Don't do it Alex!!!!!!!

[mac]

I have just read that Alex may not be back next year. Aaaaaahhhhhhh!

This is what Robin Miller wrote on CART.com:
"Whether teammate Alex Zanardi sticks around remains to be seen, but the two-time CART champ told a couple fellow drivers he wasn't having any fun so draw your own conclusions."

Please don't do it Alex. We need you around. Okay, you haven't had the best season, and you might not be having as much fun as '97/'98, but it will get better. Have another season, and if you're still having no fun, then you can go. We lost you once, and we don't want to lose you again. Without you around, I've got no one to cheer for.

PLEASE DON'T GO ALEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[f1manoz]

I think Alex perhaps came back thinking to expect the exact same success he had he was last in the series, particularly as he was with Mo Nunn, and had the same Reynard/Honda combination. Since he's had a pretty poor season by the high standards he has for himself, and what the fans were expecting, it's no wonder he isn't too happy.

But I also hope he stays in the series. We've seen flashes of the old Alex this season, and perhaps he just needs to finish out this year and come back next year with a vengeance.

[Liz]

The other thing Alessandro was expecting, according to Mo Nunn, was Mo's undivided attention as he got at Ganassi. Now that Mo is the owner, not Alessandro's race engineer, of course he gets the same amount of attention as others and no more.

I think he should retire. He is doing a Damon Hill right now and tarnishing a very good career with a less than successful curtain call.

[kuchi]

I think he should retire also. He knows he will never get a season as good as the ones in which he won the CART championship. He tought he was going to have the same succes, but he did'nt. The good part of the story is that the american press is not as hard as the european. Imagine the season he is having at Cart but in F1, well he has got one of those, and he defenitely does not need another one.

[Jay]

ahh...well I have to admit that Alessandro is probably the most interesting character in the Cart paddock, and even though he may not be as good as he was at Ganassi, if he were to retire he would be missed.

I'm not sure he should retire though, her has been improving steadily as teh season has progressed. I know many people were expecting him to come back and immediately win the championship, but people had to be realistic... He's no longer in TCG's car, he doesn't have the support he used to, and he spent a year not racing...

[mac]

Right on Jay. Alex is very interesting. Did anyone see saturday morning practice at Road America? Alex was upset at Fernandez for blocking him badly. At the end of the session, Alex purposely stopped in the pitlane, in front of Adrian's pit, so that Adrian could not get into his pitbox. Zanardi then parked his car in the MNR pit, before storming off to the Fernandez pit. We need that in CART!

People do forget that the team is as good as brand new. Mo Nunn were around last year, but most of the people working on Alex's car weren't there last year.

He is improving, as is the team. He has also had to do a lot of style adaptations over the last couple of years. He had to dramatically change his style for f1 (in a car that even Ralf said was unstable for an f1 car), and now he's had to change back.

I believe that MNR will be a force next year, and after the work he's put in this year, Zanardi deserves to be a part of that.

One positive is the fact that Alex always talks enthusiastically about the team and the direction it is heading in.

Come on Alex! Please!

[Liz]

No, we don't need WWF tactics in Champ Cars. Leave that to the Brand X Racing teams, where pitlane fist fights are often more interesting than what is going on in the race.

Alex had better grow up if he wants to stay in racing.

[mac]

I don't know. I like those old f1 farts saying, "that wouldn't happen in formula one." I like the fact that it's not so stuffy (I couldn't think of another word for stuffy). Like doughnuts. Sure Alesi did some doughnuts in Montreal, but how much was it frowned upon? "What's he got to celebrate?" was the response from the f1 purists. CART needs to be a series where drivers behave according to what they really feel. Alex is like that. None of this silly PR stuff. What you see is what you get.

Oh, for one last set (or preferably many more sets) of doughnuts, Alex!

[mac]

Originally posted by Liz
No, we don't need WWF tactics in Champ Cars.

If it was WWF, Alex would have run over Adrian's foot, before bringing out Adrian's wife / mother wearing a Pioneer WorldCom Mo Nunn Racing shirt, before knocking him out with the fuel rig, then running across and standing on the wall while geeing up the crowd.

[floid2000]

Who's gonna make the donuts ?

[nkracing]

I think Alex should stay .

May be he lost a bit edge, but anyway he still is true racer (remember Toronto- great passes ). He still is very popular driver, especialy here in Europe. And his presence as well as Kenny's will bring lot more race fans to European races - will establish a lot stronger CART fan base in Europe.

