Team USA performance

Mystery · 5 Nov 2005, 23:36 (Ref:1453107)

Just wanted to guage opinions here on how team USA has performed this year. I, like probably quite a few of you, thought they would be right on the pace from day 1, but they have really quite struggled and Speed hasn't helped the cause by getting involved in an accident (or two?). And now Speed is too busy to show up so we get Bryan Herta instead and he only qualifies 22nd - although in a highly unfamiliar car one would think. So where do they go from here...

Presumably Scott will be back for the next round, and yes he has shown occasional flashes of speed, but I think the team would expect better really.

Camo · 6 Nov 2005, 00:08 (Ref:1453123)

I think some people are judging the drivers too quickly, (Speed I rate as someone to watch)
As the cars are all the same, that makes it more important on the drivers skill AND his engineers to tweak the car right...Maybe some teams should be looking at their engineers too.
The French have the right combination at this time. I for one would like to see the engineers names mention with the drivers so we can see which makes a great combination. As its a team thing I'm sure it can only benefit all if the crew starts to get a bit of notoriety and may help them in their future careers and share the fame and blame in the public arena.

Spark41 · 6 Nov 2005, 01:08 (Ref:1453158)

I think Camo has a good point about the engr. Scott Speed and the Isport guys led the testing times But when the DRP guys took over at Brands Hatch its been hit and miss. We will see if Herta can get it do with DPR. For sure the engr is the common link.

Mr Jinxx · 6 Nov 2005, 01:50 (Ref:1453166)

The key is the driver/engineer combination. It's a team thing. Speed is clearly a damn good driver, and Bryan Herta is a very well known quantity. Each needs time to gel with their engineer, simple as that.

Elton Julian · 6 Nov 2005, 15:01 (Ref:1453379)

Spark41- Congrats! Will we see Scott back in the A1 Gp car?

Kicking-back · 6 Nov 2005, 15:10 (Ref:1453385)

Bryan was getting faster as the race went on by the look of things.

Maybe someone should put Elton Julian in the car...

Fiorentina 1 · 6 Nov 2005, 20:06 (Ref:1453551)

Like someone else said, it's a question of the team as well. Bryan Herta was an interesting choice; I would heve gone with Ryan Hunter-Reay since he was free this weekend or Charlie Kimball. Herta has been doing ovals only for a few years now, so a road racer would have been better.

Mystery · 7 Nov 2005, 00:19 (Ref:1453778)

I was intrigued by the choice of Herta as well. Having not seen the race yet I can't comment on his performance. I'd certainly hope to see Team USA moving up the field soon.

Kiwi3 · 7 Nov 2005, 04:18 (Ref:1453837)

Herta did seem to be getting up towards the midfield during the main race, much better than qualifying, but I would still like to see Speed remain in the car.

Anyone know why he wasn't available? Red Bull commitments? Not want to sully his reputation while the car is not sorted?

Shame also that they did not stick with iSport, going by testing form they might have been giving France a tougher contest. Perhaps iSport wanted too much money? Just speculating...

MCWB · 7 Nov 2005, 04:45 (Ref:1453846)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mystery

I was intrigued by the choice of Herta as well.

Same here, but he didn't do too badly it seems. Now that we know he's in the mix, surely he must be in the car at Laguna Seca; if anyone knows what works at Laguna it's him.

Camo · 7 Nov 2005, 06:33 (Ref:1453878)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MCWB

Same here, but he didn't do too badly it seems. Now that we know he's in the mix, surely he must be in the car at Laguna Seca; if anyone knows what works at Laguna it's him.

Now thats a track I can't wait to see them on.

wevets · 15 Nov 2005, 02:01 (Ref:1460948)

The guys running America might only be running the one team.

The faster teams are run by guys that also run one or two other countries. They have much more data to work with.

It's a bit of a shame really, not the level playing field that it could have been.

Maybe the guys running single teams should be sharing data with the other guys that only run one.

I think france is run by the same guys that run Switzerland and one other team.

bocster · 15 Nov 2005, 03:04 (Ref:1460969)

yeh i think there will be a few things they will look at next season. another is the testing before races rule. alot of the top teams have gotten around it by getting their drivers to race the week before in other cars. heard somewhere that they are planning to make it a rule that drivers arent allowed to drive if they have driven on the track in the past 6 months

Kebab · 15 Nov 2005, 17:33 (Ref:1461518)

Quote:

Originally Posted by wevets

The guys running America might only be running the one team.

