Article: 2013 Driver Line-ups, News & Rumours | Formula one

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I think he's one of the most underrated. Since he's been paired with Vettel I think a lot of people have forgotten how good he used to be, or didn't realise how good he was when he was with smaller teams, in a similar way to how Fisichella was completely disregarded after partnering Alonso. Yeah Webber's not got a great head to head with Vettel in qualifying, but he's usually pretty close, unlike Massa who's usually half a second adrift of Alonso, and occasionally over a second. I only rate Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, Button and Raikkonen higher than Webber right now. I don't think Kovalainen and Rosberg are any better, and I think the Sauber drivers, di Resta and Grosjean would lack the experience to beat Webber if they were put in the same team.

I agree, Webber isn't that bad.
 
Yeah I remember Rosberg saying Webber was the toughest driver he faced in motorsport, tough I'm not sure if that was a low blow intended for Schumacher...
 
I think he's one of the most underrated. Since he's been paired with Vettel I think a lot of people have forgotten how good he used to be, or didn't realise how good he was when he was with smaller teams, in a similar way to how Fisichella was completely disregarded after partnering Alonso. Yeah Webber's not got a great head to head with Vettel in qualifying, but he's usually pretty close, unlike Massa who's usually half a second adrift of Alonso, and occasionally over a second. I only rate Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, Button and Raikkonen higher than Webber right now. I don't think Kovalainen and Rosberg are any better, and I think the Sauber drivers, di Resta and Grosjean would lack the experience to beat Webber if they were put in the same team.

I agree, back when Webber was driving for Jaguar he would regularly pull off incredible qualifying performances- I believe he lined up third a couple of times in 2003? Just, for whatever reason, most likely the EBD, he had a horrific 2011.
 
I have no idea where JA will be. Can he afford an HRT seat? He sounds pretty optimistic about it which suggests he's got a pretty decent drive, but who would take him? Maybe Force India, with di Resta moving on, or Senna's seat at Williams, Bottas looks better than Alguersuari though.

Don't think it will be Red Bull Fred, This sounds like a clear swipe at them to me:

I'm intrigued by this, being a bit of a fan. Didn't he turn down HRT for this season? Wasn't he talking about signing something with a big team a few months ago? For some reason, I think it may be Mercedes. I'd love to see him back, he was stabbed in the back by Marko, the bastard.
 
Could be McLaren, Jaime is young, Jenson is experienced. Schumacher seems very hostile to Lewis....
 
I think it might be just me who thinks we're looking a bit far into this <laugh> I assume he just meant he is really sure he wants and can get a drive next year.

But if Alguersuari will end up anywhere with his Pirelli data it will probably be a midfield team. Sauber seem to go through those sorts of drivers (de la Rosa, Heidfeld, de la Rosa again) quite regularly so if one of their drivers leaves...
 
I don't think Alonso would want him as a teammate:
http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/alguersuari-says-alonso-very-cold/

I also don't think Ferrari need his tyre knowledge - how useful was Heidfeld to Renault? They already have Hamashima working on getting the most from the tyres.

Agreed. I don't think it's likely to be a huge help to anyone really, any significant changes will be run past the teams by Pirelli. The engineers are currently struggling to understand the tyres despite having access to huge amounts of data and sophisticated technology. If they can't understand them I don't think Jaime will, especially driving a 2010 Renault, which is out of date now, and will be even more so under next year's new aero regs. Also, he's unlikely to be privy to any real technical data, his job is just to drive the car and give Pirelli his feedback on them. The only way I could see it being beneficial is if he picked up some interesting bits of information from the engineers, perhaps over a discussion at lunch or something "oh Red Bull have found that if you do such and such you're able to do something or other with tyre temperature etc". I think the experience of tyre testing will be beneficial to Jaime as a driver, but I doubt he'll be able to provide any truly worthwhile information to his future employer about the 2013 tyres.
 
Are Ferrari (and Alonso) interested in Vettel, or the designer that Vettel would bring with him?

This article from Bild says Vettel can leave Red Bull a year early, depending on performance.

Bild said:
Fourth place in Monaco . And yet speak in Formula 1 all over (24) Sebastian Vettel .
Reason for the excitement around our double World Champion: A media report, Vettel had signed a pre-contract with Ferrari for the start of the season 2014th New rumors of a change from Red Bull to the Red Italians!
Surprise: If Vettel wanted, he could ...
PAGE revealed: He actually has a secret exit clause in his Red Bull contract!
Which runs until the end of 2014, bringing Vettel 15 million per year salary. But just one year before he can leave the Ösi racing team.
Red Bull boss Helmut Marko confirmed the clause to IMAGE-demand: "2013 is fixed for us. For 2014 there is a performance-related clause in his contract - for him and for the team. "
Says: It depends on the rankings at the World Cup 2013th If Vettel and Red Bull grease in the drivers or constructors championship, he could go!
And Vettel's Ferrari's last major Formula 1 dream!
Before the contract he denies: "I know nothing about it. I've even signed anything. "
Ferrari is still Fernando Alonso (30/Vertrag 2016), the absolute number 1 TV pundit and ex-driver Christian Danner advises Vettel: "It would be suicidal to go to Ferrari, so long as Alonso is there."
Former world champion Niki Lauda: "Vettel is in no hurry. No one can anticipate where Ferrari will be 2014. "At the moment ahead of Red Bull! Alonso (76 points) leads the World Cup before Vettel (73) at ...

