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rubens out...

4.4K views 27 replies 16 participants last post by  deltahf_2  
#1 ·
rubens is out and massa is in.....
 
#5 ·
You would try because that is what you are paid very big $$$$ to do.

RB has the best team in the world. RB is just an okay driver, I like him very much but he has lost his shine in the last few months.

With Gil de Feran as the new director at BAR he has not had a very good start. Under his watch his team has 1) cheated 2) been excluded from three races 3) Hired the Ferrari #2. I hope for his sake the third will be better than the first 2.
 
#6 ·
Um.. You guys are all talkin like Rubens got fired, from everything Im reading he left to go to BAR.. as so speculated by that dude on Speed last week.. so to act like Rubens has suddenly become a mediocre driver is just not true, from what Ive seen..

You know when MS gets a 2nd after having pole in Hungary, and says in the post comments we're happy with this finish, when you had pole?!! Their cars got problems man... I never thought Ruben was the best of the best but he's still a lot better then some of these dudes racing mid field, if youre driving for Ferrari I don't think theres any question. F1 Drivers do seem to get old overnight though so we'll see I guess.

Ruben News

I like the somewhat fighting words from Ruben about MS in the future.. haha. isnt there like 5 races left? :p
 
#7 ·
RB was under contract for 06 and per him and JT, there was no escape unless Ferrari let him go. I didn't think RB just became a mediocre driver, but I think he was always a mediocre driver. He had the best car in the world for 5 years and never threatened MS once. Perphaps I should not judge him against the best ever...
 
#8 ·
Anyone in the second seat to Schumi is on a hiding to nothing. Second place in the championship was about all they could hope for. But right now, with Ferrari not performing as well as they have, could be the best time to move to a team which appears to have a chance. I think this is probably a good move for RB at this point in his career.
 
#9 ·
74GTVEEE said:
RB was under contract for 06 and per him and JT, there was no escape unless Ferrari let him go. I didn't think RB just became a mediocre driver, but I think he was always a mediocre driver. He had the best car in the world for 5 years and never threatened MS once. Perphaps I should not judge him against the best ever...
Man... If you think RB has always been mediocre.. thats your opinion, but to say RB never threatened MS tells me how little you know about Ferrari politics, they would never ever have let RB threaten their golden boy. And lets just say Ferrari gave both drivers equal ground youre still talking about threatening possibly the best driver since AS. When RB was given some open reigns when MS already had his championship in the bag, you saw what RB could do..

I dont blame people to come out and call RB mediocre now, familiarity breeds contempt, and we've all grown familiar with RB over the last 5 years, we've all grown familiar with RB gain polls, 10 to be exact in the last 3 years, or to come from 20th place to place 2nd, overtake guys in corners no one could even think of, fake guys out so bad they didnt even know if they should slow down or speed up, and then have to "slow up" under team direction not to threaten MS, or even slow down to an almost stop before the checkered flag so MS could get his points. So although youre right RB never threatened MS, It seems apparently clear he would never have been allowed to. ;)

And remember as much as RB has done in the last 5 years it was always as a #2 man. And although Im not one of these guys to call somebody mediocre just because theyre not the top guy, its good to see people like that will always exist. haha...
 
#10 ·
HenryKrinkle said:
Man... If you think RB has always been mediocre.. thats your opinion, but to say RB never threatened MS tells me how little you know about Ferrari politics, they would never ever have let RB threaten their golden boy. And lets just say Ferrari gave both drivers equal ground youre still talking about threatening possibly the best driver since AS. When RB was given some open reigns when MS already had his championship in the bag, you saw what RB could do..


And remember as much as RB has done in the last 5 years it was always as a #2 man. And although Im not one of these guys to call somebody mediocre just because theyre not the top guy, its good to see people like that will always exist. haha...
I didn't say he was mediocre because he wasn't the top guy, I said he was mediocre because it is my opinion. I still like him. But I don't think he can ever be champion. Regardless of politics, he would never threaten MS for anything.
 
#12 · (Edited)
74GTVEEE said:
HenryKrinkle said:
Man... If you think RB has always been mediocre.. thats your opinion, but to say RB never threatened MS tells me how little you know about Ferrari politics, QUOTE]

Actually I know enough about Ferrari politics to form my opinion. If it differs from yours then so be it.
You implied RB was mediocre because he never threatened MS at Ferrari.

"I didn't think RB just became a mediocre driver, but I think he was always a mediocre driver. He had the best car in the world for 5 years and never threatened MS once. Perphaps I should not judge him against the best ever..."

Which I obviously dispelled as a ridiculous claim because RB was contractually not ABLE to threaten MS, so how could he? This doesnt have to do with your opinion vs. mine on this point, its just wrong. Unless youre still saying RB never threatened MS at Ferrari? then yes I guess we would still have different opinions about that.. :p

But back to your opinion vs. mine on whether or not RB is a mediocre driver, last time ive checked Merriam's, hah, the word mediocre means...

