It has been announced that BMW has released Sebastian Vettel and he will be racing for Toro Rosso alongside Vitantonio Liuzzi for the rest of the season. So, contrary to my hopes, Scott Speed is out and F1 no longer has an American driver nor a USGP. That will please the American F1 fans no end, I'm sure.
Sebastian Vettel
As yet, Scott has made no comment and it remains to be seen whether he wanted to stay with the team or not. I suspect that he'd had enough anyway. But it does mean that my readers will no longer be subjected to the occasional Scott Speed post - unless he goes to Champ Cars or something similar and does really well, of course.
I must admit that Vettel stands a chance of survival at STR; he is fast, there's no doubt about that, and eager to succeed. But the challenge facing him is no minor one. He is going into a team that has been riven by bad feeling and where the managers have done little to support their drivers. And he will be expected to be quicker than Liuzzi right from the start, a task that may not be as easy as everyone seems to think, especially as Tonio has experience both of the car and F1.
So it is a big hill for the young German to climb and, if he succeeds in doing so, he will have proved himself worthy of a drive in a better team. But I am not so sure that the STR move is a good one for him. With BMW he was with a team that is going places, an efficient, well-run outfit with ambition and the muscle to make things happen. He did his reputation wonders by his showing at Indy, where he filled in for Kubica and scored a championship point, and he was going to get a drive next year whatever happened. The move to STR may have come a little early and could do a lot of damage to his future prospects.
So it is a gamble but I suppose one that any young driver would take; they are all desperate to get into F1 and sometimes make poor decisions as a result. I think Vettel has enormous potential and I hope that the gamble pays off. All he has to do is beat Liuzzi.
Of course, it might help that the Italian is aware that his days with the team are numbered too, with the courting of Sebastien Bourdais by the team and a contract about to be confirmed. That can hardly be very motivating for the guy...
Sebastian Vettel
As yet, Scott has made no comment and it remains to be seen whether he wanted to stay with the team or not. I suspect that he'd had enough anyway. But it does mean that my readers will no longer be subjected to the occasional Scott Speed post - unless he goes to Champ Cars or something similar and does really well, of course.
I must admit that Vettel stands a chance of survival at STR; he is fast, there's no doubt about that, and eager to succeed. But the challenge facing him is no minor one. He is going into a team that has been riven by bad feeling and where the managers have done little to support their drivers. And he will be expected to be quicker than Liuzzi right from the start, a task that may not be as easy as everyone seems to think, especially as Tonio has experience both of the car and F1.
So it is a big hill for the young German to climb and, if he succeeds in doing so, he will have proved himself worthy of a drive in a better team. But I am not so sure that the STR move is a good one for him. With BMW he was with a team that is going places, an efficient, well-run outfit with ambition and the muscle to make things happen. He did his reputation wonders by his showing at Indy, where he filled in for Kubica and scored a championship point, and he was going to get a drive next year whatever happened. The move to STR may have come a little early and could do a lot of damage to his future prospects.
So it is a gamble but I suppose one that any young driver would take; they are all desperate to get into F1 and sometimes make poor decisions as a result. I think Vettel has enormous potential and I hope that the gamble pays off. All he has to do is beat Liuzzi.
Of course, it might help that the Italian is aware that his days with the team are numbered too, with the courting of Sebastien Bourdais by the team and a contract about to be confirmed. That can hardly be very motivating for the guy...