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Formula 1 2017 Season |OT2| A Dutch Horror Story - Sundays on Sky

What's the thinking in the paddock around Kubica? Did he acquit himself well at that recent test, or was he disappointing? Is the concern a loss of strength in his arm, or a loss of 'feel' (for want of a better term)? So in other words, is it endurance or pace that is the main concern?
 

Dr.Phibes

Member
What's the thinking in the paddock around Kubica? Did he acquit himself well at that recent test, or was he disappointing? Is the concern a loss of strength in his arm, or a loss of 'feel' (for want of a better term)? So in other words, is it endurance or pace that is the main concern?

No one really knows, though German outlet Auto Bild claimed he was about a second slower than expected. But I'd take that with huge grain of salt.
 

chadskin

Member
Pierre Gasly is poised to make his Formula 1 debut for Toro Rosso as soon as this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, with multiple sources suggesting that the Italian team has decided to rest Daniil Kvyat.
There are suggestions that he will do both the Malaysian and Japanese Grands Prix, but will be unable to race in Austin because it clashes with the finale of the Japanese Super Formula championship.
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/gasly-poised-racing-debut-kyvat-957782/
 

Jezbollah

Member
What's the thinking in the paddock around Kubica? Did he acquit himself well at that recent test, or was he disappointing? Is the concern a loss of strength in his arm, or a loss of 'feel' (for want of a better term)? So in other words, is it endurance or pace that is the main concern?

I dont know about the paddock, but given these new F1 cars are a lot more physical I'm surprised that Kubica didnt make his comeback earlier, if it was ever on the cards.

The fact it's all gone quiet about him since that test makes me think he's either not ready, or wont be back.
 

Mohonky

Member
Kyvat will have known he was just seat warming though, he was never getting a seat at Redbull again and Toro Rosso exists just for Redbull up and coming drivers.

Off to Formula E I suppose
 
New Engine and the loss of Sainz Jr. was always an opportunity to to clean house, no idea why they even entertained keeping Kvyat. Gasly and a promising junior from outside of the RB program.
 

Mohonky

Member
New Engine and the loss of Sainz Jr. was always an opportunity to to clean house, no idea why they even entertained keeping Kvyat. Gasly and a promising junior from outside of the RB program.

I doubt they did, they just didnt have anyone to replace him with, it was always going to happen the second they did.

Oh absolutely, but any other team would have waited until the end of the season before moving/dropping a driver.

Its Redbull....they've already dropped him once mid season.

Dont forget this is also the team that keeps screaming they are taking the ball and going home when something goes even slightly wrong. They spent years winning Championships with Renault and look at how fast they tried to drop them, they even have Renault engines now but they dont call them that and next year they are doing soomething with Aston Martin despite Aston Martin not making anything.
 
Kvyat has been keeping that TR seat warm ever since he was demoted. The only reason he's still in the team, is to drive the second car on the grid, until another driver was ready to replace him. That's the entire point. The moment Max took over his seat at Red Bull, he had no future at that team or the junior team. You can't come back from that.
 

DBT85

Member
Renault was shit in 2014 and 2015 and hasn't got much better. Redbull lost Vettel to Ferrari, who have now closed the gap to Mercedes. Renault is still there as a third best engine that can't win on merit. Redbull is going to lose another driver or maybe both because the engine isn't competitive.

...And then helped them go to shit for four seasons more. Renault can cry me a river, unreliable underpowered engine that is only not publicly shamed because Honda had so much trouble.

Watch Honda overtake Renault by the end of next year.

Renault were indeed shit, but Honda were shitter and McLaren didn't start throwing them under the bus every week until much later. As a result Red Bull tried to part ways before actually having another engine lined up, ending up with the same Renault badged with the well know engine maker Tag Heurerere.

I really have very little sympathy with them after they way they chose to deal with it.
 

