maximilian
24th September 2010, 18:15
With some of the recent driver replacements and the highly rumored silly season, I thought it would be fun to write a rundown of which driver should STAY in F1, and who needs to GO, i.e. vacate the seat they are occupying at the present.
[CAUTION: highly subjective! Do not read if you can't handle other people's opinions different than your own!]
McLAREN:
01 Jenson Button:
A lot of people doubted the wisdom of coming to McLaren at Hamilton's side, and predicted Jenson would get blown away, but the 2009 Champ has really held his own, and this move turned out to be the best thing he could have possibly done. His ultimate pace may not be as quick as Lewis, but he has done better than generally expected, and if that mechanic hadn't killed his engine in Monaco, he would probably have a points total very similar to Lewis right now. Verdict: STAY!!
02 Lewis Hamilton:
Not much to say about Lewis. He is undoubtedly one of the best drivers out there, and aside from his brainfart in Monza is doing a stellar job and a major threat to the championship. Verdict: STAY!!!
MERCEDES:
03 Michael Schumacher:
Poor old Michael has really run out of excuses. First it was "he needs to get back into the rhythm", then it's the car, then the tires, then something else. But it's never HIM, is it? Well, guess what, Michael: it's YOU. Nico outscored you 112-46. You are just a point ahead of a Force India. It's a shame for Mercedes. We keep hearing Michael saying emphatically that he's not quitting,... but watch out for his old neck injury to suddenly make a comeback. Would be so unfortunate for Michael, wouldn't it? He's SO committed to staying, but aw shucks, he'll have to quit because of that darn injury. Just when he was almost getting better. The injustice. The only thing is, who to replace him? Verdict: GO!!!
04 Nico Rosberg:
Still one of the most underrated drivers in F1. While some guys like Kubica get heaps of praise and "future WDC" labels up the wazoo, Nico never seems to get the general public's support as the talent he is. Many were the ones who predicted Schumacher would blow him away this year. I still think he's the real deal, and doing a great job in a mediocre car - and I also think he would have done even better hadn't Mercedes tried to fiddle with their car updates to better suit Schumacher, rather than realizing they need to get behind Nico, who after 4 races was practically in the title hunt. Verdict: STAY!!
RED BULL:
05 Sebastian Vettel:
Despite his many mistakes, the kid is FAST, and he WILL be champion some day. Easy verdict: STAY!!!
06 Mark Webber:
There can be only one verdict on a man who leads the world championship standings. He has been awesome this year, and I really hope he wins the title. I dread the foreshadowing of his retirement after the 2011 season, if it really happens. STAY!!!
FERRARI:
07 Felipe Massa:
Is it just me, or hasn't Felipe been quite the same after his accident? Even though he shows brilliant speed on occasion, he has slowly lost the Ferrari team to Alonso. The real turning point was when Fernando controversially passed him on the pit lane in China, sending an unmistakable signal to the then-championship leader. It's been downhill for Massa since then, and he's clearly a #2 now... and deservedly so! As such, rumors of him leaving Ferrari are no surprise. It's time for another fresh face at Ferrari, Massa has been there for much too long already. Verdict: GO!
08 Fernando Alonso:
Regardless of what you think about the primadonna, he IS possibly the best driver out there, and he finally seems to have found his home. He's wrestled highly rated Massa into submission. His skills are beyond doubt. Verdict: STAY!!!
WILLIAMS:
09 Rubens Barrichello:
It's hard to argue against Rubens, seeing the job he does at his advanced age. The guy is just amazing in his staying power, and his pace seems still good. Although I think 2011 should probably finally be his last season, for now the verdict is certainly STAY.
10 Nico Hülkenberg:
For most of the season he has been a disappointment unfit for the hype that comes with a graduating GP2 champion, but in the last few races he finally seems to have gotten the hang of it. Enough for the verdict to be STAY for now. If he can outscore Rubens the rest of the season as he did the past 3 races, it's a definite STAY!
RENAULT:
11 Robert Kubica:
Even though I am not convinced that Kubica is really all that so many seem to think he is, there is no doubt that he has done a great job resurrecting the Renault team, and routinely splitting the BIG 4 teams. Easy verdict: STAY!!
12 Vitaly Petrov:
Even though he has shown some good pace, I think his seat is rightfully up for grabs. Regardless of some of his good races, let's not forget: Kubica 108, Petrov 19. That's a HUGE difference within a team. Too huge if Renault want to be a serious challenger. This seat is the hottest contest at the moment, and considering who all might be knocking on the door for it, I'm gonna have to say: GO!
