Vandoorne out at McLaren!

[anonymous-user]

It's hard to rate Vandoorne when he has been in such a pig of a car.

But he just has not been anywhere near Alonso.

I really fear for McLaren in 2019.

Alonso retiring is only going to make matters worse.

Sainz is not on the same level as Alonso so McLaren will be hoping that Norris is the next Hamilton/Alonso as if not they will be in a whole new level of trouble.

[37chevy]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

It's hard to rate Vandoorne when he has been in such a pig of a car.

But he just has not been anywhere near Alonso.

.

its not difficult to rate him. if hes not a quick youngster matching an experienced team mate, or an experienced driver adding technical knowledge then he shouldn't really be in a top team,

hes been neither. first rule of f1....match or beat your teammate.

[kambites]

37chevy said:

its not difficult to rate him. if hes not a quick youngster matching an experienced team mate, or an experienced driver adding technical knowledge then he shouldn't really be in a top team,

hes been neither. first rule of f1....match or beat your teammate.

Mclaren isn't a top team though. Even calling them mid-field is arguably generous at the moment.

[Andy S15]

At this point are we assuming that this has been a Mclaren decision, or a Vandoorne decision?

Maybe Stoff decided himself that he wanted out. Nothing kills your career quicker than sitting in a dog of car long term.

[anonymous-user]

37chevy said:

its not difficult to rate him. if hes not a quick youngster matching an experienced team mate, or an experienced driver adding technical knowledge then he shouldn't really be in a top team,

hes been neither. first rule of f1....match or beat your teammate.

But McLaren have replaced Alonso with Sainz who can't match his teammate

[37chevy]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

But McLaren have replaced Alonso with Sainz who can't match his teammate

well that's true!!!! tbh I hadn't realised how many points Nico had scored this year!.....kinda flown under my radar!

[hairyben]

37chevy said:

ELUSIVEJIM said:

It's hard to rate Vandoorne when he has been in such a pig of a car.

But he just has not been anywhere near Alonso.

.

its not difficult to rate him. if hes not a quick youngster matching an experienced team mate, or an experienced driver adding technical knowledge then he shouldn't really be in a top team,

hes been neither. first rule of f1....match or beat your teammate.

Alonso has years of experience that enabled him to extract the best from a distinctly sub optimal package, the same can't really be expected of stoffel. It'd be a shame if his f1 career was curtailed without having had the opportunity to show what he can do in a car that isn't a piece of poo.

You wouldn't score a kid doing a piano major in his big exam on how he handled a beat up old junker of a piano

[37chevy]

hairyben said:

Alonso has years of experience that enabled him to extract the best from a distinctly sub optimal package, the same can't really be expected of stoffel. It'd be a shame if his f1 career was curtailed without having had the opportunity to show what he can do in a car that isn't a piece of poo.

You wouldn't score a kid doing a piano major in his big exam on how he handled a beat up old junker of a piano

no, but hes had a couple of years now. I hope he gets a seat elsewhere, I don't see the logic in keeping kimi for much longer or letting kvyat back in, or even keeping ericsson...so I hope he gets another shot in one of those teams

[Kraken]

Always makes me chuckle when people try to second guess whether a team has made the right decision with dropping a driver. The amount of data they have on the drivers is vast. They know exactly where the issues are and whether it's the car or the driver that is the problem.

It's not the first time that a driver who was top dog in other formulas has struggled in F1 and it won't be the last.

[Lucas Ayde]

37chevy said:

no, but hes had a couple of years now. I hope he gets a seat elsewhere, I don't see the logic in keeping kimi for much longer or letting kvyat back in, or even keeping ericsson...so I hope he gets another shot in one of those teams

The logic for keeping Kimi is that he's capable of putting in excellent performances yet is willing to take short term contracts and play the #2 role to Vettel.

[ghost83]

When I’ve looked at stoffel I’ve never rated him against Alonso as that wouldn’t be fair but I have looked at him against the other youngsters like leclerc or magnussen or even Gasly and Hartley and stoffel just doesn’t shine!

Tbh I think magnussen deserves a top drive he’s got the right racers attitude for it

[Munter]

Lucas Ayde said:

37chevy said:

no, but hes had a couple of years now. I hope he gets a seat elsewhere, I don't see the logic in keeping kimi for much longer or letting kvyat back in, or even keeping ericsson...so I hope he gets another shot in one of those teams

The logic for keeping Kimi is that he's capable of putting in excellent performances yet is willing to take short term contracts and play the #2 role to Vettel.

Yeah. Leave him alone. He knows what he's doing.

[37chevy]

Munter said:

Yeah. Leave him alone. He knows what he's doing.

don't get me wrong I love kimi, but his time is coming to an end and hes kinda clogging up the drivers market. id rather see a young hungry driver In his place, giving vettel a hard time

[entropy]

hairyben said:

Alonso has years of experience that enabled him to extract the best from a distinctly sub optimal package, the same can't really be expected of stoffel. It'd be a shame if his f1 career was curtailed without having had the opportunity to show what he can do in a car that isn't a piece of poo.

You wouldn't score a kid doing a piano major in his big exam on how he handled a beat up old junker of a piano

Alonso started off in F1 driving for Minardi which on paper was meant to start on the back of the grid but in reality rarely wasn't.

[Europa1]

entropy said:

Alonso started off in F1 driving for Minardi which on paper was meant to start on the back of the grid but in reality rarely wasn't.

So it was meant to start on the back of the grid and often did?

[CrgT16]

The sad thing is that in the case of Alonso and Kimi their replacements are not better nor will be faster.

Sainz is not going to be quicker than Alonso was, Norris May not be an improvement on Stoffel. In Ferrari whoever comes to replace Kimi is going to play no.2 even more so than Kimi.

On the upside for the teams what they loose in points they will save in wages.

[hairyben]

entropy said:

Alonso started off in F1 driving for Minardi which on paper was meant to start on the back of the grid but in reality rarely wasn't.

tough to compare such different eras, but alonsos minardi teammate was no great shakes but still dragged a couple of 9th placed finishes out of the car, placing him above young fred..

[Jasandjules]

Tough call for me this, Stoffel has never really "shone" but I am not sure that is anything he has actually done wrong. I guess if he was a closer match to Alonso he would still have a drive but there we go.

[Order66]

CrgT16 said:

The sad thing is that in the case of Alonso and Kimi their replacements are not better nor will be faster.

Not sure about that, Leclerc is stupidly quick. If I was Vettel I'd be somewhat concerned.

[CrgT16]

Yes he is quick but doesn’t have the mental experience and it will be new in the team. Should Vettel beat him consistently on the first few GPs he will be take. Hamilton had a different path to get to McLaren F1 team been part of the family for years.

Next year no one is going to beat Vettel at Ferrari, no way. As for McLaren... no car to fight no sponsor money we will see how far it survives, like Williams.