LellaLombardi wrote:Whitmarsh is a tool. Perez has had too many other good results for this current run of form to be anything other than a dip. Every driver has them, but it is vital that McLaren support him. I'm getting seriously fed up with the repeated self-important "Lewis will regret this". It's Lewis's life, he may never end up getting what he wants results wise at Mercedes but I can understand why he would feel the need to leave McLaren.
It also comes across as a slightly vindictive parting shot from Whitmarsh, which doesn't reflect well on the team. What I also find slightly disingenuous is Whitmarsh's comment that Hamilton shouldn't have rushed into his decision to leave after the Singapore GP - asides from the fact that I have the impression that his relationship with McLaren was already breaking down a number of months before that point, McLaren's decision to sign Perez after the Singapore GP was done in a hell of a rush too (something which has now had some observers question the wisdom of considering his recent run of form).
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning: "The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
If you add the speculation of Kamui Kobayashi, Jaime Alguersuari and Adrian Sutil, we have 12 drivers fighting for a seat
But the news said also, FI discard the pay drivers and the veterans of the list. Buemi, Alguersuari and Sutil are the favourites.
If Rodolfo Gonzalez got a seat over Jaime Alguersuari at FI, I'd find Vijay Mallya's house and put a turd through his letterbox.
Mitch Hedberg wrote:I want to be a race car passenger: just a guy who bugs the driver. Say man, can I turn on the radio? You should slow down. Why do we gotta keep going in circles? Man, you really like Tide...
sswishbone wrote:Daimler are part of Chrysler aren't they? So could lead to some support promoting stateside?
Used to be, they merged in 1999 but Daimler sold Chrysler off in 2007 when things went pear-shaped for the US car industry. Daimler are of course Mercedes' parent company so in effect, the F1 team are now a fully backed manufacturer. What this does mean is Daimler has the freedom now to do whatever it wants with the team without having to get the agreement of other stakeholders, but in the short term I can't see much changing.
Wizzie wrote:And anyone who even thinks of rating Razia, Valsecchi or Ceccotto Jr as F1 material is either clinically insane or having a laugh.
Or, at least as far as Ceccotto goes, needs money as Mallya's dubious situation and the insistance of squeezing more dosh out of Aerolab and Caterham would imply to at least partially be the case at Force India. From what I know Valsecchi is also not amongst the poorest drivers out there. Money does make the world go round.
Wizzie wrote: And anyone who even thinks of rating Razia, Valsecchi or Ceccotto Jr as F1 material is either clinically insane or having a laugh.
Couldn't agree more. And I will go even further by saying that this GP2 season has been frankly poor, driver wise. Even Felipe Nasr disappointed me...
I expect GP2 to be shuffled a bit next year. I would imagine that we'd get a fair few GP3 grads next year (Evans, Abt, Vainio, and maybe even Ellinas and Ceccon) which should definitely freshen things up. Alexander Rossi says he's looking for a GP2 seat for next year too.
Mitch Hedberg wrote:I want to be a race car passenger: just a guy who bugs the driver. Say man, can I turn on the radio? You should slow down. Why do we gotta keep going in circles? Man, you really like Tide...
Wizzie wrote: And anyone who even thinks of rating Razia, Valsecchi or Ceccotto Jr as F1 material is either clinically insane or having a laugh.
Couldn't agree more. And I will go even further by saying that this GP2 season has been frankly poor, driver wise. Even Felipe Nasr disappointed me...
I expect GP2 to be shuffled a bit next year. I would imagine that we'd get a fair few GP3 grads next year (Evans, Abt, Vainio, and maybe even Ellinas and Ceccon) which should definitely freshen things up. Alexander Rossi says he's looking for a GP2 seat for next year too.
I expect Adrian Quaife-Hobbs to do well if he gets a drive [/fanboyism]
aerond wrote:Yes RDD, but we always knew you never had any sort of taste either
tommykl wrote:I have a shite car and meme sponsors, but Corrado Fabi will carry me to the promised land with the power of Lionel Richie.
DanielPT wrote: Couldn't agree more. And I will go even further by saying that this GP2 season has been frankly poor, driver wise. Even Felipe Nasr disappointed me...
I expect GP2 to be shuffled a bit next year. I would imagine that we'd get a fair few GP3 grads next year (Evans, Abt, Vainio, and maybe even Ellinas and Ceccon) which should definitely freshen things up. Alexander Rossi says he's looking for a GP2 seat for next year too.
I expect Adrian Quaife-Hobbs to do well if he gets a drive [/fanboyism]
Considering he spent his half-season at FR3.5 destroying the rest of the field there (that field which included one Jules Bianchi, who would have won the title easily if he was actually physically capable of stringing more than half a season together), he'll probably have no problem being right up there for the title if he switched to GP2. However, he's probably better off doing a full campaign at FR3.5 considering both categories have a similar field quality right now and he has more experience in the car.
