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Andre Lotterer replaces Kobayashi at Spa [confirmed]


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#1 silense

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 17:56

Andre Lotterer linked to Caterham F1 drive for Belgian GP  :eek:

 

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/115433

http://www.motorspor...n-14081812.html

 

I think it would have been wise to wait until Monza for the change to give Kamui a chance to test the new updates and give a valuable feedback on them..


Edited by silense, 18 August 2014 - 17:58.


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#2 Arundo

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 18:04

If thats true then I have lost all faith in Caterham. Why in earth do you want to switch any driver when you substantial updates to the Belgium Grand Prix ? What can Lotterer tell about the updates, he has no idea how the old car felt. If this is true then the are really clueless at Caterham.



#3 LuckyStrike1

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 18:10

They could just replace Ericsson instead 



#4 Mohican

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 18:15

There is no reason to replace either driver. The world knows that the car is crap, which is hardly their fault.
But I agree that it would be strange to bring in a new driver just now.

#5 Arundo

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 18:16

They could but I bet its all about the money @ Caterham and Koba does not bring that much so he would likely be replaced by a driver with the money. No offence to Lotterer but he does not strike me as a talent for F1.



#6 Disgrace

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 18:19

Kobayashi being replaced mid-season looks like it's going to be the only pre-season prediction I get right, so I can't say this news is surprising. Moving to Caterham was always a career gamble and I'm sure he regretted it the moment Caterham rolled their supposed F1 car out at Jerez.



#7 JHSingo

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 18:21

It'd be cool to see that happen, but as much as I rate Lotterer, I do wonder what the point in it would be. Even someone of his talent couldn't drag that POS up the order. It's like why I still don't understand how Kobayashi chose to drive for Caterham for free, over a paid offer from Ferrari in the WEC.

 

And I fear that some F1 snob dumbass will undoubtedly make some comment about "how Le Mans is clearly a lot easier than F1 when a three times winner is miles off the pace." :rolleyes:



#8 Doughnut King

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 18:45

Andre Lotterer linked to Caterham F1 drive for Belgian GP  :eek:

 

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/115433

http://www.motorspor...n-14081812.html

 

I think it would have been wise to wait until Monza for the change to give Kamui a chance to test the new updates and give a valuable feedback on them..

 

 

Lotterer's a bit out of nowhere. It's been years since I heard him and F1 mentioned in the same sentence.



#9 Imateria

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 18:51

I can't make much sense of this. Lotterer's an excellent driver but bringing him into the team mid way through the season with an expected big update just doesnt sound right, they'd be having to rely on Ericsson to find out whether there's any improvement or not and in what way. If the team wants points this year then Kobayashi is their one and only hope. I'm not convinced that TOM's would let him go though, or why Lotterer would even want this drive.



#10 billm99uk

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 19:12

Don't get it. If you're replacing Kobayashi for money reasons, that's crap, but understandable. But replacing him with someone with no current F1 experience just for a change makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

#11 Mauseri

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 19:27

Don't get it. If you're replacing Kobayashi for money reasons, that's crap, but understandable. But replacing him with someone with no current F1 experience just for a change makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

They must have given up on catching Marussia? Take anyone who pays the most for driving last?



#12 wj_gibson

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 19:41

I'm sure I read a feature in Autosport not so long ago that looked at talents that should have made it to F1 but never quite did despite being at least on a par with others who did make it. And I seem to recall Lotterer being ranked something like 5th. He has a lot of advocates.

#13 Petroltorque

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 19:55

Bizarre is the only way to describe it. Lotterer's last F1 experience was over a decade ago in a different formula. Logic would dictate that the driver to get the chop should be Ericsson since he's managed to bin it 4 times in 10 races and has completed the least amount of race laps of any driver. If Caterham are to compete for points it's going to take talent not just money.

#14 billm99uk

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 19:57

I'm sure I read a feature in Autosport not so long ago that looked at talents that should have made it to F1 but never quite did despite being at least on a par with others who did make it. And I seem to recall Lotterer being ranked something like 5th. He has a lot of advocates.


He was on the fringes of F1 over 10 years ago with the likes of James Courtney as Jaguar F1 reserves!

#15 pacificquay

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 20:39

Kobayashi has long been overrated



#16 Lennat

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 20:56

Kobayashi is OK but not great. Ericsson is worse than that, I'm not sure who would win if he and Chilton were teammates (and I say that as a Swede)...

 

Lotterer may not be a worse driver than Kobayashi (three time Le Mans winner, duh!), but he's got no real F1 experience. He would have been worthy of an F1 seat ten years ago, no doubt. But as an inexperienced 32 year old? :confused:



#17 Ducks

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 21:03

Maybe the seat will be open for every GP to the highest bidder?



