Felipe Massa sucks, says Suzie

[Greig]

I'm NOT holding on to a grudge just because I'm offering a different perspective from that shared by Massa fans.
I did NOT say Massa was the reason Kimi was replaced, as it was obvious Kimi wasn't performing up to expectations, either.

What I DID say is that, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, Ferrari "may" be having a "rethink" as would be the normal thing to do when a decision doesn't work out as expected. And, let's face it, this decision hasn't worked out as was anticipated by any Ferrari fan.

The decision Ferrari made was to replace Kimi with Alonso, if you feel they need to re-think that decision then so be it, they did not pick Massa over Kimi.

[Greig]

nah. I believe it's more possible to get a driver come tomorrow than Massa gets second place comes 10 next races :D

Ok I await news of our new driver tomorrow

The sooner most realise Felipe will finish the season then the easier it will be for all, Ferrari will not change mid-season.

[Oracle]

I cant wait until Massa goes to a new team and beats or matches his team mate and proves he actually wasnt a crap driver like everyone is now thinking.

[Oracle]

Jaime Alguersuari was being thrown about on twitter as a possible replacement today...

the guy who was not even good enough to hold a midfield seat? lol

[F2002]

The sooner most realise Felipe will finish the season then the easier it will be for all, Ferrari will not change mid-season.

Stranger things have happened.

[sam101]

I agree with Alonso that Massa is one of the best (you have to be one of the best to be in F1 and drive for a top team like Ferrari).

However, he only outqualified Alonso 4 times in 2010 (Bahrain, Turkey, Monaco and Belgium), which is actually the same amount of times he outqualified him in 2011.

Last 2 races he has been close enough to Alonso, Malaysia was a bit of a freak result and that has really skewed the points total.

Thanks for putting the qualifying of 2010 into perspective - and 2011 for that matter - Dismall record it would appear. We all agree MASSA is 1 of the best drivers or else he would not be in F1. The question we have to ask - Is he good enough to drive the current F2012 as it is - I'm sure the answer would be an overwhelming NO. Why ? He is NOT good enough to adapt and extract the best out of what he has as opposed to his team mate.

Looking at the past five races - compare all the teams vs team mate performances and see where MASSA stacks up? Enough said.

[Rishu]

Only if Alonso has consistent Podium finishes & Massa keeps failing to get into Q3. My personal opinion is that he will be given entire 2012 season.

[Greig]

Stranger things have happened.

Such as? We never replaced Kimi mid-season, we never replaced Rubens mid-season, what makes you think we will with Massa?

[paolo lalli]

Massa is driving like a defeated man sure he struggling in the current car I can not believe just how far apart the drivers are apart . I would suggest that it is the biggest gap of all teams thats tough lets hope for better things to come dont talk positive massa be positive and believe in what you have all good

[F2002]

Such as? We never replaced Kimi mid-season, we never replaced Rubens mid-season, what makes you think we will with Massa?

I meant in F1 generally.

I don't have a firm personal opinion on whether Massa should be replaced mid-season or not, but we need points to be scored outside Alonso's tally, I think we all agree on that. If he was doing well, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

[Pekka]

They should replace Stefano Domenicali and Massa both.. ASAP, before Monaco if possible.....

[Massimo181]

I don't think Ferrari would replace Massa as who else would they replace him with and the next replacement if anyone would they manage to get the best from the car?! Look at Valentino Rossi and Duccati! He is a good rider should they replace him? Must have to do with Italian designing? They need to change and move forward with the times and get rid of their politics within!!

[Rob]

Right, Felipe hasnt had great start to season. Im starting too question him in our second car. But, if he doenst pick it up at Monaco and after, who are we going too put in car? Get driver in like Fisi and still struggle because the car is hard to drive. That 09 season where Fisi and Luca drove, i think put black marks against their names, unfortunately. Fisi now doing good in GTs for us. Think right now, stay with Felipe give him all the support and get him on top if the car so he drive like we know he can,. Thats why the team are sticking with him. If at end of season he hasnt improved and we miss the WCC (again) then im sorry it will be time too replace him with faster and more consistent driver who can back up Fernando and help us fight for both titles.

Forza Ferrari.

[Greig]

They should replace Stefano Domenicali and Massa both.. ASAP, before Monaco if possible.....

LOL Kimi fans still feel that bitter?

