Seabass

[Roamy]

I am going on record that he won't last the year!! I think he can get a supersaver airplane ticket toward the end of summer.

[veeten]

hmmm... sort of an 'impromptu' advert for Virgin Airways. ;) :D

"... even our competitors like our prices." :laugh:

[veeten]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74678

well, there's always the IRL... :dozey:

[Sonic]

He seems to be saying he wants a slightly understeering car. As I understand it this generation of car naturally oversteers so he's pretty screwed.

[tintop]

If he can score some points, even if bested by Junior B, I think that he'll last. But he needs to flat-out produce, no more moral victories (fast laps).

[woody2goody]

Of course he'll last the year, he's a good driver and it seems he's had the bad luck that has followed Mark Webber around during his career.

He'll do well in Bahrain I'm sure.

I think he is very closely matched with Buemi, and people are being overly harsh on Bourdais because Buemi is relatively unknown, but Buemi's been very solid for the past three years or so, and while these good performances are still surprising, I don't think many people expected Swiss Seb to be skulking around at the back all year.

[seamusoldfield]

I don't know . . . he was lucky, it seemed, to keep his ride at all this year. And his performance so far leads me to think the team won't give him much longer.

Bit of a tangent here, but is anyone else tired of seeing American open-wheel champs flounder in F1? It's really kind of embarrassing. Bourdais absolutely dominated in ChampCar and then stinks up the field in F1. Da Matta also did poorly as did Zanardi (after dominating in the States). It just makes the American racing series, which I don't think gets a lot of respect anyway, look even worse.

Thoughts?

[woody2goody]

I don't know . . . he was lucky, it seemed, to keep his ride at all this year. And his performance so far leads me to think the team won't give him much longer.

Bit of a tangent here, but is anyone else tired of seeing American open-wheel champs flounder in F1? It's really kind of embarrassing. Bourdais absolutely dominated in ChampCar and then stinks up the field in F1. Da Matta also did poorly as did Zanardi (after dominating in the States). It just makes the American racing series, which I don't think gets a lot of respect anyway, look even worse.

Thoughts?

Interesting point that. Obviously Montoya is the most succesful exception, but I didn't think da Matta or Bourdais have done that badly. Zanardi was a strange one, as he's such a good driver that it still amazes me that he was so bad in F1.

Sadly, maybe the best of all the American drivers in recent years, Scott Speed, wasn't given a fair chance, and is now doing very nicely for himself. Who knows, he may get another chance in the Red Bull in a few years time if he wants to try F1 again.

[christophulus]

I think the problem he has is that he came over with such a big name after four titles in CART that he was just expected to get results straight away. He was unlucky last year but I still don't think he has the outright pace to stay in F1 for much longer.

It took Torro Rosso a long time to confirm him over the winter break which suggests to me that even they aren't that confident in him. He'll last the year but won't set the world alight IMO

[woody2goody]

I hope you're wrong but I'm probably going to agree with you.

[Sleeper]

I think the problem he has is that he came over with such a big name after four titles in CART that he was just expected to get results straight away. He was unlucky last year but I still don't think he has the outright pace to stay in F1 for much longer.

It took Torro Rosso a long time to confirm him over the winter break which suggests to me that even they aren't that confident in him. He'll last the year but won't set the world alight IMO
The reason it took so long is that both him and Sato were trying to raise money for the drive, and I dont think wither of them got that mich because of the economy.

I think people are being too hard on Seb here, he had a bad run in Australia but out raced Buemi in Sepang and was faster than him in China, but it doesnt help when the car in front is a McLaren with KERS fitted. Spun too often though.

[jens]

I think Bourdais is actually quite a fast driver, he had quite a decent pace last year in the second half of the season in several races. But his main problem seems to be adaptability to new cars.

I think we could make a similar case to all three drivers, who have been struggling so far - also Piquet and Nakajima. All three were given another chance in 2009 and benefit of doubt, because they showed at least some kind of promise in '08. But new year, no improvements and things look even worse to all three of them. To be a serious F1 driver, it's needed to be adaptable and flexible. Teams can't afford hiring guys, who spend half a year getting used to the car to then become sporadically quick. Bourdais did it last year, but now he seems to start from grand total of zero again, like a rookie. This shouldn't be happening.

[Ranger]

Of course he'll last the year, he's a good driver and it seems he's had the bad luck that has followed Mark Webber around during his career.


Being comprehensively beaten by your team-mates like Bourdais has is not bad luck.

There was only once or two times last year that Seb was truly unlucky, the rest of the time he was just rather slow.

[Valve Bounce]

Interesting point that. Obviously Montoya is the most succesful exception,..............

I don't think Jacques was that bad, do you?

[seamusoldfield]

Yeah, I wasn't going to mention Montoya or Villenueve. Unlike Zanardi, Da Matta and so far Seabass, Montoya had his successes. For my money, he was inconsistent and pretty immature, though. As far as Villenueve, I know I'll likely catch a lot of heat for this, but what did he do post-Williams? Granted he won the championship, but he was in the best car. Take him out of the Williams and he was pretty lackluster.

