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Last Updated: August 09, 2007 17:06 IST Formula One is seeing complete chaos right now as McLaren lead both championships -- and are in a state of utter disrepair, with both drivers Fernando Alonso [Images] and Lewis Hamilton [Images], as well as team boss Ron Dennis, considering their exit strategies. Rediff readers rose to the occasion at the Formula One chat this Tuesday with resident race-nut Raja Sen (driving solo because colleague Sumit Rajwade was unavoidably detained) and they talked about Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen [Images], and a lot of conspiracy theories. It was a fascinating chat, and here's what went on: Raja Sen says, Hello all. Things are chaotic in the world of F1 and -- hot off the presses -- now we are informed that Ferrari [Images] are making a 17 million pound bid for Lewis Hamilton. Whoa. Alright gang, lets chat. JeanTodt asked, hey Raja Sen r u there Jean Wants to chat with u and wanna know where is that Sissy Ron Dennis hiding with all my tenchinal data and desgins Nazim asked, Hi Raja... don't you think it's all over for Ferrari and Kimi... even for the constructor's. History says a driver losing from this stage has happened only twice in 15 years... It'll be Hamilton now, whatsay Maverick asked, i know it is gonna be atough fight now.. kimi is catching up Ashish asked, I think Mclaren has better skilled driver than Ferrari...So fight or no fight..controversy or no controversy...this season will be dominated by Mclaren..What do you say?? manohar asked, I think Kimi and ferari are still strong contenders.....two good or bad races can change the whole scenario....wot do u say guys.... JeanTodt asked, its going to be Kimi who will win the Drivers Chamiponship from now on look out for him coz he is the dark horse in the race booboo asked, Hamilton is in the league of Shummi and poor oh boy Alonso is having a night mare at his hands.( he told before the announcement of Hamilton & after Shumi's retirement that no one is there to challenge him & he doestn't consider Shumi as a real champio. If he has guts let him now challenge his own team mate first & then challenge Shumi & Ferrari. He should hv been stripped of the points for deliberately blocking Hamilton in the pits as he could not set a fast lap vikram asked, HI, Why does the headline say "disaster strikes McLaren". They still won the grand prix and they are poised for winning both WDC and WCC test asked, Hi Raja, is Alonso going to leave Mclaren next year ? Nazim asked, Hmmm Raja... it's deja vu... Except that now it's Hamilton vs Alonso and Kimi, last year it was Alonso vs Schumi... But I feel for poor Alonso... in fact, i've become his fan... my heart always goes out to underdogs :) JeanTodt asked, listen Raja and all u guys its going to be my team and my driver Kimi who will win both the championship coz 1 bad race for Mclaren drivers and good one for Ferrari it will all cover up and knowing the current relationship between Mclaren drivers both of them will be gunning for each others head in the Turkish Grand Prix Anand asked, I feel that hamilton is letting the sucess get to his head. Even if he is leading the standings, he should follow team strategies. Thats how the team as a whole gets success. kislay asked, i think, McLaren should suffer, not the drivers..Bcz McLaren is not a proper co-ordinator..and it failed in maintaining co-ordination between both brilliant drivers.. nkg asked, I ferrari bids for hamilton , where will Kimi and Massa go ? VenkatForFerrari asked, Hello , how good is for Ferrari Drivers Kimmi and Massa to Win the Drivers Championship this season ? Kimmi is a great driver so is Massa, When will we see them winning the Driver's Championship ? Jay asked, I think no points for constructor championship will hit mclaren hard, we all know that the Ferrari's are better car in race pace & they will very hard to beat in coming circuits which don't have many corners! manohar asked, Wot happened to Masa in the last race.....two race back he started from pits but still he was able to finish in a good position....r ferrari cars becoming unreliable.....if yes bad luck again for KIMI.....wot do u say.... Harish asked, Whatever anyone says dont u think Alonso can take a lesson in humility and learn to behave properly off the track? booboo_sk asked, Briattorie is booing Alonso & i guess after being chucked out at Mclauren Alonso will lick his wounds in hapless Renault ( u know how they own the last 2 seasons) by illegally placing a wet dampner. It was found out half way thru the season last year & after that Ferrari started dominating. FERRARI is the BEST & is a class of its Own. Mclauren could catch them after 3 years only after fraudulently espionaging Ferrari techincal documents. Jay asked, Hi Raja, I know this weekend is all about McLaren problems, but do you think its Ferrari are losing its focus slightly due to ongoing investigations? I mean, Kimi failed to finish last race & this time they forgot to put fuel in Massa car. I think they are taking their eye of the ball here!! vikram asked, raja sen: thanks for answering that, do you honestly think alonso would consider renault at this point in time! I think the dust would settle on this matter pretty soon, both drivers would be throwing away their careers if they made any rash decisions. Next season, I agree it could be a different story altogether but i dont think Mclaren are in any serious trouble in the short term. Ram85 asked, McLaren Played Fair?? I think this is an unfair comment, given the fact that they spied on Ferrari and had all the knowledge.. manish asked, With limited chances for overtaking; the race at budapest was too predictable. In fact it was a