planetf1.com

Now that the astounding 2012 season is over, most of the teams are gearing up & looking forward to 2013, where there will be not much of rule changes but thank God, teams can choose to cover up their car noses!

Force India has always maintained a tradition of choosing their drivers so very late in the off season. Some teams have faith in their drivers or have good choices, so they even finalise the next year's line up mid season. Some do towards the close of the season. And there is Force India, who are still yet to finalise both of their drivers. Di Resta most probably will stay but what about the 2nd driver?

Many of the F1 fans may not care as what decision Force India makes. Then there are fans of F1 & Force India such as me who find the wait very excruciating & impatience starts to kick in. But am sure the hardest of all it'll be on those drivers who are hoping to grab the 2nd seat. Drivers such as Bianchi, Sutil, Buemi & Alguesuari are keeping their hopes alive. Out of these drivers, only 1 shall get confirmed but the rest 3 have kept their other options on hold, which I hope doesn't get too late for them. It can get frustrating for these drivers.

Don't understand why does Force India take so much time to decide it's lineup. Now they wish to be the 5th best car but important decisions shouldn't be delayed because if it's a new driver, he needs to associate himself with the technical team & the management in Silverstone.

Force India had claimed that they have a shortlist of drivers but then why the delay? Making a fast (but a sensible) decision will get things forward & get the ball running from a preparation point of view!

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Unlike Uday
PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2013 WINNER
Recipient of Sebastian Vettel Trophy
Best Results:1st with highest ever score of 225(India 2012),2nd (Silverstone 2012),3rd (Suzuka & Abu Dhabi 2013)

I am not sure why di resta is an option. His contract is till 2013.He will be in FI next year .

The only reason why I put him is because he is not officially signed. Many people believe he is over rated so I put his name to see if people would be pleased or not to see him in Force India (even though he will stay) next season.

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Unlike Uday
PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2013 WINNER
Recipient of Sebastian Vettel Trophy
Best Results:1st with highest ever score of 225(India 2012),2nd (Silverstone 2012),3rd (Suzuka & Abu Dhabi 2013)

Isn't having a contract officialy signed? And yes i believe di resta is over rated moreso than any other driver on the grid .But i guess that's the price Mallya has to pay for running merc engines.

True that Di Resta has a contract but nothing wrong in speculating, ain't it?

Recently, Bob Fernley stated that he wants Force India to be the 5th best car on the grid. Di Resta is good but his performance during the 2nd half of the season is of a little concern to me, bar Singapore. If Force India want to start the season on a high, they need to have a great car but also at the same time, 2 drivers who can be outright fast & compelling.

I had thought Kobayashi had a good chance to get in but now that he has claimed he won't be in F1, I didn't put his name in the polls.

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Unlike Uday
PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2013 WINNER
Recipient of Sebastian Vettel Trophy
Best Results:1st with highest ever score of 225(India 2012),2nd (Silverstone 2012),3rd (Suzuka & Abu Dhabi 2013)

I think the argument is not that Di Resta's status with Force India is speculation, but rather that, seeing as that he has a signed contract for 2013, he is officially part of their 2 driver line up.

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According to the FIA 2013 F1 entry list, both Force India drivers are listed as 'TBA' which means that di Resta is not currently an official entry for 2013.

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90% of the topics on the PF1 Forum consist of this: "My favourite driver didn't win! The driver I hate the most did win!! Wah! WAH!! WAAAAHHHHH!!!"

I do hope that they will announce something on monday. (before Christmas at least)

I'm really not surprised they are taking their time this year. Red Bull/Ferrari/Merc/McLaren/Sauber/Toro Rosso all had their line-ups done and dusted before the season was over, and Williams only waited until a couple of days later to announce Bottas would replace Senna. The only attractive seats that remained at the start of December were Lotus (where Grosjean was generally expected to keep his seat, and ultimately did) and Force India. The poll featured in this thread highlights how many different drivers they could be considering for the two seats. All of whom have at least two seasons in F1, with the exception of Bianchi, who already has an association with FI, so I doubt waiting a little while longer is going to leave whoever they pick at a disadvantage.

Anyway, I'd probably say di Resta and Alguersuari. Maybe Senna. After that, I can make cases for not picking any of the others. Kovalainen was almost matched by Petrov, who I have never rated. Alguersuari > Buemi, IMO, plus Jaime brings sponsorship money and knowledge of the 2013 Pirelli tyres. Sutil was decent but has had his time in F1, and I'd pick di Resta/Alguersuari/Senna/Kovalainen ahead of him. As for Bianchi, I think if I was going for a rookie, I'd be tempted by Davide Valsecchi.

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Currently cheering for: Felipe Massa; Nico Hulkenberg; Romain Grosjean; Felipe Nasr. Oh, and of course, the Toronto Maple Leafs
PF1 Pick 10 Competition | 2013 position: 17th | 2012 position: 11th | Total podiums: 4

I think there is an issue with Force India and that is that they are clearly lacking in funds with the owner's troubles over in India. I know they've just announced some investment but it'll all be conditional on the owners business' pulling through. They also have no real sponsors to speak of as 99% of the logo's on the car are Mallya's business's.

