This has to ripe for a great caption

[meves]

[modbaraban]

[megz]

BERNIE: "Ron... the tits on her.... like this....."

Ron: "....Note to self, never steal Ferrari intellectual property thus requiring old Bernies presence here at these launches...."

[Ciro Pabón]

I quote Tiff:

Todt says new ECU benefits McLaren

Blah blah blah blah blah.......

"It is clear it is a situation to monitor. But it is obvious that, at least at the start, McLaren will have an advantage in the championship," added the Frenchman, who has handed the reins of the racing team to Stefano Domenicali while he remains boss of the company.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64545

The caption, you mean?

"I guess this french guy has bollocks this size".

It's January and I already see some storm clouds on the horizon, because of the italics... Conspiracy anyone? Why would anyone give McLaren the ECU contract? Are there no "independent" contractors to be found? I can only imagine the "war plans" for 2008, but I guess they involve some lawyers.

[Rob W]

Hang on Jean Todt .. if it were built by an independent company who would be the advisor/liaison to get it all working? How long before 'people' were seen having dinner with the boss of said company or found to be golf buddies? The FIA surely made the call and have covered the bases with regards to any chance of advantage.

Remember, Ferrari had an inside run with Bridgestone for years, making 'special' versions to tires for Ferrari/Schumacher, despite it being against the rules and spirit of the supply deal. The tires were developed with Ferrari and exclusively for Ferrari to the detriment of all other Bridgestone customers. And now you cry and accuse McLaren of doing the same sort of thing?

R

[bizadfar]

Hang on Jean Todt .. if it were built by an independent company who would be the advisor/liaison to get it all working? How long before 'people' were seen having dinner with the boss of said company or found to be golf buddies? The FIA surely made the call and have covered the bases with regards to any chance of advantage.

Remember, Ferrari had an inside run with Bridgestone for years, making 'special' versions to tires for Ferrari/Schumacher, despite it being against the rules and spirit of the supply deal. The tires were developed with Ferrari and exclusively for Ferrari to the detriment of all other Bridgestone customers. And now you cry and accuse McLaren of doing the same sort of thing?

R

How many bridgestone runners were there back then? Ferrari was also doing bulk of the development work of the tyres well after the millenium. Exclusivity... I don't believe it.

Now who is Mclaren playing with? 10 other teams, not 3 backmarker/midpack teams. I remember in mid 2005 or something. There were complaints that Ferrari did not agree with the testing ban. One of their people commented how many run michelin/how many run bridgestone and that it would not equal obviously. Then add to that Ferrari develops the tyres and the other backmarkers get better tyres with no testing cost. He even implied they were doing the other bridgestone teams a favor. Isn't that sweet? Again, I don't believe exclusivity because of that also...

Don't make a fool of yourself comparing that.

Even though my view is that the ECU will have an early advantage to Mclaren of course but all other teams should know it inside out by now.

[Rob W]

Now who is Mclaren playing with? 10 other teams, not 3 backmarker/midpack teams. I remember in mid 2005 or something....

The universal devices are designed to FIA criteria and checked, tagged, sealed and distributed by them. McLaren wont really have any advantage unless they can somehow cheat this process which is assuming a hell of a lot.

Then add to that Ferrari develops the tyres and the other backmarkers get better tyres with no testing cost. He even implied they were doing the other bridgestone teams a favor. Isn't that sweet? Again, I don't believe exclusivity because of that also...

I think you're patently incorrect on this point. All of the other Bridgestone teams received the tires, but tires which were designed with a completely different car in mind. They had to then observe and see how the Ferrari worked the tires during tests/races to get their own set-up right. It would have been far simpler for teams to have tested the tires themselves and had this foresight when designing their suspension, brake cooling ducts etc. Worse yet, when they did get a chance to test their recommendations were pretty supposedly ignored unless they were also consistent with Ferrari's ( I know this how? ). Bridgestone were actually putting the other teams at a distinct disadvantage in every way. I cannot see how you could possibly attempt to think Ferrari were doing them a favour.

R

[checkered]

On the subject

of the SECU, IMHO Scarbs recently wrote the best articulated take on the ramifications of MES supplying the FIA/teams with the system from McLaren's perspective. It can be found in his Technical analysis of the McLaren MP4-23(link) on Autosport. In the end, it's not like McLaren will have more potential performance to get out of it than other teams.

[Belatti]

Old thread
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4899

[SoundMan]

Bernie: "if u think the last punishment was hard to take, this'll be the gurth of the item used if u do it again"

Ron:

[scarbs]

Bernie "In these lights, your shiney fake tan makes your headlook like a huge orange..."

[Tom]

"It seems everytime I make this particular hand motion and lower my eyes slightly there's some journalist there snapping away with his camera!"


[oh ---, it happened again]