Ferrari boss hails extraordinary Alonso

[Ferrarichamp]

Amazing how Luca praising Alonso has turned into a Kimi love in

Let's get back on topic shall we

Seems to me every time Alonso is praised, someone feels the need to bash Ferrari's last WDC, just look at the top of the thread.

[Greig]

the truth is hardly bashing

I love how the only real defence of Kimi is he was our last WDC....lol

But yeah let's say Kimi was awesome, dedicated and totally committed to Ferrari and gave us his all, will that make you feel better

Alonso is just a whole lot better

[Ferrarichamp]

the truth is hardly bashing

I love how the only real defence of Kimi is he was our last WDC....lol

But yeah let's say Kimi was awesome, dedicated and totally committed to Ferrari and gave us his all, will that make you feel better

Alonso is just a whole lot better

I feel fine. Obviously Kimi's performance was disappointing in 2008. To me Ferrari is all about winning titles, Kimi won WDC (our only one since 2004), and I also recognize the fact that Massa was the main contributor to WCC 2008. I prefer to wait until Alonso wins us championships before I hail him as great, and I don't see the need to criticize Raikkonen in the mean time.

[epiclyaddicted]

I feel fine. Obviously Kimi's performance was disappointing in 2008. To me Ferrari is all about winning titles, Kimi won WDC (our only one since 2004), and I also recognize the fact that Massa was the main contributor to WCC 2008. I prefer to wait until Alonso wins us championships before I hail him as great, and I don't see the need to criticize Raikkonen in the mean time.

Everyone has their own perspective I guess, but how come many tifosi consider Gilles to be the greatest Ferrari driver ever?

[Kingdom Hearts]

I prefer to wait until Alonso wins us championships before I hail him as great,

The only thing that is stopping Alonso to get your "great" label, it's the car, he is doing beyond great in the driver side. Titles is not everything.

[F2008]

Everyone has their own perspective I guess, but how come many tifosi consider Gilles to be the greatest Ferrari driver ever?

And maybe consider Alonso second best to Gilles, also without winning a title.

[Ferrarichamp]

And maybe consider Alonso second best to Gilles, also without winning a title.

Gilles played a big role in securing Ferrari's 1979 WCC.

[Meiga]

Alonso and Raikkonen, Raikkonen and Alonso, and Massa just in the middle too...

I was a supporter of both Alonso and Raikkonen, and have a soft spot for Massa too (but even more so for Smedley ). I think Alonso could have been paired with either, and one thing would still be the same: that he would be taking over the team. Nothing to do with skills, but with personalities: Alonso is a predator when it comes to F1, and Raikkonen and Massa are not (note: obviously this is just my opinion and, since I don't know any of the guys personally, I am just basing it on the tidbits of information that we get from public sources). By "being a predator" I don't mean being nasty, or manipulative, or anything negative; simply totally focused in your objective, and indeed being very demanding and forceful about what you want, and vocal about it if required (no shyness or PC talk when you ask for things or present your reasons for requesting something).

No, I am not saying that Raikkonen or Massa are at fault for not doing that. Each person has a different temperament and different priorities in life, and behaves accordingly. And circumstances have an impact too, for exampe Massa had already established his image within the team by the time Alonso came in, and it is much more difficult to change the perception people have of you than to start from zero.

I don't think Alonso tries to sidestep Massa when he tries to rally the organisation; I honestly think that he cannot conceive a different way of working. He would have done the same with Raikkonen, and from what people seem to indicate, Raikkonen would not have tried to "hit back" in that regard either.

[Greig]

I feel fine. Obviously Kimi's performance was disappointing in 2008. To me Ferrari is all about winning titles, Kimi won WDC (our only one since 2004), and I also recognize the fact that Massa was the main contributor to WCC 2008. I prefer to wait until Alonso wins us championships before I hail him as great, and I don't see the need to criticize Raikkonen in the mean time.

So Gilles was not a great?
Michael was not great until 2000?
If you count WCC then you are saying you consider Rubens a great before Alonso, seriously.....

Strange way to decide who is great, but each to their own I guess you consider JV and Hill as F1 greats lol

[Ferrarichamp]

So Gilles was not a great?
Michael was not great until 2000?
If you count WCC then you are saying you consider Rubens a great before Alonso, seriously.....

Strange way to decide who is great, but each to their own I guess you consider JV and Hill as F1 greats lol

I haven't once said who is great or who isn't.

[Greig]

I haven't once said who is great or who isn't.

Ok then but you said if Alonso wins a title you will hail him a great? How does that not apply to others?

[Ferrarichamp]

Ok then but you said if Alonso wins a title you will hail him a great? How does that not apply to others?

What I'm saying is I'm a bit surprised some people are calling him great barely 2 seasons into his Ferrari career. It's like people assume Alonso winning multiple titles with Ferrari is a done deal, but nothing is done until it's done.

[Hermann]

What I'm saying is I'm a bit surprised some people are calling him great barely 2 seasons into his Ferrari career. It's like people assume Alonso winning multiple titles with Ferrari is a done deal, but nothing is done until it's done.

People (including several team bosses) call him great because of his driving and teamleading abilities throughout his career, not only because of the two years with Ferrari now. Now he is considered great, so if he wins championships for Ferrari- he might become a legend.

[Greig]

What I'm saying is I'm a bit surprised some people are calling him great barely 2 seasons into his Ferrari career. It's like people assume Alonso winning multiple titles with Ferrari is a done deal, but nothing is done until it's done.

