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21 Jan 2012, 11:23 (Ref:3014915) | #151 | |
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21 Jan 2012, 13:46 (Ref:3014980) | #152 | ||
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It wasn't annouced which driver he would replace, but people assumed Barrichello would stay on, so Bottas would likely replace Maldonado. Now they have Senna it's not quite so obvious. However, I read in... possibly Autosport magazine yesterday that Williams are expecting Senna to drive the car's development. So probably Bottas will be replacing Mal after all, as why would you replace your leading development driver?
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21 Jan 2012, 15:15 (Ref:3015009) | #153 | ||
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I am surprised that Bottas/his management said he won't be racing, really surprised. I imagine that is more to do with money not stretching that far than anything else?
The point about Senna's arrival may change that scneario though, as has been suggested he will need, and want, maximum car time and Maldonado will also expect that considering the size of his budget, so maybe Bottas will be allowed to race something after all? |
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21 Jan 2012, 16:38 (Ref:3015041) | #154 | ||
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21 Jan 2012, 17:26 (Ref:3015059) | #155 | |||
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Maldonado's a pretty good driver, and fully deserving of an F1 drive. It's his attitude and/or intransigence that people are getting distracted by I think. Some may think this is all part of a misled belief of his that he is very good..... World Champion he may never be but he's not disgraced himself in terms of how quickly he's made the car go that's for sure. I doubt there will be much between Senna and Maldonado anyway, more likely that the Venezuelan will be ahead. |
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23 Jan 2012, 18:37 (Ref:3015811) | #156 | ||
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23 Jan 2012, 20:24 (Ref:3015853) | #157 | ||
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I agree with you about Bottas talent, but not so much re Maldonado. People can say he's got questionable motives but certainly not questionable talent.
The Williams stuff is for the F1 Forum!! |
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23 Jan 2012, 23:00 (Ref:3015937) | #158 | |
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interesting story about to break , F1 connected French driver managed by a short french well connected driver manager about to step down to World Series with a winning french team........ poor old kevin !
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23 Jan 2012, 23:42 (Ref:3015960) | #159 | ||
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That can only be Jules Bianchi, presumably to Tech 1 then??! FR3.5 is looking stronger and GP2 weaker by the day. Nice for those of us who like to wander inside the paddock without being some clueless VIP with a Bernie swipe card.
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24 Jan 2012, 10:52 (Ref:3016103) | #160 | |
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ooh i do love a gossip blind item
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24 Jan 2012, 13:04 (Ref:3016158) | #161 | |
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Massive slap in the face to GP2 if Bianchi moves to FR 3.5. I still thought on the strength of the 2011 grids in each series that GP2 was the premier feeder series to F1 but maybe I have to re-evaluate in 2012.
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24 Jan 2012, 13:45 (Ref:3016183) | #162 | |
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GP2's image depends a lot on the experienced drivers and if they go to WSbR, then WSbR will be recognized as the feeder series closest to F1.
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24 Jan 2012, 14:03 (Ref:3016193) | #163 | |
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if i put my gp2 advocate hat on (it doesn't fit, and it's a clown hat), then it's just moving to an 'easier' championship to win a title because gp2 is too difficult.
which is clearly not really the story. i guess it depends what you mean by "feeder series". if you mean, drivers are mostly already supported before f1 teams whilst they're in it and then end up in f1 as a result, it's gp2. if you mean genuine driver talent... hmm. |
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24 Jan 2012, 15:00 (Ref:3016219) | #164 | ||
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If this driver move does get confirmed, it will be one of the biggest stories at this level for many, many years surely?
I also wonder who else will follow suit, I'm thinking drivers who perhaps would struggle to raise 2 million (as usual) but might, just might, raise a million or so for 3.5? |
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24 Jan 2012, 15:29 (Ref:3016233) | #165 | |
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i know it's probably not going to happen but i'd really like to see kevin ceccon in fr3.5. sam bird too, that'd be *really* interesting. it'd be good for it to become somewhere for the 3rd drivers to keep their hands in and somewhere younger drivers can size up their own potential against them. that'd create a really interesting dynamic.
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24 Jan 2012, 18:41 (Ref:3016334) | #166 | ||
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24 Jan 2012, 21:00 (Ref:3016427) | #167 | ||
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Doesn't that run the risk of FR3.5 being turned into a GP2 waiting room?
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24 Jan 2012, 21:44 (Ref:3016453) | #168 | ||||
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One cannot argue the fact that he was a race winner and title contender in Formula Renault 2.0 and 3.5 prior to GP2 and was a front runner every season in that until he won it so regardless of how much backing he has had, he is a good enough driver, and still very much maturing in my view. (Yes, I hear you say, he jolly well needs to!!) FR 3.5 is probably going to be the best place for any aspiring F1 driver coming out of the level below (no matter whether they have done GP2 already or not) mainly because of what the whole package will cost relative to GP2. It seems the only thing really going for GP2 at present is its presence on the GP support bill and the time it gives drivers on F1 circuits. FR 3.5 however, will now be a lot closer to GP2 performance.... It might be easy for us to say in light of the Bianchi situation but maybe this is a perfectly logical direction we will be seeing unless/until GP2 budgets are revised - something I can't see happening. Quote:
With GP2 frontrunner like Bianchi coming in, it can't really be a GP2 waiting room anymore can it? Last edited by chunterer; 25 Jan 2012 at 09:38. |
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24 Jan 2012, 21:46 (Ref:3016456) | #169 | ||
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Maybe Bianchi has a deal to do some F1 Fridays, which the rules prevent you from combining with racing in GP2?
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24 Jan 2012, 23:02 (Ref:3016509) | #170 | ||
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i keep saying this but many, if not most of the guys who have gone from gp2 to f1 already had connections with f1 teams just like the red bull young'ins do. nico rosberg, lewis hamilton, nico hulkenberg, romain grosjean... if you've left it till gp2/fr3.5 to start showing your talent you'd better have a very big wallet. like maldonado, perez, petrov, pic (lots of p's), etc. Last edited by chunterer; 25 Jan 2012 at 09:38. |
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25 Jan 2012, 09:26 (Ref:3016658) | #171 | ||
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25 Jan 2012, 09:42 (Ref:3016670) | #172 | |||
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Those circuits you mention are in the top list of challenging tracks a driver needs to know before F1 aren't they, the others probably being outside of Europe anyway? The leaving it late thing is a good summary, in fact I can only think of a small number of guys who either didn't have out and out F1 connections or a thick wallet. Maybe Glock, even if he had done a couple of races and some testing years before, is the only one in recent times? |
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25 Jan 2012, 10:57 (Ref:3016705) | #173 | ||
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re: drivers...yeah, glocks one of the very few isn't he? d'ambrosio is another whose wallet eased his way. di grassi too, though he ended up going in a different direction to his f1 affiliation. any others? |
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25 Jan 2012, 21:33 (Ref:3017041) | #174 | |
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It just occurred to me, Ricciardo did Monte Carlo while taking pole in WSbR. So, GP2's rules prevent you from taking part in F1 Fridays while racing!?
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26 Jan 2012, 09:12 (Ref:3017235) | #175 | ||
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Well, I am not sure what sort of business/racing arrangement Bird has with Merc, I would've thought he'd be in GT3 or DTM, if not, than hopefully he signs up for 3.5. Can't wait for more quality signings.
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