[Driver] Silly season in full swing

[Shaddix]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Bianchi being reserve at the races where Fisichella can't attend

[jab]

Yeah, although Badoer and Gene are still contracted as well

[nea]

Call me nostalgic, but I rather like the idea of a number 27 on the grid again.

[Gingers4Justice]

This has almost certainly been mentioned already, but couldn't find it anywhere in this thread, apologies if it has....

Stefanovic seems keen on becoming the 14th entry rather than pouncing in another team's failed entry.

Just say Stefan GP got that 14th entry and USF1 and Campos made the grid, how are they going to fit them all into the smaller pit complexes such as Monaco and Montreal?

[nea]

DNQ would have to be brought back in.

[jab]

Originally Posted by Gingers4Justice

This has almost certainly been mentioned already, but couldn't find it anywhere in this thread, apologies if it has....

Stefanovic seems keen on becoming the 14th entry rather than pouncing in another team's failed entry.

Just say Stefan GP got that 14th entry and USF1 and Campos made the grid, how are they going to fit them all into the smaller pit complexes such as Monaco and Montreal?

It's not going to happen so don't bother considering it. Stefan will only get in in place of another team

[Shaddix]

the problem we'll have with SGP if they sign Villeneuve and Nakajima is that we won't know how fast their car is

I doubt those drivers could drive the car on its limits

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Shaddix

the problem we'll have with SGP if they sign Villeneuve and Nakajima is that we won't know how fast their car is

I doubt those drivers could drive the car on its limits

Fair point.

I'm guessing Nakajima would be a shoe in thanks to Toyota's influence but in the absence of any outstanding candidates, the second seat will just become a bidding war I would imagine?

Here's my tuppence worth:

Don't sign Ralf Schumacher

Don't sign JV

Don't sign Pavlovic

Plenty of options otherwise though still I think.

[kezza7]

Originally Posted by jab

It's not going to happen so don't bother considering it. Stefan will only get in in place of another team

Slightly off topic, but can Monaco take 26 cars? i thought it had a limit of 24...

[jab]

There will be no cars failing to qualify at any race. Not with the way F1 is now set up

[Sodemo]

With all the money that Stefan apparently have, why would they need "pay drivers"?

Surely they would be better getting a driver with a good testing pedigree / can race well?

[jab]

Umm, who said Villeneuve was paying?

And who else is there?

And please don't say Davidson. A season in a Super Aguri does not compare to winning the world title

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by jab

Umm, who said Villeneuve was paying?

And who else is there?

And please don't say Davidson. A season in a Super Aguri does not compare to winning the world title

And what a title won the last century in an unbeatable car brings to today's reality ?

[jab]

Hey, it's as valid a title as Button's

[Bononi]

But there's no weight like for a experienced driver in today's F1 cars.

This way he's not quite in the same position as younger drivers that have been in F1 the last couple of years.

[Jamesy-18]

I don't care who signs who or really what new teams are there. I just hope the teams and the drivers are respectable meaning the teams won't go bust after two races and the drivers don't stuff it on the warm up lap.

[jab]

Originally Posted by Bononi

But there's no weight like for a experienced driver in today's F1 cars.

This way he's not quite in the same position as younger drivers that have been in F1 the last couple of years.

It was only 3 years ago that JV last drove an F1 car. OK, the cars have changed a bit, but not that dramatically - the engine size is the same, and it's the power of an engine that's the most daunting thing about an F1 car. And he knows how to drive on slicks

You're making it out to be more than it actually is. He'll probably be a bit race-rusty, although he has done some racing since leaving F1, but he's not going to be terrible. It's far worse making a step up to F1 with no prior experience than returning. Badoer is the exception, not the rule, due to the difficult Ferrari - the cars don't have KERS now

[Shaddix]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Fair point.

I'm guessing Nakajima would be a shoe in thanks to Toyota's influence but in the absence of any outstanding candidates, the second seat will just become a bidding war I would imagine?

Here's my tuppence worth:

Don't sign Ralf Schumacher

Don't sign JV

Don't sign Pavlovic

Plenty of options otherwise though still I think.

I'de rather have Milos Pavlovic, he'de bring some entertainment by making rookiemistakes, JV and Ralfie would just be slow

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Shaddix

I'de rather have Milos Pavlovic, he'de bring some entertainment by making rookiemistakes, JV and Ralfie would just be slow

Yeah why not, sometimes it is better to take the devil you don't know over the devil you do.
I wouldn't take JV or Ralf, but really any of the current crop of GP2 or prototype drivers.