Tempy

don't ask me for codes
If Gasly does well, do you think they'll have him race Austin instead of Super Formula? He's in 2nd place; just 1/2 point behind.
 

JDB

Banned
"Daniil Kvyat has not really shown his true potential so far this year, which is why we are standing him down for the next races"

wew
 

xrnzaaas

Member
I would never pick Kvyat as the first (only?) driver to lose a seat this year midseason. He was crappy, but it's still a surprise.
 

John_B

Member
Kvyat was promoted only because Red Bull got caught out with Vettel leaving the team a year early. Red Bull could have handled the demotion better and I think everyone accepted that his following slump was caused by those circumstances. This year he should have bounced back and showed that he belonged in the big team, but he continued his extremely poor form for 14 races straight. Kvyat is a decent driver but I would be surprised if other teams are calling his agent at this point.
 

DrM

Redmond's Baby
AMuS reporting that one Halo protective device will cost between 13.000 and 24.000 euro. FIA will decide between three providers.
 

Business

Member
Pairing Gasly (even if he is a rookie) with Sainz will give them a better idea of Gasly’s level. Kvyat had become useless even as a benchmark.
 

Spades

Member
Honestly, they should have never kept him around after Verstappen replaced him.

Exactly; I said this at the time. It was clear he had very little chance of a future with Red Bull and when they've got so many youngsters on their payroll, giving Kvyat another season at the time seemed ridiculous.
 

DD

Member
Poor Daniil, he seems to be a nice guy, but his performances were lacking. I thought they would keep him for the next year, since Sainz is getting out and they are getting a new engine (so they'll need someone to use as a benchmark), but it seems that they decided to use Gasly for that purpose. Ruthless, but makes sense. I feel bad for Daniil tho.

BTW, Andre Lotterer is joining the Formula E too, with Tcheetah. This is great news!
 

Magni

Member
Not much of a motorsport fan, but I was coincidentally in Singapore last weekend, so my wife and I went to see the race at the Bay grandstand (Turn 17). My best friend from high school is an engineer at Scuderia Ferrari, so I was excited to finally see the car he's been working on in person. Needless to say, I'll need to go to another GP to see them.
 

Burai

shitonmychest57
Replacing Kvyat seems easy enough, but the prospect of taking another F2/3 driver outside of Red Bull's programme would leave them with real egg on their faces. They like to take them from karts and nurture them, not pick up existing packages.

Then you have a selection of high level drivers who are in the Red Bull stable but outside of F1 like Andrew Jordan, Mattias Ekstrom, Sebastien Ogier or Sebastian Loeb, none of whom are eligible/interested/good enough.

Then you have high level drivers who aren't in the stable. Not as embarrassing until you realise your best options include Buemi, Vergne and Hartley, all chewed up and spat out by the Red Bull programme and unlikely to want to come back.

Red Bull have all the options in the world, but can't really take any of them. Kvyat is the least worst option for them.
 

Aiii

So not worth it
Replacing Kvyat seems easy enough, but the prospect of taking another F2/3 driver outside of Red Bull's programme would leave them with real egg on their faces. They like to take them from karts and nurture them, not pick up existing packages.

Ikr, they really ate so much crow when they picked up that guy Verstappen and put him in an STR outta nowhere.
 

Zeknurn

Member
Replacing Kvyat seems easy enough, but the prospect of taking another F2/3 driver outside of Red Bull's programme would leave them with real egg on their faces. They like to take them from karts and nurture them, not pick up existing packages.

Then you have a selection of high level drivers who are in the Red Bull stable but outside of F1 like Andrew Jordan, Mattias Ekstrom, Sebastien Ogier or Sebastian Loeb, none of whom are eligible/interested/good enough.

Then you have high level drivers who aren't in the stable. Not as embarrassing until you realise your best options include Buemi, Vergne and Hartley, all chewed up and spat out by the Red Bull programme and unlikely to want to come back.

