planetf1.com

Don't forget Kimi.

Likewise. Seems like Caterham are getting a lot of negative feedback on their facebook page and losing likes rapidly. As a Kovalainen supporter, I wanted to believe that he'd get the seat, but I would've understood if they'd chosen Petrov instead. As you said, Petrov did secure them the 10th in WCC and it was my understanding that he could've brought in some money too, which wouldn't have been the case with Kovalainen. GVDG on the other hand seems like a very strange choice and a bad one. I don't mean this with any disrespect to him, I'm sure he's a perfectly respectable racer and a nice guy, but let's face it, that seat wasn't given to him by merit.

D'Ambrosio showed he's good enough to be in F1 from his year at Virgin, I don't put his failure to score points down to him at all. As you say, it's a big ask to come in mid way through a season having barely driven the car.

Caterham hiring GVDG has made me lose all respect for them. Petrov was the obvious choice having driven for them for a year and showed up Heikki, as well as earning them their 10th place in the last race of 2012. While he doesn't seem to come with as much sponsorship as he used to, I think he still had some to offer. Together with Pic who seems pretty quick, all they have to do is provide a reasonable car and I'm confident that pairing can maximise it. If they're in THAT much trouble that they need to hire a fairly average GP2 driver Fernandes should stop mucking about sponsoring lower formulae and put some money into his F1 team. If they disappear from the grid I will not miss them.

Having said this, Marussia should gun for Petrov now. And if Petrov has any sense he'd try to get in there too. Chilton seemed fairly impressive in GP2 (more so than VDG anyway) and there are worse people to learn from than Petrov. Of course it opens the door wide open to Russian sponsors too.

Likewise. Seems like Caterham are getting a lot of negative feedback on their facebook page and losing likes rapidly. As a Kovalainen supporter, I wanted to believe that he'd get the seat, but I would've understood if they'd chosen Petrov instead. As you said, Petrov did secure them the 10th in WCC and it was my understanding that he could've brought in some money too, which wouldn't have been the case with Kovalainen. GVDG on the other hand seems like a very strange choice and a bad one. I don't mean this with any disrespect to him, I'm sure he's a perfectly respectable racer and a nice guy, but let's face it, that seat wasn't given to him by merit.

I won't miss Kova or Petrov but Van der Garde thx his seat because he has been with Caterham as test driver and race driver in GP2. The guy won Formula Renault 3.5 back in 2008 so he is not bad. However finishing 5th and 6th in GP2 given his age is nothing to write home about.
If all teams are going to back a driver in a lower series and take them on at a latter phase no matter the results I wonder what is still the purpose of racing in those series?

Actually the last time I remember a substitute driver scoring points was a certain Vettel in USA 2007 and he didn't have any prior race experience at all. Also in qualy he was constantly only a few tenths off his teammate Heidfeld. Has there been any occasion since that?

Kobayashi's aggressiveness appears to be actually his low-point, as he does not know when to stop. A little bit like Maldonado, he could have gotten better results this season had he backed away. But, that's the way it is. At this point, it will be nothing short of a miracle if he manages to get one of the 3 remaining race seats.

Well, at least he's driving, he's gonna be seen on Sunday, that's one step forward. He couldn't have gotten a better seat anyway, given the current pilots distribution. And let's not forget that a certain German entered the sport mid-nineties without bashing every lower formula he's been into, but turned to be one hell of a racer...who knows if this Dutch won't make a good impression?

Actually the last time I remember a substitute driver scoring points was a certain Vettel in USA 2007 and he didn't have any prior race experience at all. Also in qualy he was constantly only a few tenths off his teammate Heidfeld. Has there been any occasion since that?

Razia has just been confirmed.

https://twitter.com/marussia_f1team/sta ... 6690452480

It's sad, it's pathetic, but it is what it is. Money talks and Johnnie Walker walks.

I wonder if anybody in Caterham or Marussia are thinking that they now have a better lineup than last year.
It's sad, it's pathetic, but it is what it is. Money talks and Johnnie Walker walks.

As Pedro de la Rosa has an official non-race driver title at Ferrari, the timing screens have him down as car number 32. Jules Bianchi, who hopes to be promoted to race driver at Force India, has 15 rather than a test driver number. Does that mean something?

..if Maldonado...
That's a big "if". Granted, he had less crashes last year than 2011, but he's still far away from being a consistent driver.

I'm not that sure about Caterham either. After all, even if Kovalainen and Petrov were rather consistent this year, it still went on to the last race in their fight versus Marussia. And who knows what would have happened if Pic wasn't already signed for Caterham.
After all, it takes only one freak race for any of these teams to secure a 12th spot finish - by luck, by keeping their nose clean, whatever - which would leave its competitor flat faced.

That being said, another day went by and no word from Force India. Very professional like, I'm sure.

If by a few tenths you mean nearly half a second, plus he was in the third fastest car and he finished behind slower cars, the car you drive sort of helps as well, Kubica in identical circumstances than Vettel was more impressive speed wise actually being a few tenths quicker than Heidfeld in qualifying

So what you're saying is that the official racing driver in his car is faster than the reserve driver that had no experience? Thanks captain!

Possibly an interesting point raised by Autosport: