So, when do we see the Massa/Vettel swap?

[checkered]

lets say massa ends up 3rd or lower in bahrain. If you was ferrari boss and alonso called and said: take over my renault contract and ill drive for you in barcelona..would you do it?

´
What is that

question implying? That given the chance, Ferrari would do anything to hire him - no holds barred, no strings attached? I find it inconceivable that a team with (let's say) a "stature" like that will get into any kinds of agreements or arrangements from a position of weakness if they can help it. And going along with an open proposition will result in exactly that, not to mention that the team's interest always comes first and foremost.

Of course, if you're a really good impersonator go ahead and call Domenicali; that'd clear things up. The answer should be highly interesting by any measure.

[RedMaple]

Seeing how Ferrari likes to operate in the last few years, it seems to me that they are happy with a #1 driver and a #1.b driver. Although Massa is given equal opportunity as Kimi, Ferrari probably know that Massa can't touch Kimi over the course of the season. Kimi for the wins and Massa for the rest. Bringing Alonso into the picture would only mess up the arrangement. I can only see them going after Alonso if Kimi weren't there.

[P_O_L]

Well i think alonso tried this winter, but todt held off cs he loves his son. His son loves massa etc. Now that todt is out of the way the chances of lonso joining ferrari have increased dramatically imo. Kimi and Alonso never had a real argument and could possibly really work together.

And i believe currently there is no clear number 1 at ferrari. Theyre both equal. In the shumi days i could well understand why they would move 40 engineers to work on shumis car during a weekend, and about 3 on barrichellos/irvines car. Shumi is the best ever driver ever. WHen irvine had a shot in 99 he failed miserably. There where some incredible drives from then number 2 shumi though

Anyway, id love to see the spaniard at ferrari. I bet it endears a lot to the italian fan base too.

[Conceptual]

Still no links to any talk of Vettel being signed by Ferrari as reserve driver for 2008?

I wish I could find where I read that!

Chris

[mx_tifoso]

Y aqui esta.....

F1Technical- Ferrari interested in Vettel

IIRC, there were never any talks of contracts, merely rumours about Ferrari interested in him as a future reserve driver.

[Tom]

P_O_L:

lets say massa ends up 3rd or lower in bahrain. If you was ferrari boss and alonso called and said: take over my renault contract and ill drive for you in barcelona..would you do it?

Yes, although I wouldn't give him no.1 status and i know that would ruffle his feathers alot. I'd just hope that the two of them got on.

Shumi is the best ever driver ever.

No, never heard of this guy, some nobody from F3 perhaps?

[walter]

Kimi and Alonso never had a real argument and could possibly really work together.

Ok... but the odds of them getting along are quite small. Kimi is even less of a dominant personality than Hamilton, and look how well Alonso played with him.

[Boudica]

Kimi and Alonso never had a real argument and could possibly really work together.

Ok... but the odds of them getting along are quite small. Kimi is even less of a dominant personality than Hamilton, and look how well Alonso played with him.

Kimi not a dominating person?

Interesting statement, but I honestly think people sometimes misjudges him, he isn't a big talker like say Alonso or Hamilton but if you think about it he somehow gets his will or way across. In fact out of all the drivers on the grid Kimi is the one who mostly follows his own cue, the funny thing is that he gets away with it somehow without attracting attention. Even in a team like Ferrari the general word in the paddock is that he get do anything he wants. So he obviously posses some powers of persuasion somewhere to get away with it all these years. It also seems like the power of balance within Ferrari was easily shifted to Kimi, even though Massa is very well liked within the team, Kimi must somewhere posses some leadership qualities that we are not aware of, because people seem to be listening to him. So the question is how does Kimi do it?

But yes the Kimi and Alonso partnership, I cant see it working. I think Kimi will frustrate Alonso even more then Hamilton. Alonso likes to play mind games and he is obviously looking for some kind of reaction, just take his recent statements he is obviously trying to send a message of some kind. The problem is Kimi will just ignore him, he will not have the reactions Alonso is looking for. I think Alonso at least wants some reaction, so Kimi will frustrate the hell out of Alonso in the long run.


But anyway apparently Kimi and Vettel are very good friends these days, (that might be why the Ferrari rumours has started?).



http://www.turunsanomat.fi/f1/?ts=1...: ... :0:0:0:0:0:

Kimi played badminton yesterday with Mark, Aki Hintsa (the Mclaren doctor) and Vettel.

[P_O_L]

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n ... 5140.shtml

Well, Ferrari rules out the car was at fault when massa spun out. Its now officially purely massa's mistake.

Alonso better start packing his suitcase me thinks.

[f1italia]

Kimi and Alonso never had a real argument and could possibly really work together.

Ok... but the odds of them getting along are quite small. Kimi is even less of a dominant personality than Hamilton, and look how well Alonso played with him.

Kimi not a dominating person?

