Drivers, drivers, drivers...

[OTA]

And that's in my opinion why Mac won the race today, and that's why imo will do the same with drivers and constructors titles.

Ferrari has undoubtely very fast and sharp drivers, but Mac has a real dream team. His drivers are better more focused and that is bringing all the team behind them, while Ferrari, well we saw it in the first corner.

The difference imo is tha Fernando and Lewis are very confident young men who know that with hard work and dedication everything will come together, while the others(Ferrari) count too much in the car they are driving. FA and LW are not only as talented as Kimi, but they are more dedicated, know the business better and more important, they deliver.

The real dream team will get interesting very soon, because the race craft of young Lewis is only matched by young Nano.

And a prediction : Ferrari hit the top in 2004 and it is still downwards. 2007 won't change the trend.

Cheers
David

[F1boat]

IMO Raikkonen is faster than Alonso, maybe not better, but faster. LH is not yetr a mathch for them IMO and I personally think that we must still wait and see how the season will progress.

[OTA]

Sorry mate, but I'll be clear with my opinion. Rakka is not faster that FA never has been never will be. I just haven't seen it yet. And LW is of course a match, I mean did you not see the race. I don't have to wait for Lewis as he seems a very punctual man, he was on time from day one and see no reason while he should start to be "late".

Cheers
David

[truefan72]

IMO Raikkonen is faster than Alonso, maybe not better, but faster. LH is not yetr a mathch for them IMO and I personally think that we must still wait and see how the season will progress.

agreed, but LH is only going to get better.

Ferrari are still a player and kimmi is still my pick for WDC
watch out for Williams though... you can never count out sir Frank.

[truefan72]

Sorry mate, but I'll be clear with my opinion. Rakka is not faster that FA never has been never will be. I just haven't seen it yet. And LW is of course a match, I mean did you not see the race. I don't have to wait for Lewis as he seems a very punctual man, he was on time from day one and see no reason while he should start to be "late".

Cheers
David


I'm no Ferrari fan, but c'mon Kimmi is faster than Alonso, as dominating as his performance was toiday, so was kimmi's in Australia. Kimmi is faster and more agressive, Alonso is more Prost like in his driving aproach. He is fast, but not Kimmi fast. That's about the opinon up and down the paddock by almost everyone.

[F1boat]

agreed, but LH is only going to get better.


We must wait and see about that. I think that rookies are very well prepared in F1 today and don't improve as much as in ol' days.

[Ian McC]

FA and LW are not only as talented as Kimi, but they are more dedicated, know the business better and more important, they deliver.

Really doing Kimi a disservice there, you don't get to where he is without being dedicated and knowing the business, and as far as delivering? You just basing that on today's race I guess, which proves nothing.

[OTA]

No Ian, I base my opinion in Kimi in his whole career. Great career I must say, but some are definately better.
And about delivering, well I think we all know what I'm refering. For the past few months we have heard and read how fast the Ferraris are, but reality is a hard wall to climb, just look and the standings and you'll see FA on top. Do you think that if FA was driving a Ferrari standings will be diferent? So where's the speed?

Cheers
David

[Ian McC]

No Ian, I base my opinion in Kimi in his whole career. Great career I must say, but some are definately better.


Comes down to the car he's been driving, not many get the chance to jump straight from Formula Renault straight into F1, and not many get to drive for Ferrari. I think you are reading too much into the result of one race.

[stevewf1]

I think Kimi is faster than Alonso in terms of raw speed / natural ability, but Alonso is a better all round driver overall. Kimi relies on the team to provide him with a good car, and then he turns up an drives it, relying heavily on his natural talent. Alonso is more of a team player and will be more active in helping develop the car and making sure he and the team are as prepared as possible going into a race. In the best car, Kimi and Alonso would probably be closely matched if in the same team, but in a less competitive car I think Alonso would have the upper hand as he would work hard to make the car better.

[OTA]

Ian, 1 race? Not really, it's just that some races are more telling than others. And like it or not FA seems to allways win those races.

Obviously I won't convince, nor do I aspire to do it, people that don't share my enthusiasm for FA as I have, but mate I've been enthusiastic about FA for about 15 years know, and not one day( I lie, one day Barça 2004)he's been disapointing.

