Can someone explain how Bourdais still has a seat?
Discussion
He was less than special last year.
This year he is hopeless, been shown up by rookies all his F1 career, whines none stop, makes excuses non stop and generally achieves nothing. At least Piquet / Nakajima dont whine.
Does he have a never ending pot of sponsorship money?
Surely Sato / Senna / Jani / De La Rosa / Paffet / DC or even heaven forbid Ralf would be better?
This year he is hopeless, been shown up by rookies all his F1 career, whines none stop, makes excuses non stop and generally achieves nothing. At least Piquet / Nakajima dont whine.
Does he have a never ending pot of sponsorship money?
Surely Sato / Senna / Jani / De La Rosa / Paffet / DC or even heaven forbid Ralf would be better?
t load of money.He barely hung on to his seat over the winter, but did, narrowly, remember you need a super licence to race F1, and its possible there was no one out there, with a budget, in the current economic climate, worth taking his place, plus he does have alot of experience, and would be better for continuity and developing the car with, with new regs and so little testing, particularly when Toro Rosso are probably more limited than most, car arriving later due to being made/designed by Red Bull. So he is a known quantity.
Two other things strike me, Dietrich Materschitz, is fairly ruthless in letting go Red Bull academy drivers when they fail to perform in the junior categories, but also Bourdais is the only French driver in F1, for the country that invented the sport, they have precious little to show in it now, okay Renault is a french company, but the team was Anglo Italian as Bennetton and is essentially now British, there maybe some national pride, or money from their motorsport association or maybe from a French manufacturer, keeping him in the seat. Don't think he's bringing any sponsors, there's next to nothing on the car and none of the partners on the company website strike me as French orientated or coming with him from Champ Car.
France has failed to produce a competitive F1 driver since Prost (okay Panis occasionally, Alesi but probably not felt to be truly French, by the French) .
He's not going to be in F1 next year unless he has a miraculous improvement in form
Two other things strike me, Dietrich Materschitz, is fairly ruthless in letting go Red Bull academy drivers when they fail to perform in the junior categories, but also Bourdais is the only French driver in F1, for the country that invented the sport, they have precious little to show in it now, okay Renault is a french company, but the team was Anglo Italian as Bennetton and is essentially now British, there maybe some national pride, or money from their motorsport association or maybe from a French manufacturer, keeping him in the seat. Don't think he's bringing any sponsors, there's next to nothing on the car and none of the partners on the company website strike me as French orientated or coming with him from Champ Car.
France has failed to produce a competitive F1 driver since Prost (okay Panis occasionally, Alesi but probably not felt to be truly French, by the French) .
He's not going to be in F1 next year unless he has a miraculous improvement in form
This has to be the $1,000,000 question in F1, at the moment.
There has been a big push here promoting "the" drink. I understand France had banned it originally.
I reckon he would be about right in A1GP. It bugs me that Anthony Davidson is commentating, when there is such whinging dross about.
There has been a big push here promoting "the" drink. I understand France had banned it originally.
I reckon he would be about right in A1GP. It bugs me that Anthony Davidson is commentating, when there is such whinging dross about.
deadslow said:
Hope he is enjoying his last season in F1. I gave him the benefit of the doubt last year, but he has failed to deliver.
But doubt A Davidson would be much better imho.
I think there's a few drivers who arn't in the game that'd do a better job than Bourdais is doing right now. And Ant's definately one of them. But doubt A Davidson would be much better imho.
rdjohn said:
This has to be the $1,000,000 question in F1, at the moment.
There has been a big push here promoting "the" drink. I understand France had banned it originally.
I reckon he would be about right in A1GP. It bugs me that Anthony Davidson is commentating, when there is such whinging dross about.
Well there you then, I've just trolled over to the RedBull.com and there's plenty of French content and promotion, they are sponsoring Seb Loeb in WRC, I'd forgotten about the the ban in France, and its subsequent lift, so you can see it as an untapped market for expansion...There has been a big push here promoting "the" drink. I understand France had banned it originally.
I reckon he would be about right in A1GP. It bugs me that Anthony Davidson is commentating, when there is such whinging dross about.
As to Davidson, yeh, I've wondered a couple times why he isn't driving, its not like Brundle or even DC, at the end of his career, why isn't Davidson doing Le Mans or Sportscars, or even A1GP (GB have been poor all year) like Luizzi, to keep his eye, and show case his talent, I mean he's same age as Button. A current plus would be his size, he's a midget, and what with KERS and ballast you'd think it might help his chances of getting back into F1 (although a stretch now), or moving on to endurance or touring cars. Still maybe he's got a severance package from Honda, and 5live is a solid, regular salary, and safe (isn't he married now?).
His options were shortened by the demise of Honda. Like every season since leaving F3, he's been waiting on his tip-toes far too long waiting for decisions.
Next year should be easier to get a decent race seat, but he and a lot of others in the circus, know he is F1 material. It's not over yet.
Next year should be easier to get a decent race seat, but he and a lot of others in the circus, know he is F1 material. It's not over yet.
Get out, get out now!!james_gt3rs said:
I think Piquet is the real problem this year. (Alonso qualified 2nd, Piquet 17th)
I reckon Piquet will be gone soon.
But there's no one to replace himI reckon Piquet will be gone soon.
romain grosjean hasn't even driven the car and hasn't raced anything since the 2008 GP2 Asia series
Bruno Senna or Sato maybe at least they have both driven a F1 car recently!
woof said:
james_gt3rs said:
I think Piquet is the real problem this year. (Alonso qualified 2nd, Piquet 17th)
I reckon Piquet will be gone soon.
But there's no one to replace himI reckon Piquet will be gone soon.
romain grosjean hasn't even driven the car and hasn't raced anything since the 2008 GP2 Asia series
Bruno Senna or Sato maybe at least they have both driven a F1 car recently!
AlexS said:
woof said:
james_gt3rs said:
I think Piquet is the real problem this year. (Alonso qualified 2nd, Piquet 17th)
I reckon Piquet will be gone soon.
But there's no one to replace himI reckon Piquet will be gone soon.
romain grosjean hasn't even driven the car and hasn't raced anything since the 2008 GP2 Asia series
Bruno Senna or Sato maybe at least they have both driven a F1 car recently!
AlexS said:
woof said:
james_gt3rs said:
I think Piquet is the real problem this year. (Alonso qualified 2nd, Piquet 17th)
I reckon Piquet will be gone soon.
But there's no one to replace himI reckon Piquet will be gone soon.
romain grosjean hasn't even driven the car and hasn't raced anything since the 2008 GP2 Asia series
Bruno Senna or Sato maybe at least they have both driven a F1 car recently!
Northern Munkee said:
AlexS said:
woof said:
james_gt3rs said:
I think Piquet is the real problem this year. (Alonso qualified 2nd, Piquet 17th)
I reckon Piquet will be gone soon.
But there's no one to replace himI reckon Piquet will be gone soon.
romain grosjean hasn't even driven the car and hasn't raced anything since the 2008 GP2 Asia series
Bruno Senna or Sato maybe at least they have both driven a F1 car recently!
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