Ferrari admit that improving the way their car uses its tyres must
be a priority for this week’s private test at Mugello, amid fears it
could cost them the championship.
The F2008 has struggled to get its tyres into their operating window
as well as the McLaren does, and that has left Felipe Massa and Kimi
Raikkonen facing difficulties in cooler and wet races.
And after being unable to capitalise on McLaren’s troubles in the
rain-hit Italian Grand Prix because of the tyre issue, Ferrari team
principal Stefano Domenicali thinks it is important they don’t stumble
again if there is rain in any of the final four races.
"Unfortunately there is a characteristic of the car that it is maybe
not able to generate in certain conditions the right temperature for
the tyres to be able to work," said Domenicali. "And that’s the main
issue that we have.
"We have seen it, both with grooved tyres in Germany and here in
Monza with this temperature and with these conditions. Unfortunately
there is only one more test that we can do in order to see what we can
do in order to improve the situation for the last four races of the
season.
"Then the other and most important thing that we have to think is
really how we want to attack this problem for the future, that means
for next year’s car which is a completely different project.
"We need to make something that will help the tyre to work in these conditions, because we will have them, for sure."
When asked if he felt Ferrari’s wet weather struggles meant Lewis
Hamilton was now favourite for the championship if there is rain in the
final events, Domenicali said: "I don’t know.
"For sure Hamilton did a very good race, a fantastic race. He was very, very fast and above all very, very consistent.
"I don’t know (the answer) because in rainy conditions you have not
only the technical side to control, you may have different situations
that you have to handle.
"So for sure it’s not really the atmosphere that we would like to
race with. The rain and cold. we cannot do anything about that, so the
only thing we have to do is work very hard and see what we can do to
improve our situation in these conditions."
Ferrari Sure Raikkonen Will Help Massa
Ferrari have no doubts that Kimi Raikkonen will do all he can to
help Felipe Massa win this year’s world championship, even though the
Finn is publicly playing down the supporting role he now has to play.
Raikkonen has not admitted that he has to play number two to Massa
in the remaining four races of the season, but team principal Stefano
Domenicali is sure that the Finn knows what is expected of him for the
remainder of the campaign.
"I’ve always said that our main interest is the team," explained
Domenicali. "Of course, that’s the most important thing and the drivers
know it.
"At this moment, at this stage, you can see that we haven’t, in our
situation, taken away points from one or the other, and for sure,
considering from now up to the end of the season, in the way that it’s
possible to do, of course Kimi will do his best to be as aggressive as
possible but also consider the fact that Felipe is much closer to the
leader, Lewis."
Massa, who is currently just one point behind Hamilton in the title
battle, says his approach to the remaining races will not change in
spite of Raikkonen’s help.
"Well, for sure I am doing my job and it won’t change anything on my
ideas or the way I work," he said. "I am always getting to the race
thinking of the win and getting the most points possible. That is the
way it works.
"I am in a reasonably good position in the championship and
hopefully we can think like that. Today I finished in front of Kimi, so
it was a positive thing, and I finished in front of Hamilton and that
was it. At the end of the day I had a positive result."
It’s a sensitive issue within the Tifosi apparently, but if you want to share your views, even the most heated, then please do in the forum. Ferrari don’t need toĀ announce anything about their drivers’ position in this matter. If Kimi certainly had to obey an order, they would have announced it as Massa did last year ahead of the Chinese GP, and Kimi wouldn’t be refusing anything as he’s a team player. My view is that Massa only got out of his way to ‘help’ Kimi gain a major championship advantage in Brazil last year, the season finale. We Kimi fans really appreciated that and still do. But we, as Kimi supporters through thick and thin, would also appreciate fair treatment from Ferrari. Kimi still has a chance for the title and he should be allowed to do his utmost best efforts to score points or win races. Why? Because if Kimi can do his best then it’s great for the team obviously. Massa is only 1 point behind Hamilton, with four races to go. The help required isn’t as desperate as it was for Kimi last year, who had a 7 point defict before the final race. I believe Kimi will give a helping hand when the occassion calls for it, as Brazil 2007 did. But as far as Kimi’s concerned, he knows Massa doesn’t need a great deal of help which would sacrifice Kimi’s own chances. Kimi will keep flying, as long as he’s got a chance. And those damn tyre issues need to be sorted as soon as possible.
