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Rosberg knows Hamilton's bad luck is running out. I can't wait to see Hamilton on pole again and Rosberg in the front row with him. As much as I grew tired of the Mercedes' domination last year, I can't wait to see these guys go wheel-to-wheel again this year.
Exact same thing I was thinking at the time Legend. From the video I watched, Danii's version doesn't square with reality. Even Marko is quoted as saying it's time to have a serious talk with his driver over this incident. He screwed up Ricciardo's race too which of course is a big no no
The official F1 website had a good video showing the start and the two collisions from overhead and Danii's car. Clearly his fault in both collisions.
The official F1 website had a good video showing the start and the two collisions from overhead and Danii's car. Clearly his fault in both collisions.
While I completely agree with you, if Seb had a problem - the last thing he should do is get back into the racing line.
I'm not in any way condoning the two incidents, I just think that he should've stayed to the outside & not get back in there. It could've been anybody that hit him..... it just happened to be Daniil ...... again. lol
A seat swap between Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen as early as the Spanish Grand Prix has emerged as one of the options being considered by Red Bull after its Russian Grand Prix ‘disaster’, sources have suggested.
If this speculation is true, that'd be pretty fucked up.
Last edited by Mugen.Justice; May 4, 2016 at 10:09 PM.
Max Verstappen will join Red Bull for the Spanish Grand Prix whilst Daniil Kvyat returns to Toro Rosso
The move, widely thought to have been precipitated by the incident on Sunday which saw Kvyat clash with Sebastian Vettel twice, thereby eliminating the Ferrari driver from the race, and his own Red Bull teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, effectively ending his race also, was confirmed in a brief statement from the Austrian team this morning.
It read:
"Red Bull Racing will have a new driver line-up from the Spanish Grand Prix. Max Verstappen will be joining the team to drive alongside Daniel Ricciardo. Daniil Kvyat will continue to drive for Red Bull and will re-join sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso.
"Max has proven to be an outstanding young talent," said Christian Horner. "His performance at Toro Rosso has been impressive so far and we are pleased to give him the opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing.
"We are in the unique position to have all four drivers across Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso under long term contracts with Red Bull, so we have the flexibility to move them between the two teams.
"Dany will be able to continue his development at Toro Rosso, in a team that he is familiar with, giving him the chance to regain his form and show his potential."
"We are more than happy to welcome Daniil back to Faenza and look forward to having a successful season with him," added Franz Tost in a subsequent, 5-line, statement from Toro Rosso.
Jenson Button was the first driver to react to the news, the Briton taking to Twitter and effectively summing up the mood of many.
"Really?" wrote the McLaren driver. "One bad race and Kyvat's dropped, what about the podium in the previous race? #Shortmemories"
Red Bull's high executioner strikes again.
Also agree with Button, that was pretty harsh of RBR. Kvyat is obviously talented as he outpointed Ricciardo last year and podium-ed in China. Real knee-jerk reaction, I felt Daniil was wrong in both races in his starts but this punishment is excessive.
The late McLaren principal Teddy Mayer once said "drivers are just interchangeable light bulbs, you plug them in and they do the job" but even in a sport with so little sentiment Kvyat's demotion came as a shock.
Long term F1 guys, has anyone been 'demoted'/'promoted' mid season like this before?
The only teams this could occur between are RBR and STR so the short answer is no. If however, you look at F1 drivers being "demoted" in other teams, I've seen drivers become reserve drivers and the reserve driver take his place or of course, driver being dismissed mid-season and a new driver brought in (too numerous to count).
Also agree with Button, that was pretty harsh of RBR. Kvyat is obviously talented as he outpointed Ricciardo last year and podium-ed in China. Real knee-jerk reaction, I felt Daniil was wrong in both races in his starts but this punishment is excessive.
I agree this looks very much like a knee-jerk reaction, but it makes me wonder just how much was going on behind the scenes. I suspect, but don't know, that the two-hit event at the Russian GP was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.
