F1 Fanatic round-up: 28/4/2010

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The Making F1 Better series continues to attract a lot of responses with over 700 responses so far. Make sure you join in the latest instalment of the discussion on aerodynamics here.

Here’s the round-up for Wednesday:

Links

Lopez: "Kubica deserves a World Championship" (Adam Cooper)

Genii Capital boss (and Renault team owner) Gerard Lopez: "I knew Robert from BMW, even before he was an F1 [race] driver there," Lopez told this blog. "I’m a very strong believer that on pure speed and character he’s one of the few that deserves a World Championship at some time."

Pick your classic Grand Prix – race five (BBC)

The 1977 Spanish Grand Prix gets my choice – what’s yours?

Comment of the day

Here’s Alianora la Canta’s response to the FIA’s initiative to get more women into motor racing:

Creating opportunities for women in racing would appear to be more about persuading others that it’s a viable option. Persuading parents who usually have to support young racers irrespective of gender that the effort can be beneficial even for the 99% who don’t make a career of it. Persuading peer groups that dedicated pursuit of something so complicated is a good thing (due to social psychology, there is less acceptance of females pursuing any hobby at the expense of friends and academics than males). Persuading sponsors that female racers are not just a novelty or eye candy, but can help their profit margins in exactly the same way as male racers.

It would be good to see more women in F1, but that’s not where the glass ceiling is. It’s way below that level, at grass-roots level, and it’s predominantly a question of perception on the part of people around the racers. Once that ceiling is broken, some very good talent will come through, in exactly the same way that once black people started getting past the kart-to-car transition, Lewis Hamilton quickly emerged.
Alianora la Canta

Happy birthday!

Varun and Russell G are celebrating their birthdays today so happy birthday to them!

On this day in F1

Two world champions scored their maiden F1 wins on this day in F1 history – and then went on to win their first championships the following season.

Niki Lauda became a Grand Prix winner at Jarama in Spain on this day in 1974. The following year he was world champion for Ferrari.

And on this day in 1996 Jacques Villeneuve won the fourth round of the year at the Nurburgring, before going on to win the world championship for Williams in 1997.

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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47 comments on “F1 Fanatic round-up: 28/4/2010”

  1. Have to agree with Lopez.Can he be the bid for 2011 in Ferrari alongside Alonso?

    1. hope not. i dont wanna lose massa.

    2. If Massa gets back to his 2008-09 form, then he’s worth keeping at Ferrari.

      1. Magnificent Geoffrey
        28th April 2010, 2:53

        Agreed. I always doubted Massa until ’08 but I believe him beating Kimi was due to Felipe hitting top form rather than just Kimi’s form dropping. If he can recapture that same level of performance again, I would not be seeking to replace him too hastily if I were Ferrari.

        1. How so? Kimi was leading the championship until the moment they changed the car and Kimi couldn’t drive it anymore.

          When the car was restored, Kimi was faster than Massa again. Albeit that Kimi was taking to much risk to make up for lost ground and crashed a lot.

          Massa’s form has never changed, but Kimi’s obviously has …

          1. Either way, Felipe did a great job in 2008, but Alonso has the measure over Massa.

    3. I would prefer Kubica to stay at Renault for several reasons:

      1. I think Alonso is and will be the de facto nr. 1 at Ferrari for some time.
      2. Kubica would be better suited bringing the Renault to repeated race wins or even get into a championship fight with it next year.
      3. Why dump Massa, if he stays competetive and gets a little bit more agressive in racing in the ferrari.

      1. Also i just cant see the partnership working. Both drivers are supposedly very demanding on their team. I can only see problems with those two. Alonso needs a sheep like massa.

      2. I’d agree there, more potentialy championship teams in F1 the better, an Renaults rate of development on what looks suspiciously like an R29 this year has been truly remarkable, with a good concept for a chassis they could definatley challenge.

        Kubica appears to love it a Renault an the team looks well on the way to it’s target of making it back into contention next year. If you ask me he should take that option for next year, if Renault continue to improve he’ll have a team where he’s undisputed number 1. Rather than have to muck around with Alonso.

      3. Think this is jumping into silly season WAY early. I just want to remind people to look at the standings.
        Alonso 49 points
        Massa 41 points.

        The entire discussion about Massa getting replaced next year after 4 race performance when there is a total of 8 points difference is silly.

