77 replies to this topic

[noikeee]

I think Bianchi will find it much easier than Kova to move into a points scoring team, he's young, he's contracted to Ferrari who have an interest in finding him a seat, and he hasn't (yet?) flopped at the top like Kova did..

But yeah if he'd stay another year at Marussia he would risk the same fate as Kova. I just don't think he'll stay. Although it's hard to imagine which team will take him, everyone seems to be running away scared of Ferrari engines. Sauber?

[seahawk]

Kova went to the back end teams coming from McLaren, Bianchi started driving for the backenders.

[billm99uk]

I don't get the enthusiasm for Bianchi. Took two years to win F3 Euroseries despite being at ART

Better than Bottas, who couldn't manage it in two attempts. And not even Lewis got it in his first season

He's erratic, for sure, but has done little wrong in his F1 career so far.

[tormave]

For Bianchi to get a better race seat, one would have to become available first. He should also have standout performances towards the end of the season, when everyone already expects him to beat the other three bottom teams drivers comfortably, every time. If da Costa and Calado manage win their respective championships, he'd need to look better than those two somehow.

Bianchi's best bet is to replace Massa, but I just don't see that happening the way Massa is driving now. For every other seat there's guys above him in he depth chart either through bigger pockets or proven ability.

[P123]

Bianchi is doing well, but I get the feeling his perfromances are being skewed by a terrible Caterham chassis and a fairly oridinary teammate.

[One]

will he be better than koba? if so why?

[Kobasmashi]

If Jules can continue along the same vein through the middle part of the season the big boys will certainly take note. He seems the most impressive rookie since Vettel or maybe Hulk. He and Hulk seem better than the Toro Rosso boys, as far as we can see (although they might be maxing a poor Toro Rosso chassis, who knows?), so with Webber possibly on his way out and Massa perennially under threat, and both Bianchi and Hulk in the Ferrari pipeline, we could be in for a top-end shake-up soon

Come to think of it, with the Mercedes and McLaren seats taken, Hülkenberg's switch from Mercedes to Ferrari engines doesn't seem so sideways after all!

[noikeee]

Massa isn't under threat, he just outqualified Alonso 4 times in a row. If they stuck with him by the middle of 2012 when he was finishing 10 places behind Alonso, there's no way he's going to leave now.

[boldhakka]

Perhaps the OP might be willing to share his track record of predicting rookie performances.;)

[Seanspeed]

Perhaps the OP might be willing to share his track record of predicting rookie performances.;)

I've never predicted a rookie to get worse over time so there's that....

[Outsider]

Massa isn't under threat, he just outqualified Alonso 4 times in a row. If they stuck with him by the middle of 2012 when he was finishing 10 places behind Alonso, there's no way he's going to leave now.

anyone counted how many times Alonso outqualified Massa last year? back in 2010 it looked like Massa was good aswell in the beginning of the season and then kaboom

[handel]

Caterham is supposed to really improve their car for Barcelona so let's wait until then.

This is what I heard as well. Can't remember the source to be honest but the gist was that Caterham are racing in pretty much a launch spec and the 'real' 2013 car won't arrive until a few races in when we get back to Europe.

That said this is a team that make their living telling us they're just around the corner from grabbing points. You have to admire their optimism but it is all a bit like the boy who cried wolf...

Hasn't it statistically closed up on last year? In another thread someone posted Aus times and there's no doubt Marussia are in much better shape.

[BRG]

Better than Bottas, who couldn't manage it in two attempts. And not even Lewis got it in his first season

True, but then Lewis won GP2 in his first season. Bianchi did two seasons there then dropped down to FR3.5 and failed there too. Still, a couple of reasonable F1 outings and he is being hyped up even more than Paul di Resta.

[mechadaniel]

This is what I heard as well. Can't remember the source to be honest but the gist was that Caterham are racing in pretty much a launch spec and the 'real' 2013 car won't arrive until a few races in when we get back to Europe.

Hmmm OK for those not keeping up....

Marussia are currently beating the 2012 Caterham with a shiny new paint job:) Unsurprising really as they weren't too far behind it last year, and now have a new car and KERS. If they weren't beating it they would have a real problem...

Caterham are putting all of their resources this year into next year's car - however in the 4th/5th race we will start to see new parts based on that research.

However, it's great to see Marussia move forward!

[Seanspeed]

Hmmm OK for those not keeping up....

Marussia are currently beating the 2012 Caterham with a shiny new paint job:) Unsurprising really as they weren't too far behind it last year, and now have a new car and KERS. If they weren't beating it they would have a real problem...

Caterham are putting all of their resources this year into next year's car - however in the 4th/5th race we will start to see new parts based on that research.

However, it's great to see Marussia move forward!

The 2013 Caterham is pretty distinctively different than last year's car.

[sopa]

Tenth place will be determined by attrition race. No-one knows, how this will turn out.

