Ron Dennis: "I have a soft spot for Stefano Domenicali"

[PolePosition_1]

Just came across article on Autosport with regards to Dennis and his opinion with regards to Ferrari, and couldn't help but smile when I read "I also have a soft spot for Stefano Domenicali."

He also goes on to say "he's worked his way up from the bottom to the top, and I like that: it adds incalculable added value. Stefano will do a great job, you'll see.".

And I must be honest, I'm inclined to agree. My respect for Ferrari has grown race by race since SD took over, and primarily since MS quit.

I miss having Schumacher in F1, he was a major character, one of the best drivers to have ever raced in F1, but I just could not accept his approach to racing, I found it unsporting, and considering Ferrari were based around him, found Ferrari's approach to racing totally wrong.

But since SD arrival and departure of MS, they've really taken a different approach, and for me its line with the core values of sport and basic competition. Which is the primary reason my favourite team is Williams.

And the fact Ferrari didn't protest against Hamilton last weekend at Belgium, that just reinforced my feelings.

Article for Ron Dennis is http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70677

[AndyRAC]

Well he comes across as a thoroughly decent bloke. Probably as a result of working his way up the ranks.

Completely different to Jean Todt - who I still have an enormous amount of respect for - look at his record; WRC, Sportscars, F1!!

[ioan]

I bet Ron is happier with Domenicali than with Todt, for he is giving McLaren the realistic chance to win both championships, for the first time since since 1998.

I can't see anything else that Domenicali is doing well at Ferrari at the moment. Ferrari are slipping back continuously in the WCC standings. :s

[ioan]

Well he comes across as a thoroughly decent bloke. Probably as a result of working his way up the ranks.

Completely different to Jean Todt - who I still have an enormous amount of respect for - look at his record; WRC, Sportscars, F1!!

Jean Todt started as a rally co-driver, and he went up fighting through the ranks too. ;)

[Tonieke]

I bet Ron is happier with Domenicali than with Todt, for he is giving McLaren the realistic chance to win both championships, for the first time since since 1998.

I can't see anything else that Domenicali is doing well at Ferrari at the moment. Ferrari are slipping back continuously in the WCC standings. :s

why blame him ? Could it not be because MS is gonne ?

[ioan]

why blame him ? Could it not be because MS is gonne ?

So, now it's MS' fault?

Ferrari were clearly the best in the first part of the season, and than they fall back. Who's job is to keep the pressure up and get the job done? :rolleyes:

[Tonieke]

So, now it's MS' fault?

Ferrari were clearly the best in the first part of the season, and than they fall back. Who's job is to keep the pressure up and get the job done? :rolleyes:

fault ? who said it was his fault ?

fall back ? Massa won in Spa..and was in front again of his closest championship rival in Monza ?

[AndyRAC]

Jean Todt started as a rally co-driver, and he went up fighting through the ranks too. ;)

He certainly did - and a very good and successful one!!

[F1boat]

SD is a nice guy, but he is no match to Todt and Ross. I like the current Ferrari team, because they seem nice, but I don't like that they look helpless sometimes, so unlike the great empire of MS.

[PolePosition_1]

Personally I think SD has done an amazing job. If you take into account that Ferrari lost the key 4 players who made Ferrari a success (MS, JT, RS, RB).

To have won both the drivers and constructors title last year, and to again be in the hunt with only a few races to go.

I think fact that its a closer competition is more to do with the fact that the regulations haven't changed in a while, so of course the field is going to bunch up a bit.

If you look at 2005 & 6 (esp 05), with all the key players, Ferrari were no where near as dominant as they previously were. If anything you could argue the team has seen a steady improvement?

But for me, its their approach which I appreciate and like about them.

Dare I say, its more in line with the McLaren line of thought with regards to racing :) .

[F1boat]

MClaren IMO favor LH, but Pole, last year Jean lead the red team and not SD.

[Knock-on]

Ferrari have produced the best car out there yet again.

They also look like a team that want to race as opposed to the Schumacher days when it was all about getting one person on the top step.