It wouldn't surprise me if we saw both seats change, or at the very least the no.2 seat go to a driver with some money - ie, senna or sutil.

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Di Resta and Alguersuari please...

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My choice, as merely a fan, would be Jaime and Bianchi but that won't happen. No way the ychoose two new inexperienced drivers, and they are not Toro Rosso, their goals are not simply moving out of the way for the RBRs.

I think they'd choose Sutil and Di Resta.

Could be. If you were to remember, last year also they made the decision late. There was news some time back that Etihad Airways plans to buy a 48% stake in Kingfisher Airlines, which could be a lot better for Mr Mallya.

The business of Formula 1, I believe is funded separately & doesn't depend on Mr Mallya's profitability of his airline business. Sahara on the other hand also have allotted a god sum of money.

I wonder if the delay is due to selecting a driver for his talent or for his sponsorship deals? For a midfield team, both things have priority. Hence, they would select those 2 who have talent & probably could get additional money via sponsors. But in the process, the hopeful drivers who ultimately don't get selected, may lose out big time on an option which they might have now but may not have when the decision will be made. So it's unfair to the drivers but that's the chance they will have to take.

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Unlike Uday
PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2013 WINNER
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Best Results:1st with highest ever score of 225(India 2012),2nd (Silverstone 2012),3rd (Suzuka & Abu Dhabi 2013)

I don't know who will take the seats but Jaime should be on the 2013 grid...

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There must be some concern as who to place alongside di Resta, di Resta has effectively had 2 losing years against his teammates after starting strongly both years so he can't be judged as a driver to lead the team as such so who do you bring in?

I'd personally like to see a young driver like Bianchi get the seat but given di Resta's patchy performances a more experienced driver might be needed for WDC points, Sutil might fit the bill the best, they know on previous association that he was the stronger driver.

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PFI Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place

Although Hulkenburg may have been signed "late" last season, he still ended up beating di Resta quite soundly...

Realistically, di Resta will be signed next year, alongside probably some rich chap who brings extra money for the team, probably pissing off 95% of the fanbase. The problems going on with Mallya/Kingfisher doesn't help either.

Di Resta not being officially confirmed yet is... bizarre. I mean I know Lotus left the Grosjean decision quite late, but that was understandable, and expected. And yet we've heard very little to suggest that he (PdR) might lose his seat.

I guess we'll find out when they announce the line-up. Presumably, if it simply comes down to $$$, then Senna and Alguersuari will be the two drivers next year. Which I suppose isn't terrible, as it represents selecting arguably two of the three best candidates.

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Currently cheering for: Felipe Massa; Nico Hulkenberg; Romain Grosjean; Felipe Nasr. Oh, and of course, the Toronto Maple Leafs
PF1 Pick 10 Competition | 2013 position: 17th | 2012 position: 11th | Total podiums: 4

I voted for Sutil and Algy because I think they're the 2 quickest drivers out there, but if they need money I'd go for Sutil and Petrov since both bring considerable backing and are no slouch. Petrov handed Kovi his ass this year and lived with Heidfeld in 2011 which is fairly impressive given Heidfeld's record vs Kubica. Algy is still an unknown but I think he has plenty of potential, shouldn't be out of F1 for sure. Sutil is quick, consistent and brings money, exactly what FI need.

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Official Kamui Kobayashi Fanboy

I´d like to see Bruno and Di Resta

Perhaps they take their time to ensure they make the right choices.

Or perhaps they're looking for the most desperate drivers, longer the wait, the more desperate to either secure the seat or, more likely, bring sponsors' cash with them.

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"We can not drive slower, just to make the races more exciting." Alain Prost

why exactly? he was proven to be average at best...

You forgot about Kamui

The reason I didn't mention his name because he made an official announcement about not competing in 2013. He plans to come back in 2014.

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Unlike Uday
PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2013 WINNER
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Best Results:1st with highest ever score of 225(India 2012),2nd (Silverstone 2012),3rd (Suzuka & Abu Dhabi 2013)

Same as what I think.

The main reason why many wish to see him back because he is young. In 2011, he didn't outshine many drivers on the grid. The only advantage he may have is his knowledge about Pirelli tyres.

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Unlike Uday
PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2013 WINNER
Recipient of Sebastian Vettel Trophy
Best Results:1st with highest ever score of 225(India 2012),2nd (Silverstone 2012),3rd (Suzuka & Abu Dhabi 2013)

In reply to 'Why does Force India always take time to decide its Line up', easy. They want people to mention their name. If everything was settled, they would not be in the news until next seasons car is presented.
Sponsorship is all about getting your name mentioned.

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Two drivers beating by their teammates last year, doesn't bode well?

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PFI Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place

Yeah was the Christmas party cancelled in the end, I thought they were going to announce the 2013 driver line up then. I voted for Di Resta I agree with some of the posts that he lost some consistency later in the year but overall he was ok. I also voted for Senna I think he could do with another season, it's a shame they cant sign Heikki Kovalainen I think he'd be the best bet for the team. My money is on Sutil making a return...

