NewsOnF1 - Ferrari is the team to beat

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By the Heretic

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By the Quali-flyer

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Re: your Predictions for 2002: Ferrari IS the team to beat --by definition (they are the reigning champion builder and their Number One Driver is everyone's choice.) As to their reputed and carefully RUMOURED "changes" --how likely is it that you, as Team Boss, would tinker both (A) radically and (B) without "fall back" options with the Reigning combination?
Indeed, I believe the reason Kimi went to Mac has less to do with Mac West "stealing a march" on Ferrari than with Ferrari's determination to make the challenger BEAT them. By that, I mean that it is always to your advantage when you're the favourite to make the challengers think you are where you aren't. In fact that is rather how Michael drives isn't it? Williams, on the other hand, is under terrific pressure. If they don't PODIUM finish in the first two or three races, they're going to be under even more pressure. I know that pressure is the name of the game in F1, but it is always better to the the one applying it. Ralf will be O.K. this year and JPM will slump. This has less to do with his CART heritage than with his expectations. When the car begins to demand more of him than he is willing to give --that's when he breaks it. And that's why he wins races that are short enough and loses those that are long enough.

I believe Mac West will be dicing more with Toyota than with either Jaguar or Arrows. And Jordan, assuming they can deal with the reliability factor (And Fisi will go a L-O-N-G way to helping with THAT!) may be nipping more at Williams than anyone suspects! That, in fact, is what I will relish: BMW Williams caught between the elder Schuey and the always surprising Eddie J!
Like you, though, I am almost never right! But maybe this year I'll win the lottery and be able to do the whole F1 tour. If so, I'll be as close to the start finish line as money can buy!
Cheers and keep up the good work! - Jim W - USA (Reference Heretic 4-01)

The Heretic replies:

Jim,

Thanks for you response.

Like always you argue a strong point from a solid base but I feel that the changes in the formula for this season are not in the regulations but in the not so subtle change of ownerships.

Now the stakes are much higher. It is no longer just the reputation of the F1 team and their ability to raise sponsorships, but the reputation of monolithic and rich organisations like Toyota that are at risk.

Not only does that increase budgets enormously but also pressure.

Over the last two seasons we have seen performance improve dramatically from season to season – always on the back of a whole range of new cars (admittedly most of them were needed to conform to new regulations) that were substantially faster than the previous versions.

Ferrari are now no longer the team with the deepest pockets. They must suspect (as I do) that this year’s cars will be much faster and incorporate all the changes and improvements that 20-20 hindsight can bring to last year’s cars. They cannot assume that McLaren will not try to leapfrog them again and they must assume that BMW will increase power again.

There is a small chance that last year’s car will still be good enough – but I doubt it.

Maybe the only way they can see fundamental improvement is to go to a radical design departure. It may be a brave move and if it does not work, what have they lost?

On the other hand it would be very Braun and Schumacher to put out these wild rumours while they are concentrating on a mild rework of last year’s car. This way they may induce the competition to risk reliability again.

I would love to see Jordan up there again – if only to watch Fisichella in a fast car.

If you do win the lottery and attend every race, we may ask you to do an article or two for us. New views and opinions are always welcome.

The Heretic