2012-13 Silly Season

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reppo
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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by reppo » 27 Apr 2012, 09:43

Oh s*** if this is true:
http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/f1/uutiset.s ... sa-varmana (in Finnish)
Alguersuari refused Lotus deal - Thought his seat was sure
Posted on 04.27.2012 11:06 (updated 11:10)

In Toro Rosso team last season competed Jaime Alguersuari cut the Lotus team's contract negotiations at the end of last year, because he believed that his seat in Toro Rosso was secured.

The Spanish driver's career as Formula One racing driver ended however, at least for now, when Toro Rosso changed both of their drivers before the start of the season.

According Mundo Deportivo newspaper, since then to Pirelli's test driver moved Alguersuari, found it difficult to witness the success of Lotus in Bahrain last weekend.

- No doubt he remembers November 26th, when Lotus was interested to hear whether he would be free to move to them on 2012, wrote the Spanish Journal.

According to the newspaper Alguersuari told at the time that he stays in Toro Rosso, because the team boss Franz Tost and the Red Bull driver consultant Helmut Marko had told him so.

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If Perez goes to Ferrari in 2013 then there would be an opening in Sauber and it is not a bad team. At least any driver in Toro Rosso knows by now that newer stop your negotiations with other teams, if you don't have names signed on the contract ''hmm'' and maybe not even then.

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donald29
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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by donald29 » 27 Apr 2012, 09:54

He said he had turned down a good offer because he thought his seat was secure, would really suck if it was Lotus.

He was really screwed by Red Bull dropping him when / how they did.

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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by Edi96 » 27 Apr 2012, 10:10

I think Sauber would go for Esteban Gutierrez if Perez leaves the team. Gutierrez is doing a good job in GP2 and they could keep their Mexican sponsors.

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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by phil1993 » 27 Apr 2012, 10:12

Edi96 wrote:I think Sauber would go for Esteban Gutierrez if Perez leaves the team. Gutierrez is doing a good job in GP2 and they could keep their Mexican sponsors.
Yes. Either him or Jules Bianchi, depending on what Ferrari want...

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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by donald29 » 27 Apr 2012, 10:16

Yeah, although the backing from Mexico / Slim makes me think Gutierrez is the more likely option. I wonder if Perez leaves if it's possible they could sign both.

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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by tderias » 27 Apr 2012, 11:31

any news about Davide Valsecchi's F1 prospects?

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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by phil1993 » 27 Apr 2012, 11:50

Italian drivers never seem to get sponsorship. Out of the GP2 champions and vice-champions, only two have ever failed to make it to F1 - Pantano & Filippi. Both Italian...

He's a series veteran so if he dominates this year he has a chance, but I can't see him going to F1 unless he has a huge amount of money.

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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by donald29 » 27 Apr 2012, 12:35

I think part of the reason Pantano failed to break into F1 (after winning GP2, he raced for Jordan in 2004 remember) is because he'd been around so long. He did three seasons of F3000, a season of F1 with Jordan then won GP2 in his fourth season of that. For me only winning GP2 after being in it for so long does take the shine off the achievement a bit, and is probably a turn off for F1 teams unless you have a lot of money. Valsecchi has been in GP2 since 2008, so could suffer the same. I agree with Phil, I can't see him getting an F1 seat without a lot of money.

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reppo
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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by reppo » 27 Apr 2012, 12:57

Who can anymore get into F1 without sponsors. There has been about hundred Italian drivers in F1, second only to number of British drivers, but one must be an exceptional talent to get there without sponsors. Even when sponsored the competition is so tough and drivers are so many that to get a TD seat is hard.

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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by Mar » 27 Apr 2012, 13:16

Carlos Sainz was talking about the issue with the Spanish press just a couple of days ago (remember his son is in lower categories) and according to him there are only 7 drivers in F1 who are not pay drivers, being 6 of them world champions. And in WRC only 5 (I suppose Loeb, Hirvonen, Latvala, Ogier and Sordo. Solberg pays for his seat in the works Ford).

I found it very surprising because if there are only 7 non-pay drivers in F1 and 6 are the 6 world champions, that means that from Webber, Massa and Rosberg, at least two of them are effective pay drivers (even if they have a salary).

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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by donald29 » 27 Apr 2012, 13:26

7 is too low a figure. :p

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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by Mar » 27 Apr 2012, 13:33

donald29 wrote:7 is too low a figure. :p
Well, I said I find it surprising :p

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reppo
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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by reppo » 27 Apr 2012, 14:25

Looking at driver's overalls:
http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/drivers/
I can't say who's salary is and who's is not payed from sponsors money. Either driver brings in sponsors or teams believes a certain driver will interest sponsors. One might think Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull or Mercedes drivers are not sponsored, but behind there are Santander, oil companies, Red Bull's massive marketing budget and so on. Surely the decision to hire Kimi into Lotus was some way effected by the possibility to get sponsors interested. Even they lost Lada they gained Unilever. Not that it really matters anymore to Lotus since according HNA Lotus has now moved to Zimbabwean currency and raised Kimi's salary to huge hundred million dollars.
Image
If Kimi would win the WDC he will get an astonishing bonus.

Image
:zz:

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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by phil1993 » 27 Apr 2012, 14:32

donald29 wrote:7 is too low a figure. :p
It depends what you call a pay driver.

Santander effectively pay Fernando Alonso's salary, so is he a pay driver? I only really call pay drivers those who are in F1 mainly because of money - Maldonado, Petrov etc. Fernando Alonso would be in F1 regardless of Santander.

There's so many deals going on in F1 that it's difficult to distinguish everything. Paul di Resta is at Force India because he is a very good racing driver. But I believe that in return for him being at the team, Force India receive Mercedes's engine, gearbox and KERS at a reduced price.

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Re: 2012-13 Silly Season

Post by donald29 » 27 Apr 2012, 14:52

Fair point, but I still think it's difficult to arrive at a figure of 7 even if you classed Alonso as one.

I agree with your definition, Alonso is not a pay driver, no matter what Petrov says!

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