Tagliani to HVM?

[Omega99]

NOTE: This thread has been split from the "Silly Season" thread.
The post which originally spurred this conversation was an "update" from Dov:

Rocketsports: Tagliani and RHR are signed, and Glock is about to be - does that mean it will be a three car team ? -> not neccessarily -> most likely Tags will get "loaned" to HVM in order to fill the void there at second seat...

- Macdaddy.

And now back to Omega's post...



Really? Loan out Alex Tagliani? See, now I'm confused.

Let's see if I can work this out. RHR was on HVM last year, knows the team, and was successful there, then he doesn't get resigned by them presumably because HVM is going for a Mexican team to attract Mexican sponsors. So he signs with Rocketsports. Good. Now HVM still needs a second driver. Fine.

So they're going to take one of the guys from the team that the driver that they had last year has now gone to, INSTEAD of just taking Ryan back? Why not sign Ryan, or take him as the loaned driver?

Tagliani works well at Rocketsports, and he started out at Rocketsports effectively as a "loan" from Forsythe.........

Well...... whatever.....

[N I Tram]

That wouldn't seem to make sense Omega, assuming that Wiggins and RHR are still getting on, and PG and Tag likewise.

[JohnSSC]

Its as clear as mud, but it covers the ground!

It is like a game of musical chairs being played while everyone is over-medicated. Omega99 makes a good point: if HVM wants a Mexican lineup, how would Tags help that? Is there a large population of French-speakers in Mexico?

Leaving RHR there is not a lot better, but it is at least consistent as he was there last year.

[Snrub]

If Rocketsports is happy to run Tag and RHR, why bump someone for Glock? If Glock has money, why not bring it to HVM, a team that is looking for a driver with money? It doesn't make sense. I've yet to hear anything remotely credible regarding Tag getting the boot, so I'm not buying all this speculation regarding him.

[Dov]

Originally Posted by Snrub

If Rocketsports is happy to run Tag and RHR, why bump someone for Glock? If Glock has money, why not bring it to HVM, a team that is looking for a driver with money? It doesn't make sense. I've yet to hear anything remotely credible regarding Tag getting the boot, so I'm not buying all this speculation regarding him.

Because HVM already has a primary sponsor lined up, while Rocketsports needs Glock's DHL sponsor since Johnson Controls have left.

[jjspierx]

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/15625/

If Glock can bring 4 million in sponsorship Tags is out, or so it seems.

[Tenoch]

Tag at HVM makes no sense how are they suppose to lock in a long term Mexican Sponsor when they only have one driver from Mexico who supposedly is leaving, what was the point of Ryan leaving HVM, the biggest foreign market for Mexican products is the US.

[macdaddy]

Never saw that one coming! I've always thought that Tags and PG made "the perfect team". Gonna be strange watching a Canadian driving for "Team Viva Mexico".

I feel badly for Tags, but the article that jjspierx linked to suggests that he's understanding the situation and he doesn't seem to be particularly angry. Very mature approach to the whole situation, IMO.

[BootsOntheSide]

Surely PG can afford to run the team himself if neccessary? Do we know who HVM's main sponsor will be?

[macdaddy]

TSN continues the story.

Alex Tagliani should know by the end of this weekend where he will call home for the 2005 Champ Car season.

Despite announcing his three year deal, Tagliani has yet to formally sign the contract. He is said to be in Quebec this weekend to finalize sponsorship details which should help secure his seat at Rocketsports, should the Glock deal fall through.

Keith Wiggins says they plan to run a second car, despite the loss of their Mexican sponsorship. Whomever they sign would likely have to bring some sponsorship dollars with them to the team.

[Dov]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Surely PG can afford to run the team himself if neccessary? Do we know who HVM's main sponsor will be?

It could be Pemex or Roshfrans!?

[Kicking-back]

From a getting results point of view, I'd rather drive for Keith Wiggins than Paul Gentilozzi...

[Mosport67]

Musical chairs continue. It doesn't look good in developing confidence in the series. What exactly does a contract mean in ChampCar these days.

[StickShift]

Spreading the wealth is only good for the series. I'd much rather see Glock at Rocketosports and Tagliani at YoGoMexico then Tagliani at Rocketsports and some unknown Mexican rookie at HVM.

The drivers the series has now (Junqueria, Bourdais, Allmendinger, Wilson, Da Matta, Vasser, Tracy, Tagliani, Dominguez, Glock, and Hunter-Reay) are a very good core of drivers. Now if they could just get some talented drivers to fill in the cracks.

I really hope Valiante and Ranger get rides this season.

