stuff is sadly missing from ITV.

Now that made me laugh.

[OfficeLinebacker]

Originally posted by OfficeLinebacker


What? Let's say a driver is unconscious or otherwise incapacitated (it's happened since the HANS was implemented) in a burning car (also has happened).

I'd be surprised if epaulets weren't mandatory. In fact I'd go so far as to say they should all be in the same arrangement--I'm surprised that Kimi's firesuit requires a rescuer to put his hands in from the sides as opposed to either the front or the back.

I take that back. I just saw the literature about an Alpinestars suit and the sideways epaulets are actually a safety feature so as to allow grab handles even with a HANS-like device on. Makes sense now.

[potmotr]

Originally posted by rce


Now that made me laugh.

I admit, I've never seen Windor's TV work on Speed channel, but I've seen him occassionally on Ten in Australia.

But I'm serious, I find issues like the subject of this thread quite interesting.

I find ITV just focuses on stuff anyone who checks Autosport once a day already knows days before.

If Windsor is digging up little nuggets like this, I'd happily watch him.

[Leons]

Originally posted by March76
Was watching the Hungarian GP last night from the couch and was surprised to hear Peter Windsor saying before the race that Kimi had changed his suit from Puma to Alpinestars... much to the annoyance of Ferrari & Puma.

On the podium after the race Kimi is clearly wearing an Alpinestars suit (with Puma logo on the waist though) then suddenly in the press conference he's in a Puma suit again. Look closely at the pictures of podium and press conference, particularly the shoulders of each suit, and you see what I mean.

Only comment Windsor made was that Alpinestars is Kimi's favourite suit and he wanted to feel more comfortable apparently. Kimi being his own man was allowed, through clenched teeth probably, by Ferrari to go ahead. Love to know what Puma think about all this.

What's he up to?

ohh my God!

[Mauseri]

Let's discuss handbags next.

[potmotr]

Originally posted by micra_k10
Let's discuss handbags next.

If Kimi changes his handbag from a Puma, which his team are paid many millions of pounds to have him and his colleages appear with, to an Alpinestars handbag, I think it is completely up for discussion!

[Leons]

Originally posted by potmotr


If Kimi changes his handbag from a Puma, which his team are paid many millions of pounds to have him and his colleages appear with, to an Alpinestars handbag, I think it is completely up for discussion!

;)

[Dolph]

Originally posted by micra_k10
Let's discuss handbags next.

No-no. Let's make threads like "Who was better Prost or Senna" or "My favdriver is better than others" again. That'll be real refreshing...

[Calorus]

Originally posted by marchi-91
Well Michael was allowed to have his own hat sponsorship so I fail to see how this is double crossing Ferrari.

As long as Puma is on his kit then I really don't think they car what suite he wears.

Well, farily important if you're trying to sell race wear and your star driver won't even be paid to wear it.

Deutsche Vermogensberatung weren't in competition with any Ferrari Sponsors.