Comments on: Bourdais – right bloke for the job

By: vonspeex

vonspeex — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:43:54 +0000

well i think bourdais a total sissy crying like that in front of the whole world, ridiculous. when sir michael was crying he had good reason (topping senna’s race win record) f1s not his cup of tea. bruno will show em all up!!!

By: Malcolm46

Malcolm46 — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:50:58 +0000

Yes. I’m pleased Bourdais gets that rarest of things a second chance, he was unlucky in 08, but he has got to step up to the plate this season and dominate Buemi if he’s got a future of F1. If not, I’m going to change my name to Sebastien so I can get his drive in 2010!!

By: speedmerchants

speedmerchants — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:36:05 +0000

JA writes: Mike, it was a strange one really the Michael Andretti story. You could look at a number of areas, but I’m not sure it was a lack of ability in one certain area as you suggest. He had plenty of time to acclimatise as Villeneuve etc had. And having seen him in the USA in Indycars he was very fast, no question about that and a great racer.

As far as I could see, it was that he was like a fish out of water in F1 – he didn’t have any experience of the culture, the European travel and so on, he was lost basically. It didn’t help that he insisted on coming across from the States on Concorde for races and tests, instead of basing himself in the UK. So his confidence was low and F1 is a tough environment.

He seemed to get on okay in the car, but he was shaded by Hakkinen in the pre season tests and always had him breathing down his neck, and then having Senna as a team mate is enough to do anyone’s head in.

By: john g

john g — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:19:13 +0000

I’m glad bourdais got a second shot, most of the time he wasn’t that far away from what i believe was a special team mate in vettel, who having met and watched from his first F1 test onwards i rate very highly.

shame that sato is left out as i think he brings quite a lot to the paddock. not seen anything to really endear me to buemi, the only thing i have ever noted about him is that he spun the safety car at brazil last year (i think)

By: Mike Ellison

Mike Ellison — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:03:07 +0000

James, what was your take on Michael Andretti’s difficulties with F1? I always had the impression that it was the braking that he never quite nailed, that he never quite believed how late he could brake in an F1 car compared to what he was used to. Or was it that the feel of the F1 brakes didn’t give him the confidence to use all that extra stopping power?

By: Adam Dennehey

Adam Dennehey — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:06:00 +0000

Spot on James. I was delighted with Bourdais’s appointment, had to laugh at STR’s site when they claimed that ‘it was the worst kept secret’ in F1 that Bourdais would get the 2nd seat. Sounds like to be they’re putting a spin on it because it hasn’t been a secret if it is one for long considering they’ve left it this long.

His haul of 4 points could’ve been more but for the last lap drama in Spa, the Massa incident in Fuji and lets not 4get his engine giving up on him in Melbourne when in 4th (although on that occasion he was only in the position because other ppl had retired) and he was doing well to hold of the Heikki/Alonso battle behind him. Anyway the regulation changes i think will suit him and i think him and Buemi should do well. Bourdais should score between 10-14 points next season. Any news on Honda’s situation btw?

By: Steven

Steven — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:37:22 +0000

Glad to see Bourdais get the seat ahead of Sato but being nationalistic I would have rather seen the seat go to Anthony Davidson or Jenson Button. I hope someone saves Honda Racing now to allow Jenson (who I still rate as my favourite British driver) to race next year.

By: MauriceMinor

MauriceMinor — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:46:08 +0000

Akshay – I think you’ll find that Buemi was driving a 2008 spec car while all around him were testing the 2009 spec (or parts of the 2009 spec). The 2009 spec is designed to slow down the cars.

By: F1Wolf

F1Wolf — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:14:01 +0000

As a Sato fan I was hoping that he would get the (unlikely) nod . But I agree that Bourdais was the logical choice and I believe if the whole thing did not come down to money he would have been confirmed long ago.

By: Lee Grant

Lee Grant — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:27:09 +0000

I’m really chuffed that Bourdais has been given a second chance.

I watch Buemi all season long in GP2 and I cannot say that I recall anything stunning – I certainly don’t think he was a match for Senna, Di Grassi or dare I even mention Pantano (will he always wonder what he could have done if he’d been given another chance?).

When the FIA cut costs even more and we can all run a team for a year and still get change from a tenner – I’d buy an F1 team just to put Anthony Davidson back in a car! Surely he has to be part of the Honda package (currently at £5.53 on Ebay!) for any buyer.

We can all imagine how difficult it must be to get an F1 seat – I can think of a few current drivers that must be hoping that their bosses haven’t yet noticed that they still haven’t delivered the goods.

G’day!