Adeus Nelsinho?

[teabagyokel]

So it would seem that F1 is about to lose a second driver in two Grand Prix to team bosses with Itchy Trigger Finger Syndrome. We presume that Piquet will not be driving the Renault at whatever their next race is.

However, I have a scenario which could save Nelsinho's skin, if Massa (as looks likely) will miss out on the European GP.

• Massa misses out on European GP
• Alonso breaks Renault contract to get to Ferrari 6 months early
• Flavio has to choose between having two rookies or keeping Nelsinho for Spa

If Flav was forced to make such a call, would he be down the job centre for someone to partner Grosjean or would he retain Nelsinho? Would he be chewing over his caviar at Loftus Road with a difficult decision on his plate? Or would he do what he did last time he had car #7 free, and shock us all by giving Jacques Villeneuve a drive?

 

[Brogan]

I very much doubt Briatore will allow Alonso out of his contract early, no matter how much he dotes on him.

My guess therefore would be Alonso and Grosjean.

 

[bogaTYR]

from what i understand, nelsinho had to score points in order to retain his seat. but, his saving grace appears to have been the fact his car did not have as many updates as nando's car had. i am not sure that during the last race both renaults were the same.

my opinion is we don't seem to know all the details of what goes on with renault and nelsinho.

but i have to say, flav walking out like that does not seem like a good sign.

 

[Brogan]

According to Renault, the Hungarian GP was the first time both cars had the same upgrades and were at the same level.
I'm not sure if that goes for the whole season though, surely they were the same for the opening round at Melbourne?

Briatore leaving the circuit when Nelsinho was still driving was disgusting IMO and sums up his opinion of NP.

 

[RickD]

According to Renault, the Hungarian GP was the first time both cars had the same upgrades and were at the same level.
I'm not sure if that goes for the whole season though, surely they were the same for the opening round at Melbourne?

Briatore leaving the circuit when Nelsinho was still driving was disgusting IMO and sums up his opinion of NP.

It just sums up Flav to me. A disgusting person through and through..

We all know that Renault have never treated their drivers equally, just ask Wurz or Jense. Wonder what it says in Alonsos contract about the 6/10ths?

 

[GeoffP]

I think we'll have the shock result of Alonso and Piquet...

With recent bad press resulting from Alonso's wheel I don't think Renault will court any more bad publicity.

Don't forget Piquet has agreed that he has not met his contract terms, but neither did Renault with not providing him the same car as Alonso, therefore I would have thought a court, should it get that far, would say that Renault was guilty of the prior breach.

Since the terms, as I understood them were that Piquet had to score at least half the points of Alonso, since he has had the same car he has performed as per contract.


With Fernando, latest news I noticed on the BBC is that Michael Schumacher may well be in talks to come back as a six race stand-in for Ferrari. If you were Ferrari, which would you pick, my money would be on Michael, and I'll bet Jenson Button will be lobbying for that too as I can't see a better way of getting in Red Bull's way.

Ferrari will want their options open in case Filipe can return in 2010, and they will still have their eyey on beint the "best of the rest" and finishing 3rd, I think Schumacher is the best fit for those aims if they can get him to give it a go.

Secretly, I would like to MS back for 1/2 a season too, but don't tell anyone, they tend to shout!

 

[Brogan]

I think NP has to score 40% of Alonso's points but yes, the contract issue is an interesting one considering the level of equipment has been biased in favour of Alonso.

Would MS really be fit enough to drive in F1 now?
I remember an interview from him not so long ago and he claimed he had put weight on and was nowhere near as fit as when he was driving.
I suppose he has a month to get into some sort of shape but it still seems a little far fetched to me.

Still, it would be great to see Schumacher, Hamilton and Alonso racing against each other in similar performing cars.

If I was Marc Gene or Luca Badoer though I'd be less than impressed considering the temporary seat should really go to one of them first.

 

[GeoffP]

Good point Bro, wrt Gene and Badoer though it's not really Ferrari's style to worry about their feelings.

Would be an interesting one in today's environment, how would Schumacher get a drive to prove his fitness away from a race weekend? Can they still practice using old model cars at their own circuit?

 

[Brogan]

wrt Gene and Badoer though it's not really Ferrari's style to worry about their feelings.

Good point

Would be an interesting one in today's environment, how would Schumacher get a drive to prove his fitness away from a race weekend? Can they still practice using old model cars at their own circuit?

I have no idea.

MS isn't a current F1 driver though so if he just happened to "get hold of a 2006/7/8 Ferrari" and then fortunately had the use of a test track, what's to stop him going on a few track days?
Of course he'd need some "mates" to help with changing wheels, refuelling, etc.

I wonder if there's anything in the FIA reg's about that?

 

[GeoffP]

Probably find that MS discovers the "pink slip" for a 2006 car down the back of his sofa and takes his mates out on a team-building exercise if they choose to give it a try.

Funny thing, can't see the FIA making too big a fuss!

 

[cider_and_toast]

Keep an eye out for "The Stig" test driving a Ferrari around the top gear test track

Breaking News heard on the radio an hour ago "A spokesman for MS said he hasn't been asked to drive for Ferrari in place of Massa at the next race however if he was asked he would consider it"

So there you go, the comeback could be on??

