Barrichello tipped to stay at Williams

F1 Fanatic round-up

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In the round-up: Rubens Barrichello could stay at Williams this year.

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

Barrichello back in Williams frame (BBC)

Rubens Barrichello, the veteran who has driven for the team for the last two seasons, is back in with a chance of staying with [Williams] for 2012.”

ScarbsF1 via Twitter

“According to Race Engine Technology magazine Pure Racing will have a Gilles Simon-designed 2014 F1 engine ready for dyno testing in July.”

Paul di Resta guns for Sebastian Vettel again (Daily Star)

“Monaco-based di Resta, who works for less money than he was paid when he won the 2010 German Touring Car championship, comes from a racing background.”

Rosberg: Missing test no problem (Autosport)

“It is the compromise between testing early enough and having enough time to develop. And they need to find a middle way – and they have decided that that is the best way to do it.”

Charity success: 19,000 USD for Kamui Kobayashi’s helmet (Sauber)

“The joint project between Sauber F1 Team driver Kamui Kobayashi and the rock band Linkin Park has been very successful: 19,000 US dollars have been raised for the one-off helmet with which Kobayashi raced at the finale of the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship in Sao Paulo.”

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Comment of the day

The Limit wants to see how Sebastian Vettel performs under pressure:

The true test for Vettel will be when things do not go his way. When the car is not performing while others are, and when the media starts wagging and pointing their fingers and speculating as the why the double champion is no longer winning.

Other drivers have experienced that pressure recently, non more so than Lewis Hamilton and it is obviously a place no one wants to be in. But that is what you get when you are the supposed top man in your profession, and those who are quick to heap praise on the young German now will be also quick to pour scorn down the road when things get tough.

How he deals with the pressure if, for instance, Fernando Alonso has a strong 2012 or the McLarens improve is the million dollar question? Then we will see what Vettel is made of, in terms of his real personality and his ability to handle pressure. As far as his driving is concerned, he obviously is extremely talented, but I would like to see him perform in a sub-par car to really see how he gets on.
The Limit

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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106 comments on “Barrichello tipped to stay at Williams”

  1. Please tell me that today is not a public holiday in the UK. I need my fix of Formula 1 news!

    “Rubens Barrichello, the veteran who has driven for the team for the last two seasons, is back in with a chance of staying with [Williams] for 2012.”

    I’m kind of disappointed. Rubens is a great driver, but I think he’s been in the sport a little too long. I was hoping Adrian Sutil might land at Williams. It would be interesting to see how he adapts to a new team, given that Force India was at the back of the grid when they started, and now they’re sixth overall.

    1. Barrichello might have been in the sport for too long, but he’s been hunting for sponsors, and so far he’s netted 5 million dollars. Compare that attitude to Nico Hulkenberg, who decided not to seek out any sponsors as he was adamant that his talent alone would earn him a 2011 seat. Sure, it’d be nice to see a younger driver in that seat, like a Valtteri Bottas or a Sutil, but Rubens really does have motivation, and he provides better technical feedback than Sutil.

      If either Senna or Barrichello get the Williams seat (and some GP2 Venezuelan gets the HRT seat), I think Sutil would benefit from becoming Ferrari’s reserve assuming Bianchi becomes Force India’s third driver. Sutil would then better his technical feedback skills and would become a worthy candidate to replace an underperforming Massa.

      1. Compare that attitude to Nico Hulkenberg, who decided not to seek out any sponsors as he was adamant that his talent alone would earn him a 2011 seat.

        I’m well aware of that – it’s the main reason why I don’t like him.

        I don’t mind Rubens at all. When he retires, I think he’d be great in a political role of some kind, like FIA president, or Formula 1 Commissioner (if Todt – or whoever replaces him – decides to revive it). But if Rubens is racing in 2012, then I want him to race because he’s still got the X-factor and not so that he can say he started his twentieth season. The problem is that the FW32 and FW33 haven’t been phenomenal (and Button thrashed him in the Brawn BGP-001), so it’s a bit hard to judge.

      2. Barrichello might have been in the sport for too long, but he’s been hunting for sponsors, and so far he’s netted 5 million dollars. Compare that attitude to Nico Hulkenberg, who decided not to seek out any sponsors as he was adamant that his talent alone would earn him a 2011 seat

        There’s a slight difference: Barrichello could be out from F1 even with those 5 millions in sponsors and never come back. Hulkemberg was out for a year and then he got a drive for Force India.

        Of course he’s pushing for sponsors: he knows he’s not the favourite within the teams. Despite his massive experience, F1’s quite done for him…

        1. If that’s the view you take on Rubens, what do you make of Pastor?

      3. i think the hulk did the right thing by not sucking up to williams. now he is in a more competitive team. plus he still has his dignity.

