Nakajima

[seppefan]

Imagine Williams had a Rosberg equiv in the second car rather than a free engine driver, where could they be this year. At least Wurz could test and add value to the team. If Toyota want Nakajima in F1 then lets see a swap with Glock.
This is the kind of reason Williams will not get back to the very sharp end although I realise they need the cash etc etc but lets have Glock in the Williams please

[Ranger]

Imagine Williams had a Rosberg equiv in the second car rather than a free engine driver, where could they be this year. At least Wurz could test and add value to the team. If Toyota want Nakajima in F1 then lets see a swap with Glock.
This is the kind of reason Williams will not get back to the very sharp end although I realise they need the cash etc etc but lets have Glock in the Williams please

Think about which driver is next in line at ToyotaF1 and then you will realise that's not really going to resolve anything.

And Nakajima has been the disappointment of the season thus far. Apart from running over his mechanics in Brazil he actually seemed decent but this year has nothing to show except for taking out Kubica and being nowhere in Bahrain and Malaysia.

[jens]

Imagine Williams had a Rosberg equiv in the second car rather than a free engine driver, where could they be this year. At least Wurz could test and add value to the team. If Toyota want Nakajima in F1 then lets see a swap with Glock.
This is the kind of reason Williams will not get back to the very sharp end although I realise they need the cash etc etc but lets have Glock in the Williams please

Toyota is at the moment faster than Williams, then why should Glock want to switch team? :p :

Toyota may want Nakajima in F1, but usually Toyota has tried to hire the best possible options for themselves (no Japanese driver has driven for Toyota F1-team unlike for example for Honda). Officially Nakajima isn't a pay driver, his salary is about 1 Million $. I'm inclined to think that maybe the best option for Kazuki himself would have been another season in GP2. I think he would be a title contender this season, which would give him better preparation to join F1.

[ioan]

I'm inclined to think that maybe the best option for Kazuki himself would have been another season in GP2. I think he would be a title contender this season, which would give him better preparation to join F1.

No way. He would be a rookie next season and would have to learn everything. Being in F1 will help him get to grip faster. It might be a less perfect situation for Williams but it's perfect for Nakajima.

[Storm]

What do you suggest Williams should do get Toyota power? Shell out a ton of money plus pay more for a Rosberg equivalent driver? Where is that money going to come from?

[keysersoze]

They should have hired Fisichella.

[truefan72]

Nakajima has acquitted himslef fairly well IMO

11th in points with 3
Rosberg 8th with 7points

He received a 10 place grid penaltyt in Malaysia, effectively ruining that race and then ran mid pack in Bahrein.

In Malaysia Rosberg actually qualified 16th just two places ahead of Nakajima
and in Bahrein he had a poorer showing.

So this translates into him being a dissapointment?

[woody2goody]

I think the Kubica accident was stupid, and I think he may have run into someone at the start in Bahrain, but I'm going to defend him being in f1 so far, and here's why:

1. His times in testing were good when he had got used to the car properly. He has shown that on pace he can beat Rosberg on his day.

2. The Williams is a very inconsistent car. Williams were consistently the 3rd or 4th fastest car in winter testing, but that was after a whole day's running. It seems that the Williams is a very sensitive car.

In Australia it was very quick, but in the next two races it has been very slow. In other words, sometimes it is as fast as BMW, and other times, it is slower than Force India, which is a big problem for the team.

3. The Williams team are not stupid. I don't think they would have hired Nakajima if they didn't think he was good enough. they care too much about racing and winning to hire a poor driver.

Their drivers since 1993: Prost, Senna, Mansell, D Hill, Coulthard, Villeneuve, Frentzen, R Schumacher, Zanardi, Montoya, Gene, Pizzonia, Heidfeld, Webber, Rosberg, Wurz.

This team does not hire bad drivers.

[Dzeidzei]

I think the Kubica accident was stupid, and I think he may have run into someone at the start in Bahrain, but I'm going to defend him being in f1 so far, and here's why:

1. His times in testing were good when he had got used to the car properly. He has shown that on pace he can beat Rosberg on his day.

2. The Williams is a very inconsistent car. Williams were consistently the 3rd or 4th fastest car in winter testing, but that was after a whole day's running. It seems that the Williams is a very sensitive car.

In Australia it was very quick, but in the next two races it has been very slow. In other words, sometimes it is as fast as BMW, and other times, it is slower than Force India, which is a big problem for the team.

3. The Williams team are not stupid. I don't think they would have hired Nakajima if they didn't think he was good enough. they care too much about racing and winning to hire a poor driver.

Their drivers since 1993: Prost, Senna, Mansell, D Hill, Coulthard, Villeneuve, Frentzen, R Schumacher, Zanardi, Montoya, Gene, Pizzonia, Heidfeld, Webber, Rosberg, Wurz.

