2004 Italian Grand Prix - The Wrong Ferrari On Poll?

[Kel]

Hmmm is it just me that thinks it's amazing Barrichello has found form and ended up on poll in Italy tonight, just after Shuey has taken the championship?

Now we all know there's no such thing as team orders in Formula 1- what luck eh?

:wassup:

[martydaman]

strange coincidence...lol... good he's on poll in Italy but id expect the same from him with Shuey in Germany...lol

[Ceffo]

what a late run buy schuy to come 2nd after his earlier mixup. I think he should always start from say position 10 as a complusory on all races (handicap) just to make for good viewiing and watch as he picks off the others one by one.

God he is good.

[martydaman]

lol... good race.. stayed up to 1pm last nite... schuey should start from the back of the grid, give him a challenge

[R324D]

Don't forget Barichello.... he had 3 pit stops the rest of the field only had 2...

If he had of gone out on slicks and didn't have to make that stop after the first 3 laps he would of been an extra 27 seconds ahead...

Not taking anything away from Schuey, he is still a step ahead of the game.

[martydaman]

i dont understand why barichello uses the 3 stop strategy so often, obviously he didnt deliberately use it in italy, but he has used it several times this season

[magic1]

who won?

[R324D]

I think he uses 3 so that he has a lighter fuel load on board when he qualifies... But thats just my opinion.

magic1: Barichello first, Schuey second.... Ferrari 1 and 2.

[martydaman]

hmmm... what i dont understand, even when barichello has a lighter fuel load, he sitll has slower qualifying times than schuey with a normal load.

A standard pit stop takes approx 26 secs (including drive-in and out) so it might be worth it. Maybe ferrari use it so barichello can hold off the rest of the field while schuey gets away, and they need barichello in 2nd to do that, dunno.

[R324D]

yeh could be... I think the reason why he is slower comes down to driver ability, don't get me wrong he is good but not up to schuey's standards.

As for 3 stops, is it the drivers decision at the end of the day?

It's also to note on the weekend that really Schey had it all wrapped up... 7 laps to go and barrichello was 6 seconds ahead of him, Schey pulled him in in 3 laps then got the orders not to overtake so he just sat 1 second behind for the final 3 laps... He would overtaken Barachello easy and finished a couple of seconds ahead if it wasn't for team instructions.

It gives me the shits how people talk about schuey like it is his car that does all the work, thats crap, barichello has the same running gear and can't keep up with him... Fair enough the Ferraris are quick, much like Honda in MotoGP, but take for example Rossi... Moved from the fastest team and manufactuer and went to one of the slowest.... Still winning. I think if you took the Ferrari away from Schuey, he would still be a force.

[martydaman]

its a combination of both car and driver. If schuey was put in a Mclaren he would probably still win, but not by as much.

Look at it this way, some people say its the car that makes schuey win, but if it was only the car why does he get 1-2 seconds a lap on barichello if barichello drives exactly the same car.

The same thing work for people who say that he is the guy winning, not the car. If he was in a jag or a minardi i doubt even he could win.

In conclusion, i think its just the combination of both the best driver and car...

[Duncan]

Actually I remember reading that the ferrari was a very unstable/twitchey car to drive, ms loves it and rb (comparably) struggles with it....basically, ferrari build whatever suits schumakers driving style, they build the whole team around him. and why wouldn't they when he keeps winning everything

I'm not sure about the fuel thing tho, if I remember correctly they generally pit within a lap or teo of each other at the start.

[lukits01]

I think the F2004 is by far the fastest car in the field, in 2003 Williams still had the faster car and Mclaren had a more reliable car so it resulted in a close race between MS, kimi and JPM.

But this year give MS the fastest and most reliable car and surprise surprise no one can catch him, except the Belgian GP when the mclaren for once didnt blow up. I agree its combination of driver and car that makes a winning team, and ferrari just have it so right Mclaren and Williams ... well they better get it right next year cause I dont think BAR and Renault will catch ferrari anytime soon although they seem to have the upper hand this season

[martydaman]

what happened to the MClarens of 2000?? they were amzing cars... 1st and 3rd in Melbourne that year if i remember my history... this season is almost embarrasing for em

[lukits01]

2000? didnt hakkinen do pretty well that season? It wasnt total domination of ferrari Mclaren manage to fight it out

[R324D]

I thought the McClarens in 98-00 were supreme purely because of their breaking setup. They were the first team to introduce the power of breaking between corners from inside the cabin. Placing more pressure to the front/rear/right and left hand side of the car. It took the other teams some time to catch up but they got there, Ferrari still had straight line speed...

I am mostly disappointed with Williams this year, they talked it up like they were going to be the fastest out there all year but haven't been that at all.

It will be interesting next year with less difference between the teams... and of couse Webber in a Williams

[lukits01]

I think Williams got overconfident this year. tried that radical walrus nose job

They knew it was faster than the old car so they must've thought it was good enough

Jean todt said before Melbourne GP "We're bringing a surprise to melbourne"

well... that surprise blew everyone out of the field

Im just utterly speechles but how much faster the F2004 is compared to the other cars... the Italian GP was a clear demonstration of that. Rubenz and Michael just went through the field like they were the only 2 cars there.

I think Michael managed to close the gap to rubenz because RB knew that MS wasnt allowed to pass him so there was no reason for him to increase his lead, I think RB couldve gone faster the last few laps given he had fresh tyres

[martydaman]

it was a ferrari 1 and 2 all the way (even with MS starting back in the grid), schuey already got the championship so why not let barichello win in Italy, im sure he deserved it.

Im interested in seeing how Webber goes in the Williams... his Jag had so many gearbox problems this season