Video: Has Felipe Massa been found out?
Two races, two DNFs for Felipe Massa.
There were plenty of people speculating that the Ferrari driver would struggle without traction control and electronic engine braking – and they appear to have been proven correct.
At Melbourne when the field turned left at the second corner Massa shot off to the right having got on the power too hard and too early. He was fortunate to get away with only a damaged front wing.
And he pirouetted out of the Malaysian Grand Prix in a spin that bore all the hallmarks of a driver asking too much of his rear tyres. His Ferrari team admitted afterwards they couldn’t see anything obviously wrong from the car’s telemetry.
Massa made his F1 debut in 2002, the year after traction control was legalised in the sport.
Is he struggling without traction control? What should he and Ferrari do about it? Would it have been better for them to give Michael Schumacherr’s winter testing mileage to Massa to help him acclimatise?
Nathan said on 24th March 2008, 3:27
mark my words, he will NOT win a race this year!
he HAS been flattered by TC
Sriram said on 24th March 2008, 11:43
A few more hundred kilometers of testing mileage can’t compensate for a basic lack of diving finesse. The way the tail got out…it’s looking terrible for Massa. Better, Ferrari get rid of him and put in a decent driver there. Ferrari can’t afford to try him out for another half-season. If they’ve to challenge the McLarens for the title, that is.
Sri said on 24th March 2008, 17:26
I agree with all who have said that "Filipe made a hash of first 2 races". However, a season is 18 races. He still could come back. Then again, this is not a midfield team. He can’t keep making these mistakes. He is not a rookie. He is driving for Ferrari. They have been producing a car that battles for title most consistently than others(11 years running out of last 12). Most teams have forms come and go. Ferrari are an exceptional team in modern Grand Prix era. This, as much as is a good thing, takes away any and every possible excuse that one can come up with.
Ever since his Sauber days, Massa was known for overdriving. He did sign up with Ferrari, he honed up his skills. Which showed. He matched and bettered Schumi(About whom Eddie Ervine said that "he is the best number 1 and number 2 driver" after Sepang ’99) in the same car. If he keeps making the same mistakes, he will be shown the door. Quite a shame, cos he is fast.
About replacement driver. Most driver’s would jump through hooves to drive for them. Enough said. :P
Steven Roy said on 24th March 2008, 18:46
Toni,
In the early days of aerodynamics there used to be various driver controlled devices but there were a lot of breakages so they were banned. It used to be common for sportscars at LeMans to have an air brake. If you are old enough think of the bullet proof shield that used to pop up at the back of James Bond’s Aston Martin.
At the end of the Mulsanne straight the driver would pull a lever (sometimes the brake pedal activated it) and the air brake would pop up and create a huge amount of drag and reducing the braking distance. Unfortunately occasionally they didn’t pop up and the driver missed the corner and had a huge accident.
F1 used to have two position wings so that the driver could set them flat on the straight to reduce drag and angle them to create downforce in the turns. Unfortunately these too failed and there were many big accidents and then they were banned.
Unbelievably the Overtaking Working Group suggested adjustable wings last season because they claimed they would help overtaking. They won’t they will make it ten time harder to overtake.
On a side note has everyone else given up hope of the Overtaking Working Group ever actually doing anything to generate overtaking.
I can’t see adjustable aerodynamics ever being introduced to F1 and to be honest they never should be introduced. F1 is far too aero sensitive already and this would only make it worse. They should be looking at simplifying the aero. Getting rid of all the little add-ons next year is a good start but they should also be looking at making front end aerodynamics a lot less sensitive so that one driver can follow another through a corner without developing understeer and trashing his tyres.
Toni said on 24th March 2008, 20:54
Steven
I understand your point of view on vari-wings, but surely in this technologically advanced age where fly-by-wire is commonplace in the aero industry, it would not be beyond the design fraternity to devise a fail-safe system to circumvent the shortcomings that you refer to. It seems illogical, especially where long straights are involved, to restrict the driver to fixed wing structures. I think the aspects of failure that you refer to were a product of a design strategy that did not have the very clever finite-element software that is part and parcel of every strength of materials package used in design today.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 24th March 2008, 22:52
Steven I agree with you about removing winglets from the cars and simplifying aerodynamics – but I thought this was one of the suggestions from the OWG? Have I remembered that wrong?
