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4 Sep 2013, 10:56 (Ref:3298757) | #26 | |
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Thank you Razzor! I am a huge fan indeed. Not only of Sam but of any real talent coming through the ladder, especially when they are independent and do not have access to unlimited amount of funds or sponsorship behind them. So it makes it even more exciting when they deliver for all to see!
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4 Sep 2013, 11:02 (Ref:3298760) | #27 | |
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...anyway, back on topic.
you can't dispute that the guy deserves a chance in f1. but so do at least 10-15 other drivers outside of f1 at the moment, and a huge amount of experience is all well and good but the sport at the moment either demands a big chequebook or being spotted by a f1 team from an early age. sad to say it, but the place for really very decent, experienced drivers with a good racing brain is le mans now. i don't know whether that's a reflection on how far f1 has fallen, or how far le mans has come. or whether there's no change at all |
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4 Sep 2013, 11:11 (Ref:3298766) | #28 | |||
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4 Sep 2013, 11:19 (Ref:3298772) | #29 | ||
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i can't think of a single profession where the best guys get the top jobs. |
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4 Sep 2013, 15:48 (Ref:3298928) | #30 | |
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In all fairness, this thread is called "Sam Bird deserves his F1 break"
You do realise how many guys like Sam there are who really could do something in F1 right now? And there are some drivers better than Sam Bird, you know. |
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4 Sep 2013, 18:10 (Ref:3298997) | #31 | |||
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Nothing sad in that for me. One man's 'pinnacle' is another man's molehill..... |
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280 days...... |
4 Sep 2013, 18:12 (Ref:3298998) | #32 | |||
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(Oh my goodness, what am I saying........? ). |
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280 days...... |
4 Sep 2013, 18:53 (Ref:3299017) | #33 | ||
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Well, F1 drivers are the top of motorsport (glamour and money), now if they are the best of motorsport is another matter. I agree with bella, they're worth their seats for different reasons, would be crazy to think that teams, corporations, sponsors, manufacturers would throw billions on people who are not capable to do their job in a decent level. We, fans and alike, can have love-hate opinions and try to assess their performances with our knowledge, but that's only that.
To support a driver, down to heart or not, just like the title of this thread, is mostly welcome. This a discussion forum so pros and cons are expected, then be prepared to be questioned and criticized, BUT remember the golden rule, attack the post not the poster and happy posting. Oh, and if Sam Bird deserves a break in F1 ? Certainly, like any other else who his aim is a successful career in motorsport. |
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5 Sep 2013, 08:54 (Ref:3299284) | #34 | ||
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IMHO I think Sam Bird has what it takes to progress to F1, but there are quite a few that do too. I was actually of the impression that F1 was a bit " closed off " to a lot of new drivers coming in, but then last night, Sky F1 were showing Monza 2010 ( just 3 years ago !! ) and i was amazed that only 9 of the 24 drivers in that race are still in F1. ( even 1 of those, sutil , has been out and back in again. ) So it seems that more seats come up for grabs than at first may appear to be the case.
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5 Sep 2013, 09:46 (Ref:3299308) | #35 | ||
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personally, i think there should be a standard contract in f1 for drivers, with pay being the only thing changed. everyone's contract should be up for renewal each year. it's wrong that drivers who aren't absolutely magnificent can keep seats in frontrunning teams when the really talented guys have to scrap with the perfectly decent but generally unremarkable drivers at the back for a chequebook drive. |
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5 Sep 2013, 10:30 (Ref:3299327) | #36 | |
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Normally, most contracts (maybe not Maldo since it is the highest sponsorship brought in ever...) have a performance clause attached which allows the team (and sometimes the driver) to break it and move on.
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12 Sep 2013, 11:51 (Ref:3302669) | #37 | |
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For anybody who is interested in Sam, he will be on the next Sky show (Friday 8pm).
