F1RWRS -- 2015 Season - ROTY voting!!!

Phoenix · Post by **Phoenix** » 21 Dec 2012, 22:03

dr-baker wrote:
Phoenix wrote:
Phoenix McAllister wrote:...

As of now, we are considering giving Tanner Jason a drive in The Stig's place, but Pippa's seat is still free while we decide who should replace her.

Pippa Mann does not have a seat at your team for the next race? As Ben Fleet is returning to Alitalia for the next race, Pippa might delay Martin McFry's return further to Foxdale by taking a seat back at her own team again, until she gets her seat back.

Oh, no, no, Pippa will driver for Aeroracing all the remainign races. I just thought that after the events of the German GP both drivers had received one-race suspensions.

Aerospeed · Post by **Aerospeed** » 21 Dec 2012, 22:26

What's wrong with The Stig exactly? He's only crashed the car once IIRC.

Phoenix · Post by **Phoenix** » 21 Dec 2012, 22:39

JeremyMcClean wrote:What's wrong with The Stig exactly? He's only crashed the car once IIRC.

There's nothing wrong with him. He actually crashed thrice, and I thought he had received a one-race suspension for triggering the first lap pileup at Norisring.

Aerond · Post by **Aerond** » 21 Dec 2012, 22:51

Pippa and Stig are entitled to race, they are suspended race bans.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Dec 2012, 00:01

Oh well, looks like Martin McFry will be back in the Foxdale in the next race after all. Lucky guy...

Aerond · Post by **Aerond** » 22 Dec 2012, 04:00

Race results and pics from 1st lap mayhem at Page 43...

tristan1117 · Post by **tristan1117** » 22 Dec 2012, 17:44

RejectSport Feature wrote:RejectSport's Near-Midseason Review

Due to production delays, we were unable to get the "midseason" review after the British Grand Prix. But we're back, and we have plenty of grades, plenty of pointed criticism and our personal opinions on the season so far. The review will be broken up by drivers and teams. First, we will run through all the drivers in the field. Then we will go through all twenty teams. And our first driver is...... Mark Dagnall!

Mark Dagnall
Team: DGN
Championship Position: 1st - 46 points
Best finish: 1st - four times

In the biggest surprise of the entire season, Mark Dagnall is leading the Drivers Championship once again. No really, it's a gigantic surprise! Okay, maybe it's not... Last year after nine rounds, Dagnall led by five points over Thomas De Bock. This year, Dagnall now leads by sixteen over Rosco Vantini despite retiring from four races! Dagnall Domination has stalled of late due to mechanical troubles but he has four race victories in the bank and one of the top three cars in the field. Statistically, Dagnall is crushing his teammate Mignolet in races but the qualifying battle is more even. Also, did you know Dagnall hasn't gotten a pole position since Macau 2013? Anyway, I would be very surprised if Dagnall is beaten.

Fictional Character Comparison: Superman.
Weakness: Kryptonite, a.k.a, mechanical failures.
Grade: A-

Rosco Vantini
Team: Jones
Championship Position: 2nd - 30 points
Best Finish: 2nd - three times

Rookies not named Mark Dagnall have not fared well in the F1RWRS over the years. The only other driver to win a race in his or her's first F1RWRS season is Aurelien Moll from 2011. However, it is increasingly likely that Vantini will win a race very soon and he might be the only major championship challenger to Dagnall at the rate things are going. Vantini has been driver of the year so far; he's quick, consistent and very, very good. If Jones' stellar reliability record continues, he could overhaul Dagnall's unreliable DGN. Out of the car, he has made a few inflammatory statements, nothing out of the ordinary for an F1RWRS driver. Vantini's success has covered up for the relative lack of new talent in the F1RWRS this year. There are forty seats in the F1RWRS! How is it possible that only four true rookies have entered the series this year? Anyway, out of this year's F2RWRS recruits, only Vantini has scored points, a stat that Don Rennis has tried to obfuscate.

Character Comparison: I don't know. He reminds of Lewis Hamilton.
Weakness: Microphones
Grade: A

Rhys Davies
Team: MRT
Championship Position: 3rd - 25 points
Best Finish: 1st - twice

Rhys Davies is lucky that he never raced in the F1RGP2C. Did John Zimmer threaten leave Benetton after his championship challenge was all but destroyed in 1994? No! He stayed and won the championship in 1995! Did Daniel Moreno threaten to leave Williams after he lost in 1995? No! He stayed and lucked out in 1996! Did Pippa Mann threaten to leave Williams after she lost the championship in 1996? Yes, and she retired in frustration at the end of the season. Okay, maybe that's a bad example. Don't worry Rhys, the only way is up for MRT! Stop complaining and drive faster! MRT's driver management may be shite but you have to make the best of a bad situation! Yes, Melrose is a jerk, but you can't just quit on the team! Alright, so the MRT is not as reliable as Melrose claimed... so what? Objectively, Davies has fallen off the wagon after his early season success. His spins and crashes have been embarrassing and he has alienated himself from his own team.

In other news, rumors continue to swirl that Nathan McKane will take the second MRT seat for 2016.

Character Comparison: Dwight Howard. Way to quit on the team, bro. (I'm talking about his Orlando experience, by the way.)
Weakness: MRT Management
Grade: B

Pippa Mann
Team: Aeroracing
Championship Position: 4th - 24 points
Best Finish: 1st - twice

Now that Pippa Mann has left the F1RWRS purgatory that is Foxdale Auto Racing Team, she looks like a completely different person. The new Aeroracing team has been competitive enough, even if the car is quite fragile. Pippa hasn't been an undisputed number one driver since her championship-winning season at AMR in 2012 (Douglas Mann was an equal partner in 2013) but her leadership is definitely assisting the fledgling Aeroracing team. Out of Mann, Davies and Vantini, only Pippa has "been there before" and knows how to compete under pressure. She's definitely someone to watch out for in the second half of the season.

Character Comparison: Madonna (You thought her career was over? NOT!)
Weakness: Ben Fleet
Grade: A-

Phillippe Nicolas
Teams: MRT, Kingfisher
Championship Position: =5th - 16 points
Best Finish: 1st - once

For some reason, the jury is still out on Phillippe Nicolas. Despite posting the most pole positions and the second most wins in 2014, Nicolas is still being shuffled around by MRT management, who seem to be obsessed with giving David Neuberg a shot in that prized MRT spot. Here's a quick trivia quiz:

1. Which driver not named "Mark Dagnall" has the most wins since 2013?
2. Which active driver has the most career pole positions? (not including Spencer)
3. How many points has David Neuberg scored in his career?

If you answered Nicolas, Nicolas and 16, you win a prize. The point is simple. For some reason, MRT lacks faith in Nicolas, even though most of his problems stem from MRT's mediocre reliability. Wasn't 2015 set up to be MRT's year? Sitting one of the best drivers in the field for David Neuberg doesn't make much sense, even if Neuberg is bringing in cash. Nicolas should not be wasting time at Kingfisher (quickly turning into MRT's driver dump) while there's a close Constructors Championship and a possible shot at the Drivers' in view. It worked out for MRT this time; Neuberg took a pole and two podiums, but they have now sabotaged any real chance at the championship for Nicolas now that Dagnall, Davies, Vantini and Mann all have three full races over Nicolas. Nicolas should be applauded for being a real team player! End rant.

Character Comparison: Greg Jennings (I put the team on my back!)
Weakness: MRT management
Grade: B+

David Neuberg
Team: MRT, Kingfisher
Championship Position: =5th - 16 points
Best Finish: 2nd - twice

However, after all I stated in defense of Nicolas, David Neuberg has done a stellar job this season. MRT's driver management may not make much sense, but their driver development program is right on target! Neuberg has been brilliant after a slow start to the season. The peculiar move to MRT for three races and his excellent podium for Kingfisher at Brands leaves the German, ironically, level on points with Nicolas. He is one of the best pay-drivers on the grid and is rapidly gaining a reputation for getting the most out of his car, building on his start at Mitie last season. He is also one of the few drivers on the grid who have substantially improved in skill during their time at the F1RWRS. Very positive stuff from David.

Character Comparison: Young Jurgen Klinsmann
Weakness: Rhys Davies and Philippe Nicolas
Grade: A-

Drivers 7-15 to come soon.

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 23 Dec 2012, 18:09

So all the F1RWRS stats pages have been updated post-Norisring. Here's a few highlights:

Thomas De Bock enjoyed his 75th race start in Germany. Douglas Mann will do the same at the next race in Belgium.

Pippa Mann has now won two races in two separate seasons, her championship-winning year, 2012 and now 2015 as well.

Bari Morii has now gone 60 race starts without a win, 13 more than second placed Daniel Martins.

Rosco Vantini is on a mission with his podium streak in 2015. He is now level with Mark Dagnall for total podiums during this season and is tied with Nicholas Steele for the most podiums without a race win - 5.

Rhys Davies is up to third overall in the number of pole positions earned, with 6. His pole and fastest lap double takes him to 4 in total, tied with Phillippe Nicholas for the record.

The 10 points Pippa Mann received for her victory at the Norisring moves her ahead of Daniel Melrose and Frank Zimmer in the total points scored table. She now has 163, leaving her third overall.

Should Kamaha qualify in Belgium, it will mark their 80th race start in the F1RWRS.

MRT now enjoy a lead of 9 in total pole positions with 21 compared to second placed Foxdale's 12.

And finally, despite scoring points for the first time in 14 races, Prospec couldn't prevent Jones Racing from assuming the lead in total points scored by an F1RWRS constructor, with 293.

Aerond · Post by **Aerond** » 23 Dec 2012, 18:50

Excellent report

Now question, what are your plans on christmas eve??

Klon · Post by **Klon** » 23 Dec 2012, 19:15

If "you" means the general you: my plan is on eliminating a bottle of Bailey's whilst playing Championship Manager 00/01. :lol:

Aerond · Post by **Aerond** » 23 Dec 2012, 19:54

Klon wrote:If "you" means the general you: my plan is on eliminating a bottle of Bailey's whilst playing Championship Manager 00/01.

Yes, it means general

But will probably run the Belgian round afterwards.

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 23 Dec 2012, 20:37

Aerond wrote:
Klon wrote:If "you" means the general you: my plan is on eliminating a bottle of Bailey's whilst playing Championship Manager 00/01.

Yes, it means general But will probably run the Belgian round afterwards.

Hahaha yes! A festive F1RWRS special! I'm sure I'll be around at some point!

Shizuka · Post by **Shizuka** » 23 Dec 2012, 21:05

Aerond wrote:Now question, what are your plans on christmas eve??

Dragon Ball Z marathon. In Hungarian dub.
But since I'm never actually on the chat due to being an outsider of some sorts, I don't count.

