2014/15 Silly Season

[acosmichippo]

Honestly, Gutierrez has not impressed me in the slightest. He could barely compete with Sutil, and didn't show any progress in two years. And Hulkenberg destroyed him, but to be fair that was Esteban's rookie year. He's only at Ferrari because he can't buy a race seat anywhere else.

[Manoah2u]

Well despite Esteban really not showing much progress and competition in the past years - compared to Sergio who is more reckless but performs a lot better - that doesn't really mean there isn't a place for Sergio in F1. A reserve and test driver role isn't that bad actually. Each driver has its qualities - take Pedro De La Rosa for example. Nice guy, very insightfull for testing purposes, a real asset there - but in race craft - not so much. Not bad, but not noteworthy either.

Now Esteban may not be such a race performer, but that doesn't mean he isn't usefull as a test/reseve driver/development driver. He has gotten some experience under his belt, mainly with different Ferrari powerplants (V8 and V6T), he has learned to 'control' his car in varying circumstances and has a feel of the machinery. And most of all; he has direct experience with recent 2014 machinery.

Obviously the biggest asset and gain is the friendship with Carlos Slim. $$$$$.

What i'd be very interested to see is how Esteban would hold against either Vettel or Kimi in a full race weekend - imagine Kimi or Vettel getting sick from food (i don't want them hurt obviously), and Esteban stepping in. Would he be blasted to bits or would he cope?

I know after Massa's accident, every Ferrari replacement driver for Massa was heavily outdone by Kimi. As in embarassing outclassed. Luca Badoer, even Fisichella (Which imho was a bad move, he should have stayed at Force India after his great race @ Spa).

As for Esteban, I think this is the best wish he could have. Reserve driver role @ Ferrari, and driver various Ferrari's in promotional and non-F1 races. It's not like he's a Hamilton, Alonso or Schumacher, and i'd say he knows - so thank you Ferrari.

[acosmichippo]

I was mainly responding to PlatinumZealot's point that EG is next in line for a race seat when Kimi retires. He wasn't good enough for Sauber, why would he be good enough for a Ferrari race seat? I agree a test/reserve seat is a good place for him, at least until a better young driver comes along, which will surely happen.

[Aesto]

Well despite Esteban really not showing much progress and competition in the past years - compared to Sergio who is more reckless but performs a lot better - that doesn't really mean there isn't a place for Sergio in F1. A reserve and test driver role isn't that bad actually. Each driver has its qualities - take Pedro De La Rosa for example. Nice guy, very insightfull for testing purposes, a real asset there - but in race craft - not so much. Not bad, but not noteworthy either.

Now Esteban may not be such a race performer, but that doesn't mean he isn't usefull as a test/reseve driver/development driver. He has gotten some experience under his belt, mainly with different Ferrari powerplants (V8 and V6T), he has learned to 'control' his car in varying circumstances and has a feel of the machinery. And most of all; he has direct experience with recent 2014 machinery.

I agree. To my knowledge Gutierrez is a fairly decent development driver, apparently Hülkenberg often copied his setup after FP1 or FP2 in 2013.

[Racer X]

That isnt a bad road for Esteban i guess that isnt a bad road for him to take given that if he cant find a real seat it doesnt hurt to spend a year learning at Ferrari. Next year maybe they can get him another shot at a midfield team. But i dont see him getting a shot in Ferrari reserve drivers hardly ever get a chance in teams they are reserves for.....

[BanMeToo]

Being a test driver does NOT put you "next in line for a race seat." Is PDR replacing Alonso next season? No. Did Valsecchi stand in for Kimi last year when he missed races? No. Two of countless examples, like Racer X implies.

[marcush.]

tbh what is a good development driver in formula 1? copy setups and all that ..I do not even remotely think a rookie could be of much help when it comes to setups when everything is new and you have a very limited track time available.
Todays formula 1 is more a little choice of setup options developed at home by the track engineers .I bet most engineering teams would not even consider asking a green boy what to do but prefer to brief him if he actually has what it takes...
Esteban had two years in F1 and he had not many weekends keeping the Hulk in sight ...and he did not really beat up Sutil either in the second year. As sutil he did not make anything out of the rare opportunities he had to score ...and if he was a good development driver I ask cheekily why the car has developped into a s...box this year with his input...

