Renault young drivers F1 test.

**Adam43** · 17 Nov 2003, 19:27 (Ref:786380)

Two of Ranaults kids Keikki Kovalainen and Jose Maria Lopez are going to get drive the Renault at Barcelona when the testing ban finishes.

Excellent, I am looking forward to Kovalainen getting a go. He seems to be very highly rated for the last couple of years.

Don't know much about J Lo

Should be fun...

ASCII Man · 17 Nov 2003, 19:28 (Ref:786382)

Oh boy!
We've got some real excitement coming up now!

Inigo Montoya · 17 Nov 2003, 19:29 (Ref:786383)

Flabio has to start thinking about what to do when Ferrari poach Alonso

**Adam43** · 17 Nov 2003, 19:34 (Ref:786388)

Quote:

Originally posted by ASCII Man
Oh boy!
We've got some real excitement coming up now!

I'll start a thread about Villeneuve next time

ASCII Man · 17 Nov 2003, 19:39 (Ref:786396)

I was just joking...
Jeez...

Knowlesy · 17 Nov 2003, 19:43 (Ref:786400)

How old are these guys?

**Adam43** · 17 Nov 2003, 19:47 (Ref:786406)

Quote:

Originally posted by ASCII Man
I was just joking...
Jeez...

so was I, Sheese

P.S. like your excitable comment in teh JPM replacement thread.

ASCII Man · 17 Nov 2003, 19:49 (Ref:786409)

Where's my coat...

**Adam43** · 17 Nov 2003, 19:51 (Ref:786411)

Quote:

Originally posted by knowlesy
How old are these guys?

not very.
HK: 22.
I don't know JML.

Quote:

Originally posted by ASCII man
Where's my coat...

It hanging next to mine, pass it will you

Knowlesy · 17 Nov 2003, 19:53 (Ref:786416)

Well as long as they're not 17, as is the trend these days!

**Adam43** · 17 Nov 2003, 20:11 (Ref:786433)

does it make you feel old?

**Adam43** · 17 Nov 2003, 20:26 (Ref:786449)

http://f1.racing-live.com/en/index.html

Heikki Kovalainen gives an interview to F1 live.
He seems quite self critical:

Quote:

What kind of a driver would you describe yourself as?
In terms of pure speed, I think I am at the right level. I have improved my fitness, and my consistency in race conditions was good this season. The weak point was qualifying: on a number of occasions, I couldn't get the car set-up correctly for a single flying lap. However, I know I didn't achieve my maximum, and I still have lots to learn. It's all a matter of patience. and hard work!

BootsOntheSide · 17 Nov 2003, 21:32 (Ref:786518)

Sounds like a perfectionist, which I suppose is a good asset for a racing driver. The day you're 100% satified with your race is the day you retire.

topgirl · 17 Nov 2003, 22:18 (Ref:786561)

I agree with you BootsOntheSide. JML is 20.

Russfeld · 17 Nov 2003, 22:24 (Ref:786570)

They should test Carbone :-/

topgirl · 17 Nov 2003, 22:25 (Ref:786573)

why's that? Im not saying he shouldn't, Im just wondering why you think he should?

alonso11 · 17 Nov 2003, 23:24 (Ref:786641)

Recently these two guys have the best positions in the RDD program.Kovalainen was -now ReanultF1's 3rd driver- Motagny's team- mate in the Nissan World Series (Even if it's not a real world series since it doesn't have a single race outside Europe!) but Motagny -after a dominant season- is leaving the series and Jose Maria Lopez will replace him to partner Kovalainen.At the same time Reanult increases its sponsorship toward this particular Nissan team called Gabord so in 2004 the team's name will be Gabord Renault Junior team and will have the ReanultF1 cars' livery (just like F3000 team SuperNova did in 2002).

Russfeld · 17 Nov 2003, 23:24 (Ref:786642)

Because he's part of Renault and he's got the Marlboro Masters under his belt and really should have won Macau. Lopez hasnt won anything of note.

alonso11 · 17 Nov 2003, 23:47 (Ref:786659)

Quote:

Originally posted by Russfeld

Because he's part of Renault and he's got the Marlboro Masters under his belt and really should have won Macau. Lopez hasnt won anything of note.