Aerospeed · Post by **Aerospeed** » 23 Dec 2012, 21:08

Jeremy's Slightly-Over-Midseason Report
Listed in descending order of Constructors' Championship
MRT
Positives: Their car once again has been proven to be the best in the field. Davies and Nicolas are also doing a great job. They also got David Neuberg rising in their ranks, and is surely to be in a full-time seat in the near future.
Negatives: Reliability strikes once again. Davies, especially, has failed to capitalize on Dagnall's mistakes, which results in him being behind in the championship. It also doesn't help that Davies is also leaving the team at the end of the season midway through the season!
Advice: Get Davies back on board, and/or make sure Neuberg doesn't join someone else.

DGNgineering
Positives: Anything to do with Mark Dagnall. He's either been very fast, or something's happened to him that wasn't his fault. Definitely deserving of the Drivers' Title.
Negatives: Reliability has been a stronger issue this year, given the new Chrysler engines being somehow less reliable than the turbos last year. Also, Mignolet has been very disappointing, having only scored 4 points this year, which could cost them in the Constructors'.
Advice: Not much you can do when you're leaving after this season, so maintain the course and hopefully the reliability issues will not be troublesome.

Jones Racing
Positives: Rosco Vantini is the next star of the F1RWRS. His talent is making Sammy Jones look a bit silly. The car definitely suits him and he should win the Rookie of the Year award by a landslide.
Negatives: Rosco Vantini is the next star of the F1RWRS. His talent is making Sammy Jones look a bit silly. We're wondering if this is the last season Jones is in. Considering his technique has worked for Vantini, he might have to do the same with himself...
Advice: Jones should retire after this season with dignity and honour. Although, out of the owner/driver combos in the field, Jones seems to be the better of the two...

Aeroracing
Positives: Easily earns the title of "Most Improved Team." From useless backmarkers to a possible contender for third, maybe 2nd place in the Constructors' if MRT keeps tossing away results. Pippa Mann is back in championship form, and The Stig isn't too shabby either.
Negatives: The Stig seems to have a knack of crashing out when he is in a good position. Both drivers are also victim of reliability issues.
Advice: Try to keep Pippa from going anywhere else, and see if you can tell The Stig to not keep crashing.

Gillet ENB
Positives: Once again they show that dumb luck can get you results. A good slew of points has put them into fifth place in the Constructors.
Negatives: De Bock and Moll aren't anything too special. And, they only have one podium so far. If they're not too careful, they could end up dropping like a brick...
Advice: Look for better Belgian talent in the feeder series.

Foxdale
Positives: Looks like their reliability issues have finally been solved: They've finished more than they have in 2013 and they have a decent car as well! Also, Martin McFry is looking like a great young talent, and should be a great driver in the future.
Negatives: Although he's scored a point, Douglas Mann is looking quite silly compared to McFry. He seems to be the most anonymous driver of the year.
Advice: Try to look for better options than Douglas Mann. Also, the car could be quite faster; see if the designers can think of something revolutionary.

Kamaha
Positives: Mori and Steele show no signs of wear from last season.
Negatives: The car is unreliable. Steele seems to suffer from Fisichellitis, as he is good when the car is almost falling apart, and stuck behind backmarkers when the car is miraculously glued together. The car is unreliable.
Advice: Fix the reliability problems. If not, Steele's patience might run out...

Boxtel
Positives: Battani shows good form from time to time, scoring points sometimes. Kekkonen's return also showed signs of improvement.
Negatives: Nathanael Spencer was a complete flop. Also, Kekkonen's qualifying performance is anything but spectacular, resulting in 2 DNQs and 1 DNPQ.
Advice: Tell Kekkonen to floor it during qualifying, and make sure to not hire anyone like Spencer again.

ArrowTech
Positives: Bosevic is giving his all, considering the circumstances. Signing Shinobu Katayama was also very smart, she might have saved the team from a terrible result in the Constructors' Standings.
Negatives: Reliability has been an issue, costing them valuable points. Saeed Al Faisal was a disaster, to say the least, no wonder he got sacked. Bosevic can be a tool sometimes, being miles off the pace.
Advice: Try to convince Katayama to join the team for the rest of the season, and definitely make an attempt to get a contract for 2016.

Sunshine, Prospec, HRT, Revolution, Mecha, Alitalia, Tropico, Autodynamics, Simpson and Dofasco to follow later.*

*Later possibly being the next race. I don't know.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 23 Dec 2012, 21:42

JeremyMcClean wrote:Jeremy's Slightly-Over-Midseason Report
Aeroracing
Advice: Try to keep Pippa from going anywhere else.

Foxdale
Advice: Try to look for better options than Douglas Mann.

So, Pippa runs the Foxdale team. The advice is for her to try to be retained by Aeroracing and to replace Douglas? Who better to replace her own brother at her own team but herself? Yet her best option is probably to stay at Aeroracing...

Aerospeed · Post by **Aerospeed** » 23 Dec 2012, 22:20

dr-baker wrote:
JeremyMcClean wrote:Jeremy's Slightly-Over-Midseason Report
Aeroracing
Advice: Try to keep Pippa from going anywhere else.

Foxdale
Advice: Try to look for better options than Douglas Mann.

So, Pippa runs the Foxdale team. The advice is for her to try to be retained by Aeroracing and to replace Douglas? Who better to replace her own brother at her own team but herself? Yet her best option is probably to stay at Aeroracing...

