eytl wrote:Thinks to self: "Thank goodness Captain Hammer doesn't have moderator or admin powers ..."
But seriously, assuming that this is still Kamui's first season, the problem with Japanese drivers has always been the follow-up album. Satoru Nakajima in 1988 was rubbish after a decent 1987. Aguri Suzuki in 1991 was rubbish after a very good 1990 including that memorable Suzuka podium. Ukyo Katayama was rubbish in 1995 after his brilliant 1994 when I reckon he could have scored around 25 points (on the old top-six only points system). Takuma Sato was Reject of the Year in 2005 after that tremendous 2004. Yuji Ide was rubbish after ... actually, screw that, he was just rubbish full stop.
I await Kamui's activity in 2011 (a nod to the Germgarian podcast if you haven't listened to it ... shame on you!) with baited breath.
You could also add on Kazuki Nakajima, potentially - he had a 6th place, two 7th's and two 8th's in his first season, which was not too shabby - Rosberg's two podium finishes that year were heavily influenced by good luck (the 3rd place in Australia owed a lot to attrition, and his 2nd place in Singapore was in part due to the safety car rules that year, and the very slow response of the stewards), and the only other points finishes that Rosberg picked up in 2008 were three 8th's. But, by comparison, his 2009 season was a shocker - even with points down to 8th place, he failed to score entirely, and that despite some races with a high attrition rate along the way where he might have picked up points.
I wouldn't say, though, that it is just a Japanese phenomenon - the second season has always been the hardest, in many ways, both for drivers and teams. Generally, the first season is simply about making sure that you get into the next season, often enough, and you can get away with a few poor performances (they can be excused due to inexperience, poor strategy calls or overdriving a car) but it is the second season where you are expected to do the hard work, come to the fore and deliver. For example, Bernie expects that the most vulnerable teams will fold after the year is up (when the full costs and problems of designing a new car kick in after the season is over), and there have been a number of instances where a driver has been given a second chance, only to drive poorly and be replaced the following season.
Can Kazuki stay in the sport? Well, so far, his performance at Sauber has been promising enough, following the difficult patch earlier in the year when the engine spent most of its time smoking like a Frenchman with free Gauloises. However, with most of the top teams probably ruling out any driver changes (only Petrov's seat is potentially up for grabs at Renault, and there are a lot of other drivers fighting for that seat), the best team he could probably go with is Sauber - so, he is probably just going to be battling for the lower end of the points table. It isn't a bad thing - being so competitive, it'll help forge your skills quickly, especially since the fighting is often fiercer in the mid pack then the front (where the drivers are, naturally, more cautious - or at least normally they are - because they have more to loose if something goes wrong).
Now, there is a good chance that Sauber may replace De La Rosa at the end of the season - I can't imagine that the team will be pleased with him throwing away a point at Spa, and he has struggled to match Kobayashi throughout the season during the races. If they do, it is crucial that Kobayashi outscores his rival - but it is also crucial that Kobayashi, should it fall to him, shows that he can lead a team. He also has to improve on his qualifying performances - yes, his starts have been brilliant recently, but he could do so much better if he wasn't so far down the grid in the first place, as all his starts are doing is putting him back roughly where he should have been in qualifying anyway.
Does he have the potential? So far, he has the potential to at least be his country's highest points scorer if he gets a reasonable car. Does he have the consistency and leadership skills? That is harder to tell - hopefully he does, though.
