Ferrari and McLaren Should Throw the Season
Ferrari and McLaren should consider pulling a Brawn like maneuver. They are uncompetitive this year, so why not throw the season and develop their 2010 cars?
We are three races into the season and things could not be clearer. The former standard bearers in Formula One are now the meek. Ferrari is a disaster and needs an overhaul. McLaren is a bit ahead of Ferrari, but pathetic nonetheless. The possibility of coming back in 2009 for either car is unrealistic. Yes, they might develop the car all season long and win near the end, but they are already much too far back in the standings to challenge for either the drivers or constructors championships.
Brawn GP leads the field this year. Why? When the team was still Honda, it realized the 2008 car was a piece of junk and started abandoning the 2009 car. We can see the results. Ferrari and McLaren should do the same and come back strong in 2010. Doing so would also let the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone get a taste of the ratings when McLaren and Ferrari are riding around in the back. That would be justice!
The rules of Formula One are so absurd this year that now is the time to point out the mess Max Mosley has created. What is the problem? There is practically no in race testing allowed this year. As a result, there is no way to effectively improve the car once things go wrong. Yes, you can stick it in a virtual computer and wind tunnel, but nothing really equates to being on the track. Let’s consider an example.
Renault tried to put a new diffuser on their car during the practice period for the Chinese Grand Prix. Guess what happened? The air flow didn’t work the way programs predicted. Instead, heat built up and it resulted in the back end of the car melting and then catching on fire! This is progress?
Formula One has become a farce. Costs definitely should have been cut, but the FIA has gone way too far. McLaren and Ferrari have no realistic chance of coming back this year, so they should give up the season and get ready for 2010. Ross Brawn would undoubtedly do the same if he was managing either team.
Lemmy