Teams reject Ferrari "cost cuts"...

[BootsOntheSide]

Originally Posted by johnh875

Agreed. Besides, can anyone tell me how you would tell the difference between "team" testing and "tyre" testing anyway?

Pure 'tyre' testing would have to be done on an old car, and by a driver who doesn't have access to the current-year model, for it to not help the team in some way.

[BootsOntheSide]

Apologies for making 2 posts in a row, but Glen posted an interesting point on a different tangent as I posted the above:

While I'd agree that the Michelin tyre is superior to the Bridgestones, in the dry at least, I'm not sure Ferrari would actually gain from being forced to switch to spec Michelins. Remember that the Bridgestone tyres are designed to suit the Ferrari precisely at every stage (and vice versa), and every update to what Bridgestone provide is made at Ferrari's request.

[Super Tourer]

It is still swings and roundabouts on tyre performance. Bridgestone are better in the damp to wet/dry conditions and Michelin better with hot track temperature.

This year we didn't get the hot temperatures across Europe that we saw in 2003, this cut some of Michelin's advantage.

[Glen]

Sauber don't seem to have had a great deal of difficulty adapting their car set-up to suit the Michelins. One reason that Bridgestone respond 100% to Ferraari criteria is that they don't actually have any other teams to get feedback from. Jordan can't specify a design direction for Bridgestone to explore - they can just about hold the team together and operate on the most basic level... if they went tyre testing with a view to research and development (as opposed to simply selecting which tyres seem to work best from a limited selection) they would have to scrap some other vital facet of their operation.

Sure - I agree that the Ferrari and its tyres are a near-perfect match, but I do not believe that Ferrari are not capable of unlocking the greater potential of the Michelin tyres, and doing so in a way that is as good if not better than any other team could manage. They could find a way of using the Michelins that is at least as good as any other team, and that advantage would be added to their established superiority in virtually every other department.

[nkh]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Pure 'tyre' testing would have to be done on an old car, and by a driver who doesn't have access to the current-year model, for it to not help the team in some way.

Yeah, this couppled with Ferraris proposal would be most fair, as each team would get the same amount of testing and each tyre manufacture would get the same amount of testing.
What's Max's email address?

[ralf fan]

You have to admire Ferrari's sly cheekiness for trying to get that 15000 km tyre testing rule to be approved.
No way the likes of Ron Dennis and Frank WIlliams are going to fall for that one..

[Marbot]

Here's one,all the teams will be restricted to one set of tyres which must last for the entire season (including all practise and qually) ,tyres will not need to be changed in the event of a puncture because they will be made of solid rubber,points will be deducted if for whatever reason a tyre should "break".Ferrari or whoever will then be able to test them till there hearts content or until the wooden plank on the underside of the chassis is no more.

[Glen]

You can't test tyres on an old car. The data would be wrong.

[Marbot]

It wasn't supposed to be a serious attempt at reducing costs,Ferrari have just returned fire thats all,and i think we will see much more of this in the coming weeks.

[Gt_R]

It may not be a serious attempt, but if we think about it and "cost cutting" and "competition" is all the 9 teams are asking for, then Ferrari's cheeky counter-proposal actually is closer to achieving that aim than that the 9 teams currently suggest.

[Marbot]

I find it hard to believe that the teams the FIA and the TWG can't find something that works for everyone,so far all we've had are proposals that are doomed to failure,but this is a serious matter and demands serious attention otherwise next season will turn into another soap-opera or maybe thats what it's supposed to be.

[300kph]

Originally Posted by ralf fan

You have to admire Ferrari's sly cheekiness for trying to get that 15000 km tyre testing rule to be approved.
No way the likes of Ron Dennis and Frank WIlliams are going to fall for that one..

It maybe a cheap low-blow as Ferrari are likely preffering not to settle for the rules in question to their advantage...

[alesi95]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

That 15,000 kilometres per tyre manufacturer is surely tongue in cheek by Ferrari?

That is ridiculous......although rather crafty I must say.

Lol. Theyre taking the wee wee.

[Marbot]

Here's a little more on the subject at http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns13959.html

[Knowlesy]

It's remarkable really though.

Look back to 1993, a time of crushing Williams domination.

Driver aids are in vogue.

Calls for a ban on all such evils are loud.......BANG, driver aids are banned little more than a year after they were properly introduced. All in the name of closing up the competition. No arguments, BANNED.

Now we have a situation that potentially threatens the future of the sport and we can't agree on anything. Rather more complex issues I know, but surely they can do better than to argue endlessly and essentially go round in circles.

It's getting quite boring now. So boring that Hungary 2004 will be getting worried.

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

It's getting quite boring now. So boring that Hungary 2004 will be getting worried.

Man that was boring, I'm trying to forget that race...

[Rich R]

i know it probably won't happen, but the tyre situation might be better if there were other works teams running on bridgestones. i can't see another works team accepting tyres that are tailored towards ferrari, like minardi and jordan have to.