Vergne casualty of Red Bull program

Jean-Eric Vergne will not be driving for Toro Rosso next season. In a tweet posted yesterday he said 'Despite a good season & 22 pts, I'll not drive anymore for Toro Rosso in 2015. Thanks for those years. Let's go for another big challenge.'

It's a great shame for Vergne and for the sport. Another talented driver is potentially on the scrap heap at only 24 years old, his Formula 1 career just three seasons. Let's look at his stint in F1.

He partnered Red Bull star Daniel Ricciardo over two years at Toro Rosso in 2012 and 2013. The total points were only 30-29 in Ricciardo's favour. Ok, Vergne was blown away in qualifying 30-9 but he always moved forward in races and generally gave a good showing of himself.

I'd say he was only slightly shaded by a man who has battered four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel this season at the senior Red Bull team. This is not a driver who should be consigned to the ex-F1 driver brigade just as Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi were before him. These are drivers who deserve to be on the grid ahead of many others who are securing seats through money.

It is yet another example of Formula 1's inadequate payment structure that these drivers are not on the grid whereas some drivers, perhaps ones who, ok may have had a dud car but were comprehensively out performed by their team mate and yet are now at Sauber. Vergne at least deserved a midfield drive if not better.

What Toro Rosso are doing is bringing in a driver who has one years worth of car racing behind him in Max Verstappen. Yes he may be the next big thing, but who to judge him against? Carlos Sainz Jnr if he is to be confirmed? He'll be a rookie too. Vergne would have been an excellent comparison to judge Verstappen against, instead they'll have two rookies who could well take some time to sort out their new 2015 car. 

Daniil Kvyat was excellent as a rookie this year, we know this because he showed well against Vergne and actually out-qualified him over the year. So we know he has the raw pace. However, we also know he still has a bit to learn in the races as his 14 point deficit shows. Especially when the ban on helping the driver through the radio came in, we saw Kvyat start making mistakes while Vergne produced some epic drives in the latter portion of the season.

Kvyat deserves his shot at Red Bull alongside Ricciardo, he has amazing potential, but I think another year at Toro Rosso might have been even more beneficial perhaps promoting Vergne, as you know he's already a close match to Ricciardo. The Red Bull young driver program is a brutal one though and if you don't perform highly at all times then you're out, but Vergne deserved better. I hope he's back on the grid soon.

all photo's taken from autosport.com