I am a Force India fan.
OK, correction. I was a Jordan fan, then I was a Midland fan, then I was a Spyker fan.
Now I am a Force India fan.
And as such I have been fenced into a corner over being a fan of the various drivers who have spun through the revolving door or the team over since the Yellow liveried cars shuffled from the last F1 track.
With a majority of the peddling “talent” the team have employed in the interim listening to or watching them race as a supporter has been like cheering on the bad guy in a Batman movie. You know they were not going to win, and even if they did win it wouldn’t be pretty and it just wouldn’t feel “right”.
However, now, the team appears to have two drivers who appear capable of scoring points, in a car that, likewise, appears capable of scoring points.
While Fisichella has the race finishes that put him closest to the point holy grail, having finished ninth at Monaco, it has been Adrian Sutil who has been more deserving of the any points that should fall the team’s way.
Put simply Adrian Sutil is an F1 driving gem, but one that no-one realises the value of, like Jet or something.
But this is nothing new. Cast your mind back to 2007 (yes, yes I know it hurts to think that far back), to the Monaco Grand Prix to example and to a rain marred practice session. And who, I hear you asking rhetorically was fastest in said session. Why, Adrian Sutil.
Whenever the conversation comes up as to who is the finest F1 driver when the wet stuff descends my answer, amid the Schumachers (who believe it’s still 2002) the Sennas (who believe it’s still 1992), the Vettels or Hamiltons, is always Adrian Sutil. I have actually been known to inject myself in the F1-related conversations of total strangers just to get this comment in (which is part of the reason why I am currently banned from at least 7 drinking establishments with a 15 minute drive of where I live) (not that I drink and drive).
On top of that Monaco practice run, I also put before you last year’s Monaco race, before Kimi-gate I, the Chinese GP earlier this year and his qualifying performance in the dry-wet-dry session at the Nurburgring.
Yet, now Sutil has a car worth of the description he is showing the pace to run up front in the dry, as he did in Germany, before Kimi-gate II. There’s only so much you can put down to an ability to drive in the wet and pure, dumb luck.
And so, I ask you, isn’t it time that Adrian Sutil graduated to a team (in all fairness to Force India) fitting of the talent he seems to possess?
He is currently (from what I can fathom) on a year-by-year contract at Force India, meaning he is (presumably) free to move elsewhere should he feel the need.
So, why is nobody seemingly willing to take the man on?
Everyone’s silly season talk has been of whether Fernando Alonso is going to Ferrari to replace either Kimi of Massa (or perhaps both, as Fernie seems to believe himself to be that good), Renault’s line-up, the six mystery seats at the three new teams, and whether Sebastien Loeb can ovoid stationary objects in rallying long enough to get an F1 drive, no-one appears to see Adrian moving from Force India.
Now, I’m not suggesting that Adrian should get a Ferrari drive (although the delicious irony in that career move cannot be underestimated), but surely, after what would be three full years with the minnows of F1 it is time Adrian Sutil got to sit at the top table of F1 (or at least stopped having to eat of a skip, with a fork).
*I'm not really Adrian Sutil, incase you were uncertain.
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I can see him replacing Kimi after seing how he has not wanted anything to do with the team this year by getting out of the car and not waiting if it will be restarted. Can't blame him on some of the team moves during races.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Lewis and team finaly have caught up with Braun and RedBull going by the first 2 pratices?
Cheers2You
Fernie? I got crucified on a F1 forum a few years ago for calling him that and got told it was either write out 'Fernando', 'Alonso' or 'Fred' like everyone else on there was doing....I've stuck with Fred :P
ReplyDeleteand I agree with you about the wet weather...I personally don;t see what all the fuss over Hamilton in those conditions are. Yes he won the British GP last year in horrible conditions....a race he had started on pole and had the best car anyway, hardly a massive effort. He only won China in 2007 since Vettel and Webber collided and he spun off at Fuji the next race. I rate Sutil and Vettel the highest in the current crop when the weather turns ugly :)
Tez, the thing that separates Sutil (and Vettel) for that matter from Hamilton is that they have done in a number of F1 cars.
ReplyDeleteVettel in last years Toro Rosso and this year's Red Bull, Sutil in the old Spyker and the Force Indias. Hamilton has only really shone in last year's Macca. He's been nowhere in the rain this season.
As for Fernie, what can I say, I think he looks like a Fernie.