Yeah, going from a podium finish to a demolition that quickly seems so foolish. It's pretty much over for Kvyat at Red Bull I think. He needs to start finding a new ride for next year.
I cant say im sad to see the swap. While there is no doubt he is a talented driver, he is often a little too aggressive IMHO. If he were to mature some this could be a much different story.
I agree this looks very much like a knee-jerk reaction, but it makes me wonder just how much was going on behind the scenes. I suspect, but don't know, that the two-hit event at the Russian GP was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.
Yeah, from the article I posted above, the logic in it makes some sense about the need to keep Verstappen.
LONDON (Reuters) - Max Verstappen's sudden promotion to Red Bull will be considered as a slap in the face for Daniil Kvyat, the man he replaces, but it has more to do with the Dutch driver's potential than the Russian's failings.
Verstappen, 18, caused a sensation when he came into Formula One with Toro Rosso last season -- after being signed as a 16-year-old -- and is now considered a future champion.
At last year's International Automobile Federation (FIA) gala prize giving he won awards for rookie, personality and action of the year.
Such talent does not go unnoticed by rivals and Verstappen had been already linked to Toro Rosso's engine partners Ferrari who have Kimi Raikkonen, 37 in October, out of contract at the end of the year.
The word on the paddock grapevine was that Verstappen would be free to go elsewhere if Red Bull did not give him a race seat at the main team for the third year of his current contract.
"I know what contract I have. I am very positive also for next year," the teenager told Reuters in March.
"I am very happy with Red Bull, I know what the perspective is for next year and the years after," he added. "Happy to be at Toro Rosso for the moment and to learn more. Then we’ll see next year where we are."
View galleryFormula One - Russian Grand Prix - Sochi
Formula One - Russian Grand Prix - Sochi, Russia - 30/4/16 - Toro Rosso Formula One driver Max Verst …
Germany's Sebastian Vettel, who won four successive world championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 and is now at Ferrari, made his debut for BMW-Sauber as a stand-in at the 2007 U.S. Grand Prix.
Red Bull, who had Vettel under contract as a junior driver, promptly drafted him in to the Toro Rosso race lineup to make sure he stayed in the fold.
By moving Verstappen up now, after just four races, Red Bull can measure him against Daniel Ricciardo before making a firm decision on 2017.
They can also get the teen fully acclimatized before getting an upgraded Renault engine in Canada next month that should make them more competitive.
Kvyat made his debut with Toro Rosso in 2014 and graduated to Red Bull after just one season, almost by default, when Vettel announced he was leaving.
The Russian, 22, has plenty of admirers for his race craft and attitude but has struggled to rise to the challenge. He qualified 18th in Australia this year, and did not start, and was 15th on the grid in Bahrain.
While he was third in China last month, and was named Driver of the Day, he clashed with Vettel with the German accusing him of launching himself like a Torpedo and driving like a madman.
In Sochi, his home race, he collided with Vettel twice on the opening lap in a collision that also involved Red Bull team mate Ricciardo.
"Sochi was obviously the final catalyst to changing Kvyat for Verstappen in a bigger picture," said former racer and TV commentator Martin Brundle on Twitter. "Future contract for MV, takes tension out of MV v (Carlos) Sainz."
The late McLaren principal Teddy Mayer once said "drivers are just interchangeable light bulbs, you plug them in and they do the job" but even in a sport with so little sentiment Kvyat's demotion came as a shock.
"Really? one bad race and Kyvat's dropped, what about the podium in the previous race? #Shortmemories," commented McLaren's Jenson Button on Twitter.
Red Bull have shown a ruthless streak in the past, with a succession of drivers discarded, but Kvyat has at least been handed a second chance to regain some confidence at Toro Rosso. He will still have to prove himself, however.
"We basically have long-term contracts at the Red Bull junior program and the whole program is based on performance," Red Bull's motorsport consultant Helmut Marko warned in March.
"Be very clear: the one who is not delivering goes."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
The only teams this could occur between are RBR and STR so the short answer is no. If however, you look at F1 drivers being "demoted" in other teams, I've seen drivers become reserve drivers and the reserve driver take his place or of course, driver being dismissed mid-season and a new driver brought in (too numerous to count).
