Sakon Yamamoto is it pure yen ?

[darcym]

is the reason Sakon Yamamoto has the Hispania pure yen driven or is there more going on ?

[ptclaus98]

You know, the more I see, the more I think that it's a combination. He gets *******ed a lot, but he is capable enough, beat Senna in the rain at Spa, IIRC.

[el_cat]

I actually think Sakon gets a bit or a harsh press.

O.k he's not WDC material, but he's capable within F1. Note his laptimes at Spa were quicker than Di Grassi and Kovalainen, and only 0.3s off Trulli who was the fastest of the new teams (which is the only true barometer at the moment) - and that was over a long lap and at the most demanding circuit. Thats probably as close as HRT have got to anyone in terms of outright pace all season.

He's consistently within a couple of tenths of Bruno which isn't bad. Sakon hasn't had a full season of anything for quite a while IIRC, which can't help.

He's as good as matching Bruno and getting an awful car within 107% of pole - on those facts alone I think you have to say he isn't out of place on the grid.

[p-matt]

True, but the point is that there are certainly better drivers that could bring a multi-million financial package to the table - e.g. Perez, Maldonado, Guerrieri, etc.

[Super Hans]

Competence + loads of cash = Drive with struggling team

[TrapezeArtist]

No it's pure talent.

Is that a pig I see perched in that tree?

[ralf fan]

Originally Posted by Super Hans

Competence + loads of cash = Drive with struggling team

I think you are doing a disservice to the word 'competence'.

[Splatz the Cow]

Here we go, buckle up for another thread of, "Why is the Asian driver getting a paid drive in F1?"

This is getting old, you know.

But it is funny how no body ever asks this about the European and South American drivers isn't it.

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by Splatz the Cow

But it is funny how no body ever asks this about the European and South American drivers isn't it.

I'll ask: Splatz, who are the European and South American drivers in F1 who don't deserve to be there, but got there just because they brought a big bag of gold?

Of course there have been drivers from many countries who got into Formula One through over-generous patronage rather than talent. But there have been very few in the modern era who were European or South American. About 90% of the Japanese drivers have been undeserving of their seat. Takuma Sato and Hideki Kobayashi are the exceptions that spring to mind.

[ralf fan]

Originally Posted by Splatz the Cow

Here we go, buckle up for another thread of, "Why is the Asian driver getting a paid drive in F1?"

This is getting old, you know.

But it is funny how no body ever asks this about the European and South American drivers isn't it.

What a bizarre post. I mean we've been more critical of guys like Baumgartner, Nissany, Diniz and a 100 other such drivers in the past.

[GTRMagic]

The logical reponse is

Yamamoto + Yen = HRT keeps doors open

Chandhok + no money = HRT closes