EDIT: Turns out I got Quaife-Hobbs and Da Costa mixed up. I'll take my reject of the thread award now
Biscione wrote:"Some Turkemenistani gulag repurposed for residential use" is the best way yet I've heard to describe North / East Glasgow.
BaconLettuceNinja wrote:I expect GP2 to be shuffled a bit next year. I would imagine that we'd get a fair few GP3 grads next year (Evans, Abt, Vainio, and maybe even Ellinas and Ceccon) which should definitely freshen things up. Alexander Rossi says he's looking for a GP2 seat for next year too.
I expect Adrian Quaife-Hobbs to do well if he gets a drive [/fanboyism]
Considering he spent his half-season at FR3.5 destroying the rest of the field there (that field which included one Jules Bianchi, who would have won the title easily if he was actually physically capable of stringing more than half a season together), he'll probably have no problem being right up there for the title if he switched to GP2. However, he's probably better off doing a full campaign at FR3.5 considering both categories have a similar field quality right now and he has more experience in the car.
EDIT: Turns out I got Quaife-Hobbs and Da Costa mixed up. I'll take my reject of the thread award now
(Gives Wizzie his award)
I think Da Costa will be in a Toro Rosso in 2014, if not sooner.
aerond wrote:Yes RDD, but we always knew you never had any sort of taste either
tommykl wrote:I have a shite car and meme sponsors, but Corrado Fabi will carry me to the promised land with the power of Lionel Richie.
If anyone can drag that pile of garbage STR to a good result, it will surely be Da Costa. One more season in FR3.5, win the title, move to STR and destroy Vergne or Ricciardo (whoever doesn't get sacked) for a year and then move up to the senior team and win WDC. Simples.
Novitopoli wrote:Everytime someone orders at Pizza Hut, an Italian dies.
Wizzie wrote: Considering he spent his half-season at FR3.5 destroying the rest of the field there (that field which included one Jules Bianchi, who would have won the title easily if he was actually physically capable of stringing more than half a season together), he'll probably have no problem being right up there for the title if he switched to GP2. However, he's probably better off doing a full campaign at FR3.5 considering both categories have a similar field quality right now and he has more experience in the car.
EDIT: Turns out I got Quaife-Hobbs and Da Costa mixed up. I'll take my reject of the thread award now
(Gives Wizzie his award)
I think Da Costa will be in a Toro Rosso in 2014, if not sooner.
I almost certain that Da Costa will do a full campaign in FR3.5. And after obliterating the field in Macau GP (which by the way, was a very dark weekend for Motorsport, RIP to Phillip Yau Wing-Choi and Luis Carreira...), my guess is that if he does well, he will be rushed into a Toro Rosso seat (after a few Friday sessions) as early as next season. Don't get me wrong, usually, for a Portuguese, I would be very excited by this, but it happens that I rate Da Costa highly and I think that he is probably the most talented Portuguese driver around and, quite possibly, of all time (at least in open wheel formulae), so I would prefer him to spend more time around junior levels to gather some more experience.
Colin Kolles on F111, 2011 HRT challenger: The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car.
DanielPT wrote:Don't get me wrong, usually, for a Portuguese, I would be very excited by this, but it happens that I rate Da Costa highly and I think that he is probably the most talented Portuguese driver around and, quite possibly, of all time (at least in open wheel formulae), so I would prefer him to spend more time around junior levels to gather some more experience.
And when he gets shafted by Red Bull you'll know how the Aussies and French feel Da Costa is a very talented driver, but the major problem is that he has to fight the Red Bull young driver program. As much as I'd like to think Vettel will leave RBR in 2014, it ain't gonna happen while Newey's around, which means that the best Ricciardo, Vergne and Da Costa can possibly do is to either be the next Webber, or try to find their way to another team.
Wizzie wrote: Considering he spent his half-season at FR3.5 destroying the rest of the field there (that field which included one Jules Bianchi, who would have won the title easily if he was actually physically capable of stringing more than half a season together), he'll probably have no problem being right up there for the title if he switched to GP2. However, he's probably better off doing a full campaign at FR3.5 considering both categories have a similar field quality right now and he has more experience in the car.
EDIT: Turns out I got Quaife-Hobbs and Da Costa mixed up. I'll take my reject of the thread award now
(Gives Wizzie his award)
I think Da Costa will be in a Toro Rosso in 2014, if not sooner.
I almost certain that Da Costa will do a full campaign in FR3.5. And after obliterating the field in Macau GP (which by the way, was a very dark weekend for Motorsport, RIP to Phillip Yau Wing-Choi and Luis Carreira...), my guess is that if he does well, he will be rushed into a Toro Rosso seat (after a few Friday sessions) as early as next season. Don't get me wrong, usually, for a Portuguese, I would be very excited by this, but it happens that I rate Da Costa highly and I think that he is probably the most talented Portuguese driver around and, quite possibly, of all time (at least in open wheel formulae), so I would prefer him to spend more time around junior levels to gather some more experience.
