CONFIRMED: Scott Speed to drive at Montreal and Indianapolis

[Kicking-back]

Red Bull have confirmed American Scott Speed will drive their third car on Friday at the Canadian and United States Grands Prix.

[luke]

The title is a little mis-leading.

[BootsOntheSide]

Probably worth adding 'Friday' to the title there KB. Could always merge this with the other Scott Speed thread as well.

[Kicking-back]

Title was deliberate - drives interest in the thread!

A journalistic trait

[StickShift]

Excellent oppurtunity for Speed. Hopefully we'll see him racing in F1 in the next season or two.

If any of you read Ted Kravitz' European GP column on the ITV website, he has an interesting tidbit:

Tonio Liuzzi has disappointed so far, and the latest suggestion is that Red Bull will put American Scott Speed into a race seat for the final three flyaway events in Brazil, Japan and China.

Personally, I think Red Bull would be nuts to let Speed race at three circuits he has never driven. Especially when Christian Klien had decent races there last year.

It is interesting how the Red Bull driver program shifts its focus so quickly from one driver to the next. A year and a half ago, Chistian Klien was the golden boy for the team. This year, he fell out of favor with the program, and Vitantonio Liuzzi was rushed into an F1 seat. Now, it appears Scott Speed might be about to get the rush treatment into F1 -- I just hope it doesn't end badly.

[312T4]

Obviously this is an image strategy.
In fact Speed will be driving only in Canada and US.
This anyway put me to make a consideration about Liuzzi:
He's very talented, but thanks to the connections I have in RedBull I can tell you that the team is extremely happy with Klien and quite disappointed about Tonio.
Klien is more fit than Tonio (team source) and is much more concentrate than Tonio during the weekend.
In fact even if Tonio looks more talented than Klien, it is useless to say that he's actually the slowest of the 3.
Also DC is flying and without M.Schumacher bumping in his back in Monaco or the mistake he did in Nurburgring's pit lane DC could have finished 3rd in both the races!
And where was Tonio?
Where did he qualify, how was the gap from DC?
Too much.
For sure Speed is not a nightmare for Tonio at the moment, but I see a marketing strategy from RedBull, but also an advertiment to Tonio to be more driver and less a rock star in the paddock.
In the end to be a rock star you must place a decent song in the hit parade...and in the F1 hit parade Tonio still have to give us a good one!

[GP Racer]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Title was deliberate - drives interest in the thread!

A journalistic trait

What a sad, pathetic, sick and twisted joke to play on us long suffering American F1 fans. Are you trying to give us a heart attack?! What kind of human being are you KB?

Well, I'll have to buy me a Red Bull hat now for sure! Go Scott!

[ralf fan]

Firstly it is great to see Klien back because i think he definately has earned his place in the team....
also...it is great for Scott to drive in his two "home" GPs. I'm sure RBR must have had an idea to try Scott during the season and with GP2 on a break and with the two GP's being close to Scott home..it probably is the perfect oppurtunity.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Title was deliberate - drives interest in the thread!

A journalistic trait

Another journalistic trait is not actually telling the truth in the title

[Kicking-back]

The title does tell the truth though, that's why it's clever!



Anyway, on topic - good to see Scott get this opportunity.

[JeremySmith]

Yes quite so...Speed that is! He is a talented young chap is he not? For the races though put Mr Klien back in the race car please alongside DC.

[Dixie Flatline]

Originally Posted by StickShift

Excellent oppurtunity for Speed. Hopefully we'll see him racing in F1 in the next season or two.

If any of you read Ted Kravitz' European GP column on the ITV website, he has an interesting tidbit:



Personally, I think Red Bull would be nuts to let Speed race at three circuits he has never driven. Especially when Christian Klien had decent races there last year.

It is interesting how the Red Bull driver program shifts its focus so quickly from one driver to the next. A year and a half ago, Chistian Klien was the golden boy for the team. This year, he fell out of favor with the program, and Vitantonio Liuzzi was rushed into an F1 seat. Now, it appears Scott Speed might be about to get the rush treatment into F1 -- I just hope it doesn't end badly.

I seem to recall a rule that used to limit the number of drivers who could drive for a team in a season. Would they be allowed to do this?

[StickShift]

A team is limited to four racing drivers throughout a season. So, Scott Speed would be their last eligible driver.

[Dixie Flatline]

Thanks. Yep, sounds right to me.

[xman_wolve]

Originally Posted by StickShift

Excellent oppurtunity for Speed. Hopefully we'll see him racing in F1 in the next season or two.

