Robbie Kerr- his future!!

[Sideslide]

What is Robbie Kerr up to? Anyone heard anything? Hope like hell he isn't going to end up with all that talent wasted!!:confused:

[DanFlag]

He did not test with any F3000 teams for a seat in 2004

News on his website are quite old too...

[Sato san]

Marc Hynes here we come ??......i really hope not ...Robbie's done so well , i really hope his career doesnt stall now...

[aussie_f3]

stall?...its already up on blocks isnt it?

Maybe he needs new management - if he is as good as the Brits seem to think then he shouldnt have trouble getting support - any ideas why a sponsor is not willing to pick him up?

[Russfeld]

Did you just pick up a copy of Autosport last week or something? Since when was 'sponsorship' based on results? And who in the junior ranks has genuine outside backing?

[aussie_f3]

Originally posted by Russfeld
Did you just pick up a copy of Autosport last week or something? Since when was 'sponsorship' based on results? And who in the junior ranks has genuine outside backing?

excuse me for breathing!!!.....maybe sponsorship is the wrong word....should I have used "backing"?....If Robbie wants to graduate from the junior classes he needs to get "backing" - my question is "why isnt anyone (private or corporate) prepared to support/back him if he is as good as the Brits say"? - other drivers are getting support why not Robbie?

[El_Gibleto]

Robbie did benefit from very substantial backing for approx 4 years of his career, from F Renault to F3. During that time extensive attempts were made to attract additional funding, and his management were always open to any offers of support.

It seems that there is something in the "overall package" that is Robbie Kerr that makes companies decline to back him.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by El_Gibleto

It seems that there is something in the "overall package" that is Robbie Kerr that makes companies decline to back him.

His surname? If it were Lauda, or Rosberg, he could be as fast as a continental plate but would get backing.

[gomick]

Originally posted by Sato san
Marc Hynes here we come ??......i really hope not ...Robbie's done so well , i really hope his career doesnt stall now...

totally agreed - poor marc hynes & robbie kerr..... look where mark taylor & dan wheldon are now you win some and lose some i guess

[Super Tourer]

Sadly, it's the old story, from F3 upwards the budgets rise dramatically. He probably had a very favourable F3 deal, which worked both ways for ADR as it put a quick driver in the car, but it makes it a bit of a false dawn as the step up is huge.

He's had an unusual climb up the ladder - from memory Renault star cup/Palmer Audi and for what ever reason has not being labelled in the 'superstar' league a la Button/Kimi and found an investor to back him all the way.

It's easy to point the finger at management, but no one can pull money out of thin air and even fewer managers/management companies can afford to fund drivers themselves.

As for sponsorship, British companies are notoriously dis-interested in backing young British drivers, and to a man view sponsorship as almost charity, very hard to quantify and expensive compared to other marketing methods open to them.

From Robbies point of view, importantly the next generation of F3 stars are already on the scene, with Green and Hamilton under contract to McLaren & Mercedes, and Piquet and Rosberg getting their feet under the table at William's, I doubt Robbie is even given a thought in F1 terms.

As for F3000, a career breaker of a series - very expensive, as cliquey as F3 with only really 3 teams worth consdiering if you want to win races/the championship, basically very hard to get right and almost no certainty of a drive after that - unless you pay again.

Unless he gets a break in the US ( wasn't he talking to Pollock at one time?), I would be knocking on the sportscar door, get alongside a well funded driver and do a good job and eventually get paid for it.

[racingdad]

The reason Danny Wheldon went stateside in the first place was because he needed to get decent racing, decent results and decent exposure on a limited budget - he has really proved himself the hard way as he was the invisible man here in the UK while cutting his way through the classes in the US. Doubtless, now he has "made it" he will suddenly acquire scores of people who will claim to have supported him (not necessarily with cash) all along. If Robbie can find the money to go across the pond, he can do just as well, with the bonus that they don't think you're over the hill if you haven't made F1 at 23!

[Craner Curves]

Originally posted by El_Gibleto
It seems that there is something in the "overall package" that is Robbie Kerr that makes companies decline to back him.

Personality? I've heard from people that he isn't the most expressive of drivers.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by Craner Curves
Personality? I've heard from people that he isn't the most expressive of drivers.

As opposed to the walking riot that is Kimi Raikkonen.

[nev]

Originally posted by Craner Curves
Personality? I've heard from people that he isn't the most expressive of drivers.

Do you know of anyone else to has won F3 Scholarship and Championship back to back - results speak for themselvs

[Russfeld]

Except results isnt what he was speaking about

[Craner Curves]

Originally posted by ensign14
As opposed to the walking riot that is Kimi Raikkonen.

He's got the whole cool Flying Finn image though. He doesn't need to open his mouth to get a drive. What does Robbie Kerr have? No offence to Robbie.

[Tom Horley]

Saw Kimi at the world karting champs the other week, he was quite loud actually!! (well i could hear a familiar voice as I walked past) He looked like he was dressed for skiing and it was still quite hot in Italy, obviously he was trying to hide from the crowds!

He had chartered a Jet to take him and his friend Toni Vilander ( Italian FRenault) who was racing back to Finland.

[DavidStHubbins]

Robbie is a really nice guy, maybe too nice.

Maybe he needs to walk around with an attitude and a toothpick between his teeth?

On the subject of the US I reckon he should go for it, it would mean giving up on F1 pretty much but it's better than testing for a British F3 team for the next couple of years.

[Russfeld]

Yeah but thats better than the current state of American road racing.

[BootsOntheSide]

A lot of British drivers are percieved as being 'too nice' - Coulthard is, Damon always was, Herbert even more so. Maybe we need to stop putting candyfloss int he water and replace it with grit.

[littleman]

A 20yr old Austrian, fresh out of F3, has just replaced a much more experienced,ex F3000 champion at Jaguar.Why? Red Bull dollars - no other reason. Antinucci eventually wins an F3 race - it's only cost him about £1m to achieve it. Piccione will blow another £1m on F3 and will probably never win a race.Mark Taylor has probably got through an awful lot more than the pair of them. In short - if you're not loaded or possess the freakish talent of a Senna then you ain't gonna go all the way.

[Russfeld]

Thats a *bit* unfair to Klien. Formula Renault champ, and runner up to Briscoe in his debut season in a *very* competitive F3 class in two consecutive years. We shouldnt begrudge him that he's attracted actual sponsor backing. Justin Wilson didnt even win a race until his third year of F3k. Id have taken a lot more guys out of F3k before signing him.

[Elton Julian]

That is because they are nice, but honestly do you think it actually makes a difference to their careers. I don't think so. All that matters is momentum and being the flavor of the month. Alot of money never hurt anyone also.

[littleman]

That's the other point - nobody can ever agree on who are the best talents.Selecting a driver is a very subjective decision and hardly ever meets with universal approval.

[gomick]

klien's worthy - like elton said, momentum and flavour of the month is a big key to making it - you just have to do something special to stay there