[BTCC] Johnny Herbert joins Team Dynamics

[touringlegend]

Just confirmed this evening: Source: BTCC.net


I'm very pleased a deal has been put together to let Herbert out at the last 3 events of the 2009 season.

[BootsOntheSide]

He's got to be the biggest name to join since Gio, but it is just a gimmick after losing Thompson?

[Craner Curves]

Very good news. I'm now awaiting more complaints from Icybaby that there's now 2 seats being wasted at Dynamics......

[gregc]

As expected then. Should be interesting to see how he gets on, he's got a car that Thommo's helped develop very well and he's a good pedaller. Racing FWD will be a new challenge... Should be good

Silverstone won't suit the Civic though, my guess is we won't really see how quick he is till Rockingham, especially given he tested there (albeit briefly). Fingers crossed for a good weekend for Thommo at Knockhill, then a decent run in a few weeks for Johnny.

Lastly, interesting times at Dynamics. Random prediction for '10 (it is silly season after all...) - O'Neill for either a Dynamics seat, or a Techspeed/Sunshine Civic. My money's on the latter.

[Icebaby]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Very good news. I'm now awaiting more complaints from Icybaby that there's now 2 seats being wasted at Dynamics......

lol!! Leaving Pinkney out of it as he is there for a reason as we all know I hope most would agree that replacing Thompson required a driver near his ability with touring car experience, Herbert is not fitting with this and I can see him struggle or be a target as Mansell was back in 98 to other drivers welcoming him into the series.

My concern has been for Dynamics who needed someone like Thompson in the car, this they duly did and got results proving they did have a title chance. Results mean everything and I just cant see either driver on the podium for the final three rounds which is a great shame.

Best of luck to them but I fear thats it for Dynamics in terms of quality results, I wish them all the best.

If it was me I would have put a driver like Onslow Cole in the car.

[FIRE]

Great news but I don't expect good results.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by Icebaby

lol!! Leaving Pinkney out of it as he is there for a reason as we all know I hope most would agree that replacing Thompson required a driver near his ability with touring car experience, Herbert is not fitting with this and I can see him struggle or be a target as Mansell was back in 98 to other drivers welcoming him into the series.

Mansell was a target because of who he was. I would compare that to putting Ronaldo in the Accrington Stanley first team. Everybody's going to be out for a piece of him purely because of who he is! I wouldn't put Johnny in the same bracket. Although he never hit the heady heights of the F1 title, he's a bloody nice guy, has loads of personality and is very versatile driver.

I'd rather people took more gambles on well known names like him sometimes, I wouldn't be as enthusiastic over someone such as (no offence to him) Tom Onslow-Cole like you suggest.

[BootsOntheSide]

Herbert's there to attract attention and sponsors. Somebody with recent BTCC experience would get better results over 3 meetings. Any new sponsors might stick around for 2010, or at least allow them to run (say) OC and Herbert with no need for Pinkney's cash.

[d.rocky]

good news for the championship but i doubt he'll be as quick as the front runners...

[Ed Peters]

What you have to rememeber is that Team Dynamics are a high profile team and want to be seen as such. They will always want to be noticed by the public and sponsors alike.

As they are not producing the results on track, they need to generate interest in the team elsewhere. Getting a popular british driver on board is the ideal PR opportunity for the team. He may not get the results that keep them noticed on the track, but guaranteed, come the pitlane walkabout at Silverstone, we can guess what garage will be the most popular?

[touringlegend]

I think Herbert will probably end up surprising a few people. He'll soon learn the racecraft of touring cars and a good driver is a good driver at the end of the day.

With him getting a days testing at Silverstone before the round there who knows what his results will be, especially with the reverse grid in Race 3.

[Hazard]

Johnny has shown himself as pretty adaptable to everything he's done since Formula 1.

He took the Le Mans Series easily with the Audi R8 (beating Allan McNish in the same team!), he ruled the roost in the Speedcar series - I don't expect he would have a problem adapting to the BTCC either.

Of course he could use with the same off season break/testing as everyone else has had, but he should be challenging for some points and maybe podiums (maybe race 3 ones) in his three outings I reckon.

[Icebaby]

Based on other newbie's to the series and tintops they tend to struggle for at least the first half of the season although there have been exceptions like Mansell in 93.

I agree Herbert will generate publicity but results are still the most important point and I dont see his profile any higher than James Thompson or the fans wanting his signiture. We also must remember that not all BTCC fans are F1 fans therefore this also doesn't mean he will be the most popular in the paddock. As for sponsers I see Herbert no more likely to get money into the team than Thompson.

I do wish Jonny well, great bloke but should he be scrapping around 10th place in a car capable of winning its not really what Dynamic fans want to see.

[Craner Curves]

But until 10 years ago, that's what Dynamics were doing. Scrapping for 10th place. Only the gloryhunters from the Halfords years won't know about those days.

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

But until 10 years ago, that's what Dynamics were doing. Scrapping for 10th place. Only the gloryhunters from the Halfords years won't know about those days.

Yeah, but they were doing that behind all the works efforts. Now there's no excuse to be that far back.

[SALEEN S7R]

Nice to see Herbert back behind the wheel, dont be too sure about him being off the pace, he won the speedcar series last year after all and was still right on the pace at Le Mans in 2007 when he was racing the Aston Martin DBR9 for Aston Martin racing. Although as has allready been said, he hasnt had much seat time yet so he will be playing catch up all the time, personally though id not be suprised to see him up at the sharp end during the races.