#18 tmekt

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 21:09

I like the thought of someone with no F1 experience whatsoever suddenly appearing to start the Belgian Grand Prix. Will be fun to watch.



#19 Risil

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 21:12

Every time I see his name, all I can think of is how Morcambe and Wise would've called him Andrew Lottery.


Edited by Risil, 18 August 2014 - 21:12.


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#20 TheRacingElf

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 21:29

As Luca Badoer proved, it is quite easy to step in a f1 car mid season after being out of f1 for a few years and without testing..oh wait



#21 Spillage

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 22:20

I think he's a very good driver but I don't see the point, particularly if Caterham are going to turf out their faster driver for him. Could this be linked to a potential sale of the team?



#22 evo

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 23:19

Considering the noise or answers that Kobayashi has been giving lately, perhaps he could see the writing was on the wall..

 

It's unfortunate KK would lose his seat over a 32yo rookie in a modern formula, especially where the next youngest driver is only going to be nearly half his age.

 

My expectation is for Lotterer to be on par with what Karthikeyan was able to muster.



#23 InSearchOfThe

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 00:33

Well... how much moola does this guy bring?

 

Caterham looking extremely desperate. No way they make the grid next year.



#24 Prost1997T

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 00:47

Well... how much moola does this guy bring?

 

Caterham looking extremely desperate. No way they make the grid next year.

 

Not sure he personally brings any, he takes a salary in WEC and Super Formula...



#25 aguri

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 01:15

Hope Kobayashi gets the Toyota WEC seat. He still has a future in motor racing.



#26 TF110

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 01:32

How many times has Kobayashi been beaten by Ericsson? I dont see the logic in replacing KK with Lotterer. In Super Formula, he's been beat by Kazuki Nakajima. If hes ousted by the team, hopefully he drives for Toyota in their lmp1. Too much talent to waste. He impressed jumping into the Toyota in '09 for Glock. Hes never had a great car, and its a shame.

#27 MattPete

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 02:21

Other than immediate cash-flow, I can't imagine why you'd replace Kobayashi with Lotterer.  Not only is he by far the strongest of their two drivers  (I rank him up there with Hulkenberg and Perez), but he has the experience to give quality feedback on the new chassis changes.



#28 FredrikB

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 06:56

Well, if i understood it right from what Eje Elgh (Ericssons manager) said in a Swedish podcast when the drive was revealed it's more about the deals that come with Ericsson than the money he brings. One of them, if i remember correctly, is the use of the Toyota wind tunnel.

That's why i think Ericsson stays if Caterham decides to replace one of their drivers. 

 

But bring on Lotterer. He will make Ericsson look good. As mentioned with the reference to Mr Lookhowbadyouare. "Old" drivers jumping in mid-season has never worked out very well. And when it comes to feedback on the updates, that's one of Ericssons strong points, so that's not going to be a problem if Koba goes.  



#29 ensign14

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 07:08

Reminiscent of Jean-Louis Schlesser at Monza 1988...



#30 TF110

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 07:22

Sauber made the mistake of dropping KK for two inexperienced drivers. Howd that turn out?

#31 Jackmancer

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 07:25

Does he bring a budget, or why is Lotterer considered? 



#32 TF110

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 07:30

I am not sure. Ive not heard anything on sponsors he would bring. Imo, its a losing situation. Hes not going to be faster than KK, hes probably not going to be faster than Ericsson. The only thing that would make any sense is a tie-in to Toyota (unlikely) or Audi.

#33 ensign14

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 07:54

Sauber made the mistake of dropping KK for two inexperienced drivers. Howd that turn out?

 

Sutil is hardly inexperienced.  He is the most experienced F1 driver ever who has not had a podium.



#34 Francesc

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 09:20

Tobias Grüner F1 @tgruener 5m

#F1 Done deal! André Lotterer will definitely replace Kobayashi at Spa. Expect official release this p.m. AMuS: http://ams.to/Ok



#35 Richard T

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 09:25

Andrea Caldarelli (Toyota LMP1 test driver and Super GT racer) will race in Super Formula this weekend, in Andre's car.. It's a done deal.

 

Edit: What is the point for Andre, really?


Edited by Richard T, 19 August 2014 - 09:27.


#36 FredrikB

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 09:29

Edit: What is the point for Andre, really?

Yeah, why drive a grand prix weekend in Formula 1. Pointless  :drunk:

I'ts not like he can destroy his career...



#37 Radion

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 09:31

Andrea Caldarelli (Toyota LMP1 test driver and Super GT racer) will race in Super Formula this weekend, in Andre's car.. It's a done deal.

 

Edit: What is the point for Andre, really?

Erm, participating in a formula one race? Who would say no to this?



