Coulthard clinches Red Bull deal

[iGav]

Unsurprising I guess considering he was linked with Jaguar several months ago.

I think it's actually a pretty good call though, he's got excellent experience having driven Newey cars for his entire career and he's well known for his skills as a development driver and judging by the performance of Jaguar they need that urgently.

I'd like to see Liuzzi take the 2nd seat...

rinky dinky link

Thoughts??

 

[johnnyjibbs]

Good for Coulthard. I know he's down as a moaner, but he is still a damn good driver when he's good. It's just a pity he can't accept that he's nowhere near as good as Schumacher.

I had a feeling this would happen. But I think this will be his last year as a driver, save for some kind of Maclaren '98 or Bar '04 rise to grace for the team.

 

[Maritan]

It will be good for the Red Bull team, seeing as how he is good with technical feedback.

I'm wondering what McLaren is going to do. Kimi isn't the best with technical feedback, and neither is Montoya. I just hope McLaren doesn't struggle as pathetically as they did this past season.

 

[andym172]

It will be good for the Red Bull team, seeing as how he is good with technical feedback.

I'm wondering what McLaren is going to do. Kimi isn't the best with technical feedback, and neither is Montoya. I just hope McLaren doesn't struggle as pathetically as they did this past season.

...and their test driver, Wurz, is unable to fit in the new car :O

I personally can't wait to see how Montoya and Raikkonen mix - it should be 'interesting' to say the least ( ), and while there's not a lot better than seeing Montoya four-wheel drift an F1 car, my money's still on Kimi to come out on top.

Coulthard was always the obvious choice for Red Bull, lets hope they follow it up with another good decision and sign Liuzzi

 

[Benj]

Is it just me or has Coulthard's career been a massive disapointment?

We all thought he would do great things but he just got too comfortable in a decent (but not great car) and sat back (on a yacht in Monte Carlo no doubt) and collected the money.

Here's hoping Button does more. His being forced to stay at BAR will probably do him good in the long-run. Keep him hungry.

 

[Maritan]

I didn't know about this Wurz issue. Andym - you have a link for that?

Coulthard has definitely underperformed. To me, he doesn't seem anywhere as motivated as Kimi or Montoya are.

Button - The fact that he is being forced to stay with BAR might make him a little less ardent in his pursuit of a championship - at least for the coming season, don't you think? I mean if I was forced to stay somewhere, I would go about doing the bare minimum necessary. But, then again, that's me, and that's probably why I'm not in F1.

 

[JFreak]

Is it just me or has Coulthard's career been a massive disapointment?

no, you're not. the man has driven in best cars all his career and achieved nothing. plus, his driving style is more like keep-it-safe than make-it-happen, and that's why he has never excelled at the same time with mika and kimi. DC needs an understeering car and all the great ones want to drive a bit oversteering one. it has always been a battle with the car developement between what dc needs and what the stars want.

it looks good for mclaren now, as both kimi and montoya know how to "drive" the car, and like oversteering setups. remember the time when senna and mika were together for a few races? amazing...

 

[Counterfit]

I didn't know about this Wurz issue. Andym - you have a link for that?

A quick search could probably turn up a quickie article on him not fitting in the 18, and maybe the 19. He's a big boy

 

[johnnyjibbs]

Button - The fact that he is being forced to stay with BAR might make him a little less ardent in his pursuit of a championship - at least for the coming season, don't you think? I mean if I was forced to stay somewhere, I would go about doing the bare minimum necessary. But, then again, that's me, and that's probably why I'm not in F1.

I think Button would rather win a world championship with BAR than not at all, wouldn't you think? The last thing he'd do is underperform out of spite - that wouldn't be very professional or indeed in his own interests for the future.

 

[iGav]

I'm wondering what McLaren is going to do. Kimi isn't the best with technical feedback, and neither is Montoya.

Newey had better produce the goods otherwise they're in the sh*t, neither can develop a car.

 

[Maritan]

I think Button would rather win a world championship with BAR than not at all, wouldn't you think? The last thing he'd do is underperform out of spite - that wouldn't be very professional or indeed in his own interests for the future.

I wasn't talking about Button underperforming out of spite - more like underperforming due to a lack of motivation. But then again, you're right - he does have every incentive to do well - that will only make other teams want him more on their side.

BTW, what do you guys think about the reduction in engine size for the 2006 season? Apparently, reducing the engine size to the 2.8L V8 won't provide enough of a technical challenge according to the teams. Here's the news article at BBC.

Why not? I mean, if Ferrari romps all over their asses with a smaller engine that's really strong, aren't the other teams going to have step up and deliver? That is still a technical challenge if you ask me.

 

[iGav]

BTW, what do you guys think about the reduction in engine size for the 2006 season? Apparently, reducing the engine size to the 2.8L V8 won't provide enough of a technical challenge according to the teams. Here's the news article at BBC.

Why not? I mean, if Ferrari romps all over their asses with a smaller engine that's really strong, aren't the other teams going to have step up and deliver? That is still a technical challenge if you ask me.

The teams are talking sh*t... the technical challenges of lobbing off 2 cylinders and ending up with a 2.4 V8 pose similar technical challenges as it does to a V10.

It's not unsual for this to happen, '88 saw the last year of the 1.5 litre turbo, and saw the introduction of 3.5 N/A up to V12's in '89 yet the cars ended up going quicker. The same happened in '96 when they dropped from a 3.5 to 3 litre engine so it's all a bit of a storm in a tea cup really.

Honda expect their engine to hit 1000bhp sometime this season from a 3 litre V10 so it's logical to assume they'll likely lose about 200bhp or so from losing 2 cylinders and .6 litres. I'd be most surprised if they don't recover that within maybe 3-4 seasons so the technical challenges are still there.