Sorry to take so long to respond here, eX - life gets in the way of a good forum stoush,sometimes.

Now, to reiterate so you don't miss the point - the Ricciardo lad is doing his job and doing it well. I grant you the point about Perez, which kind of backs up what I was saying in the first instance: that these lads are doing a great job (in 2nd string cars btw), keeping the team near the top of the lists, doing good times and also doing what they are there for - testing. Doing better times than many main game drivers, though once again, testing v outright performance blah blah blah.

As for hype, well I don't create it, but it has to come from somewhere - surely this is as a result of keen observers seeing something in the boy that they didn't see in Pantano, for example? Maybe its a demeanor thing? Maybe its because he is fast in the 2nd string car and it's not as a result of being a flash harry in the championship winning RBR? Anyway, my points stand.

Now, as for your comments about Anthony West - well that's just mean, and ill-informed too I might add. You give the impression of being a keen observer of motor racing in general, but the reality when the surface is scratched seems a little different? Anyway, I am sure we can agree to disagree here.