TBK-Light.com

How good is Kimi at developing cars though?
Team Willy with a Renault engine is one thing and great for all us fans old enough to remember the beginning of the partnership last time round.. But I don't think Kimi is as good at helping developing a car as Patrese was back then!
Sure it could move them forward, but back in the winners circle?.. I don't think so I'm afraid.

_________________
I think you should do what you want.

It's your forum and I paid the bills this year..

and if people don't like it they shouldComplain here

Thought this paragraph from James Allen's article on the engine map clampdown was intresting:

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2011/10/r ... designers/



Perhaps explains why Lewis suddenly lost a lot of front downforce at Korea?

No way..

It's a residential zone. They will never pass on residential streets.

They should race somewhere on the west coast...like Seattle.

I have no doubt that Kimi was superb at pushing, but there's no getting away from it - when he was stuck back in the pack, he dropped off very badly. Mika Hakkinen did it at times too.

That's correct. Kimi hates media and has his own personality for media. He's a laidback guy, who always does the best he can with given car. Usually that's over the cars potential. He also understands how the car works and can define very specificly how he wants the car to handle for him.

The problem at Ferrari in 2009 was that the italian team wanted to develop a car that was balanced and bit understeery, a car that suited for Schumacher and Massa better. Kimi wanted a more oversteering car, which engineers failed to deliver. Also the team was playing on Felipe's bag, instead of Kimi, which showed quite clearly. Kimi was suddenly the driver to beat in Spa and did well at Monza too. Ferrari wasn't much of a car, Fisichella was 2nd at Spa with Force India but was nowhere near Kimi at Monza with Ferrari. In 2008 Kimi had bad luck in few races, he made few mistakes, the team made bad race strategies and there were few mechanical failures too. Massa got more points but I don't think Massa was better driver that year.

Kimi most definitely should be in F1, I sure hope that the Williams deal is true. For 2013 there's a seat open at Mercedes, Red Bull and possibly at McLaren, if Button goes to Ferrari to replace Massa.

_________________
"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

Good news for Sauber.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95583

_________________
Dan Wheldon ¦ 1978-2011
Marco Simoncelli ¦ 1987-2011
Jules Bianchi ¦ 1989-2015
Justin Wilson ¦ 1978-2015

Yeah, I know he's mad and I don't care. I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I'm here to race him.

That layout is far too awesome for F1.

Schumacher always prefered oversteery cars.

No, Schumacher always prefered a neutral car, Kimi wanted more oversteering than what Ferrari could deliver.

_________________
"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

I really dislike the theory that Kimi was unmotivated. Just strikes of ignorance.

At what point could you say Kimi wasn't trying his all? In 2008? Okay then, well the team never tried to fix his qualifying woes and when they did lo and behold he was back fighting and pushing at the front again. His late-2009 form and effort wasn't indincative of a man who didn't give a shit.

_________________
Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

Wouldn't count Martin Brundle as ignorant, of all people, but you're entitled to your opinion.

Well you can argue that he wasn't as committed as others - he didn't visit the Ferrari factory to the extent that Schumacher/Alonso did/do nor bond with every member of the team like them. But to say unmotivated is just ignorance. A driver without motivation doesn't go into the 2nd half of 2009 and stagger members of the team with the pace he extracted from the F60. The engineers were stunned with his pace.

I know a lot of guys on this forum don't really like Kimi, but I genuinely hope he comes back next season. He's such a great talent and his Ferrari stint really didn't work out, despite his world title.

_________________
Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

We weren't talking about motivation over a season, but motivation in a race when he was stuck down the field...

I don't see what his championship run has to do with anything that anyone said. And for the record, I like Kimi, I'm just not going to pretend to myself that he was better than he was just because he left.

Kimi in his McLaren days I believe was one of the best in F1's history. For me, when he went to Ferrari, his style seemed a little less aggressive. Too calm. Almost as if he lost something.

But I can understand if he lost motivation when stuck down the field. Some of the time, yes. Like early 2009 when the car was crap and there was no hope of points. That has to be demotivating for a driver. Hamilton and Alonso have also been like that too, not often, but still.

To counter that, Kimi has produced some great drivers from way down the field. Not just Suzuka 2005, but times in 2005/6 when engine failures left him starting 12th or something and he was often in the top 4.

_________________
Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

I think Kimi left F1 because you couldn't overtake (really race) other cars anymore. Montoya also loved that and left because it became increasingly difficult to make the difference in these cars. But now with DRS and KERS and the Pirelli tyres it is attractive again to race in F1. I'm sure that's why Kimi's interested again. He tried WRC and Nascar, but probably has come to the conclusion that there's nothing better than racing wheel to wheel in an openwheel car.

Yes, he prefers neutral cars but no car is neutral, they always have, at least, a bit of under or oversteer and Schumi always hated understeery cars. Bottom line is, he prefers as neutral as possible with a smal trend to oversteer.

About Kimi's possible return, if he eventually collide with Hamilton, all the forums are gonna go down because of so many people posting at the same time.

Vitaly is confirmed for 2012 in LRGP.

_________________

reminds me to canada

F1 Racing's November cover



Joe Saward reports that the deal is done.

_________________
Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011