If any of you read Ted Kravitz' European GP column on the ITV website, he has an interesting tidbit:



Personally, I think Red Bull would be nuts to let Speed race at three circuits he has never driven. Especially when Christian Klien had decent races there last year.

It is interesting how the Red Bull driver program shifts its focus so quickly from one driver to the next. A year and a half ago, Chistian Klien was the golden boy for the team. This year, he fell out of favor with the program, and Vitantonio Liuzzi was rushed into an F1 seat. Now, it appears Scott Speed might be about to get the rush treatment into F1 -- I just hope it doesn't end badly.

Speed was the winner of Formula Renault support race last year at Shanghai so he knows at least one....

[BootsOntheSide]

It's still good publicity to have him in the car for those 2 races, and using him for a few races late in the season is surely a posibility they haven't ruled out. Liuzzi hasn't impressed so far, but Nurburgring was a little better.

[GP Racer]

Originally Posted by StickShift

It is interesting how the Red Bull driver program shifts its focus so quickly from one driver to the next. A year and a half ago, Chistian Klien was the golden boy for the team. This year, he fell out of favor with the program, and Vitantonio Liuzzi was rushed into an F1 seat. Now, it appears Scott Speed might be about to get the rush treatment into F1 -- I just hope it doesn't end badly.

I think there driver focus is shifting so much, simply because they are so deep in good drivers. I don't believe that any other F1 team has such a good driver development system as Red Bull has. They really have travelled the world looking for, finding, and developing young talent, which is really refreshing and commendable IMO. To many other teams seem to grab driver's that they have had little connection to, or any involvement in there careers...

Red Bull, the company, has become such a fixture and supporter of racing world-wide, and I know I've become a real fan of this team, oh, and I drink a Red Bull everyday!

[StickShift]

Red Bull might be a godsend for a tonne of drivers coming through the feeder series, but there is a distinct lack of foresight for drivers who reach the GP2/F1 level. This logjam is playing havoc with the careers of two drivers who should be in F1 now. It's bad enough that the Red Bull F1 team is trying to squeeze two drivers into one race car, and now they are considering adding a third driver to the mix.

What happens to Colin Fleming in a years time? What happens to Neel Jani?

[GP Racer]

Having to many good drivers is a good problem, and one that many teams wish they had!

The competition can only be seen as good IMO, and in short time, it may just give Red Bull the best driver's line-up in F1...

[StickShift]

It's not a good problem at all, and it's a problem that a lot of teams want to avoid at all costs. Splitting drivers fractures a team, it destroys two drivers WDC ambitions, and demotivates each driver who has to stand down. For a team that strives to develop drivers, it is a very counter-productive situation that Red Bull are currently in.

If it were such an ideal problem, why doesn't Williams split time between Heidfeld and Pizzonia? why doesn't BAR split time between Sato and Davidson?

As talented as Klien, Liuzzi, and Speed might be. I doubt that they are going to combine to become the best driver line-up in F1.

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by StickShift

This logjam is playing havoc with the careers of two drivers who should be in F1 now. It's bad enough that the Red Bull F1 team is trying to squeeze two drivers into one race car, and now they are considering adding a third driver to the mix.

What happens to Colin Fleming in a years time? What happens to Neel Jani?

Without Red Bull support, some of these guys careers would be over by now

[StickShift]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Without Red Bull support, some of these guys careers would be over by now

Which is probably why I said:

Originally Posted by StickShift

Red Bull might be a godsend for a tonne of drivers coming through the feeder series

[GP Racer]

IMHO, it is refreshing to see a sponsor, and now a team like Red Bull, take such an interest in there drivers, and striving so hard to get the best that they can. Most of the other teams have little connection to the drivers that race there cars. They just sign em up because of there past expierience, which the signing team had nothing at all to do with, or becuase they have a sponsor or some ability to bring cash. That's hardly a befitting way to choose a driver for the pinnacle of motorsports!

In America, most professional teams in the various sports - baseball, football, etc. - have what they call minor league, or farm systems, where they develop players for there pro teams. That system works, because the players learn the game the way that team wants them to. Red Bull seem's to have a similar system, and I stand by my prediction, that one day, they will have the best driver line-up in F1 because of it...

[ghinzani]

Dr Marko has an extremely short tolerance of failure in aspect of his teams performance, from truck driver to race driver!

[xman_wolve]

Originally Posted by ghinzani

Dr Marko has an extremely short tolerance of failure in aspect of his teams performance, from truck driver to race driver!

I would be too if I were the one that spend that much $$$ and effort to support them!!