Fernando Alonso says Felipe Massa 'playing' with him in closing stages of Austrian GP

[aroutis]

Would you be saying the same if our engine was the dominant power unit????

I don't particularly care how that will sound, but as this is troubled times for Ferrari, they have to do what is good for Ferrari. I am pretty sure this makes sense.

If you do know your F1 history, this would not be the first time, and I am pretty sure this won't be the last, should of course that happens.

In that retrospect, your question makes no sense, I fear, as things like that happen every day in the days of F1, meaning that every team only cares for themselves, or should, that also should include Ferrari.

[Suzie]

As usual media adventure. The article has nothing to do with it's title.

Definitely! I opened this thread with dread as I thought Felipe would be getting his customary post-race hammering

[Daryesh]

Feel sad what had happened to our team. But I believe James Allison has a lot of ideas and inovations and foresee our weakness point. Forget this year championships and concentrate on our next year car. Feel sad our Mr Tombazis has failed us again ...... maybe he's the one who should take the blame.... guy! we should learned from the past not to repeat the same mistakes

Exactly the same as every year since 2008. Next year for sure!

[REDARMYSOJA]

I'm not sure there is going to be any quick fix to enable Ferrari, or any other non-Mercedes powered team to catch Mercedes. Mercedes wanted these power units or they were probably going to leave F1...

Now Mercedes has revealed it would also probably have stopped if F1 had not decided to commit to the efficiency formula in 2009, around the time BMW and Toyota left the sport.

"I think so, yeah," Weber told BBC Sport. "Because we had the discussion."

"We had at different times the challenge to discuss F1 with the [Daimler] supervisory board," he added.

"We had hard discussions. And it was always - and even more so when it came to the later years - harder to explain why we were using naturally aspirated engines.

"Now with these new regulations I can clearly convince the supervisory board that the [F1 team] are doing exactly what we need - downsizing, direct injection, lightweight construction, fuel efficiency on the highest possible level, new technologies and combining a combustion engine with an e-motor hybrid."


http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/26943423

So soon after these current power unit rules were announced, they started work not only on this seasons power unit, but also the chassis...

“That relationship has grown since the beginning of 2010,” Andy Cowell, director of the Mercedes engine program, said, referring to links connecting the Mercedes car company in Germany, the chassis-building team in Brackley, England and the engine-building group in Brixworth, England. “That relationship has blossomed, and this project started during the regulation discussion over that same period of time.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/05/sp...tart.html?_r=0

So it seems clear both the engine department in Brixworth and chassis department in Brackley have been on this current design since this years power unit regulations were announced in 2010. They themselves say the power unit and chassis were designed together...

Mercedes is confident that being able to develop the engine in tandem with the chassis has given its team an advantage this year.

"I think so, yes," managing director of Mercedes High Performance Powertrains Andy Cowell said. "The Mercedes power unit is designed in close collaboration with Bob Bell the technical director [of Mercedes], and has been right from the release of the regulations. Every nut, bolt, washer and cable is designed around this car. That provides an advantage."

Mercedes executive director (technical) Paddy Lowe said working closely with the engine team based in Brixworth had allowed his team to tightly package the rear of the car to maximise downforce.

http://en.espnf1.com/mercedes/motors...ry/144609.html

So it seems pretty clear to me that Mercedes went all in for this current design and have been at it for years now. It's no wonder they are so dominant. Although I'm sure the other teams have been working on the current design for awhile also, I don't think they committed the resources to this current design that Mercedes did. It seems this was the total focus of Mercedes the past several years, knowing they would not do so well during that time, but would have a big advantage come this season. Ferrari and Red Bull and even Lotus/Renault have been involved in championship fights which required more commitment, and while they were distracted Mercedes was hard at work with an aim for this season.

However, they did not do anything the other teams couldn't have done as well. I'd say the other teams have all been caught with their pants down and are just going to have to ride it out. We may be in for a long Mercedes run.

[AfterLife]

Working on a project about 4 years doesn't mean surely it will payoff. Mercedes is successful because they have done it properly. So well done to them.
I don't think battle for the championship was only between RedBull, Ferrari and lotus. Mercedes 2013 car was second best car.
RedBull have done a slightly better job than Mercedes in chassis part despite fighting for championships last years but Renault let them down.

[abbottcostello]

Would you be saying the same if our engine was the dominant power unit????

I have a feeling if anyone would straight-up answer this question without a whole lot of dancing around, the answer would be a simple, single word reply.... "NO"

I would be over the moon if Ferrari would have managed this feat, as a matter of fact this is the exact result I had hoped for all the off-season, Ferrari with total dominance!!! On the other hand, I'm not crying for rule changes, every team knew what they were and what was at stake, no time for crying foul now.

Now Ferrari just needs to work smart within the rules, bending & stretching them wherever possible to catch up or pass Merc & Renault. If it can't be until next year, so be it, just be prepared to take advantage of every possible chance the rules give us
If Greig's idea has any possibility, go ahead & do it. Obviously, the FIA & all the teams would know what we were up to, so keep to the letter of the rules! The Ferrari haters naturally will scream, that alone would delight me to no end.

Edit: Almost forgot the topic here! That was one of my first thoughts when I saw Fernando was behind Felipe, the second was can Fernando get past him?

[Silent Bob]

Working on a project about 4 years doesn't mean surely it will payoff. Mercedes is successful because they have done it properly. So well done to them.
I don't think battle for the championship was only between RedBull, Ferrari and lotus. Mercedes 2013 car was second best car.
RedBull have done a slightly better job than Mercedes in chassis part despite fighting for championships last years but Renault let them down.

I think if you are lobbying hard for a certain formula it's because you are certain it will benefit you.