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TheGamingLion wrote:I can kind of understand the switch. Gasly was obviously not able to perform as needed, and as RB is a high-pressure environment, the best way to test if a driver is capable is by putting him into the environment instead of wasting money on a guy that might not have the potential to handle it all. RB might feel they did that with Gasly. So to check if Albon would be fine in RB in 1-3 years, you might as well check within 9 races how well he does. If he does a Gasly, you can safely put Kvyat into the 2nd RB spot and be quite sure that he'll perform.
Due to Albon's and Kvyat's age difference (just 2 years, but a lot in development terms, one might assume), RB might see more potential in Albon as a driver, and a younger "platform" to shape. RB being known to be quite strict. It was already possible to compare Albon and Kvyat in Toro Rosso for a couple of races, so RB might have an accurate estimate as to how they'd compete.
Kvyat didn't handle the pressure well the last time he was in RB, and RB has this quite stubborn fella (Helmut Marko) who takes part in making decisions. Although, as said, Torpedo would probably do very well now.
What wasn't tested yet is Albon in a high-pressure environment. And you have to admit that both Kvyat and Albon are better prospects than Gasly to end the championship with.
We also have to consider that Kvyat might want to focus on his family more than being under a 24/7 contract with RB instead.
TL;DR: It could be a benchmark game with nothing to lose (and likely more to gain than with Gasly), or just down to Kvyat turning down the swap. Or Helmut Marko simply voted No on Torpedo.
--What is the thing you value the most when evaluating young talent?
Marko: I don’t want to expose trade secrets, so I’ll say one thing. Quickness. Over one lap, not overall race pace. I was once interested in a driver (a current F1 driver), and thought he was a very good driver. However, he lacked one lap pace, so I passed on bringing him into the Red Bull program. Today, he races quite well on Sundays, but is falling behind his teammate on Saturdays. My view of him was correct in the end, and his qualifying performance is hampering him.
--Come on, tell us another.
Marko: Mental toughness.
--How do you evaluate that?
Marko: We’ve been using various tests for the past few years that can quantify this. However, I still value talking to drivers directly and evaluating this. And I’ve rarely made any mistakes in my judgement. A typical, or an extreme example of this was Max. The first time I spoke to him, I sensed his mental fortitude.
--When was this?
Marko: When he was 15.
--Pierre Gasly was meant to be no slouch mentally.
Marko: That’s what I thought as well.
--Before Hungary, you haven’t publicly touched on the possibility of a driver swap mid-season. Was Hungary a turning point that brought about the decision?
Marko: You can say that. Not only did he fall behind at the start, but he struggled to make a move on Sainz, let alone pass him. This was despite Pierre’s pace being much better than Sainz. He eventually finished a lap down from the front.
--From somebody that has seen him last season, Pierre seems to be a different man now. Is this a mental issue?
Marko: I believe so. Pierre up until last season was quick over one lap, and didn’t hesitate to overtake during the race. But he hasn’t performed like that this season.
--And you’re saying that this is a psychological issue.
Marko: I think so.
--I’ve been wanting to ask you this, but do you believe that his early crash during winter testing affected his performance?
Marko: Not just once, but twice. Yes, his crashes had a great effect on the team’s test programs. We were short on parts, and faced issues completing our tests.
--And Gasly felt responsible for it?
Marko: Definitely so. And he was unable to move forward, even as the season started.
--Albon might not be ready mentally for the sudden promotion. Isn’t there a risk of him turning out like Gasly?
Marko: I’m optimistic. To be honest, I didn’t expect him to perform so well in his first season. He’s improving every race, too. Moreover Alex’s contract is only for the remaining 9 rounds. Nothing has been decided regarding Max’s teammate next season. So Alex doesn’t need to put any pressure on himself; he just needs to drive like himself.
--I see. Still, Kvyat has outperformed him in quali and races. Why have you chosen Albon despite this?
Marko: There’s no “despite” here. I just thought that Albon was the more appropriate choice. We already know how quick Kvyat is. He has also recovered well from his release from Red Bull. He has become a very complete driver. So we considered all of these factors, and decided to go with Albon's promise.
Dr_Schnueres wrote:ITS RACEWEEK BOIS, lets hope we get some good races from spa and monza
been going up and down the F1 reddit the whole month and i gotta say every day silly season becomes more enjoyable.
rumours of hulk to haas, gro out
ocon to renault
rbr str switch
bot with merc for another year
vettel to rbr and ric to ferrari seems also really spicy
also whatever is happening with kubica will be interesting.
I'm already excited for 2020 season before 2019 is over
Mettkrieger wrote:Anyone seen the F2 crash? Just saw the video below that explained what happend off-screen.
Sad to see someone die in a formula series car again, although the safety standards are already that high, but I think nothing can be done against these kinds of accidents (getting T-boned at 200 km/h)NSFW:
Aubury wrote:Mettkrieger wrote:Anyone seen the F2 crash? Just saw the video below that explained what happend off-screen.
Sad to see someone die in a formula series car again, although the safety standards are already that high, but I think nothing can be done against these kinds of accidents (getting T-boned at 200 km/h)NSFW:
Well if they could prevent cars from rolling back on the track like that then yes, something could be done against being T-boned at 200km/h.
This is partially why Paul Ricard has those insane run-off areas since most of that track is very high speed.
And remember, it happened twice in this accident. First with Alesi and then unfortunately with Hubert
Aubury wrote:Mettkrieger wrote:Anyone seen the F2 crash? Just saw the video below that explained what happend off-screen.
Sad to see someone die in a formula series car again, although the safety standards are already that high, but I think nothing can be done against these kinds of accidents (getting T-boned at 200 km/h)NSFW:
Well if they could prevent cars from rolling back on the track like that then yes, something could be done against being T-boned at 200km/h.
This is partially why Paul Ricard has those insane run-off areas since most of that track is very high speed.
And remember, it happened twice in this accident. First with Alesi and then unfortunately with Hubert
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