FUCK ISRAEL 
I read on other forums and sites that some are very disappointed with the way kimi drove but again I must say he did better than Massa. Now am I blinded by the fact that I like Kimi more than Massa? I don’t think Kimi is completely at peace with this and he shouldn’t! Massa only helped him in Brasil not before!! Anyway we’ll see the way things go but hey what a fast lap š No one beats him at that!! If it isn’t Kimi who wins this year than I would rather see Kubica win it to be honest. Don’t like Mister I’m the best driver nor Massa. Bah we’ll see, guess that fastest lap award is already his š oohh and one last thing, could someone get freakin RETIRED Schumacher out of the garage. Could it be that Schumacher’s advice benifet Massa way more than Kimi, also with set-ups and other technical stuff.. Pff I wish he would just go away. Anyway I do hope they get the car sorted out and make a car fitted for Kimi for crying out loud… and yeah they should definetly get those tire issue sorted out, it’s been going on way too long.. Anyway it was a great race to watch and wauw I was hoping Vettel would win but wasn’t sure wheter he could but he did š In 2 years in a Ferrari I guess or hope š
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hi Lena. good observation. lol @ freakin schumi!
We all read Saima’s review and she mentioned I think in Spa that Kimi was driving like a bat out of hell. this is hers. her trademark phrase. But as i watched Italian GP again and again, I noticed another thing out of hell. a certain freakin moron who was driving like a ‘bitch out of hell’. and after the race, many drivers complained. Glock even took a vow to do the same with a certain Hamster-damn if he does the same…
Ferrari are intent on Kimi helping Massa, news are all over the internet. makes me sick to my stomach. and u mentioned right, Massa only helped Kimi in Brazil that too at the start, Kimi beat him fair and square at the second round of stops. Kimi set fastest lap so that was the proof……
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I really don’t understand why all these people kept putting pressure on Kimi to support Massa?Ā Last year I didn’t see anybody asking Massa if he will support Kimi, did we?Ā At the end of the day, if the situation does favour Massa and if Kimi is in the possition to help then I believe Kimi will do what he can to help because he is a good team player.Ā But, as long as there is chance for Kimi he will fight till the end… so hope all those people (including Ferrari) will stop bothering him and let him get on with his job.
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As for Schumacher… I couldn’t agree more withĀ Lena, if he is supposed to be "advisor" then his performance was really poor.Ā I think this year Ferrari not only have a lot of reliabilty and tyre issues they also got their strategies wong so many times…
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@Lena & Yining – IĀ“m always the one saying the same thing, IĀ“m starting to sound like a broken record! MS has to go!!! He always brings bad luck to Kimi(ok except for Barcelona this year, he was there and Kimster still won), but most of the time he just lurks around and IĀ“m sure that does nothing beside give advice to his protegĆ©, Kimi DOES NOT NEED his advice and he wouldnĀ“t take it anyway, our good boy ;p.(Sorry Saima, this is off the tyre topic, but you know how I get with Schumi these days!); )
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Lol, I understand. He’s been an advisor, for what exactly?! nothing’s helped with his advice..actually, 2008 has been worse. Ferrari should sack him! hahaha! or maybe it’s the reason Massa’s done better this year? omg!Ā conspiracy! lolNicki mentioned in the forum about the tyre problem this:[quote]If any of you have read
Peter White’s blog, he suggests that tyre life is to do with the centre
of gravity on the car, McLaren have it set quite far forward which
results in them trashing their tyres, whereas Ferrari have it to the
rear of the car so their tyres last longer, but also must be the issue
of them not heating up quick enough.
Although it would be easy to say that Ferrari should just move it
forward, I guess it’s not so simple as it must be a fundamental part of
the design process and I would’ve thought would bugger up other parts
of the car if shifted willy nilly. [/quote]So yeah, what can Ferrari do by Singapore about this? It’s a tough one. I guess we just need to hope they do everything right for next year with the slick tyres coming in too.
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Sol, you are gonna hate me for saying this but, What the hell is Schumi got to do with Kimi’s problems? If there were problems for Kimi with the way Ferrari are running the team then he wouldn’t have extended the contract; Would he?Ā Ā From what I have seen, I must agree that Ferrari have made strategic errors but only in an effortĀ to help him as much as possible.Ā
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Bad Luck is Bad luck; it doesn’t come from anyone. But it does happen to everyone. It really depends on how you take it!!!
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If I have advice from a 7 time world champion to help with things in a team then I think I would take it whether or not my drivers take it!!!
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Then again, If Schumi and Massa want to get a room together that’s their issue. I wouldn’t bother much about it.
