What now for Tonio Liuzzi?

[duke_toaster]

Hmm ... a customer R10? One of the Red Bull cars in the DTM is an Audi, and they have more VWAG connections with Skoda in the WRC and VW in, er, DARPA Grand Challenge.

Or Tonio will find himself in Toyota in NASCAR for Red Bull's team.

[FPV GTHO]

Tonio doesnt strike me as someone who would jump into NASCAR. For Montoya and Speed, it was a relatively easy fit.

[WebberForWDC]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

Or the popular one now ... NASCAR

Well NASCAR is as big in terms of personnel, arguably bigger in terms of more vehicle entries floating around, and plausibly better after all....

To keep at the lefty and righty simple-ton racing a step to sunny Queensland could be good. Stone Brothers need a driver after all, a F3000 champion would be a handy signing.

[johntt]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

Hmm ... a customer R10? One of the Red Bull cars in the DTM is an Audi, and they have more VWAG connections with Skoda in the WRC and VW in, er, DARPA Grand Challenge.

Or Tonio will find himself in Toyota in NASCAR for Red Bull's team.

An R10 in Red Bull colours would look amazing .

I think Liuzzi should get the second Force India seat, since they aren't looking for pay drivers any more now they have a rich backer (and hopefully some stability).

Tonio got a raw deal woth Red Bull in 2005, the 2006 STR was a rev-limited version of the 05 RBR (which was an upgraded 04 Jag to begin with), and this years STR had all the reliability issues that the RBR had plus the managerial problems at STR.

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

For Speed, it was a relatively easy fit.

Off topic, bit you're jumping to conclusions a bit soon there! He did do well in ARCA though.

[BootsOntheSide]

Endurance racing and a stimulation drink is such a logical marketing link-up, I can't believe they haven't done it yet...

[Chiefy]

In response to the original question ("Does anyone care?") I'd like to say yes, I do! I think he's been given a hard time in the close season, presumably having lost out on the Force India seat.

In 2005 the seat-sharing did not work in his favour at all. In 2006 his car was awful. In 2007 the car wasn't great but made some progress towards the year's end. But forget not that in Q1 of Monaco in 2007 he posted the 4th quickest time. It must have been a gutsy effort because he failed to post anything like it again, ending up 12th (still a respectable effort) in the end. Unfortunately he crashed out early on - but I think he redeemed himself no end at the season's end when he had the high-flying Vettel to contend with. Suddenly the car was moving and both drivers did good things with it. Liuzzi finished 8th in Japan (though was bumped back down to 9th), running just a few points behind Vettel (until Vettel crashed out). Then in China he ran to another points finish (again behind Vettel). What's he done wrong? He was the better of Scott Speed and he was only marginally behind Vettel. Just like Kubica was only ever marginally behind Heidfeld.

He deserves one last shot with a decent team. If anyone suffers an injury this year, then Liuzzi is the man to call in. I especially rate him over the tired-looking Fisichella, who has limited time left in his career. So why not, Mr Mallya, pick the man with the future instead of the man with the (uninteresting) past?

Liuzzi.

[Down F0rce]

I would like to see Tonio have one more chance. I too feel that he was given a raw deal by Red Bull and Toro Rosso, and deserves at least one year to prove himself with another team. However, these things don't happen often in F1...

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by Chiefy

In 2007 the car wasn't great but made some progress towards the year's end.

Well the car wasnt the problem, it was the Minardi engineers who didnt understand it.

[Chiefy]

Either way, it all came good.

[Down F0rce]

Seems he may become a test/reserve driver for Force India.

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns19961.html

They will be announcing thier driver line up this Thursday, which will likley be Sutil and Fisichella.

[alonso11]

yea Fisi was obvious since the IndiaTimes report, but I've just read the same about Liuzzi on an Austrian site. The team offered the 3rd and res. for Klien but he refused it so it went to Liuzzi eventualy. At least he can occasionaly drive F1 cars for one more year (dont expect more to come for him TBH)

The sad news is that Klien's F1 career is over, a much worthy driver than Liuzzi IMO

[safc_fan89]

Even sadder is that Fisichella looks like he's being given an undeserved seat.