FORCE INDIA:
14 Adrian Sutil:
He's clearly quicker than his team mate this year, but couldn't really convince against Fisichella last season. As such, I think his advantage over Liuzzi is more due to Liuzzi's LACK of performance, and I don't subscribe to the Sutil hype at all. I think he is exactly where he should be - a midfield runner team. At Force India, the verdict is: STAY.
15 Vitantonio Liuzzi:
I'd say he pretty much lucked into getting this race seat after Fisichella's ill-fated decision to leave for Ferrari, and I was a bit surprised Force India couldn't come up with a better driver for 2010. Liuzzi has done nothing to deserve staying in F1. He didn't do well the first time he tried, and a quiet life as test driver seemed the perfect place for him to be. I fully expect Paul di Resta to take his seat next year, and rightfully so. Verdict: GO!!
TORO ROSSO:
The whole team needs to GO! I was never a big fan of one organization running 2 teams. I would much rather see Villeneuve buy it up and diversify the grid. Rumor has it Toro Rosso has been for sale anyways. Please sell. GO!
16 Sebastien Buemi:
After showing some initial promise, his career seems to have stalled. Granted, this year's Toro Rosso is pretty miserable, but I think that if he hasn't shown us something new and good by the end of the season, it may well be time to GO.
17 Jaime Alguersuari:
I thought he should have never gotten the seat when he did, and I think he's shown nothing to warrant keeping it. I usually think of him as the one car of the "old" teams not to make it into Q2. So he's scored a couple points this season, beaten Buemi a couple times. But given that there is some serious Red Bull development talent waiting in the wings, this seat should really go to Daniel Ricciardo or even Jean-Eric Vergne. Verdict: GO!!!
LOTUS:
18 Jarno Trulli:
Poor old Jarno has probably overstayed his welcome in F1 after all these seasons. He's certainly had a bunch of bad luck this season, but nevertheless, his time has come and gone, and he should make room for a fresher face. Who should replace him is anybody's guess. I just hope it won't be Fauzy! Verdict: GO.
19 Heikki Kovalainen:
Heikki has done fairly well considering what he has to work with, and he leads the imaginary New Teams World Championship by a mile. He's still young, he seems motivated, and eager to reap some rewards as Lotus (hopefully) get better. No reason for him to leave: STAY!!
HISPANIA:
Here's another team that should just sell out to someone who has the means to do a better job. They never built their own car, and instead of building one now, they are again trying to get someone else to do it for them. That's pathetic. A merger with Epsilon Euskadi wouldn't be a bad idea, but doesn't seem to be in the cards. Either way, I suspect SOMEONE will buy this team up to get their entry spot, which is fine by me. They need to GO, provided it doesn't mean the grid drops to 22.
20 Sakon Yamamoto:
Enough said: GO!!!!!!!!
20 Christian Klien:
Certainly seems to have the best credentials for driving the #20 car. Let's see how he does. If he can beat Senna in Singapore, it's a STAY!
20 Karun Chandhok:
I still believe he did an OK job, and if Klien doesn't keep this seat, it should be him returning. There seems to be a lot of insider support (including Ecclestone) to get him a seat. Perhaps he could replace Trulli at Lotus. Whether he is strong enough to deserve it remains to be seen, but he did a better job than Senna while he was at it, so: STAY.
21 Bruno Senna:
Hasn't exactly set the world afire, despite the hype. The bonus that comes with his famous name is wearing off quickly. If Klien outclasses him in Singapore, I think it's time to GO.
SAUBER:
It pains me to hear rumors that this team may be sold off to become yet another billionaire plaything, and the venerable Sauber name may disappear. Sauber is one of those names that should be a permanent fixture in F1. STAY!!
22 Nick Heidfeld:
Let's see how Nick does on his comeback, but generally it seems to have been a good decision by Sauber to drop de la Rosa (whose posthumous verdict is: GO!). I felt he deserved a race seat all season, and he still does. STAY!
23 Kamui Kobayashi:
Can't really argue much against him, he's been a positive surprise all around, and by far the best rookie in the field. Deserved contract extension for 2011. A clear STAY!!
VIRGIN:
24 Timo Glock:
Glock is another one of those drivers who more or less used to fill the midfield without adding much excitement to it, despite occasional flashes of speed. He's done a solid job at Virgin, and as such is pretty much where he should be. As long as he doesn't take up a better seat, he deserves to STAY.