[Jose-Lorca Fan]

Keep Massa until the end of the season, the car will undoubtedly improve by then so he should get better results but beyond that he must concede seat.
Replacing him now will attract to much scrutiny from the media just at a time when we need to lay low and concentrate on more important things like improving the car.
If it was up to me I'd have him pack his bags already and ask him to leave gracefully, but it's not as simple as that, he's been part of the Ferrari family for years and he has a professional contract. And the most important reason why i don' think he will be asked to leave mid season is because they would already done so by now if they wanted to. Ferrari is learning from past mistakes, referring to the Raikonnen saga ofc.

[Jose-Lorca Fan]

Keep Massa until the end of the season, the car will undoubtedly improve by then so he should get better results but beyond that he must concede seat.
Replacing him now will attract to much scrutiny from the media just at a time when we need to lay low and concentrate on more important things like improving the car.
If it was up to me I'd have him pack his bags already and ask him to leave gracefully, but it's not as simple as that, he's been part of the Ferrari family for years and he has a professional contract. And the most important reason why i don' think he will be asked to leave mid season is because they would already done so by now if they wanted to. Ferrari is learning from past mistakes, referring to the Raikonnen saga ofc.

[sagi58]

The decision Ferrari made was to replace Kimi with Alonso, if you feel they need to re-think that decision then so be it, they did not pick Massa over Kimi.

That's one way of looking at it; but, bringing Alonso to Ferrari was the decision that precipitated another decision. That is, whom would he replace: Kimi or Massa.

Again, I have no problem with the decision, per se; but, it's naive to believe that it wasn't ultimately a choice between Kimi and Massa.
Obviously there were numerous mitigating circumstances/aspects that we may never know about; but, it surely was an expensive choice!

[Meiga]

The decision Ferrari made was to replace Kimi with Alonso, if you feel they need to re-think that decision then so be it, they did not pick Massa over Kimi.

I see your point, Greig (I was reading your conversation with Sagi), but it seems logical to think that Ferrari also had a long look at its two drivers to decide who to keep and who to replace.

Now, what we cannot say is whether Ferrari first decided to replace Raikkonen while keeping Massa, and then looked around for somebody to fill in that seat (coming up with Alonso's name), or if they decided they wanted to bring in Alonso and then made the decision on which of their two drivers would make the strongest pair with the Spaniard.

[sagi58]

...What this means for Felipe? During 2007-09, he was allowed to race freely, even during the latter half of 2008 he got the #1 treatment after the team started smoking Kimi out cause the deal with Fernando and Santander had been done...

That paints a picture of a manipulative team that I don't particularly like!
I truly and sincerely hope you're wrong; but, I can see how that makes sense, in retroscpect!

...Now, what we cannot say is whether Ferrari first decided to replace Raikkonen while keeping Massa, and then looked around for somebody to fill in that seat (coming up with Alonso's name), or if they decided they wanted to bring in Alonso and then made the decision on which of their two drivers would make the strongest pair with the Spaniard.

Brava!! It seems we have the age old question: What came first, the chicken or the egg?

[Greig]

That's one way of looking at it; but, bringing Alonso to Ferrari was the decision that precipitated another decision. That is, whom would he replace: Kimi or Massa.

Again, I have no problem with the decision, per se; but, it's naive to believe that it wasn't ultimately a choice between Kimi and Massa.
Obviously there were numerous mitigating circumstances/aspects that we may never know about; but, it surely was an expensive choice!

Keep clutching at straws, Alonso replaced Kimi, Massa was not a issue as his performances were not being questioned, there was no talk of Ferrari replacing Massa in 2010 none at all, all the talk was Kimi being replaced.

Unless you can give me something that suggests Massa was under threat from the arrival of Alonso?

[Greig]

Now, what we cannot say is whether Ferrari first decided to replace Raikkonen while keeping Massa, and then looked around for somebody to fill in that seat (coming up with Alonso's name), or if they decided they wanted to bring in Alonso and then made the decision on which of their two drivers would make the strongest pair with the Spaniard.

Alonso was coming 2011 to replace Kimi anyway, Ferrari just sped that process up. Getting rid of Kimi cost us a lot of money why would we pour money down the drain if there was any sort of debate about who to keep? Massa was never under threat in that period, he was delivering performances.

[FFFerrari]

Alonso was coming 2011 to replace Kimi anyway, Ferrari just sped that process up. Getting rid of Kimi cost us a lot of money why would we pour money down the drain if there was any sort of debate about who to keep? Massa was never under threat in that period, he was delivering performances.

