[Westie]

This is one to watch with interest.  This will tell us once and for all if we are indeed watching the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 series.

I've no doubt this guy may indeed be a decent driver and it would of course not hurt to have an American driver in Formula one and I'm really surprised that other than this guy they don't have any candidates treading the superlicense track in preparation coming in from F2 and F3.

If they let Red Bull have this guy then frankly I want to know what else F1 have given Red Bull.  It would make a mockery of the feeder series if they basically ignore the guys putting the work into the feeder series to grab someone because they are American.

This might seem wayward but frankly if they do this then I can't see any reason we can't have women in Formula 1 NOW!!! It amounts to the same breakage of the rules and tenants of the F1 charter but it would likely achieve as much interest if not more than simply grabbing an American driver bypassing the superlicense rules.  As much as I quite like Stefano ... his comment about women not being in F1 in the next 5 years seems rather an outdated view.

Whoops,  took a hell of a swerve there but I hope you see what I mean?  If we can break rules for the US Dollar -- then we could do the same to increase women's interests.

Anyway - if this comes off defo RBR F1 Racing Series we are watching.  Hell Mutt needs to get back in his box and scrape his barrell for a driver that has put the time in.

Thoughts?

[forzaferrari]

I cant comment Westie as I know sweet f.a about him or what superlicense points he may or maynot have. My only thoughts on women entering the sport...they need to be there on merit...not to make f1 look diverse....or whatever the buzzword is these days.
If you are good enough to make it, what should it matter your colour or sex.

[PapaofGags]

Thoughts?

I can't really comment on the rights & wrongs of changing the rules, weren't they changed after Max joined Toro Rosso,
obviously I can see both sides of the argument, Liberty must be chomping at the bit to get a Yank in though & the Manufactures must love the idea with the amount of cars they sell over there. 

As I've said before Gags is a big Indycar fan, I asked him for his opinion on Colton > 

"quick & very aggressive, on his day he's unbeatable" 

Gags is a fan 

[pennywise]

There are only 2 words that sum's up this proposal....Money Talks.

It won't matter if he has no Super Licence ....that will be obtained without any problems...Liberty will make sure this will be pushed through if it's what RBR want.

At the end of the day if this driver was called Bertha Colton and had tits .. it makes money so it's a done deal.

[NeilP]

Liberty are pushing for an American driver in a respectable car to promote the sport as more American. If I was a cynical person which obviously I am not   I would say they are demanding a return on their investment in Red Bull and all the support they given especially at the end of last season.

I am totally on board with Forza's comment that if you are good enough that is the way forward. Always has been always SHOULD be. Living in the USA as I do I am seeing preferential treatment given to minorities in many fields in the name of equality but the thing is favouring one persons ideology, race, ethnicity, religion sex, etc over another in the name of balance and equality is by definition biased and lacking in the very thing it purports to be. Personally I am sick and tired of how this world we live in is going.

Colton Herta is nothing special and I would be very shocked if he was anything but another journeyman.

I never want to believe there is a level of "Control" in sports I like to think they are at least in the course of game and events natural and honest. Behind closed doors I am not sure anymore.

I am over from a personal disappointment level of Abu Dhabi last year as a fan of Lewis Hamilton. However with all the things that went on both in that race, at Brazil and at Jeddah its very hard for me to think it was all coincidental. The mathematical probability of all those events happening in a string is off the charts to one.  

I know one thing with ever more certainty Liberty are ruining F1 for old timers like me. I hate the way its going and I think over the next 4/5/6 years I will probably cease to be a fan and no longer watch or participate even on line. (There you go Forza, something to look forward to   )

[PapaofGags]

Colton Herta is nothing special and I would be very shocked if he was anything but another journeyman.

I've been strongly "told" to disagree with you mate.      

I don't know if your right or wrong tbf.

Time will tell.  

[NeilP]

Colton Herta is nothing special and I would be very shocked if he was anything but another journeyman.

I've been strongly "told" to disagree with you mate.      

I don't know if your right or wrong tbf.

Time will tell.  

