13 replies to this topic

[Anton]

As a real DTM fan I am curious if Albers would be also an interesting prospect for f1. He is driving his first year now in a new Mercedes in the DTM and he seems very mature in his racing and shows consistent speed. He has already won three races and gives Bernd Schneider (The DTM Schummi..) a really hard time for the championship, just one point between the guys.

I think Albers has a good opportunity to get an f1 test with Mclaren if he becomes DTM champion this year. So what would you guys think, is there any F1-potential in Albers??

By the way he has already had the offer this year to test for Jordan on the friday in a grand prix weekend (if not mistaken it was Spain), but he declined because Norbert Haug expects him to focus purely on the DTM...

[Earthling]

I agree.

He is driving very well and is making alot of the machinery he has(best car on the grid).
For such a young guy, going against the veteran that Schneider is, he is impressing me alot!

I definately think that he should eventually get an F1 test drive given he continues to do well, but he does need more open wheeler experiance.

DTM cars are very grippy like F1 cars too, so that helps.

[Viktor]

This is his 3'rd year in DTM and he is in the best car on the grid. He is doing what most good drivers would in that position, winning races

He is a good DTM driver but I dont know if he is good in F1 also, it takes a different kind of driver to be good in F1.

/Viktor

[Daemon]

Albers is definately a qualified and better than average driver, but his open wheeler record is poor, excluding his German F3 wins, which was a pretty poor guage for judging a young drivers quality.

He didn't show very well at all when paired with Mark Webber at European racing, but then I guess Webbers only statistically impressive performances were in F3000, and look at him now. So who knows.

Albers is closely linked to Minardi through Paul Stoddart, and the time he raced for European in F3000. Beleive he has driven quite a few laps for the team (Minardi that is) in recent years, and was on a shortlist of drivers leading into this year and last. Stoddart seems to be quite enthusiastic about the guy. Don't think we've seen the last of Albers in the F1 paddock.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Yeah Albers is a weird one. German F3 champ, then *nowhere* in F3k (thought it must be said Webber was off and on besides Silverstone, and Manning was very much the forgotten man in that race), and is now quite a DTM racer.


F3000 continues to be one of the stranger series. Imo the key to Mark Webber was his GT experience with Mercedes. Thats a situation where you learn more about F1 than in any of the single seater classes. And I dont mean the driving, I mean tire compounding and car development and real testing and race strategy and pitstops and everything. F3 and F3000 really just teaches you to go like an amphetamine laced clubber, Im not sure it teaches you a lot about being a 'race dirver'. I think going from the Merc GT car to an F3000 car was probably easier than coming straight out of F3, and I think it certainly helped develop his now exceptional tech feedback. If sportscar racing was deeper and more competitive, you'd be better served driving for Audi next year at Sebring, Le Mans, and the 4 1000km races (which would be like 15 hours of race-driving) than any 3 seasons of F3000.

[Alfisti]

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
Yeah Albers is a weird one. German F3 champ, then *nowhere* in F3k (thought it must be said Webber was off and on besides Silverstone, and Manning was very much the forgotten man in that race), and is now quite a DTM racer.


F3000 continues to be one of the stranger series. Imo the key to Mark Webber was his GT experience with Mercedes. Thats a situation where you learn more about F1 than in any of the single seater classes. And I dont mean the driving, I mean tire compounding and car development and real testing and race strategy and pitstops and everything. F3 and F3000 really just teaches you to go like an amphetamine laced clubber, Im not sure it teaches you a lot about being a 'race dirver'. I think going from the Merc GT car to an F3000 car was probably easier than coming straight out of F3, and I think it certainly helped develop his now exceptional tech feedback. If sportscar racing was deeper and more competitive, you'd be better served driving for Audi next year at Sebring, Le Mans, and the 4 1000km races (which would be like 15 hours of race-driving) than any 3 seasons of F3000.

Someone else said that ...... Haug i think.

[Sebastian Deveraux]

Which option is best for best for Albers?

* A paydrive at Minardi, and hope to impress enough to get good seat next year like MW
* Stick it out in the DTM and hope for an eventual McLaren test drive and become a third driver like Wurz
* Friday test drive with Jordan, like what McNish is doing at Renault

[MONTOYASPEED]

Jos is better. You do the math.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Yes, lets. When did Albers and Verstappen last go head to head on the track?

[François Bonaparte]

let's not get into that.......... both aren't best friends, and well sjees.... he is F1 material internationaly seen maybe yes... but nationaly, there is not yet place for the man.

Mercedes is probably gonna launch him into F1, next season or the one after... Jordan or McLaren, uncertain....

Alberts and Jos Verstappen are uncomparable Ross, so let's not check head to head track performance's, because so far as I know, there are none.

Jos Verstappen and Michael Schumacher on the other hand do head to head kart races in between races every year. Jos wins as much as Michael does , what does this tell?

nothing.

nothing in the world of F1.

an Minardi is an Minardi and an Williams is a Williams.

[Double Apex]

As far as I can remember the only thing coming close to a head-to-head is the fact that they both tested a PS-01 at Valencia, albeit at different times. Plus when Jos drove it (last winter), it was of course fitted with F3000 Avon slicks. The car was also fitted with a '98 Cosworth engine that Minardi use for their two-seaters. When Christijan drove it (early in 2002 I think) the car was fitted with grooved Michelin F1 tyres and the normal European engine.

Jos did a 1.15.182 and Christijan did 1.17.620

So judging by this comparison Jos looks ultrafast, but then again, it's not much of a comparison...

I do think Jos is faster though. Still Christijan is doing pretty OK in DTM but he hasn't been able to impress in an F1 car so far...but it's really a bit too early to tell if he can do well in the big league.

[Sebastian Deveraux]

I heard that Albers web site was hacked into by Jos fans, who put porn on the site. Can any dutch fellas here confirm this. I heard it here in Aus on RPM.

[Mr Tomalski]

Originally posted by Sebastian Deveraux
I heard that Albers web site was hacked into by Jos fans, who put porn on the site. Can any dutch fellas here confirm this. I heard it here in Aus on RPM.

...and the problem is?

Unless its gay porn...

[François Bonaparte]

I heard that Albers web site was hacked into by Jos fans, who put porn on the site. Can any dutch fellas here confirm this. I heard it here in Aus on RPM.

http://www.christijan.com/v_3_0/

..........??