327 replies to this topic

[FirstnameLastname]

Kimi has covid…. Hope protocols have been followed and nobody else comes down with it in the paddock! Does tend to keep himself to himself thou.

Get well soon Kimi, and good luck Robert!

[FirstnameLastname]

1hr practice session is not a lot of time for Kubica to get to grips with the car is it. How many FP1s has he done this year?

[SenorSjon]

With vaccins and all that and everyone masked all the time, isn't it quite pointless to miss a race for Covid these days?

[William Hunt]

Kubica in the Alfa Romeo. Not very happy about that since I would have preferred Callum Ilott in that car. But Kubica's sponsor Ohrlen is off course paying a massive amount of money as their sponsor so that Robert can be their reserve driver. But Ilott is clearly the quicker driver of the two. Another case of a pay driver getting a drive instead of someone who actually merrits it. And as if Kubica still has a future in F1, he'll turn 37 in December. Would have been nice to see a young driver getting his debut...

Very underwhelming driver choice to say the least, well he's not going to score any points for Alfa Romeo. Well at least Callum gets to do an IndyCar race.

Edited by William Hunt, 04 September 2021 - 08:00.

[Laster]

A real shame for Kimi, that’s probably him out for Monza too. Kubica’s going to have a tough job jumping into this seat at this track with only an one hour practice. Just outqualifying the Haas will be an achievement.

[Disgrace]

Given his performance in the Williams and the short notice, I don't have high expectations.

[FirstnameLastname]

With vaccins and all that and everyone masked all the time, isn't it quite pointless to miss a race for Covid these days?

Better to be safe and protect all team/paddock members. I do remember though it being noted during FP1 that there weren’t many covid measures in place outside the paddock in Zandvoort though! But f1 was sticking to its own protocols

[FirstnameLastname]

Biggest winner is Haas. Keeps one car off the back row

[PayasYouRace]

 

Kubica in the Alfa Romeo. Not very happy about that since I would have preferred Callum Ilott in that car. But Kubica's sponsor Ohrlen is off course paying a massive amount of money as their sponsor so that Robert can be their reserve driver. But Ilott is clearly the quicker driver of the two. Another case of a pay driver getting a drive instead of someone who actually merrits it. And as if Kubica still has a future in F1, he'll turn 37 in December. Would have been nice to see a young driver getting his debut...

Very underwhelming driver choice to say the least, well he's not going to score any points for Alfa Romeo. Well at least Callum gets to do an IndyCar race.

 

 

Ilott is testing his Indycar and is unavailable. He's not available, even if he is the more promising choice.

[TomNokoe]

Kuba!!

[fisssssi]

Not Albon? C'mon

[Disgrace]

With vaccins and all that and everyone masked all the time, isn't it quite pointless to miss a race for Covid these days?

 

Those who are vaccinated can still become ill and/or spread it. F1 personnel may have immunocompromised members of their families.

 

It would also make a shambles of the drivers' championship if many of them had to sit out multiple races. If Verstappen were to get it now, Hamilton would almost certainly pocket 50 free points in his absence.

[William Hunt]

Ilott is testing his Indycar and is unavailable. He's not available, even if he is the more promising choice.

 

He would never have gotten that drive.

Ohrlen is paying millions of euro's to Sauber / Alfa Romeo just so that Kubica could be their reserve driver. Kubica is just paying for that drive, it's not on merit. I'm disgusted about it. That will be 5 pay drivers on the grid on just 20 cars: Stroll (well daddy bought him an enitire team), Latifi, Kubica and both Haas drivers. F1 is not exactly the pinnacle of the sport with 1 out of 4 drivers paying to drive in it, is it?

 

Same situation as at Haas last year where Fittipaldi with all those Mexican Telmex millions (Telmex have been financing his carreer) is paying to be their reserve driver and paid to replace Grosjean instead of a young driver with actual talent, that was a bad joke too. 

Edited by William Hunt, 04 September 2021 - 08:19.

[Muppetmad]

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery for Kimi. As I said in the build-up thread, Kubica isn't in an envious position here. Hopefully FP3 isn't as disrupted as other sessions have been: he needs every lap he can get to acclimatise himself to the car and the circuit.

[Baddoer]

What a crazy world.

[PayasYouRace]

He is available to drive F1, if he got offered an F1 seat he would be driving next season.

 

I'm sure he would. But he's not available this weekend.

[ForzaFormula]

I'm sure he would. But he's not available this weekend.

haha i thought i was on the next season topic, more cafe needed...

[Spillage]

Replacing one old school guy who doesn't give a **** with another. Can't fbjnk of anything more appropriate.

[flingsofdeon]

It would have been a bit hard to justify to Orlen chucking Callum in, even if he had been around. Hoping Kubica can get up to speed - so his last race will be in a Sauber, I like that.