Time will indeed tell. I know he is doing well in Indycar but as I have said previously not many have made the transition to F1. I also base my comment on the fact I think Indycar is also not the strong racing series it once was. I feel it is a weaker product and those at the top would not have held a candle to Nigel Mansell, Bobby Rahal, A J Foyt, Al Unser, Michael Andretti and even Dario Franchitti but in truth as you can probably tell from the names its years since I last watched the series.

I also massively agree with Westie and Ian if he is allowed into F1 and goes to Alpha Tauri without meeting the requirements it will simply be further confirmation of Liberty's favouritism towards Red Bull. We need a mass exodus from F1 to a new series more than ever.

[PapaofGags]

 I feel it is a weaker product and those at the top would not have held a candle to Nigel Mansell

Its late Gags is asleep I'll get his opinion later mate, as it was his views we are discussing.

One of my fondest memories was watching "our Nige" destroying the Indycar lads, he showed them what a F1 WDC driver was, no other F1 driver has gone across the pond & dominated like he did, then or since, class pure class.

Even if he was a part time copper lol 

The forum rarely unanimously agrees on anything, but I think it's safe to say we all love Nigel.

[NeilP]

 I feel it is a weaker product and those at the top would not have held a candle to Nigel Mansell

Its late Gags is asleep I'll get his opinion later mate, as it was his views we are discussing.

One of my fondest memories was watching "our Nige" destroying the Indycar lads, he showed them what a F1 WDC driver was, no other F1 driver has gone across the pond & dominated like he did, then or since, class pure class.

Even if he was a part time copper lol 

The forum rarely unanimously agrees on anything, but I think it's safe to say we all love Nigel.

Bluntly put I was more interested at that time watching Indy Cars with Nigel Mansell on Eurosport than I was F1.  In fact if my aging brain remembers rightly I do not think I watched much F1 after that for many years I was so furious by the way Williams treated Nigel it was disgraceful in my opinion.

In my view Mansell was Prost's equal. I realize they were different mentalities and driving styles but if push came to shove and I had to win a race in those times it would have been Mansell who I choose especially if he was an underdog in the fight.

Over the years subsequent to that I watched and was happy to see Damon Hill become World Champion. I watched the rise of Michael Schumacher and loved him at Benetton.  I was happy he got he seat at Ferrari and it goes without saying he was as close to a God as F1 has ever had maybe with the exception of Senna.

I have sympathy with Forza (Hang on let me take many meds) over his frustration at Mercedes dominance because I tuned out F1 for a time until Hamilton came on the scene such was the boredom factor of watching Ferrari and Schumacher. (Its always different if its YOUR team or YOUR guy)  Even then I was a periodic observer. It was only in 2013 I really started to watch the racing again with enthusiasm and that was because of Hamilton. I guess I am too old for sporting heroes but over my lifetime I have had some:  

Nigel Mansell - F1
Ian Botham - Cricket
Nick Faldo - Golf
Trevor Francis -Football
Tom Brady -American Football
Pavel Datsyuk - Ice Hockey
and of course Lewis Hamilton - F1

Colton Herta - okay we will see.  Gags may be right.

Pavel Datsyuk. I always tell you guys you do not have to know a sport to recognize talent when you see it. I started watching Ice Hockey when I arrived here some 20 odd years ago and immediately fell in love with this guy. He retired some years ago and to be honest I have rarely watched a game since. I do have a large signed Photograph of him on my wall in my house. This falls inline with what I have told you all before F1 is more a side interest in sport for me where I have come and gone over the years. The sports I have never left are Cricket, Football and American Football.

I am going to leave you with this; those that are interested to watch, I found one its just over 10 minutes long and it contains some of the guys great plays but there are better (but longer) ones to watch if you so desire just type in Datsyuk highlights on youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br0sJicBEGw

[forzaferrari]

The forum rarely unanimously agrees on anything, but I think it's safe to say we all love Nigel.

 I guess I am too old for sporting heroes but over my lifetime I have had some:  

Nigel Mansell - F1
Ian Botham - Cricket
Nick Faldo - Golf
Trevor Francis -Football
Tom Brady -American Football
Pavel Datsyuk - Ice Hockey
and of course Lewis Hamilton - F1

Agree with you both