Or hire someone like Tomo Kazama to replace Douglas Mann...

tristan1117 · Post by **tristan1117** » 24 Dec 2012, 01:49

Onwards!

Thomas De Bock
Team: Gillet
Championship Position: =7th - 14 points
Best finish: 2nd - once

Consistency is key in the F1RWRS, unless you're consistently bad for a short period of time, in which case you will get fired immediately by a trigger-happy team boss. De Bock and his teammate Moll have avoided the fate of so many others, holding onto their spots with relative ease. Gillet has not made a driver change since the 2012 season, an incredible run in the volatile world of the F1RWRS. This year, De Bock has performed well despite not gracing the top step of the podium. However, a long, mundane streak of minor points finishes doesn't hurt anybody and De Bock has been rock solid once again.

Fictional Character Comparison: Kazuhiko Takagi from the F1RGP2C
Weakness: Bad waffles?
Grade: B+

Sammy Jones
Team: Jones
Championship Position: =7th - 14 points
Best finish: 3rd - twice

Sammy Jones' Checklist for 2015:
Stay ahead of Mori and McAllister in the championship. [check]
Punch McAllister in the face. [check]
Somehow get away from it all without punishment [check]
Win a race. [empty]

Lost in the madness surrounding the pitlane brawl is that Jones was comprehensively shown up by his teammate Vantini again. Jones' driving has been average but his off-track antics are back to old levels. Rosco has been showing up the old man on a regular basis but sparkling drives in Canada and Adelaide have kept Jones in a respectable place.

Character Comparison: Jeff Gordon
Weakness: The police
Grade: B

Martin McFry
Team: Foxdale
Championship Position: =9th - 7 points
Best finish: 2nd - once

McFry has had a rollercoaster season so far. The Foxdale has improved little from last season but McFry has dragged one great result from the car, which is one more than his veteran teammate. A stellar front row start in Long Beach should also be mentioned. Other than that, McFry hasn't had much to write home about. Still, he's outclassed Mann in every way and he is an established part of an impressive new young driver class which includes Vantini, Nicolas, Neuberg, Battani and Mitchell Macklin.

Character Comparison: Gary Numan (one great song that everyone knows, but a bunch other good songs as well)
Weakness: Libyan Terrorists
Grade: B+

Aurelien Moll
Team: Gillet
Championship Position: =9th - 7 points
Best finish: 5th - thrice

Could Aurelien Moll finally be slipping? Moll has gone from 2nd in 2013 to 4th in 2014 and now to 9th in 2015. Moll is a dull, consistent, Belgian, exactly the type of driver that Gillet management seems to love. Unfortunately, he has gone from a legitimate title contender in the past two years to an average midfield runner. He is still crushing De Bock in qualifying but Moll hasn't had things go his way in the races, leaving him with half of De Bock's points total. The Gillet car isn't as competitive as last year, but Moll should be in line for at least one podium before the year is out. With Gillet's F2RWRS program in disarray and Laurent Seron's disappearance, Moll's closest threat to his job appears to be Wouter Lamberigts, another dull, consistent, Belgian.

Fictional Character Comparison: King Duncan from Macbeth (Perhaps not up to scratch, but a good guy nonetheless.)
Weakness: Wouter Lamberigts
Grade: C+

Barii Mori
Team: Kamaha
Championship Position: 11th - 8 points
Best finish: 3rd - once

Before the German GP, Mori would have gotten a C+ but the podium drive bumps him up to a B. Kamaha's reliability issues have only gotten worse and Mori's performances reflect Kamaha's downturn in form.

Fictional Character Comparison: Norman from Pokemon Sapphire/Ruby/Emerald. Average.
Weakness: His car.
Grade: B

Andrea Battani
Team: Boxtel
Championship Position: =11th - 5 points
Best finish: 4th - once

Battani has been quite impressive in his rookie season. His two points-scoring efforts in Adelaide and at Brands Hatch have lifted Boxtel from the dregs of pre-qualifying into some vague state of pseudo-relevancy. On the other hand, he destroyed his team's pre-qualifying efforts twice this year and his performance in qualifying has been very random. Once Andrea can get consistent qualifying pace, he can begin to establish himself as a top driver. Luckily, he's only 20 and will have many years to develop his skills.

Character Comparison: Bizarro Jarno Trulli (Italian and better in races, rather than the other way 'round)
Weakness: Boxtel's finances
Grade: A-

Six more drivers in the books.

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 24 Dec 2012, 11:32

...
Character Comparison: Bizarro Jarno Trulli (Italian and better in races, rather than the other way 'round)
...

Two words for you: Jos 'The Boss' Verstappen :mrgreen:

And no, I refuse to work with Davies beyond this year and I feel sorry for anyone daft enough to sign him next year considering all the grief he's given me since day one

the Masked Lapwing · Post by **the Masked Lapwing** » 24 Dec 2012, 11:40

Wizzie wrote:
...
Character Comparison: Bizarro Jarno Trulli (Italian and better in races, rather than the other way 'round)
...

Two words for you: Jos 'The Boss' Verstappen

And no, I refuse to work with Davies beyond this year and I feel sorry for anyone daft enough to sign him next year considering all the grief he's given me since day one

If you were a half-decent team boss with a car that finishes more than half the time, then Davies might have been in a better mood.

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 24 Dec 2012, 11:47

the Masked Lapwing wrote:
Wizzie wrote:
...
Character Comparison: Bizarro Jarno Trulli (Italian and better in races, rather than the other way 'round)
...

