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Old 10-10-2002, 11:18 AM   #14
gtguy
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Highland Park, Ill., USA
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Just watched the '96 Estoril GP last night (well, some, before I fell asleep...), when the title was decided between Damon Hill and Jacques V. Schumacher was just coming off having won two races in a row with an absolute pig of a Ferrari, but you could see signs. Alesi got into second place, but wasn't as fast as Hill, who was driving off into the distance as my eyelids were falling.

Schumacher and Ferrari EARNED this dominance with hard work, and paying dues. It isn't like the car just dropped onto the planet, fully-formed and rocket fast. It's been years in development. That race last night, and watching some past races, put it all into perspective. Even the '97 Ferrari, which wasn't the equal of the Williams, but Schu managed to make it competitive with Jacques in the Williams, wasn't that great of a car.

There's an arc of performance that Ferrari is following, as other dominant teams have. Williams, McLaren have all had their years in the sun, and the wane of that star. I imagine that Ferrari will have that same decline, as the others catch up.

But to institute a series of idiotic rules, designed to help other teams catch up to the best, is tantamount to making Michael Johnson run with lead soles on his running shoes, because he's too fast. Ridiculous, and if it were suggested for track and field, people would laugh the person who proposed it off of the planet. Yet, F1 is suggesting it, and who knows how seriously they're taking it, but just the fact that it's been suggested rankles me.

If people don't like Ferrari's dominance, too bad. Work harder and develop your car. They spend $300 million per year. So legislate a budget cap, or subsidize the smaller teams so that they can develop a competitive package.

People carp about the Ferrari/Bridgestone relationship, but hey, everybody jumped to Michelin, leaving Ferrari as the only main line team running Bridgestone. Heck yeah, Bridgestone is going to tailor the tire for their car, because Bridgestone wants to be on the podium, seeing Schumacher sporting that Bridgestone cap. It staggers me that Williams and McLaren would dare grouse about Ferrari having, in effect, their "own tire manufacturer." That's some of the problem with F1. People are too willing to whine, rather than working harder. The two teams deciding to share tire testing data is a good step in that direction, toward adulthood.

Sorry about the rant, but watching the older races has really put it all in perspective for me. I just think that everyone is forgetting how hard Ferrari has worked, and how far they have come. It seems like nobody gives them credit for that. This has been a magical season, even more than last year, which Ross Brawn, in an interview, said he thought the team would never be able to top. I'm thrilled that I was able to watch it.

Kevin
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