The faster teams are run by guys that also run one or two other countries. They have much more data to work with.

It's a bit of a shame really, not the level playing field that it could have been.

Maybe the guys running single teams should be sharing data with the other guys that only run one.

I think france is run by the same guys that run Switzerland and one other team.

Looks like you're right, there's an article on Autosport.com that says Italy is looking to find other A1 teams to share data with.

wevets · 17 Nov 2005, 00:00 (Ref:1462796)

Cool, they don't need much more speed to be competitive. I hope they team up with Australia

Go-Pakistan · 17 Nov 2005, 09:10 (Ref:1462998)

Charlie Kimball looks like the logical choice, having a lot of experience, and coming 2nd in his very first year of F3 with 5 wins (although with the best team) is quite an achievement.

strider · 17 Nov 2005, 14:22 (Ref:1463211)

It will be interesting to see how Kimball goes in Macau this weekend. I have a feeling he may be over-rated.

Mr Jinxx · 18 Nov 2005, 01:10 (Ref:1463684)

I tend to agree, though that's just gut feeling and past performances. Don't really know him and haven't seen him this year.

It's completely wrong, I know, but also the name doesn't help in a "glamour industry", somehow. If you were called Vitantonio Liuzzi or Jenson Button or Alfonso Orleans, you're going to go a lot further to start with!

Bluewolf · 20 Nov 2005, 09:11 (Ref:1465442)

Bryan is getting quicker and quicker and he very rarely puts a wheel wrong -- 10th and then 7th in malaysia and right on the tail of 6th and 5th toward the end of the race -- I hope they finish the season with either him or with scott. Also Herta's won twice at Laguna Seca in champ cars so it would be great to see him at that track.

Go-Pakistan · 20 Nov 2005, 15:01 (Ref:1465603)

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxy mole

It will be interesting to see how Kimball goes in Macau this weekend. I have a feeling he may be over-rated.

Finishing second in his first year of british formula 3 is a great result.

only beaten by alvaro parente who was in his 5th season of formula 3.

i think charlie should be given a shot at some rounds in the new year, anyone know what charlie is doing next year? GP2? world series renault?

Kicking-back · 20 Nov 2005, 15:12 (Ref:1465614)

Bryan's moved forward this weekend - a similar step forward in Dubai would have him right in the thick of things

strider · 20 Nov 2005, 16:11 (Ref:1465650)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Go-Pakistan

Finishing second in his first year of british formula 3 is a great result.

only beaten by alvaro parente who was in his 5th season of formula 3.

i think charlie should be given a shot at some rounds in the new year, anyone know what charlie is doing next year? GP2? world series renault?

I stand by my original comment. Charlie has not had a great weekend in Macau.

Agreed he had a great F3 rookie season, but that was in a year when BF3 had many rookies. He had the benefit of an experienced team-mate in Parente. If he's smart he'll stay in F3 next year, he's just not ready to move up yet.

As for Team USA, I'd go along with Kicking-back's comment.

Kiwi3 · 21 Nov 2005, 10:44 (Ref:1466330)

Team USA finally seem to be moving forward, although still nowhere near where their pre-season testing pace suggested they could be. I wonder where they would be now with Scott Speed still in the car (I doubt he'll be back unfortunately). Then again perhaps they are moving ahead because Herta is helping to sort them out.

Mystery · 21 Nov 2005, 12:28 (Ref:1466420)

Since I started the thread I thought I'd check back in and comment on how impressed I have been with the work of Herta. As K-B says above then another step forward at Dubai would see them pretty close to the podium.

Also, looking back at my original post.......

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mystery

And now Speed is too busy to show up so we get Bryan Herta instead

This seems rather insensitive now so I apologise for the ill-informed comment. If only Speed was simply "too busy" he'd be delighted I'm sure.

Go-Pakistan · 22 Nov 2005, 08:45 (Ref:1467157)

Quote:

Originally Posted by foxy mole

Agreed he had a great F3 rookie season, but that was in a year when BF3 had many rookies. He had the benefit of an experienced team-mate in Parente. If he's smart he'll stay in F3 next year, he's just not ready to move up yet.

Maybe there were a lot of rookies, but he was one also, and British F3 is still regarded as the toughest and most important F3 series. I don't think he has anything more to prove in the category. Surely a move to GP2 will serve him better.