Silly Season 2013/14

Post here all non technical related topics about Formula One. This includes race results, discussions, testing analysis etc. TV coverage and other personal questions should be in Off topic chat.
User avatar
SectorOne
166
Joined: 26 May 2013, 09:51

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

raymondu999 wrote:I wonder if the reason for van Doorne putting down the STR offer was that it was something INSIDE the contract - ie he wasn't really turning down the drive, it was turning down something within the contract that he couldn't live with (perhaps it gave Red Bull exclusive contract rights to him and enrolled him in their YDP?)
"The proposition of Red Bull would have been only for one season, and we are looking into the long term."
"If the only thing keeping a person decent is the expectation of divine reward, then brother that person is a piece of sh*t"

User avatar
SectorOne
166
Joined: 26 May 2013, 09:51

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

They really do not want Da Costa in STR it seems. Or he´s the absolute last choice for RBR.
Bit unfair, they can take Ricciardo while looking at "other details" and yet Da Costa has had a small bad run recently and that´s what they go on.
Toro Rosso seat for 2014 available at a price reveals Razia

Toro Rosso’s second race seat for 2014 – alongside Jean-Eric Vergne – is available to a pay driver according to Luiz Razia.

Brazilian Razia was all set to make his debut for Marussia this year until he struck sponsor trouble.

He wrote on Twitter in Portuguese: “It is reported that the second seat at Toro Rosso is for sale.

“It’s been like that for years! Any other news?” the mischievous Razia added.

It was believed Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s junior team, was set to simply promote its leading development driver – Antonio Felix da Costa – to replace Daniel Ricciardo in 2014.

But Italy’s Italiaracing reports that a group of Russian sponsors have got together to push Daniil Kvyat, a 19-year-old and less experienced Red Bull youngster, to the front of the queue. (GMM)
"If the only thing keeping a person decent is the expectation of divine reward, then brother that person is a piece of sh*t"

User avatar
FoxHound
55
Joined: 23 Aug 2012, 16:50

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

A shame for Da Costa if he doesn't get it. Odd that STR will chase dollar's to fill a seat, and not give their youth programme a boost by promoting Felix.
This year was up and down for him no question, but the car and team let him down on various occasions.

Leaking oil in front of the Red Bull sponsors home race was not of his doing, and nor was the car shutting down on him at the grid for race 2.
Various gremlins with the car led to it being given an almost complete makeover.
"We've been having so many different issues, and it was getting too much.
Had we done something wrong? We started from zero, put almost a new car back together, and were allowed to go to an airfield with no wings on the car just to check it over."
courtesy autosport

He showed his class a few times this year, and Red Bull would do well to put him in an STR and measure him against Vergne.
If he fails to live up to expectations, bring in the Russian pay driver.
JET set

Jonnycraig
Jonnycraig
6
Joined: 12 Apr 2013, 20:48

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

FoxHound wrote:A shame for Da Costa if he doesn't get it. Odd that STR will chase dollar's to fill a seat, and not give their youth programme a boost by promoting Felix.
This year was up and down for him no question, but the car and team let him down on various occasions.

Leaking oil in front of the Red Bull sponsors home race was not of his doing, and nor was the car shutting down on him at the grid for race 2.
Various gremlins with the car led to it being given an almost complete makeover.
"We've been having so many different issues, and it was getting too much.
Had we done something wrong? We started from zero, put almost a new car back together, and were allowed to go to an airfield with no wings on the car just to check it over."
courtesy autosport

He showed his class a few times this year, and Red Bull would do well to put him in an STR and measure him against Vergne.
If he fails to live up to expectations, bring in the Russian pay driver.
If RB don't believe Da Costa is good enough then they won't put him in an STR seat. They have someone going to the WsR events and watching his performances so they are in a good enough position to make a judgment. Lest we forget that Brendon Hartley was dropped a few years back after doing Friday sessions and been primed for a race seat in favour of Alguersuari based on half a dozen WsR races.

With regards Kvyat, it's a bit harsh to write him off as a pay driver. He has 23 Formula Renault 2.0 wins and a championship and has scored nearly double Sainz Jrs GP3 points in identical cars and at the same age.

User avatar
FoxHound
55
Joined: 23 Aug 2012, 16:50

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

Of course, its red bulls decision.

I do not have to like it either. However, Da Costa is winning in a higher formula.
Allied to his ill fortune, to which the majority was of his teams doing, why should he be overlooked for a less experienced driver with a fistful of roubles?

The sainz jr comparison is valid in a lower formula.
But to compare Kvyat to Da Costa is nigh on impossible.
We can say both are promising. But we can also say that Da Costa has far more experience.