I thought Michael was great before he even joined Ferrari, same with Alonso I look at a bigger picture just than Ferrari, Alonso has proven to us all that he is a great driver and I don't see how anyone can not see that

Alonso might win no titles with Ferrari, will not diminish his talents

[Ferrarichamp]

People (including several team bosses) call him great because of his driving and teamleading abilities throughout his career, not only because of the two years with Ferrari now. Now he is considered great, so if he wins championships for Ferrari- he might become a legend.

Yes, he won championships for Renault 5 years ago. I hope he will soon win some for Ferrari.

[Hermann]

Yes, he won championships for Renault 5 years ago. I hope he will soon win some for Ferrari.

I think we can all agree on that here! Me too!

[Silent Bob]

What I'm saying is I'm a bit surprised some people are calling him great barely 2 seasons into his Ferrari career. It's like people assume Alonso winning multiple titles with Ferrari is a done deal, but nothing is done until it's done.

I think the reason for this is because Alonso seems to have the same qualities as Schumi did. The team are rallying around Alonso and are ready to start a new era with him, and are assembling the pieces to do that, much like Ferrari did with Schumacher. This wasn't possible with Kimi. Maybe becuase of his personality, maybe he just didn't want to put in the effort, who knows. But we do know that Ferrari were anxious to get rid of him, and there has to be a reason for that. And we also know that Ferrari as a team are more comfortable with Alonso, and there must be a reason for that. I liked Kimi, unfortuneately, I was disappointed. I thought with his speed he would have given us Ferrari fans a little more. As For ALonso, I was never a fan of the outspoken person he was at Renault but have seen him mature at Ferrari, even with a bad car he hasn't given up and rather than complain about the situation, he has remained supportive of his team. I think he will win us multiple titles and I think there is a new era coming much like we had with Michael.

[FFFerrari]

I've always been "team first, drivers second" kind of person so this driver worship rubs me the wrong way. Even if it was two drunken monkeys driving our cars, if they bring home the titles, I'll cheer for them. To me WCC > WDC.

[NJB13]

I'm pretty much with what FFFerrari says. I'd even go a little further and say that I see the WCC as the best aggregate for a team (taking both cars performance) and the WDC as being the team with the best single car performance. Like team gold fourball and foursome. So to me, when we win a WDC it is firstly a Ferrari championship then a driver championship.

It somewhat dissappoints me to read anyone here putting down any of our drivers, sure they can say and do silly things, but, they are or were Ferrari drivers and I respect them all for that.

I think Nando is superb, clearly the best driver on the grid now and a natural leader. Every team needs a leader and not every team member can be a leader. The team we have now has beautiful balance.

I think Felipe has shown us how brilliant he can be too. He is short of a little luck and he I wouldn't change him for any other driver.

As far as I'm concerned I'm really grateful that Kimi was able to play his part in delivering us championships. Yeah he had a calm demeanor and he wasn't one for showing lots of emotion (that's an understatement) but that does not necessarily equate to indifference or lack of dedication. There was a pretty good Swedish tennis player that didn't show emotion as John MacEnroe would throw tantrums - but he got the job done pretty well. I thought it was the right move to replace Kimi with Nando when we did, but I don't feel compelled to put down what he helped us achieve.

[F1NAC]

yeah, I'm pleased Kimi won a WDC in a Ferrari

that's true . But where was Red Bull in 2007 and 2008 :D . Bring those rules back !! :D

[Greig]

Alonso would have won the 2007 title with us as well

Kimi would not have been 2nd in 2010 either

[Tifoso]

I've always been "team first, drivers second" kind of person so this driver worship rubs me the wrong way. Even if it was two drunken monkeys driving our cars, if they bring home the titles, I'll cheer for them. To me WCC > WDC.

[M.K]

I've always been "team first, drivers second" kind of person so this driver worship rubs me the wrong way. Even if it was two drunken monkeys driving our cars, if they bring home the titles, I'll cheer for them. To me WCC > WDC.

Completely disagree with this, team must be higher priority, but drivers are part of them, large part. I cheer for driver who gives it all for team, not the one who drives car to finish line, even if he is first. Drivers and team must be same ideals and targets, they must be with team, lead them in hard times and show example through their work. I cheered more for Felipe than I ever will for Kimi, he drive, got his title and have a couple of ice creams. People remember Gilles, cus he was driving that cars wheels off, that's what fans remember, everything else is just statistics.

[REDARMYSOJA]

Everyone has their own perspective I guess, but how come many tifosi consider Gilles to be the greatest Ferrari driver ever?

Because they don't know about Tazio.

[NJB13]

Because they don't know about Tazio.

How on earth could you choose who to support if those 2 ever time-travelled and were put in our current cars. I wonder how Nando and Felipe would take being told they were being benched

[Pekka]

Kimi is the fastest ever driver to drive the Ferrari period.

Schumi was good too.

[Greig]

[OldskoolF1]

Kimi is the fastest ever driver to drive the Ferrari period.

Schumi was good too.

[Rob]

Kimi is the fastest ever driver to drive the Ferrari period.

Schumi was good too.

oh dear. He bought us home WDC, but, his best years i hate to say it, was at Mclaren.

[RockyRaccoon]

Kimi is the fastest ever driver to drive the Ferrari period.

Schumi was good too.

How can that be when Massa was faster more often than not?