little boring. Massa remained stuck in the rear despite a good car and good driving skills. Don't you feel we should have more competitive tracks? Jay asked, We all wants to talk about Mclaren & Ferrari, but BMW [Images] have got me interested recently! They are going about their business quietly and I am very impressed. If they can just improve their car slightly, I can see them competing next season for championship. What you think? Harmeet asked, Comparing McLaren's last year and this year's performance, followed by the Ferrari allegation, can it be inferred that Ferrari is right? shankar asked, who do you think will replace alonso at Mclaren if at all he moves out of the team next season?? Nazim asked, Here's a scenario for next year: McLaren snaps back Kimi... Alonso goes back to Renault... Ferrari are Hamilton and Massa... How would this be? CHETAN asked, Can Ferrari consider Barrichello for their next season ? He was doing well when he was driving alongside Michael. Jhumpachika asked, Will Hamilton move to Ferrari???...Methinks Ferrari is the BEST team suited to a driver like him...wot say???? Farri asked, the whole last weekend has been a nighmare for alonso and his team, mc laren seem getting involved in some controversy or the other...it just doesn't stop !! maybe what happened at hungary, and the disgrace caused to alonso bcoz of his demotion to P6, was the last nail...he has had it enough...there is every chance renault takes him to replace fisichella for next year, but this might require a lot of negotiations with mc laren, and if alonso is willing to leave mc laren, they might just give in !! ND asked, Hi Do you think Massa really desrves the prime seat at Ferrari? No doubt the team goofed up by not putting fuel during a crucial stage of Qualifying, but he was chasing Sato for the whole race !!!!Surely with Ferrari power(though full tank) he shud have managed to overtake Super Aguri ND asked, Raja, I must say, today for the first time, you are being Fair and not doing your typical bash Alonso bit... gopal asked, ferrari can bounce back, but i doubt whether can they win both drivers and constructor's championship Rajesh asked, Alonso is a good driver but very aggressive. He doesnt care about his team mate or for that matter anyone. His sole aim is to win the championship. In a way this is good as well as bad. Do you think anyone can stand a chance against him? leave alone hamilton. Guess we need Schumi back... Prem asked, Raja,next season we will we having the first night race in Singapore....do u feel that there will be a lot of changes the teams have to make when it comes to racing under lights, and yes what happens if there are wet conditions under lights ? abhimanyu asked, I am impressed with BMW consistency they have a driver in top 5 in almost all races.Can they be a threat to other teams next season? Jay asked, I like Hamilton & think he's a very good driver, but recently (especially after last race) I think he need to learn to be team player. He needs to realise that he is extremely lucky to be in the best car this season & no reliability issues whatsoever. He needs to stop believing his own hype & remember it's the team who is responsible for where he is & he must obey the orders given to him! Anoop asked, They shouldn't have penalised Alonso in the Hungary. Don't you think it was Lewis who was suppossed to be penalised. Poor Alonso Abhishek asked, I think that all these controversies(regarding Alonso-Hamilton, McLaren-Ferrari), are manipulated stunts by Bernie Eccselstone, so that he can maintain viewer's interest in F1, which was deteriorating fast after Schumi's exit. What do you think ? Jay asked, I am a fan of Massa & think he's done extremely well this season, but for some reason I still don't think he's ready for championship! I have backed Kimi even when he was a fair bit behind. Something about Massa that does not fills you with confidence that he got what it takes to be a world champion! Anoop asked, I just cannot stop laughing seeing Button & Barrichello languishing at the back on the pack. Both had big egos. Look where Barrichello is. He would have been a Champioship contender if he were at Ferari today. N asked, will mclaren win the appeal and gain the constructors points for the last race ? mama asked, Raja.... Is Alonso a champion ?? I think he always had luck factor in his wins rather than his technical skills ! mahendra asked, Kimi is the best. Alonso is a good driver but he can not stomach even a few set backs. Imagine Alonso in Kimi's shoes. In 2005, 2006 and now again in 2007 Kimi's dream of winning the championship is being screwed because of an unreliable car. Some or the other problem has to happen with Kimi, but he takes them all in the right spirit and continues fighting. Alonso would have committed suicide by now or would be in jail serving a sentence of killing his engineer. keshabhishek asked, Don't you think that when Alonso was at the receiving end of Schumacher's tactics, he cried foul. But, now when he's in Schumi's shoes, He's acting "holier than thou". manohar asked, I dont agree that viewers are loosing interest after schumis departure...infact its more interesting now four drivers driving for drivers championship....viewers were bored of seeing schumi....wot do u say.... Lewis asked, Massa or Hamilton who is better agreed that Hamilton is a rookie and leading Massa but obviously he has had the better car. Raja your thoughts on this? Kapel asked, hi there,on the spygate-does anyone considered Ferrari plotting the entire saga,sending Stepheny to Mclaren with the ferrari bible,planting it and being suprised they were found at the Chief Mclaren employee through a photo copier guy??doesnt it seems fishy?Raja ur comments sumit