i'm also nervous for f1 starting again. it's kimi's to lose but i'm more worried about ferrari not trying hard. they would if it was charles, i'm convinced by now. i had a talk with my co-worker today who's been watching for a long time and used to think much more highly of charles but doesn't amymore. said that lewis (or any teammate) winning a wdc with ferrari before charles would mentally break charles at this point because he believes in his own myth. and ferrari have invested too much in him to let that happen because lewis might leave after his 8th but charles will remain. if they could choose, they'd have lewis just to have him, the name, the association, but charles for the first championship after 20 years. none of this being anything new, but it's always different to hear from someone who is not involved in fandom and watches the sport with some detachment. we also know that lewis is the kind of driver who will win it if he is given the right material. will charles? they have lewis hamilton with a solid shot right now but think about charles? it's laughable. i keep fantasizing about scenarios in which lewis will leave them no choice but to choose him - but you'd think the point advantage he has right now would already be enough. he's their only chance this year. maybe it really is getting to be managed by nicolas todt. sigh. i'm feeling really bitter about it all. hungary and how they gave it to charles instead when it was well within their power to keep the gap to close in on kimi did a number on me.
exactly, i can't believe the break is over next week, i had so many things i needed to do and I didn't do any of it, i didn't even start 2016.
but yeah, I agree and in parts don't with your coworker, I don't think anything would "mentally break" charles because I just don't believe he cares that much about winning a championship. i think the only thing that would mentally break him would be no longer driving for ferrari, at which point he'd retire. that's it. the thing is, if ferrari knows this, and understands this, that there's nothing they can do to make him leave, that he's a sure thing, the question remains: why aren't they calling team orders on his ass? that's what you do to loyal people who put the 'company first' they're always the first ones to get fucked over. if charles is giving ferrari carte blanche to do that to him, why isn't ferrari taking the opportunity? probably, this is cultural, they do feel like they should repay his 'loyalty' in some way, instead of exploiting it, because they're idiots. who haven't won anything in 20 years. if i was calling the shots i'd have charles mopping the floors, since he loves ferrari so much.
another thing that bothers me about them is that they're genuinely always looking to 'next year' no year is ever their year fr. they're always betting that next year will be the year they'll get it right, so it's fine if this year they make blunders. it's not fine. look at mclaren closing in closing in 2024 and then sealing the deal in 2025. that's how you do it. you take every chance seriously, you don't waste any opportunity, you maximize everything and then you carry it over, you don't fuck around and then think "but next year we'll get everything right" -> the aggressive development opens room for optimism, but who knows. they also have to get it together when it comes to strategy. they just lack urgency, ultimately that's what i've always felt about them in all these seasons i've watched. you never believe they're actually a serious threat no matter how close they look because they aren't urgent about it, everything is an afternoon stroll at ferrari and i HATE IT