Kovalainen thumbs up!

[cappra250]

1.2 scs from GRO in Q2. Valsecchi was right. Someone in the team should take his responsibility and go home.
To justify the decission to put Kova instead of Valsecchi because he was the safest option to take points for the championship...
How far Valsecchi was in BCN test?

[cappra250]

By the way, Bianchi P11 in S2 during Q, the one you need to drive...

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I don't think we saw anything at all to convince either way, TBH.

That remains the case!

[cmk]

Originally Posted by Adam43

That remains the case!

Quite. An ok performance on tricky inters in qually when you don't know the car and have not had a ton of running on Pirelli inters/wets (any?) in the last year or so is not great, but not the end of the world either. I would be shocked if Valsecchi had done better, I'd be fairly shocked if he'd done half as well!

[JacobP]

Ferrari is now well positioned to retain its third place in the championship. Given Alonso's ability to charge through the field, it's fair to assume that he will finish ahead of Grosjean and probably on the podium in Brazil. Of course, anything can still happen if the race is going to be wet.

[Aysedasi]

I don't think it's fair to assume that at all, yet.......

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I don't think it's fair to assume that at all, yet.......

Agreed. Ferrari could as easily finish 2nd as finish 4th in the WCC.

[cappra250]

Not a very impressing drive from Kovalainen. Probably he lost his chances for next year.

I would have prefered to see what Valsecchi was able to offer. It is always interesting to watch new drivers in F1, especially with top teams.

[Adam43]

We know Flav. wont sign him.

[Aysedasi]

I don't think he enhanced his CV at all over those two races. Still, he had to give it a shot.

[cds_uk]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I don't think he enhanced his CV at all over those two races. Still, he had to give it a shot.

snap.

[Razzzor]

Well that does it for Kovi I'd say, he won't be back in F1 ever again. I sure wouldn't hire him after that.

90sec behind Grosjean in the last race was not a good drive. Sure he made an extra pit stop, but he should have been faster with fresher tyres. If a pit stop loses 20sec, where the other 70sec get lost? Some excuses about the car feeling strange and not knowing why. Changing the front wing certainly didn't fix it because he was still slow. I didn't buy the excuse, the problem was he probably just overusing the tyres. Kerrs issues? RB have kerrs issues every race and still win.

Then in Brazil 1.2s down in quali and 14th in the race. Perez started 19th and finished 6th. It's not a track you can't pass on. That Lotus should be battling for podiums not with Vergne and Maldonado, and at one stage was even behind the Marussia and Caterham!

Those 2 performances make me wonder about some of his apparent great drives at Caterham. Before he joined Caterham when he was with Lotus for 2 seasons with Trulli, he finished 20th and 22nd in both seasons. Trulli was even worse.

Then Kimi and Grosjean join and Kimi's 3rd in his first season and would have been 3rd in 2013 as well if he didn't have to sit out the last 2 races. Romain's 8th and 7th. That's a pretty massive leap in performance over the xmas break from 2011 to 2012. Obviously the car did improve, but how much was it down to an aging Trulli and an overrated Kovi?

Trulli and Petrov, his teammates those last 4 years, are both average. It's not like Kovi's had a great teammate to compare him against. He did certainly beat Petrov, but Petrov was never F1-quality anyway.

[ace007]

Disappointed is little said...
Now it leaves me thinking what Valsecchi could have done! But I agree Kova had to take his chances... I don't expect him at Caterham next year now

[F1Pete]

I am disappointed....I am not writing him off as a bad driver. He did show good speed in practice. Very rusty I would say. To say the other guy would have done better is 20/20. Whatevs though...he did blow it.

[Beryl]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

He did certainly beat Petrov, but Petrov was never F1-quality anyway.

Many would say that Petrov beat Kova. In fact, maybe most.

[JacobP]

.............

[JacobP]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

Trulli and Petrov, his teammates those last 4 years, are both average. It's not like Kovi's had a great teammate to compare him against. He did certainly beat Petrov, but Petrov was never F1-quality anyway.

Certainly beat Petrov? And, Petrov is not of F1-quality? You haven't been looking at the facts, have you?

1. Petrov manages to stay in front of Alonso for much of the race in Abu Dhabi 2010, denying Alonso his third title.

2. Petrov performs pretty much on the same level with Heidfeld, give or take a couple of points in 2011.

3. Petrov raced pretty much on the same level with Kovalainen in 2012. By the end of 2012, Petrov was at least as fast in qualifying and race. Also, it is Petrov's 11th place finish in the final race of 2012 that gave Caterham the 10th place in WCC, as well as the associated lucrative money prize to the team. This also placed Petrov 19ths in the driver ranking, three spots above his teammate. Note that this was Petrov's first year at Caterham and Kovalainens third year there.

So personally, I don't understand all the praise being doled out to Kovalainen on the web forums. In my opinion, he is just another also-run, one among many others, so pretty much on a similar level with Petrov, Sutil, Kobayashi, etc give or take. This is why he was terminated at McLaren.

[cmk]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

Well that does it for Kovi I'd say, he won't be back in F1 ever again. I sure wouldn't hire him after that.

90sec behind Grosjean in the last race was not a good drive. Sure he made an extra pit stop, but he should have been faster with fresher tyres. If a pit stop loses 20sec, where the other 70sec get lost? Some excuses about the car feeling strange and not knowing why. Changing the front wing certainly didn't fix it because he was still slow. I didn't buy the excuse, the problem was he probably just overusing the tyres. Kerrs issues? RB have kerrs issues every race and still win.

