Pizzonia lashes out at Jaguar

[Led ZeppF1]

Antonio Pizzonia attacks Jagaur for mistreting him during his stay there.

Pizzonia said it was only after Justin Wilson replaced him mid- season that he discovered there were things on Mark Webber's R4 car 'that were not on [mine]'.
"We had different treatment."

http://www.gp2003.com/news/news.php?...th=7&year=2004
http://f1.racing-live.com/en/index.html

[Adam43]

Before we bad mouth Jungle Boy* I think we should remember that he was probably asked to comment on that...

Whatever, I don't think it is too much of a shock. It is partly a case of Jaguar only being able to run car and a quick development program at various points that meant parts weren't available to both cars. Naturally you'd give them to Webber.

[BootsOntheSide]

Maybe the Webber fans have somethign to say in response to the claim that mark got better hardware at Jagaur last year (and presumably does this year)?

As Adam says, Pizoznia was probably asked this question, with the interviewer attempting to cause a ruckus. If Antonio can do a good job this weekend, his claism will be somewhat backed up though. It's clear that Jaguar lack patience with young drivers, and a succession of eprfectly good #2s have struggled there, even in the Stewart days,

[Mark Webber]

yeah! split milk

[foreversideways]

Formula one teams have had a long and distingushed history in respect of providing unequal equipment to second drivers.

[Scott75]

He's wasn't a second driver when he started at Jag, it was only cause Webber made him look ordinary that then probably Jaguar decided to help Webber before Jungle Boy. Personally I think he should grow up. Jealousy gets you know where.

[spider]

He's got a lot to prove this weekend, as this seat really is his last chance to warrant an F1 drive. He's got to drive like his life depends on it. JPM was mighty there last year, so he's going to have a tough task. We'll see just how good he really is this weekend - if he's up there, being aggressive, really putting JPM and others under pressure, then maybe that'll be enough to push for the seat alongside Mark next year. What it would raise questions of though, is just how well Mark would be doing in that car...

[NiceGuyEddie]

Originally posted by Scott75
He's wasn't a second driver when he started at Jag, it was only cause Webber made him look ordinary that then probably Jaguar decided to help Webber before Jungle Boy. Personally I think he should grow up. Jealousy gets you know where.

Pizzonia got till Silverstone. How many races are that? Enough to conclude that Pizzonia isn´t fast enough and enough to decide that Mark gets preferential treatment? If anything, Jaguar apperantly isn´t capable of running two cars on the same standard. And they messed up in the PR-bit. At Spain they were offering their appoligies to Antonio for having the press run over him with rumours of his replacement. It´s a bit too coincidental for my taste that two drivers who were regarded highly at the wheel of a F1 car (Wilson and Pizzonia) didn´t get to grips with the second Jag. Besides, Pizzonia was quickly back testing a Williams, and had no problem getting at the top of the timesheets at Jerez. I think you have every right to complain when the team first isn´t giving you proper material and secondly throws you out because you aren´t as quick with the inferior car as your teammate with the superior one.

[GTRMagic]

Shouldnt Pizzaboy have waited till he had a couple of laps in Mark Webber's 2005 space before he went shooting hos mouth off again...

Wonder if he has flipped a BMW full of journalists yet? :confused:

[jj2728]

yesterday's news......

[Raven]

There's got to be something in it. Remember 1999 when it was Herbert and Barrichello... Rubens had been quicker all season but when he announced he was going to Ferrari, suddenly, Herbert was super quick.

[enemy-ace]

While I don't doubt the focus was on Webber (and rightly so),I would like to know how Pizzonia found out that he had inferior equipment only after he left the team. Seems a little peculiar. I also don't think Pizzonia's speed was ever in doubt, but his ability to maintain it consistently was. One must also consider that maybe his attitude didn't mesh with the team. This is just dime-store psychology, but he seems a little whiney to me. That's an opinion based on his time at Jag as well, and not just based on his most recent statements.
Wilson's performances weren't that much better but the team liked him and his attitude. Lack of cash was what kept him out.

[Burton]

I can assure you that the cars were very similar.
And the same applies to the Herbert/Ruby days. To the best of my knowledge Jag/Stewart have always sent the cars out at the same spec, a lot of the difference comes down to driver set up/engineering not the parts that are fitted to the car.

[Scott75]

NiceGuyEddie I seem to recall MW blowing AP off the track at Brazil last year until a silly mistake cost Webber a possible podium. That was round 2 of the championship and Webber was killing him. He had plenty of time to show his class but the truth of it all was that he couldn't handle Webber full stop.

