18 replies to this topic

[qwazy]

In a recent new article, a Spyker personel or spokesperson said they were trying hard to retain Adrian Sutil. In the same article, Adrian stated that he has two options within F1.

Having seen the timesheets and watched the practices, I think he definitely has talent but I dont know much about his motorsport background. That's why I'm asking you guys just how good this kid really is?

Also, I'd like to make a prediction; Sutil to BMW, Vettel to Red Bull in '08.

[Ilaya]

Well IMO he did OK in F3 2005, but then again he was in the ASM car and clearly beaten by his teammate Hamilton.
Has shown there that he can drive at the front without too many mistakes when given a decent car.

I think he did some A1 GP driving for the German team.

[Dudley]

He's half a second a lap worse than Hamilton.

So however good that is.

His motorsport background is basically that in the runaway best team in F3, he was teammates with Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton beat him 172 points to 94 in a series using F1 points.

[Peri_Piket]

http://www.spykerf1....g=89&newsid=232

Z Germans,
another one in the "road to F1" traffic jam.

[jb_128]

He's Japanese F3 champion and he was the best rookie at Macau this year. So I would say he has upped his game a bit since he drove next to Hamilton who was a year ahead of him in terms of F3 experience.

[CWeil]

I'm curious what the 'other' option is- the only place I could imagine would be BMW, as he's German and they would want a 2nd test driver in the case that Vettel is snatched by Red Bull in 2008. I would figure Timo Glock would be a better bet in that case, though, and Sutil is more likely to get a seat at Spyker in 2008 than at BMW (I would think, anyway).

I suppose as test driver at Super Aguri, but I would imagine that will go to a Japanese driver since they signed Ant.

I can't imagine where else he would go? Perhaps Prodrive, but I doubt they've given much thought to drivers at all at this point.

[liverpoolfc]

I rate Sutil highly, if I'm correct in who I am thinking about, the MF1 test driver right?

Because his skills at the wheel are awesome and anyone that can post seventh quickest time in a MF1 car has to be special lol. No seriously, he could be another F1 star in the future. I would put him with probably the Hakkinen crowd, just below the Schumacher/Alonso stars.

[Dudley]

Originally posted by liverpoolfc
I rate Sutil highly, if I'm correct in who I am thinking about, the MF1 test driver right?

Because his skills at the wheel are awesome and anyone that can post seventh quickest time in a MF1 car has to be special lol. No seriously, he could be another F1 star in the future. I would put him with probably the Hakkinen crowd, just below the Schumacher/Alonso stars.

You either consider Hamilton the 2nd coming of christ or have no idea why times set by a friday test driver are entirely irrelevent.

[Lorran]

Originally posted by jb_128
He's Japanese F3 champion and he was the best rookie at Macau this year. So I would say he has upped his game a bit since he drove next to Hamilton who was a year ahead of him in terms of F3 experience.

Actually, Sutil was in the euro-series in 2004 along with Hamilton. 2005 was his second year

[Jerome]

Never the less, if it was Sutils second or third year. I am disturbed by the fact that some talents are immediately written off because they were slower than someone else last year, the year before. In this case: Sutil was beaten by someone who has not driven a F1 race. You can put a lot emphasis to it, or a lot. Fact is that some drivers grow fast, and come to a quick standtill, some drivers grow more slowly and keep growing, and all kinds of variables in between.

[jb_128]

Originally posted by Lorran


Actually, Sutil was in the euro-series in 2004 along with Hamilton. 2005 was his second year

Oops. You're right. I sort of didn't start taking hime seriously until he was at ASM.

Originally posted by Jerome.Inen
Never the less, if it was Sutils second or third year. I am disturbed by the fact that some talents are immediately written off because they were slower than someone else last year, the year before. In this case: Sutil was beaten by someone who has not driven a F1 race. You can put a lot emphasis to it, or a lot. Fact is that some drivers grow fast, and come to a quick standtill, some drivers grow more slowly and keep growing, and all kinds of variables in between.

Very good point. Often the idea that drivers actually learn and improve during their career is not considered by anyone. If some guy gets beaten by some other guy in karts then people will remember this forever. I believe that there are drivers that really develop their potential over time. Two that spring to mind in this regard would be Damon Hill and Mark Webber.

[Lifew12]

Originally posted by Dudley


You either consider Hamilton the 2nd coming of christ or have no idea why times set by a friday test driver are entirely irrelevent.

They're not irrelevant when taken in context, i.e. in comparison with the remaining Friday drivers. Sutil, like Kubica and Vettel this year, impressed a lot of people in the paddock with his ability to go quickly straight away; it's no wonder he's got another option (although like the above poster, I can't think where it may be - Toro Rosso?)

[Jerome]

I believe that there are drivers that really develop their potential over time. Two that spring to mind in this regard would be Damon Hill and Mark Webber.

Gerhard Berger also springs to mind. A paydriver to start with, close enough to Senna in the same team in the end...

[angst]

He's probably another future World Champion, like all the others. Quick out of the box, like all the others, in F1 - clearly showing itself to be a test like no other of driving talent.

At the current rate I think we are looking at around 2012 before we've cleared the path for any future future World Champions.

[Jerome]

Angst, you ar being sarcastic, or ironic... but I would like to pick up a point in your comment in a serious way. Not ALL the worldchampions coming into F1 are considered future worldchampions, even if they had a perfect path to F1. And vice versa...

;)

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally posted by Lifew12


They're not irrelevant when taken in context, i.e. in comparison with the remaining Friday drivers. Sutil, like Kubica and Vettel this year, impressed a lot of people in the paddock with his ability to go quickly straight away; it's no wonder he's got another option (although like the above poster, I can't think where it may be - Toro Rosso?)

Yep driving an F1 car fast is more important than driving an F3 car fast. Even if the F1 is more like the F3 with removal of more power and addition of extra grip.

[liverpoolfc]

Just because Hamilton outpaced him in F3 doesn't mean that he will outpace him in F1.

If I was a leading team looking to sign a test driver (like Honda were) then Sutil would be on the list.

Then at least you could assess him more fully to see whether he deserves a F1 drive, he won Japanese F3 this season did he not? Not that that is much to boast about though

I know what you mean though - if all these future F1 champions come into F1, they will never become the double or triple world champion because there are too many of them.

A lot will depend on what team they will drive for, and being in the right place at the right time e.g. if BMW continue their rapid rise then Kubica and Vettel could find themselves in very good positions in future but other drivers like Kovleinen could suffer if Renault struggle as could (whisper it) Hamilton if McLaren produce a dog of a car like this year's one was.

[KABA]

If I were BMW, I would take Sutil over Glock as a second test driver.

Since despite Glock testing in Jerez they announced that Glock will go to GP2 again, maybe they are thinking in this direction.
It would make sense to test Vettel and Sutil side by side over a full season and see what happens.

I don't know that Sutil has the financial backing to buy the Spyker seat and while generally speaking any race seat is better then a test seat, sometimes test seats have potential. Like Klien at Honda or Piquet at Renault. BMW may soon be in this category, then Sutil would just have to beat Vettel.

[coyoteBR]

So, between Vettel and Glock the difference is very sutil?














... right... I didn't liked the joke, either