Getting back to Seabass, yes he's not far behind Buemi in points, but as others have pointed out, he was decimated by Vettel last year and Buemi has had the measure of him thus far in qualifying. I don't know, given TR's limited patience, I wouldn't bet against Seabass exiting before the season is out. Too many young, hungry hotshoes waiting in the "wings."

[woody2goody]

I don't think Jacques was that bad, do you?

Funny that, as I never have really thought of JV as an import from ovals, and US racing in general. I think it's because I started watching F1 in '96 and he was there already.

But yeah, he was very good, but he could be inconsistent. He knew how to drive terrible cars very well though. Usually his problem was when he had a half decent car like the 04 Renault or the 05 Sauber. Even the competent 03 BAR was a struggle for JV.

However in the awful cars he had in 99, 00 and 01 he performed really well. Just a shame he couldn't have:

a) stayed at Williams for the BMW period, as he would have won races no doubt

and B) not been booted out of BMW so quickly in 06 as I think he would have had podiums in 07 and maybe 08 if he'd have been retained.

[gm99]

Sadly, maybe the best of all the American drivers in recent years, Scott Speed, wasn't given a fair chance, and is now doing very nicely for himself.

Well, maybe financially, in terms of results his performance isn't all that impressive: He's currently 38th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and 2nd in the rookie standings in a field that boasts only two full-time rookie drivers (Joey Logano and Speed). In the Nationwide Series, he did get one pole position at Las Vegas, but crashed out of the race.

I still think that the best thing about Speed is his name, his driving didn't impress me in either GP2, F1 or Nascar.

[tintop]

Well, maybe financially, in terms of results his performance isn't all that impressive: He's currently 38th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and 2nd in the rookie standings in a field that boasts only two full-time rookie drivers (Joey Logano and Speed). In the Nationwide Series, he did get one pole position at Las Vegas, but crashed out of the race.

I still think that the best thing about Speed is his name, his driving didn't impress me in either GP2, F1 or Nascar.

NASCAR standings are not very meaningful. It's extremely hard to win in that circus without "friends". Look at Montoya....... although he squandered his F1 career, he was a racer of undeniable talent and he's been floundering mid-pack in NASCAR for a couple of seasons. Tell me 20 or so Daryl Dayrl's have more talent than he.

3rd in GP2 behind Rosberg and Kovalainen wasn't too unimpressive. Granted, I don't like the "ugly american" but you have to be fair in his assessment.

[jens]

But yeah, he was very good, but he could be inconsistent. He knew how to drive terrible cars very well though. Usually his problem was when he had a half decent car like the 04 Renault or the 05 Sauber. Even the competent 03 BAR was a struggle for JV.

However in the awful cars he had in 99, 00 and 01 he performed really well. Just a shame he couldn't have:

a) stayed at Williams for the BMW period, as he would have won races no doubt

and B) not been booted out of BMW so quickly in 06 as I think he would have had podiums in 07 and maybe 08 if he'd have been retained.

I think the reasoning should be different as I don't think his performance was dependant on the level of car. IMO 99-00 was his prime and by 03-05 his best days were already over. And that 2000 BAR was hardly an "awful car", it was possible to achieve consistent points in that machine. I don't think JV performed that well in 2001 and especially in the first half of the season Panis seemed to have the measure of Villeneuve.

On the other hand that 2005 Sauber wasn't anything special, in 2003 he suffered from a lot of unluck plus due to bad Bridgestone tyres BAR struggled in many circuits too. And in 2004 he had almost no testing before racing, so no surprise he wasn't comfortable in the car.

Obviously BMW-Sauber can't be blamed for not retaining JV beyond 06. Kubica has proved to be an excellent choice for the team. :)

[jens]

3rd in GP2 behind Rosberg and Kovalainen wasn't too unimpressive. Granted, I don't like the "ugly american" but you have to be fair in his assessment.

Interesting that in retrospect the GP2 rankings from 2005 have turned out to be quite telling in rating drivers' talent. It was first season of GP2 too, which meant everyone were basically rookies, so it was an even starting platform for all drivers, which hasn't been the case later.

Rosberg > Kovalainen > Speed >>> Piquet ( :o )... although the difference now might be that Speed could at least match the current performance-level Heikki is showing.

[Bagwan]

Seabass will never be as good as JV is still .

Put JV in that car , or the Piquet Renault , and you'd see .

He always stood behind the "8-ball" , Pollock , and it turned out his biggest downfall .
But , Pollock's gone .

And , JV's available .
New teams ahead .

[nigelred5]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74678

well, there's always the IRL... :dozey:

From an article I saw linked to AR1 about Adam Carroll's prospects:

"Indy Racing League, the American equivalent of Formula One." ROTFL

[woody2goody]

Just had a look at STR's season results, and actually they aren't that one-sided in favour of Buemi:

Buemi: 7th, 16th (Ret), 8th, 17th

Bourdais: 8th, 10th, 11th, 13th

Seems it's a much closer fight than many have said...