Red Bull have all the options in the world, but can't really take any of them. Kvyat is the least worst option for them.

You know, if they wanted someone experienced with the Honda power unit I heard there's a certain Spaniard up for grabs.
 

dl77

Member
Oh absolutely, but any other team would have waited until the end of the season before moving/dropping a driver.

To be fair it's not just Red Bull that do this. I think that Renault have been desperately trying to get rid of Palmer but his contract's pretty watertight and didn't BMW drop Villeneuve for Kubica?
 

Burai

shitonmychest57
To be fair it's not just Red Bull that do this. I think that Renault have been desperately trying to get rid of Palmer but his contract's pretty watertight and didn't BMW drop Villeneuve for Kubica?

Lotus took on Palmer when they were desperate for money so as long as the MSV payments keep coming he's going nowhere. Renault would still be lumbered with Maldonado if the Venezuelan oil money didn't stop coming in.

Villeneuve was on a salary so he was easier to get rid of.
 

Tempy

don't ask me for codes
There are currently no promising Red Bull juniors after Gasly.

Kari's been dropped (GP3 10th). Ticktum (7th), Verschoor (10th), Verhagen (11th) aren't burning up the standings in Formula Renault 2.0 either. There are 4 others, but they're like 13-14 years old and in karting.
 

Jezbollah

Member
Not much of a motorsport fan, but I was coincidentally in Singapore last weekend, so my wife and I went to see the race at the Bay grandstand (Turn 17). My best friend from high school is an engineer at Scuderia Ferrari, so I was excited to finally see the car he's been working on in person. Needless to say, I'll need to go to another GP to see them.

You could probably fly to Malaysia and still get a ticket for race day this weekend :D
 

Fox Mulder

Member
Dont forget this is also the team that keeps screaming they are taking the ball and going home when something goes even slightly wrong. They spent years winning Championships with Renault and look at how fast they tried to drop them, they even have Renault engines now but they dont call them that and next year they are doing soomething with Aston Martin despite Aston Martin not making anything.

Redbull gets shit for trashing Renault, while McLaren was whining about Honda quickly, Alonso's famous GP2 engine remark was in 2015. That got louder in 2016, and finally they broke from a contract in the third year.

Renault has been mediocre this entire formula and can't provide a competitive engine that can win on merit. Crazy shit like Baku or Mercedes issues have to happen for Redbull to pull off a win. Why should they be happy. They lost Vettel to Ferrari, and will likely lose another driver or even both. 2020 is a long ways off.
 

Mohonky

Member
Redbull gets shit for trashing Renault, while McLaren was whining about Honda quickly, louder in 2016, and finally broke from a contract in the third year. Renault has been mediocre this entire formula and can't provide a competitive engine that can win on merit. Crazy shit like Baku or Mercedes issues have to happen for Redbull to pull off a win. Why should they be happy.

Renault haven't been even remotely as close to as bad as Honda. They aren't even in the same league. You're comparing an engine as reliable as the Merc or Ferrari but a bit down on power to an engine that is even more underpowered and yet can't even go a full race weekend.

Redbull were also throwing the towel in on Renault on their first year of hardship and in the second threatening to leave the sport entirely and making demands that Ferrari or Merc not only supply them but also making demands about how the details of that would unfold.

McLaren at least tried to turn something around quietly before revealing they needed an out, Alonso of course has been quite outspoken but McLaren themselves haven't been throwing the almighty tantrums threatening and making demands.
 

DD

Member
There are currently no promising Red Bull juniors after Gasly.

Kari's been dropped (GP3 10th). Ticktum (7th), Verschoor (10th), Verhagen (11th) aren't burning up the standings in Formula Renault 2.0 either. There are 4 others, but they're like 13-14 years old and in karting.

This Red Bull Jr. program is actually smaller than it looks, cuz' some people pay to be part of it. They aren't there because Red Bull thinks they have the potential to be a great Formula 1 driver.
 
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