        1. How is helping them out when they need it the most “sucking up” to them? It’s a matter of course that drivers bring sponsors, and given the way Hulkenberg was so highly-rated in 2010, he should have had an easier time than aonyone else finding sponsors for the team. He could have kept his seat and kept the team afloat simply by doing what everyone else does. And to be fair, he did owe his career to Williams, since they signed up up to the team early and guided him through the junior ranks. The least he could do was find them a sponsor. Frankly, he doesn’t deserve a drive with his attitude. I sincerely hope he struggles in 2012. It would be the least he deserves for such hubris.

          1. The least he could do was find them a sponsor

            Williams dumped Nico. Why should he have to bring sponsors to a team off his own back just because they supported him in his younger years? Surely driving well for the team and earning points is bringing enough money to the team. Do you really thing Alonso approaches Santander first or do you think it might just be the other way around?

            Perhaps you should be blaming the company for floating on the market before you go blaming their drivers for not finding cash to give them.

            Frankly, he doesn’t deserve a drive with his attitude. I sincerely hope he struggles in 2012. It would be the least he deserves for such hubris.

            Well, wishing ill on others is pretty low.

          2. @prisoner-monkeys

            he did owe his career to Williams

            Garbage. He was the one holding the steering wheel when he won championships in A1GP, Formula Three and GP2. He deserves the credit.

            The least he could do was find them a sponsor. Frankly, he doesn’t deserve a drive with his attitude.

            I couldn’t disagree more. If only we could have 24 drivers in the sport who all proved they were good enough on merit without the sponsors coming into it.

            Using this as a reason to dislike Hulkenberg is baffling. I don’t understand how as a fan you can prize sponsor-friendliness over raw ability. This is supposed to be a sport, you know.

          3. @prisoner_monkeys and @keith_collantine Being fair I think pay drivers are wrong, this are guys that don´t have the position and credentials to earn the drive for themselves. But is not the same that a driver get sponsor for a team when he knows that they need the money. Williams was honest with Hulkenberg, they knew they need it money and they asked for his help, he couldn´t bend his “honor” for the good of the team, he is not a team player.

            Weber has Qantar (I don´t know the name of the Australian airline) and Vettel has H&S and Infiniti beside RB. Button has also has a contract with H&S and Hamilton with Gillete.

          4. @celeste Perhaps I missed something earlier but when did Hulkenberg refuse to get a sponsor? Might it not be the case that he wasn’t able to find one? After all, there are several German drivers already in F1, and sponsors tend to choose drivers of a particular nationality.

            But I say again, what a driver is able to do in the cockpit matters infinitely more to me than whether a sponsor likes them. I would have thought that was the case for most fans? After all, if it were up to the sponsors, F1 would be a contest between 24 Sakon Yamamotos.

          5. @Keith_collantine

            In here:

            ‘I don’t want to be a driver who gets a seat because of money. I never wanted to, it’s not my intention,’ Hulkenberg said.

            ‘For me talent counts, I hope for the team too. ‘I think both sides are still interested in each other and I’m quite confident that we will get together but there is nothing official or nothing I can openly talk about.

            ‘My point of view is that I really would like to stay with Williams, because the car can be competitive next year.’

          6. @celeste Thanks for that. OK, let’s take Hulkenberg’s words at face value and assume he was asked to find sponsorship to stay at Williams and refused.

            But I have to say this quote from Hulkenberg only reinforces my view on this subject.

            I fail to see how anyone can read this:

            I don’t want to be a driver who gets a seat because of money.

            And think worse of Nico Hulkenberg for it.

            He is saying racing drivers should earn their place in F1 by being good at what they do. Not by being a pretty face the sponsors like.

            I appreciate people can have different opinions but surely as F1 fans we can all agree that F1 should showcase the best drivers in the world, and not just those who are best at getting sponsors?

          7. @keith_collantine I get your point, but my view is the one of a fan and bussines person, the economy is bad, the team is in trouble, they are honest with you… they NEED MONEY!!!!

            As an employee I have seem it, people that work hard and sacrifice earnings for an enterprise, people that looks for clients (read as sponsors) for projects!!! Is doesn´t take anything from them, if any shows how comited they are to help the team, and for me thats important.

            Hulkenberg was already on F1, he wouldn´t have been buying a seat, he would have been helping HIS team.

            Even knowing the situation in that moment Hulkenberg asked for more money:

            Autosprint reports sponsors, including RBS and Philips, are prepared to walk away at the same time Hulkenberg’s manager Willi Weber has approached Sir Frank Williams for a pay-rise for his client.

            Yes a F1 driver should be amount the best driver on Motosport, but this time I think that the ones that were stubborn were Hulkenberg and Weber.

          8. Garbage. He was the one holding the steering wheel when he won championships in A1GP, Formula Three and GP2. He deserves the credit.

            I suppose by that logic, Sebastian Vettel owes nothing to Red Bull.

            Williams signed Nico Hulkenberg to their version of a young driver program early in his career, with the intention of guiding him through the ranks.

            If only we could have 24 drivers in the sport who all proved they were good enough on merit without the sponsors coming into it.

