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Post by blacktulip on Apr 7, 2009 19:03:47 GMT
From F1 Blog
I find it fascinating that the person in power to whom Hamilton appears to have turned for advice in recent days is Max Mosley. He’s clearly learned what Schumacher knew, that the best way to stay ahead of the others is to have a good relationship with the man who makes the rules. Brawn GP is important for Mosley because it is a blue print for his vision of the sport; a well engineered, lean team with customer engines. Low-cost, high quality F1. The Brawn model is important now, just as re-invigorating Ferrari was in 1996. If Hamilton were to join forces with Brawn, it would give the team huge commercial appeal, as Schumacher’s arrival gave Ferrari. Brawn says he is looking for ’strong partners’ for the future. He didn’t say those partners couldn’t be drivers…"
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Post by blacktulip on Apr 7, 2009 19:05:18 GMT
Michele Lostia and Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, April 7th 2009, 09:20 GMT
Michael Schumacher's manager Willi Weber has labelled as "idiotic" the criticism aimed at the seven-time world champion following the Malaysian Grand Prix.
German and Italia media report that Schumacher, who works as a consultant for the Ferrari team, was the man in charge of making the decision that ruined Kimi Raikkonen's race on Sunday, the Finn switching to extreme weather tyres too early.
Weber said Schumacher had nothing to do with it.
The German also suggested the former world champion's contract with Ferrari was unlikely to be renewed.
"The criticism aimed at Schumacher is totally idiotic," Weber was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport. "His contract with Ferrari ends at the end of the year, but I don't know whether it will be renewed.
"The attack against Schumacher makes no sense. He knows everyone and was in Sepang just by chance. The decisions from the pit wall were taken by the team.
"It's possible that his contract won't be renewed, but there will be a meeting midway through the year, so we'll have to wait.
"Should his contract really not be renewed, then it would certainly not be because of the Malaysian GP. Michael may give some advice to the team, but he is not the team leader nor the team manager at Ferrari."
Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali refused to speak about Schumacher's situation following the race on Sunday.
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Post by gizzy on Apr 7, 2009 23:01:13 GMT
Hey, it was a gamble that did not pay out. Rain 5 minutes earlier, and he would be a hero.
How can they villify Shoe because he was a few minutes off on his rain forecast?
Oh, let's fire him because of this. Irresponsible craziness by management...now they think the best driver in the last 15 years is an idiot. Sounds of desperation by the red guys looking for a scapegoat.
Maybe they should not have let that Brawn guy get away...
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Post by seabassfan on Apr 8, 2009 1:49:16 GMT
Michael Schumacher making a tire decision? Bull!! Wasn't it over the last 6 or 7 years that everyone was saying he should be in charge of safety for the FIA? It's like Derek Dailey(?) said, "The key to winning is 'the right tyres at the right time'". Ferrari (and Kimi{?}) made the "right" decision a few laps too early- Thus making it a wrong decision. Ferrari is just trying to make Schumi a scapegoat because 1) Brawn GP is kicking butt: 2) Felipe Massa doing only 2 laps in the first qualifying session; and 3) they know they'll more-than-likely lose the appeal regarding the diffusers used by Brawn and others (Which, I feel, is a design coup the used to be a hallmark of Ferrari).
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Post by blacktulip on Apr 17, 2009 13:11:50 GMT
ITV.F1 latest on McLaren
Speaking about his afternoon session, Hamilton added: “My first run on the [super-soft] option tyres felt quite consistent. The drop-off definitely feels manageable.
“This was a good day, although we still need to work on MP4-24’s medium- and high-speed balance.”
Heikki Kovalainen’s sister car wasn’t fitted with the interim diffuser but the Finn did try out the new front wing and – despite a persistent issue with the hydraulic flap system, which compromised his back-to-back tests of the old and new specifications – he echoed Hamilton’s positive verdict.
“I’m very impressed by the performance upgrades for this race,” said Kovalainen, who was fourth quickest in the morning session and ninth in the afternoon.
“We still need to do more work to find the best balance, but our car definitely feels more stable here.”
Team principal Martin Whitmarsh added: “The team, both at the track and back in the factory, has done a fantastic job to get these bodywork upgrades to Shanghai – and initial analysis would suggest that they have contributed to a slight uplift in our overall competitiveness.
“We are still working on MP4-24’s overall balance, but nonetheless concluded some productive tyre evaluation work.
“Heikki’s day was compromised by a hydraulic system problem which failed to adjust his front wing flaps correctly, a fault that distracted both him and his engineers from their regular programme.”
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Post by blacktulip on Apr 17, 2009 13:23:57 GMT
Felipe Massa reckons Ferrari’s decision not use its kinetic energy recovery system in China is costing the team much-needed performance.
The Maranello squad, which has endured its worst start to a season in 17 years, has elected not to run its KERS unit this weekend due to persistent reliability problems that manifested themselves at the first two grands prix.
But with the power boost which KERS provides expected to be of particular value at the Shanghai circuit, which features one of the longest straights on the calendar, Massa says Ferrari is inevitably paying a price for its conservatism.
The Brazilian, who finished Friday practice in 12th position, was dismayed by the team’s continuing inability to compete at the front with the F60.
“I can say our fight for the championship is ever more compromised,” he said.
“Here we are also running without KERS and as a result, we are losing even more performance, in addition to not having as much aerodynamic downforce as the best cars.
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