Ecclestone: Chandhok deserved Force India Seat ?
Discussion
I know Bernie is wanting to hold a Grand Prix in India but this is a bit of a long shot surely Source - Autosport
Bernie Ecclestone says he is disappointed that Force India did not give its vacant seat to Indian GP2 driver Karun Chandhok.
Vijay Mallya's squad promoted reserve driver Tonio Liuzzi to the race drive made available by Giancarlo Fisichella's switch to Ferrari from Monza onwards.
But Ecclestone believes the team should have picked Chandhok, who is in his third season of GP2.
"I was hoping Vijay would give Karun a chance," Ecclestone told the Hindustan Times. "And I'm a little disappointed that he has put the Italian guy in... Whether he has to do this by contract I don't know, but I would've liked to see Karun in the car for rest of the season."
The Formula 1 commercial rights holder is keen to get Chandhok on the grid to help build interest in the sport in India ahead of the nation's first grand prix in 2011.
"We need to get Karun in the Formula 1 car quickly," said Ecclestone, "and he has got the talent and the ability, so it's a case of somebody just getting on and doing it now."
Chandhok was a race winner in GP2 with iSport last season but has had a more difficult time with the Ocean team this year, with a third place at Silverstone his only podium finish to date.
Bernie Ecclestone says he is disappointed that Force India did not give its vacant seat to Indian GP2 driver Karun Chandhok.
Vijay Mallya's squad promoted reserve driver Tonio Liuzzi to the race drive made available by Giancarlo Fisichella's switch to Ferrari from Monza onwards.
But Ecclestone believes the team should have picked Chandhok, who is in his third season of GP2.
"I was hoping Vijay would give Karun a chance," Ecclestone told the Hindustan Times. "And I'm a little disappointed that he has put the Italian guy in... Whether he has to do this by contract I don't know, but I would've liked to see Karun in the car for rest of the season."
The Formula 1 commercial rights holder is keen to get Chandhok on the grid to help build interest in the sport in India ahead of the nation's first grand prix in 2011.
"We need to get Karun in the Formula 1 car quickly," said Ecclestone, "and he has got the talent and the ability, so it's a case of somebody just getting on and doing it now."
Chandhok was a race winner in GP2 with iSport last season but has had a more difficult time with the Ocean team this year, with a third place at Silverstone his only podium finish to date.
t. Agreed. Chandhok's greatest ability is in attracting attention to India in international motorsport. He's not F1 standard and never will be.
Another Pantano - enough funding to keep competing, eventually he may even win the title, but after that much practice and with that much to spend getting in a competitive team, so should he. Pantano proved at long last that simply winning GP2 isn't enough, you have to do it convincingly within a couple of seasons or be seen as the journeyman you have become.
Just because a driver is of a certain nationality and the best of a bunch, doesn't mean they need to be in F1. Scott Speed was an example of this - arguably one of the better US-born single seater prospects in recent years (who hasn't defected to NASCAR for mucho dinero) but just wasn't fast enough.
Didn't see Bernie lauding him, then again he knew the US is a dead market for F1 for the forseeable after the Indy fiasco.
Great example of how Bernie couldn't give a stuff about topline motorsport or having the world's best drivers - he simply needs to suck in as many dollar bills as he can, from as many new places as he can think of, to keep CVC off his back.
Another Pantano - enough funding to keep competing, eventually he may even win the title, but after that much practice and with that much to spend getting in a competitive team, so should he. Pantano proved at long last that simply winning GP2 isn't enough, you have to do it convincingly within a couple of seasons or be seen as the journeyman you have become.
Just because a driver is of a certain nationality and the best of a bunch, doesn't mean they need to be in F1. Scott Speed was an example of this - arguably one of the better US-born single seater prospects in recent years (who hasn't defected to NASCAR for mucho dinero) but just wasn't fast enough.
Didn't see Bernie lauding him, then again he knew the US is a dead market for F1 for the forseeable after the Indy fiasco.
Great example of how Bernie couldn't give a stuff about topline motorsport or having the world's best drivers - he simply needs to suck in as many dollar bills as he can, from as many new places as he can think of, to keep CVC off his back.
Oh for the love of God will Bernie just shut up?!
He really needs to remember that the teams are there to race and get the best results they can - not just to fund his pension. If he really wants to a team to run sub-par drivers purely for his promotional purposes why doesnt he just (in the best tradition of PH) man-up and pay for it himself. Otherwise he can keep his mouth shut.
The thing is it doesn even make much commercial sense either.. If there was an Indian driver who showed sufficient promise to warrant an F1 shot then I'm sure VM would snap them up but from the sounds of it the guy doesnt cut it in GP2 so he hasn't got a chance in F1 and what good publicity are you going to drum up in India by having a Luca Badoer style humiliation? I'm going to take a stab at "none"!
He really needs to remember that the teams are there to race and get the best results they can - not just to fund his pension. If he really wants to a team to run sub-par drivers purely for his promotional purposes why doesnt he just (in the best tradition of PH) man-up and pay for it himself. Otherwise he can keep his mouth shut.
The thing is it doesn even make much commercial sense either.. If there was an Indian driver who showed sufficient promise to warrant an F1 shot then I'm sure VM would snap them up but from the sounds of it the guy doesnt cut it in GP2 so he hasn't got a chance in F1 and what good publicity are you going to drum up in India by having a Luca Badoer style humiliation? I'm going to take a stab at "none"!
, were all sick of him ruining F1, please, please, please go away.Mallya has already said he'll have an Indian driver when one comes along who's good enough.
I seem to recall some wailing and gnashing from the Chandhok camp at the time, whether him or his manager or his fans I don't remember, but even then the implication was that Force India won't be recruiting an Indian F1 driver from the current crop of tepid, lukewarm and mildly heated prospects so they needn't expect a phone call.
