Robbie Kerr

djmotorsport · 10 Aug 2003, 20:57 (Ref:684506)

For the last few years Carlin have been the UK F3 dream team - then in 2002, up pops ADR with Robbie Kerr - This year normal service has been resumed, yet Robbie, through lack of cash(?), isn't racing in 3K, DNWS or FNippon - What a waste of talent! - Why can't he raise the cash when lesser talents seem to have an easir time with their finances (I know some are from rich families, but surely not all?)

DJ

david_james2000 · 11 Aug 2003, 12:34 (Ref:684961)

I may be wrong here but did he do the last 2 F3000 races

cos · 11 Aug 2003, 12:40 (Ref:684969)

I'm afraid you are wrong - he did one race at the start of the season but his car broke before he could take the start.

Super Tourer · 11 Aug 2003, 12:50 (Ref:684985)

Robbie's been around a fair while and seemed to have a budget of sorts in the lower formula, I would guess that ADR did a mega deal for Robbie to get a real front runner back in the car.

Plus the leap up in cost of a cheap F3 deal to F3000 is huge, which is where the problem lies.

david_james2000 · 11 Aug 2003, 14:39 (Ref:685106)

Quote:

Originally posted by cos
I'm afraid you are wrong - he did one race at the start of the season but his car broke before he could take the start.

yea your right it was Michael Keohane who did the last two races

Mr Jinxx · 11 Aug 2003, 20:30 (Ref:685486)

What is lacking with Robbie then? Why can't he attract funding when others can?

Looks? I don't think so.
Personality? He's a great bloke
Driving ability? I think not
Results? Few can better his CV so far

Why can't he get a backer then?

cos · 11 Aug 2003, 20:35 (Ref:685494)

Ah, if we could answer that question that would be one of Motorsport's Great Mysteries solved...

Fan · 11 Aug 2003, 20:54 (Ref:685516)

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr Jinxx
What is lacking with Robbie then? Why can't he attract funding when others can?

Looks? I don't think so.
Personality? He's a great bloke
Driving ability? I think not
Results? Few can better his CV so far

Why can't he get a backer then?

I was thinking about this a few days ago and i think it comes down to one thing: Manager. Simple as that. Look at all the current F1 drivers that have made the move up over the past few years:

Button: The Robertsons
Raikkonen: Same as above
Sato: Andrew Gilbert-Scott - a good friend of EJ(plus Honda)
Firman: Managed by David Kennedy - a good friend of EJ
Davidson: Helped by Stoessel who is on the board of BAR.
Webber: Stoddart played a big hand along with Flavio B
Alonso: Helped by Campos who has big F1 connections
Wilson: Helped by Palmer who has big F1 connections

Look at those who haven't:

Hynes - managed by???? (Perry McCarthy at one stage - great guy but mayb not such great F1 connections?)
Kerr - Managed by???

I'm not saying that a manager is everything but I'd say it's 50% who you know.

JNWRF01 · 12 Aug 2003, 08:44 (Ref:685893)

err..think youre missing the point sightly on the management - all those managers put money into their drivers.

Dave Robertson spent how much on Steve's racing and got what return. So the return on Button and Raik seems good value (and also don;t forget that Hysman who co-managed Button used to be sponsored by Marlboro as Button was in F3)
AG-S - lots of connections in Japan - I think Honda bankrolled Sata.
Stoessel - ex HSBC corp finance - BAR/Prodrive restructuing was a private equity deal etc etc..
Palmer - savvy manager - but look closely at the issuing doc and you'll see its the same guy who owned Morse (sponsored Tyreell) and Canon in UK (sponsored RLR Porsches in the 80s) who name was against it all.
Perry McCarthy - prob one of the best sponsorship minds in the business - but when was his last sponsored drive - 1986? Top bloke (and a great motivator)- but no financial clout...

A savvy manager helps - but if they/or have access to a few million quid then they can usually get their driver to F1.

Talking of savvy management - anyone spot all the F3/FRenault team managers at PF the other weekend for the Kartmasters...

Alx · 12 Aug 2003, 08:47 (Ref:685898)

Kerr's also done a few Porsche races this season.

He was in the Supercup race at the British GP, and I think he did at least one other.

JR Ewing · 12 Aug 2003, 09:42 (Ref:685968)

where is 'Sid the Manager?' Please step forward sir and defend yourself from these accursed slurs...

cheesey · 13 Aug 2003, 20:38 (Ref:687528)

Is 'Sid the Manager' to scared to admitt to his failings to get Kerr a drive.

Fan · 13 Aug 2003, 21:37 (Ref:687590)

Quote:

Originally posted by cheesey
Is 'Sid the Manager' to scared to admitt to his failings to get Kerr a drive.