[helterskelter]

Originally Posted by SALEEN S7R

Nice to see Herbert back behind the wheel, dont be too sure about him being off the pace, he won the speedcar series last year after all and was still right on the pace at Le Mans in 2007 when he was racing the Aston Martin DBR9 for Aston Martin racing. Although as has allready been said, he hasnt had much seat time yet so he will be playing catch up all the time, personally though id not be suprised to see him up at the sharp end during the races.

Normally former sigle seater drivers have a hard time racing in touring cars, as they can't handle contact as well as the more experienced touring car drivers, but I'm curious to see how Herbert will do...!

[Craig]

I think he'll be fine with a little close quarters action... it'll not be the first time! I spoke to him after the race at Laguna Seca last August and he said a) he loved the racing and b) was furious at the guy who he'd been racing against. Both good attributes for someone who wants to have a go at touring cars I'd say. I do hope that his addition makes up for some of the dreadful has beens or never was drivers in the series at the moment. I might even be tempted to watch on TV... and I guess that is exactly why he is here

[Hickey]

I'm sorry to offend whoever I end up offending, but the quality of the field in BTCC is not [I]so[I] deep and unlimited that an ex-formula 1/Le Mans race winner will find himself out of his depth!

So long as he quickly learns how to pass in the BTCC (tap rear bumper, force loss of momentum, but so slight to be missed by officials, then use your improved momentum to overtake) he will be fine, and will surely have the raw pace. I am not saying he will be better than the old-timers/stalwarts of the BTCC, but wouldnt be surprised to see him edge into the top 5, maybe take a race 3 podium/win.

Best of luck to him, I shall be cheering for him to silence the doubters.

[Icebaby]

Originally Posted by Hickey

I'm sorry to offend whoever I end up offending, but the quality of the field in BTCC is not [I]so[I] deep and unlimited that an ex-formula 1/Le Mans race winner will find himself out of his depth!

So long as he quickly learns how to pass in the BTCC (tap rear bumper, force loss of momentum, but so slight to be missed by officials, then use your improved momentum to overtake) he will be fine, and will surely have the raw pace. I am not saying he will be better than the old-timers/stalwarts of the BTCC, but wouldnt be surprised to see him edge into the top 5, maybe take a race 3 podium/win.

Best of luck to him, I shall be cheering for him to silence the doubters.

Welcome to the forum, I tend to agree with your comments in one sense and a point I have been putting across for a while in that if you look at the drivers normally bringing up the rear it does enforce your critisism.

However when you start looking at the front with Gio (multiple champion) , Neal (double champion), Thomspson (double champion), Plato (Champion), Turkington ( double Independant champion) I would then disagree as these drivers are the cream of touring car drivers

Herbert for me will struggle for a few reasons and won't make much impact as you may suggest he will against these drivers. He's a nice chap, Neal had the same problem in super touring but has now hardened up.

Herbert has been a non contact driver in his career and lacks the aggresive quality to rub panels, a view he has admitted to.

Has no experience of setting up the car and will be to a point relying on the team and Pinkney to help him.

Johnny will bring PR to Dynamics but pure race results this was not the way to go, should have signed Thompson at the end of last year when they tested him for the full season, missed opportunity that Steve Neal will regret I fear.

[helterskelter]

I'd like to point out that Johnny Herbert has never raced with a FWD car, and Speedcars have absolutely nothing to do with a pure touring car as the Honda Civic. SuperT would have been 'easier' for him, as they had a lot of downforce, but I don't think that you can come from cars who go through the corners for you (that's how I define cars with a high downforce) to cars who need a lot of setup work and a completely different driving style. Of course we all know Herbert was a race winner in Formula One, the pinnacle of the sport in single seaters, and he does have a lot of talent, as he showed throughout your career. Surely Thommo, without his previous engagements, would have been a much safer choice, but surely less effective in terms of PR.
And, Hickey, I hope Herbert won't make the same mistake some drivers have already made in the WTCC or in the SuperT in the past, and you might be making as well. Just like a touring car driver would end up being 1.0s off the pace with a Formula One car (we're talking about Andy Priaulx, not a newcomer and a guy that comes from single seaters), a touring car driver will be off the pace at his first outing, no question about that. The interesting thing is how quick will Herbert be in taking that gap off his shoulders and get used to the new driving style he has to adopt. I'm sorry if anybody is hurt by what I'm going to say, but I don't think Herbert or even J Villeneuve, Alonso, Hamilton or whoever may be a super single seater driver would have been able to go through the Knockhill chicane the way Giovanardi did last Sunday. Well, at least not at their first race! Of course with some experience they could have reached such a high level, but it's not as easy as you may think, trust this fairly unexperienced touring car driver.

[Craner Curves]

He has raced FWD before. He's done the race that Craig posted a photo of, a new MINI race and also a Seat Leon Supercopa race in Spain.

Hamilton could do the Knockhill chicane no problem, as he raced there in 2002.

[helterskelter]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Hamilton could do the Knockhill chicane no problem, as he raced there in 2002.

With a single seater... Going through that corner with a single seater is much different from doing that with a touring car, you have to be less aggressive. I'm sure Hamilton would learn pretty quickly, but not at his first outing

[crmalcolm]

I think a top F1 driver could drive a TC as quick as any experienced touring car driver, the difficulty will lie in racing technique.

wrt Hamilton, his Top Gear lap in the Lacetti pushed it through corners and kerbs as quick as any Touring Car driver would/could.

[TerryD]

I'm glad Dave Pinkney is in Touring Cars as he's a real nice bloke!