asked, Schumi (read ferrari driver) blocks someone (i think at monaco GP) in qualifying all his qualifying times are scrapped and he has to start 22nd. Alonso(read Mclaren driver) blocks teammate or Fisichella(read Renault driver) the penalty they get is 5 places ?? Why is there such discrimination when it comes to Ferrari? booboo_sk asked, F1 races should not be held in street circuits as it almost makes overtaking impossible.Hence Monaco/Hungary/ future Singapore races should be shelved & circuits wide enough shall be permitted so that overtaking is possible. It makes viewing 7 the race very thrilling & the likes of Ferrari/Mclaren/BMW having a go at everyone at all possible corners shall be a treat to watch Anoop asked, Mahendra. I guess Kimi has this bad luck where ever he goes, or is it him spoiling the car? While he was in Mclaren, his car used to get screwed up. Now at Ferrari (which is known for reliability), his car only gets screwed up. Why not Massa's? Whats your say Raja? Abhishek asked, Don't you think that teams like 'Super Aguri' should be either banned or fined heavily. They are showing a consistently Super Poor performance for the past many years and blocking someone else..or is it the money which is keeping them afloat ? Jhumpachika asked, Webber, Heidfeld are drivers with immense potential...though i dont know why they are not in the top 5 more. Senna asked, hey what about Kubica ? he seems to be biding his time ? Sudhij asked, Do u think Kimi is under pressure to give the performance at the same level as Michael did for Ferari and that's the reason for his nonperformance? Mamboz asked, Wot a show!!! They cheat, they lie, they play dirty games, they play politics only to win the F1 Crown... I think this is the worst ever you can see of F1 ever. Mclaren should be banned from Formula 1 atleast for 10 years.. Shadowfax asked, Well away from the drivers here a bit. Hungary seems to one of the circuit where over-taking seems to be notoriously difficult. Do you think they might get the axe in (near) future considering the pace at which new circuits are coming up ? We have Abu-Dhabi in the wings. booboo_sk asked, Ferrari is going to win the constructors championship as Mclaren are sure to be stripped of the points.problem with Ferrari is that both the cars are not finishing at the top in a single race for the past 4/5 races. If they do rectify that from now onwards in the nxt 11 races they can definitely catch up with Mclaren kumar asked, Do you think Mclaren will be penalised regarding the spying contraversy? keshabhishek asked, Who do you think will be the last man standing (Champion of Champions) from Alonso, Hamilton and Raikkonen 5 years from now? kimiii asked, Whatever is happening to Williams?! Will they ever climb back to their championship winning days?! Jhumpachika asked, Heidfeld has been in the top 5 due to some other factors....not the car itself. ;) Jhumpachika asked, Any pointers towards who can really be as good as, or better, than Schumi amongst the current drivers???....(or is that a tough one???) lol. arupghoshal asked, it was just reported that hamilton has been offered $21M by Ferrari. rikhav asked, Even ferrari is under pressure to be as reliable as they were in the Schumi era Jhumpachika asked, What if the Delhi MCD...or Ashok Malhotra...or Sheila Dixit...pool some of their reserves (black money) and sponsor Narain Karthikeyan [Images] for a BETTER TEAM in F1...??????? Shadowfax asked, Lewis Hamilton has put up an amazing show till now. Do you think the young drivers in the GP2 series might have it easy to get a race seat in F1? Felix asked, Alonso shld go from Mclaren Abhishek asked, Any news about Juan Pablo is doing up in NASCAR ? Kapel asked, Raja,would u know..if any of the technology that is used in these f1 cars implemented on road cars..apart from safety & traction control...like brakes?petrol?aerodynamics?,suspensions?,gearbox? etc. salim asked, I don't think that the FIA penalty against McLaren was in any way justified. it was a matter between 2 drivers of the same team, no one else got to suffer because of them, so why penalise the team. if u they thought one of the drivers was out of line they should have penalise him. but they did the exact opposite. what do you think? am i just over reacting?? Krishnan asked, Hi Raja, is it a fact that the leaders like Ferrari, Mc laren and all do not go for sponsored drivers as their 'test drivers'? Felix asked, Alonso shld go back to his mentor Flavio, as they had a good team 2gethre. im still saying this cause i personaly dont like the current champ. Shadowfax asked, Brings me to an interesting point - Do you think Vettel's move to STR was a right one ? And what about Sebastian Bourdais ? He has the carrot dangling in front of him all the time. Only tests but no race. Naresh asked, What is your view on the alligation by Farrari on Mc Laren having their technical document and FIA still not banning the team since they have not used it. As Farrari boss mentioned its as good as having someones money and not spending it, but its still with them.. Its against the sporting spirits. I personally feel that Mc Laren should be banned from the season however allowing the Drivers to compete for the Drivers Championship. Whats your say? salim asked, i agree with felix, alonso should go the Flav. they suit each other, and both have a very prominent mean and crooked streak in them. and they both whine all the time.. Felix asked, i feel Ferrari shld not bid for lewis, as it will hamper Massa's input in the team. Raja Sen says, Alright, it's been one of the best chats in ages -- and hope to see all of you back after the Turkish GP, in 3 weeks time. Bye for now. |
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