Formula1 discussion

I have to quote Fernando Alonso when he was asked about his own legacy at Ferrari. Michael - he is a legend. He achieved five titles in a row with Ferrari. I do not even have one title with Ferrari. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Niki Lauda has not been forgotten either. Or Kimi Raikkönen

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Lewis seems to be the only one struggling with Ferrari, all the other drivers including Michael have managed to get to grips with the car fairly quickly.

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It also took Michael at least one season, with Ross Brown and Jean Todt, to turn the lumpen Ferrari team into a top team. When I think back to how the pit stops were back then. Or when a drive shaft came flying out of the back of Michael’s car. Horrible

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But they were also sone of the great car designers & team principals at that time. And as you say the pit stops, have changed as well, because that would spice things up a bit, bring back refuelling.

As a lot of this generation unlike Alonso, have never had to think about fuel management, I know the FIA states that there must be between 1 or 2 litres left in the tank for testing. But in the refuelling days especially during qualifying, the cars would run on fumes technically.

I think that’s unfair on Lewis, I’m not a Lewis fan or even a Ferrari fan but it’s such close margins now between the cars any little mistake gets magnified, qualifying today was literally just over a tenth of a second between 1st & 5th

The last season in a rules cycle is always the hardest because nearly every team has figured out what they need to make the car competitive

Lewis has gone from being comfortable to this new challenge of a one season hit

Will be interesting to see what happens next season with the new cars and rules

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Schumacher nearly broke the contract directly less than half a year into his first season in 1996. But then he started to demand the re structuring of the team if he was to continue. Bringing in Byrne, Brawn and Todt as a threeway formula. For example. :slight_smile:

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I agree but it’s also a lot more difficult to adapt to new things the older you are. So that might be a disadvantage for Lewis.

And it’s mentally challenging for him how things are now. As he’s blaming himself for everything at the moment

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Those were different times, with refuelling. There were also more tactical strategies possible during the race. But these refuelling facilities were not safe and there was a great risk of fire for the pit crews.
In NSCAR, however, refuelling is still done with a canister today

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I also think Lewis is stuck in a huge mental hole at the moment. And is not free to go into qualifying

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Agree, refuelling was the dangerous part of the job, but the amount of times near the end of the race, you’d get a splash & dash. Where some of the drivers would pit, have a quick top up, and then hit the accelerator and put the fastest lap in.

And in those days, there was no speed limit either, you came in at 100mph+ and left at the same speed, it’s only because a pit crew got killed, when one of Barrichello’s (might be the wrong driver) wheels came off, found the only gap in the fence and hit the pit crew member

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But it’s a case of ‘Safty first’ :slightly_smiling_face:

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Looks like Yuki, will be starting from the Pit lane, later on, as they had to change his PU overnight. Apparently the problem developed from FP3 onwards.

Late Hungarian Grand Prix grid changes as pit lane start confirmed

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Don’t forget James Hunt, Nikki Lauda’ s greatest rival for the 1976 World Championship. And that’s how he got the scars, when his face got burnt during the German GP at Nurburgring, and I know Max drove the circuit, and called it one of the most dangerous ever built. It also inspired the film ‘Rush’

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Schumacher would have almost ended up at McLaren if Ferrari hadn’t reacted.

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Maybe even Williams, as they were classed a front runners then. So Schumacher did have a few choices to pick from, but thankfully he chose the right one.

Just a shame his brother Ralf, and his eldest son Mick jnr, didn’t make it big time in F1.

I have to correct you there. The speed limit was set after Black Sunday in 1994 at Imola. With ten laps to go, Michele Alboreto’s Minardi lost his right rear wheel while leaving the pit lane. The tire hit two Ferrari and two Lotus mechanics, who subsequently had to be treated in hospital.

Well, six wins and a few podium finishes for Ralf aren’t bad. His mistake was going to Toyota, who couldn’t get anything done.

Thanks for the update. Because I remember the wheel coming off, but couldn’t remember the driver, that’s why in brackets about it being the wrong driver.

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True, but as a team they weren’t that quick at moving forward, from the back of the grid. So that’s one team that won’t be missed.

I think one of the best teams of the olden days, had to Benetton.

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