http://www.bild.de/sport/motorsport/sebastian-vettel/geheime-ausstiegsklausel-24367676.bild.html
 
Vettel has denied any knowledge of the Ferrari story, personally I think it's typical Italian Machiavellian tactics to try and destabilise RBR, Ferrari (like most Italians) will stoop to any level to get what they want, just look at their football league.
 
This is a view formed from personal experience over many years, and &#8211; lest anyone be about to misunderstand &#8211; it has nothing to do with 'hatred'.
&#8230;Schumacher seems very hostile to Lewis....
Yes, Silver; he's hostile to any threat he fears he can't handle. It's part of his competitive make-up. Ruthlessness is all that counts to him.

He's not a real fighter: he prefers his opponents
to have a hand tied back, relative to himself. He has not the slightest concern or interest in 'quality'. In this sense, he is the very antithesis of Jenson Button, who deliberately seeks to throw down the gauntlet to anyone he thinks may be better. Oddly enough, of all the main protagonists currently in F1, I think there are no more than four guys who are prepared to be real gladiators: Webber, Button and Hamilton are three of them.

Comparing the spirit of Button with the hollow ruthlessness of Schumacher:
&#8211;&#8211;&#8211;One is a a 7 time World Champion (apparently &#8211; if you think statistics matter regardless of how they are achieved). The other is just as rare but a far more admirable human being: he is a real-life hero who actually seeks out a challenge without demanding that other factors be in place to force (not just tip) the balance overwhelmingly in his favour.

The real Dick Dastardly*s of this world confine themselves to never becoming proper heroes.
- - -o0o- - -

*I used to love the cartoon!
:)
 
This is a view formed from personal experience over many years, and &#8211; lest anyone be about to misunderstand &#8211; it has nothing to do with 'hatred'.Yes, Silver; he's hostile to any threat he fears he can't handle. It's part of his competitive make-up. Ruthlessness is all that counts to him.

He's not a real fighter: he prefers his opponents
to have a hand tied back, relative to himself. He has not the slightest concern or interest in 'quality'. In this sense, he is the very antithesis of Jenson Button, who deliberately seeks to throw down the gauntlet to anyone he thinks may be better. Oddly enough, of all the main protagonists currently in F1, I think there are no more than four guys who are prepared to be real gladiators: Webber, Button and Hamilton are three of them.

Comparing the spirit of Button with the hollow ruthlessness of Schumacher:
&#8211;&#8211;&#8211;One is a a 7 time World Champion (apparently &#8211; if you think statistics matter regardless of how they are achieved). The other is just as rare but a far more admirable human being: he is a real-life hero who actually seeks out a challenge without demanding that other factors be in place to force (not just tip) the balance overwhelmingly in his favour.

The real Dick Dastardly*s of this world confine themselves to never becoming proper heroes.
- - -o0o- - -

*I used to love the cartoon!
:)

Does that make Nico Rosberg or Lewis Hamilton a pidgeon?
 
This is a view formed from personal experience over many years, and &#8211; lest anyone be about to misunderstand &#8211; it has nothing to do with 'hatred'.Yes, Silver; he's hostile to any threat he fears he can't handle. It's part of his competitive make-up. Ruthlessness is all that counts to him.

He's not a real fighter: he prefers his opponents
to have a hand tied back, relative to himself. He has not the slightest concern or interest in 'quality'. In this sense, he is the very antithesis of Jenson Button, who deliberately seeks to throw down the gauntlet to anyone he thinks may be better. Oddly enough, of all the main protagonists currently in F1, I think there are no more than four guys who are prepared to be real gladiators: Webber, Button and Hamilton are three of them.

Comparing the spirit of Button with the hollow ruthlessness of Schumacher:
&#8211;&#8211;&#8211;One is a a 7 time World Champion (apparently &#8211; if you think statistics matter regardless of how they are achieved). The other is just as rare but a far more admirable human being: he is a real-life hero who actually seeks out a challenge without demanding that other factors be in place to force (not just tip) the balance overwhelmingly in his favour.

The real Dick Dastardly*s of this world confine themselves to never becoming proper heroes.
- - -o0o- - -

*I used to love the cartoon!
:)

Like it or not, Schumacher will be remembered as one of the true greats of F1. To the general public and to most of F1 fans, he will always be one of the greatest drivers ever, and one of the greatest sporting figures ever.