A few years ago, I would be quite annoyed at the betrayal I perceived Ferrari have committed against the sport but today, I applaud the team they are coming back to be.

Well done Ferrari. Hope we beat you but if not, at least you've played with a straight bat.

Now, if only we can get the FIA turned around...

[ioan]

If you take into account that Ferrari lost the key 4 players who made Ferrari a success (MS, JT, RS, RB).

Who's RS?

[PolePosition_1]

Who's RS?

Sorry that meant to be 2 RBs (Ross Brawn, Rory Bryne)

[PolePosition_1]

MClaren IMO favor LH, but Pole, last year Jean lead the red team and not SD.

Thanks for the correction :) .

Though I think my point still stands.

[ioan]

Though I think my point still stands.

Not really, I think that they are doing worse than at the start of the season.

[PolePosition_1]

Not really, I think that they are doing worse than at the start of the season.

They're doing better than this time last year.

[ioan]

They're doing better than this time last year.

That's because Mclaren didn't get the Ferrari technical info this season.

They also look like a team that want to race as opposed to the Schumacher days when it was all about getting one person on the top step.

Nothing wrong with getting one person to the top step.

That's the whole point of the exercise.

[ioan]

Nothing wrong with getting one person to the top step.

That's the whole point of the exercise.

Exactly, I'm not seeing Hamilton fans asking McLaren to why Kovalainen isn't on the top step with Hamilton.

But hey, if it's Ferrari than they must hit them with whatever is at hand.

[Knock-on]

Nothing wrong with getting one person to the top step.

That's the whole point of the exercise.

At the expense of the other?

It just seemed that Ferrari had squandered their heratige and class for this "MS win whatever the cost to motorsport" approach.

Rightly or wrongly, that's how it seemed to some of us and I was saddened to see a marque like Ferrari selling itself short.

Let's face it, Ferrari are a supurb company with the spirit of Motorsport flowing through it's veins. It just seemed wrong what they were doing.

Now, there seems to be a wind of change at Ferrari and I applaud them for it. Nobody wants a war, we all want (I hope) to see great racing.

Then the children can fight over their fanboy adoration and "please sir, he poked me" mentality on the boards and we can see some great racing again :)

At the expense of the other?

Yes.

[ioan]

It just seemed that Ferrari had squandered their heratige and class for this "MS win whatever the cost to motorsport" approach.

You mean the heritage and class that allowed their top driver to ask any of their other drivers to give up his car in the middle of a race?!
Good one! :laugh:

Trying hard to make MS look like if he's the devil who did corrupt the Ferrari team of angels! :rotflmao:

[F1boat]

Yes.

I agree. I prefer Ferrari to win, then to be a team of nice nuns, who retire race after race.

[truefan72]

Ferrari have produced the best car out there yet again.

They also look like a team that want to race as opposed to the Schumacher days when it was all about getting one person on the top step.

A few years ago, I would be quite annoyed at the betrayal I perceived Ferrari have committed against the sport but today, I applaud the team they are coming back to be.

Well done Ferrari. Hope we beat you but if not, at least you've played with a straight bat.

Now, if only we can get the FIA turned around...

well put, although some of SD comments irk me a bit. But I can live with it.
Jean Todt was pretty good at what he did. But he oversaw an era when Ferrari adopted a do anything, try anything, get away with as much as possible, and bend the rules philospohpy. and he was the leader of that pack. The shame in it all is that schumacher probably didn't need as much of that assistance as he got from that department. But gladly benefited from it.

So JT has never really been someone I admired. Time will tell how SD turns out.

[jens]

When during Team MS era it was obvious, who was the best team, then I think at the moment the most complete team is McLaren. And I don't mean the fastest car or WCC points with this, but which team is equally or similarly strong in all areas. Ferrari has started struggling in several areas after Team MS (reliability, strategy, ...), while Team McLaren's biggest weak link at the moment - sounds harsh - may be Kovalainen himself. McLaren has quite nicely overcome last year's spy scandale and rows with Alonso and despite some struggle at the start of the season has been consistently catching Ferrari from there on. On the other hand, Ferrari seems more vulnerable than years ago. I personally think McLaren will be the team to beat in 2009.

