Agree.. Alonso would have been my bet as well..I think Ferrari would love to have someone like JB... he's the #2 at McLaren but he's definitely no #2... with Massa...he's clearly the #2 and is treated as such.. you won't ever hear Button's race engineer ever come on the radio and say "Hamilton is faster than you. .Can you confirm".....

I don't think DiResta or Nico will move...... too much Mercedes money backing them...

which reminds me... I wonder if McLaren will ever change powerplants... to say.. Renault...

 

I'm starting to become a di Resta fan. I think it's because I follow mostly BBC coverage so that tends to sway my opinion towards UK drivers. I do think it's neat though that he beat Vettel in F3.

Now that Mercedes has their own team, I can see McLaren shopping around. Of course I'd love it if Honda came back as an engine supplier. McLaren and Honda have had some success in the past if I remember correctly

 

I'd say they have a "little" history... and if the rumor is true about going to smaller displacement motors, I think this is just the kind of direction Honda would want to go...

I'm absolutely a DiResta fan... then again, I've always been a fan of the uncommon driver... I liked Bourdais. I liked Anthony Davidson a lot as well..

So... just a thought..if "quick" nick doens't produce in Kubica's absence, does Bruno get the chance to drive?

 

I'll agree with Davidson (the dude constantly set the fastest lap during practice sessions...usually faster than qualifying), but I'm going to have to call shenanigans on Bourdais. 4 time champ car champion and he barely made a dent in F1. Yes, it was a crappy car, but Vettel still managed a win with it. Apparently he's going to be driving for Indy now.

I can't see Bruno doing better than Nick but I haven't seen Bruno in a car that wasn't complete shit. Nick used to keep up with Kubica when they were with BMW and he supposedly has all that Pirelli testing to benefit him. Sometimes I believe he's like a pre-Brawn Button - having so many grand prix's without a win (JB had 1 win with Honda). And sometimes I think he's like Fisichella - does well when the car is unstoppable but can't do much else.

 

Agree on Bourdais...I just thought that he waited too long to make the switch...or perhaps, he just never had the opportunity...he is back in Indy and barely making a dent... well, only one race so far... (and a great race btw)... nothing like seeing Sato actually not wreck a car and complete a race.... but couldn't get past Simona

I don't see Bruno doing any better either.. but I'd love to see him get another shot....


Thoughts on the 107% rule? I always wonder.... should it be 107% of the fastest car in qualifying? Or, should it be, 107% of the average of the cars in Q3..because the reality is, RBR was nearly what... 1/2 a second to a second quicker than everyone else when he took pole? Not saying HRT should have been out there but just wondering how fair it was when one team is qualifying sooo much faster than everyone else.

 

Bruno does deserve another shot. Need to see him in a good car before I write him off as living off his name.

I like the 107% rule - last year was a bit of a mess with a bunch of slow teams. I was looking at it though and it seems to be 107% of the Q1 session which seems weird. I mean, I understand you want to compare apples to apples so if it's wet during Q1 and dry during Q3, it's not exactly fair. But at the same time, while Vettle was fast in Q1, he was about 2 seconds faster in Q3. I figure Red Bull and McLaren only drive fast enough in Q1 to get to Q2. Therefore, i think 107% of Q1 is reasonable. If HRT's best isn't within 107% of Red Bull's "puttering around" time, then they really shouldn't be there.

 

Ah..good point.. I didn't realize it was 107% of Q3....

one thing I didn't understand... why doesn't HRT have their car assembled and ready to go before the first practice session. I'm assuming that like most teams, they are a European based team.... couldn't they have built the car there before going to Australia and not having parts shipped at the last minute? For a team strapped with a tight budget, the last thing you want is to start dumping tons of money into shipping parts overnight and whatnot...

I dunno... I'm going to be very surprised if HRT makes it through the whole season

 

I think you two are really kind to some of the scrubs in F1. I know F1 20 years ago was full of privateer teams, but today it's bad comedy to be a privateer unless your name is Red Bull. I don't know if they qualify as a privateer, given their financial backing, but they're obviously not a manufacturer. Either way...back to the point. Teams like HRT remind me of Minardi as recent as 6-8 years ago. Being on the track just to be on the track, and scoring 1-3 points over the course of a season seems a criminal waste of time/resources to me. I'd rather have fewer scrub teams, more manufacturers, and a budget cap of $100 Million annually. I know that's not chump change, but given Toyota/Ferrari pumping nearly $300 Million into the sport, I think $100,000,000 is enough.

As for Davidson, I miss him a lot. Here was a guy who often tested better than his full time teammates, and he never really got a shot at success. I don't think Button is a crappy driver, as he's certainly better than my "never tracked a car" ass. But I do think he can only drive a good car well. Give Button anything but the best car, and suddenly he's not even near the top of the pack. I'd rather see someone like a Takuma Sato or Anthony Davidson fill in as a #2 for a solid team. I think they work harder to stay in the sport...

And correct me if I'm wrong Mocky, but I think you're last post you meant to say, "I didn't realize it was 107% of Q1...."

 

 

I disagree. Any driver is only as good as the car they are driving. Schumacher is a prime example of this.

I think if we remove these "scrub" teams the sport will simply become more elite than it already is, what is it to you if someone wants to spend $100-300 million a season to race? It isn't your money.