Piquet Jt set to test for Williams again

[DieRitter]

Heard a rumour that Piquet Jr is set to test for Williams again in January.

Anyone knows anything about it?

[climb]

Nothing, let's hope he'll figure out better...

[DieRitter]

Looks like it came out in a Press Conference with Piquet Sr and Jr. There's something at the Crash.net Brazil.

Bad news for Nico I guess.

[DieRitter]

http://brazil.crash.net/news_detail....&language_id=4

[climb]

I'm not sure about that: the need for a second shot is a clear admission of unsatisfaction about the first round, and the need of Piquet for it, certainly more than of Williams

[DieRitter]

If someone is slow, nothing will change it... That's why in F1 no one has 2nd chances.

If Frank wants Piquet to test again, it's because he wants to be sure the kid can already test this year.

I'd rather see Pizzonia in that seat... everyone knows he's half a second quicker than Gene.

Piquet Jr is no Raikkonen or Alonso... but hey, he's just 18... Quite young and can wait for a chance in 2005. Same for Nico.

[climb]

Yes, but some days ago Piquet sr somewhat justified elsinho's worse times arguing that Nico had prepared that test at jerez, previously testing F3 and F3000 cars down there.

He is surely deply irritated byt Nico's faster performances, cos' of his rivalry with daddy keke, and he wants his son to get even.
He would surely be available to pay for a new test

[racingdad]

Originally posted by climb
He would surely be available to pay for a new test

I'm not sure that Frank is still accepting pay drivers..... he gave that up when he got his first slug of Saudia money way back when!

[climb]

Tough times for everybody in racing: I wouldn't refuse..

[racingdad]

Nah - but I do think that they will allow themselves to be persuaded by daddy

[darcym]

bottom line is PQ is eying up a test set for 2004 saying so he'll be ready for 2005 race seat. Rubbish - with very rare exceptions 18/19 is too young for the pinical of motorsport, drivers are just not developed enough (I did say rare exceptions) PK has done nothing to warrent such a fast track to F1 apart from having the name of his farther, some for Nico. Look at some of the Young guns (and I mean real young guns) doing the time in FF/FR/FBMW/F3/F3000 gaining experience all the way, and growing up too ! doing all the strops when the setup doesn't work in FF or FR, not in F1. Learning to work with engineers, learning to deal with Sponsors, learning to keep fit and keep a lifestyle that keeps them trip (look how badly buttons second year lifestyle effected his racing)

The FIA are knocking out superlicenses based on to little in my view. This is the pinical of motorsport and you really should have had to do the millage to make it here.

[racingdad]

Darcym makes an exceedingly valid point as far as superlicences are concerned - these were intoduced many moons ago to ensure that there wasn't a flood of well financed but under experienced pay drivers debasing the 'purity' of F1 as the pinacle of the sport. The system actually worked quite well for a long time - the first to really break it was Kimmi, who on paper at least, had none of the minimum experience required, but by driving a few laps in an F1 car was granted his superlicence. No matter how good he is, by letting him buck the rules, the FIA have opened up the flood gates.

[DieRitter]

Originally posted by climb
Yes, but some days ago Piquet sr somewhat justified elsinho's worse times arguing that Nico had prepared that test at jerez, previously testing F3 and F3000 cars down there.

He is surely deply irritated byt Nico's faster performances, cos' of his rivalry with daddy keke, and he wants his son to get even.

Hmmm... Looking at the results, it's hard to believe Nico is quicker than Nelsinho:

Williams Test

1st day - 3 cars, Nelsinho's first test therefore car with limited rpm (19000 to 17000), used tyres and more wing. Best lap: 1min20s453

2nd day - 10 cars (more rubber, more grip, faster times), Nico's 2nd taste of a F1 car, setup uknown Best lap: 1min19s490

3rd day - 10 cars, wet,
Piquet's best lap in the morning: 1min28s640
Rosberg's best lap in the afternoon: 1min30s262

Same day test, Piquet is 1s622 quicker.

F3000 Test


Nico's 3 days of test, best lap: 1min31s720 (Coloni)
Nelsinho's 1 day of test, best lap: 1min32.943 (Arden)

Nico was slower than Dornboos on the 2nd day and Piquet quicker than Dornboos in his first time with the car.

F3 International Events

Korea
-----

Qualifying

Piquet, 2nd, 1:10.249
Rosberg, 16th, 1:10.644

Race (Combined)

Piquet, 3rd (2nd and 3rd)
Rosberg, 11th (13rd and 11th)


Macau
-----

Qualifying

Rosberg, 6th, 2:13.906
Piquet, 13rd, 2:14.949

Race

Piquet, 14th (NCF and 8th)
Rosberg, DNF, (DNF and DNF)

This race was interesting, because if you look at the pdf booklet, you can actually see who's really quick after learning the track.

