Quote:
Originally Posted by chunterer
I fear Marko may drop Dean but he's quick enough to deserve another year whether it's in RPM 3.5 or GP2.
Rowland is just a class, class driver isn't he.
Could he go all the way and become the next superstar Brit F1 driver?
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There's no doubt that Dean has had a lot of bad luck recently, but in the last three rounds de Vries has really upped his game and on pace he is the quicker of the two at the moment. I agree that he deserves another year in 3.5 or a step up to GP2, but I think he needs a really solid final two rounds to retain the confidence of Marko. Another issue is that at 25 years old, for how much longer can he be deemed a 'junior' driver with so many 17/18/19 year olds coming through the ranks?
Rowland has been super, super impressive this year. Going into a season as a hot title favourite doesn't always sit well for some (Sirotkin last year for example) but he has handled the pressure extremely well. Some of his driving has been sheer first class (his overtakes in Silverstone Race 1 and his charge back through the field at Monaco are two of the best examples). If, as expected, he wraps the title up he will be a very deserving champion indeed.
I read an interview with him a few months ago where he stated he would like to step up to GP2 next season, but it wasn't the be all and end all for him - he said if he was offered a serious drive in DTM, LMP2 or LMP1 and therefore a long-term, professional career, he wouldn't hesitate to snap it up.