Easy now - you don't want to tempt fate by throwing around too many superlatives at this stage of his career, because a great number of talented drivers have crashed and burned when trying to step up into a senior formula. Still, I agree that the most likely scenario is that Red Bull will push Da Costa into a seat sooner rather than later at Toro Rosso - it'll probably be the case that he alternates with Ricciardo and Vergne on Friday mornings to get some time in a seat (like Bianchi at Force India), then whichever driver is judged to be performing worst will get kicked out midway through the 2013 season (going by Red Bull's normal policy with its drivers). That way, given that the FR3.5 series doesn't clash with the F1 schedule too much, Da Costa can compete within FR3.5 and build up his experience there whilst getting enough mileage in a contemporary F1 car for him to be a viable replacement at short notice.
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning: "The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
mario wrote:Easy now - you don't want to tempt fate by throwing around too many superlatives at this stage of his career, because a great number of talented drivers have crashed and burned when trying to step up into a senior formula.
Considering that we've had Nicha Cabral, Pedro Chaves, Pedro Lamy, all three of them rejects and one lucky bastard called Tiago Monteiro, I would say it is not that difficult to be an all time great in Portugal. From those 4 I would say that Lamy is the most talented and his sports car career speaks for itself. From the lot who were recently in the lower formulae, Alvaro Parente career is now sports car, so he is good as over as an F1 prospect and Filipe Albuquerque's one has pretty much stalled at DTM. Quite possibly due to not enough funding despite his fluke win in RoC. Anyway, none of them have the winning pedigree that Da Costa has in his CV. That is why I used those superlatives. It is a lack of standard really.
Colin Kolles on F111, 2011 HRT challenger: The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car.
JeremyMcClean wrote:Frankly, the lack of talent just screams why Robert Wickens deserves a F1 drive
This. He beat Vergne to the FR3.5 title last year, why did he deserve a drive over Wickens?
Because Vergne was part of the Red Bull Young Driver Program and Wickens wasn't.
Actually Wickens was part of the Red Bull Young Driver Program for a couple of years but was dumped when Red Bull shuffle the drivers on the program (Only Hartley, Ricciardo and Vergne stayed on while Juncadella, Aleshin, Mäki and Wickens left. The year after, Kvyat and Sainz Jr joined in).
Colin Kolles on F111, 2011 HRT challenger: The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car.
If Rubens was really willing to drive for the cost of travel and stuff at the gp weekends surely cheaper for teams to take him on? unless his jet is fuelled by the tears of an un tainted pure forum member
EDIT - Wurz buys HRT hires Rubens to go along side Pedro takes on Klein & Ma for fp fridays
Fetzie on Ferrari wrote:How does a driver hurtling around a race track while they're sous-viding in their overalls have a better understanding of the race than a team of strategy engineers in an air-conditioned room?l
The Sauber F1 Team has finalised its line-up for the 2013 season: Esteban Gutiérrez is confirmed as the team’s second race driver. The 21-year old Mexican will be driving alongside Nico Hülkenberg (GER). Robin Frijns, from the Netherlands, who is only two days younger than Esteban, has been taken on board as the team’s test and reserve driver.
Charles Pic has today been announced as one of Caterham F1 Team's race drivers for the 2013 season and beyond. The talented French driver joins the Anglo/Malaysian team on a multi-year contract after impressing in his first season in the Formula 1 World Championship.
Charles Pic has today been announced as one of Caterham F1 Team's race drivers for the 2013 season and beyond. The talented French driver joins the Anglo/Malaysian team on a multi-year contract after impressing in his first season in the Formula 1 World Championship.
Now THAT I didn't expect. Good on the kid for getting the gig though. Hopefully Caterham won't give him a pile of excrement to work with so he can mix it up with the midfield on a semi-regular basis next year.
Biscione wrote:"Some Turkemenistani gulag repurposed for residential use" is the best way yet I've heard to describe North / East Glasgow.
That came from way beyond left field,but good on the kid.Seeing how he has done well to keep pace with Glock,who I consider to be very good,I hope this kid is the right Pic for Caterham.Cue barrage of Pic puns in 5,4,3,2...
My friend's USB drive spoiled, spilled tea on her laptop and had a bird poo in her hand.
Charles Pic has today been announced as one of Caterham F1 Team's race drivers for the 2013 season and beyond. The talented French driver joins the Anglo/Malaysian team on a multi-year contract after impressing in his first season in the Formula 1 World Championship.
Now THAT I didn't expect. Good on the kid for getting the gig though. Hopefully Caterham won't give him a pile of excrement to work with so he can mix it up with the midfield on a semi-regular basis next year.
It would be very ironic if Marussia turned out to be better than Caterham next year. And given their recent form, that might not be that improbable...
Colin Kolles on F111, 2011 HRT challenger: The car doesn't look too bad; it looks like a modern F1 car.
