Michael Schumacher to drive for Ferrari in Valencia

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

Well im not so sure for many different reasons, but Mark Webber seems to think Shumi Can Win

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8176799.stm

 

[bogaTYR]

footage of michael on friday! its the 2007 ferrari with GP2 type slicks. there are some close up pics available as well from the ferrari link at the bottom of this reply.

http://video.gazzetta.it/?vxSiteId=f89d ... itrate=300

how he did? He did 67 laps, his best time of the day was a 1:23.736, two tenths quicker than Felipe Massa's time back in January with an F60.

http://www.ferrari.com/English/News/Pag ... gello.aspx

 

[FB]

I'd recommend taking a look at some of the other videos on the Gazetta website - the Brawn suspension and detail of the new Red Bull aero package are very interesting.

 

[Muddytalker]

Frankie says... "No" to the Schumacher test, and I agree with Williams. Why should Ferrari have a special case when Torro Rosso weren't allowed to test Jaime A?

 

[bogaTYR]

ehhh... cos STR didn't ask?

and if the team didn't ask, of course argy did not test. seems a bit different from the ferrari situation to me.

 

[Brogan]

Perhaps they didn't ask because all testing is prohibited?

The rules are quite clear so why would a team ask if they can be ignored?

This whole situation can be blamed on the FIA introducing this silly rule in the first place.
They should have anticipated situations such as this and introduced caveats regarding replacement drivers.

 

[Galahad]

You can't blame Ferrari for asking - if you don't ask you don't get, my father once told me.

Equally you can't blame Williams for saying no!

Perhaps the rookie test rules need to be broadened a bit.

 

[teabagyokel]

Perhaps they didn't ask because all testing is prohibited?

Yeah, Toro Rosso want to race to the rules provided, they don't have a history of vetoing regulations they don't like. Is Sir Frank Williams becoming the sport's Messiah, btw?

 

[Brogan]

You can't blame Ferrari for asking - if you don't ask you don't get, my father once told me.

Always a good approach to take in life

I did say as soon as MS announced he was coming back that I expected him to test in an old car.
I wonder why Toro Rosso didn't even do that as there's nothing in the rules against that is there?
Or is is that MS can only use the 2007 car because it's not "owned" by Ferrari?

Perhaps the rookie test rules need to be broadened a bit.

Indeed.
Hopefully the FIA will now amend the rules for 2010.....again

 

[Muddytalker]

ehhh... cos STR didn't ask?

and if the team didn't ask, of course argy did not test. seems a bit different from the ferrari situation to me.

As Brogan says, the rules are clear enough; Williams aren't refusing on the grounds that STR weren't allowed, they are refusing as a point of principle.

Williams said it is opposing Ferrari's request because it clearly contravenes the regulations, which state testing is not allowed during the season.

.

The JA reference is merely doffing a cap to the precedent already set.

 

[Brogan]

I can highly recommend The Michael Schumacher Quiz.

Once again TBY has done us proud

Not saying what I scored...

 

[Boyle]

Williams are quite right to object. No testing means NO TESTING. What is to stop Ferrari putting an extra upgrade or two on the car while Schumi is having his little test drive thus gaining a potential (and unfair) advantage?

 

[teabagyokel]

Exactly, unless they give the Ferrari to some trustworthy types to run - the types of people who wouldn't want to learn anything about how the Ferrari works in the hope of adding time to their own car...

Any volunteers?

Plenty of people have their upgrades and red spray paint ready as we speak!

 

[cider_and_toast]

Oh bum, I've just heard on the Radio on my way back from work that Williams have blocked Ferraris request and the news is already on here. I had the perfect thread title as well......

Schu you say Williams as Ferrari is told to FOTA off by Frank Williams.

And quite right too.

 

[bogaTYR]

well, its not exactly testing is it? what is testing by the way? wil there be new parts on the car? will the car be evaluated to see how components work?

in my view its more a case of a driver getting used to a car. i agree argy should have done the same, but i am pretty sure STR couldn't cough up the money a day of driving an F1 car costs anyway.

so maybe frank said no to one thing while ferrari meant something else. cor, this is getting good

 

[Brogan]

An interesting development...

Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso have joined Williams in opposing Ferrari's request to allow Michael Schumacher to test a 2009-specification ahead of his return to Formula 1 at Valencia later in the month.

The Red Bull teams are unwilling to cede to the request after Dietrich Mateschitz claimed that a similar one by Toro Rosso to give 19-year-old rookie Jaime Alguersuari some track time prior to his F1 debut in Hungary was refused.

"We asked for a test permission for Alguersuari before the Hungarian GP and it was turned down," said Mateschitz. "So why should we approve an exemption for a seven-time-champion after this?

Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77540

So all those reports claiming all Toro Rosso had to do was "just ask" and they would have been granted testing time would appear to be false.

 

[teabagyokel]

So STR did ask. That's interesting. The crap that comes out of some people is untrue!

 

[GeoffP]

Am I missing something? Surely there was no real authority in getting the other teams to back Schumacher getting testing time in the 2009 car, the final decision, even if all the teams did agree lay with the FIA, and even then I really don't think they could have afforded to say yes.

It rings a bell the the FIA wouldn't agree without the other teams approval, but I don't think it's true to say the Frank Williams blocked the go ahead.

As Gordon Murray says "you don't ask, you don't get", but this had to be one of the longest shots around.

 

[Brogan]

Am I missing something? Surely there was no real authority in getting the other teams to back Schumacher getting testing time in the 2009 car, the final decision, even if all the teams did agree lay with the FIA, and I really don't think they could have afforded to say yes.

Yes, I posted that earlier.
It's irrelevant what the teams & FOTA say, the decision lies with the FIA.
Having said that, I expect there would be huge repercussions if the teams said no and the FIA said yes...

 

[bogaTYR]

now i am confused too.

who did str ask if argy could test? cos i have not heard this before. from the article in autosport you would think they asked the teams too.

there is no mentioning of any request from str anywhere on http://www.fia.com.

right, i understand it better now.

ferrari applied to the FIA and attached the ok from the fota teams. including str. williams, a non fota team disagreed. so fia can still agree. but with the comments of str, the fota front is now divided and the attachtment to the letter to fia is no longer valid. that unity didn't last long.