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Post by robmarsh on Sept 5, 2018 14:39:43 GMT
I like your thinking Chris. I think the 1954 Ferrari was not so good but Ascari would have made some difference. I think the Merc was very superior though. In fact the 1955 Lancia became a Ferrari up to and including 1957. The body changed for 1957 but the chassis, engine and suspension were the same.
Would Ferrari have won with Alonso in 2017 and this year. Very possibly from a driving point of view because he definitely would have made less mistakes than Sebastian and I think he would have been as fast except in qualifying where Seb edges him. I am not sure if the team would be as cohesive though. Still I think Ferrari erred in letting him go instead of Kimi.
I am not sure if McLaren have made the right call re Norris. He has not impressed me so much of late. George Russel seems much faster and more decisive in his overtakes. Formula 2 is very enjoyable even though I watch it as a recording I dont know the results so it is still exciting. Shows that cars with not very complex front aero can race closely together.
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Post by mikael on Sept 8, 2018 8:25:32 GMT
As I notice my comments are not very popular - fine - just to say that I supported Kimi to win yesterday, as a hark back to the old school, but that I am still capable to recognize (and enjoy watching) it when I see a great driver at the top of his game, not that there have been that many recently. I don't want to "mourn" an outstanding talent (like Hamilton is) when he is retired and complain they don't make 'em anymore, I want to fully appreciate it while he's still going strong. I have always been a sucker for genius and never had time for nostalgia. Over and out. Lucio, If Hamilton's character approached the quality of his driving, he'd be universally admired. It doesn't and he isn't. Some whose excellence may define them as geniuses are insufferable due to weakness of character, a harsh assessment I hear at times from my lady friend.
Cheers, Carl
I have, admittedly, followed F1 a bit in "waves" over the years, in the sense that there are periods where I didn't pay much attention. But in my childhood, in the years where Niki Lauda was in his prime, I "swallowed" anything I could lay my hands on, about F1. And I recall that Lauda was certainly not universally popular; at any rate, the Danish press didn't like him and typically portrayed him as a villain. I recall one newspaper article that wrote that "he's the type of driver that would sell his Grandmother for an F1 seat". (As a ten-year old, I typically took such a statement quite literally and I recall talking to my father about it, who laughed it off as nonsense ...) That didn't make him less interesting in my eyes - quite on the contrary. And Lauda may have succeeded in convincing the Mercedes "top brass" that, what really matters is the ability to drive a racing car - anything else is secondary (in other words, it really doesn't matter ...).
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Post by Carl on Sept 8, 2018 15:53:43 GMT
Lucio, If Hamilton's character approached the quality of his driving, he'd be universally admired. It doesn't and he isn't. Some whose excellence may define them as geniuses are insufferable due to weakness of character, a harsh assessment I hear at times from my lady friend.
Cheers, Carl
I have, admittedly, followed F1 a bit in "waves" over the years, in the sense that there are periods where I didn't pay much attention. But in my childhood, in the years where Niki Lauda was in his prime, I "swallowed" anything I could lay my hands on, about F1. And I recall that Lauda was certainly not universally popular; at any rate, the Danish press didn't like him and typically portrayed him as a villain. I recall one newspaper article that wrote that "he's the type of driver that would sell his Grandmother for an F1 seat". (As a ten-year old, I typically took such a statement quite literally and I recall talking to my father about it, who laughed it off as nonsense ...) That didn't make him less interesting in my eyes - quite on the contrary. And Lauda may have succeeded in convincing the Mercedes "top brass" that, what really matters is the ability to drive a racing car - anything else is secondary (in other words, it really doesn't matter ...). Niki Lauda was great without needing to orchestrate a fanfare of trumpets. Quite an unusual character, never sociable or greatly concerned with decorum, Lauda has always been extremely intelligent, scrupulously honest and never punted anyone off track. He's one of the drivers I admire the most.
By the way, after his first success with Ferrari, he returned to the pawn shop and retrieved his grandmother.
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Post by René on Sept 8, 2018 18:59:30 GMT
I too admire Lauda, one of my all time favourites. Brains, balls and determination and never gives a damn what other people think of him. One of a kind and a fantastic driver.
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Post by chrisb on Sept 9, 2018 17:02:14 GMT
I always liked Niki, I have always admired the more what I consider the intelligent drivers and Niki was up there, he was also 'himself' with a very cultured background, I have his DVD and he talks very candidly of his life, he doesn't mention his first wife or their children - something I understand Mathius isn't impressed about, but in a car he was quick unlucky not to be a quadruple WDC and when he drove for Mclaren up against Prost he won the WDC and worked out how to do it, a very cool dude- hope he is getting better
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Post by robmarsh on Sept 9, 2018 17:49:30 GMT
Yep Niki was one of more all time favourites. I like the way he went about his business.
