Ferrari needs to begin favouring one driver over the other, argues former F1 ace Ralf Schumacher - or else risk handing the world championship crown over to McLaren-Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.
Ferrari should nominate one of its two drivers as number one now the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship season is entering its second half - that is the view of former grand prix winner Ralf Schumacher.
Both defending world champion Kimi Raikkonen and team-mate Felipe Massa are currently tied on points with McLaren-Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton atop the drivers' standings post-Silverstone, and Schumacher - whose elder brother Michael was invariably Ferrari's number one from 1996 to 2006 - believes the Scuderia must now pin its hopes on one of the two if it is not to risk the pair's internecine battling give too many points away to the Briton.
"Gradually now Ferrari has to commit itself to a number one," Mercedes' current DTM ace and former Jordan, Williams and Toyota F1 pilot told German newspaper Bild.
Both Hamilton - whose own team-mate Heikki Kovalainen has amassed just half of his points' total so far, after suffering appalling ill-fortune over the opening nine races of the 2008 season - and former three-time world champion Niki Lauda, however, disagree with Schumacher's assessment, arguing that the fact that Ferrari has two equally competitive drivers in title contention can only be of benefit to the team.
"I think it's an advantage," Hamilton stated, "because it pushes the team towards the constructors' championship. It can't be bad for them."
"For Ferrari there is no hurry [to select a number one]," concurred Austrian Lauda, two of whose crowns were clinched with the Maranello-based concern. "Only if one of them drops back clearly do I think they will go fully behind one driver."
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Everyones getting in on this years race to be champion, Ralph is looking at it for a double win for Ferrari, Driver and Constructor Championships. Cut out one of the two Ferrari drivers and the odds are better, I wonder what he would say if it was he in this position and he drew the short straw! Its a sport and a race, fastest wins, and thats just how it should be, otherwise whats the point of teams having two drivers?
that's absurdity and stupid suggestion from ralph schumacher!! kimi and felipe should have the same competitive car and the team should not favor only one of them because it will affect the performance of the other knowing that the team is not giving him the full support that he needed.. let them battle it out and fight for the drivers championship and im sure both of them will bring the constructors trophy for the team and we will who really is the better and great driver between the two..
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