Damning with faint praise (JPM vs Kimi)

[dtype38]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Team work..At work

Exactly! Ferrari are the most professional team out there. That's why they're so consistent.

[krt917]

Originally Posted by Glen

It sort of feels right to me to think that McLaren will do a better job, technically speaking, of finding a set-up and strategy that suits Montoya than Williams did. It seems to me that Williams as a team doesn't have much time for a driver that gets out of his depth, which I reluctantly have to concede that JPM sometimes has done. So - I do expect him to make less "mistakes" - which I phrase in that way because I feel that often when he hasn't produced great stuff I think it is because he has become frustrated with the car and ceased to think constructively, and then has underperformed or cocked-up. In other words, he will be more consistent and more of a challenge to his team-mate than many might expect.

Yes, I agree. Frank's strongpoint is not driver management. I think that Kimi will win out in the end, but it will be interesting to see if JPM will reach a higher level at McLaren.

I don't really think Kimi is 'the ice man' - he does have tantrums and just being Finnish isn't enough to make you 'the iceman' - but I don't think he'll take any notice of JPM's comments either, whatever they mean!

[agwiii]

Originally Posted by Inigo Montoya

IMHO, when asked about teammates, drivers should limit themselves to "We work well together"

There is no need to pass judgement on abilities - it hurts team spirit. And this is one area where Ferrari is very strong - it appears to be like a family atmosphere there, with very little bickering.

The drivers are either team-mates or they are prima donas. Let their driving display their relative abilities.

[agwiii]

Originally Posted by krt917

Yes, I agree. Frank's strongpoint is not driver management. I think that Kimi will win out in the end, but it will be interesting to see if JPM will reach a higher level at McLaren.

I think Kimi may find himself pushed harder by Wayne than by DC, but I believe he will come out on top. I also suspect that Wayne may find that his move to McLaren was exactly the wrong move at the wrong time.

Originally Posted by krt917

I don't really think Kimi is 'the ice man' - he does have tantrums and just being Finnish isn't enough to make you 'the iceman' - but I don't think he'll take any notice of JPM's comments either, whatever they mean!

His unfortunately all too rare interviews show that he has a very subtle sense of humor. I hope we hear more of him this season - and hope that he's worked on his vocabulary. I cannot see him being bothered by Wayne, either on or off the track.

[krt917]

Yes, I agree, though I hope you're not right about Monty joining McLaren at the wrong time. They should, at least, do a better job than they did last year, and I think the McLaren environment will suit him better than that at Williams.

[agwiii]

Originally Posted by krt917

Yes, I agree, though I hope you're not right about Monty joining McLaren at the wrong time. They should, at least, do a better job than they did last year, and I think the McLaren environment will suit him better than that at Williams.

Before the end of the season last year, Daimler-Chrysler announced they were accelerating their acquisition of additional shares of McLaren, taking their stake to 65%. With the AMG brand somewhat diluted, Mercedes planned the use of the McLaren brand to revitalize their high end cars, beginning with the SLR, which does display the McLaren logo.

As part of their acquisition, they were removing Ron Dennis by the end of 2005. This was not reported in the sporting press, but in the business section of the New York Times.

I have not seen any further reports.

Has anyone seen follow-on reports on this topic?

It was only last week that Jurgen Schrempp spoke of declining profits and cost-cutting in Daimler-Chrysler's Mercedes-Benz product line.

Is the German press reporting anything on these topics? If the Mercedes track record does not improve, it is hard to imagine they will continue their current level of involvement.

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by agwiii

Before the end of the season last year, Daimler-Chrysler announced they were accelerating their acquisition of additional shares of McLaren, taking their stake to 65%. With the AMG brand somewhat diluted, Mercedes planned the use of the McLaren brand to revitalize their high end cars, beginning with the SLR, which does display the McLaren logo.

As part of their acquisition, they were removing Ron Dennis by the end of 2005. This was not reported in the sporting press, but in the business section of the New York Times.

I have not seen any further reports.

That's because it's simply not true.

Mansour Ojjeh and Ron Dennis still own the majority stake in McLaren - and to remove Ron would not help the team in any way.

[agwiii]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

That's because it's simply not true.

Thanks KB, but I'll wait for the Times update.