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Post by chrisb on Sept 10, 2018 13:29:14 GMT
interesting article in today's online Autosport by Peter Windsor about how to improve F1 by getting rid of 3 things straight away, two are contentious the third would be very welcome, firstly Peter advocates getting rid of the virtual safety car, which is ok, secondly getting rid of the blue flag, now that is interesting, some drivers were experts at playing the lapping of others - Senna especially -apart from Hungary one year that is- and how ruthless he was, but I always figured lapping others was an art, Monza 63 was an excellent example of using a brain and another driver to lap a disgruntled ex - 'team-mate' so - yea I like this, lastly and a common theme to all - rid us of this awful thing called DRS, and replace it with KERS - Peter does not advocate KERS - that's a Chris-is-mm but a good article nonetheless
interest would be around how some of the current drivers would react to either unhelpful souls, who would be the modern version of Jean-Pierre Jarier I wonder? but it would shake things up I reckon
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2018 1:14:15 GMT
Grosjean. That is the modern version of JPJ. Quick and ineffectual just the same, in F1. Although I suspect JPJ was far better than the modern "self".
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2018 2:02:46 GMT
After Lapo Elkann gave away the news in a (deleted) twit last week, everybody is waiting for Leclerc's announcement as Kimi's replacement. They say it is expected before this weekend, but I don't think anybody outside the sanctum sanctorum knows for sure.
The fact Ferrari have still to come clear on the drivers, at this juncture of the season, is a bit worrying for them. Kimi will feel liberated to race for himself, as he did at Monza.
Before there was one man in charge: Marchionne. Now there are two - John Elkann as chairman and Camilleri as CEO. It seems Leclerc has already a Ferrari driver contract for next year's, Marchionne's decision. Arrivabene is believed to oppose it, not clear what is the thinking of the men in charge. It is claimed Camilleri is a Kimi's fan too.
This to highlight the fact that Ferrari are at a crossroad. Before there was one man in charge, who knew exactly what he was doing and, crucially, had to power to do it without respond to pretty much anybody (the board, yes). Now there are two: one represents "the family", the ownership (the visible one, at least), without having the operational skills of Marchionne; the other is effectively the man in charge, but contrary to Marchionne, has to respond to Elkann, and obviously it is early days to know yet whether he is up to the task of running a leading racing team. It could unravel the wrong way for Ferrari.
As expected - I did write it - Marchionne was keeping tabs on Vettel, more than on Kimi. I only wonder whether Leclerc could be the right yardstick for the German, next year. Marchionne and Arrivabene earlier in the year commented that Ricciardo was "expensive". If the German does not win this or next year, Ferrari will need a number one driver soon. For me, they needed it already. And they need to sort out their pit wall too, starting from Jock Clear and the Spanish guy.
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Post by Carl on Sept 11, 2018 4:12:15 GMT
Grosjean. That is the modern version of JPJ. Quick and ineffectual just the same, in F1. Although I suspect JPJ was far better than the modern "self". Extraordinary speed is a cruel gift to the dumb.
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Post by chrisb on Sept 11, 2018 7:47:24 GMT
probably the most mercurial racer in modern years Jumper proved how quick he could be - the Lotus 79 after that awful tragedy at Monza and the Shadow in South America and how disinterested he could be - I liked JPJ - he had a personality that seemed insensitive but demonstrated by a classic Gallic shrug, Grosjean can be quick and as anonymous as JPJ their biggest difference is why they are so inconsistent, one very sensitive and lacking self-belief the other because? he could?
was Carlos already signed for 1979? because the speed Jumper showed must have come into the equation?
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Post by chrisb on Sept 11, 2018 7:51:07 GMT
Lucio, I tend to agree with your thinking about LeClerc and the vacuum left behind when Marchionne sadly passed away will create problems, and if Kimi is proving that he is as quick as Seb then why would you let him go in the first place? maybe if they don't win the WDC this year Ferrari might consider letting Seb go - retain Kimi and employ LeClerc
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2018 8:54:55 GMT
Yes, I think I recall Carlos was already signed, it was reported Chapman was indeed impressed by JPJ. I recall him when he went to Osella, his attitude was like "before I came in it was all s...te, now instead...". Quick, but I suppose too hard on the machinery. I recall Demon Hill on Top Gear saying that before going into F1 he thought it was all about hard driving, to realize immediately that in F1 is all about being smooth to succeed. Jarier was in the frame for the 1974 Ferrari seat, allegedly scuppered by Mosley, but for the life of me I just can't see him being a success there like Lauda, I don't think he would have beaten Clay. On the other hand I can see very well Scheckter settle in Ferrari, in 1974, quite nicely.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2018 8:55:37 GMT
News finally confirmed, at least for Kimi going to Sauber.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2018 9:56:21 GMT
Nicolas Todt is Leclerc's manager. Is it only me to see the conflict of interest?
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