When Sirotkin fails to qualify within 107% in Australia next year, Kvyat bins it into the wall, and the grid doesn't contain the previous years GP2 Champion, runner up, or 3rd place finisher, or Perez or Hulkenburg, you may well be leading a horde of deserters.
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When Sirotkin fails to qualify within 107% in Australia next year, Kvyat bins it into the wall, and the grid doesn't contain the previous years GP2 Champion, runner up, or 3rd place finisher, or Perez or Hulkenburg, you may well be leading a horde of deserters.
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Twitter is remarkably quiet about any Pastaface/PDVSA/Lotus deal being signed, and that's normally the first place you hear anything.
I'm hoping that the report was just a Venezuelan paper trying to be ahead of a non-existant curve. Or maybe PDVSA are trying to stir Lotus to make a decision which they haven't yet.
I'm hoping that the report was just a Venezuelan paper trying to be ahead of a non-existant curve. Or maybe PDVSA are trying to stir Lotus to make a decision which they haven't yet.
Despite all the noise from Quantum the other week, everything has gone quiet and there still isn't a signed contract. If the deal was done, then it would be announced, outstanding bills would be paid and their 2014 driver lineup would be announced. Boullier did indeed say the choice of driver was down to finances: Hulk if the Quantum deal went ahead, or a backed driver if not.
I don't see Kvyat binning it. He has been solid in GP3, so I expect he'll be able to keep it on the road, although probably not able to match Vergne early-on. I completely agree on the GP2 situation, though (although I still have some hope that Force India will promote Calado to a race seat).
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Yep I hope so.
Here we go
So Eric wanted hulk, quantum have told lotus they want hulk, 5 year deal is in place and lotus now have the money.
Which makes Hulks choice even more gobsmacking. Next years lotus might not be great, but longterm i would bet money on lotus being a better team than Sauber or FI.
Here we go
So Eric wanted hulk, quantum have told lotus they want hulk, 5 year deal is in place and lotus now have the money.
Which makes Hulks choice even more gobsmacking. Next years lotus might not be great, but longterm i would bet money on lotus being a better team than Sauber or FI.
The concerning thing is that there has been nothing since that to suggest that anything has been sorted. If they genuinely wanted Hülkenberg and had the money to do the deal, why not give him the guarantee that it would be a contract for 2014 as well, rather than just the two final races of this year?
Well, presumably they couldn't guarantee that. And if he ran the final two races of the year for them, didn't match up to Grosjean and that contract never came....he'd be up **** creek, shy a paddle, boat and lifejacket.
In the first half of the season Kvyat was pretty average and didn't look a title contender. The 3 wins in the second half were surprising in context, although the STR deal was done before he won the championship.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniil_Kvyat#Complete_GP3_Series_results
Maybe, although I've seen comments from Bob Fernley that indicate they'd also be happy retaining their current line-up. http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/formula-1-force-india-rush-2014-line-101158587--f1.html
Couldn't put it better myself.
Someone is upset.
I can understand the last point and he is definitely in a very awkward situation, but given the position Lotus are in with regards to the WCC, I don't see how they had much choice. Clearly three days of young driver tests and the occasional straight line test or demo run isn't enough. That being said, his rant annoyed me a little. I wouldn't mind if he was someone who had a history of good results in other racing categories, but his only real success has been the 2009-2010 GP2 Asia Series and the 2012 GP2 Series, both against relatively weak competition. Everywhere else he's been pretty much average at best.
I can understand the last point and he is definitely in a very awkward situation, but given the position Lotus are in with regards to the WCC, I don't see how they had much choice. Clearly three days of young driver tests and the occasional straight line test or demo run isn't enough. That being said, his rant annoyed me a little. I wouldn't mind if he was someone who had a history of good results in other racing categories, but his only real success has been the 2009-2010 GP2 Asia Series and the 2012 GP2 Series, both against relatively weak competition. Everywhere else he's been pretty much average at best.
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^ well Val has a reason to be upset. Kov was given many chances and did squat, at this point it's unrealistic to move up in constructor's with current driver line up. There is no chance that Kov will finish ahead of Hamilton/Rosberg/Alonso/Massa unless a car retires. in fact I bet Hulk and Button finish ahead of Kov. I'd be genuinely surprised if Kov can get better than 10th. realistically he should finish ahead of 2 Williams and Gutierez. not even sure about him beating the 2 Force India and the 2 Toro Rosso.
so may as well give Val a shot to see what he can do
so may as well give Val a shot to see what he can do
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It does seem ridiculous to hire/have a GP2 champion as 'reserve driver', and then when they need a reserve driver they pick an outside driver, who is neither a prospect for next year or particularly special.
Only possible explanation, seeing as they don't like paying people, is that if Valsecchi drives they need to give him some, or some more, money, whilst Heikki said he'd do it for free...
Only possible explanation, seeing as they don't like paying people, is that if Valsecchi drives they need to give him some, or some more, money, whilst Heikki said he'd do it for free...
Think thats two different issues. Its not the winning that which ruins the chance, its taking taht "step up" to a job that only exists in name and not in reality these days.
Winning a series makes it tempting to secure a seat in f1 even as a 3rd driver. Now 20years ago that was sensible, thousands of miles of testing to prove yourself etc. These days you need to resist that pressure.
No testing means no experience and basically killing your career.
Would be better off staying in lower series winning, than take a job, incompatible with the modern sport or do both. Wasn't 2011 gp2 and test driver, where 2013 he's just test driver.
Winning a series makes it tempting to secure a seat in f1 even as a 3rd driver. Now 20years ago that was sensible, thousands of miles of testing to prove yourself etc. These days you need to resist that pressure.
No testing means no experience and basically killing your career.
Would be better off staying in lower series winning, than take a job, incompatible with the modern sport or do both. Wasn't 2011 gp2 and test driver, where 2013 he's just test driver.
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Nothing stopping them going to a different series though.
Its just like everyone just stopped thinking and carrying on, even though the sport has changed so much and what used to happen, just isn't relevant these days.
Any other series has got to be better than being a "test" driver. Which kills your career these days.
Test drivers these days should be for retirees or drivers who have lost their race seat. Not up and comings.
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But thats not what GP2 is marketed as.
It follows the F1 calendar, its got involvement from a lot of F1 teams, its marketed as the highest single seater series in the world behind F1, meant to feed the series with talent. Yet it just doesn't.
Drivers join GP3 and then GP2 because they want to race in F1. not IndyCar, or FIA GT, or WEC. It would be like teams succeeding in the Championship being told theres no room in the Premiership, go play Rugby instead.
The whole thing has fallen flat on its face, and its mostly because of the testing ban.
It follows the F1 calendar, its got involvement from a lot of F1 teams, its marketed as the highest single seater series in the world behind F1, meant to feed the series with talent. Yet it just doesn't.
Drivers join GP3 and then GP2 because they want to race in F1. not IndyCar, or FIA GT, or WEC. It would be like teams succeeding in the Championship being told theres no room in the Premiership, go play Rugby instead.
The whole thing has fallen flat on its face, and its mostly because of the testing ban.
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