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[lauf1]

I wanted to put it out there and see who people thought would be driving for Toro Rosso in 2012 seeing as they have quite a pot to choose from! There is a lot of dicussion around Renault and Williams, but I've not really got anyones opinions on STR yet. So, what drivers do you think will be driving with Toro Rosso in 2012 - why those two, and why not the other two? Or you can just vote if you can't be arsed to write anything!

For your consideration:

In 2013, it's inevitable that Red Bull will be looking for a driver who can replace Mark Webber. This is most likely going to be one of the Toro Rosso boys, so who Toro Rosso choose as their drivers will be critical for Red Bull.

Sebastien Buemi - Has put in consistant and reasonably strong performances all year, but fallen foul to a few teachnical issues and has never been able to push that car a little bit further.
Jaime Alguersuari - Weak start to the season, although he lost out on the first six FP1 sessions of the season to Daniel Ricciardo. Since then has put in some very commendable drives including a qualifying performance that broke the top six.
Daniel Ricciardo - Excelled in the Abu Dhabi young drivers test in 2010, has expereince in the Toro Rosso car from FP sessions, and has on track expereince from behind the wheel of a HRT.
Jean-Eric Vergne - Finished runner up in Formula Renault 3.5, and like Ricciardo has experience in the Toro Rosso from FP sessions, and excelled in the Abu Dhabi young drivers test, however he has no racing experience in Formula One.

[CarBore]

Personally I'd like to see alg and rich in the toro rosso and the newer vergne maybe taking the get seat. I dont really know where that leave buemi though

[scotty]

Alguersuari and Ricciardo. Easy.

Thread moved to polls.

[Denthúl]

I'd like for it to be Alguersuari and Ricciardo, but I think it's going to end up being Alguersuari and Buemi again. Although Alguersuari is doing better in my opinion, they're both having a strong run at the moment (although Buemi has had some bad luck).

[andrew]

I think Ricciardo is a certainty for Torro Rosso and then Red Bull. It's a question of when and not if.

[Frontrunner]

I just really want Ricciardo in a STR next year, don't care which driver has to lose out, but I do think Algey has it over Buemi for me.

[vlad]

Vergne is brutal!

[GRHinPorts]

Cant see that either Algey or Buemi strike me as WDC contenders. So since we are talking about potential RBR partners for Vettel in 2013 I think they should be using the more exciting Vergne and Ricciardo at Toro Rosso in 2012 to establish who is the best pick to go on to the higher stakes the following year.

[LewEngBridewell]

Of the current pairing, I'm of the opinion that if either of them get retained, then it will most likely be Jaime Alguersuari. Suffering from what many thought was a premature entrance into the sport back in '09, which was also one of the first seasons plagued by the testing ban, he was certainly thrown in at the deep end. Lately, he's been the stronger of Toro Rosso's two drivers.

As for the others, I have been seriously impressed by the performances which Daniel Ricciardo has been putting in with the HRT. He has clearly had the measure of his much more experienced team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi. I definitely see him carrying lots of future potential, and he may work his way up to Red Bull one day.

Verne seemed pretty much on it in the young driver test, and he's another strong candidate. I would be happy to see either Ricciardo, Alguersuari or Verne in a Toro Rosso seat next season, so given the two options, I went for Alguersuari and Verne as my PREDICTED line-up.

[Rej]

I voted for Buemi and Alguersuari.
My opinion is that any forthcoming change will occur in 2013.

[lauf1]

I made the poll and I haven't even added my own opinion! (brace yourselves for an essay)

I think it will be Alguersuari and Ricciardo for the seat.

I think Buemi is a good driver and I would like to see his seat retained, but he's just not been good enough - hasn't got the results of his less experienced team mate.

For me, considering the fact that Alguersuari missed the first half of 09 and missed FP in the first six races this year, he's done well. At the start when he struggled, he stayed on Buemis tail, even though he'd had a third less time to get used to the tyres, DRS e.c.t., and he had very good pace in China, and has since built on that and has excelled with some incredible results even breaking the top six in Belgium. I also think he's got a huge marketability with his modeling and DJing, and I also think Toro Rosso would loose a few sponsors if he left - Cepsa for instance (I know they said there weren't there just because of Alguersuari, but do you think they would be there if he wasn't?), plus after the recent remarks from Domenicalli, Whitmarsh and Brawn, I think Toro Rosso will be much, much more convinced into keeping him.

I think there is no question Dan will get the seat in STR next year too - just the fact that Toro Rosso are continuing to pay for him to race with Hispania shows how much they are willing to put out to get him in a seat and in a good position to race well, plus having seen him compete in Formula Renault 3.5, I know he is an incredible racer (and I can understand a bit why Red Bull like him so much). He had a nice battle with Jean-Eric Vergne at Silverstone I think, and even though Jean Eric Vergne was in a car that was faster that weekend, Ricciardo still fought him off when he tried to overtake and eventually came out on top.

I think Jean-Eric Vergne is good, he's impressed in the testing so far, but I don't think he is as good as Ricciardo (can't really compare him to Buemi or Alguersuari), and I really can't see them putting a driver with no F1 race experience whatsoever into the car when 2012 is the year they will be looking for Mark Webbers replacement. For one they will need someone decent to compare with Dan - there is no question that Dan will be way ahead of Jean-Eric for at least the first half of the season if those two were to race together, which means they won't really be able to measure Dans true pace, and Toro Rosso will want someone who is good and has knowledge of the car to compare Dan to, so for me the only one they can choose in that instance is Alguersuari. Plus, they won't really be able to measure Jean-Eric's true potential until at least the season half-way point when he's settled in, and by then, Red Bull will have seen Dan do well and will have made up their mind that they want Dan. Plus I don't think there is any way Red Bull would think of taking Jean-Eric over Dan in 2013 - he would be too inexperienced for the Red Bull, and I think Dan is just plainly a better driver - I can see Jean turning into the Buemi of 2011 - good, but just not as good as his team mate. Plus Red Bull will want options - what if Dan gets in the Toro Rosso and isn't as good as they though - like I said, Red Bull won't want an unexperienced driver in the other seat. So choosing one of the other two seems like a much more sensible option - they have experience and (Alguersuari at least) talent enough for a Red Bull seat.