        He is 8 points off Alonso. So with this in mind. Who will replace Hamilton in Maclaren? He is 11 points behind Button so needs replaced because he can’t keep up.
        Schumacher must go before end of the season he is 40 points behind Rosberg.
        Webber will be replaced next year (ohh yeah forgot this silly season tidbit already been going on for the last 2-3 races already) he is 17 points behind Vettel.

        People get a grip. At least wait until half season before start speculating.

        1. Not if Ferrari look beyond the crude points difference – other measures of performance are more decisively in Alonso’s favour at the moment:

          Felipe Massa vs team mate, 2010

          1. I am not sure I agree even on that.
            Bahrain, Massa was faster in Qualify then Alonso but Alonso took the start and lead home for most of the race they match each other step by step.

            Australia. Qualif Alonso won. Race Massa was slightly faster and finished better.

            Malaysia. Team screwed them up in Quali. Race Massa was faster. Massa got past on Alonsos last pit stop and even if Alonso would have finished the race Massa would finsihed infront of him. Sure impressive drive by Alonso due to clutch problem but really didn’t seem to hamper him.

            China not a Massa highlight for sure. Slower quali and much slower race and finished further down. Getting jumped by his team mate going into the pit.

            I would say it’s 2-2 between the two. Alonso shown more aggressiveness so far and China was not a good race for Massa.

            To me the entire discussion this early that Massa to be replaced at end of the year because he can’t stack against Alonso is ironic. It be like saying that Button should be replaced because he is not as aggressive and not done as good moves in the race as Hamilton has yet he has serious points lead and when you start looking at qualifying times they are close (1-2 Malaysia I don’t count because of team screwup but if so 1-3) and race lap time (2-2).
            Race finish position (2-2) this takes into account Alonso finishing in Malaysia because when his engine let go he was no where near in a position to overtake Massa.

            Sure Alonso done 2 smooth moves on his team mate, jumped him in the start in Bahrain, overtook him on pit in. The later I still find questionable there is a white line and it’s a single car “lane” and your not supposed to race in the pit lanes granted they had not reached the limiter line but still why bother with white lines and prohibition of crossing those and allowing overtaking on none race track and rules about pushing people of the track. Stewards felt it ok so I have to concede but still feel it’s all wrong. So many “violations” that I’m surprised there was no penalties on either Alonso or Hamilton. Bad precedent. What if one had beached in the gravel trap or hit the tirewall because of this stupid moves would it still be no penalty?

      4. If Renault can provide Kubica a car that car fight for the championship then he should stay in Renault but if they failed then he should move to Ferrari is they want to replace Massa.

  2. Sideshow Bob
    28th April 2010, 2:18

    I’m not one to say that people “deserve” championships as a rule. You play by the rules and you have to win the championship to be deserving. The only caveat I would think of is those two years when Clark’s car failed on the last lap with an oil leak when he was about to win the championship, but for all I know the guy who wound up winning (Grahan or Surtees I think) had had some terrible luck somewhere else in the season. It’s pointless talking about “deserving” championships. You take it.

    1. I think you mean the 1962 South African GP when Jim Clark retired ,20 laps to go,with a distributor oil leak whilst leading Graham Hill by 30 seconds in the last ( Championship deciding )race of the year. Graham had lost a couple of victories due to small mechanical problems earlier in the year, so as you say , you take them as they come.
      Prior to the race Clark was interviewed by a local journalist
      Journo- Jim, you can win the world championship by winning the race on the weekend.Is there anything you are worried about?
      JC – Oh yes, Graham Hill
      Journo – Is that a difficult part of the circuit?
      (sound of racing drivers jaw dropping to the ground)

      1. Sideshow Bob
        28th April 2010, 6:24

        Ah, thanks for enlightening me – it was in ’64 that Clark was on the last lap when his engine failed him. Good quote as well.

        I wonder what Clark would have been able to do had he not died in ’68. It would have been great to see him battle it out with JYS in the latter’s prime.

      2. W154 – That Hill quote is hilarious, never heard that one before! Where did you hear that?

        1. It’s in a 1964 PAN paperback, “Jim Clark At The Wheel–His own exciting story” probably ghost written with Graham Gauld who also wrote Jim Clark Remembered in 1975.The above is my precis of the interview which can be read on page 153 .

