Can Ferrari deliver Alonso the title?

[mnmracer]

I think a more interesting question is, can Alonso keep Felipe behind without team orders?
Fernando's been great this year, but Massa's coming very close now and unless Fernando picks up his game, it doesn't matter what car Ferrari gives him.

 

[Kamui-FastestChefInTheWorld]

I think a more interesting question is, can Alonso keep Felipe behind without team orders?

Well, they're legal now, so there's nothing to stop them just asking him to move?

 

[mnmracer]

Well, they're legal now, so there's nothing to stop them just asking him to move?

I'm not saying they're illegal, but if he can't get the maximum out of his car, there is no way he is going to take the championship. Both Vettel and Alonso will have to maximize their point results, and Vettel has been untouched by his teammate since Germany (bar Korea until the first corner). Granted, Alonso didn't make the first corner in Belgium and Japan, but I have been more impressed with Massa's races since Silverstone than I have been with Alonso.

 

[Kewee]

Unless I'm missing something Alonso is still qualifying in front of Massa. To suggest Alonso's not getting the maximum from his car is absurd. I've always liked Massa and glad Ferrari have retained him but he needs a decent car under him to perform. He's never been able to drive around a difficult car, Alonso can.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Kewee It's not absurd to state that Alonso isn't maximising the car when Massa has to be ordered to back off.

 

[mnmracer]

Unless I'm missing something Alonso is still qualifying in front of Massa. To suggest Alonso's not getting the maximum from his car is absurd. I've always liked Massa and glad Ferrari have retained him but he needs a decent car under him to perform. He's never been able to drive around a difficult car, Alonso can.

If Massa in his current form can qualify that close to Fernando, including a mistake; if Massa can look stronger in Japan qualifying safe for a (albeit crucial) mistake; if Massa has to be told to hold back in Korea, than those are indications that Alonso is not on top of his game.

It seems the better Massa is performing, the more Alonso is complaining he doesn't get a good car, despite being up front. I'm sorry, but that just sound like politics and excuses.

 

[Olivier]

The greatest trick Alonso ever pulled was convincing the his rivals that Ferrari was good enough to be worth winning the title. Red Bull has brought back to reality over the course of the last 3 races. It doesn't really matter at this point who is faster; Massa or Alonso, there's not enough damage limitation to prevent Vettel from winning again. And like in the 90's, it's Newey who has beaten the establishment. Again.

 

[Bill Boddy]

If Massa in his current form can qualify that close to Fernando, including a mistake; ....

But that's it, Massa makes mistakes more often than Alonso. Yes, Massa can be very fast but he has also struggled this season trying to handle a car that Alonso could get much better performance out of.

 

[Kewee]

If Massa in his current form can qualify that close to Fernando, including a mistake; if Massa can look stronger in Japan qualifying safe for a (albeit crucial) mistake; if Massa has to be told to hold back in Korea, than those are indications that Alonso is not on top of his game.

It seems the better Massa is performing, the more Alonso is complaining he doesn't get a good car, despite being up front. I'm sorry, but that just sound like politics and excuses.

I'm assuming you think it would have been better for Alonso to put unnecessary stress on an engine that has to take him through to the end of the championship. I'm assuming you also believe it would have been better to attack the Red Bulls while their tyres were still good rather than waiting to attempt an attack during the last 10 or 12 laps when they were having to protect their tyres. Thats why Massa was told to ease off. Considering Alonso is a double world champion who is the only driver able to challenge Vettel for the title, if they put a decent car under him, I hardly think he needs to make excuses. Both McLarens have been better cars than the Ferrari all season so Alonso's position in the championship speaks for itself.

 

[ATL11]

Think the only way that Alonso will get anything out of this is if the first 4 cars have a coming together in the first corner......then again Grosjean is back in 11th, so not much chance of that happening & even if that did happen by some miracle it would be Webber's fault (I know it's an old Turkey joke)

 

[Bill Boddy]

Erm, would you like to edit that?

 

[ATL11]

Erm, would you like to edit that?

I was thinking of the metaphorical win for Alonso. In the end he had as good a race as he could pull from the Ferrari, think Ferrari also pulled a tactical stroke by giving the Ferrari a longer rev ratio in 7th gear. Still with my Metaphors, Vettel has now led the last 200+ laps of the last 4 GP's. Isn't senna record around 260? I'll have to Google it....

 

[Viscount]

I don't know how true all or any of this is, but it doesn't sound like all is well at Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso almost lost his temper ahead of last Sunday's Indian grand prix, the Italian newspaper La Stampa reports.
The newspaper said the Spaniard was furious after the Maranello based team's technical boss Pat Fry blamed the drivers for a sub-standard qualifying performance.
"The result reflects our current potential," said Fry after Alonso qualified fifth in India.
"But in order to be where we wanted and where we were capable of being, we needed to be perfect today and we weren't," he added.
And his characterisation of his title battle as a head-to-head with Red Bull's Adrian Newey might also be interpreted as a slight on Newey's Ferrari equivalents.
La Stampa said that when Alonso heard about Fry's post-qualifying comments, he "went into a rage".
"(Stefano) Domenicali tried to calm him down ... but the discussion continued until 1am," the report added.
The newspaper said Alonso drafted on his phone a message to his Twitter fans that read: "I want my 1.2 million followers to know that the key aerodynamic components at the rear of the Ferrari are still the same as they were in May".
La Stampa reported: "It took a lot of persuading Alonso not to press the submit button."
Domenicali commented: "You (the media) are good at creating stories that do not exist."
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport: "Alonso is right to push the engineers."
http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/alonso-furious-at-ferrari-in-india/

 

[Slyboogy]

Laughable.

In many ways.

 

[Incubus]

That story sounds about as believable as a sparrow on a skateboard. Especially the bit about FA composing a twitter message and deciding not to enter it.

 

[Mezzer]

Seems to me that RB have come on strong at exactly the right time of the season. If Alonso is going to pull it out of the bag Ferrari need a significant step forward PDQ.

 

[FB]

Fernando needs Flav in charge at Ferrari doesn't he.

 

[Viscount]

Doesn't give it anymore credibility especially considering the usual content of the latter newspaper, but other media outlets such as SpeedTV and the Daily Mail are starting to post that same story I linked above.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Are they quoting the same source?

 

[Viscount]

Not a source, they're all just quoting the same Italian newspaper, La Stampa, who originally wote the story yet make no mention of how they came by the information.