Zandvoort
---------

Qualifying

Piquet, P1, 1m 33.115s
Rosberg, 27th, 1:35.614s

Race (Combined)

Piquet, 2nd
Rosberg, DNR



F3 British

Piquet, 3rd overall, 6 wins, 9 poles

F3 Euroseries

Rosberg, 8th, 1 win.

[DieRitter]

Originally posted by climb
He would surely be available to pay for a new test

You joking... right? I hope so, coz Sir Frank Williams doesn't need Piquet's money... and well, everybody knows that he CHOOSES who he wants to drive his cars.

[DieRitter]

Originally posted by darcym
bottom line is PQ is eying up a test set for 2004 saying so he'll be ready for 2005 race seat. Rubbish - with very rare exceptions 18/19 is too young for the pinical of motorsport, drivers are just not developed enough

Totally agree with you, imho Williams will get Pizzonia. Piquet or Nico will probably have to wait for another year.

Just interesting that Piquet was invited again to test. Every one knows how difficult is to get such opportunity, so my best guess is that they liked the kid.

[darcym]

Also isn't there a rule that says to get a superlicense you must have completed X ammount of miles in an F1 car, and completed X ammount of races in lower formulas for the 1 lower license, the same way 7 signitures are needed to go from Nat B to Nat A license.

F1 really needs to get a grip on this and really start testing people for licenses and looking at past race experience, eg if a guy won the F3 title in his first year, but wrote of 12 cars testing/qualifying/racing then he shouldn't get it because he is not responsible enough in a car. They should look at how he got to F1, eg: finishing 12th in the FF championship, then moving straight to F3 because your dad has cash and finishing 8th in F3 does NOT warrent a super license.

Only this way will the **** influx of "wonder kids" will be stopped.

I blame a lot of it on managers, I have said this in other threads, he wins a cart race and already his manager is looking for an F1 test as "the next big thing" managers are looking to get them into F1 ASAP to get big bucks in and start paying them, managers used to look to progress them in the right track eg: find a seat in a championship winning car to PROVE what they could do so they would win championships and get NOTICED for F1, it now appears that managers are ramming the "next big thing" down ever F1 teams throat.

[darcym]

also that should be "Kart" race not Cart race.

[DriverT]

Originally posted by DieRitter
Hmmm... Looking at the results, it's hard to believe Nico is quicker than Nelsinho:
...

To be honest, I think neither of them are worthy of a Williams race seat. A lot more better drivers out there.

[racingdad]

DieRitter has a point - stats to date suggest that Nelsinho is quicker than Nico. But as we all seem to agree, neither of them have actually done enough to justify the amount of F1 testing they've been given, so that's Dad's influence. Lets see how they go next year - and let the FIA re-introduce their rules for Superlicence qualification!

[Elton Julian]

If you apply the old FIA license rules you will end Minardi and Jordan. Times have changed. So, rules change. Economics.
Since when was this sport solely based on merit. Never, in some cases drivers got there on the back of great results but for the most part history shows that $$$'s get drivers to F1. Even Michael, 6 time world champ, needed some help from Mercedes.

[Elton Julian]

Also, Williams has a fuel supplier from Barazil. Petrobras. Why do you think that the have had so many test drivers from brazil. So in a way money does help with Frank.

[DieRitter]

An English version of the article:

http://www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view...id=1&nid=82834

[DieRitter]

Originally posted by DriverT
To be honest, I think neither of them are worthy of a Williams race seat. A lot more better drivers out there.

That's a good point and I also think the same if Frank is looking someone to test and develop the car.

However, looking to the future, I guess that also a F3 or F3000 or even a WS driver should be given the opportunity (not as a regular test driver) to be backed by a F1 team.

Examples:

Briscoe - Toyota
Klien - Jaguar (shouldn't be driving this year imho... but, we are talking about Jaguar)
Hamilton - McLaren
Montagny - Renault

Apart from Nico and Nelson, there's Courtney, Van Der Merwe, Green, Carbone, Kubica, Doornboss...

[racingdad]

Elton, I've never claimed that F1 was egalitarian. My first GP was the Dutch, in 1952 or 53 (was very, very young so don't quite remember), so I've been around for a long time. If anything it is more equal now than ever as back in the 50's & 6o's it really was only rich young chaps, with the odd exception. I also do not believe that applying the rules would hurt the Minardis or Jordans of this world as they usually get experienced drivers with some money from F3000 - you notice that Red Bull didn't take their rumoured $9million to Paul Stoddard... he is talking to guys who can raise $2m or $3m tops.

[PaulSands]

With Piquet and Roseberg I think there is a desire to see their sons race because of the history involved between the fathers...this doesnt really mean either should get an F1 seat unless they can cut it.
On the face of it looking purely at results Piquet is by far the more "qualified" of the two and, if set against Christian Kliens achievements Piquet warrants an F1 seat immediately. However so do many many many more based upon achievements...it's based on a combination of talent, money, luck and contacts in no particular order