"I've heard a lot of positive things about the Mercedes engine as well, so I think there is a lot to be excited about for next year.
No you haven't, it's all bluff from them to make it look like they have a decent engine. Ask Forza. Only Ferrari have a decent engine, all the others are bullshitting. End of.
Can only be that he considers them the better long term prospect now that Sauber have money issues. Strange, as he opted to join Sauber last year as he felt they were the better long term option! If he has tied himself into a multi-year deal, has he now effectively scuppered his chances of breaking into the big teams. FI, to be fair, aren't going to break into that group anytime soon.
If you have a fast driver, being heavy is not a huge problem. Fixed. If you look past the hype, you will see the truth: Button: "I'm 74-75kg with my kit and I struggle to meet the weight limit. I have done for three years. I love fitness training but there are things I can't do because I have to be a set weight - not eat carbohydrates, not build muscle. And next year it will be worse. I don't think any team will have ballast next year." Hamilton: "I weigh about 71 kilos. I am not going to be 65 kilos unless I cut my nuts off! And I eat really healthily" Rosberg: "The height is not so much of an issue for me but I have to keep my weight in check. I guess I will have to cut down on the fatty stuff looking at 2014 and may be give up on sweets during Christmas" Di Resta: "It is a concern for a driver like me. I am at the upper end, to the point where I am three or four kilos under what I would like to be to be healthy. Itâs a little bit of an unfair advantage to be a smaller guy because not only can they move the weight (in the car) in the right place but they can get themselves in a healthier state. Iâd like to see the weight limit raised because it would make no difference to them (the smaller guys)." Whitmarsh: "There are grounds [to raise the weight limit], but F1 doesn't work like that. Self interest will prevail. Teams that think it's OK will block any change" Benson: "That means a smaller driver such as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who weighs 68kg, is at an advantage over a taller one such as Sauber's Hulkenberg, who weighs 74kg, to the tune of 0.2secs a lap if the team cannot reduce the car by the amount of their weight difference. And even if they can, the taller driver is at a disadvantage because his weight is high up in the car, which also affects performance. McLaren have ruled out Hulkenberg as a potential replacement for Mexican Sergio Perez next year as a result of this. A high-level source said the chances of a change to the weight limit were "quite slim as it would require everyone to agree, and some teams and engine manufacturers don't think they need an increase".
So why are Ferrari seemingly okay with increasing the weight limit? Mercedes are the only ones who have vetoed it? Ferrari aren't suddenly going to play fair, they never have and they never will. If they have light drivers and a super-light engine, they will do all they can do keep that advantage by keeping the weight limit down. There is a lot of bullshit being spread about the engines. Next March will show who has the best.
Maybe because Stefano has no balls. It's interesting that Mercedes have vetoed it but their customers haven't - maybe they vetoed it to create false illusions about their engine? More hype, more satisfied shareholders. Let's see what Mercedes can do without Ilmor.
No one will know how there engines compare until proper running at the first race of the season. Even testing won't give us much of a picture since we won't know if teams are struggling with consumption or playing silly buggers with sandbagging. If Mercedes do have a issue its unlikely to be with the engine weight. They're not going to choose 2 months of good PR over a season of pain, especially with the engine contracts all sorted now anyway.
They're 6 months behind where they want to be but that most likely means they are still 18 months ahead of the rest... The finger ain't dead yet!
[h=3]2014 F1 schedule:[/h]16th March: Australian Grand Prix 30th March: Malaysian Grand Prix 6th April: Bahrain Grand Prix 20th April: Chinese Grand Prix 11th May: Spanish Grand Prix 25th May: Monaco Grand Prix 8th June: Canadian Grand Prix 22nd June: Austrian Grand Prix 6th July: British Grand Prix 20th July: German Grand Prix 27th July: Hungarian Grand Prix 24th August: Belgian Grand Prix 7th September: Italian Grand Prix 21st September: Singapore Grand Prix 5th October: Japanese Grand Prix 12th October: Russian Grand Prix 2nd November: United States Grand Prix 9th November: Brazilian Grand Prix 23rd November: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Im trying to think what this would mean. Are sauber and Telmex making way for Perez? Is this to do with the Marussia merge and Bianchi will move in. Or..... Is VDG buying a seat at sauber?