: of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance : ordinary.

Well we know what Rubens value was to Ferrari over the last 5 seasons, count up the constructor's championships..unless youre just going to ignore his points?.. Or are you going to argue the car did it? Thats an easy out. The car that RB tested along with MS? Did RB just test the car and come back in and say "Its verrii good, just give me Micaeel's setup" haha. Or maybe Massa's? :p

Ordinary..

He averaged a 2.75 place in the driver's championship over the last 4 seasons of Ferrari, in an average field of 20 thats a very very high percentile in a class of near superhuman drivers in their own right. So even using calculative figures you can see Rubens is exceptional. not ordinary.

And if you still argue he is mediocre then I would have to say you cannot see the facts, you just want to stick by your opinion because its yours, or you just dont like Ruben for whatever reason. His "driving" style perhaps? hah. I mean what do you base mediocre for race car drivers? its all about winning and points, and the #s dont lie. I promise you ;) thats one mediocre driver Id like to have on my team.

And again, you take out MS at the top, (which obviously is impossible) where would RB have been? he was 2nd in championship points as a #2 team driver (used to block other drivers, slow up the rest of the field, do the "dirty work" if you will) for a couple of those years... so you dont just call guys who arent at the top mediocre? I ask again.. Or do you just wait till theyre past their primes , teams are losing, to call them that?
 
#13 ·
I've been racking my brain trying to remember the race where Rubens displayed even a whif of brilliance. Someone, anyone help out so I can fish that VHS out and watch it again.
 
#15 · (Edited)
HenryKrinkle said:
Ordinary..
Yep.
He averaged a 2.75 place in the driver's championship over the last 4 seasons of Ferrari, in an average field of 20 thats a very very high percentile in a class of near superhuman drivers in their own right. So even using calculative figures you can see Rubens is exceptional. not ordinary.
Your logic is forgetting that for MOST of the last 4 years there have ONLY been 2 competitive cars on the grid ... both Ferraris, thus any old monkey could have average 2.75 place in the driver's WC.

RB is no racing driver, he is fast but that is all. Ferrari will NOT miss him and BAR will only gain from his car setup experience NOT his speed. Infact I really do wonder if he will ever race a BAR ... ?

Pete
ps: I do though 100% agree with this comment:
... but to say RB never threatened MS tells me how little you know about Ferrari politics, they would never ever have let RB threaten their golden boy.
But RB could have atleast trailed him, or beaten him in testing and MADE the team look at him ... but he just does have enough competitive spirit.

If you are hired as a number 2, but constantly out perform the number 1, I do not care who it is, even MS, the team will eventually take notice. RB is simply not good enough and 99% of the drivers on the F1 grid could have put in the same mediocre performances RB did for 99% of the time.

After all Irvine did and he is just as average in his ability.
 
#16 ·
Rubens just gave up the ride of his life.I don't think he has the "go for the throat instinct" that it takes to be a great driver.Rubens good,by all means,great,hell no.Ferrari 's performance can be judged by Rubens results,they're average.It takes someone like Shumacher to make a average car shine,thats why he's a world champ.See ya Rubens,watch out for Button.
 
#17 ·
Still looking for one of Ruben's magical drives ...
With the snore of F1 leaving Ferrari, and the new spark in three other teams, 2005 must be the best season in recent years. Ferrari has been in its own class for years and sadly Rubens lacked the ability and to a much lesser degree, the political will, to give F1 fans a good show.

An example of an average drive getting it right goes back to 1999. MS was out with an injury so a rusty Mika Salo stepped in behind Irvine and finished on the podium in Italy. Those points secured Ferrari's constructor points for that year.

Rubens has been a great #2 man and a lousy F1 driver.
 
#18 ·
I wasnt even gonna respond to your message but its just so funny I kinda have to... Lets start with contradictions, not on point but within one sentence...
PSk
"RB is no racing driver, he is fast but that is all."


HUH?
So to be a racing driver you must drive slow?
AAhh.. I know, youre still infatuated with those days of beautiful sweeping hands along the steering wheel, graceful slides, and the like.. Long gone man.. Balls out, and thats about it haha. Sorry to be crude but fast and fast alone wins.

Or are you saying RB doesnt have those great Driver "moves"? haha I hate to tell you this, but today's great F1 driving is consistency, winning, and points, thats it.. The days of Lauda and Senna are all over....It sucks but its true, Overtaking rarely happens, and I can guarantee you there have been more "moments" provided by RB then MS in the last few years, who had basically been on rails and rode it home pretty much every race of their winning seasons.

