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**VanDerSmok** · 07-26-2012, 09:17 PM

Some of you might wonder why I am posting quite a lot recently  Well I look after schools and they have all finished for summer, so I have time to kill!

One of my current favourite drivers is Kamui Kobayashi. I think he is comfortably the best Japanese driver we have seen in F1. I think he is having a good season, Perez has the two outstanding drives in Malaysia and Canada, but Kobayashi has outqualified Perez more than the other way round, and his race pace has been generally excellent. Of course, his overtaking prowess is still a delight to watch as well. He seems to have a unique control of the brake, no other driver seems to be able to pull off the moves he does.

However, I am hearing rumours that Sauber may replace him for 2013 with Heikki Kovalainen or another driver. Seems a bit of a backward step to me. Although Kobayashi has been a little bit inconsistent this season, he is still in my opinion a driver of immense talent and potential. Was he in the Williams alongside the erratic Maldonado, I think we’d see a vast difference.

I actually think Sauber will get rid of Kobayashi for 2013, I think it may already have been decided. However, I would hate to see him lose out on an F1 drive, or even worse – have to drive for Caterham, Marussia or HRT!

Kovalainen > Sauber
Kobayashi > Williams

I would be happy with that I think 

If you follow Sauber's team press releases and interviews they always keep going on about how important it is to get two cars scoring good points which I take to be a warning that they wanted Kamui to score podiums as well.

I do believe its unfair of Sauber to blame Kamui, both times Perez got podiums Kamui's race was destroyed by factors outside his control (going through FP3 and qualifying with broken suspension components then being told by the team not to change to wets to split strategies) usually at the insistence of his team. Also in the two recent wet qualifying sessions his qualifying has been messed up by the team trying aggressive tyre choices. Despite this he has outqualified his much talked about teammate even though Kamui has a reputation for not being quick... That said mistakes at Silverstone and Valencia do not help even though they are rare.

Kamui's biggest problem though is his utter failure to bring sponsors to Sauber beyond small one-race deals. In a sense its also an indication of his strength, no other midfield driver has kept his seat so long without substantial sponsorship.

What mystifies me is the choice of drivers who are supposedly in line for the seat. Heikki is a safe pair of hands but not a star and wouldn't be much different to Kamui (unless he brings sponsorship) while Alguersuari is damaged goods after what STR said about him after releasing him.

[Edit] forgot to add that I want Kamui to keep his Sauber seat but oddly enough I'd been thinking of Williams as a potential destination for him too. They could do with a safe pair of hands.

07-26-2012, 09:17 PM	#2
VanDerSmok Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 521 Senior Member	Some of you might wonder why I am posting quite a lot recently  Well I look after schools and they have all finished for summer, so I have time to kill! One of my current favourite drivers is Kamui Kobayashi. I think he is comfortably the best Japanese driver we have seen in F1. I think he is having a good season, Perez has the two outstanding drives in Malaysia and Canada, but Kobayashi has outqualified Perez more than the other way round, and his race pace has been generally excellent. Of course, his overtaking prowess is still a delight to watch as well. He seems to have a unique control of the brake, no other driver seems to be able to pull off the moves he does. However, I am hearing rumours that Sauber may replace him for 2013 with Heikki Kovalainen or another driver. Seems a bit of a backward step to me. Although Kobayashi has been a little bit inconsistent this season, he is still in my opinion a driver of immense talent and potential. Was he in the Williams alongside the erratic Maldonado, I think we’d see a vast difference. I actually think Sauber will get rid of Kobayashi for 2013, I think it may already have been decided. However, I would hate to see him lose out on an F1 drive, or even worse – have to drive for Caterham, Marussia or HRT! Kovalainen > Sauber Kobayashi > Williams I would be happy with that I think  If you follow Sauber's team press releases and interviews they always keep going on about how important it is to get two cars scoring good points which I take to be a warning that they wanted Kamui to score podiums as well. I do believe its unfair of Sauber to blame Kamui, both times Perez got podiums Kamui's race was destroyed by factors outside his control (going through FP3 and qualifying with broken suspension components then being told by the team not to change to wets to split strategies) usually at the insistence of his team. Also in the two recent wet qualifying sessions his qualifying has been messed up by the team trying aggressive tyre choices. Despite this he has outqualified his much talked about teammate even though Kamui has a reputation for not being quick... That said mistakes at Silverstone and Valencia do not help even though they are rare. Kamui's biggest problem though is his utter failure to bring sponsors to Sauber beyond small one-race deals. In a sense its also an indication of his strength, no other midfield driver has kept his seat so long without substantial sponsorship. What mystifies me is the choice of drivers who are supposedly in line for the seat. Heikki is a safe pair of hands but not a star and wouldn't be much different to Kamui (unless he brings sponsorship) while Alguersuari is damaged goods after what STR said about him after releasing him. [Edit] forgot to add that I want Kamui to keep his Sauber seat but oddly enough I'd been thinking of Williams as a potential destination for him too. They could do with a safe pair of hands.
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