Nick Fry struggles with reality

[Steven Roy]

http://formula1sport.net/formula-1/fry-excuses-barrichello-for-pointless-2007/

In an article about Rubens Barrichello's lack of motivation last season Mr Fry said "I fully accept that after 15 years in formula one, when we have presented him with a car that is less than fully competitive, it may sometimes be hard for him to maximise his motivation,”

Less than fully competitive.  It was useless.  The BMW was less than fully competitive and there is a long way between BMW and Honda.  How can he be expected to sort the team out if he can't bring himself to say the car was rubbish?

[cosworth151]

http://formula1sport.net/formula-1/fry-excuses-barrichello-for-pointless-2007/
Less than fully competitive.  It was useless.

Not so, Steven! The RA 107 was very useful. For most of the season, it kept my lads at Super Aguri from being at the bottom of the points!

[John S]

http://formula1sport.net/formula-1/fry-excuses-barrichello-for-pointless-2007/


Less than fully competitive.  It was useless. 

Harsh words indeed Steven for any team Principal to swallow, however it's talk just like this that lets Rubins off the hook.

It's not the lack of the word racing in the description of the performance of last years Honda that is the only problem, it's also appears a fact that all Barrichello's long experience in F1 was very little help in solving the problems. I was under the impression teams employed mature experienced drivers to help move the development foward.

Jenson at least improved his and their performance by year end. So perhaps Nick Fry is being diplomatic towards the team and it's pilot.

[Scott]

C'mon, Rubens is done.  He's just nursing from the teet, building equity, until someone cuts him off.  He has struggled his entire time at Honda, and not just because of the car.  Someone (Fry?) should put him out to pasture and let a young gun jump in the race seat.  I still think it would be far more sensible to exchange him for Davidson at SA until Ruby's contract runs out.

[Steven Roy]

How do you know which driver if any was reponsible for improving the car.  Just because Jenson was faster doesn't mean he found technical solutions.  Give Barichello a decent car and he will surprise the people who have written him off.

The reason Honda had a bad car was nothing to do with drivers.  The problems within the company are in management and technical.  Ross Brawn should be able to sort them out unless Honda do to him what Toyota did to Gascoyne.

[Steven Roy]

I hate when someone comes up with a line I should have thought of bu the Gravel Trap on ITV F1 hit the nail on the head.  Calling the 2007 Honda less than fully competitive is like saying the Titanic was not fully water-tight.

[Dare]

I think Ruebens had the misfortune of spending
his early years in uncompetive cars and then he
went to Ferrari and had the opportunity to shine
there was MS and team orders.

As far as Button out performing makes me remember
when Rueben's pit informed him Button said he was 2 seconds
a lap faster and Rubino said"don't make me laugh"

[John S]

How do you know which driver if any was reponsible for improving the car.  Just because Jenson was faster doesn't mean he found technical solutions. 

If Barrechello did improve the car , and you are quite right we shouldn't jump to conclusions, why oh why did he not use the extra speed he had found?

When he was at Ferrarri Rubens, for my money, was never Shuey's equal in any sense of the word and not just because he had number 2 status. He had flashes of brilliance of course but to be a world champ you have to have more than occasional good weekends.

I could be wrong but I think Honda's plan when they signed Barrechello was for him to support Jenson so they could secure the constructors title if Jens missed the driver's one.

Most teams have a pecking order for drivers, some by design the rest by the results that start to make the relative positions obvious. This can change over time, sometimes quite rapidly as at Mclaren last year, however the teams would be mad not to maximise potential on the one most likely to get the job done,