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[scotty]

There's definitely potential in Maldonado.

Has there ever been a driver who's been relatively sucky in lower categories, but then gone and kicked butt in F1?

Kobayashi might fit that bill.

edit - actually he still won a GP2 race, and the GP2 Asia title plus some lower tier stuff.

Karthikeyan's record is pretty meh, but then he's probably the worst driver on the grid.

[vaptin]

Maldonaldo is the clearest example I could think off, where a driver got backing based on his nationality. Backing on the basis of nationality was, in turn, the clearest example I could think of for "non-sporting based bias" for pay drivers. Normally sponsors will generally gravitate towards drivers that are highly rated, as fans normally do too. . .

He does have talent, Scotty makes a fair point that even though financial backing has played a part, almost all the drivers getting into f1 have clear examples of talent as well (Piquet Jnr for example).

The simplest solution to solving problems where pay drivers don't appear to have the basic talent level is to tighten the criteria for super licenses.

There are more long term problems though which I mentioned earlier,

1. Why teams need pay drivers in the first place, shouldn't their biggest motivator be to get the best driver they can get in terms of getting the best possible results? (i.e the cost of a non-pay driver versus a pay driver very clearly pays off for the driver with better results).
2. How expensive even low levels of motorsport are, although driving academics by teams helps with this.

[killem2]

That's a shame about Kubica.

[acosmichippo]

Maldonaldo is the clearest example I could think off, where a driver got backing based on his nationality. Backing on the basis of nationality was, in turn, the clearest example I could think of for "non-sporting based bias" for pay drivers. Normally sponsors will generally gravitate towards drivers that are highly rated, as fans normally do too. . .

He does have talent, Scotty makes a fair point that even though financial backing has played a part, almost all the drivers getting into f1 have clear examples of talent as well (Piquet Jnr for example).

The simplest solution to solving problems where pay drivers don't appear to have the basic talent level is to tighten the criteria for super licenses.

There are more long term problems though which I mentioned earlier,

1. Why teams need pay drivers in the first place, shouldn't their biggest motivator be to get the best driver they can get in terms of getting the best possible results? (i.e the cost of a non-pay driver versus a pay driver very clearly pays off for the driver with better results).
2. How expensive even low levels of motorsport are, although driving academics by teams helps with this.

Let's not forget that Maldonado won the GP2 championship in 2010. They didn't exactly pick him up out of the slums in Venezuela.

[zurich_allan]

Maldonaldo is the clearest example I could think off, where a driver got backing based on his nationality. Backing on the basis of nationality was, in turn, the clearest example I could think of for "non-sporting based bias" for pay drivers. Normally sponsors will generally gravitate towards drivers that are highly rated, as fans normally do too. . .

He does have talent, Scotty makes a fair point that even though financial backing has played a part, almost all the drivers getting into f1 have clear examples of talent as well (Piquet Jnr for example).

The simplest solution to solving problems where pay drivers don't appear to have the basic talent level is to tighten the criteria for super licenses.

There are more long term problems though which I mentioned earlier,

1. Why teams need pay drivers in the first place, shouldn't their biggest motivator be to get the best driver they can get in terms of getting the best possible results? (i.e the cost of a non-pay driver versus a pay driver very clearly pays off for the driver with better results).
2. How expensive even low levels of motorsport are, although driving academics by teams helps with this.

Let's not forget that Maldonado won the GP2 championship in 2010. They didn't exactly pick him up out of the slums in Venezuela.

Lol, you only have to look back a few posts (just the last page) to see that this has already been discussed - vaptin's post was more in response to that, not raising Maldonado as a new issue in this post.

[bud]

It's a constructor sport! It doesn't matter how good the driver is, he won't...sorry, he or she won't be able to pull a crap car up the field. Teams need money to run the outfit and develop their cars. Saying that even having pay drivers won't solve the teams problems financially and magically give them enough funding for greater car development.

So it is a tough one but without pay drivers we probably would have a lesser field in car numbers as teams wouldn't be able to afford to be in F1.

[Blackavar]

That's a shame about Kubica.

It really is. I can't imagine what he's going through. Really hope he can make it back for at least a race at some point... but it doesn't seem likely.

[LRW]

That's a shame about Kubica.

It really is. I can't imagine what he's going through. Really hope he can make it back for at least a race at some point... but it doesn't seem likely.

Now this is from an italian website, which has been translated, but it seems Kubica was test driving a rally car yesterday. So maybe its not all as bad as Alguersuari is making out.....? Apparently his pace was pretty good.

Clickedy-click-click

I originally got the link from the bleow blog site. So not the most trusted of sources, but a glimmer of hope perhaps?

mouse.here.click

[LewEngBridewell]

He was driving a what?? A... a ...... a RALLY CAR?!?!?!?!!?

[geetface9]

If he was doing some rally then he's a idiot.

[andrew]

If he was doing some rally then he's a idiot.

Why is he an idiot? If he is fit enough then why not?

Years ago a friends brother had a major smash not long after passing his driving test. Totally wrecked his car but he was ok. A bit shaken but nothing worse. The doctor that saw him straight after the accident said he was ok, so he was told (not asked but told) to drive home by his mum who had to pick him up from the local GP seeing as they lived in the middle of nowhere. First round-about he got to he froze, but if he hadn't been put back in a car and forced to drive then he probably wouldn't have driven fr a good while, if at all. I womder if this is the reasoning (albeit applied on a much larger scale considering Kubica's injuries) behind Kubica getting into a rally car.

[LRW]

If he was doing some rally then he's a idiot.

Why is he an idiot? If he is fit enough then why not?

Well I think people might think that, seeing as its the sport that has potentially ruined his F1 career (A career he is desperately trying to get back to), then maybe it would be wise to stear clear of it? I dont know if it shows the right form of commitment to any future F1 bosses out there, that he is dedicated to F1.

Look at Mark Webber. When he broke his leg just before the 2008 Season, whilst doing his Tasmania Challenge, he did the sensible thing, and did not put the challenge event on for the next couple of years. This was to show his dedication to F1 and let the dust settle again, before he started it again in 2011.

Thats my opinion anyway.

[andrew]

If he was doing some rally then he's a idiot.

Why is he an idiot? If he is fit enough then why not?

Well I think people might think that, seeing as its the sport that has potentially ruined his F1 career (A career he is desperately trying to get back to), then maybe it would be wise to stear clear of it? I dont know if it shows the right form of commitment to any future F1 bosses out there, that he is dedicated to F1.

Look at Mark Webber. When he broke his leg just before the 2008 Season, whilst doing his Tasmania Challenge, he did the sensible thing, and did not put the challenge event on for the next couple of years. This was to show his dedication to F1 and let the dust settle again, before he started it again in 2011.

Thats my opinion anyway.

Or you could look at it as Kubica exploring an alternative to F1.

[LRW]

Or you could look at it as Kubica exploring an alternative to F1.

But from what I have read, he is still 100% trying to get fit for F1, so it just seems stupid to me....

[Frontrunner]

He was driving a what?? A... a ...... a RALLY CAR?!?!?!?!!?

I'm thinking the same thing, you would think he would stay away from that, But hopefully one day we can see Kubica make a return to F1.