[boffincash]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81892

Maybe the bang to the head last year did effect Felipe or maybe he is towing the Ferrari line? All teams have to start somewhere!

I guess he and Ferrari are grumpy because they wanted to run 3 cars so they could have had Michael back (or sell their chassis to a customer team)

[ZonaPutaX]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81892

Maybe the bang to the head last year did effect Felipe or maybe he is towing the Ferrari line? All teams have to start somewhere!

I guess he and Ferrari are grumpy because they wanted to run 3 cars so they could have had Michael back (or sell their chassis to a customer team)

Taking what Webber said to the LdM level of WTF?!?

Come on Felipe, surely you're a better man than to come out with this.

[soonahonsefalh]

Strange!
A danger. Has Felipe not seen F1 pre 2002. Its not the 1st time cars have gone around 4 seconds off the pace. You would think Massa had never raced amongst tail enders but surely he remembers the early rounds of 2005 I remember the Minardi's a bit off the pace.


I am sure most of the fans around the world would rather see a full 26 cars (24 this year) rather than only the 16 or 18 existing cars.
We understand that the 3 new teams may (MAY) struggle a bit to start with but with more cars comes more racing and hopefully more action.
F1 has a history of team diversity and I personally don't want to have only 8 odd teams being competative and there being no chance of new teams working their way up.

Can't agree Felipe.

[PilotJargon]

The FIA used to agree with him. They had this thing called the 107% qualifying rule to stop painfully slow cars from getting in the way during races. For some reason they don't think it necesary anymore.

Good for Hispania as I doubt they'll be within 117% of pole let alone 107% when they turn up for the 1st race without turning a wheel first.

New teams are good for F1 but the days of throwing a car togther and turning up at the first race are gone. The FIA should have brought back the 107% rule when it opened up the grid. That way we would have new teams and races less likely to be blighted by mobile chicanes.

[GEAntonio]

Ok let's stop the new boy bashing now Ferrari. These guys have joined the F1 club now, and whatever the rights and/or wrongs of their arrival on the grid they are here now - hopefully for good.

[soonahonsefalh]

Ok let's stop the new boy bashing now Ferrari. These guys have joined the F1 club now, and whatever the rights and/or wrongs of their arrival on the grid they are here now - hopefully for good.

Too true.

Also with 1 more to come.

With the exeption of 1995 no really slow cars made the grid from 1988 to 2003 when the 107% Rule was stopped.
This was because on the whole in late 80's and early 90's the amount of entries mean't the ridiculously slow cars didn't make it past Quali or Pre Quali.
Then by 95 there were only 26 cars so Forti's for example were guarenteed a grid slot.
So on the back of their lack of pace early on that season the 107% was introduced in 96 to again cut out any really slow cars until 2002.
So we are looking at a car 8,9 or 10 seconds of the pace for the 1st time since Forti's 95 or back to the 80's before that.

I may be wrong but thats how it looks to me.

[gambleingsites]

this is a load of ffffen bull

read http://www.ferrari.com/English/News/...Felipinho.aspx

The new teams are having problems: also on the track?
"I hope they won't be a danger. There are 6-7 teams one second apart while those teams are 4 seconds behind. It's not good for the sport and not good for them: it's like two different series. They'll suffer. And we'll suffer too, when we have them in front of us during qualifying".

[soonahonsefalh]

Looks like Ferrari expect every new team to enter and immediatley be within 1 second!

Pretty unlikley.

Of course Ferrari would never bring up the rear of the field would they. They would rather withdraw than be a tail ender.

hmmmm.. LUCA! obviously disagreed with Ferrari's official policy last year.

[boffincash]

Good for Hispania as I doubt they'll be within 117% of pole let alone 107% when they turn up for the 1st race without turning a wheel first.

No, they're 1sec faster than Virgin and Lotus according to Dallara

[JackTimQSR]

To those who share the absurd, in my opinion, view that it's possible to remove every conceivable danger from F1 — it isn't, short of not running races at all — Massa's view might seem sensible. To the rest of us, it isn't. It is a shame that when a driver such as Massa dares to offer an opinion that isn't bland PR puffery, they are invariably ill-informed, crass and lacking in any historical perspective. Maybe he should be reminded, because, like most modern F1 drivers he will surely have no interest in the sport's history, that there have been times when his current employer's cars were trailing round near the back some way off the pace.

