56 replies to this topic

[Leyser]

Originally posted by Spunout

They choosed to wait for Kimi (to change his mind???) until all the good & experienced drivers were hired by the other teams

There are no proven race winners on offer right now, certainly not ones that would sign a one year deal at this stage of their careers. Do you think Massa is racing a Ferrari because his pre-2006 CV is so incredible?

This is as good a time as any to bring in fresh blood into F1 because all the known quantities are unamazing and pretty well tied down contractually. It's time for some fresh blood and if hearsay and lower formulae performance are anything to go by - LH is probably better than half the current field, veteran drivers or otherwise.

[Orin]

Originally posted by Leyser


There are no proven race winners on offer right now, certainly not ones that would sign a one year deal at this stage of their careers. Do you think Massa is racing a Ferrari because his pre-2006 CV is so incredible?

This is as good a time as any to bring in fresh blood into F1 because all the known quantities are unamazing and pretty well tied down contractually. It's time for some fresh blood and if hearsay and lower formulae performance are anything to go by - LH is probably better than half the current field, veteran drivers or otherwise.

Agreed, Ron is looking for winnners rather than makeweights and so probably sees the gamble on Hamilton as worthwhile. I'll be very interested to see how Massa performs in 2007, I think he received far too much praise for last year given he was at times driving a car head and shoulders above the rest of the field. I expect Kimi to thrash him, even given that he's new to the team.

[Agnis]

Originally posted by MPea3
I think his comments are entirely reasonable. Ferrari stands to not be as effective without MS & Ross Braun, and I don't think McLaren is automatically going to be competitive because Alonso's on board. I'll say this, if McLaren and Alonso DO win it all, then ALonso has really cemented his legacy, and at a very young age.

What he doesn't say of course, is that his own team is in a equally shaky position. Of course, any time you'e on top there's only one way to go.

Every F1 season has some surprises, and I wonder who the big surprise this year will be. Will Honda's late season homologation of their engine yield big results? Will Toyota's sharing of information with Williams help take them toward the top? Will BMW muscle it's way up front with a strong engine, their super computer/wind tunnel, and an aggressive young driver? Or will Red Bull, with Newey on board, lift a leg in the other team's kennels?

I think it's going to be one of the more interesting years in recent F1 history.

Off season is always full of such hopes. Before 2006 started there were no less than four possible title challengers - Renault, McLaren, Ferrari and Honda. Plus some expected Toyota and Williams to win some races. What happened? It was all about just two teams plus Button victory in Hungarian chaos.

I think that there wont be much competition for the very top this year. What's unknown yet - who will be there. But I'm sure that there won't be many.

[bl-f1]

Originally posted by yr


... I respect any WDC let alone double WDC, so not winning 3rd or 4th is irrelevant to me.

... Mclaren might be dominant team regardless if FA was there or not for next several years

... If that new design team in Mclaren produce really dominant car then any decent driver would take few WDCs with it

... Alonso fans are trying to give credit for Mclarens possible progress already to FA and yet in the same time leave door open for possible failures, so they could say if there will be no success that it was Mclarens fault, team failed, not Alonso.

Excuse me yr, but I have read a fair amount of this thread and I do not see a lot of Alonso fanatics saying it will be McLaren´s fault if he does not win the WDC next year and only his credit if he does. In fact, no one has said that. Have you read any posts from Kimi´s fanatics relishing the prospect of Alonso finally enduring some "typical" McLaren unreliability?

On the other hand, what you keep saying or implying in most threads is that if Alonso wins it will be only because he has the best car. If it is true that any decent driver would take a superior car and go and win the WDC, then please tell McLaren and Ferrari so they do not go around spending millions in hiring the best drivers, i.e., those who can make a difference even in not the best machinery, and make sure results are delivered when they indeed have a superior car at their disposal. If you think there are many of those, please point F1 giants in the right direction.

In fact, you keep accusing others exactly of what you so blatantly do at every opportunity.

You need some serious therapy.

[HSJ]

Originally posted by MPea3


I agree with you. No, of course I wouldn't think less of his 2 championships with Renault shoudl McLaren not do well this year, but if they win it all, then he's gone up a notch in my book. All WDC's are great drivers in my book, it's quite an accomplishment to pull it off, but to go to another team and pull it off again right away would move him to another level.

Montoya won (three times) in his first season with McLaren. Doesn't mean anything really. Or if FA doesn't win at least three times next year, his worse than Montoya? Stats are fun, can make almost any conclusions you want with them.

[MPea3]

Originally posted by HSJ


Montoya won (three times) in his first season with McLaren. Doesn't mean anything really. Or if FA doesn't win at least three times next year, his worse than Montoya? Stats are fun, can make almost any conclusions you want with them.

I agree with your point, but I'm not sure what it has to do with what I said. I fully expect Alonso to be successful with McLaren, even in his first year. I'm not one that sees anything less than a WDC as a successful year. I still say however, that to win a WDC with McLaren this year would be a huge accomplishment, and would, in my eyes at least, set him to an even higher level.

I've always felt that one ingrediant of great sports is when the person who is not supposed to win does. Do you see Alonso as the front runner for '07? I see him as a front runner, but hardly the favorite to win the WDC.

[yr]

Originally posted by bl-f1


If it is true that any decent driver would take a superior car and go and win the WDC, then please tell McLaren and Ferrari so they do not go around spending millions in hiring the best drivers, i.e., those who can make a difference even in not the best machinery, and make sure results are delivered when they indeed have a superior car at their disposal. If you think there are many of those, please point F1 giants in the right direction.

If Ferrari or Mclaren were sure they have superior car, then they would settle drivers like Massa with considerably smaller paycheque than top drivers have. The problem is, nobody knows if they have dominant car for several next seasons, so they need to hire best drivers in order to compete with equal or slighly superior cars. That should be obvious.