Fisi's Claim

[OSTKURVE]

In a recent article I read on ITV's website Giancarlo Fisichella claimed that the Renault team devoted all it's resources to developing last year's car to cater to Fernando Alsono's driving style.

Naturally Alsonso refuted Giancarlo Fisichella's claim. Fisichella's statement struck me as being quite odd because I have never heard of a company building a car around it's star pilot's driving style.

However I am aware of the fact that individual pilots prefer different set-ups & that the spare car is generally set-up to the desired specification of the star pilot.

Therefore on occassion when the number 2 pilot damages his car during qualifying & has to use the spare car he oftenfinds it difficult to adapt to because it is set-up for the number 1 pilot.

So is there any truth to Fisichella's claim?

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by OSTKURVE

In a recent article I read on ITV's website Giancarlo Fisichella claimed that the Renault team devoted all it's resources to developing last year's car to cater to Fernando Alsono's driving style.

Naturally Alsonso refuted Giancarlo Fisichella's claim. Fisichella's statement struck me as being quite odd because I have never heard of a company building a car around it's star pilot's driving style.

However I am aware of the fact that individual pilots prefer different set-ups & that the spare car is generally set-up to the desired specification of the star pilot.

Therefore on occassion when the number 2 pilot damages his car during qualifying & has to use the spare car he oftenfinds it difficult to adapt to because it is set-up for the number 1 pilot.

So is there any truth to Fisichella's claim?

Could be, the 2001 Williams was apparently built to suit Ralf Schumacher's tastes, and the 2002 and 2003 car was designed to suit Montoya's more oversteery nature.

I would not be at all surprised to see Fisi leap ahead of Alonso this year.

In fact I went to put a bet on Fisi for a Melbourne win in 2005, but I got to the betting shop in town and the system was down as I think a practise session was taking place, (so they take all the odds down and put the revised odds back up once its over) so I couldn't put it on. I was going to stick on £20, it was odds of 16-1, he won, gutted. Oh well.

[Bononi]

It happens more than often, Fisi's claim should be considered true, specially now that Alonso is on his way out.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

I'm sure someone will correct me, but didn't Fisi sign for Renault fairly late in the season? If so it's understandable why the car was built around Alonso.

Sometimes it happens by accident, I remember the Ferrari drivers commenting how the 2003 car suited Rubens' style almost perfectly.

[safc_fan89]

I don't think that each of the 75 points Fisi lost to Alonso came as a result of the car being developed for Alonso rather than Fisi.

If Renault decide to favour Fisichella this season, they won;t win the championship because Alonso I believe is a better driver.

If Ferrari manufactured a car that suited Barrichello better, then it can;t have been intentional

[Suze]

I believe Fisi's point was true - there've been stories in quite a few places. Though not all of points Alonso had over Fisi were because of the car being developed in Alonso's favour

[marcus]

Is his point true ?

YES

Is renualt Right in doing this ?

DEFINATELY

Why ?

Obvious reasons that I dont want to start an argument over but it has something to do with talent

[ASCII Man]

You think Fisi has more talent than Ferry?

[marcus]

the other way round man with items that I can never find on my keyboard

[climb]

Well I really think Falv had a key role in deciding which driver to be the team's favourite (provided Alonso had a great season and wholly deserved what he got).
This year his attitude is supposed to be changed, after Alonso's story with Ron dennis.
Therefore I'm very curious about his aspect of the incoming season.

[Raglanparade]

I dare say that in 2005 the renault was designed around Alonsos style, the mclaren around kimi's style, the ferrari around a turtles style, and the honda around Jensons style.

[Marbot]

All the other teams/drivers had no style at all.

[Korr]

Originally Posted by jasonhill9884

I dare say that in 2005 the renault was designed around Alonsos style, the mclaren around kimi's style, the ferrari around a turtles style, and the honda around Jensons style.

The 2006 Williams is designed around BAR's check book.

[neilap]

I would not find this to be unbelievable for a couple of reasons. First, Alonso was delivering the results for the entire season. I can see why he would get the benefit of the doubt. Secondly, he Alonso, has more time with the team therefore there is more input from him to begin with.

Drivers can complain about how one is getting better treatment than the other but if they were really contributing more to the team they would not be on the short end of the deal. If Fissi goes faster and provides better feedback then he will be the prefferred driver. That is how MS did it! That is how most #1 drivers do it.

[climb]

I fond your post a bit optimistic neilap; actually Fisi started the season dominating the first race; curiously, after that boom, instead of getting credits, he started getting flawed cars to drive.

[alesi95]

The 1986 Lotus Renault and 1995 Benetton Renault are 2 cars i can think of that were designed especially round the number drivers style.
But in both cases driver No.2 wasnt confirmed until quite late.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by climb

I fond your post a bit optimistic neilap; actually Fisi started the season dominating the first race; curiously, after that boom, instead of getting credits, he started getting flawed cars to drive.

He was obviously given Alonso's car by mistake for the first race.

[chillibowl]

one point no seems to have made yet is, maybe Fisi just said it beacause he just needs to have a reason for his lack of consistancy compared to his teammate last year.
imo, i dont see his comment as a personal attack of Renault policy, rather i see it as an attempt to appease his own mentality after being out driven by his teammate last year.

[neilap]

Originally Posted by climb

I fond your post a bit optimistic neilap; actually Fisi started the season dominating the first race; curiously, after that boom, instead of getting credits, he started getting flawed cars to drive.

But wasn't Alonso actually faster than Fisi during the race. He had to fight his way up the field. Had be started closer to Fisi I think he would have beaten him.

[Gt_R]

It's not something new.

Alonso has been with Renault in 2004 while the '05 car is being developed. He would have contributed to the feedback and development of the car while Fisichella is still not with Renault.

While reliability of the car is not something that "suits a drivers style", an oversteery or understeery car may suit one driver better than the other (usually suiting the stronger driver) and may give that driver the added confidence to push all the way to the limit while (as it seems in Fisichella's case) the other driver have to spend more time working out the car to adapt to his own style.

Remember when Michael left Benetton, and Alesi and Berger went in..they commented on how different and difficult the car felt. None were bad drivers, it's just that Michael's style requires a car with a sharper turn in and a lighter rear (iirc).

Similarly, Ralf and Montoya requires different style, making the car suit one guy better than the other in a particular race, and sometimes over the season.

Hence, sometimes teams may choose to hire two drivers of similar driving style, for example BAR and Toyota are two teams where their drivers are relatively closer in style. It makes testing, setup and development easier.

[strider]

You only have to look at on-board camera shots to see that the driving styles of Fisichella and Alonso are very different. Fisico is very smooth, whereas Fernando is much more aggressive, more so than you would expect to be the most efficient, but last year it clearly was.

This year, with the reduction in power and the need to maintain momentum, it may be that the smoother drivers will come into their own. Button is another to have claimed that his style will suit the new cars. However, with Alonso being as good as he is, who's to say he won't be able adapt his style to suit?