I thought about that after I posted. Couldn't think of any other teams that are close to one-in-the-same as RBR/STR.
Was he at fault? Sure. But I'm still withholding my opinion on Max. The kid's got a natural talent no argument here, but from everything we've seen he's a bigger hothead than Daniil.
Jenson Button put it best - one bad race and it's like everyone has forgotten that Kvyat secured a podium for the team in China.
And I'm not buying Marko's bullshit. 1) way to torpedo your driver's confidence, and 2) it's pretty clear that Marko's got a hard-on for Verstappen.
Of course Marko has a "hard on for Verstappen." He's a bigger talent than Kyvat could ever hope to be and Marko needs to keep him under contract because Ferrari and MBZ are sniffing around to have him in their team. Mateschitz has to keep him under contract within his organizations or else he will lose him. The gamble? None. He's seen Kyvat drive his RBR car, now he gets to sit back and watch Verstappen do the same. If good, he stays; if bad, he's gone. I personally think it's a pretty damn smart move. He's young and impetuous (Monaco 2015) but he's still in my eyes, a much better driver than Kyvat could ever hope to be.
Long term F1 guys, has anyone been 'demoted'/'promoted' mid season like this before?
94 or 95.
The fact is that it was bound to happen. If they didn't do this, some other top team would snatch Max up. It's funny b/c I've been karting several years & have been following his career from his karting days (which was just a couple of years ago!) & he is a future world champion. The guy just tore every one up & just made it look easy. Just sick.
...and let's not forget, the Toro Rosso is not too shabby of a car so Kvyat can still do right by his career.
Likely. Pretty incredible they can keep driving and make adjustments on a steering wheel like this with buttons as they get bounced around violently in a car.
Hmm, so its sufficiently different that the drivers might get confused if they need to swap them.
I'm guessing but I imagine the S/W in the cars know the steering wheels, nad perhaps run different code knowing whose wheel is connected.
Originally Posted by Chief F1 Fan
Likely. Pretty incredible they can keep driving and make adjustments on a steering wheel like this with buttons as they get bounced around violently in a car.
I'm also fascinated with all the controls on the steering wheels, and how the drivers can make so many adjustments and setting changes especially with engine management. Also amused how different the button locations, heck even the control knobs are different (black and white pointers for Rosberg, yellow green and blue for Hamilton) between Rosberg and Hamilton.
Changing steering wheels is easy enough but imagine changing pedal assemblies. Back in 1996 at Williams, not only did Hill and Villeneuve's cars have different steering wheels, but Damon's car had three pedals (clutch, brake, throttle) where Jacques car had two (his clutch was operated by a level on the steering wheel and only used for starts). Hill never liked the hand clutch (despite being a motorcyclist) and I'd imagine the mechanics hated to change the spare car between drivers since they'd have to swap the pedal assembly which is not easy or trivial like a steering wheel change.
Haas is apparently looking to put RoGro into a Cup car for a road race this year. No schedule conflict as the Cheez-It 355 is one week after the German GP and 3 weeks before the Belgian GP. That would be so cool to be there to watch him race. I'll have the ability to get up close and personal with him for sure.
The one driver I'd like to see get a full-time F1 drive is Stoffel Vandoorne who sub'ed for Alonso (while he recovered after Australia GP accident). He never had even driven the current McLaren F1 car, and had to learn the complex systems and controls while on a flight over to Bahrain. Then he out-qualified Button and placed 10th in his 1st GP.
Haas is apparently looking to put RoGro into a Cup car for a road race this year. No schedule conflict as the Cheez-It 355 is one week after the German GP and 3 weeks before the Belgian GP. That would be so cool to be there to watch him race. I'll have the ability to get up close and personal with him for sure.
All it'll take is for some part of that unreliability to makes its way across the garage & that points gap can shrink quickly.
This guy is awesome. It's not a matter of "if" but "when" he gets a ride. Doubt it will be for a bottom tier team too.