Whomever watches and feeds back to mateschitz and co should consider also how Da Costa obliterated his team mate Pietro Fantin. Over 100 points difference between the pair.
JET set

User avatar
iotar__
7
Joined: 28 Sep 2012, 12:31

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

Very timely discussion - Kvyat gets Toro Rosso drive in 2014.

Told you, bizarre criteria for Red Bull young drivers program (Vergne, Alguersuari) were apparent for some time.

munudeges
munudeges
-14
Joined: 10 Jun 2011, 17:08

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

Moral of the story? Don't get on the wrong side of Marko.

User avatar
FoxHound
55
Joined: 23 Aug 2012, 16:50

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

Well good luck to Kvyat. Damn shame Da Costa was overlooked.
JET set

User avatar
fritticaldi
3
Joined: 15 Jan 2008, 23:55
Location: Canada

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

Now two Russian drivers (Kvyat and Sirotkin) and a Russian GP (Sochi) in 2014.

User avatar
FoxHound
55
Joined: 23 Aug 2012, 16:50

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

He impressed in the YDT this year and has performed remarkably well according to Marko.
"Whenever we put him in a car his efforts were remarkable," Marko said during an appearance on Red Bull's Servus TV channel.
And I read this from F1technical: http://www.f1technical.net/news/18630

I also checked the times, and here is a link for those.
http://www.crash.net/f1/results/193676/ ... bined.html

I'm not sure what the conditions where on the differing days of the test, but Kvyat was the slowest in terms of overall laptime between him, Sainz Jr and Da Costa.
Maybe he impressed them with his consistency...... :wink:
But let me show my dissatisfaction with the decision in a different light, as it is unfair to judge Kvyat without him turning a wheel in anger yet.

Red Bull Media House have in fact recently(September 2013) signed a deal with Russian partners Russian extreme and IVI.ru to show Red Bull events.
http://www.sportbusiness.com/tv-sports- ... t-partners
We then also have the fact Russia represents an important market for Red Bull as a company.
14% total(drinks) market share as of August this year.
Problem is, Pepsi and Coca-Cola want some energy drink action too. Increased competition has resulted in (russian) market share going from near 100% in 2000, to 70%in 2008 to 50% today.

My point is, when a half decent Russian becomes available...with the possibility of actually paying for his drive, it is PR heaven for Red Bull. They are in F1 to sell cans of bovine taurine. Just as Mercedes, Ferrari et tal are here to sell cars or maintain an image of prestige/legend.

If there is a memo from the Red Bull onlooker who watched Da Costa, and likewise Kvyat, I would love to have read it.
As I reckon it probably got crumpled under the weight of Red Bull's 2014 PR strategy.
Maybe I'm being over cynical...

Either way....Good luck to Kvyat(rolls off the tongue :twisted: )once again.
If I where Da Costa, my CV and agent would be doing the rounds as soon as the news broke.
JET set

User avatar
Kiril Varbanov
147
Joined: 05 Feb 2012, 15:00
Location: Bulgaria, Sofia

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

Congratulations to the young Russian, he also made it into our list of F1 drivers - http://www.f1technical.net/pr/links.php?c=9

I can see lots of people questioning this choice, as opposed to signing Da Costa.
https://twitter.com/EliGP/status/392561448658153472

User avatar
iotar__
7
Joined: 28 Sep 2012, 12:31

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

It's hard to question Kvyat's talent or abilities because the fair assumption is no one has a clue about it :wink: . What Marko says means little, all RB YDP drivers are super talents until they are not needed. What can be questioned is timing of his promotion to F1 or motivation behind it based on previous choices (marketing). Now Vergne has a chance to look good and there was a reason Marko was positive about Sirotkin, he was preparing something more surprising.

Speaking of being prepared, Magnussen claims he's 100% ready for F1. I don't know about it, season in GP2 where he could be out-paced by the likes of Cecotto or Colletti would help to judge it better. The problem is some mistakes might happen and reputation of "next big thing" would be at risk. Reputation seems to be more important than development, the less you do the more can be claimed as da Costa's example painfully showed.

User avatar
SectorOne
166
Joined: 26 May 2013, 09:51

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

What a farce.
"If the only thing keeping a person decent is the expectation of divine reward, then brother that person is a piece of sh*t"

aral
aral
26
Joined: 03 Apr 2010, 22:49

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

SectorOne wrote:What a farce.
Why? His figures stack up better than others, and he seems well worth taking a put on!

User avatar
SectorOne
166
Joined: 26 May 2013, 09:51

Re: Silly Season 2013/14

Post

gilgen wrote:
SectorOne wrote:What a farce.
Why? His figures stack up better than others, and he seems well worth taking a put on!
How does his figures stack up better then Da Costa´s?
Because he´s second in the GP3 championship?

Seems to me this is a proper PR stunt for Red Bull and Russia.
"If the only thing keeping a person decent is the expectation of divine reward, then brother that person is a piece of sh*t"