            Unfortunately, the nature of the sport means that we can’t have that – and Hulkenberg should have acknowledged as much. his manager certainly knew it.

            I don’t understand how as a fan you can prize sponsor-friendliness over raw ability. This is supposed to be a sport, you know.

            I don’t prize sponsor-friendliness of talent. I prize attitude.

            Williams was losing sponsors. They knew it was coming. They asked Hulkenberg to give them a hand. He was highly-rated, so he should have had a very easy time of finding sponsors. But Hulkenberg said no – he wanted to be judged on his talent, and his talent alone. Which would be an admirable sentiment if his 2010 season had been mind-blowing. But it wasn’t. Aside from one pole position, nobody can name anything Nico Hulkenberg achieved in 2010. And here he is saying “I won’t bring sponsors because I deserve to be judged on my talent” when other, more impressive drivers have their own sponsors. Hulkenberg’s attitude just reeks of hubris, like Ralf Schumacher proclaiming that he was the third-best driver in Formula 1. How on earth can I appreciate Hulkenberg’s talent when he’s so full of himself?

          9. I must say, I am a bit late to this discussion, but I will join in nevertheless because I think that the view presented here by PM is really amiss.

            Thank you @celeste for providing the quotes, to keep it from wild speculation on “he said this or that”.

            As for @prisoner-monkeys view of Hulkenberg, do not forget we are talking about press statements made in a negotiation process. And if you want to dismiss a driver for these words, take into account that said driver since parted ways with his manager, clearly a sign that he himself was not satisfied with how it ended at the time!

            I fully agree with @keithcollantines view, that we should be glad of a driver who wants to be in the sport for his talent and skill, not for money.

            And I think it highly likely, that would Willi Weber have been able to find German (or any others) sponsors to back his driver with money even getting a third to what Maldonado brought, he would not have hesitated a moment to bring this into the deal. Either ending Rubens career a year earlier or keeping Maldonado off the grid.
            Even Weber did not mangage that with so many Germans, amongst them Schumacher and Vettel bidding for German sponsors. But do not forget that Frank Williams has always been known a hard bargain when drivers are concerned and might have been bargaining for too much too.

          10. @bascb @keithcollantine @celeste I think the key here is that we cannot take Hulky’s words at face value, that is, read them as a refusal to try to find a sponsor. In Hulk’s website, you can see emblems of different German enterprises – Dekra, Katjes, Rheinwaal. I assume they are his (not the team’s) personal sponsors and I also believe he had some in 2010. I guess that Williams then wanted more sponsor money, Hulk was simply unable to get it (not that he didn’t want to) and this was just the way how he talked up himself.

          11. I think the problem with Hulkenberg’s alleged position is that it shows a lack of motivation. If I was in Hulkenberg’s shoes I would have spent every spare minute I had to get sponsorship. Driving in Formula 1 is a dream for so many that it’s hard to see why Hulk would be content with Friday drives in 2011 when he could have had a full time drive if he brought more sponsorship. He could be the best driver on the grid but no-one would know if he doesn’t have a drive and if his team doesn’t have resources for a fast car.

            I actually suspect that Girts is on the right track – Hulk looked for sponsorship but couldn’t find any because the grid is flooded with other good German drivers. The story about not wanting to contribute sponsorship money to the team is just an attempt to put a positive spin on the position.

      4. Compare that attitude to Nico Hulkenberg, who decided not to seek out any sponsors as he was adamant that his talent alone would earn him a 2011 seat.

        @portugoose @prisoner-monkeys Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought Hülkenberg was probably getting some questionable guidance from Willi Weber in that situation. Was it really Nico being “adamant” about it, or was a young driver putting too much of his faith where it didn’t necessarily belong? It wasn’t too long after that that he fired Weber as his manager.

        1. The point of my first comment was to demonstrate Rubens’s massive motivation; I used Hulkenberg as an example as he was also in a similar position as Barrichello at the same team. Hulkenberg will definitely be a better driver than Rubens as he matures. I’m not criticizing Hulkenberg; he’s an up-and-coming driver with great potential and talent, which is different than Rubens, who is past his prime but still has the drive and the experience to help Williams. I just think that Rubens searching for sponsors instead of giving up the pursuit of the seat (which, in Hulkenberg’s case, was acceptable, as many teams were eyeing him) showcases his desire to keep on racing, and not for the sake of longetivy records. I think a better comparison could be made against Trulli, who’s “old” like Barrichello but doesn’t seem motivated at all (he reliquinshed his seat to Karun Chandhok , who’s not quite an Ayrton Senna, in Germany).

          @prisoner-monekys Like @keith-collantine, I disagree with you. As Keith pointed out, Hulkenberg dominated every junior class he raced in by himself. Plus, Ferrari displayed interest in him after Massa’s 2009 accident. So even if Williams did not sign him for their junior development scheme, I’m sure Ferrari or McLaren (Whitmarsh revealed he was interested in Hulkenberg after voting him in as one of the 10 best drivers in F1 2010) would’ve snatched him up.

