Podcast #133
November 17, 2009 by Negative Camber
Filed under Parc Fermé, Podcast, Top Story
Mercedes buys Brawn GP; orphans McLaren! Grace and I cover McLaren’s reaction to Mercedes purchase of Brawn GP. What do we think? Well take a listen.
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I agree that there is not really huge pressure for Bruno, I think if anything his name has helped him. I also agree with your predictions about Jenson Button. I am getting pretty sick of him constantly saying ‘I am world champion’ as if he has to remind people because he is really shocked about it too.
And the word for the UK is… Jenson’s contract is not yet finished… see the BBC.
BBC: Brawn… “Now renamed Mercedes Grand Prix, the team have already signed the German Nico Rosberg as one of their drivers.”
Not a Senna fan(either of them), but I’m sure he realizes that he isn’t the driver that Aryton was…
Thanks, another great podcast…
John “Hey Grace is that a Jr hat?” Stone
Regarding the theory that a new team benefits from having two experienced drivers: F1 is effectively a prototype series (ok, that’s arguable, but bear with me). The cars are therefore new every year. Does that mean that every team, year in-year out, should have two experienced drivers?
I would argue that driver choice is much more decided by commerical/political considerations. The ‘old school’ teams, who like to think they’ll always be on (or near) the top have long been conservative. Rookies appear at Ferrari or McLaren once in a blue moon. Doesn’t matter how good the pairing may be, but you won’t see two drivers of the same nationality at the same team too often, either.
Conversely, Red Bull can’t seem to ever appear young and/or funky enough, just can’t stay away from rookies (thankfully they have two teams or I suspect they would have replaced Webber with Algueruari (quiet, Grace)), as risky as the strategy appears to be.
Fast is fast and fast equals feedback. Known quantity does not necessarily equal reliable.
So there.
I think STR shows that while pace is critical, it is not the complete package. Buemi has pace but how effective is he and helping develop the car? Would be nice to have a guy like DC or Webber there to temper that with some wisdom wouldn’t it? ;)
Here’s a wild and wacky idea. How about having sessions during the season where the experienced drivers could help evaluate the car and the rookies could be evaluated themselves. I’ve even thought of a name for it. “Testing”.
I always thought that STR’s problem when it came to development was money, rather than anything else. Could be that I still think of them as Minardi, for some reason…
I’m sueing you for defamation of character.
USF1 does have a Twitter account…don’t know if Peter is the one updating it or not though: http://twitter.com/USF1
All I have to say is WOOT!! Post of the week!!
Thankyou Grace, don’t think I am going to go easy on you regarding your Webbo bashing.
Actually I do have to say thankyou once again for a great podcast.
5 stars as always.