Williams announced Bruno Senna as their choice to partner Pastor Maldonado for the 2012 season. The team have admitted that they have some financial concerns, especially after losing title sponsor AT&T, so they’ll welcome the sponsors that Senna has brought with him.
However, let us not be fooled into thinking Senna is a pay driver, his fitness, technical ability and driving were thoroughly assessed, and it was decided that he has the potential to succeed with the team as they build themselves back up from a dismal 2011 season.
I think it’s a sound decision from the team. From a marketing point of view, the linking of the Senna name with Williams brings up the associations with Ayrton Senna, who’s career with the team was so tragically short. But it conjures up a romantic image of Bruno picking up the baton from Ayrton.
To add to that, whenever he was interviewed on the BBC last year he came across as a really nice guy and very open and concise with what he’s saying, and that can only be a good thing for the team.
Obviously the main point is that he’s a good driver too. He couldn’t show much in the way of speed while with HRT in 2010, in fact it’s probably best to forget that season apart from the experience of the circuits it gained him.
It was his arrival with Renault at last years Belgium Grand Prix that truly impressed. Coming in over half way through the season replacing Nick Heidfeld was always going to be a huge mountain to climb, especially with no testing, but he dealt with the situation well qualifying seventh. Ok, the start wasn’t great, crashing into Jaime Alguersuari, but he plugged away and his pace was good.
He was generally quicker than his team mate Vitaly Petrov, and picked up a couple of points along the way in his eight races. He made some beginner mistakes, but he’s definitely done enough to deserve a place on the grid, let’s hope his untapped potential is released, as this is probably make or break year.
Barrichello and Sutil left with few options
Williams are in the process of massive restructuring throughout the team, technical director Sam Michael having left late last season, replaced by Mike Coughlan of spy-gate fame being the major name announcements. Renault are also now supplying engines, so with this upheaval it might have been thought an experienced driver would have been useful such as the one they had in Rubens Barrichello.
The engineers were apparently keen, the top brass apparently not so keen, so of course this does mean it’s potentially the end for Rubens’ Formula 1 career. In a way it’s just the natural order of things, the old make way for the new to have opportunities. Rubens has been in Formula 1 for nineteen seasons though, and sentimentally, it would have been nice to have made it twenty.
I can’t see him wanting to go to HRT just to make up the numbers without any real hope of challenging beyond 20th place, so this could be the end which is a shame for many reasons, not least another nice Brazilian (he already tweeted congratulations to Senna) despite occasional whines, but also because he didn’t really get to say goodbye.
But if any other teams have a driver issue, then I’m sure Rubens will be first on the list, with his experience, technical astuteness and speed it would be foolish not to. I hope Williams don’t feel that half way through the year.
Adrian Sutil, formally of Force India, was another driver in the frame for the Williams seat. I thought he would be the favourite; he has proven speed, and had a storming end to 2011 after a difficult start, and like my other favourite of last year Jaime Alguersuari, has been left high and dry.
I do wonder how much the announcement that he is to be charged with grievous bodily harm against Renault F1 owner Eric Lux affected Williams’ choice, but from what I have been reading in the F1 press, it seems Senna stole a march a few weeks back.
Like Rubens, I can’t see Sutil wanting the offer of an HRT drive, it would be a significant step back and he’s certainly not at the age or stage of his career to be considering a back of the grid drive, especially with a team with improving, but still limited infrastructure. Hopefully he’ll end up with a third driver role as I think he still deserves an opportunity.
Ultimately though, I think Williams have made the right choice for their race seat. We know about Rubens, we know what he has to offer. He still has speed and technical ability, but he is 40 this year, he doesn't have many years left to race and this is a team wanting to look forward and away from their downward spiral, something Rubens has unfortunately been a part of.
Sutil on the otherhand might well have been a good fit, but again he's shown speed, but has he shown world beating pace? I think despite his strong showing last season, he has been outshined a few too many times in his F1 career to be considered truly top drawer.
Which brings us back to Senna who's a raw mix of still just about youthfulness, speed and untapped potential and of course that name and the history associated with it.
There are many reasons why they might have picked another driver but Williams are in a state of change. They're a team wanting to move move back up the grid and perhaps with the signing of Senna they're showing that they're back at the table and ready to take a gamble again.
Ultimately though, I think Williams have made the right choice for their race seat. We know about Rubens, we know what he has to offer. He still has speed and technical ability, but he is 40 this year, he doesn't have many years left to race and this is a team wanting to look forward and away from their downward spiral, something Rubens has unfortunately been a part of.
Sutil on the otherhand might well have been a good fit, but again he's shown speed, but has he shown world beating pace? I think despite his strong showing last season, he has been outshined a few too many times in his F1 career to be considered truly top drawer.
Which brings us back to Senna who's a raw mix of still just about youthfulness, speed and untapped potential and of course that name and the history associated with it.
There are many reasons why they might have picked another driver but Williams are in a state of change. They're a team wanting to move move back up the grid and perhaps with the signing of Senna they're showing that they're back at the table and ready to take a gamble again.
Who wants to race in Formula 1?
Which actually leaves me with the question who actually will take the last remaining seat in Formula 1? HRT, although considered the worst of the three new teams, have actually finished ahead of Virgin, now Marussia in both the years they’ve competed, so they’re not all bad but Alguersuari has already reportedly turned them down and I see no other names being linked to them in the F1 press.
Current incumbent Vitantonio Liuzzi says he has a contract, but he has not been officially announced, at the moment it almost looks like the seat will be his on the basis that no one else wants it, although that is ridiculous. A drive in Formula 1 is a precious thing, but so far it’s anyone’s guess who’ll actually get it.
No comments:
Post a Comment