          1. As Keith pointed out, Hulkenberg dominated every junior class he raced in by himself.

            And if he dominated Formula 1, I could understand his expectation to be judged on talent alone. But he didn’t. Despite all the hype about him, I didn’t see anything from Nico Hulkenberg to suggest he could be the next Lewis Hamilton – I just saw a kid who was incredibly slow off the line and tended to qualify much better than he raced. Hardly traits that set the world on fire.

    2. I’m happy, because although I recognise Sutil has had a great year, I like Rubens more. ;)

  2. Really good COTD

    1. Really good COTD

      I’m not so sure it is.

      Now everyone here knows just how much of a Vettel fan I am not, so it really pains me to say what I am about to say.

      I don’t think the car was as good as everyone made it out to be last year, I just think Vettel is that good.

      Now I’m going to have a stiff drink to wash the bad taste out of my mouth that those words left. :)

      1. @Macca Awwwww that wasn´t that bad… and you just earned a cookie … there there…

      2. Agree, I don’t understand why anyone would say Vettel hasn’t been under pressure. Were they watching in 2010?

        He had some bad moments (Turkey, Silverstone, Spa) where the press was right on his back.

        Even this year after Germany people expected him to crumble but he came back even stronger from all the criticism.

        1. Well, @tommyb89 & @macca @keithcollantine was kind enough to prepare good information regarding performance (which you’ve probably seen) https://www.racefans.net/2011/12/29/2011-statistics-car-performance/

          I think it’s a known fact that the RB7 wasn’t leading the pack in terms of performance as much as the RB6 but perhaps that’s over-shadowed by the contrast in seasons Vettel has had, like you said.

        2. I do think its a good COTD @tommyB89, the Red Bull car was the best car in the top notch team the past season and Vettel never had any big setback nor a team mate to put the kind of preassure on him that TheLimit refers to.

          I must say I would like to see a Red Bull with only the 3-5th quickest car, problems with reliability and see Vettel harness that. I expect it would be a great sight to see, as I feel he will only impress us even more than he did so far.
          To me that would be wonderfull, as it would put his skill to another kind of test, something that makes sport fascinating to see the best athletes shine.

    2. Is good, but I think Vettel has already been under pressure, specially 2010 when people was pointing fingers at him and question his talent and his speed.

      I think somehow people still understimate what Vettel has done, in a car that certainly was fast but that sometimes was not the best, he beat the rest of the grid in a way that we haven´t seen in years.

      When the car is the best is normal that the wins are shuffle between teammates, i.e. 2007 Alonso and Hamilton, 1988 Prost and Senna, but this time it hasn´t happened.

      Maybe what people mean is what will happened when Vettel won´t has one of the top three cars?, and of course it will change his performance, and of course we won´t see him smiling as much, but then I don´t think he will get that much interviews if he is not winning, but I think his approach is the right one, he told it himself “his moment in the sun will end” so at least he is conscious of that he in part needs a decent car to win.

      Alfonso, Button, Vettel, Schumacher didn´t start in a winning car and that gave them a maturity that in my opinion helps and will help to deal with the pressure when they don´t have the “winning” car.

      1. Agreed. However theres something I’d add to your comment. If your first car was a Toyota and you drove it for 3 years without trying other cars, that’s ok. But switch to a Maserati for 3 years, and driving a Toyota will be difficult.

        It’s one thing to have experienced a good car, but another to endure a bad car after a very good car

    3. Yeah great COTD. My thoughts exactly really, but written in a more articulate way!

      The trend of the last few years RB5-7 shows a fantastic ‘base’ car, that has been able to be altered to accommodate the new F1 gadget’s, but essentially it’s been the best car since 2009. With this in mind I can’t see the RB8 being a million miles off the front, unless Ferrari or Mclaren are able to pull a rabbit out of a hat. It would be so interesting to see how Vettel performs now in the 2nd or 3rd quickest car.

  3. Guh, I wouldn’t mind Rubens staying in the sport but I’m not really keen on him taking up another seat on a grid that’s missing the likes of Sutil, Alguersauri, Buemi etc. for next season.

    1. I heard a rumour the other day that Bruno Senna has signed a contract with Williams, but the team will not announce it until the first payment from his sponsor has been made.

      But this directly contradicts Senna’s statements that his family do not want him to drive for Williams, for obvious reasons.

      1. Bruno admits that he’s talking to Williams & 2 other teams
        i think Williams has already made a decision about the second driver they cannot lose anymore time & Bruno is well known about bringing huge sponsorship
        but i don’t know why they are waiting for payment from his sponsor if they signed a contract with Bruno is there any risks that the sponsor will not pay them at time or just this is a normal procedure ?

        1. Wonder which “other teams” he means.

          I doubt he’d be talking to HRT about a race seat, he’s been down that road to nowhere already. I can only assume that, assuming he doesn’t get the Williams drive, he is trying to get hold of the reserve driver seats at either Force India or “Lotus Renault GP”.