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13 Sep 2013, 15:43 (Ref:3303424) | #38 | ||
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14 Sep 2013, 19:51 (Ref:3303969) | #39 | ||
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He's earned the chance by being consistently excellent in GP2, FR3.5 and F1 testing for the best part of half a decade. I find it interesting that he's only really come to the attention of the wider population since his win in Monaco last season, and from there the ball has just kept rolling. But you look and he was successful way before that, just a bit under the radar.
Force India? |
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15 Sep 2013, 02:53 (Ref:3304066) | #40 | ||
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he hasn't even won a major championship yet, but if he can get there good on him, but there's much better drivers in GP2, FR 3.5 etc
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15 Sep 2013, 17:35 (Ref:3304316) | #41 | |
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15 Sep 2013, 18:36 (Ref:3304332) | #42 | ||
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15 Sep 2013, 19:46 (Ref:3304367) | #43 | ||
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If a British driver goes to Force India, it's more likely to be James Calado.
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16 Sep 2013, 07:23 (Ref:3304558) | #44 | ||
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That's my read on the situation. He has done multiple seasons in the same series and has not ether a) won the series b) shown enough that people have scooped him up. He has had multiple test drives with teams and after having had a look at him they seem to think there are other prospects around. |
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16 Sep 2013, 07:25 (Ref:3304559) | #45 | |
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That's exactly the point: 99% of them are all on the F1 grid today or have been on the grid at one point in the last 3 to 4 years. It is about being given that chance to race at the top. I believe he is one of the very few who has the very best potential today to shine yet has NOT gone racing in F1 yet.
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16 Sep 2013, 07:31 (Ref:3304562) | #46 | ||
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Why is he Reserve driver at Mercedes F1 then? |
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16 Sep 2013, 09:44 (Ref:3304612) | #47 | ||
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I can't ever see Sam breaking into the top echelon. I see him along the same lines as Luca Filippi, Adam Carroll etc. Good, but not great. A race winner, but not quick enough to catch an F1 team's attention for a race seat on merit. And this is said from someone who knows Sam...
Out of all those in GP2 this year - the one who really grabbed the attention was Robin Frijns, considering lack of testing etc...but he's got diddly-squat in terms of budget... |
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16 Sep 2013, 11:33 (Ref:3304641) | #48 | |
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In my opinion, he only thing that has stopped him making the step up to F1 is money. Bird has been the Mercedes F1 reserve driver for 3 years now. He's done virtually every single day of the Young Driver Tests for the last three years. I know people at Merc and this is proper testing. Bird does these because he adds value. For a team that employs Rosberg and Hamilton (and formerly Schumi) that says something! Top tier teams don't give rookies their F1 berth (Lewis at McL was the exception) and mid to lower tier teams need funding from drivers. Simple as that.
Frijns? He's a prospect, absolutely! Great record but this season in GP2 he showed he's still too impetuous. It was all or nothing. He won a race so well done to him, but also too many dnfs. He actually got outscored by both his team mates, Lancaster and Quaife Hobbs! If Frijns can curb that arrogance and stop being so critical of everything in he media (his Sauber programme, GP2, motor racing in general) as if everything was due to him, he will do better. Definitely one for the future in my view. Calado has been a disappointment. Not sure what happened to him. The pressure of his management? Distracted by his Friday F1 outing (he stalled on the GP2 grid a day later). Also a little disappointed to hear him imply that his woes are down to his car... Come on, we're talking about ART! How bad can it be?? So for me, Nasr and Frijns are ones for the future. Bird is ready right now! |
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16 Sep 2013, 12:23 (Ref:3304659) | #49 | |||
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If I'd been asked over winter who I'd like to see in F1, Bird or Calado, I'd have picked Calado because I perceived him as being the better prospect. I'd never quite been convinced by Bird. This year however he has been consistently fantastic, I would love Mercedes to place him at a lower team. Give someone cheaper engines for taking him on. |
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16 Sep 2013, 15:42 (Ref:3304720) | #50 | |
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In all fairness, Abt has looked TOTALLY out of his depth in GP2 this season.
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