Interesting statement, but I honestly think people sometimes misjudges him, he isn't a big talker like say Alonso or Hamilton but if you think about it he somehow gets his will or way across. In fact out of all the drivers on the grid Kimi is the one who mostly follows his own cue, the funny thing is that he gets away with it somehow without attracting attention. Even in a team like Ferrari the general word in the paddock is that he get do anything he wants. So he obviously posses some powers of persuasion somewhere to get away with it all these years. It also seems like the power of balance within Ferrari was easily shifted to Kimi, even though Massa is very well liked within the team, Kimi must somewhere posses some leadership qualities that we are not aware of, because people seem to be listening to him. So the question is how does Kimi do it?

But yes the Kimi and Alonso partnership, I cant see it working. I think Kimi will frustrate Alonso even more then Hamilton. Alonso likes to play mind games and he is obviously looking for some kind of reaction, just take his recent statements he is obviously trying to send a message of some kind. The problem is Kimi will just ignore him, he will not have the reactions Alonso is looking for. I think Alonso at least wants some reaction, so Kimi will frustrate the hell out of Alonso in the long run.


But anyway apparently Kimi and Vettel are very good friends these days, (that might be why the Ferrari rumours has started?).



http://www.turunsanomat.fi/f1/?ts=1...: ... :0:0:0:0:0:

Kimi played badminton yesterday with Mark, Aki Hintsa (the Mclaren doctor) and Vettel.

That's why they call him the Iceman nothing bothers him. He lets his racing do the talking. He seems like a really cool person to be around. He does his Job, goes snowboarding and I heard he is a party animal.

He is one of my favorite drivers and I wish he would have won a championship when he was with Mclaren but they didn't give him much to work with. To many engine failures. Ferrari wanted him when he came to F1 just like there are rumors of Vettel going to F1 so young in his career.

When Kimi and Michael Schumacher raced against each other, Michael said he was one of the toughest competitors to beat.

[Jersey Tom]

... because obviously no one is allowed to make mistakes...

Get over it guys. Massa ain't goin anywhere

[Rob W]

well, Ferrari rules out the car was at fault when massa spun out. Its now officially purely massa's mistake.

The game has started. Ferrari have been meticulous in recent years of not publicly blaming the drivers for retirements/car-issues, even ones which look like driver error (or deliberate - Shumy's 2006 Monaco quali incident ). They've backed Massa to the hilt every time I've seen him mentioned by the team... Hopefully I/we are not reading into this too much though (even though I personally think Massa is completely overrated).

R

[checkered]

Kimi not a dominating person?

Interesting statement, but I honestly think people sometimes misjudges him, he isn't a big talker like say Alonso or Hamilton but if you think about it he somehow gets his will or way across. ...

I didn't quote

your entire post, but to me that's a very accurate and striking analysis of the man. Perhaps it's because he doesn't take his space, he creates it for himself. Perhaps it's because for the economy of words, people are more prone to listen when he does have something to say.

That's why they call him the Iceman nothing bothers him. He lets his racing do the talking. He seems like a really cool person to be around. He does his Job, goes snowboarding and I heard he is a party animal.

I highly doubt nothing bothers him. Previously he was of the mind that he'd quit F1 as soon as he became a champion - if not sooner. Obviously, something has changed but to expect him to continue into Schumi/Coulthard/Barrichello territory in terms of age and/or "years of service" is most likely quite unrealistic. And that has got to do with the toll F1 exerts from a person, no matter what.

But I highly doubt Ferrari is in any hurry to reconsider their drivers. There's still ample room to channel Massa's strengths and ambition to everyone's liking. 2008 is a transitional year anyway. They're wise to have "contingency plans" with F1 "juniors" like Vettel, but it is inconceivable a driver of Alonso's stature would settle with that role. Talk is cheap.

The driver market will be very interesting in light of all the technical changes coming about in 2009. The motivation in going to Ferrari will have more to do with status, history and prestige than accurate foresight about relative strengths beyond this season. As said, I'd watch a number of other teams as candidates for championships to come.

[Ciro Pabón]

Does anybody knows why last year Ferrari signed a contract with Massa until 2010?

[Boudica]

well, Ferrari rules out the car was at fault when massa spun out. Its now officially purely massa's mistake.

The game has started. Ferrari have been meticulous in recent years of not publicly blaming the drivers for retirements/car-issues, even ones which look like driver error (or deliberate - Shumy's 2006 Monaco quali incident ). They've backed Massa to the hilt every time I've seen him mentioned by the team... Hopefully I/we are not reading into this too much though (even though I personally think Massa is completely overrated).

R

No, I think Ferrari doesn't usually doesn't take responsibility, I recall Schumacher retiring and claiming it was his fault when it was mechanical issues. Kimi last last year at Monza claimed it was a driver error, when it was a suspension problem.

In sounds more like Massa doesn't want to own up, to his own mistakes.

Psychologically it will properly just be better if he admited his mistake and move on.

There is sixteen races left and Massa had always been good at Bahrain.

There is obviously to much time left between the races, for speculation.