planetf1.com

I have decided, you are cool

i hope this is true F1 needs more guys that have racecraft

Why in the world should Grosjean deserve another chance? He had his 2nd chance already. And he blew it. Let alone the amount of car damage that the team/sponsors had to pay for his actions. This is not GP2.

*blew off some steam*

I feel better now.

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Supporting:

Kimi, the iceman.

I like Romain but I agree with that sentiment. I still struggle to understand what he was doing in Belgium. What was to whole point of squeezing Hamilton and going to the right considering La Source is a right turn. He could have just slotted behind Alonso (or a bit tighter line than him) and he would have been in a good position.

I rate both of these guys pretty well, and like them on and off the track pretty much evenly, but I can't help that it's more of a side-step than a beneficial move. Grosjean knows the team and car well, he is French, and he is also managed by the Lotus Team Principal. I really want Kobayashi in formula 1 this year, but it's a cut throat world and I don't think it's very likely.

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The standard of drivers left out of F1 is pretty high with Jaime, Buemi, Barrichello, Heidfeld, Bourdais, etc. all sitting on the sidelines. It would be a shame if KK got consigned to the skip. It's like the life was sucked out of him this year. New team new start needed. He did more in a few GP with Toyota than Grosjean has done in 1.5 seasons.

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http://www.geoffnolan.com

High standard? Okay Barrichello was quite a high standard but he was always below championship material. Heidfeld again probably similar to Barrichello, however maybe lacked a bit when it needed. The rest you mention where all pretty average in F1 and in F1 never shown they was of any high standard, instead shown to be just average drivers. So it was no surprise to see them leave, maybe to never return to F1 again, which is a good indication of their abilities (Average at best)

Koba is still an unknown, he's done good and still think he deserves a seat more than the others.

I don't think those drivers are all that, to be honnest. Rubens is a has been, Bourdais is a never was. The other 3 were average in the expreme. Jaime I think had potential but never really moved any mountains.

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I remember when this website was all fields.

Jaime had what 2 and a bit seasons i the STR while he didn't look out of place he didn't look like a worls beater, i think they moved him up too soon

Sutil, di Resta likely combination for Force India.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/racing/top-stories/Sutil-di-Resta-likely-combination-for-Force-India/articleshow/17522530.cms

Kamui, Kimi likely combination for Lotus?

Meh, neither seem like a good step forward. KK seems like a lovely guy, and has some talent, RoGro the same, but with the big question mark over him about his crash-prone rep. However it still has a 'best of the rest' kind of taste to it. 'Tis a shame Lotus can't prise Bianchi out of Ferrari.....

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Tous Avec Jules #17

A part of TS article, about Grosjean: courtesy Nicole

Teammate is still an open issue

Räikkönen's teammate next season has still not been confirmed. Grosjean scored points to Lotus only in ten races and crashed so often, that the plans about him being a model in FIA:s traffic safety campaign had to be buried.

Lotus-team's goal is to be 3rd in WCC-standing next season. In order to achieve that they need two drivers who score points evenly and surely.

Candidates are so far Grosjean, Kamui Kobayashi and Heikki Kovalainen. They are predicting that the choice will be made between Grosjean and Kobayashi.

Räikkönen hasn't worried over who his teammate will be.

– No matter who it is it's not going to take anything from me. I only concentrate on my own doings in my own car, just like I have always done, Räikkönen said.

Turun Sanomat

HEIKKI KULTA

http://www.ts.fi/moottoriurheilu/f1/424 ... Kanarialle

Bollocks, you need to win races.

I've read almost nothing in the news about Kamui since the Lotus rumours began circulating two weeks ago. Either he's already committed to Lotus, which requires him to keep a tight seal on info, or... what?? Sutil looks like he's rejoining FI which leaves the RoGro's seat the only one remaining.

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KOBAYASHI & KUBICA

Except Caterham. And have Marussia announced Chilton or is that seat free too? Haven't been paying much attention.

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Official Kamui Kobayashi Fanboy

Totally agree. To beat one of the top 3 Lotus will need to win more races. And RoGro got the speed to have a shot at it, he almost won one this year. That's why I think they will keep him.