#38 givemeabettercar

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 09:31

What a joke, **** Caterham

 

It is a shame you have guys like Sutil, Ericsson, Gutierrez and Chilton on the grid while Kamui and Vergne may be out of it

 

This guy probable wont even qualify, and this is the kind of race where there can be attrition and a Kamui could be there to get some points. But Ericsson an this guy? :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:


Edited by givemeabettercar, 19 August 2014 - 09:34.


#39 Richard T

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 09:31

Yeah, why drive a grand prix weekend in Formula 1. Pointless  :drunk:

I'ts not like he can destroy his career...

 

In a Caterham? It's pointless



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#40 LuckyStrike1

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 09:33

Andrea Caldarelli (Toyota LMP1 test driver and Super GT racer) will race in Super Formula this weekend, in Andre's car.. It's a done deal.

 

Edit: What is the point for Andre, really?

 

 

Try something new without risking anything financially? 

 

It's not like he's out having to prove anything. He get to drive a F1 weekend, all paid for. Worse case, he is driving for free.... 

 

He is a well paid star driver at Audi Sport with 3 Le Mans victories. 

 

He is a well paid top driver with titles in Super Formula. 

 

Worse come to worse hw will continue to do that. 

 

You could ask however what's the point for anyone driving for Caterham ...... 

 

The only stupid thing in this would be if he would do it without the permission from Audi and the Super Formula team. That would be really stupid. 



#41 Richard T

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 09:38

Try something new without risking anything financially? 

 

It's not like he's out having to prove anything. He get to drive a F1 weekend, all paid for. Worse case, he is driving for free.... 

 

He is a well paid star driver at Audi Sport with 3 Le Mans victories. 

 

He is a well paid top driver with titles in Super Formula. 

 

Worse come to worse hw will continue to do that. 

 

You could ask however what's the point for anyone driving for Caterham ...... 

 

The only stupid thing in this would be if he would do it without the permission from Audi and the Super Formula team. That would be really stupid. 

 

Ok thanks Lucky. I can see the no-risk aspect here and who could say no to a F1 race and all that. But competitively there is literally no point in driving a Caterham, especially without testing.

 

I hope he does well, im a big fan of his. 



#42 LuckyStrike1

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 09:40

Well competitvely there is no point for any driver to drive for Caterham ... hence no reason for Caterham to exist... 

 

Unless it's used to break in a young driver already contracted for other F1 teams (Ricciardo at HRT, Bianchi at Marussia) which is not good enough a reason for a team to exist. 



#43 Radion

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 09:51

In a Caterham? It's pointless

It's not like he's applying for a seat for next year. 

Sad for Kamui, will be a nice experience for Andrea.



#44 WhiteSGPlayer

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 10:13

A point to think about:

 

Lotterer has raced under Kolles' wing before, in 2010, so it's not as if he is an unknown talent, and I doubt he'll have lost all of his talent since then, if anything, he's probably gotten faster! :p

 

Hope he does great, he deserves it.


Edited by WhiteSGPlayer, 19 August 2014 - 10:13.


#45 noikeee

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 10:17

I don't get the upside for Caterham, and it's unfortunate it's Kobayashi who's out because he was doing a good job this season, but this is AWESOME. I don't get the bitching from everyone in here. How often do we get to see one of these top line Le Mans drivers transition to F1?

 

It's exciting and intriguing, bring it on.



#46 Jon83

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 10:20

I don't think either driver deserves to be binned.



#47 FredrikB

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 10:28

In a Caterham? It's pointless

It's still a Formula 1 car. Show me a driver in his position that would say no...



#48 Sheepmachine

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 10:30

Is Andre Lotterer really the best choice to replace Koboyashi (I don't think they should replace either driver to be honest)? Surely there are better candidates on the fringes of f1 that deserve it more. What about Robin Frijns?

#49 chunder27

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 10:32

The reason why sports car drivers do not get chances in F1 is obvious

 

Sports car driving is a lower rung on the ladder and always will be

 

I know you Le Mans lovers think your race is the be all and end all, but F1 is different, is is pure pace.

 

And if these guys had that, they would already be in F1 wouldnt they Michael, Heinz Harald, Gerhard or Stefan?  Or have had a great F1 career and then made tons of money driving sports cars wouldnt they Allan, MArtin, Thierry, Derek, Hans Joachim, Jean Pierre, Keke, Yannick, Stefan, Bernd, Michele.

 

You see where that list is going?



#50 noikeee

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Posted 19 August 2014 - 10:34

I don't think either driver deserves to be binned.

 

Ericsson can't be displaced due to the deals tied to him, but he's been appalling, at least looking at the gigantic qualifying gaps he usually registers to Kobayashi. Never expected him in a million years to have been this bad as I quite rated him as more than just a paydriver. Yet I'd say even Chilton's done better than him.