Trouble at Toro-Rosso

[modbaraban]

Scotty, we are with you after this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWh-cDnS0k8

[jddh1]

Yah, modbaraban, that "milk&cereal" song is quite hilarious.


@ Kimi the best: Come on now, you did not just give me all those stats. My point was that in Champ car you're not allowed to block the car behind you from passing, whereas in F1 it happens all the time. When SB experience blocking against Doornbos, he started crying. I don't want to undermine his achievements, but I just think he's not good enough for F1. Case in point: Christiano DaMatta.

[m3_lover]

I love this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WePGY5-P ... ed&search=

[modbaraban]

I love this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WePGY5-P ... ed&search=

this one's classic

[countersteer]

Christiano... umm... Toyota.

Not a fair comparison.

Good point on Sebastian Bourdais though. Put him on the back of the grid and he'll mentally collapse.

I'm fascinated by the in car shots of the McLaren/Ferrari etc. when the driver (whoever it is) is so smooth. Then they show a driver in a Torro Rosso/Spyker and it's all a**holes and elbows. These guys are doing good to keep it on the road. It's not the drivers, it's the chassis. How could some of these backmarker drivers perform in a well sorted chassis? I mean, strap Scott into a Ferrari and how would he do? And how would Felipe do in a Torro Rosso.

[mx_tifoso]

I'm fascinated by the in car shots of the McLaren/Ferrari etc. when the driver (whoever it is) is so smooth. Then they show a driver in a Torro Rosso/Spyker and it's all a**holes and elbows. These guys are doing good to keep it on the road. It's not the drivers, it's the chassis. How could some of these backmarker drivers perform in a well sorted chassis? I mean, strap Scott into a Ferrari and how would he do? And how would Felipe do in a Torro Rosso.

Now do you guys understand why to me, Hamilton isn't as impressive as he could be? A good rookie driver, in a extremely good car, everything is perfectly set in place.

The rookie drivers that impress the most are those with relativeley poor chassis and still give good results. Thus proving in their early F1 years that even without one of the best chassis on the grid they can still perform.

Poor Speed, being in a STR is possible one of worst things to happen in his F1 career. Either starting F1 in a STR, or ending your career in a STR is very bad thing (same goes for a RBR).

Red Bull Racing is merely a business who saw F1, and motorsport in general, as a new platform in order to reach more potential customers worldwide. A great move business wise, but they don't have the passion for motorsports that other teams have, no need in mentioning the teams that are in F1 because it is their blood.

[PNSD]

Anyone want to check DaMattas results at toyota?

Very good considering his car. He should not have been dropped the way TF did.

[DaveKillens]

The rookie drivers that impress the most are those with relativeley poor chassis and still give good results. Thus proving in their early F1 years that even without one of the best chassis on the grid they can still perform.

As in Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna? Michael started in a Jordan, while Senna began his F1 career in a Toleman. Then as we all know, they earned rides in more famous marquees.

But I do agree, in a great car just about any F1 caliber driver can look very good. But a great driver can make a crappy chassis appear decent.

[mx_tifoso]

The rookie drivers that impress the most are those with relativeley poor chassis and still give good results. Thus proving in their early F1 years that even without one of the best chassis on the grid they can still perform.

As in Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna? Michael started in a Jordan, while Senna began his F1 career in a Toleman. Then as we all know, they earned rides in more famous marquees.

But I do agree, in a great car just about any F1 caliber driver can look very good. But a great driver can make a crappy chassis appear decent.

To that list I would add......Fernando Alonso, and Kimi Raikkonen (at least). Minardi and Sauber respectively. Unfortunately Raikkonen stands out from the other three due to the fact that he is the only one to have not won a F1 DC, yet.

A personal credo for life is that you should earn what you recieve. Like M.Schumacher and A.Senna, they both started in not-so-good teams/chassis, but they impressed teams up the ladder and recieved a race seat in return.

What you say is very true, just about any F1 caliber driver can accomplish good drives in a great car, but only a great driver can can make a crappy chassis appear decent.

Too bad many drivers have not been able to show their full potential in under performing chassis. I guess it's up to luck sometimes.

That might be the case with Speed and Liuzzi, I'm not sure. Even if they have the talent and should race with better teams, their reputation isn't one of the best in the paddock. Their eccentric personalities are to blame. The top teams do not look forward to having these type of personalities represent them. Especially the likes of Ferrari and Mclaren. We all know what happed to Alonso's wild hair after joing the Woking squad.
(One exception: in MotoGP. With Valentino Rossi).

As always, I wish them the very best.

[jddh1]

I love this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WePGY5-P ... ed&search=

I really think that they saw the camera there and said it on purpose. Very funny though. F1 needs personalities like that.

[BreezyRacer]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that now that there is no USGP there's no need to keep to keep Speed around .. sad but fairly true.

IMO he has matured as a driver far more than STR has as a team .. something to ponder as we all sit back and make subjective commentary on the man.

[mx_tifoso]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that now that there is no USGP there's no need to keep to keep Speed around .. sad but fairly true.

The US GP is off for '08, but it's more than likely it will be back in '09. I hope so, this country is one of the biggest markets for many F1 manufacturers. So if it returns in '09 the "need for Speed" will not be affected.

[Ray]

He's a great driver, got a crappy ass car, and a stupid set of team leaders. I hope he stays and proves how good he is with a better team. Even though there isn't a US race on the calendar doesn't mean there is no use for him. I guess since there is no Finnish race, Kimi and Heikki should go too?

[ginsu]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that now that there is no USGP there's no need to keep to keep Speed around .. sad but fairly true.

I can see how some marketing idiot would say that, but I don't think it's really true. I think Scott Speed has done well enough to keep his drive, and he has really matured.

[BreezyRacer]

I think Scott Speed has done well enough to keep his drive, and he has really matured.

I quite agree, but in F1 lots of good talents have never gotten the "fair shake" they were promised or deserved. In a way I hope he keeps his ride .. in another way maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to walk away from STR's owners. He could wind up with a better ride ..

however, no matter how you cut it, he's not as marketable as he was when we had a USGP.