Bianchi has the same sponsor as Lotus. It's Total.

http://i.imgur.com/mFKIW.jpg?1

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eeee

Eric Boullier revealed that there was really very little chance for Kamui joining the Lotus in the interview of Japanese Autosport magazine.

It must be very shock!!

Frankly it was always a rumor without any real backup.

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Yup. Just lots of wishful thinking.

Yup, just a rumor that everyone blown way out of proportion. Expect the worse driver of 2012 to get the seat again.

While some drivers are managed by team bosses and those with influences to F1 teams, Kobayashi is currently managed by an unknown company in Japan..I can see that it is going to take more than money and talent alone to compete with other drivers on the market at the moment.

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KIMI, KOBAYASHI, SCHUMI!!!

but that's the point isn't it, KK should have a management team that knows f1, if they did for the past few years they would have been actively seeking sponsors and securing his future. Not only had they not searched foe sponsors til mid point of the season they obviously had no plan b in regards to teams if sauber didn't renew. If you were a driver give however much of your cash to them you would feel very aggrieved at the situation.

Kamui Kobayashi Japan's best ever F1 driver - Alan Jones
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104801

Thanks Alan!!

Sad to hear that Lotus isn't a real option, but it was always a pipe-dream really.
Looks like it's Caterham or bust. At the very least it would be good for him to get 3rd driver and maybe look at other disciplines to keep his racecraft up.

There's always hope!

Pirelli have said they want him as a test driver so could be good for a year get plenty of miles under his belt gain knowledge of the following years tires if during the year he can gather some sponsors he could be back 2014.

Seems the most likely course of action.

Cheers for that link, except for saying some very true things about Kamui, it also includes the gem that Kazuki Nakajimi won Japanese F3 this year. Too good for junior series but not good enough for F1? Bless him.

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Official Kamui Kobayashi Fanboy

Formula Nippon
Alan Jones said somethings about Kamui that most people haven't looked at him well enough to have noticed but are absoutley spot on. People think he is a crashaholic but in actual fact he hardly crashes at all because unlike Grosjean and others he is lumped with, he knows when to go for it and when not to.

The only problem with that course is that it hasn't exactly worked out well for the other Pirelli testers.

true but KK has more experience than JA and if had sponsors would be on the grid now JA was always has potential but never really excelled to the point where people were desperate to keep him in f1

At this rate Pirelli test team are going to have a better driver line up than some of the teams.

Kamui designing his own car for next season

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KIMI, KOBAYASHI, SCHUMI!!!

Straight up kamui deserves it his strong season can't go un noticEd sure he didn't score podiums consistanly like Perez but sauber has a major sposor deal with a Mexican bank I think or company so no doubt the influx of cash would benefit Perez over kobayashi. Besides heikki has already had a decent time to proove himself in mclaren and failed ohh Hungary 2008 that's right he won that after his awesome debut year with Renault more than one win was asked for I think kamui would fit Nicely into lotus although I also believe Jaime alguersuari deserves a shot too maybe half a season each like they used to do back in the day

Grosjean confident Lotus talks 'on the right track'

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/186832/1/g ... track.html

Four hours ago, MTV3 put up news about Lotus having made up their mind about the other driver of the team now and that it should be announced shortly. It's impossible to say whether they're right or not.

Oskari Saari thinks it's Grosjean. Note that MTV3 usually is biased towards Finnish drivers and Kovalainen is apparently linked to Lotus (if not that strongly) and still say Grosjean.

Announcement on a Saturday? Seems strange.

Though it does seem more than likely RoGro will be retained.

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NH#1: Quick Nick Heidfeld
NH#2: HULK SMASH

PF1 Pick 10 Podiums: 6 (2nd IND '11; 1st JPN '12; 1st MCO '13; 3rd DEU '16; 3rd USA '16, 3rd MEX '16)

Like Heidfeld, Grosjean and Pedro? They got drives after performing that role.

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Official Kamui Kobayashi Fanboy

cant see them making any announcement while rogro is at roc.