          1. I guess the “lotus” team is a certainty in his talks @geemac, and he might be talking with Caterham as well.

  4. I had a feeling Williams might retain Rubens. Di Resta really better be prepared to back up all this big talk when he lands at a top team one day.

  5. Happy Birthday @Ajokay and to Schumacher!

    Barrichello staying at Williams wouldn’t be too big a surprise…

    Completely agree with the COTD, but unlike Hamilton and to a degree Alonso, Vettel has a very good head on him for someone of his age, as we saw last season, in quali and races, I can only recall 2 errors last season!

    1. It’s very hard to commit errors when you’re constantly at the front of the pack. I’m not trying to belittle Vettel- as much of a Hamilton fan as I am, I’m still willing to admit that Vettel is quite talented and one of the best in the sport. But I feel like the COTD hit the nail on the head. I don’t think anyone will deny Vettel is quite talented, but we have yet to see him encounter any REAL adversity. In 2010, when he was faced with a not quite so dominant championship position, he showed quite a lot of flaws. I’m still not convinced, and I know many will disagree with this, that he can do things with the car that Hamilton and Alonso can, especially in regards to overtaking. But, the jury is still out on that, and I’m sure that Vettel has plenty of time to prove me wrong.

      1. In 2010, when he was faced with a not quite so dominant championship position, he showed quite a lot of flaws.

        He did show quite a few flaws, with rather clumsy mistakes in Turkey, Hungary and Belgium, which all attracted quite a bit of criticism, I won’t disagree with that at all. But from Italy onwards, he seemed to have put those behind him and claimed the title, despite the setback (engine failure) in Korea.

        I’m convinced that somewhere down the line, SV will be in even more difficult positions, and he will prove the remaining people wrong.

    2. Well, we all thought the same about Schumacher in his dominant years but then in 2005, when the Ferrari wasn’t working, he got quite a lot of things wrong.

      1. But still beat Fisichella and Montoya in the Renault and Mclaren to take 3rd.

        1. It did help that he had an extra race to do it in though.

          1. An extra 3 over Montoya, although you could argue that was Montoya’s fault. He did well to stay in touch, but without Indy he would have been 3rd.

    3. They were 2 pretty massive errors though…

  6. There is some hope for me after all :) Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am ecstatic that Rubens could stay for another year. I really am.

  7. You would think Di Resta beat Alonso in his rookie year and not lost clearly to Adrian Sutil, the way the British media go on about him.

    1. Pretty much what I was thinking…

  8. Argh, why can’t we get rid of him!

    1. @matt90 Rubbens or Di Resta?

      1. Rubens. Always Rubens. Except for when you hear that Trulli has also been given a contract extension. But even then it’s still mainly Rubens.

        1. Why? What has he done so wrong to deserve that?

          1. I just don’t really like him and don’t like him taking up a seat when there are better long-term prospects around.

  9. Dear Paul Di Resta,
    Please bite your tongue!!!!!!!

    Thanks!

    1. Hold on a second here, @celesteThe Daily Star is a tabloid, and like all tabloids, they have a fondness for sensationalisation. If you read the actual article, this is everything di Resta said:

      “I am proud of what we Scots have achieved in Formula One, given what a small country Scotland is.”

      “We [di Resta and Vettel] were team-mates in Formula 3 in 2006 and we had the same equipment. Fortunately, I came out on top that year and we had a great battle that went right down to the wire. I’d like to be racing him at the front of Formula One. I have a lot of ­respect for what he’s done. You can’t take away what he’s achieved this year or diminish his success, but he’s been in the best car.”

      “I don’t care which driver I have as a ­team-mate as long as I am beating them. But you need someone pushing you along at the same time. I would do anything I could to win the title, but I think David Coulthard is right when he says he would rather be respected as a driver than win the title in an unsportsmanlike way. You wouldn’t want to cheat or be gifted the title because of something you’ve done to someone else.”

      Most of di Resta’s comments seem pretty reasonable. The only time he really strays into uncouth territory is when he says he doesn’t care who his team-mate is so long as he is beating them – but that’s an attitude that all Formula 1 drivers have.

      The only reason why di Resta comes across as arrogant is because the author, Ted MacCauley, add a layer of it in. Why? Because tabloids thrive on scandal. They haven’t put words in di Resta’s mouth, but they’ve twisted it to make him look like he’s full of himself – and they do it because a headline that reads PAUL DI RESTA’S HEAD IS TOO BIG FOR HIS HELMET gets more readers interested than PAUL DI RESTA IS PROUD TO BE A SCOT. It’s all about sleaze and sensationalisation.

      1. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how proud he is to be Scottish. From many interviews I’ve seen, he wants to be Italian. I think that being Scottish in Formula 1 is important for a young driver. To use heritage to remind fans of the glory days. Di Resta would get a lot more respect from fans if he appeared grateful to be a Scottish F1 driver rather than Mr “I beat Vettel six years ago so am obviously the greatest person ever”

        1. Whichever way you want to cut it, it doesn’t change the fact that tabloids revel in blowing things out of proportion. Whatever di Resta said, you can bet The Daily Star sensationalised it for their own benefit.