[SenorSjon]

Those who are vaccinated can still become ill and/or spread it. F1 personnel may have immunocompromised members of their families.

It would also make a shambles of the drivers' championship if many of them had to sit out multiple races. If Verstappen were to get it now, Hamilton would almost certainly pocket 50 free points in his absence.

In that case, this pandemic will never end.

[Risil]

Wasn't expecting to read this! Love how we appear to be back in the late-2000s silly season, with Ferrari tiring of Kimi and mooning over BMW's fast Pole.

[William Hunt]

It would have been a bit hard to justify to Orlen chucking Callum in, even if he had been around. Hoping Kubica can get up to speed - so his last race will be in a Sauber, I like that.

 

I don't because he doesn't deserve it, in particular not after how he misbehaved at Williams accusing the team of all kinds of things when he was just slower as Russell. Williams didn't do any Dumfries stuff with him, that I'm pretty sure of. And then his fans constantly badmouthing Williams at the time. I was a Kubica fan before his accident but since his Williams year I don't like him anymore, he behaved unsportive and as a bad loser there whilst his come back could have been such a nice story. 

Edited by William Hunt, 04 September 2021 - 10:06.

[baddog]

He would never have gotten that drive.

Ohrlen is paying millions of euro's to Sauber / Alfa Romeo just so that Kubica could be their reserve driver. Kubica is just paying for that drive, it's not on merit. I'm disgusted about it. That will be 5 pay drivers on the grid on just 20 cars: Stroll (well daddy bought him an enitire team), Latifi, Kubica and both Haas drivers. F1 is not exactly the pinnacle of the sport with 1 out of 4 drivers paying to drive in it, is it?

 

Same situation as at Haas last year where Fittipaldi with all those Mexican Telmex millions (Telmex have been financing his carreer) is paying to be their reserve driver and paid to replace Grosjean instead of a young driver with actual talent, that was a bad joke too. 

 

You meant to type 'oh sorry my bad I didn't realise he was unavailable so even raising it was silly' and accidentally posted this instead I guess?

[MaGiK]

With missing whole friday and new circuit, thats very hard task.
Still better that jumping straight to quali in Monaco xD
Good luck Robert, id never thought id see him in GP again :-)
Dont expect much tough.

[Disgrace]

In that case, this pandemic will never end.

 

Allowing the free spread and thus mutation of the virus into more variants - as happened in India - is a sure way of ensuring that outcome.

[w1Y]

Would have been better asking horner to give albon a go if the talks for next year are true.

[PayasYouRace]

Alright enough COVID talk. We have other placed to have that discussion.

 

Anyway I expect Alfa don't have a lot more expectations than just getting the car to the finish at this stage. Especially as Zandvoort might be a good place to just stay out of trouble.

[NoForumForOldPole]

Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!

[sheSgoTthElooK]

That’s a shame!

I hope he recovers before Monza.

He lost already the Spa GP.

[NoForumForOldPole]

Why is Ilott not available? Is Bobby gonna get the gig at Monza if Ilott is back?

Edited by NoForumForOldPole, 04 September 2021 - 08:51.

[Vesuvius]

Really shame, was looking for seeing him race all of the remaining races and new track this weekend.

[Disgrace]

Why is Ilott not available? Is Bobby gonna get the gig at Monza if Ilott is back?

 

Ilott has been testing an IndyCar in anticipation of making his debut next weekend, so Kubica will seemingly race at Monza too. It doesn't appear that Ilott was in the team's future plans anyway.

[messy]

I hope Kubica gets into Q3 just to mess with everybody heads.

[TomNokoe]

If you're Ilott, would you forego your Indycar debut next week to race one-off at Monza? Maybe it's not even possible, but I would be straight on the plane.

[Vesuvius]

Kimi can race at Monza if tested negative.

[Ruusperi]

So he's asymptomatic? In Finland we never test asymptomatic, yet alone fully vaccinated ones. Ironically, if they hadn't made the test, Kimi would race for sure.

 

What a rotten luck. First Spa, his favorite, get cancelled, then he can't experience Zandvoort before retirement and probably the farewell race Monza in front of tifosi, as the most recent Ferrari champion, is in danger for him.

Edited by Ruusperi, 04 September 2021 - 09:06.

[A3]

I don’t get it. Kubica. He’ll trail around as last and probably will cause a red flag.

[krapmeister]

I don’t get it. Kubica. He’ll trail around as last and probably will cause a red flag.

Ilott isn't there. And Orlen is paying Alfa Sauber a sh!tload of money for Kubica to be the fallback driver...

[Vesuvius]

So he's asymptomatic? In Finland we never test asymptomatic, yet alone fully vaccinated ones. Ironically, if they hadn't made the test, Kimi would race for sure.