[N I Tram]

At no point in Jagaur's history have they had both cars running equally competitive. The observation that the competitiveness of Herbert and Barrichello almost entirely swapped when Rubens' departure was annoucned is also significant. My guess is that Pizzonia got 3-4 races to compete with Webber (wo had lots more experience of racing, the same amount of testing, and was much lder and wiser), and then they focussed on Mark.

[Adam43]

I don't see why there is reason to get worked up about Webber looking worse. This in no way detracts from his achievements in my opinion (or if it does in a small way).

I suggest that Jag Racing do have problems when they are pushing through developments in getting two perfectl,y equal spec. cars. It is a compliment to Webber that he gets first choice, its who I'd give it to.

And what is the problem with Pizzonia saying this? Whinging? Should he lie to these questions? Or should he be more like the straight talking Ozzie who used to be his team mate.

This one is a mole hill. If it reflects badly on anyone it is Jaguar Racing not Webber or Pizzonia. And I'm not sure it reflects that badly on Jaguar (its the least of their problems ). Minardi practically always run differences and they have been related to the amount of budget each driver brings! but so what, it how some teams have to operate. It is just how somethings are and always have been. Someone says so and we all get in a tiz!

[Raven]

Originally posted by Scott75
NiceGuyEddie I seem to recall MW blowing AP off the track at Brazil last year until a silly mistake cost Webber a possible podium. That was round 2 of the championship and Webber was killing him. He had plenty of time to show his class but the truth of it all was that he couldn't handle Webber full stop.

Both drivers spun out of the Brazilian GP last year and when Pizzonia spun out, he was running ahead of MW on the track.

[R]

What Pizzonia says is absolutely true, and you have to be blind not to see it. It was the same when Barrichello and Herbert were driving for Stewart, as N I Tram says. One other example is from the Fisichella/Wurz days at Benetton. Fisi overshadowed Alex completely - until he fell out of favour with Flavio, then the results became totally opposite, with Wurz outclassing Fisi. Strange that.

The best performing driver (who was Webber) got the better deal at Jag - only Pizzonia was never given a good enough chance to prove himself. Hopefully he will get just that at Williams, who have a history of treating their drivers more equally than Jaguar/Stewart.

[Skam85]

Actually, Pizzonia was only running ahead of Webber because Webber had just pitted.

[Kicking-back]

This is, as Adam says, a mountain out of a molehill.

Sadly Mark Webber seems to attract a brand of "precious" followers who think everything is implied criticism of their hero.

Incidentally, Mark's bloody good, but I'm sure Antonio is not as bad as many think.

[Glen]

Perhaps this is a little bit of wishful-thinking/mind-games-preparation on Pizzonia's behalf. If Pizzonia gets his dream come true, and manages a tremendous couple of race weekends and therefore lands the Williams seat for 2005, guess who his team-mate will be?

Then they definitely WILL have equal cars, so he'd better be sure of his claims otherwise he's going to look pretty daft. Although, to be fair, he hasn't actually run Webber down - only Jaguar.

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Mark Webber
yeah! split milk

Ha ha, proberbly not. The sad thing is that a team like Jaguar doesn't have the resources to supply both drivers with equal equipment.

[spider]

Antonio does infact like Mark, as does everyone in his camp, there grumble is with Jaguar. Ok, maybe they could only get behind one team due to budget/resources restrictions, that's fair enough, but the way they went about sacking Antonio was for poor performances - which IS what it looked like. However, if the car was a development behind Webbers, then obviously Antonio wasn't going to match Mark and therefore to sack him being off his pace seems a bit harsh.

If that is genuinely the case, then IF Antonio has a great few races (and they'll need to be GREAT) and he does land a drive alongside Mark, then, as you say Glen - he's going to look a touch daft...

It is an opportunity to get back at Jaguar and prove they were wrong, but can he seize this chance?

[DannyG]

I think Antonio will be very quick this weekend. His times so far are certainly pointing this way. It will be interesting to see how he performs through the race, i wish him the best. IMHO his F1 career depends on his performance over the next race or so. RS will more than likely come back before the end of the season leaving Antonio with few races to prove his the man for 2005.
As far as the reports of him lashing out at Jaguar, fair enough, if thats how he felt he was being treated then there is nothing wrong with expressing those feelings. Perhaps his comments lacked some diplomacy, but perhaps thats his style.

[ralf fan]

Impressive time from Pizza boy in the practices!!