planetf1.com

Have you seen Alonso's girlfriend??

He is a million miles from F1 now.

Lucky Bastard.

Obviously it's not worked since Alonso has arrived heading the driver development, Ferrari have now most likely realized that Massa and PDR can potentially do a better job at giving vital feedback to the early development of the car.

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RSR Racing

Best bit is this guy is serious.

Pretty sure Alonso just wants to get some extra rest and work on his fitness. Ferrari probably did want to give Massa first dibs as a show of confidence too. That's all. I think 2005/06 proved Alonso is pretty hot at car development and I didn't know that car development was all down to one driver anyway. I thought it was down to a design team to do that.

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1994 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

The design team can only work based on what the driver gives back. And development in 05/06 was different than it is now. Im not going to express an opinion about whether he's good at it or not, but lets look realistically at the situation.

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Drivers can't give much back when in season testing is banned. It all comes from computers and wind tunnels once the season begins. Pre season testing is important but the first test will be about the car working in general more than anything. So in reality Alonso won't be missing much. We know from Monza quali in 06 that Alonso can drive around big problems without much fuss whereas Massa can't. That's the difference. But that doesn't make Alonso bad at development. Ferrari got progressively nearer the front last year and in 2010 were very consistent. The only misfiring year they've had with Nando was 2011.

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1994 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Alonso is a smart man.

Computers and wind tunnels play their role, but they aren't the end all. As Adrian says, there is no substitute for what you learn putting a driver in the car and running laps.

It doesn't take four days to shake the car down.

Driving around a problem doesn't improve the car.

I didn't say Alonso is bad at development, I said your criteria for judging whether he is or isn't is a little flawed because the driver's role is significant in development and because the nature of development when Fernando won his titles is different than it is now, just as the cars, tires, rules, testing time, and technology are different.

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Ashley just ignore the know it alls who think they know everything but don't have a clue about it really.

There is a very good reason they have brought PDR in, and now starting the first crucial test with him and Massa, to better identify potential problems better/earlier and aid with the very important step of the early development of the car on track.

Just standard practice if you have been involved in motorsports team, which those who like to bring forum to lower levels like above have no clue about ,only a bias to a driver, so get upset about it.

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RSR Racing

Yes, I'm the reason he isn't at the first test

Your first sentence is one of the most hypocritical things I have ever read on here. Complete joke.

Your last sentence is a complete mess as well. I have no bias to Alonso what so ever. Never supported the guy.

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1994 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Im not even going to touch that one.

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Please don't. It was all so amicable before.

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1994 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

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My Top 5 drivers of all times:
1) Prost/ Schumacher
3) Fangio
4) Lauda
5) Brabham

if you don't like it, too bad! There's a reason why it says "My Top 5"

Who knows? Maybe development is the reasoning, but all I see as is to ensure that Fernando will be 100% when the season starts.

Fernando will test the first three days when they go to Barcelona though and Felipe will get the last day. Development traits are easily questionable and with the new Ferrari created in Cologne instead of Maranello, we should not hear "Windtunnel needs to be calibrated". Toyota has a fantastic facility, so I think Ferrari will be better off this season than the last at the start.

Development is very questionable though. Who knows?

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Felipe Massa fan/supporter since 2002 and counting!

This isn't a dig on Massa as I happen to like him, but maybe they think the best chance of making a solid crack at the Constructors this year is giving Massa more time to get hooked up with the car based on how he was at the end of the last season compared to the start.

I mean this is all supposed-ing anyway. I'm well aware 4 days won't sort him out, as much as I'm aware that the car they bring to Jerez will be very different to the one they bring to Australia.

Maybe Alonso took the time off to support his girlfriend during her mock GCSE exams



I kid, I know she's legal

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I AM THE THREAD KILLER.

Wow you guys are reading way too much into this. They've already said De La Rosa absolutely needs a day. It's Massa's turn so he gets 2. It's not hard to figure out that it might not be worth the while for Alonso to go there just for 1 day of testing, and also the additional logistics / hassle etc to support 3 different drivers.