Simona de Silvestro

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

I thought the Fiorano test might get that done, but maybe it does need to be a current car as Joe Saward said in his piece about it that Simona was hoping to test later in the year to get a super licence.
Maybe she just didn't do enough running at Fiorano? Or maybe it was because it was an old car.

If Suzie Wolff and Max Chilton can have Super-licences then Simona should get one for what she has already accomplished in Indycar. There should be people at the FIA able to make a proper assessment of her ability and not even be a question about it. If there was any doubt the test in the C31 at Fiorano should have answered them.

[Mystery]

If she does x miles (someone more knowledgeable than me can fill in 'x') in a current car she gets a superlicence automatically. Her Indycar efforts might be enough if they applied but why not just get her to do the miles and then see

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

I thought the Fiorano test might get that done, but maybe it does need to be a current car as Joe Saward said in his piece about it that Simona was hoping to test later in the year to get a super licence.
Maybe she just didn't do enough running at Fiorano? Or maybe it was because it was an old car.

I don't quite see the point of her testing in an old car, when the new cars behave very differently as we have all seen?

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I don't quite see the point of her testing in an old car, when the new cars behave very differently as we have all seen?

This is a good question. And why did they go to the trouble of giving the car a new livery. Other than this was a very public "hey look at us we're testing a lady" thing

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I don't quite see the point of her testing in an old car, when the new cars behave very differently as we have all seen?

I think she has sponsors to help with the costs of the Sauber programme to get her into a F1 seat so its part of a planned programme. But the rules would not allow Sauber to test her in a current car at Fiorano....
Which is why I have questions about the sensibility of some of F1's rules

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

I think she has sponsors to help with the costs of the Sauber programme to get her into a F1 seat so its part of a planned programme. But the rules would not allow Sauber to test her in a current car at Fiorano....
Which is why I have questions about the sensibility of some of F1's rules

I didn't know of that rule. I've learnt something new about the rules and intricacies of F1.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I don't quite see the point of her testing in an old car, when the new cars behave very differently as we have all seen?

Presumably to get used to the team, the car, the Pirelli tyres... to see how the pilot goes over a simulated race distance in the car as opposed to the simulator... to see how she pulls up physically after all that...

And to show to the sponsor group what might just be possible, with the right level of investment of course

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Presumably to get used to the team, the car, the Pirelli tyres... to see how the pilot goes over a simulated race distance in the car as opposed to the simulator... to see how she pulls up physically after all that...

And to show to the sponsor group what might just be possible, with the right level of investment of course

The car certainly had an interesting livery.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I didn't know of that rule. I've learnt something new about the rules and intricacies of F1.

Its just ridiculous.
In the 89-90's McLaren had a test car and support at Suzuka doing 1000's of Km. Schumacher tested non stop at Fiorano.

They banned testing and now you cannot do it anywhere except official tests and maybe a straight line test(runway test under controlled conditions).

Sauber had 'special' Pirellis so no one could accuse them of getting secret tyre experience and information at Simona's test...
You have a special batch of tyres made for an out of date car to ensure you don't break the test ban on 'real' F1 tyres and teams spend millions on sophisticated simulators because the test ban was supposed to be about 'saving' money....

And Todt has abandoned plans for cost cap plan because the major teams supported by the pockets of manufacturers don't want it...

The lesser teams should just set a date and say "no effective plan by this date we are out for the rest of the season". It would be tough but a GP with 12 -14 entrants would break the minimum car rule (16?) and rip the nonsense into the open.

just sit back and watch the fur fly.....

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

Its just ridiculous.
In the 89-90's McLaren had a test car and support at Suzuka doing 1000's of Km. Schumacher tested non stop at Fiorano.

They banned testing and now you cannot do it anywhere except official tests and maybe a straight line test(runway test under controlled conditions).

Sauber had 'special' Pirellis so no one could accuse them of getting secret tyre experience and information at Simona's test...
You have a special batch of tyres made for an out of date car to ensure you don't break the test ban on 'real' F1 tyres and teams spend millions on sophisticated simulators because the test ban was supposed to be about 'saving' money....

And Todt has abandoned plans for cost cap plan because the major teams supported by the pockets of manufacturers don't want it...

The lesser teams should just set a date and say "no effective plan by this date we are out for the rest of the season". It would be tough but a GP with 12 -14 entrants would break the minimum car rule (16?) and rip the nonsense into the open.

just sit back and watch the fur fly.....

If the simulators are so good, she should be able to take her "test" in the simulator!

If the lesser teams walked away from the sport the big teams would throw a party, I bet all of them could field a third car at the next GP!

[GTRMagic]

Ms de Silvestro's backers are making sure she gets plenty of miles in testing this year!

Story Here

[321Go]

There are a number of ways to qualify for a FIA super licence. From the top of my head, being a champion, or finishing on the podium a few times in a junior open wheel category, plus completing 300km's in a recent (I think it a minimum of two year old) F1 car will get you a super licence. This is the method used by most drivers for F1.

Top four finishers in the IndyCar drivers championship also qualify. And if you don't meet these two criteria's, doing 300km's in a F1 car at 'racing speeds' and sucking up to the FIA - big time - will also get you a super licence.
It will cost you €10,000 for the plastic card with your picture on it though. Not cheap.

[NaBUru38]

Simona finished 2nd at Houston last year. Don't tell me that she's mediocre.

There are dozens of drivers who should drive in F1. But there are only 22 cars, I know.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by wnut

If the simulators are so good, she should be able to take her "test" in the simulator!

If the lesser teams walked away from the sport the big teams would throw a party, I bet all of them could field a third car at the next GP!

Yes they could but all it would do is reinforce the idea that F1 is really an old boys club for a group of people who hijacked a series and made it their own playground.
It may be good for half a dozen teams but it wouldn't be good for the championship in the medium to long term.