I think this is it for Heikki in F1, though only time will tell. At any rate, his performance in Brazil will be the reason why. There were issues with a blocked brake duct in Austin, probably due to some rubbish getting caught in both the wing and duct, which is why changing the wing gave back a little pace but not all of it. Claiming that anyone should be fine without KERS because RB is smacks of nonesense. For one, RB don't actually have KERS issues every race. For another, when they do it is usually not Seb, who won all the races. Third, RB have substantively the fastest car. If they give up a little pace, it means they're a slightly duller shade of dominant. That doesn't apply to any other team in the paddock.

[Moneyseeker]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I don't think he enhanced his CV at all over those two races. Still, he had to give it a shot.

Absolutely agree, this was always a high risk strategy and one in which you need to make an immediate impact albeit in difficult circumstances.

It seems that unfamiliarity with the cars systems and procedures were an inevitable factor. At Austin HK said he was still fiddling with the buttons on the steering wheel setting the car up for the start when the lights went out!

He still wasn't ready for the start at Brazil, hence another poor getaway.

[Paradise City]

Heikki's problems were understandable enough, he was unfamiliar with the car. All things being equal he made a fair stab at it but not to the degree anyone would look up and think that this was anyone other than yesterdays man. It all reminds me of Fischella's last few races.

[awrb]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

Then in Brazil 1.2s down in quali and 14th in the race. Perez started 19th and finished 6th. It's not a track you can't pass on
Those 2 performances make me wonder about some of his apparent great drives at Caterham. Before he joined Caterham when he was with Lotus for 2 seasons with Trulli, he finished 20th and 22nd in both seasons. Trulli was even worse.

Then Kimi and Grosjean join and Kimi's 3rd in his first season and would have been 3rd in 2013 as well if he didn't have to sit out the last 2 races. Romain's 8th and 7th. That's a pretty massive leap in performance over the xmas break from 2011 to 2012. Obviously the car did improve, but how much was it down to an aging Trulli and an overrated Kovi?
.

Have you forgotten the lotus name debacle or have I misinterpreted your post? In 2010/2011 kovi and trulli drove for new team lotus. After 2011 lotus was rebranded Caterham and kovi was joined there by petrov, while Renault was rebranded lotus and hired kimi. So the fact they were entirely different teams with vastly varying resources probably contributed to the performance jump

I think kovi did a solid job for lotus, and I don't think we could have expected more. He had no prior time in the lotus and only limited mileage with this year's cars, so he didn't really have a chance.

[chillibowl]

he did as well as can be expected given that he probably didnt get much support and if any money or fresh parts were laying around that too probably went to RG's side of the garage. he didnt crash and he didnt cost the team money they didnt have and it probably made Kimi happy so it has to be seen as a successful stint in my cynical opinion.

as for Petrov, in the end he proved to be fairly decent pilot (above average for a pay driver even) with a some very memorable career highlights.

[Paradise City]

He's a kind of Heidfeld figure. If you gave him a steady car, chance to develop it, chance for him to familiarise himself with it, he'd deliver the few points for you. He's a satisfactory driver. You drop him into a new car out of the blue, he'll fumble - particularily over the small stuff that's different to every car but if you foul the small stuff up you look like a right fool.

He's the kind of driver that will be recalled now and gain because he's experienced and they just don't test anymore.

[Razzzor]

Originally Posted by awrb

Have you forgotten the lotus name debacle or have I misinterpreted your post? In 2010/2011 kovi and trulli drove for new team lotus. After 2011 lotus was rebranded Caterham and kovi was joined there by petrov, while Renault was rebranded lotus and hired kimi. So the fact they were entirely different teams with vastly varying resources probably contributed to the performance jump

I think kovi did a solid job for lotus, and I don't think we could have expected more. He had no prior time in the lotus and only limited mileage with this year's cars, so he didn't really have a chance.

Ooooh yes I totally forgot about that Lotus/Renault name debacle. True it wasnt even the same team at all, that renders my comments on that invalid.

[Razzzor]

Originally Posted by JacobP

Certainly beat Petrov? And, Petrov is not of F1-quality? You haven't been looking at the facts, have you?

1. Petrov manages to stay in front of Alonso for much of the race in Abu Dhabi 2010, denying Alonso his third title.

2. Petrov performs pretty much on the same level with Heidfeld, give or take a couple of points in 2011.

3. Petrov raced pretty much on the same level with Kovalainen in 2012. By the end of 2012, Petrov was at least as fast in qualifying and race. Also, it is Petrov's 11th place finish in the final race of 2012 that gave Caterham the 10th place in WCC, as well as the associated lucrative money prize to the team. This also placed Petrov 19ths in the driver ranking, three spots above his teammate. Note that this was Petrov's first year at Caterham and Kovalainens third year there.

So personally, I don't understand all the praise being doled out to Kovalainen on the web forums. In my opinion, he is just another also-run, one among many others, so pretty much on a similar level with Petrov, Sutil, Kobayashi, etc give or take. This is why he was terminated at McLaren.

Well, it was praise for a while. It won't be praise anymore, he'll be forgotten about. There's not enough seats left for Kovi.

Re point 1, I wouldn't put much on Petrov's talent just because he stayed ahead of Alonso on a racetrack nigh impossible to pass on. In fact, that was just as much to do with Alonso not being able to put the Ferrari into a position to pass another car, rather than Petrov's dogged motivation to stay ahead. He was really just driving a standard race, Alonso just couldn't get close in the dirty air.

point 2... petrov, heidfeld, kovi, yep they're all midfield drivers at the very best. There are at least 12 drivers in the 2013 field that I would undoubtedly rank ahead of all 3, and probably 4 more that are just unproven as of yet.