Comments on: Stop whingeing, Felipe

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:00:58 +0000

Absolutely. Good news is he seems to be improving all the time.

By: Ghost3921

Ghost3921 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:54:50 +0000

After his accident with a coiled spring courtesy of Barrichello, I think this thread is now put in a certain perspective.

Now that’s definitely bad luck.

By: Ghost2912

Ghost2912 — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:31:44 +0000

Uppili,

I apologize for being crass in my post.

The bottom line, I think, is that we share different beliefs and thats the end of it, I guess. I think Massa is a mediocre driver (at best) who has the benefit of being in great machinery, and you think that he doesn’t deserve the criticism being leveled at him.
Fair enough. I respect that. I also have to say that you present a very lucid and civilized argument.

P.S: I think we can close this thread, but Australia and Sepang have (unfortunately for you) weakened your argument considerably.

Take care.

By: Uppili

Uppili — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:47:23 +0000

5) I suppose you are referring to German GP and not Magny Cours. Massa finishes 2 in Magny Cours and Fernando finsihed 6!! Could you please explain your excellent logic behind how Massa was Alonso’s b*itch in Magny Cours?!!!

Last but not least, I am as much entitled to have an opinion as you are. While contesting and debating someone else’s opinion is your right, the least you could do was make your comments in a CIVILIZED language in a public blog. Healthy debates are what these public forums are meant for and while i don’t necessarily agree with your opinions, i certainly respect them for what they are. On the evidence of your post it doesn’t look like the respect is reciprocated. Swearing at someone with whose opinion you don’t agree with doesn’t make your opinion RIGHT. Thanks.

By: Uppili

Uppili — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:43:54 +0000

2) while i do agree he has not won a GP yet chasing from behind, trivializing GP victories as victories in MERE tilke circuit is rather rude. By that logic, many of even Michael Schumacher’s victories as worthless!! Would you discount Hamilton’s Hungarian GP victory ONLY because he won that GP on a glorified carting track?

3) You asked me for one wheel to wheel battle video. I am giving three. Enough said. Search for these EXACT keywords on youtube and you will get the videos i am referring to. (i suppose that three links at a time is what putting my replies into spam filter.) Here they are.

1) Formula1 2007 Chinese Grand Prix-Start
2) Spanish GP 2007 Start
3) Massa vs Kubica to music! 2007 Japan Grand Prix

4) Regarding hungary 2007, see last point of (2) for an answer. And if storming to front from the back in a racetrack where you can OVERTAKE is what you are asking for, then go back and look at 2007 british GP. Massa qualified 4, dropped to dead last due to a electronic stall and finished 4. Australia 2007, started dead last and finished 6 i a track where overtaking with 2007 aero was very difficult if not impossible. In case you still think it was not impressive enough, FYI Alonso started 10 and finished 6 in magny cours.

By: Uppili

Uppili — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:36:36 +0000

Ghost 2912,
My reply to your comment is divided into three parts as a lengthy reply has been blocked by the spam filter. Here it is.

First up, i have not ignored any facts about massa nor am i pleading he is the best thing since sliced bread! I am as much aware of his deficiencies as any other F1 fan. But, there are lot many drivers who did/do half as good a job as felipe did LAST SEASON and get away with it. All i am telling as indicated in my original post that he doesn’t deserve the pounding that everyone seem to have given him and the general notion that he is not worthy of championship. Atleast in my mind, in 2008 if he manages to exactly do what he did last season and with a bit of fortune he would be a championship contender down to the wire.

Having said that, here are the answers to your questions.

1) Kimi won 6 and Massa won 3 races last season. Surely the numbers don’t look great. Does it? or is it actually? give back the brazil GP victory that mass had to gift to kimi as a team player. Suddenly the score looks Kimi-5, Massa-4.

For the record AGAIN, i am not saying Massa is better than Kimi. I am saying he did as good a job as Kimi last year. Better than all of us expected him to.

By: Ghost2912

Ghost2912 — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:33:42 +0000

Uppili, your Massa defense holds no water. You’ve conveniently chosen to ignore the following facts:
1. Both Ferrari drivers were given equal status in 2007, and yet Kimi managed to win 6 races. How many did Massa win again?
2. Both his wins in his entire career have come driving the fastest cars from pole position on sunny days on Tilke circuits. Hardly the stuff of legend.
3. Point me to a single battle where Massa went toe-to-toe with a top class driver (Kimi, Fernando, Hamilton) and won. And if you do, please provide a link.
4. Hungary 2007? A dazzling dash from 14th to 13th. Brilliant driving.
5. Magny Cours 2007? Alonso made Massa his b*tch.

If you rate him on par with drivers like Kimi, Lewis or Alonso, quite frankly, you’ve got your head up your ***.

By: Vertigo

Vertigo — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:01:20 +0000

It’s not that Felipe has a valid point about his luck, it’s the fact that he keeps moaning about it in public, instead of getting his head down, working hard and proving that he’s better than Kimi Raikkonen and that it was all down to luck.

By: Uppili

Uppili — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:49:02 +0000

Whats with all you guys coming so hard at Felipe? I am not cutting an excuse for him nor am i a die hard fan of his. But i do think he has a valid point about his fortunes. This statement by felipe is no different to the statement by Kimi before the German GP last year when he said he hoped for better luck than in the past. Somehow that statement seems to have conveniently slipped past many.

And does it occur to anyone that not only Lewis and Fernando lost their shot at the title due to mechanical failures but Massa was actually taken out of the title race due to mechanical failure in Monza?

I think the fundamental problem lies in failure of people to admit that Felipe has developed in leaps and bounds and was a match to Kimi. The assumption was he will be comprehensively trounced. Let go off your preconceived notions from his Sauber days and the todt connection and may be then you can analyze his last year performance a little more objectively.

I am not saying he is superior to Kimi, Lewis or Alonso. On the evidence of last year he was at least as good as all three and don’t be surprised if he operates in the same level this year.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:10:11 +0000

Keith: The funny thing about Massa letting Raikkonen pass at his home grand prix was that the brazilian press didn’t complain about it as you would suppose. Perhaps already used to Barrichello doing the same even when there was nothing to lose if he won (like Austria 2002, when Schumacher was confortably ahead in the standings), they thought that, since it was the only way to give Kimi the title, letting him pass would be acceptable.

Oh, and don’t get me wrong. I agree with you that complaining about bad luck is useless, and diminishes your reputation… I’ve always respected Kimi for avoiding to do that even when everybody said he was the most unfortunate driver on the field.

As for Massa, I have to admit he didn’t show a true champion’s form on a race day yet, but at least he is the fastest driver on a single lap… If he improves his race pace on time, he’ll give us our 9th driver’s championship… The thing is: time is running out…