planetf1.com

To me it looks like Ocon is still learning and Perez definitely is worried about him. Next year I will not be surprised if Ocon is ahead more often than not. It this does not happen, then we can pretty much say that Perez is the better driver.

Good point there. We'll just have to find out how good the car is. Sainz is very good at times, but makes huge mistakes very nearly as often. Even last year, I thought Sainz made quite a few mistakes, including Mexico when he made a very risky move on Alonso which could have resulted much worse. He still got penalty for this. Then I remember several other races too over his career where he crashed heavily in practice, such as Russia one time. You would think he should learn from practice, but that often hasn't been the case this year. Hopefully he will get better, or Renault may drop him like Red Bull dropped Kvyat. I actually think Kvyat looked about as good in 2015 at Red Bull as Sainz has so far in Toro Rosso this year.

Funnily enough Ocon has been closer to Perez as we've moved onto tracks he's raced on in F1 before. He had a similar acclimatisation period against Werhlein last season before he destroyed him at Brazil.

So how does Carlos' stand regarding engine parts?

They are allocated to a driver (so you can't give parts to a team mate I guess), but how does that work when you swap to a new team?

Does he have to make do with what Palmer had left?

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Not exactly true

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition

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2017: 9th Place
2018: Currently 3rd

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

Yep

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2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: Currently 3rd

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

I think Renault took a penalty with Palmer at Japan to give Sainz a fresh engine.

And now Gasly will sit out Austin to finish the Super Formula season, according to autosport this has something to do with Franz Tost being keen to evaluate another driver for 2018. Wonder who that'd be, then?

Scott Speed?

One of my mates said he read somewhere that it's Brandon Hartley, but I can't find a link to a credible source

Somebody should tell them Palmer is available. Imagine if he were to have a good race there... They give him a Red Bull before every session, and two before qualifying and Bob's his uncle!

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Maria de Villota - Jules Bianchi

Talk about rubbing salt into the wound !!

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Let's get Frijns in there (think he had a super licence once so he could get a new one based on the 300km test).

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Ugh. God please no. If it's going to be an American let it be one I can root for. Sadly Rossi already ruled out a full time drive for next year so I doubt he'll do a one off with a team he has no prior association with.

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Here it is:
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132366/hartley-favourite-for-toro-rosso-us-gp-drive

Brandon Hartley is supposed to be the frontrunner with Buemi as the backup.

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Feel The Fourth

Hartley would be more interesting. Buemi would probably be better.

Hartley should be interesting.

Trivia: when was the last time a team changed driver lineup completely between two races in one season?

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Hartley must be pushing 30 now though. A little too old to be fresh into F1, although Hill was 30 I suppose.

27 I think.

Toyota 04 I think.

Started the season with Da Matta and Panis, finished with Zonta and Trulli.

Thought he was older. Seems to have been around a long time

Just looked, you are right 28 next month

I thought that it was because Honda wanted him to see the season out so they could win the title from Toyota?

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: Currently 3rd

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

Super License points?

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: Currently 3rd

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

I would have put Buemi in the car.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: Currently 3rd

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

He has them.

People seem to forget that Buemi was inferior to Alguersuari. I think STR know he isn't good enough.

I remember 94 had some crazy driver swaps

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#KeepFightingMichael

Through the WEC?

Whilst junior drivers have to fight and scrap for them.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: Currently 3rd

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

He's better than Hartley.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: Currently 3rd

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (6)

Can anyone who followed the wec closer than me say something about how/where Hartley ranked among the other drivers this season, performance-wise?

I only remember he was not very impressive in FR 3.5. many years ago.

Yes, but between one race and the next they never changed both drivers

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Very warm

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I just had to go to his wiki to find his age, there is a little on the end of the page

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendon_Hartley

Oh I see. Back to the drawing board.

Must be Lotus 94. Ran so many drivers that season!

That's it. Portugal (Herbert/Adams) to Jerez (Zanardi/Bernard).

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I'd much rather see Buemi get the drive rather than Hartley. Very curious to see how he'd perform in F1 today, even if it were just a one-off appearance. But neither fit Toro Rosso's purpose in life (to give Red Bull's young drivers a way into F1) which is why I still expect to see Kvyat start 2018 alongside Gasly.

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Well, in theory Hartley could fit: he was a Red Bull young driver once, and he still is affiliated (i.e. he still has RB backing). Buemi has been in F1 and has been discarded, so I don't expect him for 2018.

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That's not how I remember the partnership. Although he was often hit or miss in the races, in qualifying buemi often put his car amongst faster cars whereas alguersuari invariably didn't, he has good raw speed which is why he has been successful after F1 wherever he has gone. Hartley is good too, either will do well.

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Kimi: "Come on, get the McLaren out of the way!”

That's not how I remember the partnership. Although he was often hit or miss in the races, in qualifying buemi often put his car amongst faster cars whereas alguersuari invariably didn't, he has good raw speed which is why he has been successful after F1 wherever he has gone. Hartley is good too, either will do well.[/quote]

Buemi was better in quali (Although it was Alguersuari that got the best quali results of their final season) but couldn't live with Alguersuari in races. Jaime scored nearly double the points in 2011. I don't remember at the end of 2011 many people rating Buemi the better of the two.

By the end of 2011 I thought he had potential and he could have had a decent F1 career if given the chance. People often forget how young he was when he came into F1. He's been out of F1 for 6 seasons already and he's still only 27!

To this date he's still the third youngest to start an F1 race and the fifth youngest to score points in F1.

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