Which also moves me to wonder just why Bernie is setting the paper's readers against VM for not supporting the local boy. Cos that's the only other possible reason for saying this aside from simply currying (sorry) favour with the Hindustan Press. Can't honestly see that being terribly important to him.
As ever with Bernie you under-estimate him at your peril, look for a reason in everything he says (cos there is one in there somewhere) and follow the money trail.
I seem to recall some wailing and gnashing from the Chandhok camp at the time, whether him or his manager or his fans I don't remember, but even then the implication was that Force India won't be recruiting an Indian F1 driver from the current crop of tepid, lukewarm and mildly heated prospects so they needn't expect a phone call.
Which also moves me to wonder just why Bernie is setting the paper's readers against VM for not supporting the local boy. Cos that's the only other possible reason for saying this aside from simply currying (sorry) favour with the Hindustan Press. Can't honestly see that being terribly important to him.
As ever with Bernie you under-estimate him at your peril, look for a reason in everything he says (cos there is one in there somewhere) and follow the money trail.
KaraK said:
The thing is it doesn even make much commercial sense either.. If there was an Indian driver who showed sufficient promise to warrant an F1 shot then I'm sure VM would snap them up but from the sounds of it the guy doesnt cut it in GP2 so he hasn't got a chance in F1 and what good publicity are you going to drum up in India by having a Luca Badoer style humiliation? I'm going to take a stab at "none"!
Whatever happpend to the other indian chap Narain karthikayan(sp) I seem to remember lots of press comming from India over his F1 drive, which even though he did have the odd good race did a BadoerKarthikeyan was a respectable driver, who got bumped out of Jordan/Midland due to lack of funding, and then got bumped sideways at Williams due to their engine deal with Toyota. Right now, he's just too old.
As for A1GP, it's a series for team ability, not individual drivers. Nicolas Lapierre and Neel Jani were champions, come on!
As for A1GP, it's a series for team ability, not individual drivers. Nicolas Lapierre and Neel Jani were champions, come on!
AndrewW-G said:
KaraK said:
The thing is it doesn even make much commercial sense either.. If there was an Indian driver who showed sufficient promise to warrant an F1 shot then I'm sure VM would snap them up but from the sounds of it the guy doesnt cut it in GP2 so he hasn't got a chance in F1 and what good publicity are you going to drum up in India by having a Luca Badoer style humiliation? I'm going to take a stab at "none"!
Whatever happpend to the other indian chap Narain karthikayan(sp) I seem to remember lots of press comming from India over his F1 drive, which even though he did have the odd good race did a Badoer
Asthe article on Pitpass says ( http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.p... ), if the dwarf wants Chandhok in F1 so much, why doesn't he put his money where his mouth is and pay for him
DSM2 said:
AndrewW-G said:
KaraK said:
The thing is it doesn even make much commercial sense either.. If there was an Indian driver who showed sufficient promise to warrant an F1 shot then I'm sure VM would snap them up but from the sounds of it the guy doesnt cut it in GP2 so he hasn't got a chance in F1 and what good publicity are you going to drum up in India by having a Luca Badoer style humiliation? I'm going to take a stab at "none"!
Whatever happpend to the other indian chap Narain karthikayan(sp) I seem to remember lots of press comming from India over his F1 drive, which even though he did have the odd good race did a BadoerI was working in the Wind tunnel at Jordan when the call came through for the reworking of that particular part.
Stick them in the Simulator seems to be the answer
Force India teams boss Vijay Mallya says he will evaluate Karun Chandhok and Neel Jani in McLaren's F1 simulator next week.
"Karun is like a son to me. I have known him from when he was a little boy in shorts. If I can give him a chance, I'd be delighted," Mallya told Reuters.
"But he has to prove that he is also capable. So I've told him I'll put him in the McLaren driver simulator and let me see what you do. And based on that we'll talk further."
Indian Chandhok, 25, is currently in 18th position in the GP2 championship, but Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said last week that he deserved a chance in grand prix racing with Force India.
Mallya said A1GP champion Jani would also get to try the simulator.
"He and his dad have been after me for the last one and a half years and he came to see me again," Mallya said. "The guy is saying give me a chance. I can't deny him a chance in the simulator so yes, he will also go in."
The Indian team boss also suggested Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi are likely stay at Force India next year.
"They are loyal and hard working. They are with the team and part of the team, they are doing their best. Unless I have some compelling reason to change, I ask myself why should I change?
"As of now I am very happy with what I have and the only role open is a test driver role and we'll see where we go from there."
Force India teams boss Vijay Mallya says he will evaluate Karun Chandhok and Neel Jani in McLaren's F1 simulator next week.
"Karun is like a son to me. I have known him from when he was a little boy in shorts. If I can give him a chance, I'd be delighted," Mallya told Reuters.
"But he has to prove that he is also capable. So I've told him I'll put him in the McLaren driver simulator and let me see what you do. And based on that we'll talk further."
Indian Chandhok, 25, is currently in 18th position in the GP2 championship, but Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said last week that he deserved a chance in grand prix racing with Force India.
Mallya said A1GP champion Jani would also get to try the simulator.
"He and his dad have been after me for the last one and a half years and he came to see me again," Mallya said. "The guy is saying give me a chance. I can't deny him a chance in the simulator so yes, he will also go in."
The Indian team boss also suggested Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi are likely stay at Force India next year.
"They are loyal and hard working. They are with the team and part of the team, they are doing their best. Unless I have some compelling reason to change, I ask myself why should I change?
"As of now I am very happy with what I have and the only role open is a test driver role and we'll see where we go from there."
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