Two words for you: Jos 'The Boss' Verstappen

And no, I refuse to work with Davies beyond this year and I feel sorry for anyone daft enough to sign him next year considering all the grief he's given me since day one

If you were a half-decent team boss with a car that finishes more than half the time, then Davies might have been in a better mood.

Hey, two of those DNFs were your own damn fault and that race in Germany might as well been a DNF thanks to you incompetence! And your car has only had three mechanical failures out of the nine races so far.

the Masked Lapwing · Post by **the Masked Lapwing** » 24 Dec 2012, 11:52

Wizzie wrote:
the Masked Lapwing wrote:
Wizzie wrote:Two words for you: Jos 'The Boss' Verstappen

And no, I refuse to work with Davies beyond this year and I feel sorry for anyone daft enough to sign him next year considering all the grief he's given me since day one

If you were a half-decent team boss with a car that finishes more than half the time, then Davies might have been in a better mood.

Hey, two of those DNFs were your own damn fault and that race in Germany might as well been a DNF thanks to you incompetence! And your car has only had three mechanical failures out of the nine races so far.

Meh. I'm in a bad mood because in various series, one of my drivers has been banned, one has been injured and one has been sacked. Then there's Davies' general incompetence, HRT's eternal failures, Zimmer's uselessness and the Young Lions debacle.
Christmas spirit. Right. At least Perkins is winning...

Aerond · Post by **Aerond** » 24 Dec 2012, 15:31

Boxtel spent 14 credits; 68 left
Mecha spent 82 credits; 70 left

Also, teams running F2RWRS drivers have been cleared the remaining funds for running those drivers (50%);

Simpson: 40 --> 140 credits
Jones: 0 --> 62 credits
Revolution: 40 --> 77 credits

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 24 Dec 2012, 16:02

Aerond wrote:Boxtel spent 14 credits; 68 left
Mecha spent 82 credits; 70 left

Also, teams running F2RWRS drivers have been cleared the remaining funds for running those drivers (50%);

Simpson: 40 --> 140 credits
Jones: 0 --> 62 credits
Revolution: 40 --> 77 credits

Ah excellent. Ignore my post in the F1RTA thread!

tristan1117 · Post by **tristan1117** » 25 Dec 2012, 04:33

RejectSport Magazine wrote:Onwards!

Ron Mignolet
Team: DGN
Championship Position: =13th - 4 points
Best finish: 3rd - once

Ron Before 2015:

Ron Midway through 2015:

Milk was a bad choice.

Fictional Character Comparison: Ron Burgundy
Weakness: Mark Dagnall, for making Ron look silly
Grade: D

The Stig
Team: Aeroracing
Championship Position: =13th - 4 points
Best finish: 3rd - once

Whomever this so-called "Stig" is, he has certainly not done well. Pippa Mann has been raking in points and serving as an excellent smokescreen for this "Stig" but she cannot cover for him forever! The Stig has finished one race this season (he retired late on in Long Beach). The Stig has four points, six DNFs (four crashes, two mechanical), a terrible DNQ and a massive repair bill for Aeroracing after nine races. In a test session at Rockingham, he was outpaced by 14 other drivers, including Jack Christopherson, Nick Nurmester, Tanner Jason and Jesus Plaza. Isn't the Stig's existence predicated on being so good that he doesn't need to show his identity? In that case, RejectSport would like to call for an Stig unmasking if he fails to score more than ten points this season. Will he accept this? We are not sure. Here is our list of possible candidates:

* Perry McCarthy
* Dan BH
* Rory McAllister
* Jeroen Krautmeir
* Joe Saward
* Padraig O'Connell

Fictional Character Comparison: Jaws. We can't see him until the end, but we know he's up to no good.
Weakness: Rubens Barrichello
Grade: D+

James Davies
Team: Sunshine
Championship Position: =15th - 3 points
Best finish: 4th - once

James Davies has been caught up in the Japanese teams' "Lost Season" as both Sunshine and Kamaha have fallen flat on their faces. What happened? Well, the Sunshine got a lot slower. Katayama, quickly recognizing this, jumped ship and left the team's future in disarray. Then a media war ensued and the racing took a back seat to Katayama's self-produced drama. Throughout all this, James Davies steadied the ship of state well. His fourth place in Canada lifted Sunshine out of pre-qualifying, a fate that seemed almost certain after the disastrous double-DNPQ at Long Beach. Good on him. He significantly outperformed all his teammates through the first nine races and I hope he stays with Sunshine for another year.

Character Comparison: Pedro de la Rosa
Weakness: The other James Davies
Grade: B+

Shinobu Katayama
Team: Sunshine, ArrowTech, Revolution (eventually)
Championship Position: =15th - 3 points
Best finish: 4th - once

Did you know that over at the preseason predictions thread, the median score for Sunshine put them in third? Did you know that Katayama was predicted by this forum to finish fifth in the Drivers' Championship (and third by Aerond himself)? What the bathplug happened? Well, Sunshine turned out to be the ninth slowest car in the field, Katayama threw a tantrum and was suspended by Sunshine for two races. Then she went off and signed with ArrowTech and Revolution just to spite her boss and has sat out for six of the first nine races. You can still hear Mark Dagnall laughing at the demise of his most talented championship rival. I put 70% of the blame on Katayama for taking the "Rorsharch" option and refusing any compromise with Sunshine. I put 25% of the blame on Sunshine's management/DPT Group for overreacting, and I put 5% of the blame on James Davies for proving that the car was capable of something. The situation was a complete debacle; Lagos' court injunction against Shinobu was a spiteful, unnecessary, farce. Katayama's still got it though, her fourth place for ArrowTech at the Norisring was brilliant and will go a long way in dragging ArrowTech from the doldrums.

