'Regular drivers? What are they?'

 

Hispania Racing Team boss Colin Kolles has said both the team's 'regular drivers' will be driving at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka next week. Which brings the problem: who are their regular drivers? Bruno Senna is certainly one, as he's driven all but one race this year, but who's partnering him?

For those that don't know, the team's had four different drivers this year, Senna (the nephew of the great Ayrton Senna), Indian Karun Chandhok, who raced for the team in the first half of the season, Sakon Yamamoto, the Japanese pay-driver currently racing for the team, and Christian Klien, the team's test driver, who replaced the ill Yamamoto at the last race in Singapore (and did pretty well).

Sadly, it appears Yamamoto will be given the nod, not because of his racing ability, but due to his rather large wallet (which the team desperately needs), plus the fact it's his home race. It's quite sad to see Chandhok on the sidelines after the solid start he made, and was improving all the time before they suddenly dropped him: his commentary on the BBC in the latter half of the season has shown he's got a good knowledge of the cars and tracks as well, not to mention a clear enthusiasm and dedication to the sport.

As for Yamamoto, having already had two tries (and fails) at F1 before his current job, I think it's clear he should think about giving it up, as his driving remains erratic, his speed slow and his effectiveness for the team and the race overall extremely low. I can agree that being in F1 would be a great experience, and that it would be better to get as much time as possible, no matter where it is, but the lack of improvement shown by Sakon Yamamoto is very telling.

Hopefully the team will be able to sort this out ahead of the final few races of the season, but with the team stuck to the back of the grid and two underperforming drivers, they may well be hoping just to get the season over with.

Sauber lands Perez for 2011

Sauber have signed Mexican Sergio Perez to be second driver to Kamui Kobayashi for the 2011 season. The GP2 runner-up becomes the first Mexican to race in the sport since the not-particularly-good Hector Rebaque back in the 1980s.

Now I must confess to being either blind or stupid, but I genuinely don't seem to know how good he is, even though he won no less than four races in GP2 last year, including one at Silverstone. Where I was in the crowd. From the sounds of it though, he could be a shrewd move for Peter Sauber's boys, as he strikes me as someone who could do a Vettel and become good when it really matters. At only 20 years old, he's already older than both Raikkonen and Massa when they started, so may have to do a bit of catching up in that respect.

Two things strike me about this deal more than anything else, though: firstly, what about Nick Heidfeld? Left Mercedes to test for Pirelli, and then left Pirelli for the second Sauber race-seat. What did he get out of it? Five races in an uncompetitive car. Certainly not what one of Sauber's most loyal and dedicated drivers wanted, or more obviously, deserves.

Secondly, and I know this is much less important, but with a Japanese and Mexican team for next season, I sure would love to visit the Sauber garage's kitchens to see the food they're knocking up in honour of their drivers' respective nationalities.

Oh, hang on, maybe not.

Sebastian and Michael- two peas in a pod

Sebastian Loeb won his seventh World Rally Championship today, with a win in front of his home fans in France allowing him to defeat his nearest rival, fellow Citroen driver (and Frenchman) Sebastian Ogier.

Much as the feat has to be applauded- it's quite clear now Loeb is already the best driver ever to grace the WRC in terms of championships and wins- it's quite easy to draw some obvious comparisons with Michael Schumacher's titles in F1.

There is the undying loyalty to his team throughout his career (just don't mention what Schumacher did next, though). There is the sense of a lack of competiton, that Loeb made it look easy all the time, when in fact there were many other drivers snapping at his heels, many other GOOD drivers. And, most importantly of all, there was the ability to win when it was needed, when it mattered, and across all types of terrain and through all manner of ways.

Sadly, the comparisons can also stretch to the accusations that the WRC has merely became Seb Loeb's plaything, just like F1 was Schumacher's plaything in the 90s. It is clear to see how the sport has suffered too, with a lack of satisfactory opposition to the Citroens and Fords turning the WRC into a shadow of its former self.

Nevertheless, to win seven titles at any sport is something that must be applauded- and to win them all back to back is even more so. Congratulations to Sebastian Loeb, and Citroen, and good luck on making it number 8 in 2011!

The solution to the Lotus Racing/ Team Lotus problem

You wouldn't call this Malaysian made, Malaysian-funded, Proton-built car a Lotus...

... so why should this Malaysian funded, Proton-built car be any different?

OLD LOTUS=BEST LOTUS.

COLIN CHAPMAN > TONY FERNANDES.

Tell us something we don't know, Luca

Ferrari president Luca De Montezemolo has urged Felipe Massa to help out Fernando Alonso in his title bid:

"I have waited for Felipe with great perseverance in the last four races. I want a strong Massa who will shave points off the rivals. In Singapore he had some bad luck, but he is in good condition to win. Those who race for Ferrari don't race for themselves, but for the Ferrari team colours. One who wants to race for himself will have to face his team."

Hmmm, thought he'd done that already.

No surprise there though. The question being: with that in mind, how much do they want from Massa? Second places behind Alonso at every race? Holding the Maccas and Red Bulls behind at all costs? Taking himself out while in good positions to help his team-mate?

The problem being, Massa has done this so many times already he deserves some sort of award for a patience being worn thinner every race, and for allowing his importance in the team to diminish to a pinprick, so much so that even the top brass know the right moment to tell him when to play the team game. First Schumacher, then Raikkonen, now Alonso.

Almost makes you sad he didn't win the title in 2008. (Although that would mean we never got this...)


PS: I make no apologies for using a crappy quality clip with German commentary. It was better than having a clip of James Allen and Martin Brundle creaming themselves simultaneously.

Yeongnam: a cautionary tale?

The logo for the Korean GP- but will we ever see the accompanying race?

It was all he way back in 2006 when plans for Korea's first shot at a Formula One race were announced, when Bernie Ecclestone's dream of expanding F1 into the far, far east had begun to take hold. Yet four years and several hundred million dollars later, we're still far away from sealing the deal: a  half-finished track, shoddy organisation and pathetic excuses have lead to the race becoming a farce, and with only three weeks until the race itself, there's no knowing if there will even be a Korean Grand Prix this year. The big question here: could this fiasco be the first of many in F1's vastly-expanding world?