[R]

Originally posted by mac
If it was WWF, Alex would have run over Adrian's foot, before bringing out Adrian's wife / mother wearing a Pioneer WorldCom Mo Nunn Racing shirt, before knocking him out with the fuel rig, then running across and standing on the wall while geeing up the crowd.

I may have a good imagination or something, but I can just picture it!

[Bononi]

Originally posted by Liz
I think he should retire. He is doing a Damon Hill right now and tarnishing a very good career with a less than successful curtain call.

Same thoughts.

[Jimmyz360]

what are u crack heads talking about...do u like him or not...so what hes not having the greatest season...if everyone jus gave up we probably wouldnt have great racers and races...he is a very nice guy who has had some bad luck this year also...so many next year he will come back and really show his old self

[R]

I agree. I hope he doesn't leave either. In several races this year, he has been running quite strong, but in the end hasn't got the result. I'm hoping he can get it all together soon. It would be great to see him win again!

[floid2000]

Maybe Alex will become the next "super sub"

[mac]

Originally posted by floid2000
Maybe Alex will become the next "super sub"

There is no way on Earth Alex would allow that.

[Raven]

I've never been too big of an admirer of Zanardi. To me he was never good enough for F1, and his CART championships were mainly due to being in the right place at the right time. The Reynard-Honda combo were at their peak of domination, Andretti was stuck in the Swift, and his other cheif opposition came in the form of a young and inexperienced Dario Franchitti and Greg Moore.

I predicted before the season began that he'd be thoroughly out-performed by Kanaan(the Fisichella of CART). It really is time to hang up the helmet now, it isn't fair that he should bulk new talent from getting into CART on the merit of what he achieved 3/4 years ago.

[mac]

Originally posted by Raven
I've never been too big of an admirer of Zanardi. To me he was never good enough for F1, and his CART championships were mainly due to being in the right place at the right time. The Reynard-Honda combo were at their peak of domination, Andretti was stuck in the Swift, and his other cheif opposition came in the form of a young and inexperienced Dario Franchitti and Greg Moore.

I predicted before the season began that he'd be thoroughly out-performed by Kanaan(the Fisichella of CART). It really is time to hang up the helmet now, it isn't fair that he should bulk new talent from getting into CART on the merit of what he achieved 3/4 years ago.

Alex was good enough for f1, except Williams rubbed him out.

Yes, he was in the right combo in '96 / '97 / '98, but he trounced Vasser and all other Reynard-Honda drivers. Not to mention in '98 where he thoroughly trounced everyone.

It wasn't the fact that Zanardi won, it was the way he won. Drives from the back of the field, passes on the last lap, the courage, the desire to win. That is what racing is all about.

It's not surprising Tony has outperformed Alex this year, as Tony was well ensconsed last year and Alex hasn't driven these cars since '98. In this time he's had to make a couple of huge adjustments, as well as a whole year off. Having said that, since Cleveland Alex has been very close to Tony.

I believe Alex still has a lot to offer Mo Nunn and CART. I thoroughly believe that, if he stays, Alex Zanardi will soon return to the top of the podium.

[R]

Excellent post, Mac. You said it.

[Bononi]

Yes, nice one mac !

[Liz]

Zanardi in F1 was the same as Alesi in F1 - bad car, bad fit and/or bad timing. (Patrick Head and Sir Frank both said he was more interested in chatting people up around the cappucino machine than in doing his work - shades of Jensen Button! )

I enjoyed Zanardi when he was winning and I have photos of his Final Donuts in Toronto. Nevertheless I think he ought to go gracefully.

P.S. Someone else has suggested to me that Zanardi is a "home boy" that is he misses his wife and child and home in Italy very much while he is racing in America, and this makes him less focused. What do you think about that?

[Bononi]

yeah, that makes sense. Usually it's hard to stay apart from the ones you love...

[R]

It makes sense, and I guess there are practical reasons why his wife and child is in Italy and not in America with him. A good stable milieu at home is one of the basic pillars in a human being's life, and when you're away from the ones that you love it can be hard...

Does this make Alex cumute a lot? That will also be a distraction I think...

[mac]

For the first part of the season Alex was commuting between his home in Monaco and events. During the middle of the season (ie. the part where all of the events are in North America), he rented a house in Indianapolis with his wife, Daniela, and son, Niccolo. As this part of the season has just ended, Alex has returned to Monaco and is currently commuting to and from there to events. This is possible because of the in-season testing ban.