Character Comparison: Rorsharch from Watchmen
Weakness: Shinobu Katayama
Grade: D-

Four more driver profiles for Christmas.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 25 Dec 2012, 10:39

tristan1117 wrote:I put 70% of the blame on Katayama for taking the "Rorsharch" option and refusing any compromise with Sunshine. I put 25% of the blame on Sunshine's management/DPT Group for overreacting, and I put 5% of the blame on James Davies for proving that the car was capable of something.

James Davies wrote:WHAT!? How the bathplugging hell am I at fault!? What the hell was I supposed to do, just act like the car was as bad as Katayama was making it out to be!?

tristan1117 · Post by **tristan1117** » 25 Dec 2012, 21:15

RejectSport Magazine wrote:
James Davies wrote:WHAT!? How the bathplugging hell am I at fault!? What the hell was I supposed to do, just act like the car was as bad as Katayama was making it out to be!?

Only a joke Mr. Davies. Only a joke. Can't F1RWRS drivers be joked around occasionally?

Mirko Bosevic
Team: ArrowTech
Championship Position: =17th - 2 points
Best finish: 6th twice

Everyone loves Mirko, right? What's not to love? The first Croatian in F1 is having a fine season for ArrowTech, carrying the team through their roughest stretch since 2012. Unfortunately, his efforts weren't enough to get ArrowTech out of the morass of prequalifying but he has definitely deserved another shot at ArrowTech.

Character Comparison: I have no idea.
Weakness: Anton Bosevic
Grade: A-

Fredo Mestolio
Team: Prospec
Championship Position: =17th - 2 points
Best finish: 5th once

Fredo Mestolio continues to haul money into Prospec and drive quickly but one gets the feeling that at the end of the year, Prospec will dump him in favor of a young driver who hasn't had any top-rate experience. He has driven very well in his last two seasons in the F1RWRS and would have scored a ton of points last year for ARC if it wasn't for crappy American design. His fifth place at the Norisring put him one step closer to unrejectification and he might score a few more points before the year is out.

Fictional Character Comparison: Giancarlo Fisichella
Weakness: ARC
Grade: B

Frank Zimmer
Team: Holden
Championship Position: =19th - 1 point
Best finish: 6th once

Make no doubts about it, Holden sucks this year. Frank Zimmer, now the old man of the F1RWRS, is slowly fading away into obscurity with them. He does have two sevenths and a solitary point to his name, which is much better than the Whitechapel/J. Zimmer/Melrose contingent has done all year.

Character Comparison: David Coulthard
Weakness: The clock.
Grade: B

Nicolas Steele
Team: Kamaha
Championship Position: =19th - 1 point
Best finish: 6th once

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Steele finished fifth in the Drivers Championship last year but now he is tied for 19th place through nine races. Kamaha's miserable 2015 is mostly to blame but Barii Mori is still making things work. Steele's chances of breaking the BH Curse are more dire than ever before.

Character Comparison: Scott Speed from the F1RMGP
Weakness: Lots of things, especially bad sushi.
Grade: C

Douglas Mann
Team: Foxdale
Championship Position: =19th - 1 point
Best finish: 6th once

Douglas Mann is officially washed up. Apart from his lucky win at France last year, he has scored just six points. The Foxdale car has fallen a bit off the pace and Mann has been smashed by McFry through the first half of the season. Retirement beckons.

Character Comparison: Michael Schumacher
Weakness: Foxdale's reliability
Grade: C+

Pointrox · Post by **Pointrox** » 25 Dec 2012, 22:10

JeremyMcClean wrote:Bosevic can be a tool sometimes, being miles off the pace.

Mirko Bosevic wrote:Bollocks.

tristan1117 wrote:Weakness: Anton Bosevic

Mirko Bosevic wrote:Bah, humbug!

SuperAguri · Post by **SuperAguri** » 26 Dec 2012, 05:28

BlindCaveSalamander wrote:
tristan1117 wrote:I put 70% of the blame on Katayama for taking the "Rorsharch" option and refusing any compromise with Sunshine. I put 25% of the blame on Sunshine's management/DPT Group for overreacting, and I put 5% of the blame on James Davies for proving that the car was capable of something.

James Davies wrote:WHAT!? How the bathplugging hell am I at fault!? What the hell was I supposed to do, just act like the car was as bad as Katayama was making it out to be!?

Shinobu Katayama wrote:Oh James, you know the car is as about as aerodynamic as a pile of bricks, you got one good result but apart from that you have been rubbish.

So Tristan, will you do a few selective reports on the non point scorers like Daniel Martins, Jari Kekkonen, Daniel Melrose, Nathanael Spencer, David Koczo, Ashley Watkinson, Saeed Al Faisal, Kay Lon, Shizuka Hagane, Darren Older Jr, Dave Simpson, Damon Cannon and Mitchell Macklin?

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 26 Dec 2012, 10:03

James Davies wrote:WHAT!? How the bathplugging hell am I at fault!? What the hell was I supposed to do, just act like the car was as bad as Katayama was making it out to be!?

Shinobu Katayama wrote:Oh James, you know the car is as about as aerodynamic as a pile of bricks, you got one good result but apart from that you have been rubbish.