[mstillhere]

I bet Ron is happier with Domenicali than with Todt, for he is giving McLaren the realistic chance to win both championships, for the first time since since 1998.

I can't see anything else that Domenicali is doing well at Ferrari at the moment. Ferrari are slipping back continuously in the WCC standings. :s

I agree with that. Sure, it's his first year BUT he made many stupid mistakes. Without those Kimi or Massa would be WAY ahead of LH.
PS I know LH made a few too. But Ferrari has made many more

[mstillhere]

That's because Mclaren didn't get the Ferrari technical info this season.

:) :)

[Valve Bounce]

Just came across article on Autosport with regards to Dennis and his opinion with regards to Ferrari, and couldn't help but smile when I read "I also have a soft spot for Stefano Domenicali."

He also goes on to say "he's worked his way up from the bottom to the top, and I like that: it adds incalculable added value. Stefano will do a great job, you'll see.".


Article for Ron Dennis is http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70677

I might add the soft spot is three feet below Ron's neck!!

[Hawkmoon]

Ron Dennis having dinner with Luca Di Montezemolo? Dennis thinks the Ferrari boss is a nice guy? What's the world coming too? Next we'll have some kind of weird cat/dog hybrid thing running around.

This is the problem with traditional hatreds now days. You just can't rely on them. Back in my day you could trust that your traditional hatred would be there when you needed it. Not anymore! Oh no. Your average traditional hatred's gone all lovey-dovey and has a decidedly pink look to it if you ask me.

It's the youth of today. That's the problem. They just don't respect traditional hatred's like you did when I was a lad. Of course it could be those pinko, leftist, tree-hugging, politically correct communists! All ways trying to change things, they are. No respect for anything!

Now if you don't mind, i'm going to go and stick some more pins in my Ron Dennis voodoo doll and then have a lie down.

[PolePosition_1]

That's because Mclaren didn't get the Ferrari technical info this season.

I don't really want to go into details with regards to Spygate. But just out of interest, how much of an advantage performance wise do you think McLaren gained from having the Ferrari IP?

[PolePosition_1]

Nothing wrong with getting one person to the top step.

That's the whole point of the exercise.

Depends if its in the spirit of sport or not I guess. And even then the spirit and principles of sport can vary from people to people.

For me, there nothing wrong with getting person on top step, but doing it in a manner which goes against my principles of what a sport is, I can't really respect or like it.

[PolePosition_1]

I agree. I prefer Ferrari to win, then to be a team of nice nuns, who retire race after race.

I think thats the primary reason for people not liking what they did. Because it wasn't a choice between winning or finishing last. Schumacher was good enough to win anyway, he choose not to fight for his status though. And Ferrari would have won those titles anyway.

I think fact that everyone agrees team orders is needed at end of season when only one driver has a decent chance, shows people acknowledge team orders are needed, just not to the extent where one driver is not allowed to win, even if he has earned it.

[PolePosition_1]

I agree with that. Sure, it's his first year BUT he made many stupid mistakes. Without those Kimi or Massa would be WAY ahead of LH.
PS I know LH made a few too. But Ferrari has made many more

What mistakes are you refering to?

[truefan72]

Exactly, I'm not seeing Hamilton fans asking McLaren to why Kovalainen isn't on the top step with Hamilton.

But hey, if it's Ferrari than they must hit them with whatever is at hand.

ion have you seen the thread "Kovy should have one the race"
I dare say a lot of McLaren/LH fans, myself included have been questioning and lamenting as to why KH not been on the podium more often, and the fact that he's not performing. I dare say that most have been far from pleased with his performances to date. I'm not sure where you see any sentiments of apathy towards Kovy in this forum.

[ioan]

ion have you seen the thread "Kovy should have one the race"

Who's ion?