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Don’t know if he really brings bad luck but I wouldn’t be surprised that he handles in Massa’s best interest and has a negative attitude towards Kimi. I just didn’t like his body language when Kimi’s engine failed in Valencia. It’s known that Kimi does find his help as helpfull as Massa finds it. But I find him extremely negative towards Kimi, like he compares his way of working to that of Kimi and obviously it’s like opposite – Chris Dyer said something about that last year. I don’t know, at the end of the day, Shumacher in the garage may annoy us fans than Kimi.Anyway, we have seen Luca supporting Kimi so I think he’ll be oke, hope that next years car will suit him better. Still though I like Massa, I rather see Kubica win it this year if Kimi can’t of course š just because I think the guy as a boring way of driving, too safe (doesn’t mean that he isn’t good a qualifying cause he really is) okay enough said Thanks for the destkops aboveGreetz
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go iceman….alessandro
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I’m quite surprised at Felipe’s comments here below, no doubt they sound great and something each racer should admit, but I
wonder if Ferrari have told him to speak like this? Because I feel they
can’t openly claim Kimi to be an ‘assistant’ as he’s their world
champion and….Kimi’s not going to be put down so easily, we all know
he hates the idea.
Quote:
Massa does not expect help from Raikkonen
Felipe Massa has said he does not expect his Ferrari teammate and
reigning World Champion Kimi Raikkonen to help him win the 2008 title.
"Whether I do it or not is completely separate to what Kimi or
anyone else does," the Brazilian told the German newspaper Welt am
Sonntag.
"I am sitting in the car, I am the one who wins races or makes mistakes. It is my game," the 27-year-old added.
Massa said his relationship with Raikkonen, nicknamed ‘the Iceman’,
is strictly professional: "We work with each other and want Ferrari to
be World Champion. But we are not friends; we have no private
relationship."
"If we are together in a meeting, when it is finished he opens the door and is gone," he said.
He is much closer to Michael Schumacher, who Massa describes not as
a former teammate or team advisor, but "like an older brother."
Massa said he believes he can beat Lewis Hamilton, the high-profile championship leader who drives for McLaren, to the crown.
"Otherwise I should not even be sitting in a Ferrari," he insisted.
Ā© CAPSIS International
Source: GMM
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If KIMI cannot win the title this year, IĀ will not surprise thatĀ Ferrari win nothing at the end of season
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@Ram – itĀ“s fine! Everyone is entitled to have their opinion. And of course I donĀ“t think KimiĀ“s bad luck is MSĀ“s fault, but he just happens to be there when lightning strikes, so….and I do stand by my opinion that Kimi would never take MSĀ“s advice, he simply doesnĀ“t need it, Felipe may need it, but not Kimi.Plus, we donĀ“t see Mika hanging around the McLaren garages, do we? And he also has a sort of advisor role at McLaren, developing their road cars, etc…Anyway, this has nothing to do with the topic here, IĀ“ll try to restrain myself from making any more comments about MS, should we have the "pleasure" to see him in the next races (hopefully, NOT!);p
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one thing needs an explanation… how come Ferrari just couldnt get about solving the tyre issue.. Kimi has been having it for more than half the season now!! u would have thought such big power like Ferrari can get on top of problems and issues fast. u could have only thought!!
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Exactly! Big dream team Ferrari aren’t so big without Todt and Schumacher are they? But no, the majority of Ferrari fans think it’s mainly Kimi’s problems and just because Massa seems to be fine, it’s Kimi’s fault. GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It’s nearly been two years actually that the team could have worked better for Kimi’s chances, even in 2007 he struggled which is why he only won the title by one point in the end. This year he had a completely new issue with understeer all the damn time and Ferrari only just gave him a new chassis for Spa, but oh wait, it’s a bit late for that now!!!!!!!!!
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Very much so Saima!! i really didnt expect this from Ferrari.. one whole season in 2007 and another in progress 2008.. they should have know Kimi’s style of driving inside out.. and look where we are… one single TEST to sort out the tyre warming issues.. before we head into the rest of the season!! just hope next year they start with problems solved on the issues Kimi is facing….
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@Sol; Agreed!!! But I want to ask does Schumi talk to Kimi in the garage?Ā I haven’t seen any pics or on the tv… If you have some pics,send me some, I really want to see their reactions.
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Anyway, I have to agree with Shabbir and Saima, Ferrari are defintely not the team that was, from outside the team just seem to be a completely different outfit….. I always believe the car needs to be built around the driver, not the other way around, the other way around just does not work. Frankly, I think that was the way things ran with Ferrari when Micheal won those championships, not def the right way cause I think that’s what Ralf did to toyota and look where they are now once he left ;but If you want to win championships, there needs to be a No.1 and a No.2 driver which ferrari had for so long, and suddenly they change that….why? Stefano doesn’t seem to impress me much I must say.
