Jim,Jim Watt wrote:Snowy wrote:
I thought Ferrari showed signs of closing the gap! The lap times of Felipe were just a tenth or two off Fernando's at the beginning of the first stint. Kimi set the fastest lap of the race and judging from the Live Timing Lewis and Fernando were driving flat out when they set their fastests laps, Lewis trying to pullout a gap before pitting and Fernando trying to keep in touch. I may be mistaken but I think Ferrari have closed the gap to McLaren and are inching away from BMW.
I hope you're right, Snowy!!But it looked to me like the Ferarri's were just unstable in their set ups. I suspect that Kimi's fast lap was made possible by his carrying just the right fuel load and having his tires just dialed in. I paid close attention (being a sort of American Tifosi) to the red cars all race long and I have to say that their braking at the end of the long straight and recovering through turns 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 (all of which I could clearly follow) were uneven. Felipe sometimes even sounded funny (raising hopes in me breast that Kimi would be able to get him). More importantly, for a very long time in the early going Kimi simply could NOT make any headway on Kovaleinin and the Renault. He couldn't, that is, even get close enough to threaten his fellow Finn. Meanwhile, the McLarens were motoring away from Felipe. Game over.
I would love to be a fly on the wall at Maranello. I wonder whether there is anything Michael can DO for this car and its drivers? I think not. Until they can feel confident that they HAVE the pace to challenge McLaren, both will just have to resign themselves to another season where the WDC fades inexorably into the distance. Hopefully, Ferarri is working VERY HARD on next year's car.
But leaving all that aside, Lewis Hamilton is obviously the most important change in F1 this year --and for years to come.
It looks like Ron Dennis has COMPLETELY out-foxed his red car rivals. Now all he has to worry about is keeping the peace in his garage between a two consecutive year WDC, and a WDC for the ages.
Someone, on that subject, should have a word with Fernando. I heard at the track that he was complaining that the English mechanics were favoring his teammate over himself.
Ha! My answer to that would be to offer him some SPANISH mechanics.
ciao, Jim Watt
I believe Frrari's problems of late are two-fold.
1/. They run only one wind tunnel, there is a rumour that about 6 weeks ago the rolling road surface let go at 180mph.Being a steel belt, there was some shrapnel damage.
2/. With the restructuring, there appears to be some dissatisfaction within, mainly with non-Italian design team members, some of whom have found greener grass