You obviously havn't watched the Reanult V6 races on eurosport this year.Lopez is an amazingly and outstandingly (if it's a word) fast driver even if sometimes a bit unthinking in the races.Despite having recorded the most DNFs among the front-runners he still won the championship because of his pace.He impressed me well and I think nobody who followed the V6 would say that Lopez hasn't deserved the champion title.So I guess a one-off race -even if so prestigious like the Malboro Masters- means more to you than being the Italian champion of Formula Renault 2000 and the International Champion of Formula Renault V6.Lopez won his V6 title againts people like French champion,Macau winner (and fellow RDD driver) Gommendy, Euro3000 champion Melo, Sauber-tester Jani or german F3 runner-up Matsuura, just for the record: Carbone has never won any chamionship yet.And IMHO Courtney 'should have won' Macau, true that Carbone should also had a place on the podium.

Russfeld · 18 Nov 2003, 00:20 (Ref:786674)

But its V6. Theres barely any cars or talent. Take a look at the grid when Carbone won at Zandvoort. Take a look at the Macau grid when he took pole.

**Adam43** · 18 Nov 2003, 09:05 (Ref:786841)

While you can argue that it was easy for Lopez to do well in V6, he did do well and you can only beat who you are put against.

So, he has not done anything wrong and hopefully we will see him somewhere next year where he can prove his talent.

**Stephen Green** · 18 Nov 2003, 09:28 (Ref:786855)

PS: Welcome to Ten Tenths Topgirl

Super Tourer · 18 Nov 2003, 10:06 (Ref:786878)

Looking forward to seeing what HK can do. On another note it's good to see F1 teams finally (seriously) looking down the ladder and backing, or testing, drivers at an earlier point in their career.

With McLaren having Hamilton on the books and William's giving both Piquet jnr and Rosberg jnr runs it bodes well for the future of F1.

I'm sure I will be corrected (LOL) but are their more young drivers both on the fringe of F1 (in testing roles, associations, etc) and coming into F1 - than we have seen for some time?

Thinking back to the 'Clive James' era 80's reviews, it semed to be much more luck musical chairs, with drivers moving around more than new ones coming in en masse.

The Zuschauer · 18 Nov 2003, 11:05 (Ref:786933)

Quote:

Originally posted by alonso11
You obviously havn't watched the Reanult V6 races on eurosport this year.Lopez is an amazingly and outstandingly (if it's a word) fast driver even if sometimes a bit unthinking in the races.

I agree with the others - Renault V6 simply isn't competitive enough. It's nothing compared with the Euro Series which Carbone competed in, and even less when you compare with the Marlboro Masters.

Carbone did a fantastic job at Macau. Consistently fast, and unlucky to damage his front wing in the second race. If it wasn't for that, he would have taken the outright honours.

That's not to say that Lopez shouldn't be given a chance - it's just that Carbone definitely deserves the chance.

alonso11 · 18 Nov 2003, 13:49 (Ref:787126)

Quote:

Originally posted by The Zuschauer
Renault V6 simply isn't competitive enough. It's nothing compared with the Euro Series which Carbone competed in, and even less when you compare with the Marlboro Masters.

You don't have to introduce Carbone or the Malboro Masters to me and you certainly unduly underrate the V6.If you don't rate people like the reigning Macau and French F3 champion Gommendy then I really don't know what's your point suppose to be.Certainly the Malboro Maters have very impressive (more impressive than the V6 do) grids.In Formula Renault Renault 2000cc you have to be very much on pace through 16 meetings or 20 meetings in Formula Renault 3500cc V6 if you want to compare it with a one-off race, well it's ok with me but Carbone has never won ANY championship despite being 23 years his best result was a 3rd in the Italian Formula Renaul that by the way 19years old JML won just to go on winning the V6 title the following year.And if there was some undeniable logic in what you'r trying to say then Gommendy would have beaten JML very badly.

Quote:

Originally posted by The Zuschauer
... unlucky to damage his front wing in the second race. If it wasn't for that, he would have taken the outright honours.

That's a complete rubbish, Courtney set a new laprecord was lapping faster than Carbone in EVERY lap (almost always by a clear second and his fastest lap of leg1 was 2sec faster than Carbone's).Only didn't take the pole because in the second qualifying session he tried out a bad set-up suggested by team-mate Kaffer and it made him the ONLY front-runner not being able to beat his own 1st qual laptime during the 2nd qual.He dominated both practices, both races and was on provisional pole by far... Just for the record Carbone led 2 laps as opposed to Courtney's 15.

Anyways realize please that JML's F1 tests is a prize for winning the V6, if you followed the series (which would have been quite a good idea before criticizing it) you would know it.If you or me won the Renault V6 championship this year then you (or me) would test the RenaultF1 in december since that is the prize of the championship and has NOTHING to do with being a RDD driver.

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