You guys thinks Kimi's faster, fair enough, but it's also as fair to say that IMO Kimi is just not as fast. He gets there once in a while, but FA is alwways there.

Cheers
David

[jens]

IMO Alonso and Räikkönen are equally quick. Don't think there is enough evidence to call one of them quicker, especially as they haven't driven in the same team. But I tend to agree that Alonso seems to be a better team player.

[BeansBeansBeans]

In my opinion, Kimi is the fastest driver in F1, but Alonso is a better all-round package.

Kimi is like a lightbulb. He turns up at the track, plugs himself into the car, drives it as fast as it will go, then goes home.

[Ian McC]

Ian, 1 race? Not really, it's just that some races are more telling than others. And like it or not FA seems to allways win those races.

Obviously I won't convince, nor do I aspire to do it, people that don't share my enthusiasm for FA as I have, but mate I've been enthusiastic about FA for about 15 years know, and not one day( I lie, one day Barça 2004)he's been disapointing.

You guys thinks Kimi's faster, fair enough, but it's also as fair to say that IMO Kimi is just not as fast. He gets there once in a while, but FA is alwways there.

Cheers
David

I don't think the issue is how good is FA, I think that is never in question, the man is an outstanding talent, the issue is, is Kimi is equal or as good as, that's where we may disagree :)

Would be interesting to hear an insiders point of view on Kimi, people have this impression that he just turns up and drives, I don't believe it's true.

[BeansBeansBeans]

Would be interesting to hear an insiders point of view on Kimi, people have this impression that he just turns up and drives, I don't believe it's true.

It's a view held by former rivals, ex-colleagues and the majority of the F1 press

[Eki]

Really doing Kimi a disservice there, you don't get to where he is without being dedicated and knowing the business, and as far as delivering? You just basing that on today's race I guess, which proves nothing.
I don't think Kimi would have tried to catch Hamilton at the end of the race like did if he weren't dedicated.

[F1boat]

In my opinion, Kimi is the fastest driver in F1, but Alonso is a better all-round package.


I think so as well.

[wedge]

I get the impression that the Macs worked better on a 'green' circuit. Kimi was doing lap times close Alonso's at the last stint. I can't think of another reason how Kimi found extra pace at that point in the race.

[Donney]

The best thing of all is that we have three great drivers who can fight for the title. :up:

Most likely it will all come down to Alonso and Raikkonen but that's an exciting prospect.

[andreag]

I can't think of another reason how Kimi found extra pace at that point in the race.
He didn't; but with a difference over 20 seconds, Alonso doesn't need to push. Kimi's got his best time on lap 40, 1 before his second stop, with soft tyres and empty of fuel. Fernando's got his best one on lap 42, 1 after his second stop, with hard tyres and a heavier load of fuel.

Third stint only stimulate Kimi on his attempt to chase Lewis, who was lapping clearly slower than Kimi and Fernando.

[OTA]

Ian the issue, or at least what I tried to state with these thread is that today's race the race was won by superior driving and that I think that Mclaren has the upper hand in terms of driver line up. And that's not only because of Alonso's perfomance, which doesn't surprise any one, but as well by LW who is proving to be the real deal.

Cheers
David

[Ian McC]

Ian the issue, or at least what I tried to state with these thread is that today's race the race was won by superior driving and that I think that Mclaren has the upper hand in terms of driver line up. And that's not only because of Alonso's perfomance, which doesn't surprise any one, but as well by LW who is proving to be the real deal.

Cheers
David

One of the reasons I wanted Kimi to stay at McLaren was I really wanted to see FA and KR in the same team. Now that would of been a great battle.

[OTA]

I agree on that.

Cheers
David

[aryan]

Kimi is the fastest man on the gird, I think. He has the natural talent of a racer. In that department (natural ability) I can only see Hamilton challenge him in the next few years.

But as to which one is a better team player and car developer, the jury is still out, but Alonso is double world champion and the burden of proof is now on Kimi's shoulders.

[Juppe]

Actually, I think that Kimi showed some maturity in his racing today - the kind of maturity we've come to expect from Fernando in similar situations.

Kimi knew he was not able to fight for the win or even couldn't make a decent try to pass Lewis.

Therefore he drove an intelligent race and nursed his car to the finish and took the points that were available.

That is the sort of driving that many believed Kimi is incabable of.