[dexterljohnthefinanceguy]

I think that Felipe is following the team policy. My opinion is that if the new teams are three or four second per lap slower, it's OK, no problem. However, if they are 7-10 seconds slower, they should be black-flagged IMO for they truly will become dangerous, even if in Le Mans drivers deal with cars which are 20- or 30 seconds slower.

[Drysnyaty]

To those who share the absurd, in my opinion, view that it's possible to remove every conceivable danger from F1 — it isn't, short of not running races at all — Massa's view might seem sensible. To the rest of us, it isn't. It is a shame that when a driver such as Massa dares to offer an opinion that isn't bland PR puffery, they are invariably ill-informed, crass and lacking in any historical perspective. Maybe he should be reminded, because, like most modern F1 drivers he will surely have no interest in the sport's history, that there have been times when his current employer's cars were trailing round near the back some way off the pace.

:thumbs: totally agree.

Personally, despite in recent years the FIA being the Ferrari's International Assistance (In my opinion at least), I think Ferrari are still a bit grumpy not just over the 3 car concept, but the fact that they never broke away from the FIA.

hopefully, when they realise Jean Todt, unlike Max Mosley is not an insane knee-jerk reaction cretin, they will appreciate the FIA more along with their decisions.

[Ubgvuncd]

A cynic might suggest that Massa's just toeing the party line. If any of the new teams get in the way I hope the marshals will be ready with the blue flags, and that the stewards will ensure those flags are obeyed.

But slow or otherwise, the cars are being driven by professionals who hopefully can be trusted not to interfere with the faster guys up front.

[Immusaatmonna]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/81892

Maybe the bang to the head last year did effect Felipe or maybe he is towing the Ferrari line? All teams have to start somewhere!

I guess he and Ferrari are grumpy because they wanted to run 3 cars so they could have had Michael back (or sell their chassis to a customer team)

So this Ferrari vendetta against the new teams has infected Massa as well. Don't get it.

[dexterljohnthefinanceguy]

:thumbs: totally agree.

Personally, despite in recent years the FIA being the Ferrari's International Assistance (In my opinion at least),

You are IMO, very wrong. Ferrari get their way only against McLaren and only sometimes. IMO Max disliked McLaren more than he supported Ferrari.

[Drysnyaty]

You are IMO, very wrong. Ferrari get their way only against McLaren and only sometimes. IMO Max disliked McLaren more than he supported Ferrari.

This is a very fair comment actually. But Max did make it look like he supported ferrari because of his anti-mclaren-ism. although, id like to point out, kimi on the outside of the first corner Spa 2009

and, Ferrari's International Assistance just fits better into FIA than any mclaren hating word play would

[Angeheade]

To those who share the absurd, in my opinion, view that it's possible to remove every conceivable danger from F1 — it isn't, short of not running races at all — Massa's view might seem sensible. To the rest of us, it isn't. It is a shame that when a driver such as Massa dares to offer an opinion that isn't bland PR puffery, they are invariably ill-informed, crass and lacking in any historical perspective. Maybe he should be reminded, because, like most modern F1 drivers he will surely have no interest in the sport's history, that there have been times when his current employer's cars were trailing round near the back some way off the pace.

So you're the guy who runs the Yuji Ide Fan Club!

[erroxiainsona]

Massa...just adding to the bag of excuses.
By the same token, he'll giggle with glee when one of the new teams holds up the MP4-25 or a RBR.
It's like playing sport in the rain...it effects all competitors.
I will enjoy watching how Ferrari might mis-manage themselves this year.

[SantaGanstag]

Just what is the problem with Ferrari and its drivers?
Everybody has to start some where,and although these new teams may be off the pace in their first year,when they get more experience,of life in F1 ,they will improve.The current teams should by offering an olive branch to these new teams for making an effort to join "The Club".
proffessional drivers of their ilk,should be alert and able to deal with and see slower cars which they would have had to deal with,as slow cars try to get back to the pits after having problems

[forextradinginfo]

Pure hubris.