Grand Prix Rejects

Doesn't help that Perez had to rub salt into the wound again as well. As much as he seems at home at Sauber, if he really is going to be the next new WDC he needs to make the move at the end of this year if not sooner.

If only he'd stop making so many mistakes...

He had the pace today, both before and after the spin. Trashing Rosberg and catching Webber, and then passing Schumacher and Di Resta, but the strategy and his own mistakes did him in this time around.

Ferrari would have been very unlikely to let him undercut Alonso, so I imagine he wouldn't have been much better off without the spin, as he would've just slid down the field on a 1-stop strategy as Alonso did. It doesn't excuse the error though.

LOL, and would have been spot on after Malaysia but now that the only position at Ferrari is effectively keeping the seat warm for Vettel, then the clock should be ticking towards a different driver.

Massa was beyond dismal today.

Fixed

Ubik wrote:

This.

He deserves the seat so much more.

Photoshop a Ferrari cap on Perez' head and it's going to be perfect.

Again, it seems Massa just can't find his pace in wet conditions. I still remember Silverstone '08, where he spun at least three times, if not more. He needs to finish in the top five at least to make up for it, or else it will be another one of his pathetic weekends we just grew used to see...

Can we just sack Massa now?

JeremyMcClean wrote:Can we just sack Massa now?

His ineptitude is becoming more and more legendary...

lostpin wrote:

JeremyMcClean wrote:Can we just sack Massa now?

His ineptitude is becoming more and more legendary...

His sacking would solidify it.

NOOOOOOOOOOO! Don't sack Massa! I mean, without Felolipe, whos inepitude would I laugh at on race day?

takagi_for_the_win wrote:NOOOOOOOOOOO! Don't sack Massa! I mean, without Felolipe, whos inepitude would I laugh at on race day?

HRT? Marussia?

Something I knocked up quickly...it's a good fit IMO.

BaconLettuceNinja wrote:Something I knocked up quickly...it's a good fit IMO.

That is brilliant

If you can't read the credits, they say:

Taki Inoue Films Presents, In Association With Iceman Productions, A Film By: Rubens Barichello's Spring, Felipe Massa "The Man Who Lost His Way" Fernando Alonso Sergio Perez Luca di Montezemelo Lewis Hamilton and Golden Boy
Original Music By: Jacques Villeneuve, Edited by: Bernie Ecclestone, In associatian with: Formula One Rejects, Executive Producer: Pasta Maldonado

A film rated 12 would not be suitable for WMetcalfe - he's only 8!

dr-baker wrote:A film rated 12 would not be suitable for WMetcalfe - he's only 8!

Is he?

Oh please. If it was ranked any lower we would have to put in a PSA telling them not to do drugs, as well as a needless and useless singalong song number which is about somebody walking to the paddock. Jeez!

JeremyMcClean wrote:Oh please. If it was ranked any lower we would have to put in a PSA telling them not to do drugs, as well as a needless and useless singalong song number which is about somebody walking to the paddock. Jeez!

However, we could sell plush-Massas and Plush-Alonsos to Little Jimmy. We could become rich if we'd make it good for - what's the next step down, "6 Years"? - just think of the money.

pasta_maldonado wrote:

dr-baker wrote:A film rated 12 would not be suitable for WMetcalfe - he's only 8!

Is he?

OK, turns out I was wrong. But he has therefore just celebrated/about to celebrate his 10th birthday, and therefore my original point still stands - he's under 12!

dr-baker wrote:

pasta_maldonado wrote:

dr-baker wrote:A film rated 12 would not be suitable for WMetcalfe - he's only 8!

Is he?

OK, turns out I was wrong. But he has therefore just celebrated/about to celebrate his 10th birthday, and therefore my original point still stands - he's under 12!

When I was 9, I didn't frequent F1 forums. I played Pokemon with one finger up my nose...

dr-baker wrote:

pasta_maldonado wrote:

dr-baker wrote:A film rated 12 would not be suitable for WMetcalfe - he's only 8!

Is he?

OK, turns out I was wrong. But he has therefore just celebrated/about to celebrate his 10th birthday, and therefore my original point still stands - he's under 12!

Don't know about Canada eh, but in the UK remember we've got 12A now, so as long as one of us grown-ups take him to the movie he'll be ok

pasta_maldonado wrote:Original Music By: Jacques Villeneuve

No! Take it away! My ears are being violated!

BaconLettuceNinja wrote:When I was 9, I didn't frequent F1 forums. I played Pokemon with one finger up my nose...

When I was 9, Pokémon didn't exist, neither did the Game Boy (though it was probably in development), and anyone on an internet forum that was more likely to be a BBS had a dial-up modem that was probably 9600 baud, maximum, and was paying an arm and a leg for the privilege of doing so, while the rest of us had to make do with Teletext...

dinizintheoven wrote:

BaconLettuceNinja wrote:When I was 9, I didn't frequent F1 forums. I played Pokemon with one finger up my nose...