I didn't mean to put Sid down - Kerr's management have done a good job getting him to where he is now. They just need a bag of money or a manufacturer to support him in the next step.

aussie_f3 · 14 Aug 2003, 06:52 (Ref:687826)

Quote:

Originally posted by cheesey
Is 'Sid the Manager' to scared to admitt to his failings to get Kerr a drive.

Thats a bit unfair cheesey - even the best manager cant work miracles without cash backing - If you have access to a money tree maybe Sid would be interested and could get Robbie's butt in a car.....but dont shoot the Manager for lack of cash!

ukracing · 14 Aug 2003, 11:13 (Ref:687985)

I think we are all forgetting about Robbie Winning F3 last season he did have a bit of advantage as Cortney was leading when he had the F1 accident! Robbie had about 4-6 races to make the difference up overtake and then finish the last 4 races off with Cortney recovering from that huge smash. I think u will find thats why he is not really regarded highly as an F3 champion he never would have been if Courney had not had the smash.

Francesca · 14 Aug 2003, 12:39 (Ref:688083)

In all fairness, I'd say that Sidney did a pretty good job, it was a running joke on here for a while, that Robbie was popping up everywhere, Williams bashes, Jordan launches...he may as well have been given his own gossip column in Autosport!
ukracing - I'd say Robbie is highly regarded as the Scholarship and Championship winner, it's just a shame his dad's not rich!

Mathias · 14 Aug 2003, 12:57 (Ref:688109)

There's a bit of point-missing going on here, isn't there?

It's not unfair or anything if you get into F1 (or F3000 or whatever) because your backers/manager/whatever have got the cash or the connections to do it.

If you're a very good driver, you should have management/backers with the cash/connections. If you don't have that, you should ask whether you're really a good driver. Which is not to say, of course, that there aren't a load of drivers who aren't good, but who do have the cash and connections.

But, hey, no-one said life was fair!

In Robbie's case, I think he suffered from two problems. Firstly, Courtney had all the attention in 2002 cos it looked like he was going to walk the championship, and he had the whole Jaguar machie behind him (pity they didn't put as much effort into their F1 car!). Secondly, he's clearly a very talented driver, but he just didn't seem exciting enough to capture your imagination.

Oh, well.

Sid The Manager · 15 Aug 2003, 18:43 (Ref:689283)

Courtney only missed 2 races last year following his accident, Robbie DNF'd a couple of times as well.

As for what happens next, a lot happening behind the scenes, hopefully with some news soon.

Sid The Manager · 15 Aug 2003, 18:44 (Ref:689286)

ps I've been on my hols

Super Tourer · 15 Aug 2003, 19:17 (Ref:689306)

I hope things work out for Robbie. The ironic fact, is that in motorsport the most sponsorship goes to drivers who don't need it - look at the deals the top F1 drivers have, for example.

In my motorsport sponsorship days, I well remember speaking to Cellnet, who much preferred to spend a vast sum of money on Damon Hill ( in his WDC F1 days) for a small badge on his sleeve and the comensurate association, than spend a fraction of that on title sponsorship in the lower formulae - it will be ever thus...

On a seperate note, although they have their own troubles, I would like to see the BRDC do something more proactive with the McLaren Autosport award.

In my poor memory, the award seems to have been £150K since it's inception ( I'm prepared to be corrected on this!), whereas budgets for top drives have increased. Frankly £150K buys very little in F3 terms and nothing at all above that.

I'd like to see a co-ordinated, effort of more cash and other benefits eg definate test F3000 or F1 drives, road car for the winner, free travel and accomodation for a year, etc, etc. In other words a valuable (indeed viable) package of benefits to fund a driver through the next year.

Having said all this, when our latest F1 graduate had to sell shares in his future to fund a drive, and our eminent F1 grandee's are appealing to the government for funds to 'save' the British GP, what hope is there?

JR Ewing · 16 Aug 2003, 07:55 (Ref:689610)

The Mclaren Autosprout Award is £50,000...

Super Tourer · 16 Aug 2003, 08:19 (Ref:689620)

JR - thanks for the correction, I knew that 50 came into it somewhere - makes it even less viable.....

How about the prize that has to be taken in F3 with McLaren/Autosport supplying some cash and a portfolio of sponsors as follows...

Avon pick up the tyre bill
Honda or Opel pick up the engine bill
A hotel sponsor (holiday inn) supply's a seasons hotel accomodation for the team.
Shell (for example) pick up the fuel/lubricants tab.

All of a sudden you have a very viable package for a driver to take to a team, which in turn has cost the sponsors very little as product support is always cheaper than parting with real cash.

This is what the BRDC should be doing IMO.

ST

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