[Sodemo]

I would be looking at someone like Parente / Fisi / Davidson for the Stefan seats be that race drives or testing. And I would take Sato over Nakajima.

[jab]

Originally Posted by Ostrogothicus

Yeah why not, sometimes it is better to take the devil you don't know over the devil you do.

Really? I thought the saying was "Better the devil you (do) know"

I'd take a mediocre JV over an unknown quantity right now. Taking a complete rookie on now would be a major gamble, especially when Senna has only a test's worth of F1 experience so far

Nakajima has signed because of Toyota. That was a given from day 1. The other seat will go to the best available driver. And given that they have both won races in F1, are there any better available options than Ralf and JV? Of course not

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by jab

It was only 3 years ago that JV last drove an F1 car. OK, the cars have changed a bit, but not that dramatically - the engine size is the same, and it's the power of an engine that's the most daunting thing about an F1 car. And he knows how to drive on slicks

You're making it out to be more than it actually is. He'll probably be a bit race-rusty, although he has done some racing since leaving F1, but he's not going to be terrible. It's far worse making a step up to F1 with no prior experience than returning. Badoer is the exception, not the rule, due to the difficult Ferrari - the cars don't have KERS now

Alright Jab, you made your point. What goes beyond understanding is what it all really means. Two desperate strangers in the night, maybe ? Two guys with something to prove, indeed. I can't figure out just yet what this serbian really wants getting a team into F1... maybe it's a just personal ambition to have his name written in history books linked to a top category, maybe just to "enjoy" all the glamour, I don't know. And then we have a guy like JV, that has something to prove, that he's the once world champion that did nothing else but embarassing himself all the years after that accomplishment, and has been trying to show the world that it's not exactly like that. What else could be ? He drove 3 years ago, after pulling some strings and burning the bridges he still had at the time, and... nothing. Why no team ever wanted him after that or even before ? Cold facts, look at his CV, simple as that. He proved that he's not a development driver, he proved that he's not good at leading a team and proved that he's unable to deal with troubled times. As a racer he's as good as any other average driver, period. It was embarassing to read he comparing his comeback with TGF's. How come he can think like that ? Is he still obsessed by TGF ?
That only makes me think that StefanGP is not a serious team. If they are really thinking to become a competitive team in the coming years, it doesn't make sense at all. They have a car now because Toyota had their car almost ready, but after this season how it would be ? With drivers
that don't add up to the team, things doesn't seem to be seriously thought.

[jab]

That's fair comment - JV most certainly isn't the best WDC ever. I think evidence of that is that the Williams team never went forward whilst he was team leader. But that's another story

As for Stefan GP, I don't know about them not being "serious". But I think Stefanovic reminds me of a few billionaires who have bought football clubs (Abramovic, Florentin Perez, the Abu Dhabi group that bought Man City) that want to spend £xxm on Big Name Player X, regardless of whether the manager wants him or whether that player would be any good. There may be more talented options out there than Ralf or JV (although I'm struggling to think of anyone who is guaranteed to be better - not Klien, not Davidson, not Grosjean, not Montagny) but that's who Stefanovic wants. He's set up a team that has suddenly seemingly become well-funded, has competitive equipment and could race in F1 - like a kid in a candy store. So he's naturally going to try and get (what he believes is) the best that money can buy, and there are 2 ageing, well-known race winners out there who want to get back into F1

But isn't that what they want and need, though - the credibility from signing a big name driver? Sometimes I think it's all well and good signing a pay driver who will bring instant cash, but the PR value of a Schumacher or Villeneuve on the time would surely bring sponsorship and credibility as well. I wouldn't want either leading my team but it would certainly make waves and be a good publicity stunt. Signing a Klien or a Davidson wouldn't make the headlines in the same way

If I was second in command to Stefanovic, I'd go ahead and sign JV, in the hope that either he drives well and picks up some decent results or he's not that great this year and chooses to retire anyway

[Bononi]

I don't see where JV is good publicity. Look, personally I think his father was the greatest driver I watched racing, more than Ronnie IMHO, so I feel embarassed when I hear about JV. And like I said before is not the case to put JV and TGF in the same basket for whatever reason it might be.

[jab]

Originally Posted by Bononi

I don't see where JV is good publicity.

Well, we're talking about him now, aren't we? Would we be having this same debate about Klien or Montagny?

JV is one of the most popular drivers and has a loyal fanbase. Plus he's also one of the most unpopular, which has its benefits as well. A JV comeback would bring website hits and sell magazines