James Davies wrote:Yet I was still better than you were! It's not a great car, I readily admit that, but it's not beyond all hope. We will score more points this year, I guarantee it.

SuperAguri · Post by **SuperAguri** » 26 Dec 2012, 12:51

James Davies wrote:WHAT!? How the bathplugging hell am I at fault!? What the hell was I supposed to do, just act like the car was as bad as Katayama was making it out to be!?

Shinobu Katayama wrote:Oh James, you know the car is as about as aerodynamic as a pile of bricks, you got one good result but apart from that you have been rubbish.

James Davies wrote:Yet I was still better than you were! It's not a great car, I readily admit that, but it's not beyond all hope. We will score more points this year, I guarantee it.

[/quote]

Shinobu Katayama wrote:Oh hush James, you were a bit faster in qualifying in that brick otherwise we both struggled. i doubt if you will get that many more points, Sunshine are in for a score of under 8...

tristan1117 · Post by **tristan1117** » 26 Dec 2012, 16:19

RejectSport Magazine wrote:After that dull set of drivers, we get to more interesting stuff. Here are the drivers whose careers are almost over or should end to prevent further embarrassment.

Nathanael Spencer
Team: Boxtel, Alitalia
Championship Position: =22 - 0 points
Best finish: 9th once

Speaking of washed-up drivers, we all knew that Nathanael Spencer was washed-up by the middle of last year, yet Boxtel signed him anyway. After the litany of errors made by the team's former management, the Spencer hiring wasn't the worst thing in the world. Spencer actually got Boxtel out of prequalifying a few times, bailing out Andrea Battani in the process. However, once he got into the main qualifying session, Spencer failed to impress anyone and after another DNQ, he was sacked. Alitalia put him in as a one-off but after another DNQ, it seems that his F1RWRS career has come to an ignominious end. He is currently second in career wins, first in career poles, second in points scored and he has one world championship. Rumors are that Dreadnought Racing is sizing him up for a drive in the F1RICS for 2016. Although with the new regulations for next year, you never know.

Character Comparison: Damon Hill
Weakness: Qualifying
Grade: C-

Poppy Whitechapel
Team: Holden
Championship Position: =22 - 0 points
Best finish: 7th - once

Poppy Whitechapel's career also appears to be over after a string of disappointing results for Holden and GRM. Despite scoring numerous seventh and eighth places, she has scored zero points over her entire career. Thus, she holds the record for most starts without a point, a.k.a the Luca Badoer Memorial Award and she is unlikely to ever break that record. This year, she left Holden after two disappointing DNQs (and another seventh place).

Character Comparison: A female Luca Badoer
Weakness: Sixth place
Grade: C

Daniel Melrose
Team: Holden, Simpson
Championship Position: =22 - 0 points
Best finish: 9th - once

Right now, Daniel Melrose is my candidate for Reject of the Year. It really is quite sad. He keeps going up and down the grid, begging every team for a drive, only to be rejected at every turn. Only his Aussie friends have any sympathy for him but their patience has finally run out, leaving Melrose without a job once again (now trying to sign with ArrowTech). His biggest mistake was tearing up the contract he signed with Jones Racing out of sheer arrogance. It's all over Daniel. Go home to Tropico, relax on the beach, enjoy your dictatorial powers and work on straightening out the young driver program.

Character Comparison: I have no idea.
Weakness: Personal managers
Grade: D

FMecha · Post by **FMecha** » 26 Dec 2012, 17:51

Melrose = Mansell 95, IMO. :lol:

SuperAguri · Post by **SuperAguri** » 26 Dec 2012, 17:56

tristan1117 wrote:
RejectSport Magazine wrote:After that dull set of drivers, we get to more interesting stuff. Here are the drivers whose careers are almost over or should end to prevent further embarrassment.

How come I got just a single line when everyone else got a lot more?

Will you do Daniel Martins, Jari Kekkonen, David Koczo, Ashley Watkinson, Saeed Al Faisal, Kay Lon, Shizuka Hagane, Darren Older Jr, Dave Simpson, Damon Cannon and Mitchell Macklin? Some retiring, some coming back and some just making the wrong choices.

Also...

Mirko Bosevic
Character Comparison: I have no idea.

How about Martin Brundle, everyone generally likes him, gave Zakspeed their only points and has no chance of winning a race ever.

Aerond · Post by **Aerond** » 26 Dec 2012, 18:46

A few words on the drivers left; however, tristan can go and keep up with his mid-season review; it's hilarious :lol:

Daniel Martins -- Decent job in a car that was supposed to be way faster
Jari Kekkonen -- Doing better than Spencer, but still looking bad against Battani
David Koczo -- Great job qualifying the Alitalia regularly and finishing races. Making the most of the machinery at his disposal
Ashley Watkinson -- Given Kingifhser's unreliability, not bad, but should be better, specially along Neuberg.
Saeed Al Faisal -- Never got the grips to the Arrowtech and was sacked subsequently. Won't be missed.
Kay Lon -- Looking ridiculous against Mestolio, however, I'd expect him to score a good result at some point. Last season he was way better in the 2nd half
Hagane Shizuka -- Managed to qualify once the Revolution and ran in the points, but the team has fallen into the deep waters of Pre-Qualifying again.
Darren Older Jr -- It was more a problem for Tropico than anything else so no wonder why he's out.
Dave Simpson -- Despite his considerable talent, hasn't been able to qualify the car once
Damon Cannon -- Got the miracle of qualifying his car once, but even then he was unlucky. It will be a miracle if we see him starting a race again.
Mitchell Macklin -- Pretty disappointing. Yes, the car is slow and Pre-Qualifying is never easy, but he should have made his first start already.
Ben Fleet -- Doing an equal good job as Koczo. He's been quite unlucky regarding reliability at races and his race pace doesn't help, but his qualifying skills are giving Alitalia what they need.
Steven Mackintosh -- Average job in a team stuck at Pre-Qualifying
Gia van Dycke -- The fact she was fired after getting best result ever for her team casts doubts over Revolution management skills, but she was not top material, either.
Nathan Scott -- Doing a decent job at qualifying the car whenever the chance arises. His new teammate might spoil him.
Jean Luc Schiller -- A better racer than qualifier, he's suffering in PreQ but running decently whenever he gets the car on the grid.
Miko Fakkinen -- No hope until Autodynamics improves.
Tomislaw Tajner -- Stuck with the worst car in the series.
Markus van de Schoot -- See Tajner
Alexey Buyvolov -- We'll be saying the same about him at the end of the season most probably
Marie Simon -- Another disappointment in the form of a F2RWRS driver
Sebastian Groves -- Won't get another chance in F1RWRS most probably
Dean O'Lauchlan -- No patience at all from Autodynamics management
John Zimmer -- He's back in a car that's nowhere near as competitive as the last time he drove it, so no hopes.
Danny van Rijkens -- Impressed in his first outing.

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 26 Dec 2012, 19:05

For me, it's a real shame Koczo has retired at the end of this year. From the start the plan was to aim for 2016. He would have a good package next year if he'd stayed on, the idea was one last year of glory in 2016 and then him moving to whatever/wherever he wanted. We're still hoping that decision to retire is somehow miraculously reversed...

pasta_maldonado · Post by **pasta_maldonado** » 26 Dec 2012, 19:25

kostas22 wrote:For me, it's a real shame Koczo has retired at the end of this year. From the start the plan was to aim for 2016. He would have a good package next year if he'd stayed on, the idea was one last year of glory in 2016 and then him moving to whatever/wherever he wanted. We're still hoping that decision to retire is somehow miraculously reversed...

If Alitalia play their cards right..... :

FMecha · Post by **FMecha** » 26 Dec 2012, 19:30

Aerond wrote:Saeed Al Faisal -- Never got the grips to the Arrowtech and was sacked subsequently. Won't be missed.

He's crappy and cursed from beginning. No points with FAT Turbo Racing and his points at Macau and China were IMO fluke. A farcical and libel-debacle ridden season with Mecha says the rest prior to ArrowTech. MUAHAHAHAHA!!!! :twisted:

Aerond wrote:A few words on the drivers left; however, tristan can go and keep up with his mid-season review; it's hilarious

[cue]
Steven Mackintosh -- Average job in a team stuck at Pre-Qualifying
[cue]
Jean Luc Schiller -- A better racer than qualifier, he's suffering in PreQ but running decently whenever he gets the car on the grid.
[cue]

My response to that:

That is all for the moment

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 26 Dec 2012, 19:41

FMecha wrote:He's crappy and cursed from beginning. No points with FAT Turbo Racing and his points at Macau and China were IMO fluke. A farcical and libel-debacle ridden season with Mecha says the rest prior to ArrowTech. MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I find it interesting that you think that Saeed al Faisal and James Davies' - two drivers that openly criticised your team - best results were flukes. Also, considering that fact that FAT Turbo Racing in 2013 had only one finish during the time that al Faisal was there, I wouldn't criticise him for not scoring. And it's not like the libel debacle was his fault, exactly...

FMecha · Post by **FMecha** » 26 Dec 2012, 19:53

BlindCaveSalamander wrote:
FMecha wrote:He's crappy and cursed from beginning. No points with FAT Turbo Racing and his points at Macau and China were IMO fluke. A farcical and libel-debacle ridden season with Mecha says the rest prior to ArrowTech. MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I find it interesting that you think that Saeed al Faisal and James Davies' - two drivers that openly criticised your team - best results were flukes. Also, considering that fact that FAT Turbo Racing in 2013 had only one finish during the time that al Faisal was there, I wouldn't criticise him for not scoring. And it's not like the libel debacle was his fault, exactly...

For the record, I never said James' results in 2010-2012 were flukes. :roll:

Anyway, some people at Mecha have grudges against their former drivers who disrespected our team. :twisted:

(I was actually right not to sign John Zimmer last year, I admit)

pasta_maldonado · Post by **pasta_maldonado** » 26 Dec 2012, 20:04

FMecha wrote:
BlindCaveSalamander wrote:
FMecha wrote:He's crappy and cursed from beginning. No points with FAT Turbo Racing and his points at Macau and China were IMO fluke. A farcical and libel-debacle ridden season with Mecha says the rest prior to ArrowTech. MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I find it interesting that you think that Saeed al Faisal and James Davies' - two drivers that openly criticised your team - best results were flukes. Also, considering that fact that FAT Turbo Racing in 2013 had only one finish during the time that al Faisal was there, I wouldn't criticise him for not scoring. And it's not like the libel debacle was his fault, exactly...

For the record, I never said James' results in 2010-2012 were flukes. Anyway, some people at Mecha have grudges against their former drivers who disrespected our team.
(I was actually right not to sign John Zimmer last year, I admit)

All former drivers disrespect your team :twisted:

In character