[ralf fan]

I suppose Fisi is probably the best choice from an option of Klien, Fisi and Liuzzi. They already have Sutil who is crash prone and is unlikely to finish every race. Liuzzi and Klien have shown themselves to be inconsistent. I liked Klien when he was around. He was a charger and entertaining. But Fisi will get you finishes and when you have one quick crash prone driver a solidly unspectacular second driver is probably the best option for team.

[littleman]

There are only 3 special drivers in F1. Raikkonen,Alonso and probably Hamilton. There are at least 50 other drivers floating around who are just as good as the remaining 19 on the grid. Liuzzi is just another driver who joins the mountain of capable, but not exceptional talent, outside of F1.

[Chiefy]

Originally Posted by littleman

There are at least 50 other drivers floating around who are just as good as the remaining 19 on the grid.

Can you name 25 of them, or were you being as speculative as you came across?

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by littleman

There are only 3 special drivers in F1. Raikkonen,Alonso and probably Hamilton. There are at least 50 other drivers floating around who are just as good as the remaining 19 on the grid.

I disagree completely. I'd agree with your choice of Raikkonen, Alonso and Hamilton as the cream of the crop, but there's no way that there are 50 drivers 'floating around' who are as good the likes of Button, Massa, Rosberg....etc

[littleman]

There is, and I'll name them when I've got a few minutes spare.

[Chiefy]

I cannot wait to see the candidates.

[maximus]

Originally Posted by littleman

There is, and I'll name them when I've got a few minutes spare.

Still waiting....

[littleman]

I don't class any of these drivers as "Raikkonen special", but with a decent amount of testing they wouldn't look out of place on an F1 grid. Here's 40 for starters!

Carroll,DiGrassi,Premat,Conway,Pantano,Lamy,Jarvis,Junqueira,Klein,Green,Paffett,Kerr,Wilson,Lapierr e,Grosjean,Tracey,Watts,Franchitti,Senna,Montoya,Pla,Di Resta,Wheldon,Duval,Spengler,Pizzonia,Parente,Asmer,Gommendy,McNish,
Briscoe,Perera,Courtney,Lyons,Gene,Carbone,Zonta,Kane,Jani and Wurz.

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by littleman

...with a decent amount of testing they wouldn't look out of place on an F1 grid.....

Ah, now that's not what you said initially is it? You said that there were 50 drivers as good as those in F1 (excl. KR, FA and LH), and looking at your list, you've not been able to prove it by any means.

[maximus]

Originally Posted by littleman

I don't class any of these drivers as "Raikkonen special", but with a decent amount of testing they wouldn't look out of place on an F1 grid. Here's 40 for starters!

Carroll,DiGrassi,Premat,Conway,Pantano,Lamy,Jarvis,Junqueira,Klein,Green,Paffett,Kerr,Wilson,Lapierr e,Grosjean,Tracey,Watts,Franchitti,Senna,Montoya,Pla,Di Resta,Wheldon,Duval,Spengler,Pizzonia,Parente,Asmer,Gommendy,McNish,
Briscoe,Perera,Courtney,Lyons,Gene,Carbone,Zonta,Kane,Jani and Wurz.

Kerr will never get close to an F1 drive, he isn't good enough, Wurz has retired, Pantano isn't good enough, likewise Pizzonia, I'm struggling to see anyone better than in current F1 in that list, save a couple of names.

[Kai]

Former F1 drivers don't count.

[littleman]

It's impossible for me to prove it, but outside of Raikkonen,Alonso and Hamilton they'd be every bit as good as say Sutil,Piquet,Nakajima,Sato,Davidson,Vettel,Bourdais,Barrichello,Coulthard,Glock,Trulli etc - well, just about the rest of the current F1 grid really!