Speed out, Vettel in

[AKA8]

So, Scott Speed is gone and Vettel takes his place.

Vettel has proved to be pretty good so far, scoring a point in his debut race. He must surely be an improvement on Speed's efforts to date.

Why was Speed put there in the first place? Marketing reasons?

[kevin ritson]

No surprise really. Yes, Speed was part of Red Bull's plan to get a US citizen in F1 but with a lack of results and no US GP, there's no reason to run him now.

Vettel looked like he was part of F1 on his debut, ironically in the US.

[kevin ritson]

Question is, will they get Bordais next year - would give them slightly more sponsor presence in the US than Speed, despite the lack of a GP (although fine for Canada)? If so will Luizzi go or if Vettel does well, contract row with BMW? Could be some mileage in this one...

[Dakkon]

and it buggers my fantasy F1 team

[mko9]

It's not like Speed has no skills. He finished third in GP2 behind Rosberg and Kovalainen. And hell, he hasn't had his license revoked like Yugi Ide did.

Personnally, I don't think it will really matter who you put in the car. The car is a POS and team appears to be a disaster area. It wouldn't matter if Michael Schumacher was behind the wheel, if the car can't make it to the finish line, you aren't going to do well.

[rubystone]

mko9 said:

It's not like Speed has no skills. He finished third in GP2 behind Rosberg and Kovalainen. And hell, he hasn't had his license revoked like Yugi Ide did.

Personnally, I don't think it will really matter who you put in the car. The car is a POS and team appears to be a disaster area. It wouldn't matter if Michael Schumacher was behind the wheel, if the car can't make it to the finish line, you aren't going to do well.

I tend to agree with you. Speed isn't a bad driver at all. It will be very interesting to see just how Vettel does in the car. Be nice if he were honest about comparing it with the BMW too, but I doubt we'll get to hear about that.

I stood next to him at the British GP - he doesn't look old enough to watch a 12A film, let alone drive an F1 car!

[Kam125]

I liked Speed- seemed like an honest chap. He performed fairly well this year too!

[Mr_Thyroid]

He look's like a cross between Rusty from the national lampoon films and that dude who sings for Razorlight.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0...
http://image.listen.com/img/356x237/9/2/3/4/664329...

http://www.derapate.it/img/_vettel-bmw-sauber.jpg

[AKA8]

Speed might have been a touch arrogant (but you have to be in that sport) but at least he was a character.

Did anyone read that story about Quentin Tarantino getting upset about the sign he put on the STR toilet doors? He is probably quite amusing off camera.

[mko9]

AKA8 said:

Speed might have been a touch arrogant (but you have to be in that sport) but at least he was a character.

Did anyone read that story about Quentin Tarantino getting upset about the sign he put on the STR toilet doors? He is probably quite amusing off camera.

Missed that one, can you elaborate? Or point me in the right direction?

[kevin ritson]

Vettel's been confirmed for 2008:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/61270

So Heidfeld's likely to stay at BMW with Kubica...now will Bordais join Vettel as he's publically said that he's looking outside Champ Cars, or will the Red Bull line-up remain the same throughout next year?

[FourWheelDrift]

I think STR might hold out a little longer to see how Red Bull backed (Red Bull test driver) Robert Doornbos does in Champ Car, he's just won his 2nd race and is only 10 points behind Bourdais in the championship.

They have to ask themselves do they go with the guy they know and is proving himself to be a racer, race winner and able to get to grips with new series car very quickly or the sulky Frenchy?

[skinny]

it's great to see vettel getting a drive but maybe not in that POS - doesn't matter how well he drives, he's going to really struggle to get any sort of a result, might really harm his reputation and the interest in him. he could be driving fantastically and no one would ever know. unless it's just a loan for a year, get some free race experience and then he goes back to BMW to partner Kubi? mario really rates him and i reckon he's going to be a very strong driver for the future, just would have prefered him to stay with a competitive team.

[rubystone]

Typical STR - let Liuzzi know in no uncertain terms he's out...halfway through the season.

Bourdais is a shoe-in for the drive. He's a proven race winner at a higher level than Vettel is. I think that BMW will see how Vettel performs in 2008 before making a decision about whether to replace Heidfeld with him.

I'm not sure whether FW has any drivers for his team for next year. It is possible that someone may make a bid to buy Rosberg out of his seat - Speaking to him in London recently I asked him whether the autographs he was signing should be on Toyota paper....this stopped him mid siging...all conjecture of course, but I wonder whether FW might exchange Rosberg for free engines and Ralf?

I am also pretty sure that Flav has to find Piquet an F1 berth next year - Piquet probably has the same clause in his contract as Kovalainen did last year....that's why I do wonder whether Flav might sweeten a deal with free Renault engines...

[mko9]

Boy, Vettel is really wringing the untapped potential from that STR. Clearly all of STR's problems were tied up in the bad attitude of Scott Speed

Basically, they gave Liuzzi a teammate he can consitently beat, and Spyker a rolling roadblock to not finishing dead last. Well done, gentlemen!

[groomi]

rubystone said:

I am also pretty sure that Flav has to find Piquet an F1 berth next year - Piquet probably has the same clause in his contract as Kovalainen did last year....that's why I do wonder whether Flav might sweeten a deal with free Renault engines...

I'm pretty certain that Piquet will be driving a Renault next year instead of Fisi. Now that Kovalainen has found his feet he's consistently outperforming Fisi, so it would make sense to bring Piquet in.

[rubystone]

groomi said:

rubystone said:

I am also pretty sure that Flav has to find Piquet an F1 berth next year - Piquet probably has the same clause in his contract as Kovalainen did last year....that's why I do wonder whether Flav might sweeten a deal with free Renault engines...

I'm pretty certain that Piquet will be driving a Renault next year instead of Fisi. Now that Kovalainen has found his feet he's consistently outperforming Fisi, so it would make sense to bring Piquet in.

I think you're right.

Re the Vettel comment - as they say, you can't polish a turd....and the STR is more of a turd than the RB3.

Note that the RB3 is getting faster though - it should be a top 10 car and ifit didn't break, Webber would be putting it there.