    2. Yeah i agree with PM, I think di Resta is fairly grounded and to the point in his comments, especially regarding Vettel. Everyone raves about Vettel and how good he is (I’m not doubting his talent) and I’m sure di Resta is constantly asked about their time together in F3.
      Seems to me that di Resta is merely saying “sure, he’s good, but he has a great car and don’t forget about the other talented drivers we have on the grid”.
      Most of the drivers rate Alonso as having the most raw talent I believe.
      Plus its nice to hear a driver speak his mind for a change!

      1. Maybe he is “fairly grounded” but the guy seriously need to think before speak, is not the first time he has said something like that about not only Vettel but Hamilton too, and I seriously think he hasn´t done anything yet on F1 to backup what he is saying.

        Beside the guy has like ZERO PERSONALITY!

        1. @celeste I think Di Resta’s comments regarding Vettel in this article aren’t new- they’re worded in more or less the same way as the comments last month. The tabloid “Daily Star” looks to have just repeated them, added the stuff about being proud to be a Scot, and used the old stuff as their sensationalist headline as PM said.

          1. Maybe, but he did say those things, when? it doesn´t matter.

            And no matter what he should at least think a little before talking about another people achivement when he still hasn´t won anything on F1.

          2. @david-a, From what I gather it’s just the f1racing article from last month. Says the exact same things and then adds a couple of extracts from ‘the Scotman’ a couple of months back. That’s why I’m sceptical, Di Resta never spoke to the Star, they just jumped on the bandwagon and added some proud to be Scottish nonsense because they doubt anyone would contest it.

        2. @celeste

          ‘ZERO PERSONALITY’?

          Just think, he’s had one year in F1, he’s still new. And to me it looks he’s just keeping his head down, finding his feet, getting to grips with the sport but being determined and showing some grit. The latter is what the big teams would be looking for.

          I think Di Resta’s done all of the above quite well without coming across too arrogant.

          1. He hasn´t show anything to made me think he is good as a F1 driver.

            He didn´t blow his teammate away, in fact he lost by 15 points!!!!!, he didn´t do anything expectacular, IMHO.

            And the guys is as boring as wtching the paint in the wall dry… his speech at Autosport made me thankful that he only spoke for 2 minutes… half second longer and I would have turned off my computer…

    3. I wonder if Ted MacCauley from The Daily Star lives in another time stream…

      The Grand Prix driver, 25, regularly used to beat wonderboy and twice-champ Sebastian Vettel in their junior-class clashes three years ago.

  10. If Rubens stays, Sutil would be unemployed…

  11. So, The Daily Star were only a month late publishing the same comments from Paul Di Resta that was a headline of a previous F1F daily round-up.

  12. Happy Birthday to @Ajokay, & also to SCHUMI.

    1. Indeed, a Happy Birthday to you @ajokay, and I hope Schumacher will enjoy his Birthday as well.

  13. I think, for 2012 at least, Williams should go for Sutil unless they still need more loot, in which case sign Comrade Petrov, why not?

    1. @manatcna

      Because they need a stable driver line up (or at least a stable lead driver) with these new Renault engines? There is nothing that Sutil or Petrov can offer that Barrichello can’t…

  14. I don’t agree with the COTD. Vettel has faced media pressure – intense pressure in 2010 after his mistake ridden first two-third of the season. Performing in a sub-par car, 2008 Toro Rosso is enough proof for that.

    The reason people still say that Vettel’s “true test” has not yet come is because he is too good at qualifying. It is easy to pin down a good qualifying performance to the car and conclude that the driver is average at best. But the truth is that Vettel is a demon qualifier. May be not in the same league as Senna but surely the best the sport has seen since the late Brazilian.
    Everyone talks about Hamilton’s pole at Korea but no one talks about Vettel’s pole at Hungary where Mclaren were strongest throughout the three practice sessions and in the race. The Hungary pole is also proof of what Vettel can do in the second-best car.

    1. I agree with most of this post, especially SV being the best qualifier.

      If he ends up in a sub-par car again, all the evidence from 2008 (and 2 races at the end of 07) points towards him putting that car consistently ahead of its true position. Just like Alonso did in 2008.

    2. @sumedh, I do not think its about “his true test has not yet come” but about wanting to see forever new challenges put to these athletes and see what they are capable of.

      Its not that Vettel is not a great qualifier, or that he is able to build and maintain that gap at the front, or make desicive passes at the right moments. Its the fact that it all hints at there being even far more in him to uncover, that I would like to see as a fan of the sport foremost.

      I have enjoyed Button showing things not many of us thought were in him 3 years back, and if I only think of what talent might be in Vettel, I cannot but get exited, for further challenges will surely bring out new facets in him, but also in the likes of Alonso, Hamilton, Rosberg, Raikkonen and others in the field.

