58 replies to this topic

[Bleu]

Can other teams try to sign STR driver's? I mean none have looked truly bad in the history of the team. Yet, teams opt to hire a rookie than an STR driver in the last few years. I thought the likes of Alguesuari, Buemi, Vergne could be good options for a team like Sauber. Are their contracts that iron clad to the Red Bull Family? Can't believe there is anti-compete clauses preventing them from competing on another team the next season? You look at the team and while even with solid results (for which was once Minardi), once they get cut, they exit F1. Only 3 of the 9 drivers who've run for the team have run in F1 with another team. And only Liuzzi has raced for a non-Red Bull backed team. 

 

Alguersuari said he had offer from the another team but at that point Marko was saying that STR would keep him, so he refused the offer from elsewhere. It was only after the season when STR ditched both Buemi and Alguersuari in favour of Ricciardo and Vergne and at that point, the other place had been gone.

[DutchQuicksilver]

Funny how fast opinions can change. Last year everybody here whiped the floor with Vergne because he got beaten by Ricciardo and he had to leave F1. I was one of the few who said Vergne wasn't a bad driver at all. Now Ricciardo shows he can take on Vettel and suddenly everyone feels Vergne deserves a spot on the grid.

[SophieB]

Then there are others about who a question-mark may arise too. Like Perez. Or if Massa didn't have a multi-year-deal, in Williams you'd surely at least consider whether to hire some younger driver with future potential. And of course it is not clear, what McLaren is going to do with Button though it seems by beating Magnussen he is likely to earn another season. Raikkonen I think is safe, even if people debate about it in another thread.

 

I guess I'm not 100% sure Magnussen is definitely safe. I am presuming McLaren are still seeing him as a longterm investment but is there anything in the McLaren mood music to suggest this is still so, that they're content with how he's doing?They seriously could well have done and I just missed it.

[f1RacingForever]

Maybe that will save him from getting the axe? If i were to guess one driver not to get a seat next year it would be Marcus Ericsson

[HaydenFan]

McLaren cut Perez after one year. And I'd argue if not for the few retirements compared to Button's zero, he'd still be in the car this year. Magnussen has only beaten Button once, but can't argue his debut podium was a strong run. Equal on podium count with Button. If McLaren does decide to cut a driver though, it will be Magnussen. Don't think McLaren is in a place where they can go into 2015 with two young drivers. A strong move forward from 2013 in car development, and the Honda engine, they will need all the veteran help they can get. I think that keeps Button secure for a few more years. Then he packs up and calls it quits.

[garagetinkerer]

I guess I'm not 100% sure Magnussen is definitely safe. I am presuming McLaren are still seeing him as a longterm investment but is there anything in the McLaren mood music to suggest this is still so, that they're content with how he's doing?They seriously could well have done and I just missed it.

I think it depends on how lucky they're feeling. If they have a car which is as strong as their cars were in 2002 or so, they may actually keep Magnussen alongside JB. However, if they feel that the car may need some extra caning, then they may potentially go for another more experience driver. i could be wrong, but i think it is fairly reasonable an assumption about their confidence in their new car coming with a newer engine.

[SophieB]

Maybe that will save him from getting the axe? 

 

Just having got rid of Perez after one season makes him more likely to keep his job or more likely to lose it depending on how you look at it. One way of looking at it is to say they'd want to try and build up the continuity. Develop a driver reference instead of constantly starting from scratch. I think it also might raise more questions about the running of the team to be firing another driver so quickly. Not sure Ron would actually care about that but it might start deterring the most promising young drivers if they know they have so little time to shine or their career might be over.

 

The flipside is that they dumped Perez because he wasn't doing as well as they expected and they thought Magnussen would do a better job. But is he doing any better than Perez? Seems to be having a remarkably similar season to Perez in 2013, right down to the frequent clashes with Kimi. Why in that case keep him when such similar circumstances led Perez to be dropped? *If* he was to be let go, I am not sure other teams would be clamouring for him either.

 

But he's extremely young. That's why I was interested in what signals the team had been sending out about him recently. I could understand it if they wanted to give him more time to develop, and for the reasons above.

[Montie]

I think, considering Magnussen is a rookie at McLaren, unlike Perez who was in his 3rd season, he is doing okay. I wanted him be betyter myself. Starting with a podium in Australia has not made the season any easier. Magnussen is still adapting and he is seeing the majority of tracks for the first time. Would continuity not be better than starting from scratch with a new driver and engine in 2015. People also compares Magnussen's rookie season with Lewis', which is fair, but to be completely fair Lewis' debute was in car that was one of the best if not the best. Magnussen is in a car that does not deliver as expected and he is probably more prone to overdrive the car to compensate for the cars lack of speed, there by making more mistakes. I hope Magnussen stay on, F1 might eventually colapse on it self if rookies are not "allowed" to be rookies and at some point a new generation must take over. We do not want rookies to just strickly buy their way into F1.

Edited by Montie, 11 June 2014 - 21:07.

[JTSaika]

I think, considering Magnussen is a rookie at McLaren, unlike Perez who was in his 3rd season, he is doing okay. I wanted him be betyter myself. Starting with a podium in Australia has not made the season any easier. Magnussen is still adapting and he is seeing the majority of tracks for the first time. Would continuity not be better than starting from scratch with a new driver and engine in 2015. People also compares Magnussen's rookie season with Lewis', which is fair, but to be completely fair Lewis' debute was in car that was one of the best if not the best. Magnussen is in a car that does not deliver as expected and he is probably more prone to overdrive the car to compensate for the cars lack of speed, there by making more mistakes. I hope Magnussen stay on, F1 might eventually colapse on it self if rookies are not "allowed" to be rookies and at some point a new generation must take over. We do not want rookies to just strickly buy their way into F1.

I find the *rookie* card to be a bit of a ploy really as after their rookie season is over, they then become a 'young' driver and this is only because it seems F1 drivers these days are getting younger and younger and i don't think it's fair to play on such emotion just because of the season and the car. Perez may be in his 4th year now but in reality, he's only 24, that's rather young. I don't think it helps when names like Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton goes and wins championships at such a young age when although they may be good, it can be because of the car. If they decide to drop Magnussen after his 'rookie' year just because the car is still not performing then i think they are lacking simple common sense and the idea of sport. Yes, winning is important but these are people's young lives, and every car no matter what is what will drive them forward (no pun intended) in their career, if the car sucks, who cares, give them the time they deserve and one day you may just get a winning combination; just like Ricciardo and Rosberg.

As for other drivers who lose out because of one thing or another, i think it's unfair when the driver hasn't been able to have their 'time'. Out of the entire grid the only drivers (That could go) i wouldn't feel sorry to see go are Sutil and Button. Button has won his championship and has become one of Britain most iconic racing drivers and Sutil well..

Ericsson, Kobayashi, Gutierrez, Chilton, Bianchi, they all deserve a chance to prove themselves for longer than a few years in bad cars (Or in Kamui's case, not getting shafted because of money woe's)

Then of course we have drivers like Pastor Maldonado whom i actually like, i really do, but he needs help. Whatever they did to Grosjean, they need to do to him. Swiftly segwaying into Grosjean by that chance, i worry for his future also. An amazing talented driver right now stuck in a dying team. Mercedes, Ferrari, RedBull; None of these 3 teams will be changing anytime soon so he's in trouble if they end up dissolving.  

Blah -shudder-