Formula 1 2009

[Rossiya]

I would have to agree actually. India, Korea, Turkey, Bahrain, Malaysia, China and UAE aren't exactly known for their motor-racing pedigree.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Nice first win by Webber, and both Ferrari and McLaren showed great improvements. Surprised nobody commented on Bernie's recent Hltler comments or Mosley threatening to run for office again after being insulted. Wonder how much longer Bourdais is going to be around...

 

[Darth_Pugwash]

Really pleased for Webber, great to see him get a win. Massa and Rosberg both had good races as well.

Bourdais will be replaced for Hungary: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76945

 

[Rossiya]

I thought it was funny that both the Toro Rosso's drivers' first names were Sebastién Olivier.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Really pleased for Webber, great to see him get a win. Massa and Rosberg both had good races as well.

I really thought his chances were nill after the drive-through penalty. I wonder how long that penalty took...

Bourdais will be replaced for Hungary: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/76945

Wow. I really don't like axeing drivers in the middle of the year. I think it shows a certain lack of class. And first Scott Speed and now Bourdais...

I really don't know why Boridais had so much trouble adapting. He was brilliant in Champ Cars.

 

[GravityWave]

I really don't know why Boridais had so much trouble adapting. He was brilliant in Champ Cars.

The cars handle fundamentally differently, and it has been shown on quite a few occasions that some just can't cross from Champ Cars to F1. To compare Champ Cars/IRL and F1 and believe you can pluck drivers from one formula to the other is a mistake that many make (especially the teams for some reason), they might as well be doing it with F1 and Rallying. He has been given a fair chance and hasn't cut it - time to go I'm afraid.

 

[Darth_Pugwash]

I'm not the greatest fan of chopping drivers midseason either, and was actually hoping that Bourdais would retain his seat for this year as the guy can certainly drive. But he just hasn't seemed to gel with F1 despite a good crack at the whip, so it's an understandable decision.

 

[Formaldehyde]

The cars handle fundamentally differently, and it has been shown on quite a few occasions that some just can't cross from Champ Cars to F1. To compare Champ Cars/IRL and F1 and believe you can pluck drivers from one formula to the other is a mistake that many make (especially the teams for some reason), they might as well be doing it with F1 and Rallying.

That is absurd. Just ask Nigel Mansell, Justin Wilson, Robert Doornbos, or any GP2 or F3000 driver who has ever graduated to F1 for that matter. While Indycars and Champ Cars are both heavier and less powerful than F1 cars, the priniciples of preparing and driving a high-powered formula car are essentially the same. The weight/HP ratio of an Indycar is comparable to F3000 or GP2 cars, and Champ Cars (where Bordais got his experience) have a lower weight/HP ratio than GP2 cars. And back when Michael Andretti got the huge McLaren shaft, the Champ Cars were actually making more power than F1 cars...

He has been given a fair chance and hasn't cut it - time to go I'm afraid.

He's doing basically as well as his other teammate, which was also the case with Scott Speed if you remember. The bottom line is that if you don't outperform your teammate on a regular basis that you can always be the victim of being cut, regardless of how good you might actually be. In this particular case, I think they are really blaming the driver instead of the car and the preparation where most of the blame belongs. Once again, quite similar to the way Speed was handled by the same team under basically the same conditions.

And let's look at Villeneuve's record after Williams fell apart. If he hadn't won an F1 championship, everybody would be saying the same about him.

But such is the way with F1. It's all about "what have you done for me lately", and not how good of a driver you might actually be. Until this year, both Jenson Button's and Mark Webber's abilities were always under scruntiy as well, and some people are even now claiming that Barrichello can't drive very well despite his long and distinguised career.

 

[bdanv]

Link to video.

 

[Jan H]

To compare Champ Cars/IRL and F1 and believe you can pluck drivers from one formula to the other is a mistake that many make (especially the teams for some reason), they might as well be doing it with F1 and Rallying.

Wasn't there a rumour that Sebastien Loeb might be switching to F1 next year? I think he even started the rumour himself: http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090711125013.shtml
He has also done testdrives for RenaultF1 and Red Bull Racing

 

[Dell19]

Rossi had a few test sessions in a Ferrari as well in the past. The less similar the vehicle, the less likely the switch.

 

[Rossiya]

Rossi had a few test sessions in a Ferrari as well in the past.

Yeah, I was thinking of going to Ferrari, but decided to just stay with the motorbikes.

The less similar the vehicle, the less likely the switch.

True. I think the best F1-motorcyclist was the Italian-Venezuelan Johnny Cecotto. He was good at motorcycling, but only got 1 point in his F1 career.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Then there is Damon Hill, not that he did all that much in motorcycles before his mother talked him into driving "safer" formula cars.

 

[Dell19]

True. I think the best F1-motorcyclist was the Italian-Venezuelan Johnny Cecotto. He was good at motorcycling, but only got 1 point in his F1 career.

John Surtees won both championships and is the only guy to do it. My previous comment was more to do with the present situation as Rossi gets paid a lot to win MotoGP so it would be a massive risk to try F1 instead.

 

[Formaldehyde]

John Surtees! I KNEW there was someone...

Rossi may decide to try 4 wheel racing once he retires, but I seriously doubt he would be fast enough to step right into an F1 car. Perhaps German Touring Car or something along those lines...

 

[Rossiya]

Speaking of John Surtees...

 

[Formaldehyde]

Things were quite a bit different in 1960, both in terms of the average ability of all the entrants and the cars themselves, whose engines only made 150-170 hp and ran on skinny tires with no grip.

I'd be willing to bet that Rossi can't get within 2 seconds of any F1 team's test driver in the same car. I think he's going to need at least a couple of years experience racing in 4-wheel vehicles to become competitive.

 

[Dell19]

Speaking of John Surtees...

Yeah read this morning that his son had been involved in a serious crash and then saw later that he had unfortunately died.

On the other topic in the trials Rossi was meant to be on a decent enough pace although he would be a fool to leave MotoGP for anything other than a top car (excluding this season obviously). Even then it would still be a big risk as like you say he would have to adjust and in all likelihood he may not be as fast on 4 wheels.

 

[Darth_Pugwash]

Terrible news about Henry Surtees. Goes to show that however much safety standards have improved over the years, there will always be danger when racing cars at high speeds.

 

[Formaldehyde]

The incident didn't seem all that severe:


Link to video.

But I think that tire wall would have been thicker if it was a US track. It is rare to see just a single layer of tires anymore.