Quote:
easy_rider911 said:
Guys,

I'm neutral here. For me, both Kimi and Fernando have been the standout performers in F1 this year. I would be happy if either of these 2 talented young drivers had won.

I must say that there is a crucial factor being glossed over here. The reason why the Renault has been so much more consistent than the McLaren has depended on how much each team has tried to get out of their respective engines. Pat Symonds (one of the head honchos at Renault F1) was quoted in Brazil as saying that Renault could easily have tuned their engine to produce 20 more hp which might put its performance at a similar level to the Mercedes Benz engine in the McLaren. However, he added that this would probably cause greater engine unreliability (which MB has suffered). Kimi may have the faster car but he has paid dearly for the balance McLaren have struck between power output and reliability/durability.

I must add that both Renault and McLaren have their own achilles heels. Fisichella and Montoya are talented guys who are less reliable under pressure. I've lost count of the number of times this season that Montoya has spun off through driver error which cost McLaren a 1-2 finish. Poor Fisichella's season has been all downhill since the first race he won.

Comparing Raikkonen with Montoya and Alonso with Fisichella shows you how the 2 leading drivers are so much better than their respective team-mates with similar machinery.

F1 is a world where the tiniest percentages make a huge difference. Ultimately 2 really good teams are still fighting over the Constructors Title right down till the end of the season. We can't ask for more drama than that. It beats the easy procession that Ferrari had to win both championships last year.

How the mighty are fallen.



Most of the technical problems McLaren had (during the race) were non-engine related.