Jolyon Palmer GP2 champion. 2014.

Jolyon Palmer GP2 champion. 2014.

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Crafty_

13,248 posts

199 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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Henry Fiddleton said:
F1 is no longer where the good drivers go, imho.
Really ? so all the F1 drivers are second best to all of the WEC drivers ?

I think not.

There are more good drivers than seats in F1, so some (the majority) go elsewhere.

This has always been the case, Brundles describes Tom Kristensen as "the best driver never to get in to F1" - in the right seat he was more than capable of a F1 WDC.
Derek Bell never made it in to F1 but has had huge success in sportscars - to my mind undoubtedly he'd have been a success in F1.

As always, its right place, right time and a bit of luck to make it to F1. And before the whining starts about pay drivers I'll remind you that a certain Mr Lauda was one once.

FourWheelDrift

88,375 posts

283 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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Crafty_ said:
Derek Bell never made it in to F1 but has had huge success in sportscars - to my mind undoubtedly he'd have been a success in F1.
Yes he did, 1 point scored in 9 starts, failed to qualify for 6 others - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Bell_%28racing_...

Crafty_

13,248 posts

199 months

Friday 28th November 2014
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:
Crafty_ said:
Derek Bell never made it in to F1 but has had huge success in sportscars - to my mind undoubtedly he'd have been a success in F1.
Yes he did, 1 point scored in 9 starts, failed to qualify for 6 others - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Bell_%28racing_...
2 finishes over 6 years and a possible 74 races is hardly making it to F1 is it.
He was never going to worry the front runners in a declining Surtees team.


DiscoColin

3,328 posts

213 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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Jeanpierre said:
Wouldn't a team of Williams' stature EMPLOY a development/test/third driver on merit rather than throw it open to whoever's got the biggest wallet?
They are short of budget the last I heard, and there are plenty of drivers in motorsport who are competent for the role who bring sponsors to the table. To look at it from the other direction - if a development driver was not bringing funding and/or the gold standard of media and sponsor profile then why on Earth would someone unproven in top level motorsport stand a hope in hell of getting the gig when a Mercedes powered team can probably get the experience of someone like the freshly available Gary Paffett for a fee close to free (in F1 terms)? Think about it - if the seat was free then they could probably get any driver contracted to Mercedes in any motorsport capacity globally to do it for expenses plus change. That is a very long list before you get to recent GP2 graduates. Would anyone select Palmer and Wolff over DiResta and Paffett if money was being paid?

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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Jeanpierre said:
DiscoColin said:
fk1_6 said:
I believe there's an opening for a development driver at Williams with Susie Wollf's promotion to official test driver, Frank is known to like having Brits in his cars so maybe a possibility?
If the seat were to be open to him then it would be well worth his backers reaching into their wallets for. I am not sure whether I can see it happening or not, but I can't imagine that there is a better path for him at this point?
Wouldn't a team of Williams' stature EMPLOY a development/test/third driver on merit rather than throw it open to whoever's got the biggest wallet? I'm sure a bit of personal backing would help, so long as it didn't conflict with the team's sponsors, but I would think ability to work with the team to develop a car was the main criterion, alongside race-craft, and Palmer has already demonstrated both with DAMS.
I'm beginning to think you really are JP!

What real development do you think someone who uses the simulator and drives the car a couple of times a year really does? There also most always some other reason for those roles being allocated, normally cash and/or some novelty or PR value.

Look, Jolyon is OK, but he's nothing more than dozens of others. If he doesn't have the money, in this day and age, he isn't going to get a seat. If it weren't so, regarding the money, he might have a chance but it just doesn't seem to happen any more for the midfield runners.

Jeanpierre

21 posts

113 months

Saturday 29th November 2014
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Crafty_ said:
He developed the car ?

DAMS have won several times with different drivers, more of a case that Palmer bought a seat at a top team I would suggest.
Sure, Grosjean and Valsechi won the title with it, but Ericsson couldn't make it work in 2013 before buying a seat with Caterham and now with Sauber.

Jeanpierre

21 posts

113 months

Saturday 29th November 2014
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REALIST123 said:
I'm beginning to think you really are JP!

What real development do you think someone who uses the simulator and drives the car a couple of times a year really does? There also most always some other reason for those roles being allocated, normally cash and/or some novelty or PR value.

Look, Jolyon is OK, but he's nothing more than dozens of others. If he doesn't have the money, in this day and age, he isn't going to get a seat. If it weren't so, regarding the money, he might have a chance but it just doesn't seem to happen any more for the midfield runners.
Ha-ha! I'm just an enthusiast of more than 40 years who enjoys following (and I don't mean in the social media way) British talent, period. Jolyon Palmer may have taken a bit longer to get there but he is now the finished article as far as I am concerned.