When I was 9, Pokémon didn't exist, neither did the Game Boy (though it was probably in development), and anyone on an internet forum that was more likely to be a BBS had a dial-up modem that was probably 9600 baud, maximum, and was paying an arm and a leg for the privilege of doing so, while the rest of us had to make do with Teletext...

When I was 9, there was a bloody awesome thing called the Game Boy Advance, iPods were affordable (at least in my family), and I didn't care what I watched rating be damned. Oh, and by then there were three generations of Pokemon. (In my honest opinion the fourth gen is where the quality went downhill)

Before you get any overblown ideas, I was watching Bond movies by then.

Now an attempt to get back on topic!

Perez! Perez! Perez! Perez!
Sack Massa Now! Sack Massa Now!

JeremyMcClean wrote:

dinizintheoven wrote:

BaconLettuceNinja wrote:When I was 9, I didn't frequent F1 forums. I played Pokemon with one finger up my nose...

When I was 9, Pokémon didn't exist, neither did the Game Boy (though it was probably in development), and anyone on an internet forum that was more likely to be a BBS had a dial-up modem that was probably 9600 baud, maximum, and was paying an arm and a leg for the privilege of doing so, while the rest of us had to make do with Teletext...

When I was 9, there was a bloody awesome thing called the Game Boy Advance, iPods were affordable (at least in my family), and I didn't care what I watched rating be damned.

Before you get any overblown ideas, I was watching Bond movies by then.

I think I got a GBA for my 10th birthday...up until then I had a GB Pocket. The ol' retro black 'n' white screen. Ah...the memories...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/motorsport/4445386/Fernando-Alonso-is-at-the-peak-of-his-powers-says-Ferrari-chief-Stefano-Domenicali.html

Yes, I know it's by the Scum, but I love Massa's comment in this story.

Felipe P45 Massa wrote:For sure, Fernando needs me. In a championship like this, it is very important to have both cars scoring points.

What points are you going on about, dear Felipe? The points towards your almost inevitable ROTY award at the end of the year?

JeremyMcClean wrote:

dinizintheoven wrote:

BaconLettuceNinja wrote:When I was 9, I didn't frequent F1 forums. I played Pokemon with one finger up my nose...

When I was 9, Pokémon didn't exist, neither did the Game Boy (though it was probably in development), and anyone on an internet forum that was more likely to be a BBS had a dial-up modem that was probably 9600 baud, maximum, and was paying an arm and a leg for the privilege of doing so, while the rest of us had to make do with Teletext...

When I was 9, there was a bloody awesome thing called the Game Boy Advance, iPods were affordable (at least in my family), and I didn't care what I watched rating be damned. Oh, and by then there were three generations of Pokemon. (In my honest opinion the fourth gen is where the quality went downhill)

When I was 9 I was probably watching old DVD's of Robot Wars.

East Londoner wrote:What points are you going on about, dear Felipe? The points towards your almost inevitable ROTY award at the end of the year?

Who could Ferrari reasonably replace him with? Any new driver in the team is going to be a disruption as they settle in. They could do what they did with Fisichella in 2009, and buy someone out of an existing contract, but they consider drivers like Sergio Perez to be too inexpeirenced for the seat, and teams will fight to hold onto the likes of Kovalainen, who are worth a lot to them. Kamui Kobayashi is perhaps the only driver who would be experienced enough for Ferrari to consider him, without his team fighting to keep him (and Ferrari could make it worth Sauber’s while to give him up) – but I just don’t see that happening. The only other option is to get someone like Adrian Sutil in, but he has no experience on the 2012-spec Pirellis, and will take time to learn them while everyone else has come to grips with them.

Ferrari’s best course of action is to grin and bear it. Keep Massa until the end of the season, but then find some new blood for 2013. That should minimise the disruption.

Domenicalli promises to protect Massa from pressure due to his rubbish season.

Emperor Montezuma will be most displeased.

Captain Hammer wrote:

East Londoner wrote:What points are you going on about, dear Felipe? The points towards your almost inevitable ROTY award at the end of the year?

Who could Ferrari reasonably replace him with? Any new driver in the team is going to be a disruption as they settle in. They could do what they did with Fisichella in 2009, and buy someone out of an existing contract, but they consider drivers like Sergio Perez to be too inexpeirenced for the seat, and teams will fight to hold onto the likes of Kovalainen, who are worth a lot to them. Kamui Kobayashi is perhaps the only driver who would be experienced enough for Ferrari to consider him, without his team fighting to keep him (and Ferrari could make it worth Sauber’s while to give him up) – but I just don’t see that happening. The only other option is to get someone like Adrian Sutil in, but he has no experience on the 2012-spec Pirellis, and will take time to learn them while everyone else has come to grips with them.

Ferrari’s best course of action is to grin and bear it. Keep Massa until the end of the season, but then find some new blood for 2013. That should minimise the disruption.