  15. Pressure for Vettel will come in a different way; Champion’s Pressure.

    When Senna won in 1988 he was against an established team-mate and double champion, in that sense Prost had proven his greatness time and again. Senna had to prove his greatness and duly delivered. When Hamilton arrived it was the same idea.

    The Media and fans know all about you when you are a Champion and no longer can blame inexperience and political naivety. Had Vettel been strongly tested from the first lap in 2011, maybe things would be different, but, now he knows he has the abilities to eek out extra performance when he needs it most. The problem will arise when his extra performance no longer brings results and he must continue knowing he can only manage 3rd for a few races and is behnd in the championship.

    My opinion: We only have had 32 Champions, I think Vettel is comfortably within the top 15 even if his career falters. If he can win in a car that is noticeably inferior, as all greats have, in normal circumstances and challenge the two golden boys of this era in top (even equal) machinery, then we may well be witnessing one of the greatest drivers ever.

    1. Not sure about you but I thought the 2008 STR was a bit inferior to the BMW/McLaren/Ferrari cars of 2008

      1. He won one race. What about the first 5 races of 2008? Four retirements and a 17th. Where’s that in champion performance? I’m talking about great performances. Senna won 5 races in an inferior car in 1993, and had an inferior car to many rivals for 6 or 7 seasons. Schumacher challenged for the title for 3 years.

        SV won one race in 2008 from pole. Had Hamilton qualified in the top 10 Vettel probably wouldn’t have won the GP. That would be no disgrace but Monza 2008 is continually sited “Vettel can drive in an inferior car”. What about Hamilton’s 2 wins in 2009 in an inferior car against Vettel or Alonso’s win in Hungary 2003?

        My point is if he wants to be seen as one of the greatest ever he needs a better argument than a lights to flag victory when the top guys started at the back.

        1. Vettel’s first 5 races of 2008 were in the 2007 Toro Rosso, they didn’t introduce the new car until Monaco, where he finished 5th.

          I agree though that the latter car wasn’t as inferior as people say. It had the best engine in the field at the time, and was very fast in a straight line. It’s no surprise that if it were to do well anywhere that year, Monza was it.

          I still think he drove it beyond its merits, he had higher finishes than I would have expected the car to get at other tracks. And its not helped by the fact his team mate wasn’t much competition, so it’s hard to compare. But because of straight line speed, at Monza that year the Toro Rosso was sublime, like the Force India was at Spa and Monza the following year for similar reasons.

          And by season’s end, the 2009 McLaren was far from inferior either, it was at worst equally ‘inferior’ to the 2008 Toro Rosso. Again I think Hamilton drove it beyond its limitations, but after Silverstone with the new upgrade – it was a different car all together.

        2. Even champs have off days. If youre in a slower car, you have to show some superhuman pace and somehow find extra pace, or rely on mistakes.

          Hamilton’s wins in 2009 were good, yes. So was Alonso in Hungary 03. I didn’t say Monza was better. But take for example Hungary 09. Vettel was on track for pole until Alonso fueled for only 8 laps of fuel in Q3, then got rubbished off the line due to starting on Hungary’s famous dirty side. He should’ve been on pole in Sg 09 but Barrichello decided to kiss the wall

        3. What about the first 5 races of 2008? Four retirements and a 17th. Where’s that in champion performance?

          I heard that one of them was a hydraulics failure and a couple more of those were collisions like this one caused by other people.

  16. Rubens, i dont think Williams need consistency. They had their worst season in history. They need a BIG change and fast.

    there are plenty of young drivers ready to jump into that seat, and I’d wager that if Williams let all of them do a qualifying lap (maybe at the first test) Rubens would be surprised by their pace compared to his own.

    1. Williams need consistency, not speed. The FW33 hit rock-bottom, so they need to develop a car. To that end, they need an experienced driver. Barrichello might be slow, but unlike most rookies, he can develop the car. A slow driver gradually improving a car is always better than a fast rookie who can’t go anywhere with a poor car.

      1. As much as it pains me to say this, @prisoner-monkeys, I think that puts Sutil into the box seat for the drive on that criteria. Sutil is reliable and is a greater prospect than Rubens. Now, I detest Sutil, too many crashes and not enough learning from his errors…don’t get me started on him nailing the throttle every time he spins! But Williams would get both speed and consistency from Sutil and probably one or the other from any other pairing.

  17. Not sure I want to see Rubens in F1 next year.

    He’s a good diver and a very nice guy but I think it’s time for him to move along and let the next generation have their chance. People like Sutil, Buemi and Alguesuari are all without drives and are still promising drivers who could help the team move formward.

    However, i can see what Rubens would bring to the team, in that he’s vastly more experienced than the aforementioned. Maybe Williams would do better to offer him a test driver seat, so he can help develop the car and then keep him on as a mentor to the other drivers like Maldonado and whoever the 2nd driver will be.