25 Lucas di Grassi:
He has been pretty much invisible all season. Considering the material he has to work with, he still hasn't shown much to warrant another season. Time to make room for another hopeful and GO.
[CAUTION: highly subjective! Do not read if you can't handle other people's opinions different than your own!]
McLAREN:
01 Jenson Button:
A lot of people doubted the wisdom of coming to McLaren at Hamilton's side, and predicted Jenson would get blown away, but the 2009 Champ has really held his own, and this move turned out to be the best thing he could have possibly done. His ultimate pace may not be as quick as Lewis, but he has done better than generally expected, and if that mechanic hadn't killed his engine in Monaco, he would probably have a points total very similar to Lewis right now. Verdict: STAY!!
02 Lewis Hamilton:
Not much to say about Lewis. He is undoubtedly one of the best drivers out there, and aside from his brainfart in Monza is doing a stellar job and a major threat to the championship. Verdict: STAY!!!
MERCEDES:
03 Michael Schumacher:
Poor old Michael has really run out of excuses. First it was "he needs to get back into the rhythm", then it's the car, then the tires, then something else. But it's never HIM, is it? Well, guess what, Michael: it's YOU. Nico outscored you 112-46. You are just a point ahead of a Force India. It's a shame for Mercedes. We keep hearing Michael saying emphatically that he's not quitting,... but watch out for his old neck injury to suddenly make a comeback. Would be so unfortunate for Michael, wouldn't it? He's SO committed to staying, but aw shucks, he'll have to quit because of that darn injury. Just when he was almost getting better. The injustice. The only thing is, who to replace him? Verdict: GO!!!
04 Nico Rosberg:
Still one of the most underrated drivers in F1. While some guys like Kubica get heaps of praise and "future WDC" labels up the wazoo, Nico never seems to get the general public's support as the talent he is. Many were the ones who predicted Schumacher would blow him away this year. I still think he's the real deal, and doing a great job in a mediocre car - and I also think he would have done even better hadn't Mercedes tried to fiddle with their car updates to better suit Schumacher, rather than realizing they need to get behind Nico, who after 4 races was practically in the title hunt. Verdict: STAY!!
RED BULL:
05 Sebastian Vettel:
Despite his many mistakes, the kid is FAST, and he WILL be champion some day. Easy verdict: STAY!!!
06 Mark Webber:
There can be only one verdict on a man who leads the world championship standings. He has been awesome this year, and I really hope he wins the title. I dread the foreshadowing of his retirement after the 2011 season, if it really happens. STAY!!!
FERRARI:
07 Felipe Massa:
Is it just me, or hasn't Felipe been quite the same after his accident? Even though he shows brilliant speed on occasion, he has slowly lost the Ferrari team to Alonso. The real turning point was when Fernando controversially passed him on the pit lane in China, sending an unmistakable signal to the then-championship leader. It's been downhill for Massa since then, and he's clearly a #2 now... and deservedly so! As such, rumors of him leaving Ferrari are no surprise. It's time for another fresh face at Ferrari, Massa has been there for much too long already. Verdict: GO!
08 Fernando Alonso:
Regardless of what you think about the primadonna, he IS possibly the best driver out there, and he finally seems to have found his home. He's wrestled highly rated Massa into submission. His skills are beyond doubt. Verdict: STAY!!!
WILLIAMS:
09 Rubens Barrichello:
It's hard to argue against Rubens, seeing the job he does at his advanced age. The guy is just amazing in his staying power, and his pace seems still good. Although I think 2011 should probably finally be his last season, for now the verdict is certainly STAY.
10 Nico Hülkenberg:
For most of the season he has been a disappointment unfit for the hype that comes with a graduating GP2 champion, but in the last few races he finally seems to have gotten the hang of it. Enough for the verdict to be STAY for now. If he can outscore Rubens the rest of the season as he did the past 3 races, it's a definite STAY!
RENAULT:
11 Robert Kubica:
Even though I am not convinced that Kubica is really all that so many seem to think he is, there is no doubt that he has done a great job resurrecting the Renault team, and routinely splitting the BIG 4 teams. Easy verdict: STAY!!
12 Vitaly Petrov:
Even though he has shown some good pace, I think his seat is rightfully up for grabs. Regardless of some of his good races, let's not forget: Kubica 108, Petrov 19. That's a HUGE difference within a team. Too huge if Renault want to be a serious challenger. This seat is the hottest contest at the moment, and considering who all might be knocking on the door for it, I'm gonna have to say: GO!
