If there are already plans in place for Alonso to drive to Ferrari in 2010 - it only makes sense for Ferrari to buy him out early and install him in Massa's car for the rest of the season. If there is nothing confirmed re Alonso/Ferrari then this would just complicate and already complicated situation and they would be better with an existing 'test' driver or for the PR glory, MS!
HUNGARORING - BUDAPEST - HUNGARY Grand Prix 2009 - Race 10/17
- Thread starter Glaucus
- Start date
Don
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 17,038
- Location
- In a house
The fact that we are hearing noises about Alonso querying his contract with Renault, would suggest to me now, that an early move to Ferrari is a real (ableit remote) possibility.
As said above, it would depend on the results of Renault appeal of the ban, as Alonso wouldnt be able to annul his contract if renault get their spot back in the next GP...
Speculation..... Speculation.... and more speculation. Its fun though
As said above, it would depend on the results of Renault appeal of the ban, as Alonso wouldnt be able to annul his contract if renault get their spot back in the next GP...
Speculation..... Speculation.... and more speculation. Its fun though
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 17 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 9,712
- Location
- Retired Don
The wheel cover not fitting on is a sign that that wheel is not on currently. Built in safety feature - the covering will not fit on if the wheel nut is not on correctly!
Renault have been suspended because Alonso was released when the team KNEW the wheel was not on correctly. The team then did not tell Alonso of this fact at all. Alonso thought he had a puncture.
But of course you know better....
Jesus Christ, danny. He's got 11 wins to his name in F1. He only just came up short in the title race last year despite racing against Lewis Hamilton, who will become one of the all-time greats in this sport. Even if we allow for some of it being the car, it's still a pretty good effort. The better drivers don't just get gifted the better cars, they have to earn them. Massa earned the right to partner Schumacher and later Raikkonen. He earned the right to drive a car that would allow him to challenge for the title last year.
I know you think he's the worst Ferrari driver evarrr!!!!1111oneoneone (conveniently forgetting Ivan Capelli's horror show in '92, it seems). But I should have thought that by now he'd be getting a bit more credit from you. I hope he makes a full recovery and gets back into the cockpit of a Ferrari, just to continue hacking you off.
And to my knowledge, in only one of those wins has he not lead into the first corner. His ability to fight from further back is seriously lacking IMHO.
And he "only just came up short" because of several seriously dubious penalites for Hamilton.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think Massa's crap, far from it. I think he's a good driver and certainly one of the better ones on the grid but there's no way on Earth I'd put him down as one of the best. I think last year was his one and only chance to win the world title and he won't get another, even if he makes a full recovery from this accident and returns to full time racing (which I hope he does - I'd not wish any accident on any driver).
Last edited:
Yep, that's pretty spot on. The fairing is part of the nut so it won't click into it's detent if the nut isn't on properly. It's just a guess but when the wheel was removed it may of knocked the retaining plunger out enough to stop the nut going back on properly.
The FIA is absolutely retarded giving Renault any penalty. As far as I can remember no penalty has been given for lose wheel nuts resulting the wheel coming off. Change the rules and make the teams aware of them. Before punishing something that used to be fine. Totally ridiculous.
The rules are already in place, you cannot release a car knowing that it is unsafe to be on the race track.
All nuts have to have a secondary locking mechanism to prevent them from unwinding when out on track. That was obviously not in place otherwise the nut wouldn't have come off.
This is not the first time that a spinner hasn't been attached correctly (IIRC Ferrari have run one stint with their front spinning) but it is the first time that it has caused a wheel to come off.
Soldato
- Joined
- 5 Jun 2003
- Posts
- 8,732
- Location
- sawley/ long eaton
as the accident wasn't his fault I'm sure he`ll be fine
racers have more of a problem if it was there fault or they don't know what made them crash
Clarified that for you
Eh, be fair kaiowas. He's going to win a few more before he's done!
So what? All that means is that he qualifies well too
Though he has 'only' got 4 "perfect" races to his name (pole, fastest lap, race win). An achievement he shares with Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart and Jacky Ickx. Not bad for a guy that so many people don't rate at all!Was wondering when that one would turn up.
Aside from Spa, which was ludicrous, which of his other penalities that year were "seriously dubious"? Malaysia - demoted down the grid for driving very slowly on the racing line in qually and impeding other drivers. France - 10 place penalty in qually for his utter retardedness in Canada, then a further penalty for gaining a place via chicane-hopping. Japan - brainfade once again sees him tank into Turn One and forget to brake, ruining his tyres and forcing several drivers to take evasive action netting him a drive-through penalty (Massa was also penalised that race as well, losing the chance to gain much more advantage from that penalty).
Yes, he shouldn't have gotten that penalty at Spa. It was ridiculous, and probably the final nail in an already well-nailed coffin for anyone's respect of the FIA and stewards. But to say that every single brush with officialdom he had that year was all just the FIA and stewards out to get him and help other drivers beat him? Generally, when he got punished he deserved it.
***edit***
Actually, doesn't the 2008 season give Hamilton the record for most penalties in a season? I'm sure I've read that somewhere. The guy just has to win at everything doesn't he?
He's certainly not one of the best ever drivers in the sport. But I think he warrants a little better than dannyjo22's "Worst Ferrari Driver Evarrrr!!!111oneone" tag.
Well, I hope he gets another chance at a title. But even if he doesn't - he's won Grand Prix races for Ferrari, and that's something.
Yeah ridiculous, why penalise them for knowingly sending a dangerous car out on to a race track? How utterly bizzare.
Thats hilarious. Massa earnt the right to be a ferrari driver. Yes he did he got a todt as his manager otherwise he wouldn't have gotten anywhere. He was erratic, error prone and just about on the verge of the boot from f1. He even came up short against JV struggling with the braking system on the sauber.
He never looked good against any of his team mates.
Capelli had a woeful time in the ferrari but he did far more to deserve that seat than Massa did.
Prior to sitting in that Ferrari he did nothing of note. Nothing sticks in the mind. People say its the pinacle of motorsport then you have drivers like him, Rubens and Heidfeld who are able to take a wage for freakin years doing next to nothing. Heidfelds been in f1 for 46 years and I cant remember a single noteworthy race where he held off a faster car or pulled off a good move.
Hack me off? It doesn't nothing of the sort, I find it funny when you see chumps like him and irvine almost walk off with the title when in the best car. Then people will try to tell you it's not all about the car.
F1 may have all but gotten rid of pay drivers but the sport still carries numpties to keep driver no1 happy or a sponsor.
When has a similar punishment ever been made for a lose wheel nut and there has been many even in recent years.
Yes the team did know - the wheel man for sure knew it wasnt attached properly, he wouldnt /shouldnt be doing his job if he wasnt sure
Even the commentary mentioned a wheelnut was loose - it was obvious from tv footage let alone telemetary
Why are people completely missing the difference between a wheel nut coming loose they think is secure and one you know isn't on when you release the car.
Were the other incidences like that though?
Seeing as we've had wheels full of at the end of the pit lane before.
I cant remember the exact details - but considering Surtees death and Massa accident, they should be considerably more cautious with ANY kind of potential debris
After all remember at the point where Alonso had to go round for a whole lap at a fraction of the speed he was out of the race / points anyway so yur endangering people for no good reason at all after coming out of the pits