Drivers 2012: Who 'deserves' their place?

[Mephistopheles]

Hulk is a definite for me, there would be a question mark hanging over Kubica's head who knows what kind of driver he will be when he returns to full health and being out for two years...

 

[no-FIAt-please]

If Hulkenberg is a definite then Barrichello should at least be in the maybe pile, he beat him soundly and is renowned for his technical feedback while developing a car.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Yes Rubens beat him but it would have been a shock if he hadn't after all he was a rookie.

Just a heads up on Rubens the smart money is him going to Indycar

http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2012/02/barrichello-open-to-indycar-deal/

 

[EvilWhippet]

That was half a dozen of one and six of the other, IMO.

You mean this...??

 

[Mephistopheles]

Just lads being lads

Maldo got a grid penalty and Ham got a reprimand to add to his tally.

DC always comes flying in with an ill thought out opinion before he gets any facts has nobody ever noticed that?

 

[EvilWhippet]

I've noticed when one guy lines another up and blatantly crashes into him, folks tend to notice and point it out, aye.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I'm simply pointing out they were both penalized so the stewards must have seen it differently I have no idea if a grid penalty is a lesser or a greater penalty than a reprimand, just that a grid penalty is done and dusted and a reprimand is carried with the driver for the whole season and accumulate..

My comments are in keeping with the stewards findings that both were at fault. and they have more than a peice of video or a knee jerk reaction as evidence.

And anyway in my view Maldo isn't quite good enough to deserve a seat in F1 without the backing of his sponsors whereas Lewis obviously is and that's the point of this thread isn't it?

 

[RasputinLives]

With HRT completing their driver line with Karthikeyan, it's obvious that although we have six world champions on the grid for next year there are also several drivers who maybe wouldn't be on the grid, and perhaps don't deserve to be, if it wasn't for sponsorship money.

I've tried to break down the grid in to a number of categories based on how I see them. Roughly, although there are notable exceptions (e.g. Schumacher), the drivers near the top are most deserving of a drive in my opinion and those near the bottom are least deserving of a drive:

World Champions: Vettel, Hamilton, Button, Schumacher, Alonso, Raikkonen
Race Winners: Webber, Massa, Kovalainen
Established, proven talents: Rosberg, Kobayashi
Exciting prospects with F1 experience: Di Resta, Hulkenberg, Perez
Experienced and shown pace in the past, but have a point to prove: Trulli, Glock
New(ish) to F1, deserve their chance to shine: Grosjean, Senna, Ricciardo, Vergne, Pic
Possibly wouldn’t be on the grid based on talent alone: Maldonado, Karthikeyan, de la Rosa

And then waiting in the wings we have:
Drivers of note without a seat: Petrov, Alguersuari, Buemi, Sutil, Heidfeld and others I’ve probably forgotten.

I don't know how much discussion this will generate, but certainly if you swap those five drivers without a seat that I've mentioned with five of the drivers that I've placed near the bottom you end up with a much stronger grid - possibly a grid that would have more depth in talent than any that has competed in F1 before.
We all now that money talks, and we have a ridiculously good grid as it is, but, without wanting to be mean, I really don't think the likes of Karthikeyan should still have a place on what is meant to be a grid of the top 24 single seater drivers in the world.
Feel free to create your own ranking system/add your two cents!

What I find interesting about all of this is how time changes people's perspective on drivers and their talent. Petrov was very much seen as a Pay Driver (and he always has been) when he came in for 2010 - at the end of 2010 the majority of people called for him to be dumped as well - then all of a sudden their was a change round and he's a talent without a seat. I don't really get it - he's had 2 pretty average seasons and so he's been voted off the island. Fair enough in my view. Meanwhile Maldonado who, lets remember, actually won GP2 is deemed as not being worthy of being on the grid by talent based on one year in a terrible Williams - a terrible Williams by the way he did keep getting into the top 10 in quali. I guess crashing into Lewis Hamilton brings your skill level down. Also why does Senna get a New(ish) sector when's he's done one and half years in F1 which is more than Maldonado. Senna managed 2 points in a Lotus whilst Maldonado managed 1 in a Williams - based on the cars last year I know who I'd give the chance of another season too.

Also, and I realise I may bring about the wrath of whippet when saying this, why is Nick Heidfeld considered to be worthy of a place on the grid but Jarno Trulli is too old and should give up? To be honest their careers are pretty similar - in fact Jarno actually probably has the better results. Both have looked promising on their day, both never quite achieved what they promised both slid down the grid and started looking a bit lack luster. So why does one bring about calls for retirement and the other great praise to bring back in? confused.

I think judging who 'deserves' to be on the grid is exceptionally difficult and depends on your perspective. To be honest I'd much rather the likes of Kimi and Schumie clear off and give other people a chance and that offends me far more than De La Rosa going round at the back for HRT because they're actually filling up spaces that mean something.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I didn't think my mind could be swayed but do you know what Rasputin I absolutely agree with you...