What a rotten luck. First Spa, his favorite, get cancelled, then he can't experience Zandvoort before retirement and probably the farewell race Monza in front of tifosi, as the most recent Ferrari champion, is in danger for him.

We do test asymptomatic peoole in Finland, if you have been close long enough to people who have covid.

Edited by Vesuvius, 04 September 2021 - 09:12.

[A3]

Ilott isn't there. And Orlen is paying Alfa Sauber a sh!tload of money for Kubica to be the fallback driver...

Oh yeah, money. Why doesn’t Kubica man up and admit he’s got no business anymore in the cockpit of an F1 car.

[Ruusperi]

We do test asymptomatic in Finland, if you have been close long enough to people who have covid.

I thought you should only isolate yourself for a couple of days and if you develop symptoms, then take the test. Anyway, enough of off-topic.

[P123]

So he's asymptomatic? In Finland we never test asymptomatic, yet alone fully vaccinated ones. Ironically, if they hadn't made the test, Kimi would race for sure.

 

What a rotten luck. First Spa, his favorite, get cancelled, then he can't experience Zandvoort before retirement and probably the farewell race Monza in front of tifosi, as the most recent Ferrari champion, is in danger for him.

 

How would Finland know somebody was asymptomatic if they never test them... such people are only identified after testing positive but showing no symptoms.  

 

Hopefully nobody else will be affected (not sure F1 gives the figures anymore regarding positive tests), and that Kimi can produce a negative test prior to Monza (depending on whatever the rules in Italy are now).

[Vesuvius]

I thought you should only isolate yourself for a couple of days and if you develop symptoms, then take the test. Anyway, enough of off-topic.

Usually yes, but If you get alert from koronavilkku tool, you will be tested (has happened for me and many that I know)

Most likely Kubica will be the one who cause a red flag.

[GiorgioF1]

Happy for the guy. Should've won LeMans on his debut if not for the bad luck on the last lap(!).

[Vesuvius]

How would Finland know somebody was asymptomatic if they never test them... such people are only identified after testing positive but showing no symptoms.

Hopefully nobody else will be affected (not sure F1 gives the figures anymore regarding positive tests), and that Kimi can produce a negative test prior to Monza (depending on whatever the rules in Italy are now).

There were 15 positive tests in F1 at spa.

F1 said Kimi can drivw at Monza if tested negative.

Edited by Vesuvius, 04 September 2021 - 09:16.

[Gemini]

Happy for the guy. Should've won LeMans on his debut if not for the bad luck on the last lap(!).

 

+1

 

interestting timing btw as Kubica's sponsor is debating whether to extend for next year or not

Edited by Gemini, 04 September 2021 - 09:24.

[r4mses]

So, Alfa didn't get the memo that in case a driver has to be replaced at short notice, the mandatory pick is Hülkenberg?   

Edited by r4mses, 04 September 2021 - 09:27.

[Izzyeviel]

Could get interesting..

[Rodaknee]

I don't because he doesn't deserve it, in particular not after how he misbehaved at Williams accusing the team of all kinds of things when he was just slower as Russell. Williams didn't do any Dumfries like stuff with him, that I'm pretty sure of. And then his fans constantly badmouthing Williams at the time. I was a Kubica fan before his accident but since his Williams year I don't like him anymore, he behaved unsportive and as a bad loser there whilst his come back could have been such a nice story. 

He's start fully loaded with excuses - wrong steering wheel, mirrors not set correctly, etc, etc.

Considering he's only out there as a pay driver, he'll get more publicity than he deserves.

[DeKnyff]

He would never have gotten that drive.

Ohrlen is paying millions of euro's to Sauber / Alfa Romeo just so that Kubica could be their reserve driver. Kubica is just paying for that drive, it's not on merit. I'm disgusted about it. That will be 5 pay drivers on the grid on just 20 cars: Stroll (well daddy bought him an enitire team), Latifi, Kubica and both Haas drivers. F1 is not exactly the pinnacle of the sport with 1 out of 4 drivers paying to drive in it, is it?

 

Same situation as at Haas last year where Fittipaldi with all those Mexican Telmex millions (Telmex have been financing his carreer) is paying to be their reserve driver and paid to replace Grosjean instead of a young driver with actual talent, that was a bad joke too. 

 

The case of Kubica is truly exceptional (come on, it's extremely rare that a replacement driver actually races). Mick Schumacher is hardly a paydriver: he is the last F2 champion, so arriving to F1 was an expected progression. Stroll was originally a paydriver, but he has proven to be a reasonably decent driver. So, it lets you two paydrivers (or two and a half if you partially include Stroll) out of a grid of twenty. Hell, even Latifi is not that bad.

 

So, in a nutshell, I don't think the situation concerning the importance of paydrivers in the sport is as negative as you depict. In fact, I think it's often been much worse in the history of the sport.