JordanMugen wrote: ↑27 Oct 2018, 06:08
Phil wrote: ↑26 Oct 2018, 14:20
He was the best man for the job on short-notice after Rosbergs unexpected retirement.
Was he?
Mercedes had Wehrlein available, who had outperformed Ericcson and who could be a star!
WaikeCU wrote: ↑26 Oct 2018, 12:58
He just needs to know where his future is heading.
Kubica should secure a solid drive in Super Formula or Indycar, instead of waiting around for an F1 drive! A championship win there (say in Japan) would open the door to an F1 return!
Wasn't it Wehrlein that was supposedly pain in the arse to work with? You don't want a spoiled brat that won't follow the instructions as Your 2nd driver doing. questioning his supporting role for Hamilton
As for Kubica - I don't think he would risk going through lesser series with his experiences after the crash. He went to WRC2, won it in his first year and then won quite a few SS in WRC driving Fords. He then had few tests with DTM, WEC, GT3 and FE and still, when time came to fight for F1, people kept rumbling about disability and that with such a long time without F1 speed wouldn't be there. Despite impressive performances in multiple spec cars and successfuly competing in different series. People just ignored it, because it wasn't F1. Suprisingly, what mattered was Williams test results fabricated to suit the narrative that securing a mediocre paydriver is a good choice. Say what You want, but if they had to add virtual tire difference (tire, that later on was exposed to be actually slower on Williams back then) to Kubica's one of only two allowed flying laps on it without even having a chance to test it before, to fabricate SS "faster lap time" with math, thats one sad joke of a test. Few months earlier he had a shootout with SS as his first taste of F1 in years and won comfortably, so the speed is there still.
My point here is that even winning any other series wouldn't necessarily be a step forward towards F1 return, because overall "public opinion" seems to be too easily shaped and have too short of a memory for it to have any meaningful impact and would only make for another wasted year in that regard.
I think, that if He won't secure a seat very soon, He will write off F1 and go somewhere else. It really would be a shame if one of the very few guys in the world talented enough to compete with Hamilton would have to leave the sport without even being given a chance.
Phil, Renault didn't take him because they got much better off with a combo of Carlos + Mclaren engine deal + few milions extra. Can't really blame them for that, it was a smart move.