Ben Coburn said on 25th March 2008, 4:48
Re: variable wings,
The issue isn’t so much that it’s not possible to design a wing that won’t break as that racing design rewards designing a wing that’s as close to breaking as humanly possible, and someone will eventually screw up and get too close, causing a truly gigantic crash.
Oceans27 said on 25th March 2008, 5:22
I thinke ferrari will offer alonso for contract of 2009. Kimi and Massa is fast but not “strong” enogh to keep winnig.
Only alonso can do the same job as Michal did, though I want him to stay and re-build Renaunt like michal did at ferrari.
Bry said on 25th March 2008, 9:03
I seem to recall Montezemolo stating last year, that Ferrari drivers would prosper with the ban on traction control, and some of the younger less experienced drivers would struggle. I find it hilarious that the only driver appearing to struggle is one of his own.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 25th March 2008, 9:23
Bry – I’d forgotten about that, good point. And it’s particularly interesting given that many people think Montezemolo is the one pushing for Alonso to replace Massa at Ferrari. Was he putting pressure on him?
Vertigo said on 25th March 2008, 11:08
Alonso seems to be stoking this particular fire …
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7312280.stm
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 25th March 2008, 11:16
He said: "I’m at Renault because I wanted to get back to winning, like in 2005 and 2006". What, did he not win anything last year?
“But I have an option to leave so I can be in the best possible car, and it is clear Ferrari is one of the best.” Looks like Alonso’s sights are fixed on Massa’s seat.
Steven Roy said on 25th March 2008, 13:35
That has to be the dumbest statement made by a raing driver in years.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 26th March 2008, 7:06
Massa said this yesterday: "On lap 31, I clipped the kerb at the exit of turn six and hit it quite hard and then I lost the rear end going into the next corner. We have to check to see if the impact with the kerb damaged the car."
David Redfern said on 26th March 2008, 9:55
Hi, New here but interested in the comments regarding Massa and especially Alonso. I can’t see Massa being ditched before the end of the season no matter how bad it gets, he will simply be told to forget winning and concentrate on finishing. There are really no alternative drivers out there unless someone is brought up from the lesser formulas and they will have to get acclimatised to the car which will take half a season anyway.
As for Alonso going to Ferrari, I really doubt Kimi would countenance that, Alonso was caught by surprise last year by a better driver than him with equal machinery. Ron Dennis paid him tens of millions of pounds and he was thrashed by a rookie on a fraction of his salary. Logically Ron should have given Alonso preferential treatment because of the money he was paying him but that’s not McLaren’s philosophy so Alonso threw his teddies out the pram and then stabbed Ron in the back by threatening to release details of emails on the Ferrari spy scandal. Ron may not be squeaky clean but I admire him for not buckling under Alonso’s threat and aware of the possible consequences he went to the FIA with what had happened and what he knew. Bravo Ron, he and McLaren stood firm and took every accusation thrown at them on the chin and took the punishment without complaint. Personally, I don’t believe Ferrari, if they were irresponsible enough to let an employee walk out their premises with highly sensitive documents they deserve all they get.
So what’s that got do do with Alonso going to Ferrari? If I were team principle I would trust the guy about as far as I could throw him, if I were his team mate I would be looking for another job as the guy seems to be a control freak like Shumacher but with neither the ability nor the personality to rally an entire company round him to help him win as much as he did before being virtually sacked by Monezomelo. That decision alone may cost Ferrari dearly as with Ross Brawn going to Honda you better believe Michael has been calling Ross asking how things are going?……….Barrichello’s contract is up at the end of the year, Honda much like Ferrari have the resources and the team spirit to rally round a driver like Michael, poor Jenson won’t like it but much like Barrichello he will be in a fantastic team with a team leader second to none. Watch Honda!
I don’t believe Alonso will get a job at Ferrari without losing Kimi, if not in the first year certainly in the second year.