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A third driver spot was probably the best Jerome could hoped for in F1. Good to see it's with a good team.
The 2012 Driver transfer discussion/speculation thread
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Lotus, a good team?
MagpieRacer
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Hardly the worst team you could be part of...2 championships, 35 wins, 51 pole positions.
Could name worse..
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- Ardius_
Regardless of what you think of the management and/or ownership, the team from Enstone is, as MildAshers said, a pretty damn good team.
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They were a pretty damn good team. Their 2011 season suggests otherwise. They started out with podiums. They ended the season struggling to get a car in the points.
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- mrvajj
A good team will sometimes produce a rubbish car. Witness the 1995 McLaren, for example.
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Enstone hasn't produced a good car since 2006, with the exception of the R30.
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- mrvajj
Yeah, and McLaren didn't produce a good one between 1994 and 1998.
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Just because McLaren produced a very good car after an extended drought nearly fifteen years ago, it doesn't mean Lotus will do the same. They're two entirely different teams.
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- Ardius_
The point is that even if a team produces a string of bad cars, it doesn't make the team bad per se, as long as the team keeps a healthy budget and top-notch facilities and personnel, which Enstone does currently have.
Not to mention we don't even know how good they will be in 2012. But they have a reasonably good base to have a good season..hence they are a good team.
Whereas say Williams are not such a good team right now as they are rather lacking in several areas going into this season (loss of several key experienced personnel, several design and engineering changes from last season and budget problems).
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Well, all of this is moot, because I don't think d'Ambrosio is going to get much of a look-in for 2012. Not unless Raikkonen or Grosjean goes and injures themselves. I had my doubts about Raikkonen's commitment, but his comments following his test in Valencia have assuaged them a little. And Grosjean is there because of the French connection, so unless he proves to be utterly incompetent, his seat will probably be pretty safe. So d'Ambrosio might get the odd Friday programme, but I don't think his future involves racing for the team. Not unless there is an absolute disaster.
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- Ardius_
As I said much earlier in this thread, Custard is going there because of the Gravity/DAMS connection and also because he serves as a decent back-up in case the team are unhappy with either Raikkonen or Grosjean - especially seeing as both have something to prove this year. Its quite likely that one or the other could disappoint.
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Apparently Vitaly Petrov was a surprise appearance at a Pirelli event in Abu Dhabi earlier today, fuelling speculation that he might becmoe their test driver in 2012.
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- astrosdude91
I see what you did there...
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Turns out Petrov's appearance in Abu Dhabi was a guest spot, but if he doesn't land a race seat, Pirelli are looking at taking him on as test driver:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97168
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97168
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- Bratvegas
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This is quite true. Although Ferrari also went through a similar period in the early-mid 1990s and Williams are definitely in a slump right now.
It's odd to think that Toleman, Minardi, Jordan, Stewart, Tyrrell and possibly the 'original' Lotus if you really get into it are still on the grid in one incarnation or another.
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Petrov reckons his future will be sorted out within a week:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97172
Pirelli invited him to attend the event in Abu Dhabi, which appears to have been their first contact with him.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97172
Pirelli invited him to attend the event in Abu Dhabi, which appears to have been their first contact with him.
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- JoeTruckV8
Whats is Kubica's deal is he recovered yet or what?
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Broken leg. He won't be back this year.
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His broken leg has not ruled him out entirely. Mark Webber broke his leg a few weeks before the 2010 season, and managed to race just fine. Kubica's main issue is still his arm - he's recovering, but he doesn't quite have all the muscle back yet.
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No. Hardly.
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Petrov is if i remember reading earlier Pirellis new test driver till March, Kubica seems to have a voodoo doll of himself that is causing this bad luck hes been having
MagpieRacer
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