This team does not hire bad drivers.

I think youre wrong. Kazuki is there for one reason and one reason only. The engine.

And to your "points": 1. Will not happen. His day was in Malaysia, when Nico did everything wrong. 2. That is true. Nico talked about a narrow window for setting up the car. 3. FW is not stupid, but it seems that with Nico he thought he could afford to have Kazuki onboard as well.

The big risk for Kazuki is that his teammate is just too fast. In Bahrain Nico was 1.4 secs faster. In Malesia it was 1.0 secs and in Australia 1.4 secs.

Now how much is acceptable? How much slower can you be and still be considered promising? I think anything beyond 1 sec per lap is just too much.

[Valve Bounce]

I think youre wrong. Kazuki is there for one reason and one reason only. The engine.

And to your "points": 1. Will not happen. His day was in Malaysia, when Nico did everything wrong. 2. That is true. Nico talked about a narrow window for setting up the car. 3. FW is not stupid, but it seems that with Nico he thought he could afford to have Kazuki onboard as well.

The big risk for Kazuki is that his teammate is just too fast. In Bahrain Nico was 1.4 secs faster. In Malesia it was 1.0 secs and in Australia 1.4 secs.

Now how much is acceptable? How much slower can you be and still be considered promising? I think anything beyond 1 sec per lap is just too much.

:up:

[woody2goody]

I think youre wrong. Kazuki is there for one reason and one reason only. The engine.

And to your "points": 1. Will not happen. His day was in Malaysia, when Nico did everything wrong. 2. That is true. Nico talked about a narrow window for setting up the car. 3. FW is not stupid, but it seems that with Nico he thought he could afford to have Kazuki onboard as well.

The big risk for Kazuki is that his teammate is just too fast. In Bahrain Nico was 1.4 secs faster. In Malesia it was 1.0 secs and in Australia 1.4 secs.

Now how much is acceptable? How much slower can you be and still be considered promising? I think anything beyond 1 sec per lap is just too much.

I agree with the last point. But, again, look at the testing times. I know they mean nothing in the long run but Nakajima beat Rosberg on the odd day during the winter.

Nico is lightning but I don't know for sure if Kazuki has ever raced in Melbourne, Sepang or Sakhir before, so it's difficult to make a judgment based on those races alone.

Based on the 1 second theory, in Bahrain,

practice 1, Rosberg (3) -0.706 Nakajima (6),
practice 2, Rosberg (6) -0.076 Nakajima (8),
practice 3, Rosberg (1) -0.499 Nakajima (6),

Qualifying1, Rosberg (8) -0.483 Nakajima (15),
Qualifying2, Rosberg (8) -0.758 Nakajima (16),

Race: Rosberg (8), Nakajima (14)

Fastest laps: Rosberg (6) -1.240 Nakajima (17)

Now, in the race a couple of things happened to Kazuki. First of all he had the same problem as Hamilton at the start, which dropped him back. Then he spun on oil which probably wasn't his fault. Also, he was on a one-stopper so his car was dog-slow for most of the race. However, he had a faster race lap than Hamilton in front of him, and everyone knows that Rosberg is phenomenal at Bahrain having set the fastest lap in the 2006 race.

He needs to be given time and not just dismissed as a 'pay driver'. After all Interlagos isn't an easy track and he finished 9th there last year. I'm not Nakajima's biggest fan but I think he deserves a chance at least for this season. After all he's already got 3 points which is more than anyone can say of Vettel, Coulthard, Button, Barrichello, Glock, Sato, Davo, Sutil and Fisi.

[Valve Bounce]

If Nakajima name was Johanson from Norway, he wouldn't be peddaling Franks tanks. The only reason he is in the team is because he came with the engine deal. Capice!!!
Frank was running out of dough, and he certainly couldn't afford to keep running those Cosworths.

Naka will be to Williams what Taku was to Honda before he was fired. And I believe that Taku still is the better driver than Naka. Taku tried too hard to match bunsen, tried things in quals and the races that he never tried in testing and practice. He tried the Kamikaze approach too often.

[markabilly]

If Nakajima name was Johanson from Norway, he wouldn't be peddaling Franks tanks. The only reason he is in the team is because he came with the engine deal. Capice!!!
Frank was running out of dough, and he certainly couldn't afford to keep running those Cosworths.

Naka will be to Williams what Taku was to Honda before he was fired. And I believe that Taku still is the better driver than Naka. Taku tried too hard to match bunsen, tried things in quals and the races that he never tried in testing and practice. He tried the Kamikaze approach too often.
Well, that does seem too true................and i think he will never in the future, be better than Scot not Speed......poor scottie...left to make a living racing go-karts...... if he were only Japanese, he might have been WDC.....well actually if he had Jean Todt's relative for a manager, he might have been driving a ferrari behind schumi......or RD for a godfather, he might....