 

[Brogan]

I can't see this helping NP's case much

"Flavio is a business man, but he doesn't understand s*** about F1," Piquet was quoted as saying by the Italian magazine. "He's my manager, but in his role of team boss he doesn't respect me.

Briatore's comments say it all I think.
Sooner rather than later I would have said...

"I've always been fair with my drivers," Briatore was quoted as saying by Autosprint. "I expected more from Piquet because this is his second year with a full-time drive. He's done less testing compared to Alonso, but Webber as well tested less than Vettel because of his broken leg, but look where he is now.

"When a driver lacks results, he opens the book of excuses and begins: the fault is the weather's, a spectator's sunglasses, a spin on the straight, this and that...

"It's not true that there's a technical difference of seven tenths between Alonso's and Piquet's car. If that was true, we'd have a car capable of winning the title, and that unfortunately isn't the case. The technical difference has always been minimal and never longer than one race."

Source: Piquet and Briatore in war of words

 

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

Well one thing i have always wondered is how much Biatore has supported Piquet. I think the lack of support stretches to more then not getting the latest updates on the car. If my suspicions are true then it isnt suprising that piquet as lost his temper ans spoke out.

Dont think it would happen but it would be interesting to see how piquet would perform in another team.

 

[GeoffP]

I think we have proof now, to be an F1 driver you need training, sponsoship, talent, controlled aggression and an opportunity..... apparently brains are not required - definitely a case of a vocal mental bypass!

Bit risky when your boss doubts your talent.

 

[Brian_W_Lawrence]

wrt Gene and Badoer though it's not really Ferrari's style to worry about their feelings.

Good point

Would be an interesting one in today's environment, how would Schumacher get a drive to prove his fitness away from a race weekend? Can they still practice using old model cars at their own circuit?

I have no idea.

MS isn't a current F1 driver though so if he just happened to "get hold of a 2006/7/8 Ferrari" and then fortunately had the use of a test track, what's to stop him going on a few track days?
Of course he'd need some "mates" to help with changing wheels, refuelling, etc.

I wonder if there's anything in the FIA reg's about that?

The relevant reg. is in Appendix L of the INternational Sporting Code, available on the FIA website.
It's the bit about superlicences. The superlicence requirements are usually all about current racing
activity, but the F1 Commision can issue one in special circumstances. There is also a req. for
300km of testing in a current car over at least 2 days. However, Alguersuari seems to have got
a superlicence without meeting that.

 

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

A thing about Schumi's rumors.

He for starters, (dont quote me on this) is still the reserve driver for Ferrari,

Is rumored to be interested to cover for massa till his return or if the injuries are too bad for him too come back a permeant replacement comes along.

and still wile he trains everyday and is reportedly still fit enough to race may not be able to due an injury to his neck which happened testing Motorbikes

 

[Brogan]

Of course, good point about the super licence

Also very interesting about the "300km of testing in a current car over at least 2 days".
I wonder how Jaime actually got around that

 

[Brogan]

He for starters, (dont quote me on this) is still the reserve driver for Ferrari,

Well the official test and reserve drivers are Luca Badoer and Marc Gene.
MS is just a consultant by all accounts.

Maybe we need to start a Ferrari thread as this one's supposed to be about NP
Now that Felipe's condition has improved it wouldn't be too callous to start discussing any potential replacements, would it?

 

[Boyle]

Well, finishing second in the 2006 GP2 championship behind the 2007 F1 runner up and 2008 world champion can't too bad to put on your CV. Young Piquet can't be too bad but having not scored a point at all this season then questions have rightly been asked. Of course, we do not know the whole story so we can only go on what evidence we find in the media. But would Briatore sabotage his teams constructors' standings to massage Fernando's ego? I think he would.

 

[teabagyokel]

"I've always been fair with my drivers," Briatore was quoted as saying by Autosprint.

No you haven't.

"It's not true that there's a technical difference of seven tenths between Alonso's and Piquet's car. If that was true, we'd have a car capable of winning the title, and that unfortunately isn't the case. The technical difference has always been minimal and never longer than one race."

Yeah, and Schmacher got no favours against Irvine/Barrichello at Ferrari.

Now, I know little about the art of managing an F1 team, (although as I see it Flavio has an undeservigly good record due to the exquisite talents of Michael Schumacher, Ross Brawn, Pat Symonds and Fernando Alonso) but I know a bit about what makes a good football chairman, and here I can really have a go at Flav!

A good football chairman trusts the manager's opinion on players and gives him some autonomy on signatures. He trusts his manager to manage, and does not fire him after 6 months. And to state anything else would just be unnecessary where Flavio is concerned.

Frankly, QPR are the only team in the league who have gone down the league after billionaires took over. How many managers have they had since then? How many have Man U had in the last 20 years?

Such a poor football chairman is proving himself a poor F1 manager; when the chips are down he alienates important people (e.g. Max Mosley). Why is he stroking Fernando's ego when any new ideas on his car will be whisked off to Maranello in the summer. Who is coming up with this "pole position, sod the race" strategy that they go for every week in qualifying?

He's not the right man for Renault; or anyone else for that matter.