As you say, he might not like a fight on the track, but his greatest strength has been team building. If you remember Ferrari before he arrived, it was a mess. He built a whole Formula 1 team around himself, and then push it to become the most successful team in the history of F1. The team he created very nearly made Eddie Irvine and Massa world champions. That&#8217;s a very impressive legacy, and one I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;ll see again.

Just because you don&#8217;t like him, or his style in Formula 1, please don&#8217;t belittle his achievements. He&#8217;s a different type of driver than you seem to like, that&#8217;s fine, but he achieved what he did in his own style, and his mark will be on Formula 1 for many years to come, as people will always be looking for &#8220;the next Schmacher&#8221;
 
people will always be looking for &#8220;the next Schmacher&#8221;
Do they? so why does everyone say 'he's the next Senna' when someone of exceptinal talent appears on the scene? The stories of how Schumacher became so dominant are being learned as time goes by, illegal electronics, illegally altered pit equipment, special tyres that were 1 second a lap faster than anyone elses whilst at Ferrari, then of course, are his many on track misdemeanors, which were so bad they had to DSQ him from a whole season (the first time that has ever happened). These are what people remember more.
 
Like it or not, Schumacher will be remembered as one of the true greats of F1. To the general public and to most of F1 fans, he will always be one of the greatest drivers ever, and one of the greatest sporting figures ever.

As you say, he might not like a fight on the track, but his greatest strength has been team building. If you remember Ferrari before he arrived, it was a mess. He built a whole Formula 1 team around himself, and then push it to become the most successful team in the history of F1. The team he created very nearly made Eddie Irvine and Massa world champions. That&#8217;s a very impressive legacy, and one I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;ll see again.

Just because you don&#8217;t like him, or his style in Formula 1, please don&#8217;t belittle his achievements. He&#8217;s a different type of driver than you seem to like, that&#8217;s fine, but he achieved what he did in his own style, and his mark will be on Formula 1 for many years to come, as people will always be looking for &#8220;the next Schmacher&#8221;

This wasn't all Schumacher's doing, Byrne and Brawn joined Ferrari at the same time, they also had bespoke tyres fitted to Schumacher's Ferrari for most of his titles, these were provided because of Ferrari's millions not Schumacher's team building, he wouldn't have been given those advantages if he'd stayed at Benetton.
 
Does that make Nico Rosberg or Lewis Hamilton a pidgeon?
Good question, Kyle.
Unlike Irvine and Massa, it looks as if Rosberg is not willing to be a dog on a lead . Perhaps Dick's current problem lies in that finding himself without a Mutley, he's confused by so many pigeons?




Like it or not, Schumacher will be remembered as one of the true greats of F1. To the general public and to most of F1 fans, he will always be one of the greatest drivers ever, and [~1] one of the greatest sporting figures ever.

As you say, he might not like a fight on the track, but [~2] his greatest strength has been team building. If you remember Ferrari before he arrived, it was a mess. He built a whole Formula 1 team around himself, and then push it to become the most successful team in the history of F1. The team he created very nearly made Eddie Irvine and Massa world champions. That’s a very impressive legacy, and one I don’t think we’ll see again.

Just because you don’t like him, or his style in Formula 1, [~3] please don’t belittle his achievements. He’s a different type of driver than you seem to like, that’s fine, but he achieved what he did in his own style, and his mark will be on Formula 1 for many years to come, as people will always be looking for “the next Schmacher”
  • 1] You and I may have a different understanding of the concept of sport – and hence what constitutes "sporting" and great sportsmen.


  • 2] I agree that Schumacher's greatest strength was in finding the most favourable spot to sew his seed at the optimum range of the sprinkler, and to ensure that he had the best gardeners who could source the best manure.


  • 3] Don't belittle his achievements, happyal?
This is a forum: i.e. a place where ideas and views on particular issues can be exchanged. I do not expect everyone to agree with me but my view(s) on matters within F1 – and in particular, its drivers – are as valid as the next member's. I do not mind you having a different view; that's fine. In fact it's exactly what I'd expect to find in any meeting place to discuss any topic.
 
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo plays down 'inexperienced' Sergio Perez's chances of taking Felipe Massa's seat

"Perez is a good driver but to drive a Ferrari you need more experience," di Montezemolo was quoted as saying by Reuters.

"I think he is one of the potential best young drivers for the future but before putting a young driver in a Ferrari I need more experience and more results."

The Ferrari boss also denied that a decision on Massa's future had already being made.

"We never take a decision before the second half of the season." he added.

Di Montezemolo believes Massa's season will continue to improve after his best race of the year in Monaco last weekend.

"I'm sure that, because we are improving our car, the car will be less difficult to drive," said di Montezemolo. "And I expect from Felipe better performances as I have already seen in Monte Carlo, because in Monte Carlo he was among the five quickest drivers on the track and in the qualifiers.

"So I hope he will continue like this. At the moment we are not taking any decision yet for the future, because it is too early."
 
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