Ferrari's Quali Pace...

[Bearface]

I'm a bit concerned about Ferrari's rate of development this season, relative to McLaren's. Clearly McLaren have the better car right now and even more significantly, it appears on paper to be more reliable too, all of which is contributing to make both Massa and Raikonnen look like "also-rans".

In my heart, I really love Ferrari and I particularly want to see Raikonnen (who for me is the only other mega-talent in F1 after Hamilton) truly shine, but it's looking increasingly like a one-team race for the championship as things stand today. To be honest, I doubt whether Massa or Raikonnen will be able to recover much ground unless McLaren's fortunes change dramatically, and yesterdays qualifying seemed to confirm that. Ok, so Ferrari could still have the edge in race-trim, but something tells me it won't be as clear-cut as it has been at previous Indy GPs. Oh dear...

Anyway, Lewis made it to pole yet again, so it'll be interesting to see whether:

...He's given the strategy to win the race, rather than being forced to simply allow Alonso through during pitstops...

...Alonso himself tries something ludicrous (again...) in order to take the lead early on and re-estabish his reputation...

...the two McLaren drivers will get an opportunity to race head-to-head so that Lewis can once and for all demonstrate that he's in a different league to Alonso...

...Ferrari have any kind of answers to this current situation...

I'm going for Lewis to win, followed by Alonso and then Raikonnen. Well, I can dream, can't I..?

[Ian]

Re: Ferrari's Quali Pace...

I'm a bit concerned about Ferrari's rate of development this season, relative to McLaren's. Clearly McLaren have the better car right now and even more significantly, it appears on paper to be more reliable too, all of which is contributing to make both Massa and Raikonnen look like "also-rans".

In my heart, I really love Ferrari and I particularly want to see Raikonnen (who for me is the only other mega-talent in F1 after Hamilton) truly shine, but it's looking increasingly like a one-team race for the championship as things stand today. To be honest, I doubt whether Massa or Raikonnen will be able to recover much ground unless McLaren's fortunes change dramatically, and yesterdays qualifying seemed to confirm that. Ok, so Ferrari could still have the edge in race-trim, but something tells me it won't be as clear-cut as it has been at previous Indy GPs. Oh dear...

Anyway, Lewis made it to pole yet again, so it'll be interesting to see whether:

...He's given the strategy to win the race, rather than being forced to simply allow Alonso through during pitstops...

...Alonso himself tries something ludicrous (again...) in order to take the lead early on and re-estabish his reputation...

...the two McLaren drivers will get an opportunity to race head-to-head so that Lewis can once and for all demonstrate that he's in a different league to Alonso...

...Ferrari have any kind of answers to this current situation...

I'm going for Lewis to win, followed by Alonso and then Raikonnen. Well, I can dream, can't I..?

I think the race is more open than you might think and there is nothing at all to separate the two McLarens. Alonso posted the fastest two of the three sectors, to Hamilton's one, but Lewis managed to piece together more better quality sector times than Fernando.

Did you see that the McLarens are only faster than two other cars at the end of the main straight? Looks like their strategy is to be fast in the infield section. If their tyres go off, they could be vulnerable as it's easy to pass on the straights at Indy.

It's going to be a fascinating one for sure - and you simply can't rule out Heidfeld in the BMW to spring a surprise.

Ian

[Ian]

Re: Ferrari's Quali Pace...

I think the race is more open than you might think and there is nothing at all to separate the two McLarens. Alonso posted the fastest two of the three sectors, to Hamilton's one, but Lewis managed to piece together more better quality sector times than Fernando.

Did you see that the McLarens are only faster than two other cars at the end of the main straight? Looks like their strategy is to be fast in the infield section. If their tyres go off, they could be vulnerable as it's easy to pass on the straights at Indy.

It's going to be a fascinating one for sure - and you simply can't rule out Heidfeld in the BMW to spring a surprise.

Ian

Ah well, I was right in that the race between the McLarens would be really tight - it sure was, but the result was right. The Ferrari's weren't as good on race days as I'd expected and the BMW challenge flattered to deceive.

And I'm sorry to return to this subject - but wasn't that a great race, with two equally supported team mates racing wheel to wheel? That's what was missing from Ferrari in the Schumacher era.

Ian

[lumix]

Re: Ferrari's Quali Pace...

Ah well, I was right in that the race between the McLarens would be really tight - it sure was, but the result was right. The Ferrari's weren't as good on race days as I'd expected and the BMW challenge flattered to deceive.

And I'm sorry to return to this subject - but wasn't that a great race, with two equally supported team mates racing wheel to wheel? That's what was missing from Ferrari in the Schumacher era.

Ian

Alonso didn't look very happy. Can't wait to read what excuse he has this week.

[Ian]

Re: Ferrari's Quali Pace...

Alonso didn't look very happy. Can't wait to read what excuse he has this week.

Just think how you would feel in his position!

He looked less hacked off this time, actually. Entering the podium arms around each other was a nice touch.

I'm not so sure about the Hamilton lens-slobbering trick!

Ian

[lumix]

Re: Ferrari's Quali Pace...

Just think how you would feel in his position!

He looked less hacked off this time, actually. Entering the podium arms around each other was a nice touch.

I'm not so sure about the Hamilton lens-slobbering trick!

Ian

It all looked like he was acting under team orders from Big Ron. I did notice it was Hamilton that went to Alonso to congratulate him.

[Bearface]

Re: Ferrari's Quali Pace...

Ah well, I was right in that the race between the McLarens would be really tight - it sure was, but the result was right. The Ferrari's weren't as good on race days as I'd expected and the BMW challenge flattered to deceive.

McLaren were very slick and have been so for a while now; it's very impressive. Hamilton was nevertheless smoother and more considered on the track than Alonso, who despite his comments afterwards, was not in the same league as his team-mate. And his mini-tantrum during the race (cooling his brakes, eh..? ) just summed him up beautifully, as did his scruffy lap immediately afterwards........and that forced public display of camaraderie on the podium wasn't actually fooling anybody.........was it..?

And I'm sorry to return to this subject - but wasn't that a great race, with two equally supported team mates racing wheel to wheel? That's what was missing from Ferrari in the Schumacher era.

Uh oh...

Ferrari simply didn't run their team like McLaren do now........we even talked about the motives for this in a previous thread. Taking every opportunity to lament the fact that Schuey didn't have a mega-talented team-mate during his reign is of course your perogative, but doing so doesn't alter the fact that Schuey raced some great drivers during his years in F1 (and we got to see a considerable number of great races...) .........and yet even when his main rivals had better packages (which they did for all but four of his seven championship wins), he still beat them in straight fights.

Put as much negative spin on the Schumacher years as you like, but apart from his infamous misdemeanours, he was the most successful driver in the history of the sport and his season by season stats (including points totals, quali records, fastest laps and race wins) show that he was consistently better than his rivals and indeed anyone before him. It will take someone of unbelievable talent and professionalism to get close to that record and right now it looks as though Lewis could be that person. It certainly won't be Alonso........I'd bet my limbs on that

Anyway, we can at least be assured that from hereon in, the entertainment at GPs will come mainly from watching how Alonso - as he increasingly realises he's no match for Hamilton - adopts desperate new ways to try and out-psych his team-mate. I'm just waiting for a Senna-esque moment during which he blatantly runs Lewis off the track......