Perez to be replaced

[Dare]

Don't worry Monty it isn't Michael making a
3rd return to F1.Seriously I thought Perez got the
short end of the stick on this one.He needed a decent
car to be rated but maybe his kamikaze driving factored
in the decision


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111249

[Jericoke]

Is it just me or does it seem that F1 is tossing aside some pretty good talent these days?

Kobyashi, now Perez.

[Scott]

Maybe Magnussen's management gave Mclaren an now or never ultimatum.  He sounds pretty talented.  I know what you think about tire management etc..., but aside from raw talent, everything else a driver can be taught on the sim and coached through on the radio. 

Perez to me drives like a bully.  I was impressed when he was with Sauber, but somehow he took on a new face with Mclaren.   

[PG_Gabriel]

Personally I think they are looking for another Lewis Hamilton type story. Jenson is phenomenal racer, but to me doesn't have what it takes to win a championship in anything besides the best car on the grid. McLaren need another star driver, someone with Lewis like speed.

On Magnussen's third lap at Abu Dhabi he set a faster lap then both Jenson and Sergio did in all of qualifying. Who knows what they did with the car, but still, damn thats fast.

He could be a bust and Macca will look like fools, or he could be a phenom and win the championship his rookie year  Can't wait to see!

[John S]

On Magnussen's third lap at Abu Dhabi he set a faster lap then both Jenson and Sergio did in all of qualifying. Who knows what they did with the car, but still, damn thats fast.

I wonder if you could clarify please when Magnusson set this lap time and in what car?  I am having trouble finding any record of Kevin setting a time at the Abu Dhabi track this year.

I know he ran in the Siverstone young driver test this year, however his fastest time was not quicker than quali times of Jens or Sergio at Brit GP, although he did set a faster time than either Oliver Turvey or Gary Paffet the other two McLaren drivers at the test.

[Scott]

It was at a test in Abu Dhabi in November of last year for Mclaren.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24903504

(this article doesn't mention the equivalent time of 6th place, but unfortunately I have gone over my 20 views per month at Autosport so I can't quote the story from there that I read last week with the time he set in his first flying lap).  The point is, he doesn't have to impress you John, just Whitmarsh and the boys, and he's obviously done that.     

[Dare]

you walked into that one too John

[John S]

you walked into that one too John

No not really because the test was with last years car and so would be difficult to compare with this years quali times. Anyway Kevin's best time at the test 1m 42.651s did not beat Sergio or Jen's Quali times of this year at 1m 41.068s and 1m 41.200s. respectively.

To put Magnussen's time into a proper context we really should compare it to Lewis & Jens Quali times last year in Abu Dhabi. Now when we do that we see that Kevin was over a second behind Button's 1m 41.290s and two secs off Lewis' best of 1m 40.630s for pole.

 - So where has this myth sprung up from??????   

[Dare]

The reverse walked into that one,you got me John


I wonder what the future holds for Perez and his
Mexican pesos now?I hate it how teams wait
till the last minute then leave drivers hanging

[PG_Gabriel]

you walked into that one too John

No not really because the test was with last years car and so would be difficult to compare with this years quali times. Anyway Kevin's best time at the test 1m 42.651s did not beat Sergio or Jen's Quali times of this year at 1m 41.068s and 1m 41.200s. respectively.

To put Magnussen's time into a proper context we really should compare it to Lewis & Jens Quali times last year in Abu Dhabi. Now when we do that we see that Kevin was over a second behind Button's 1m 41.290s and two secs off Lewis' best of 1m 40.630s for pole.

 - So where has this myth sprung up from??????   

Sorry about that! I read that he was quick enough to be 6th on this years grid (further up than Sergio and Button.) Didn't do any research about the car/time of test    My bad..

[Scott]

I read the same thing - pretty sure it was on Autosport. 

There's another reference to the quote from Whitmarsh on the Mclaren forum - http://www.mclarenlife.com/forums/mclaren-racing-f1-can-am/4345-f1-kevin-magnussen-may-replace-sergio-perez-mclaren.html (just so you don't think we made it up - maybe Whitmarsh did to bolster his decision?). 

According the following article, Whitmarsh said Magnussen is already faster than Perez in the simulator...perhaps that was what he was referring to?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24903504

[Monty]

Is it just me or does it seem that F1 is tossing aside some pretty good talent these days?

Kobyashi, now Perez.

Yes it is just you 

They are both talented for sure but both got a reputation for crashing - worse, Perez got a reputation for crashing into his team mate!
The problem for all F1 drivers is the huge pool of talented F1 wanabe's hanging around in the lower classes.
F1 requires more than just good driving - the drivers have to be PR machines (something Jenson is very good at and perhaps McLaren have seen new opportunities with Magnussen).

[John S]

F1 requires more than just good driving - the drivers have to be PR machines (something Jenson is very good at and perhaps McLaren have seen new opportunities with Magnussen).

Or perhaps it's just Magnussen's PR machine in overdrive,   

McLaren still say they have not made their mind up, in fact no one - not even Jenson has a contract for next year. 

http://www.f1times.co.uk/news/display/08201

[Alianora La Canta]

While Pérez seems to have lowered the team average, at least to my eye, I do not see how hiring Magnussen would fix anything. The second McLaren driver might be a problem, but the car is a considerably worse problem. What they need is someone who can help fix a car to make it go faster, not someone to bring on and hope will make up a technical shortfall. Current F1 shows this isn't really possible any more, unless the driver talent is in especially good tyre management or pit stop tactics.

A driver like Hulkenberg might have been better, but Massa (before Williams got him) or even de la Rosa or Barrichello would have been better choices. Basically, McLaren needs more experience (even at the expense of speed and/or talent), not less.

[cosworth151]

With all of the driver changes for the last two races, maybe we should have a selection in the Grid Game for None Of The Above.