    1. Ferrari does push for using GDI as part of the new engine formula the teams and FIA are discussing.

      As for Indy, who knows what is exactly realistic. We know, that the FOTA needs and pushes for a US GP. Bernie would like one, if the money is right.
      Tony George is interested in getting into buissiness again and has connections in the USA.
      They are talking, but nobody knows, weather any results will be seen soon, if at all.

      1. Still a dream of mine to see F1 cars race around the proper brickyard.

      1. Someone posted that yesterday, that’s why I didn’t include it in the round-up.

    2. it would be hard to arguee against incorporating GDI in the new regs

  3. None of this deserving BS please, no one deserves anything in F1, i will say it again, you EARN IT!!!

    just because someone is fast does not mean they deserve anything, it feels like these people are saying ” you are fast, here’s a world championship. oh and you are pretty fast too, you can have one aswell.”

    1. Relax, man – it’s just a team owner talking up one of his drivers. They tend to do that once in a while.

      1. I think this might actually be part of Lopez telling Kubica:
        Give us the chance to get there together, no need to go to Ferrari. We know what you are capable of and we are developing the car to give you a shot at battling for wins and the championship.

        1. yep, probablly speaking to his driver through the media on that one.

          1. Lopez could just use the phone!

  4. Have to agree with the other guys that you dont ‘deserve to win’ the championship, but Kubica is certainly capable of doing so, given a half decent car.

  5. I’m a Massa fan, so I don’t want him to go out of Ferrari. I would like him to recover that 2008-2009 form. If that happens, then Ferrari have no reason to put Massa out.

    1. What if he is at his 2008-2009 form, and Alonso’s just doing better than he is?

      1. Then replace him, but he doesn’t feel like the driver he was in Brazil last year, or the beggining of Singapore etc. I think he needs more time, possibly half the season like Schuey. Probably why Ferrari arn’t in any rush, they’ll keep him if he gets his mojo back.

        1. I ment Brazil 08 of course.

  6. Nathan Bradley
    28th April 2010, 9:25

    W154 Lol funniest racing interview quote I’ve heard in a long time!

    Keith – Agreed, I rate Massa as a driver, but I think Alonso probably has the measure of him. Although we cannot forget that prior to China, Massa was winning the Championship, despite not having won a race.

    Nathan

  7. Mark Hitchcock
    28th April 2010, 9:51

    I agree with the view that no-one “deserves” a championship. But if anyone did it would surely be Kubica after BMW ruined his chance in 08.

    1. Neither Kubica nor BMW had any hopes of winning the championship in 2008

      The only race they won was when Hamilton took out Raikkonen and Massa was trying to make up for a pit error.

      1. Mark Hitchcock
        28th April 2010, 17:04

        Yes but no matter how slim the chance, it was still Kubica’s best chance so far in his career and BMW squandered it in favour of developing a dog for 2009.
        It would just be a shame if it turned out to be his only opportunity and it was lost through decisions out of his control.

      2. Kubica was leading the championship after Canada. Looking at how many chances Hamilton, Massa and Raikkonen squandered in the latter half of the season and how consistent Kubica was up to Canada, I would say he had a pretty strong chance.

        1. Buty the fact is it is all guess work. Kubica threw points away in Bahrain to be fair so he wasn’t that consistent.
          I agree with Mark it’s a shame as it was an opportunity but who knows what would have happened.
          I too believe that a championship is earned and whoever wins it is deserving. I can only think of Cevert, Gilles, Alesi and of the current crop maybe Massa and Kubica (Vettel’s still newish/young so I don’t count him) who I think may have (had) the ability to be a champion or match previous champions. Although, Cevert and Gilles never got to see out their careers of course.

      3. They did but BMW were not convinced by a very motivated and convinced Robert Kubica, who was right, but BMW said ‘No the title will be ours next year’ but no, BMW went down in 09 along with many others

  8. Great comment of the day Alianora!
    Didn’t you have an F1 blog at one time?
    I visited a few times – very well written!

      1. The original blog is also still in existence (and to be honest is updated more frequently) – it can be found at http://www.lacantablog.com or http://formula1home.com.au/forum/weblog.php?w=5

        1. Also, thank you for the compliments, Cacarella :blush:

  9. ScribeF1 gives us a preview of what to expect of the updates on the Mercedes W01:
    http://scarbsf1.wordpress.com/2010/04/28/mercedes-mgp-w01-spanish-update-predictions/

  10. Why would they pick any Spanish Grand Prix from the 2000s?

    I’d choose 1977 too.

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