[WaikeCU]

That isnt a bad road for Esteban i guess that isnt a bad road for him to take given that if he cant find a real seat it doesnt hurt to spend a year learning at Ferrari. Next year maybe they can get him another shot at a midfield team. But i dont see him getting a shot in Ferrari reserve drivers hardly ever get a chance in teams they are reserves for.....

But since he's still young, he's bound to a race seat somewhere else representing Ferrari. Just like Kobayashi and Fisichella, he might drive another 458 Italia in the WEC. So, he gets time in testing for Ferrari F1 AND he has a seat for Ferrari in the WEC; he'll then have experience in both categories. If someday F1 doesn't turn out to be his future, he still has proven qualities in WEC. So he then might put himself up for a spot in a team racing in the LMP1 class. Still a lot better than what Van Der Garde is going through.

[Hail22]

Luca di Montezemolo and Paul Walsh appointed as non-executive directors of the Formula One Group:

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/ ... 16737.html

Even though he is suffering from ill health at the present time Peter Brabeck-Letmathe will remain as chairman.

[PlatinumZealot]

I was mainly responding to PlatinumZealot's point that EG is next in line for a race seat when Kimi retires. He wasn't good enough for Sauber, why would he be good enough for a Ferrari race seat? I agree a test/reserve seat is a good place for him, at least until a better young driver comes along, which will surely happen.

I actually have some ratings for Sutil. I think Esteban did a stellar job matching him. The advantage he has over Fisichella and Badoer is that he has raced a current spec car (unlike Badoer had) and he will get tonnes of time testing in an acutal Ferrari (unlike Fisichella). I can see him developing quite well if he has the right attitude.

[Manoah2u]

I was mainly responding to PlatinumZealot's point that EG is next in line for a race seat when Kimi retires. He wasn't good enough for Sauber, why would he be good enough for a Ferrari race seat? I agree a test/reserve seat is a good place for him, at least until a better young driver comes along, which will surely happen.

I actually have some ratings for Sutil. I think Esteban did a stellar job matching him. The advantage he has over Fisichella and Badoer is that he has raced a current spec car (unlike Badoer had) and he will get tonnes of time testing in an acutal Ferrari (unlike Fisichella). I can see him developing quite well if he has the right attitude.

Not just that, but he will spend more time in the simulator compared to the racing drivers, which will generally result in a more insightfull view between simulator and real life results. This is important for Ferrari because in the past, the simulator and computer models turned out to not actually have the expected result in real life. I don't believe this is solely to blame on the driver, but to the computers aswell, but the better a driver can feedback data, the better the results.

And Davide rigon has not been a F1 racing driver, Marc Gené has been a racing driver a looong time ago, Pedro de La Rosa is a great asset but hasn't been driving F1 races since the HRT failure.

So in that, Esteban has a huge benefit compared to these people, but that he logically lacks the experience de La Rosa houses, but test drivers haven't got infinite F1 lifespan either. I'd say Estaban could be there for the long haul and become the next DLR.

[marcush.]

Sutil once had his crew mounting different spec tyres front and rear accidently during a race and he did not realise... I´m not sure if Adrian really has what it takes.i could be terribly wrong though .
But comparing to How Hulk handled the situation a year before he is just not on this level?
Pounding around in a simulator will undoubtedly help in honing everything NOT related to the actual driving ,so it is a benefit for the new boys as testing is so restricted these days but it is no coincidence that the old dogs shrug and turn away from the simulators and say they can live and perform very well without throwing up every 10minutes..

[donskar]

Adding Vergne a good move for Ferrari IMO. Has current F1 experience at a team close to Red Bull. He should have a good shot at replacing Kimi unless Kimi turns himself around.

[kptaylor]

So hire GUT for the cash and VER for the actual role?

[oT v1]

So hire GUT for the cash and VER for the actual role?

win & win!

good job vergne man