It sounds like youre just trying to make things "fit" into your opinion that RB was Ordinary over the last 5 years when the facts, championships, points, and races are all on record unfortunately and prove to the contrary Im sorry. :(

But its ok, dont worry there is help for you yet,(but probably not) you see you are afflicted with what a lot of other people suffer as well, its called Front Runner syndrome. Its when someone likes the Best Guy or there is an easily identifiable Best Guy in their respective field, in this case (MS), and anyone who isnt MS is just sub par, ordinary, or mediocre.. It happens in almost every Sport, Boxing, Baseball, etc.. There are boxing fans who like that one Champion who is undefeated and anyone under the champion is a "bum", "ordinary", or "nobody" until that champion gets beat and than its well "who did he fight?"

And whats even more amazing is who these guys will finally succumb to as being "Great" besides the best guy, you got it, the young, on a hot streak players, so let me ask you who would you call great? let me guess... Rakkionen, Button?

Now in no way am I comparing RB to MS, not at all, I know MS is the best, but I also have actually watched F1 for the last 5 years, and have seen the car develop under both MS and you got it..RB. And anyone who asks well when has RB been "Brilliant" perhaps hasnt watched F1 for about 10 years, because, to be "Brilliant" in F1 is by doing two things, being consistently fast and having a consistent, fast car... What are any recent "Brilliant" moment in F1? When Mika faked out MS at Silverstone in like 01? MS slowing up to an almost stop in the tunnel of Monte Carlo and then blaming Montoya. hahha

PSk
"But RB could have atleast trailed him, or beaten him in testing and MADE the team look at him ... but he just does have enough competitive spirit."


First off, any driver who willing to risk an entire race, with a guaranteed podium finish, overtaking a driver on the last curve of the last lap.. Has competitive spirit, anyone who says RB lacks competitive spirit I think are somehow locked onto the moments when RB had to let MS pass him.

Second, Why would Ferrari have to take a look at him? haha HE WAS their #2 team driver!! haha. Unless MS fell off a cliff there was no further look they needed at RB then that they got everyday, and no more information they needed for testing then that they got everyday, He was #2, contractually, Ferrari thoroughly dominated F1 for the last 5 years. With MS #1, and RB #2, why rock that boat when RB was able to get poll and win a race? I mean what are you trying to say? Do you honestly think when RB won a poll, won the race, set fast laps within that race as he did more then a few times, that this wasnt enough for Ferrari to take a look (of their already driver makes no sense but trying to follow your logic) at him? Of course but MS was #1 team driver, and was/is the best driver in the world... and thats that.

And again, if its not the top, then its mediocre.. your own validation is here...

PSk
"If you are hired as a number 2, but constantly out perform the number 1, I do not care who it is, even MS, the team will eventually take notice."


Nobody could challenge MS in the last 5 years, the dude was/is in his prime, so in testing if RB was not able to challenge him he therefore must be mediocre by this logic.

And I am oh..so.. glad you brought up Mr. Irvine, as to compare RB to Irvine makes sense.. haha

I was hoping somebody would.. I would admit he had a lot of machismo, but was in no way comparable to RB, but since you put your foot in your mouth ill just show you Irvine's #'s instead..

Grand Prix Record

Starts: 146
Poles: 0
Wins: 4
Fastest laps: 1
Podium finishes: 24
Points: 191

Thats record, now for RB?

Starts: 195
Poles: 13
Wins: 9
Fastest laps: 15
Podium finishes: 61
Points: 481

PSk
"After all Irvine did and he is just as average in his ability."


Ill bet you Irvine would love to have RB's abilities. hah. I was a fan like most of Irvine for his ability to drive off the track and back on, without blinking an eye, run into the back of other drivers and then give THEM the finger, hah, but when the driver drives crazy he's reckless and no good (Irvine), and when he comes out and does his job over and over again, hes boring (RB).

If you and your Henchman want to stand by RB being Ordinary you can do it all you want, Ive learned in the past not to try and continue to argue with someone who is stuck on someone being ordinary when they've proven to be anything other then that. But when they do become old, or weighted, the sharks all come out to say.. I told you so.

This is obviously a RB hater thread. which is fine, I dont even care if you dont like RB, Im not an RB Fan, im standing up for him because people like to jump on guys as average because thats easy when youre not the Top. You think he's a "snore", as opposed to who? MS? MS has the personality of a slug, it doesnt have anything to do with his driving. But with MS, unreal driving ability, smooth, uneventful driving that wins races is championed, but when the #2 guy does it its a snore..

And take a look at that Front Runner thing.. You might find it interesting.. heres the newest hilarious example of it..
Velocess
"With the snore of F1 leaving Ferrari, and the new spark in three other teams, 2005 must be the best season in recent years. Ferrari has been in its own class for years and sadly Rubens lacked the ability and to a much lesser degree, the political will, to give F1 fans a good show."