[Mosport67]

Originally Posted by StickShift

Spreading the wealth is only good for the series. I'd much rather see Glock at Rocketosports and Tagliani at YoGoMexico then Tagliani at Rocketsports and some unknown Mexican rookie at HVM.

I really hope Valiante and Ranger get rides this season.

Why not Glock at HVM and Tag at Rocketsports?

It is a similar situation to last year where Lavin's money went to Forsythe which caused some waves in the paddock. I know that Glock is far more talented than Lavin but he also brings a cheque.

[StickShift]

Glock is far more talented than Tagliani. And seeing as its Paul that's pulling the strings on this deal, he should get first pick at which driver goes where.

Rocketsports gets a talented, paying driver. HVM gets a decent driver who they won't need to pay for. It works for all parties.

[JohnSSC]

Why should there be any contracts with any teams? Drivers could sign a contract with OWRS and then be shipped out to wherever the Amigos want them to go. What does a "team contract" mean in OWRS currently? Not a thing. Might as well be honest about it rather than play this ridiculous game of musical chairs.

It is a perfect plan and allows them (the Amigos) to ensure their own success both financially and on the track.

I mean this is ridiculous, how do you think F1 fans would react if BE owned a team and also had a hand in distributing the drivers among the other teams? This goes way beyond "redistributing the wealth." This, imho, is a blatant manipulation of the Series for their own personal gain.

I think I need a lie down - I am actually starting to get irritated with them!

[Snrub]

Wierd, wierd stuff. It sounds like Tag didn't have a contract with Rocketsports after all. :confused: I have to agree with Kicking-Back, if I was Glock, I'd be looking at HVM before Rocketsports, but partially because of results, partially because of PG. Tag is one of the most underrated drivers in the field, he's quiet good. As was brought up before, now it makes zero sense that RHR is at Rocketsports instead of HVM.

As for the farming out thing, recall all the wrangling that went on last year in F1, where JV ended up with Renault and Trulli at Toyota? Was that really what Trulli wanted? What's the difference between that and this situation?

[Dov]

John, Tagliani can't offer Rocketsports a primary sponsor, however, Timo Glock can (DHL), so what's the big deal here!?

[taglicious]

this is so stupid Rocketsports is doing the same thing Players did to Tag 3 years ago. i think Tagliani belongs with Rocketsports. im gonna get so mad if Glock and RHR take over Rocketsports. i dont get why they signed RHR .. wasnt he the one that couldnt shut-up about going to F1? Glock should go to HMV instead of Tag. RHR and Tag would make up a good team. Im getting so mad first they take the vancouver molson indy away and now PGs doing this to my fav driver ....

[JohnSSC]

Point # 1: BE in F1 does not slot the various drivers into teams. That is done by the individual teams/agents. There are people better than me at explaining this, but Flavio Briatore (a principal at Renault) allowed Toyota to buy out Trulii's contract early as Trulli had already signed with them for this year.

This is much different than Gerry, Kevin an PG deciding who gets what driver as they are doing here.

Point # 2: So Tags does not have a DHL-sized sponsor? So that makes it ok to switchy-changey then? If Tags already had a contract with Rocketsports then what of that? Drivers get changed for $$ all the time (when their contract ends) I realize but Tags does have sponsorship. You have in this case a Series Owner and Team Owner making sure that any driver with the really big bucks goes to them First. In the old days if you had a signed line-up then that is what you went with. If a driver with $$ came along later than they went to some other lucky team. PG & Co are making sure the lucky team is them.

[StickShift]

Actually, Tagliani hasn't signed any contract yet. So...

[BootsOntheSide]

What about the contract he sigend with Rocketsports originally, which covered this season?

However you look at it, it's not acceptable for a multi-millionaire owner to spit on his leading driver (and a MAJOR commercial asset for the series) in favour of some paydriver, especially when so many other teams need funding. None of this should be taken as criticism of Glock, he did well in F1 and StickShift's assessment may prove accurate, but what happened to HVM signing a young Mexican driver (which would be great for the series, as the Mexican market is so important and has been losing drivers rapidly).

Paul Gentilozzi seems incredibly short-sighted at best, greedy and manipulative at worst. But you don't want to hear this, do you? Go back to ranting at the other series boss for funding 1 car, and don't bother to look at this from a rational or ethical position.

[JohnSSC]

I second that assessment, Boots.

What PG is doing in re: Tagliani is just wrong - period.

[GP Racer]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Paul Gentilozzi seems incredibly short-sighted at best, greedy and manipulative at worst. .

Not really a surprise.

All you have to do is see how he manipulated the Trans Am series to the point where only he, or his teamate can win races and the "championship".