They could possibly negotiate with Force India about freeing Bianchi up from his role as their reserve driver, as Bianchi has at least had some experience of the current tyres through his practise sessions for Force India (plus the mileage he racked up during the mid season test). Bianchi's inexperience, though, would almost certainly rule that out - Ferrari hasn't hired a rookie since the 1970's, IIRC, and if Perez is considered inexperienced enough for Ferrari then Bianchi should surely be out of the question.

I'd agree that Massa probably will retain his seat at Ferrari since, from the point of view of the team, he is probably the least worst option for them - added to that, letting his contract lapse at the end of the year would be a much more convenient way for both sides to end on rather than a potentially messy contractual dispute.

Massa should be replaced by whichever driver aside from Alonso/Massa has racked up the most miles in the current car. Who that is however, I am not sure. Fisichella? Gene? Bianchi? My point is, familiarity with the car would be far more important than perceived level of talent for a mid-season replacement.

Which will invariably be trumped by familiarity with the tyres. Everyone on the grid is at the point where they understand how the tyres work. If Ferrari were to draft someone like Fisichella in, he'd have to learn how the tyres work from scratch.

Bianchi's inexperience, though, would almost certainly rule that out - Ferrari hasn't hired a rookie since the 1970's, IIRC, and if Perez is considered inexperienced enough for Ferrari then Bianchi should surely be out of the question.

Minor point, but wasn't Alesi relatively inexperienced when Ferrari signed him? Likewise Johansson?

Belegur wrote:

Bianchi's inexperience, though, would almost certainly rule that out - Ferrari hasn't hired a rookie since the 1970's, IIRC, and if Perez is considered inexperienced enough for Ferrari then Bianchi should surely be out of the question.

Minor point, but wasn't Alesi relatively inexperienced when Ferrari signed him? Likewise Johansson?

This is the problem that F1 currently faces - team bosses are not willing to hire rookies, so their careers stall unless they go to HRT. It's ridiculous. As much as I like Schumacher, I often feel like he and PDLR are denying young talents seats just because they want to joyride at the age of 40.; What's the bets Bianchi never makes it in F1 because all the top F1 bosses are too scared to hire a youngster (Well, apart from Peter Sauber)

Belegur wrote:

Bianchi's inexperience, though, would almost certainly rule that out - Ferrari hasn't hired a rookie since the 1970's, IIRC, and if Perez is considered inexperienced enough for Ferrari then Bianchi should surely be out of the question.

Minor point, but wasn't Alesi relatively inexperienced when Ferrari signed him? Likewise Johansson?

From memory, Alesi had a season and a half's experience with Tyrrell when he was signed by the Scuderia. Johansson had a half a season of dragging a crapbox F2 Spirit into places where it had no right to be, plus a smattering of entries with Tyrrell and Toleman the year before he replaced Rene Arnoux. So on that basis, Perez is much more experienced than Alesi and Johansson...

I know the world of F1 and especially this website will explode with delirium if Perez signs for Ferrari next year, but I have this awful feeling he will be immediately turned into another infamous Ferrari number 2. And I don't want to see that. Ever.

Since 1995, I can think of only two seasons where Ferrari let their drivers do what they wanted on the track (ie no obvious team orders), 2007 and 2008. Even then it was still in Ferrari's best interests to have the Championship-fighting car 'conveniently' emerge from the pits ahead of their teammate.

I don't think Ferrari will ever change, unless they hire two different drivers for the same year.

Captain Hammer wrote:Which will invariably be trumped by familiarity with the tyres. Everyone on the grid is at the point where they understand how the tyres work. If Ferrari were to draft someone like Fisichella in, he'd have to learn how the tyres work from scratch.

If the team understands how the tyre works, the driver's required knowledge decreases slightly. Car familiary in a mid-season switch is still more important. Anyone who tested the car this year in a test would have driven the new spec tyres at least once. Rarely this year has one car been plauged with tyre issues but the other unscathed. Teams as whole have had tyre problems when it has hit them hard e.g. both Mercedes early in the season. The tyres remain constant over all teams. How each car deals with the tyre is what changes.

The only person who fits your bill is Lucas di Grassi. A free agent with knowledge of the current spec of tyres. He spent last season testing them, after all. But he has never driven a Ferrari F1 car before, nor is he a particularly stellar driver. However, having looked around some more, I can't actually find any evidence of anyone other than Alonso or Massa driving the F2012, so it would appear your solution would be the most sensible by default. Perhaps the days of fully paid up and experienced test drivers is gone now that testing has been cut back so far.

People, seriously, who else could it be than Barichello?

Indeed, the answer is Trulli, who has at least tested a 2012 car.

Belegur wrote:

Bianchi's inexperience, though, would almost certainly rule that out - Ferrari hasn't hired a rookie since the 1970's, IIRC, and if Perez is considered inexperienced enough for Ferrari then Bianchi should surely be out of the question.

Minor point, but wasn't Alesi relatively inexperienced when Ferrari signed him? Likewise Johansson?

Alesi had 1 and a half seaaons experience with Tyrell when Ferrari hired him. So he wasn't that experienced.