The reason Ferrari had been in a class of its own was in part due to RB's points, but he didnt give a good show? You guys act like the #2 guy is supposed to be a circus act behind the band leader. hah. He got a LOT of points and was consistently good.

Velocess
"An example of an average drive getting it right goes back to 1999. MS was out with an injury so a rusty Mika Salo stepped in behind Irvine and finished on the podium in Italy. Those points secured Ferrari's constructor points for that year.

Rubens has been a great #2 man and a lousy F1 driver."


This is the all time best response I could have asked for to support Front Runner Syndrome, see above for definition, so the ONE guy you could bring up to argue against RB was the guy who filled MS shoes, TOP GUY talentwise, when he was out!! hhahah. that's too funny, what you failed to mention is Salo's first race with Ferrari, was ended after 3 laps when amateurishly smashing into Johnny Herbert. Hey who could blame him for being a little jittery in his first run in the big red machine...
Do you think Ferrari doesnt know who has the right stuff? Do you think they couldnt have gotten Salo (who now races with sauber haha), if they wanted after Irvine?

I think I've proven by using your own conclusions as to calling RB ordinary, of low value, and low performer to be wrong, but if you want to keep on, talking about how the cars were just too good for the rest of the field, the red paint was too glaring confusing the other drivers, the gremlins pushed Rubens into a 2.75 average of the last 4 seasons, Todt used his gypsy powers to will RB over the finish line, whatever it takes to deny Ruben his stake and claim as an extra ordinary race car driver of the last 5 years, and being an instrumental key to Ferrari's constructor championships in the last few years, is your choice, but I just respect drivers who challenge and work hard and prove themselves, you could say, I just look at the obvious.....

Then again, the same people calling RB average are the same who positively KNEW this would be another Ferrari sweep year, until the season started and then they all chimed in about how they knew Ferrari wasnt going to win because of their tires...on earlier threads of this year... experts... haha
 
#19 ·
Kringle...

These are opinions, just opinions. Why are you so intent on attempting changing someones opinions with these statistics? RB is still mediocre in my OPINION and it seems that lots others believe so as well. Still I like him but I think there are much better drivers out there. RB will still be mediocre at BAR too.
 
#21 ·
I've always liked Rubens but there is no way he is a match for MS. To walk from the best team in F1 (based on recent history) when they are having a bad season shows a lack of intelligence and finally admitting that he will not beat MS in an identical car. The politics are, if he was faster than MS then he would be number 1. It's the way it is, and will always be. The teams put their weight and resources behind their fastest driver. Look at how Kimi has wrested control of the team solely on his ability and not his experience.

There were races when he was faster than MS, and there were times he had to pull over for the sake of the team to let MS win. But if he was leading the championship at the time it would not happen. He was in a team and job that most people would give their souls to be in, but he has chosen to walk. Perhaps time will tell it is a good move, but I don't think so.
 
#23 ·
Probably a fair judgement of where Ferrari are is where Rubens is. Michael Schumacher is lifting the Ferrari above and beyond.
Ferrari have got a problem in that there is no (top) driver who is prepared to sit behind Michael for a period of unknown duration, whether it's one year or six years, for the chance of being the leader.

You can have the two best drivers in your team but what if they do not get along??
Better to have a Schumacher and a driver who is capable securing second place
which is depressing for the other teams and helps a team winning the Manufacturers Championship.

I still pity Rubens. He is a very nice bloke and not at all like Robocop Michael.
It is likely that he will be remembered as MS pet dog. I sure hope he will provide
us with some exiting driving next year and even be a bit desperado whilst overtaking Schumacher.
 
#24 ·
HenryKrinkle said:
PSk
"But RB could have atleast trailed him, or beaten him in testing and MADE the team look at him ... but he just does have enough competitive spirit."


First off, any driver who willing to risk an entire race, with a guaranteed podium finish, overtaking a driver on the last curve of the last lap.. Has competitive spirit, anyone who says RB lacks competitive spirit I think are somehow locked onto the moments when RB had to let MS pass him.
Krinkle,

What you obviously do NOT know is that Todt and Ferrari had to constantly scream down the radio at RB to force him to make that pass at the French GP ... he kept replying that it was not worth the risk.

As I say he is not a winner. Just my opinion ... but I suggest you hire him for your race team, I won't for mine :)
Pete
 
#26 ·
I think that the bottom line is... there are... or were... probably a handfull of drivers on the grid that could have done the job, if not a better job, that RB did in the car that Ferrari had over the past five years, but believed in themselves too much to ever put themselves 2nd fiddle to Micheal as their contract would probably stipulate. The part that really stinks is... that there is... or was... probably a driver that could have gone to Ferrari and challanged Micheal. After all... Micheal was an exceptional driver in an exceptional car with a teamate that was always designated contractually as the #2... unlike other Champions... but that's not what this thread is about.