Danny Watts, Lola & Promatecme

[strider]

There's so much negative stuff on here about British F3 that I thought I would start my first thread and point out what a great job Danny Watts did at the weekend in the Promatecme-run Lola-Dome.

5th from p7 on the grid in the Saturday race, with the third fastest lap of the race; 6th from p11 on the grid in race 1 on Sunday and 5th again from p6 on the grid in race 2. And that included a couple of serious attempts at getting past Piquet.

According to my figures, that puts him 10th in the Championship despite having missed three races and crashed out of another in avoidance of someone else. This from a driver who is skint and a team that is running the car on a shoestring. Someone should get in there and give them and Lola a helping hand. The car is clearly on the pace now and headed for a podium sooner rather later.

[Kicking-back]

I wonder if the car has had much development or if it just suited this track a bit better?

[bella]

i think they probably did the smart thing and saved themselves the hassle of stinking the place down at knockhill and did well instead at snett with the same money.

[Tweed]

why does no-one with any money pick up on Danny? He should be in Dallara Nissan or something now

[Kicking-back]

Originally posted by Tweed
He should be in Dallara Nissan or something now

Why?

[littleman]

The Lola-Dome project will eventually provide F3 teams with a genuine alternative to the Dallara. Over the next 18 months, remember there's new cars for next year, it will become a winner. I believe Watts will be on the podium before the seasons over and may stay next year for a championship assault. Either way, Lola know his worth and can help him move towards A1,Champ Cars or Sports Cars.

[Tweed]

He's had enough experience in F3 now, someone like Keohane's been in DNissan and Danny's at least where he is in terms of his career, IMO. Don't you think another year in F3 for him next year would turn him into a Warren Hughes or a Ben Collins?

[Kicking-back]

He's good, but I don't know if he has what it takes for a higher level.

[Tweed]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
He's good, but I don't know if he has what it takes for a higher level.

how do you rate him, alongside Robbie Kerr?
Higher?
Lower?

[Kicking-back]

I think Robbie's better - certainly achieved the better results in F3, he was the champion after all.

I'm not sure if drivers should move up a category just because they've done X number of races in a series.

[Tweed]

no, I don't mean that, otherwise Tor Graves would be in the middle of his 3rd F1 season! Just that he's a bit older than Piquet, Rossiter and a few others and his career will probably stagnate a bit if next year he's still trying to cobble together an F3 season

[Kicking-back]

Piquet and Rossiter are the future, yes.

The thing is at every step upwards in a single-seater racing career, there's always going to be a few who drop off the ladder, and go to sportscars, touring cars or whatever.

[strider]

I think if you were to ask Manor and Promatecme/Lola, they would say Danny was a brilliant development driver and he does seem to be getting more out of the Lola than Robbie did in his one-off outing in the car last year, but that was then and I'm talking about now.

I'm not sure that another season in F3 would necessarily be a good thing, but wasn't he in Renault for quite a while before hitting the jackpot?

[littleman]

In a perfect world, Watts should have done two years in FRenault instead of three, two in F3 and then F3000 this year. It's not a perfect world though and it's so hard to keep moving up the ladder if you haven't got the finances.Robbie Kerr has exactly the same problems and talent wise there wasn't much to choose between them back in their karting days.

[Mr Jinxx]

They seem very similar in many ways. Neither have ever been lucky enough to attract a long-term backer. Both have won races and championships, yet this has still not happened for them. Why?? Both have also then appeared not to shine in other championships (Danny in F3, Robbie in V6) - uncompetitive teams? In their different ways, both very personable blokes. Danny more "in yer face" but Robbie the more naturally quick driver, I think. Both reputedly very experiened and good at setting up a car.

[climb]

Lola could develop a good car next year, but asbout Danny, well I'm not sure that one more year in F3 would help his career.

[Sid The Manager]

You also have to remember that this years Lola has the new front end + development bits manufactured because of Robbies input last year.

As far as Robbie in V6 goes, the team has no set up data and starts each race weekend basically a year behind the other teams

[Kicking-back]

I think Robbie's name should definitely be on one of the new GP2 cars next year.

[Sid The Manager]

Working on that, can you help?

[Kicking-back]

If I was in a position to bring sponsorship to a driver, Robbie would certainly be high on the list.

[Sid The Manager]

Most people don't realise the contacts they actually have, and most drivers who haven't got a budget already know the person or company that could get their career sorted, the trick is recognising who they are!

[Kicking-back]

Very astute reasoning, Sid.

It's a pity a few more don't take that attitude rather than moaning about not getting the breaks.