Ferrari: Hamilton title would be tainted

naughtymutt · 2 Oct 2007, 10:00 (Ref:2028730)

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/62933

Quote:

Lewis Hamilton will have to thank Ferrari if he wins the Formula One title in China this weekend, according to the Italian team's president Luca di Montezemolo.

If there are 4 "ferrari" drivers at the top of the drivers championship then surely Lewis deserves to win because he is the best ferrari driver.

Olive · 2 Oct 2007, 10:06 (Ref:2028735)

di Montezemolo has a long record of sour grapes when Ferrari lose. It looks like this will be three years in a row without a drivers title - the title he feels his team have a divine right to win. No surprise he's sounding off, but it doesn't detract from Lewis' achievement in any way.

Mr V · 2 Oct 2007, 10:09 (Ref:2028738)

He's like a stuck record, he said the same thing a couple of weeks ago.

**Adam43** · 2 Oct 2007, 10:11 (Ref:2028739)

Is this a new comment or just a repeat of what he has said before? I think it is new, but he has said this before.

Whatever, he needs to get over it.

VIVA GT · 2 Oct 2007, 10:13 (Ref:2028743)

Typical! Happy to accept all the plaudits for winning the constructors title once McLaren were excluded, but now trying to take some of the credit should Hamilton win the Drivers..

Mr V · 2 Oct 2007, 10:14 (Ref:2028746)

I was wondering if Autosport had dragged this up again too Adam, but looking at the article, it says that he said it following Japan.

But yep, he needs to get over it.

Sodemo · 2 Oct 2007, 10:35 (Ref:2028779)

Its such nonsense, taking a look at a lot of the teams cars at this point in the season, its obvious that at least 2 teams have directly copied McLaren's front wing design.

Luca needs to learn how to lose gracefully.

Ralf's Girl · 2 Oct 2007, 10:52 (Ref:2028787)

It's just so tedious, and actually quite embarrassing to read comments like that. Somebody should just tell him to put a sock in it.

alonso11 · 2 Oct 2007, 11:02 (Ref:2028796)

Right now its:

Mclaren 202
Ferrari 170

So if there are four Ferraris on the grid, it really makes me wonder why are the silver ones so much better.

rallycrosscraig · 2 Oct 2007, 11:15 (Ref:2028815)

Luca di Montezemolo, Todt (and previously Brawn) always moaning and complaining when they dont win.

They should be charged with bringing the sport into disrepute if they carry on doing it (and lose their constructors points inthe process).

naughtymutt · 2 Oct 2007, 11:27 (Ref:2028818)

Quote:

Originally Posted by alonso11

So if there are four Ferraris on the grid, it really makes me wonder why are the silver ones so much better.

Im looking forward to the Prodrive customer Ferrari next year...

**touringlegend** · 2 Oct 2007, 11:27 (Ref:2028819)

I guess Luca has a lot of people to answer to, not least the Tifosi!..

MrTTraces · 2 Oct 2007, 11:38 (Ref:2028824)

I used to think that Ron Dennis has been a bit of a sore loser in the past but this tops that.

Crazy absolutley crazy. Get of your

Luca and shut up! Your boring us now.

Farbrooke · 2 Oct 2007, 11:53 (Ref:2028836)

Quote the Autosport article - Ferrari have won the constructors' championship - Er no they did not WIN the FIA gave it to them

ensign14 · 2 Oct 2007, 11:55 (Ref:2028838)

Someone should ask Luca if that means Ferrari are not as good as their private entrants. And if they've employed duff drivers.

davyboy · 2 Oct 2007, 12:01 (Ref:2028844)

Though none of us want to hear it at this point of the championship, Montezemolo is right. McLaren appear to have gotten a massive 'leg up' with Bridgestone tyre set-up and that's likely to have given them a significant edge at the beginning of the year. Just look at where last years champions Renault have been all year. The championship will always be tainted because the team was excluded while illogically the drivers weren't. A very sorry state of affairs indeed.

Inigo Montoya · 2 Oct 2007, 12:06 (Ref:2028855)

Yup davyboy's unpopular position is the correct one, IMHO. I don't like the words that di Montezemolo used, but the gist of his point is correct.

chris bailey · 2 Oct 2007, 12:25 (Ref:2028871)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inigo Montoya

Yup davyboy's unpopular position is the correct one, IMHO. I don't like the words that di Montezemolo used, but the gist of his point is correct.

Hurrah! Two logical, well-reasoned responses that truly reflect the correct outcome when viewed dispassionately. If McLaren benefitted from the Ferrari data (and look at their 2006 results) then by implication, so did the drivers. Take one or two tenths away from the McLarens at each race, and see how history would have been re-written.....

Having said that, you cannot understate the phenomenal performance of Lewis Hamilton. Fuji was an astonishing performance. This boy is so good, it beggars belief. So, tainted, yes. But in years to come, that will be forgotten. Meanwhile, be happy to have witnessed a stellar performance across the whole season. Herr Schumacher's natural successor? All those tipped at the start of the season have been blown away.............!

Sodemo · 2 Oct 2007, 12:29 (Ref:2028877)

I suppose no more tainted than the eventual 1994 drivers champion.

Ralf's Girl · 2 Oct 2007, 12:29 (Ref:2028878)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inigo Montoya

Yup davyboy's unpopular position is the correct one, IMHO. I don't like the words that di Montezemolo used, but the gist of his point is correct.

How many times does he need to say it, though? If it's not him spouting about McLaren using Ferrari data it's Jean Todt - even if you agree with what they say, they don't need to keep saying it!

climb · 2 Oct 2007, 12:40 (Ref:2028883)

there obviously is something true and something false in what Montezemolo says; of course the effect of espionage will never be quantified; in one things he's perfectly right though: Lewis will have to thank Ferrari for the many blunders they made this year; without those blatant mistakes (just the latest is the tyre choice at Fuji) his walk to the title would have been way tougher, if not jeopardized.

**Woolley** · 2 Oct 2007, 12:54 (Ref:2028892)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris bailey

If McLaren benefitted from the Ferrari data..

One has to wonder why Ferrari haven't benefitted from the same data. Since the e-mail Autosport printed last week seemed to be detailing precisely to what extent the Ferrari was... not completely conforming to the spirit of the rules, then I have to read those comments as equivalent to 'it's my ball and if we don't play the way I want to I'm taking it home'.

ensign14 · 2 Oct 2007, 13:00 (Ref:2028901)

Quote:

Originally Posted by davyboy

McLaren appear to have gotten a massive 'leg up' with Bridgestone tyre set-up and that's likely to have given them a significant edge at the beginning of the year.

Evidence?

And it can't be a bigger leg-up than the one Ferrari got from working with Bstone for years...

JamesRamone · 2 Oct 2007, 13:02 (Ref:2028904)

We the fans know that Lewis will fully deserve the title should he win it. In 10 years time i will remember his great drives at Canada and Japan (amongst others), i will not think back and refer to the spy scandal.

Olive · 2 Oct 2007, 13:05 (Ref:2028910)

The McLaren went quicker the first time it ran on Bridgestones at the end of last year, well before there was any question over data.

And its biggest advantage this year has been reliability, rather than performance.

Nothing tainted there.

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