[Valve Bounce]

Well, that does seem too true................and i think he will never in the future, be better than Scot not Speed......poor scottie...left to make a living racing go-karts...... if he were only Japanese, he might have been WDC.....well actually if he had Jean Todt's relative for a manager, he might have been driving a ferrari behind schumi......or RD for a godfather, he might....

Well, if he had a chat with Mick Gatto, he might be able to land a test driver role at Ferrari.

[Dzeidzei]

He needs to be given time and not just dismissed as a 'pay driver'. After all Interlagos isn't an easy track and he finished 9th there last year. I'm not Nakajima's biggest fan but I think he deserves a chance at least for this season. After all he's already got 3 points which is more than anyone can say of Vettel, Coulthard, Button, Barrichello, Glock, Sato, Davo, Sutil and Fisi.

Fair enough, lets give him time. I´d still not put any money on him. But we´ll see.

[Valve Bounce]

Fair enough, lets give him time. I´d still not put any money on him. But we´ll see.I'd start to believe anyones honest belief in this guy when he appears in their pickems.

[Ranger]

I think youre wrong. Kazuki is there for one reason and one reason only. The engine.

Well... mostly the engine. He was 4th in GP2 last year and top rookie so that aided the decision from Williams. Although it should be noted that last year and in 2006, Williams were in no position to negotiate based on their performances.

Engine or no engine, Frank and Patrick won't retain Nakajima as a race driver for 2009 if he isn't performing (or at least - as a rookie - improving) adequately.

[seppefan]

Engine or no engine, Frank and Patrick won't retain Nakajima as a race driver for 2009 if he isn't performing (or at least - as a rookie - improving) adequately.

And keep Toyota at this years price ....

[Ranger]

And keep Toyota at this years price ....

Yes, well if he really is doing that poorly to warrant his removal, then he can always move back to being a 3rd driver like in 2007.

[philipbain]

Lets face it, free engine = more money to spend on making Rosberg go faster!

[woody2goody]

Come back Alex Wurz! :)

[jens]

Come back Alex Wurz! :)

That statement made me think for a moment that... however average Nakajima has looked so far, he still hasn't seemed worse than Wurz last year - so there's something positive and Williams driver line-up hasn't become weaker. :)

Both Alex and Kazuki have managed to capitalize on SC-mess races (AW 3rd and KN 6th). Alex got also 5 points from a wet race, but maybe we'll have a similarity here too? Satoru used to shine in wet condtions, maybe his son can do the same?

[Valve Bounce]

That statement made me think for a moment that... however average Nakajima has looked so far, he still hasn't seemed worse than Wurz last year - so there's something positive and Williams driver line-up hasn't become weaker. :)

Both Alex and Kazuki have managed to capitalize on SC-mess races (AW 3rd and KN 6th). Alex got also 5 points from a wet race, but maybe we'll have a similarity here too? Satoru used to shine in wet condtions, maybe his son can do the same?


:rolleyes:

[jens]

:rolleyes:

What's wrong?

[woody2goody]

That statement made me think for a moment that... however average Nakajima has looked so far, he still hasn't seemed worse than Wurz last year - so there's something positive and Williams driver line-up hasn't become weaker. :)

Both Alex and Kazuki have managed to capitalize on SC-mess races (AW 3rd and KN 6th). Alex got also 5 points from a wet race, but maybe we'll have a similarity here too? Satoru used to shine in wet condtions, maybe his son can do the same?

I think Alex did a good job, he just never really dialled himself into the quali system. He is still good enough to race but I would trust him 100% at Honda if he needed to step in for whatever reason.

Most Japanese drivers seem to do OK in the wet. it's probably to do with the inclement weather in their country. That's why Webber, Button and Hamilton are so good :)

[Valve Bounce]

What's wrong?

You think that wet weather driving skills are genetic or inherited?

[Valve Bounce]

Japanese drivers seem to do OK in the wet. it's probably to do with the inclement weather in their country. That's why Webber, Button and Hamilton are so good :)

I could be wrong, but I don't think that either of Messrs Webber, Button or Hamilton are Japanese.

[ioan]

You think that wet weather driving skills are genetic or inherited?

Why not? There plenty of other skills that are!

[Valve Bounce]

Why not? There plenty of other skills that are!

Only that I thought wet weather skills are developed rather than inherited.

[ioan]

Only that I thought wet weather skills are developed rather than inherited.

It all depends on the innate sensitivity and reflexes of the driver.
Working on it might improve things, but none of us can out do his/her genetic limitations.

[ShiftingGears]

Only that I thought wet weather skills are developed rather than inherited.

All abilities come from our genes and the environment that has influenced us. But noone knows exactly how much genes play a part in it - for starters there aren't that many great drivers whos kids are equally as talented.

Also, a wet weather car setup better than anyone elses helps!