Bianchi is fast, but he can be easily found out, when he finally gets into a good car. Like Fisichella was. After all, Bianchi wasn't a standout, when he was in top teams in feeder series. Many drivers can look good at the back, where there are no proper rivals in similarly performing cars.

Edited by sopa, 02 April 2013 - 20:32.

[drag]

I really cant understand when they hire two pay drivers,with one good driver the other pay and unproven driver its fine , but two unproven and weak drivers c mon there is nothing much to expect ..... maybe few more car wrecks over a season.

[noikeee]

True, but then Lewis won GP2 in his first season. Bianchi did two seasons there then dropped down to FR3.5 and failed there too. Still, a couple of reasonable F1 outings and he is being hyped up even more than Paul di Resta.

You're being far too harsh, that almost implies a driver must be useless if he merely comes 2nd or 3rd instead of 1st in their feeder series seasons. I could look at it instead from a glass half-full perspective: Bianchi has finished within the top 3 for the past 4 years in 3 different categories - implying a strong level of adaptability. Could've been champion of 2 of them if not for a last race intentional shunt from his title rival. Ferrari retain faith in him, rumours were he was considerably quicker than Pérez in their sim. He is beating his F1 team-mate in a more dominant fashion than pretty much every other driver at the moment (perhaps apart from Hulkenberg vs Gutierrez). Of course there's going to be a bit of hype.

That is however the glass half-full version. The truth is most likely somewhere in the middle - he is at least mildly talented, but flattered by the current circumstances and his not 100% flawless junior record does instill caution. His F1 career is just 2 races long, it's been great so far but we need more races, and a better measuring stick as a team-mate somewhere in the future.

[BRG]

That is however the glass half-full version. The truth is most likely somewhere in the middle - he is at least mildly talented, but flattered by the current circumstances and his not 100% flawless junior record does instill caution. His F1 career is just 2 races long, it's been great so far but we need more races, and a better measuring stick as a team-mate somewhere in the future.

Exactly. A lot of people are getting carried away with a couple of mildly successful outings in F1.

My point was that Bianchi does not have an absolutely outstanding pre-F1 record; not a poor record, certainly, but hardly the stuff to suggest he is the next great hope for F1. Those who dismiss pre-F1 careers as irrelevant presumably prefer to make their judgements based on.... what exactly? The colour of his eyes? His winning smile? Who knows.

[discover23]

So it is valid to compare drivers who drive different cars if they are backmarkers but we cannot apply the same comparison with the top teams?

[Seanspeed]

So it is valid to compare drivers who drive different cars if they are backmarkers but we cannot apply the same comparison with the top teams?

Never said anything like that.

[7MGTEsup]

So it is valid to compare drivers who drive different cars if they are backmarkers but we cannot apply the same comparison with the top teams?

Don't you know it's 99% driver and 1% car?

[Petroltorque]

I've come to the conclusion that you just can't guage a driver from his performance in junior formulae when it comes to F1. What's disturbing is GP2 is no longer a repository for potential talent. Too many journeymen can win a race with reverse grids. Razia was runner up last year but was no quicker than Chilton in preseason testing.
Regards attritional races, yes, it may throw up a freak result but the balance of probability still favours Marussia as they have the faster car.

[Kobasmashi]

Exactly. A lot of people are getting carried away with a couple of mildly successful outings in F1.

My point was that Bianchi does not have an absolutely outstanding pre-F1 record; not a poor record, certainly, but hardly the stuff to suggest he is the next great hope for F1. Those who dismiss pre-F1 careers as irrelevant presumably prefer to make their judgements based on.... what exactly? The colour of his eyes? His winning smile? Who knows.

His F1 performances.

[BRG]

His F1 performances.

And for the previous two or three years BEFORE he reached F1? People have been talking Bianchi up for a long time. And anyway, just two F1 races don't really make much of a statistical set. It needs at least double figures, surely?

[billm99uk]

And for the previous two or three years BEFORE he reached F1? People have been talking Bianchi up for a long time. And anyway, just two F1 races don't really make much of a statistical set. It needs at least double figures, surely?

He was in the same position as Bottas at the start of the year really. Identified early as potential "star" material. Started off well, had a bit of a slump at the higher levels which introduced some doubts, then got his F1 chance anyway. He's handled it a lot better than I thought he would, at least.

[wj_gibson]

FR3.5 is the only junior formula worth following IMO. It has the right idea - low costs, a Europe-only calendar, no hyper-expensive supplier monopoly contracts linked to Bernie Ecclestone, etc.

I suspect the 2012 crop will be seen, in retrospect, as an absolute bumper field of talent - Frijns, Bianchi and da Costa all look like F1 stars of the future. Maybe the Frijns-Bianchi clash in the final event will be viewed like Macau in 1990, a precursor of a great rivalry ahead. When was the last time that could have been said of the GP2 field? 2006?

[prty]

Followed him a bit lately, and so far I agree with Autosport in that he's the next big F1 star, really amazing.