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Towards the upcoming races, My selfishness is this "In the forthcoming races, I want ferrari to support Massa as much as possible to win the title; they dont need to doĀ much;He will screw it up surely, and when he does, the team NEEDS to have a champion driver for the next season and hopfully will def need to pick Kimi as their No.1 driver till he leaves Ferrari unless they still believe Massa is a racing driver that is….. "
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Next season, I think its a whole new ball game, lot of changes, I dont think we can really predict which teams can be competitive. I’m expecting a big change up and down the pitlane
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To Ram: Apparently Schumacher & Kimi never chat. The tv commenter (rtbf belgium) said something bout it, that he when you looked at ferrari shumacher & massa where talkin and stuff and Kimi was at the other side of the garage minding his business. Anyway I don’t think it’s a bad thing that there’s no real number one status, although I don’t like Massa’s driving he did go for it and make sure to get points, I wouldn’t find it fair that they would hold one person back for another – Hate it back in Schumacher’s day and made me dislike him more because of it. I do agree with the fact that they really got to sort things out with the tyres, they should have done it already but I’m not that much into the technical side so maybe not as easy as saying it. Anyway do keep in mind that yes some people have left ferrari and others came, yes they do make mistakes but they do seem to stick with each other at the end of the day. When the "team" made a mistake Kimi took the blame with them and when Kimi made a mistake they do stick with him, they don’t trash him and so on. I don’t think Domenicalli does a bad job, still need to learn, does seem to have a different approach then Todt but you know it could have been much worse. Bout the car to built around the driver, I agree. And he should have fit Kimi better than Massa this year. He wasn’t happy bout it in 2007 and even at the beginning of this year he wasn’t completely happy with. Anyway don’t know much bout the technical side so I can’t add much more than thisWe’ll just see what happens, keep believing as he’s still not out and I hope just have fun for the rest of the season so that he enjoys it a couple more years and won’t leave too soon š
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@Ram – As Lena said, Kimi never speaks to MS, not that IĀ“ve seen at least. Saima posted a few pics on the forum of the two talking on the grid before a race, itĀ“s in the 2008 section, Valencia Pics. They seem ok, just chatting, but nothing else, itĀ“s obvious theyĀ“re not joined at the hip, like MS is with Massa.
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Regarding "Massa does not expect help from Raikkonen"…. I think it’s quite normal for him to say that. If I were Massa hearing all these people ask if Kimi going to help me (so I can win) I will regard it as a bigĀ insult (because I have backbone hehe..).Ā I’m surprised that Ferrari even entertained this kind of talk, if there is going to be any team order I think they should do it in a subtle/discrete way.Ā
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I agree, the media can be a real pain. I’m sure Kimi, Ferrari, and Massa know what’s going on and what they have to do. They all are part of the same team and as Domenicali keeps stressing, everything is for the best interests for the team. Kimi’s happy at Ferrari, so all we can complain about is just that they haven’t made an exactly brilliant car, at the end of the day lol otherwise we wouldn’t be in this mess!Regarding Kimi/Schumi/Massa, well, Kimi is a quiet lad. We all should know this by now. You always see him mind his own business, even on the parade laps! He goes straight to Kovalainen and Vettel, because he really gets along with them. I’m a bit like him, when I’m an uni or whatever, so I can understand lol It’s nothing ‘personal’ with Massa or Schumi, it’s more about just compatibility I guess.
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@ Yining: About the media thing, they’ve been asking and asking and put a lot of pressure on them and I think they did well, there’s nothing really offensive in the articles.In the end what Kimi, Massa & Domenicalli all said it’s cohesive (hoping this is the right word) in my mind. Kimi vows to keep fighting with knowing that Massa’s in a better position, he will help if necessary. Massa knows at the end of the day he’s got to keep getting points and do the job. So they know what to do and it’s just the media make an big deal out of it.The thing bout the Kimi/MS/Massa. Between Massa & Kimi everything seems to be good and probably is. Massa once said that Kimi never talks bad and so on so he never spoke negatively bout Kimi and vice versa; Now I don’t rate MS very highly as you may know by now. I find him a two face and I just don’t trust the guy. I see him as the guy that can hold a grutch for a very long time, like he can’t let go things. So he could be negative towards Kimi just because Kimi isn’t really chit chatting, works in a different way, has di Monte… wrapped around his finger. Okay I’m not sure bout that last one but let’s face it the guy has a soft spot for Kimi and I’m gonna keep believing this till somebody proves me wrong š Okay I’m gonna stop talkin bout MS cause I don’t like him and he’s not worth to worry bout. So like I said before hope the rest of the season will be fun and we’ll how it ends in Brasil š
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Grrrrrrrrrrr, Bow wow !!! Let’s take it to Saima’s forum…
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