Very true. Felipe had a excellent year 2008 and everyone agreed that the 2009 car was a total dog. Even with the bad car, Felipe was delivering decent results - and then the accident happened. Ferrari did what Ferrari usually does, backs it's drivers during tough times and gave Felipe time to recover. No one expected Felipe to be in top form at the start of the season and he surely wasn't. No one also expected how fast Fernando would come one with the car that he had nothing to do with before the season. The backbreaker for Felipe was the "Fernando is faster than you"-incident, he might have been told that they get an equal treatment or he might have been told that Fernando is the #1, we won't ever know that, but after that day he knew for sure. After that he got a lot of heat from Brazil, naming him the next Barrichello. The car didn't fit his driving style, he had problems with the tyres and these very same problems continued during 2011. Is he having problems with motivation?

He is in a very tough spot. The car is getting better, but also the middle pack this year is very tight. Before, you could loose in Q to your teammate .400 and you would be one or two places behind him. Now you loose .400 and you are 12 places behind him. Also, Felipe has always been a "feeling" driver. When he is happy, calm and relaxed, he delivers. When he is anxious, under preassure and feeling the weight of the world, he crumbles. Currently that preassure is his team mate, one of the best all-around drivers on the grid.

[MSForever]

Massa needs to be changed as soon as possible, because team loses valuable points in the constructors' championship, which at the end of the season are transformed into many millions of dollars. The lower the team will be in the cup, the less will receive the money. Maybe cheaper to dismiss than Felipe lose money on the FOM.

[wisepie]

I still don't understand why they haven't put Felipe on a completely different strategy to Fernando, his starts have been ace and luckily he hasn't so far been involved in any mid-field first corner incidents and has been able to make progress...until the first pit-stops, thereafter he just seems to go backwards. The team could also let him out later in quali in the hope that the track has improved, a gamble I know, but they seem to send him out, do a time than panic afterwards when he ends up 17th. Only when he gets into the upper reaches of Q3 will we see Felipe back to his true form. Let's pray that it's soon for all of us.

[MSForever]

Only when he gets into the upper reaches of Q3 will we see Felipe back to his true form. Let's pray that it's soon for all of us.

Unfortunately this season, Felipe hit in Q3 unlikely

[Jose-Lorca Fan]

In Canada Felipe will be in Q3.

[Agron]

I don't really agree. A midfield team with their driver on #1 on WDC is quite an achievement.

He is joint nr1 because other drivers have driven sub par in some/all races (Button, Webber, Kimi -understandable, as he is coming back-, Grosjean, ...), others have had problems (Hamilton pretty much every race), and because he is the best driver on the grid.
McLaren, Red Bull, Renault, are consistently better, and one or two of these: Mercedes, Williams, Sauber are sometimes in front of Ferrari too.
Barcelona is the first time this year when the Ferrari was a top team, maybe in the top 3, the rest of the races it wasn't (it was the fastest in 1 track only in a wet stint, yet when the track started to dry the Sauber was faster, and then on a completely dry track other car was the fastest).
The point is, when no car dominates and it's a fight among many teams for best car it's the best drivers, who are, apart from the fastest, of course consistent and have cool heads that rise to the top, and if one driver is the best in those 3 qualities it's Alonso.

[red power]

Massa's time is up, 2 Bloody points ,compared to Alonso's 61 points says it all. He's not helping the team in any way.

[Hornet]

I still don't understand why they haven't put Felipe on a completely different strategy to Fernando, his starts have been ace and luckily he hasn't so far been involved in any mid-field first corner incidents and has been able to make progress...until the first pit-stops, thereafter he just seems to go backwards. The team could also let him out later in quali in the hope that the track has improved, a gamble I know, but they seem to send him out, do a time than panic afterwards when he ends up 17th. Only when he gets into the upper reaches of Q3 will we see Felipe back to his true form. Let's pray that it's soon for all of us.

Because the team knows better than any of us here.

We're only guessing, hoping and wishing. The team on the other hand, have all the data and they know whats wrong.

Had the data indicate that Massa could have done better with a 2 stopper for example, they would have done it. But if they don't, then there is a reason to it, it could be tire wear and so on. Remember, the team knows the tire wear rate from Friday testing. They know when 2 stopping is possible, when its not useful.

[Greig]

Massa's time is up, 2 Bloody points ,compared to Alonso's 61 points says it all. He's not helping the team in any way.

That's a very black and white way of looking at it, amazingly when on the should MS retire again thread most defend him despite him also having 2 points, it's all very strange.