As would I, but not in an F1 car.

Actually I take that back. I don't want to see Di Resta very much.

Even though I would prefer Sutil to make a return, I still rate his chance as 50%-50%.

Mr Mallya once mentioned that the reason why he didn't retain Sutil was nothing to do with his court case (which is not true & he wouldn't state it in the open). Sutil's long standing relation with the entire team could help his chances of getting the seat again.

If not Sutil, I had thought Kobayashi was the best driver to take the 2nd seat because others mentioned in the poll, didn't impress much. It sure is a dilemma for Mr Mallya as to who should be chosen & whether that choice will be ultimately good. It's more of having a clear sight & trust upon the talent that he ultimately chooses that does matter.

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Unlike Uday
PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2013 WINNER
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Best Results:1st with highest ever score of 225(India 2012),2nd (Silverstone 2012),3rd (Suzuka & Abu Dhabi 2013)

It's odd that they don't even consider Kobayashi for the seat. As for why they take so long to decide well there is quite some candidates and maybe money is also an issue. I can imagine companies might not be so keen on sponsoring Sutil given what happened last year in China. Buemi, Alguersuari or Bianchi I hope it will be.

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F1 fan since 1989

As much as I'd like to see Kamui stay, he isn't going to so can we please stop mentioning him?

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"We can not drive slower, just to make the races more exciting." Alain Prost

So the poll is about who I'd personally like to form the lineup? In that case, I voted for Alguersuari and Kovalainen, but I think Di Resta and Sutil/Bianchi are more likely.

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Do you think that the speed is good at this point? - It doesn’t matter how much behind the others we are at this point. The car will anyway be rebuilt before Australia. Now we just drive around.

Bianchi doesn't have a bad racing record in the junior formulae but not as impressive as Hulkenberg. How obliged would Force India have to be to take Bianchi? Ferrari did loan him to Force India to be their 3rd driver. There is speculation that Force India will swap engines to Ferrari in 2014, which is what I've heard from friends out here.

Bianchi is young & his skills need to get polished in order to become a top level driver & that would happen if he gets the seat but would it cost Force India valuable points in the ever so tight battle of the midfield teams?

Would they prefer to keep Bianchi on the sidelines for 1 more year & give chance to some one with experience such as Sutil so they could keep the momentum from the 2nd half parade of 2012. This because there are not much of changes in the rules.

They have so many perspectives to look into before selecting a driver but a decision should be made in time so that further plans can be carried out.

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Unlike Uday
PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2013 WINNER
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Best Results:1st with highest ever score of 225(India 2012),2nd (Silverstone 2012),3rd (Suzuka & Abu Dhabi 2013)

Sutil has done no competitive racing or testing for a year, and was let go before people keep coming back to him but i cant see it i think alg, Bia or even senna will figure before sutil.

Did Alguesuari impress in 2011 & Senna in 2012?

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Unlike Uday
PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2013 WINNER
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Best Results:1st with highest ever score of 225(India 2012),2nd (Silverstone 2012),3rd (Suzuka & Abu Dhabi 2013)

He wasn't let go because of lack of performance though

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PFI Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place

No one knows for sure if he did any testing or driving but am sure hat he must've kept himself fit for a F1 drive. He wasn't a weak driver so I don't think it's a massive loss if he didn't drive any where else in 2012.

True about the performance part. It was quite a shocker that he did not get a drive, inspite of scoring 9th in the driver's championship table.

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Unlike Uday
PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2013 WINNER
Recipient of Sebastian Vettel Trophy
Best Results:1st with highest ever score of 225(India 2012),2nd (Silverstone 2012),3rd (Suzuka & Abu Dhabi 2013)

I expect them to take a pay driver, as there aren't really any exceptionally-talented (compared to their F1 peers) drivers left available. By leaving it to the last posible minute it gives all the drivers a chance to get as much money as possible out of their sponsors. Almost an auction, with whoever brings the most money getting the seat.

That being said, the decision probably won't be based soley on how much money is offered. It will be a big deciding factor though, and as i have absolutely no idea (and don't really care!) about who brings money to the team i have no prediction

But if the decision was just based purely on how good the drivers are the decision would be made by now, because there is no chance the drivers can affect the decision-makers opinion of that, as the season is over.

When do Force India need to oficially announce their driver lineup to the FIA?

If it is possible to completely discount monetary influence though, i'd put Bianchi in the seat, and keep Di Resta. The others have all had their chances and proven that they're at the lower end of the F1 driver ability scale. I would say that Di Resta is about the same but has experience with the team which gives the team the advantage. Assuming he's works well within the team, of course!

Are they in a hurry anywhere? FI is the only team left with a seat where you can realistically expect to actually race for points in 2013, and they probably have lots of candidates. They can simply select the best one - whatever that means I don't know, but they're going to want to carefully consider everything to make sure they make the right decision.

I'm not in a hurry to hear who will drive it, as long as someone will. It's exciting, but let the excitement last a little longer for all I care.

I kind a like what FI are doing,they impress me how they manage the team. Im sure they will pick the best drivers available.