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[racechick]

Well I still think its mean. He's singled out but other drivers have done just as bad or worse and no ones calling for their head.
DiResta I've never understood the hype and he's well behind his team mate.
Massa, over a 100 points behind his team mate, out qualified as badly as Senna and like this for several years.
Button, close on points, but we know that's down to appalling unreliability on Lewis' McLaren. Out qualified as badly as Senna and not scoring points for six races in a row when the other car was on the podium. Cost Mclaren 2nd place in the constructors. Can you imagine what he would be like trying to find the balance if he had to give up a practise session every week?
Webber Over 100 points behind team mate.

All those drivers get to drive all the practise sessions. And except Di Resta they're all vastly more experienced than Senna
So whilst Senna hasn't done as well as he could have, as I hoped he would, he's far from on his own, and he has more reasons to be in that position than the aforementioned drivers.

[Ferrari man 009]

Senna for me was unlucky, mainly that Maldonado had 1 good win, without that win Senna would have looked a lot better. Good racer and brings the car home most weeks, but Bottas had to be given a place in my opinion and I think Maldonado brings more ££££ so Senna was unlucky.

Would like to see him at Caterham, but only if Kovalainen gets the 2nd set at Lotus.

[Denthúl]

Well I still think its mean. He's singled out but other drivers have done just as bad or worse and no ones calling for their head.

Not true, people have been demanding Massa be replaced for years now, as well as suggesting Webber is past it.

Massa, over a 100 points behind his team mate, out qualified as badly as Senna and like this for several years.

What seems to be lasting effects from his accident. Interviews suggest he's effectively had to learn how to drive at his previous level again, and his performance increase in the latter part of the season seems to support this. That there have also been times when he has had to yield positions which will account for a small part of his points deficit.

Button, close on points, but we know that's down to appalling unreliability on Lewis' McLaren. Out qualified as badly as Senna and not scoring points for six races in a row when the other car was on the podium. Cost Mclaren 2nd place in the constructors. Can you imagine what he would be like trying to find the balance if he had to give up a practise session every week?

Beat Lewis in the previous year, won three races this year and been on the podium several times, has shown that he is good in mixed conditions and is a former world champion. Had an impressive season in 2004 and the latter stages of 2006 where I think he out-scored everyone else.

Webber Over 100 points behind team mate.

Still has strong pace, has won some races in pretty dominant fashion over his career and still manage to win a couple this year. Has also been pretty open on his failings in terms of consistency and has also been hampered by focus on directing the exhaust gasses under the car (compare his performances before and after the off-throttle blowing stuff as an example). Came close to winning the title in 2010, also put in many impressive performances over his career punching above the car's weight.


The difference between these drivers and Senna is that they all showed some impressive pace and performances during their early careers that got them noticed by bigger teams. Senna hasn't really done anything massively impressive - he's shown himself to be a points-scoring driver and he has out-raced Maldonado over the course of the season, but very much seems to have under-performed given the fundamental speed of the Williams car. Add to that a mediocre half-season at Renault in 2011 and not stacking up well against Chandhok very well in 2010, I'd say his time to prove he can do better is running out.

Let's face it, if he was in the same situation as Barrichello in terms of financial backing, he wouldn't have got the drive this season.


On the subject of di Resta, he was impressive in the Friday Testing in 2010, had a good rookie season and a good start to this season, too. He does appear to have trailed off in the latter stage of the season, whilst Hülkenberg has done nothing but improve right from the start. It will be interesting to see if he regains form in 2013, but he might end up going the same way as Senna - towards the door. Now if only someone could give Maldonado a P45, too...

[vlad]

Senna for me was unlucky, mainly that Maldonado had 1 good win, without that win Senna would have looked a lot better. Good racer and brings the car home most weeks, but Bottas had to be given a place in my opinion and I think Maldonado brings more ££££ so Senna was unlucky.

Would like to see him at Caterham, but only if Kovalainen gets the 2nd set at Lotus.

Exactly, but also don't forget that Bottas actually paid for every Friday drive, so he has money. I like how Senna likes to tune the car for more top speed and to fight as hard as he can (remember Spa). Senna needs 1 more chance, I am sure, if he gets to drive all the time he should have, that he'll do much better. The main thing I like about him is his racing attitude, ready to attack, always. But, I fear he won't get another chance, and that really is a problem.

[Hammer278]

Senna is the guy who got beaten by Chandhok during his time in HRT correct, or am I confusing him with someone else?

[racechick]

Senna only had half a season with Chandhok, only nine races.
Prior to that on a three day test for Honda, before they pulled out, he was within .3 seconds of the vastly more experienced Button.

[vlad]

Yeah, the main thing is, he had no consistency in the car, was ALWAYS interrupted. And that hurts the driver a lot.

[Hammer278]

Senna only had half a season with Chandhok, only nine races.
Prior to that on a three day teat for Honda, before they pulled out, he was within .3 seconds of the vastly more experienced Button.

Come on RC...comparing him with Button? Who knows if Button was on one of his usual 'nogrip' days, we need a better benchmark to compare these guys. So far he's not come out on top in any partnership, yes he's had some odds against himself, but we can already deduce he's not going to be a top top driver...another Nick Heidfeld or Paul DiResta at very best.

[Denthúl]

Senna only had half a season with Chandhok, only nine races.
Prior to that on a three day test for Honda, before they pulled out, he was within .3 seconds of the vastly more experienced Button.

It doesn't really make a difference, though, they spent nine races together. They had that car from the same point at the start of the season, and Chandhok came out on top in that time.

The Honda thing isn't really meaningful either. We don't know the respective programmes either driver was on and it was a car that Button had struggled with all season.

[andrew]

Ahh! Compared to many of his fellow F1 drivers and especially compared to his famous uncle, he's plain sh!te. Reminds me of Nelsinho Piquet. Go drive some nastycars or somtin'!

What an insult to Nelsinho Piquet! He was actually quite good - remember the one race where the team actually supported him and he lead for a while, finally finishing 2nd? Taht ain't a sh!te driver.

But you're right about Senna.

[Hammer278]

Ahh! Compared to many of his fellow F1 drivers and especially compared to his famous uncle, he's plain sh!te. Reminds me of Nelsinho Piquet. Go drive some nastycars or somtin'!

What an insult to Nelsinho Piquet! He was actually quite good - remember the one race where the team actually supported him and he lead for a while, finally finishing 2nd? Taht ain't a sh!te driver.

But you're right about Senna.

To be honest if Nelsinho and Bruno were the only 2 drivers I could pick as a manager, I'd take Nelsinho. I mean, the guy can put in flashes of brilliance and seemed to have more raw talent. Not to mention, he'd crash in perfect style wherever I tell him..that's a unique talent right there.

[scotty]

What an insult to Nelsinho Piquet! He was actually quite good - remember the one race where the team actually supported him and he lead for a while, finally finishing 2nd? Taht ain't a sh!te driver.

Yeah it wasn't like he fluked that one with useful safety car timing or anything...

Piquet was the biggest joke in recent F1 times, and that says a lot when you look at some of the guys on the grid.

[andrew]

Look who his team mate and team principle were. The guy never stood a chance, regardless of how good he was.

[scotty]

Look who his team mate and team principle were. The guy never stood a chance, regardless of how good he was.

Standard Alonso/Briatore myth... Trulli outscored the guy in '04, it was nothing to do with Piquet getting screw over.

[andrew]

I don't believe for a single minute that Piquet treated fairly during his time in F1.

Being told crash or you're out of a job isn't exactly fair treatment is it?