And it wouldn't be a fix for F1. In the end it would kill it.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by wnut

If the simulators are so good, she should be able to take her "test" in the simulator!

If the lesser teams walked away from the sport the big teams would throw a party, I bet all of them could field a third car at the next GP!

Yes they could but all it would do is reinforce the idea that F1 is really an old boys club for a group of people who hijacked a series and made it their own playground.
It may be good for half a dozen teams but it wouldn't be good for the championship in the medium to long term.

And it wouldn't be a fix for F1. In the end it would kill it..

[JeremySmith]

Simona is going to be a star...
She is more than capable, and wil be driving a Sauber next year ..

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Simona is going to be a star...
She is more than capable, and wil be driving a Sauber next year ..

I hope so Jeremy. Successfully,
If she does it is going to open F1 to a whole new generation of women and change the way F1 is viewed in the general media.

[Nikki Katz]

I dunno, I still think that a de Silvestro and Sirotkin lineup would be worse than the Sutil / Gutierrez one. She's a decent driver, better than Patrick, but I don't think she'd make much of an impression if she did get a seat.

Sauber are already using two pay drivers and seem to have others on the radar, so I'm not too sure their money issues are sorted. If they're getting money from de Silvestro's sponsors just for testing her then I imagine that's their main motive.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Simona finished 2nd at Houston last year. Don't tell me that she's mediocre.

There are dozens of drivers who should drive in F1. But there are only 22 cars, I know.

Danica Patrick won at Motegi in 2008. The first woman ever to win a major series OW race.

It would be great to see women drivers in F1. I remeber seeing both Lela Lombardi and Davina Galicia racing in the '70s and it will be interesting to see how it all pans out for Simona de Silvestro. Good luck.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Danica Patrick won at Motegi in 2008. The first woman ever to win a major series OW race.

It would be great to see women drivers in F1. I remeber seeing both Lela Lombardi and Davina Galicia racing in the '70s and it will be interesting to see how it all pans out for Simona de Silvestro. Good luck.

Desire Wilson was a just plain awesome driver!

One of the unluckiest people not to get an F1 drive imo!

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

Yes they could but all it would do is reinforce the idea that F1 is really an old boys club for a group of people who hijacked a series and made it their own playground.

No argument with that - fact!

should read

F1 is really an old boys club for a group of people who hijacked a series and made it their own playground.

Originally Posted by Teretonga

And it wouldn't be a fix for F1. In the end it would kill it..

It may on the other hand entrench F1 as the place to be.

[JeremySmith]

Simona will mix it up with the boys, no problem and she is rather easy on the eyes as well ...

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by wnut

No argument with that - fact!

It may on the other hand entrench F1 as the place to be.

Well envisage this...
We lose 4 teams and drop to seven, each can run a third car so we fill our field to 21..... Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, Williams, Torro Rosso or Lotus...

My guess is that Lotus (Enstone) or Williams may fall away and Torro Rosso would become the default 7th team. Sauber, Marussia, Caterham, and Force India may leave although I feel Force India may be able to stay more than Williams or Lotus....

Maybe the lesser teams could run GP2 cars in the GP's like happened in years gone by when F2 cars filled the fields.... or back in the thirties when effectively we had two teams (Mercedes and Auto Union) slogging it out to the delight of the nationalists....

I am not trying to be unnecessarily negative. I just don't think the sport is being well run and that the cheerful optimism that believes all will always work out and be well...
I don't think it is very well founded given the way things are managed at the moment.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

Well envisage this...
We lose 4 teams and drop to seven, each can run a third car so we fill our field to 21..... Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, Williams, Torro Rosso or Lotus...

My guess is that Lotus (Enstone) or Williams may fall away and Torro Rosso would become the default 7th team. Sauber, Marussia, Caterham, and Force India may leave although I feel Force India may be able to stay more than Williams or Lotus....

Maybe the lesser teams could run GP2 cars in the GP's like happened in years gone by when F2 cars filled the fields.... or back in the thirties when effectively we had two teams (Mercedes and Auto Union) slogging it out to the delight of the nationalists....

I am not trying to be unnecessarily negative. I just don't think the sport is being well run and that the cheerful optimism that believes all will always work out and be well...
I don't think it is very well founded given the way things are managed at the moment.

If they allowed the teams to run different liveries and sponsors between each teams cars, the extra revenue generated from the third car may actually make some of the smaller teams more viable.
What do you think?

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by wnut

If they allowed the teams to run different liveries and sponsors between each teams cars, the extra revenue generated from the third car may actually make some of the smaller teams more viable.
What do you think?

I would have that no problem
I think F1 is far too stereotyped, over managed, and far far too prissy about conformity , especially in stuff like liveries. I would let them have what they wanted, even change them from race to race to suit the sponsors markets... like McLaren did when Keke ran yellow and white for Marlboro lights in Portugal, or when McLaren ran blue in the USA for the Lowenbrau beer that Phillip Morris owned.

The third car could be run as an extra, not part of the main team, like Mike Hailwood in the Yardley McLaren in 1974 while Denny and Emmerson had the Marlboro ones.

In all honesty if we had 8 teams of 3 cars and the 'third car was for the reserve driver or the 'protege' driver that would be fine, especially if he had a different livery.... Simona could simply slip into the third Sauber in the white and blue livery and everyone would know it was her without a second glance....

In truth the third car could be run as a satellite car from the main team, different owner even but run as an extension of the constructor. Mr Haas could manage a white blue and red Ferrari, Tony F a green RB10 with Caterham and Air Asia branding, Monisha could manage a white and blue Mercedes for Simona.... No need to get hung up about customer cars, They are owned by the main team but run as a satellite car.

Would F1 be worse off for it? Nah...