82 replies to this topic

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

Only Emoso sakriders can call Vettel swapping with Webbo on his own accord to keep the WDC in the team during the last race the same thing as Ferrari ordering Massa to move over for his teammate at the halfway mark of the season, 1 year after he almost died in a Ferrari.

You keep bringing this up like it was Ferrari's fault that he got hurt. Now I'm not going to debate the team orders call, but it was one year after he almost died, the fact that he was driving a Ferrari at the time is a moot point.

[Nacho]

You keep bringing this up like it was Ferrari's fault that he got hurt. Now I'm not going to debate the team orders call, but it was one year after he almost died, the fact that he was driving a Ferrari at the time is a moot point.

The PR credit they would have gotten would have been immeasurable. Instead, they threw it away for some points and traded good PR for bad.

[Dr. Jimmmah!]

The PR credit they would have gotten would have been immeasurable. Instead, they threw it away for some points and traded good PR for bad.

No arguing that, but it's not like they did it out of spite to Felipe's accident a year prior. It is simply their policy (and has been) to back the driver that has the best shot at a title. Whoever establishes themselves (now this is up to interpretation of the team) as the one to lead the title charge will get the backing of the rest of the team. That was the case in '07 as it was in '08 when the roles were reversed.

You might call it bad PR, but if Fernando wins this year nobody will write that he was 'assisted' in 10 years time, but they will have documented that Ferrari won the WDC in 2010 and added one to their tally. I seriously doubt Kimi Raikkonen is having a hard time sleeping over the fact that his '07 title was won due to 'assistance', neither will Alonso, Domenicalli and Montezemelo in a weeks time.

That bad PR back in Hockenheim will probably be the difference between if Ferrari adds one to the count or if they were simply 3rd place in the constructors for this year. I think they'd gladly take some flack for the good PR from winning another title.

[DrDickAction]

The only help Kimi got was after Massa was mathematically eliminated IIRC.

[Redliner]

As much as I dislike Alonso...and think about how Ferrari team-orders has led to his turn-around...that dude knows how bring home the bacon. Wait, that means my PFF1 scores must be doing pretty awesome! I should check up on that

[vietlol]

The only help Kimi got was after Massa was mathematically eliminated IIRC.

That's because Kimi couldn't assert himself for most of the season. Since Germany Massa has been nowhere near Fred on the track so I think any reasonable person can discount him from making a 'comeback' had the switch not happened. If he really was so bad psychologically affected by the switch that his performance took a nose dive then maybe Ferrari should bring bubens back, at least he had schumi's back through all the whining

[vietlol]

Only Emoso sakriders can call Vettel swapping with Webbo on his own accord to keep the WDC in the team during the last race the same thing as Ferrari ordering Massa to move over for his teammate at the halfway mark of the season, 1 year after he almost died in a Ferrari.

Like has been said, not Ferrari's fault Massa got hurt last year and they don't have any obligation to him. That it happened half way through the season doesn't matter either, he's driven crap all year except for a couple of races.

The good PR of having #1 on your car for next year outweighs pretty much any negative publicity you can think of.

[MrHahn]

No arguing that, but it's not like they did it out of spite to Felipe's accident a year prior. It is simply their policy (and has been) to back the driver that has the best shot at a title. Whoever establishes themselves (now this is up to interpretation of the team) as the one to lead the title charge will get the backing of the rest of the team. That was the case in '07 as it was in '08 when the roles were reversed.

You might call it bad PR, but if Fernando wins this year nobody will write that he was 'assisted' in 10 years time, but they will have documented that Ferrari won the WDC in 2010 and added one to their tally. I seriously doubt Kimi Raikkonen is having a hard time sleeping over the fact that his '07 title was won due to 'assistance', neither will Alonso, Domenicalli and Montezemelo in a weeks time.

That bad PR back in Hockenheim will probably be the difference between if Ferrari adds one to the count or if they were simply 3rd place in the constructors for this year. I think they'd gladly take some flack for the good PR from winning another title.

Jerez '97 says otherwise, so does A1-Ring '02.


Alonso isn't entirely to blame about the team orders situation, but his smugness/oblivious nature about the situation makes it OK to hate him for it.