FORCE INDIA:
14 Adrian Sutil:
He's clearly quicker than his team mate this year, but couldn't really convince against Fisichella last season. As such, I think his advantage over Liuzzi is more due to Liuzzi's LACK of performance, and I don't subscribe to the Sutil hype at all. I think he is exactly where he should be - a midfield runner team. At Force India, the verdict is: STAY.
15 Vitantonio Liuzzi:
I'd say he pretty much lucked into getting this race seat after Fisichella's ill-fated decision to leave for Ferrari, and I was a bit surprised Force India couldn't come up with a better driver for 2010. Liuzzi has done nothing to deserve staying in F1. He didn't do well the first time he tried, and a quiet life as test driver seemed the perfect place for him to be. I fully expect Paul di Resta to take his seat next year, and rightfully so. Verdict: GO!!
TORO ROSSO:
The whole team needs to GO! I was never a big fan of one organization running 2 teams. I would much rather see Villeneuve buy it up and diversify the grid. Rumor has it Toro Rosso has been for sale anyways. Please sell. GO!
16 Sebastien Buemi:
After showing some initial promise, his career seems to have stalled. Granted, this year's Toro Rosso is pretty miserable, but I think that if he hasn't shown us something new and good by the end of the season, it may well be time to GO.
17 Jaime Alguersuari:
I thought he should have never gotten the seat when he did, and I think he's shown nothing to warrant keeping it. I usually think of him as the one car of the "old" teams not to make it into Q2. So he's scored a couple points this season, beaten Buemi a couple times. But given that there is some serious Red Bull development talent waiting in the wings, this seat should really go to Daniel Ricciardo or even Jean-Eric Vergne. Verdict: GO!!!
LOTUS:
18 Jarno Trulli:
Poor old Jarno has probably overstayed his welcome in F1 after all these seasons. He's certainly had a bunch of bad luck this season, but nevertheless, his time has come and gone, and he should make room for a fresher face. Who should replace him is anybody's guess. I just hope it won't be Fauzy! Verdict: GO.
19 Heikki Kovalainen:
Heikki has done fairly well considering what he has to work with, and he leads the imaginary New Teams World Championship by a mile. He's still young, he seems motivated, and eager to reap some rewards as Lotus (hopefully) get better. No reason for him to leave: STAY!!
HISPANIA:
Here's another team that should just sell out to someone who has the means to do a better job. They never built their own car, and instead of building one now, they are again trying to get someone else to do it for them. That's pathetic. A merger with Epsilon Euskadi wouldn't be a bad idea, but doesn't seem to be in the cards. Either way, I suspect SOMEONE will buy this team up to get their entry spot, which is fine by me. They need to GO, provided it doesn't mean the grid drops to 22.
20 Sakon Yamamoto:
Enough said: GO!!!!!!!!
20 Christian Klien:
Certainly seems to have the best credentials for driving the #20 car. Let's see how he does. If he can beat Senna in Singapore, it's a STAY!
20 Karun Chandhok:
I still believe he did an OK job, and if Klien doesn't keep this seat, it should be him returning. There seems to be a lot of insider support (including Ecclestone) to get him a seat. Perhaps he could replace Trulli at Lotus. Whether he is strong enough to deserve it remains to be seen, but he did a better job than Senna while he was at it, so: STAY.
21 Bruno Senna:
Hasn't exactly set the world afire, despite the hype. The bonus that comes with his famous name is wearing off quickly. If Klien outclasses him in Singapore, I think it's time to GO.
SAUBER:
It pains me to hear rumors that this team may be sold off to become yet another billionaire plaything, and the venerable Sauber name may disappear. Sauber is one of those names that should be a permanent fixture in F1. STAY!!
22 Nick Heidfeld:
Let's see how Nick does on his comeback, but generally it seems to have been a good decision by Sauber to drop de la Rosa (whose posthumous verdict is: GO!). I felt he deserved a race seat all season, and he still does. STAY!
23 Kamui Kobayashi:
Can't really argue much against him, he's been a positive surprise all around, and by far the best rookie in the field. Deserved contract extension for 2011. A clear STAY!!
VIRGIN:
24 Timo Glock:
Glock is another one of those drivers who more or less used to fill the midfield without adding much excitement to it, despite occasional flashes of speed. He's done a solid job at Virgin, and as such is pretty much where he should be. As long as he doesn't take up a better seat, he deserves to STAY.
25 Lucas di Grassi:
He has been pretty much invisible all season. Considering the material he has to work with, he still hasn't shown much to warrant another season. Time to make room for another hopeful and GO.