    1. themagicofspeed (@)
      3rd January 2012, 12:02

      I dont think he would want to be merely a mentor, if you hear his interviews you can tell he still has passion to race, i dont think mentoring those who do race would motivate him at all. If he does call it a day, i wouldnt be surprised if he walked away and maybe attended some races with his family.

  18. themagicofspeed (@)
    3rd January 2012, 11:58

    I know Rubens has been in F1 now for his fair share, and if he were to retire i would think he’d be happy with what he’s achieved, despite not being WDC he was still pretty good at his peak, but if he stays at Williams, he could be just what they need right now – a (very) experienced driver who is a safe pair of hands and can provide good tech feedback. Thats 3 things a rookie or pay driver just wont be able to provide, i think. It would make sense to have Rubens, and maybe Sutil. Maldonado is O.K but not what Williams need right now. If they trust in Barrichello and invest in an established non-pay driver (i.e Sutil) it could well pay off for them. If he can bring williams on an upward path before his retirement, imo it could be his greatest acheivement.

  19. Silverstone 2010, coming through the field to 6th/7th/wherever from 24th, China 2007, to finish 4th in the wet, and Spain 2011, where he overtook when he needed to. He can overtake…

  20. Oh intended to reply on my previous, comment. Whoops :)

  21. What’s the difference between Vettel and DiResta ? Light years.
    C’mon man….

  22. To me Williams have three basic choices in drivers.

    1. a young rookie, but unless they can guarantee the likes of a Hamilton or Vittel, which they can’t, then that would be a very brave move. Far too brave I would think for the current state of Williams.

    2. A current semi experienced driver. There are lots of them about from Senna to Petrov, but none have showed themselves so far to be anything other than average and none have shown skills at developing a car which is what Williams desperately need. It’s difficult to see that any of these could bring anything much to Williams other than money.

    Which leaves good experienced drivers of known quality, which is probably what Williams need. But there seems to be only 3 on the market at the moment. Sutil who has the pace seems the obvious choice, except that he is renowned as about the worst F1 driver for giving engineering feedback and Williams need all the feedback they can get. Heidfeld who hasn’t been much mentioned, but he didn’t impress at Renault in a similar role, although was probably better than he seemed. Or Barrichello, his motivation is not in question, he has all the experience, gives good feedback but Williams don’t really want him…. but he seems to be the only driver available capable of doing the role Williams desperately need. Will they swallow their pride and re hire him? I suspect so.

  23. Happy birthday @ajokay Have a good one!

    I get the impression that many associated with Formula 1 think that time stands still, particularly Paul di Resta on this occasion (and Raikkonen doubters, but that’s another issue).

    Clearly the drivers develop over time and it’s by no means a given that di Resta would give Vettel a run for his money in the same machinery. Of course, that’s not to say he couldn’t, but when he and his fans cling to that hope it just makes me cringe.

    Maybe I shouldn’t be so mean, I guess there’s nothing wrong with a bit of optimism but I hope he makes a name for himself, rather than just being the guy who should be able to beat Vettel.

    1. I get the impression that many associated with Formula 1 think that time stands still, particularly Paul di Resta on this occasion (and Raikkonen doubters, but that’s another issue).

      Yes, I think that’s among the top five things that annoy me in F1 discussions. It’s absolutely ridiculous.

      Also, di Resta might want to think twice before bringing up F3 results at every opportunity, because it’s probably only a matter of time before someone asks, “So…what does that mean about Lucas di Grassi’s talent relative to yours?”

  24. I like Rubens, I just wish Williams could afford to ditch Maldonado so that someone like Sutil could have had the other seat.

  25. Rubens,who is a great man and a tehnical guru,expierienced almoast like no one else,is now seeking desperetley for money,to stay? I mean that is just not right. If he would be needed,then numerous teams would have offered him a deal,but the sad reality is that no one want him,maybe for an advisor-yes,but not for a driver. As much as I wish him the seat,I’m guessing Senna or a other driver with backing to get the seat.
    This harsh reality of Formula 1 now is just not right. Knowing,that there are so much fast drivers who haven’t got a chance to get even in F3,because they haven’t got money.

  26. Senna has been nominated to Best Documentary category on the Producers Guild Awards:

    Best Documentary
    Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
    Bill Cunningham New York
    Project Nim
    Senna
    The Union

  27. Both spins? Hardly. One cost him 7 points and the other dented his confidence

  28. Ok that’s weird, I can’t reply to my own comment…

  29. Rubens is the best option for the team, and with so many changes, he is the correct and technical decision to make.

    And no one in F1 is a better carrier planer than him, almost 20 years is something to respect.

  30. FINALLY SOME WILLIAMS NEWS.

    Gosh.

  31. Apparantly Williams have lost AT&T – guess they will be needing mucho $$$ from whatever driver they go with unless they get someone else in.

    Personally i think they should keep Ruebens, i hear he has raised 5 million so far in sponsorship – i guess it will come down to who raises the most though.

  32. They need money, and I think their best bet would be petrov.

  33. Rubens will do its 20th season and he’ll finish it with style. End of the story…

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