Comments on: They Haven’t Worked For Ferrari, But That Hasn’t Stopped Honda Developing Pitstop Lights

By: Ago

Ago — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:07:17 +0000

well yes and no We use our cars we barely no knowledge of what is involved… same with TV, Fridge, cellphone and so on…
To me the issue is that nobody should rely entirely on technology… Never far from my shiny GPS is… a good old road map

By: Alianora La Canta

Alianora La Canta — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:45:21 +0000

That incident proves that the problem is not in the technology, but in the people operating it. There is no technology so simple that people with no knowledge of how to use it can use it correctly…

By: Ago

Ago — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:06:00 +0000

Yes Stevens that is what I think too! Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be much foolproof!
In the quali today at Ferrari lollipop man raised the lollipop but Massa -for some reason- had difficulties to engage 1st gear… and at that point some other driver was going down the pitlane so the lollipop man put it down again, but Massa didn’t take notice… We were very close to another incident!

I believe the driver should be aware that he must watch the lollipop even after it has been raised if he doesn’t start immediately!!!

By: Steven Roy

Steven Roy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:41:35 +0000

The big advantage of a lollipop is if something goes wrong it can be slammed back down in front of the driver. No-one looks at the traffic lights after they see green.

By: Gusto

Gusto — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:16:16 +0000

Soon as I saw it, only two words sprung to mind.”Murphy`s Law”….Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong… Even though the Lollipop Man is subject to Murphy`s Law, there are less things to go wrong, compared to the multi computerised, multi interfaced, multi Human error prone system, how this ever got off the drawing board before we have computer chips implanted in our noggins is beyond me.

By: Frank Reiff

Frank Reiff — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:13:43 +0000

I don’t think the problem with the Ferrari system is the lights.. it’s the fact that the pit crew is not working and the organization behind it isn’t working.

Just why it would be that different whether a guy flicks a sign up or presses a button when he knows it’s safe to release the car isn’t clear to me. Surely it’s the guys eyes that are the important instruments?

I think the fact that Ferrari have a problem in the pit crew became very obvious AFTER Massa drove off with the fuel hose still attached. I was thinking “Quick guys! Get over there and take that hose off so he can at least keep going!”

Instead of keeping their championship contender’s hope alive, however, the Ferrari pit crew first finished Raikkonen’s car and then stood around like they were sipping an espresso at the local café, shaking heads, etc.. then some 10 seconds later, somebody said “You remember that fuel hose?” and they started jogging (not running) down the pit lane.

If Ross Brawn had still be there, there would have been people running down the pit lane BEFORE Massa had gotten past the second garage and well before anybody knew whether the mechanic was alright or not. Hell, Ross would have been moving his considerable weight down the pit lane as fast as possible and he would have personally taken the hose off

Ferrari’s problem is that they no longer have the big brains that made them into a winning team. Instead they have a body (the organization that was created by the brains that have left) that is still moving and in good health, but what’s above the neck is quite simply not of the same quality.

Brawn, Todt, Byrne, Schumacher made Ferrari into a winning team. Their absence hasn’t lead to an immediate collapse as some feared, but it is being felt. The weakened Ferrari is fighting a weakened McLaren team; both are a long way off their (brilliant) best.

Next year will be the real test for Ferrari: will they still be a top team when they need to adapt to new rules? will the “new” brains live up to the challenge?

The sheer number of disastrous mistakes made by Ferrari over this season and last (and perhaps even during the last two years of the Schumacher era) make me wonder..

By: Craig

Craig — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:15:07 +0000

I agree, one team seeing another team try something and fail will only encourage other teams to try it as well in order to “get one up on them.”

Of course, it may be the system is simply not up to the task so therefore they will all end up wasting an awfull lot of time and money chasing the impossible!

By: Gusto

Gusto — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:26:26 +0000

You just know its Ross going to his old team `Here, this is how you do it`. With a grin bigger than the Cheshire Cat.