Raikkonen to do 9000km in winter testing this year...

[Conceptual]

Are they saying that he needs the practice? It is the equivalent of 30 GP's, so maybe the problem really IS Kimi needing the practice.

Thoughts?

[timbo]

Well, they paying Kimi a pretty big buck and he is a first driver in Ferrari even if both are treated equal. I think they would try to make a car that better suits his style, and they probably figured out that they don't really know what is this car. They know he's fast - 10 FLs prove it, so maybe they think there's gotta be a way to make a car that he can be fast consistently.
This also makes me think that Massa better use his chance this year...

[zac510]

I don't think that's too abnormal amount for pre-season testing.

f1 total.de:
http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/test ... 0&zey=2008

Scarbs might be able to confirm how accurate those stats are.

[Jersey Tom]

More practice, the better. 2009 car will be substantially different.

Might also be trying to get him more in-tune with chassis changes and being able to diagnose issues.

[The FOZ]

Kimi always has struck me as a "plug and play" kind of driver, which clearly has not worked for him and the team this year. To me, Costa's statement sounds like "This is the bar we're setting for Kimi, if he wants to win(stay) with us, this is what it will take"

This way, either Kimi will start putting in the time it takes to win, or he'll be bought out and replaced by, say...Alonso.

[shir0]

Are they saying that he needs the practice? It is the equivalent of 30 GP's, so maybe the problem really IS Kimi needing the practice.

I think it's not so much of Kimi "needing practice" as "needing development-related testing time". I have not made a tally (and I haven't bothered to research it either) but for this current season, everytime I see testing schedules as announced by Ferrari, it's either Massa, Badoer or Gene's names which are listed. I'm pretty confident that if one did bother to make a tally of testing time, Kimi will garner the least testing distance driven.

Come to think of it, it was only during the private tests run by Ferrari recently that Kimi has run a substantial amount of testing. And we're somehow seeing the results (qualifying wise) of that in the last couple of GPs.

Kimi always has struck me as a "plug and play" kind of driver, which clearly has not worked for him and the team this year. To me, Costa's statement sounds like "This is the bar we're setting for Kimi, if he wants to win(stay) with us, this is what it will take"

This actually tells me that Ferrari has been inclined to develop cars suitable to the driver who does the most testing. Which is logical in the point of view of their designers. It might also mean that MS was the one of the major culprits. Kimi is a very quick driver. But so far, his car has not been "optimized" to his "style". And that, I think, is what Ferrari is trying to correct.

If Ferrari has accomplished that and Kimi still does not deliver next year, then it's reasonable for SFM to make changes in ther line up.

[Jersey Tom]

Kimi always has struck me as a "plug and play" kind of driver, which clearly has not worked for him and the team this year. To me, Costa's statement sounds like "This is the bar we're setting for Kimi, if he wants to win(stay) with us, this is what it will take"

This way, either Kimi will start putting in the time it takes to win, or he'll be bought out and replaced by, say...Alonso.

For being a "plug and play" driver it worked well last year.

[donskar]

If true (will this break some rule on amount of testing allowed?), this should be a good thing. The team needs intensive testing and development, AND they need to tailor the car to Kimi, AND Kimi needs to develop an intensity and focus early on that he often semed to lack this season.

One thing I've never forgotten this season: a quote in MotorSport attributed to a Ferrari insider - "Technically, they [Kimi and Massa] are useless."

One wonders how well Ferrari might have done with a top quality development driver.

[The FOZ]

Kimi always has struck me as a "plug and play" kind of driver, which clearly has not worked for him and the team this year. To me, Costa's statement sounds like "This is the bar we're setting for Kimi, if he wants to win(stay) with us, this is what it will take"

This way, either Kimi will start putting in the time it takes to win, or he'll be bought out and replaced by, say...Alonso.

For being a "plug and play" driver it worked well last year.

NO, it just barely worked last year. It was only on account of Hamilton's error that Kimi won the WDC. Otherwise, he would have likely lost. That doesn't strike me as working well. It worked even less well this year.

[Conceptual]

The fact that MS was a part of the F2008 development might explain why Massa has been ahead of Kimi for most of the season.

I bet that MS does ZERO winter testing this year. I think the guys that said that Ferrari want to optimize the car around Kimi are right, but if Massa wins the WDC this year, how will he feel about having the car optimized to his teammate? Or maybe maybe Massa can adapt to Kimi's style better than Kimi can adapt to Felipes?

Inside info requested!

[timbo]

The fact that MS was a part of the F2008 development might explain why Massa has been ahead of Kimi for most of the season.

This is strange that Kimi has a problem with MS setup. M.Brundle said that Kimi and Michael have similar style, and from onboard footage it seems that they indeed have very close looking steering input.

[sunny1304]

i believe kimi's feedback ability is better than massa.

and also i think FERRARI believe in kimi's ability than massa.

if massa wins WDC this year that will change is inner position on ferrari as i think ferrari consider kimi the no.1 driver of the team.

and for sure ferrai will not tell MSc to test f2009..and also it will not be good for them as its high time for ferrari to build without him.

[The FOZ]

and for sure ferrai will not tell MSc to test f2009..and also it will not be good for them as its high time for ferrari to build without him.

What do you mean it's high time? Schumi is one of the greatest drivers to ever live, and was instrumental in the development of the cars while he was driving for Ferrari. He still brings something to the table that Massa and Kimi cannot, and therefore, should be used. It would be ridiculous not to use every resource at your disposal, and that means keeping Schumi around for as long as possible.

[sunny1304]

i did not mean not to use MSc's experience or his feedback.

what i wanted to say that from now ferrari should work in way that they can cope with any driver..

MSc is the grteatest driver...but he will not be with ferrari all the time.

so ferrari should delvop a system where they can go without him and i think that will be good for the future.

[The FOZ]

i did not mean not to use MSc's experience or his feedback.

what i wanted to say that from now ferrari should work in way that they can cope with any driver..

MSc is the grteatest driver...but he will not be with ferrari all the time.

so ferrari should delvop a system where they can go without him and i think that will be good for the future.

Ferrari's success hinges on it's ability to do all the little things - and that means testing, driver feedback, and dialing it all in to the nth degree. It's just the only way nowadays, it's not like they can get by on a hugely superior engine or vastly better aero - the gap between first and last is closing, and the top 10 is a far closer group than ever before. You need driver feedback, and you need a driver who can engage the whole team in the development game. Right now, they don't particularly have drivers who are able to give as much as Schumi in that department, so for now, he's the best way to go. But I take your point on Ferrari getting to a point with their regular drivers are able to fulfill that role.