The '13 driver transfer discussion/speculation thread op updated 16/10

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haitch40
It would be a shame if Kamui went.
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Why?

He's totally failed to live up to the hype surrounding him. When he first joined, some people were under the impression that he'd be easily scoring podiums and race wins - and it look him three years to get a third place.
 
prisonermonkeys
Why?

He's totally failed to live up to the hype surrounding him. When he first joined, some people were under the impression that he'd be easily scoring podiums and race wins - and it look him three years to get a third place.
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Mhm. Pretty much.

He's a very likable character and can be enjoyable to watch on the track, but I don't think his performance is even good enough to hold on to a Sauber seat.

I won't be surprised if this is his last year in Formula 1.
 
If he goes, he goes. He's brought some excitement to the sport, and he's wonderful to watch wheel-to-wheel. But he simply has not shown thw speed and consistency needed to hold on to a fast seat.

We can argue about how strategy has been screwing him, but the writing is on the wall for Kamui.
 
Too bad for Kamui that every race isn't Suzuka. It seems to be the only track he really shines at.

A Gutierrez/Hulkenberg lineup for Sauber? Seems like a good bet. Though I was really hoping for a faster drive for Hulk, as I'm really starting to become a fan of him. His drive at Korea today was superb. But Sauber is a good team to be at too. It's not a step up, but not a step down either. More like a step to the side, since Sauber and Force India are more or less on equal terms I'd say.
 
astrosdude91
Too bad for Kamui that every race isn't Suzuka. It seems to be the only track he really shines at.

A Gutierrez/Hulkenberg lineup for Sauber? Seems like a good bet. Though I was really hoping for a faster drive for Hulk, as I'm really starting to become a fan of him. His drive at Korea today was superb. But Sauber is a good team to be at too. It's not a step up, but not a step down either. More like a step to the side, since Sauber and Force India are more or less on equal terms I'd say.
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Sauber have a much faster car capable of race wins in the right circumstances. FI are capable of top fives in the right circumstances.

I'l be glad to see the back of Kobacrashyi if he does go.
 
prisonermonkeys
It may all be moot - during the broadcast of the Korean Grand Prix, David Croft remarked that it was "pretty much an open secret in the paddock" that Sauber will field Hulkenberg and Gutierrez next year. I've also heard that Sauber find Kobayashi quite difficult to deal with, though I have no idea what that might refer to specifically, and it remains unconfirmed for now.
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BBC "unofficially" confirm Hulk is off to Sauber.

So that leaves an open seat at Force India...
 
prisonermonkeys
Why?

He's totally failed to live up to the hype surrounding him. When he first joined, some people were under the impression that he'd be easily scoring podiums and race wins - and it look him three years to get a third place.
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Because.
1. He is fun to watch. Thats why we watch it no?
2. Only 16 points off Perez and Perez is tipped to be a future world champion. Button is further off Hamilton than that.

Also why was he so popular last week?https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=265868&page=11

It seems people are looking at Korea and nothing else.
 
Suzuka was Kamui's only real bright spot this season. And that was partly down to luck in qualifying.

I love the guy. He's exciting to watch, he has arguably great racecraft, and he's a nice guy. But he's treading water at the moment. He hasn't been as impressive this year as in years past, and this year's Sauber has been very very good. i can fully understand Sauber wanting to let him go.
 
I dont really agree, he's not that far from Perez actually, check that comparaison for both of them :
Kamui stat against Perez

You have also have to remember that each time Perez finished quite high, Kamui wasnt running on the same strategy. I hope Sauber gonna keep him.
 
niky
Suzuka was Kamui's only real bright spot this season. And that was partly down to luck in qualifying.
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I disagree. He did a great job in Spain and in Germany too, placing fifth and fourth respectively. Suzuka was not his only bright spot, imho.

niky

I love the guy. He's exciting to watch, he has arguably great racecraft, and he's a nice guy. But he's treading water at the moment. He hasn't been as impressive this year as in years past, and this year's Sauber has been very very good. i can fully understand Sauber wanting to let him go.
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Ironically, at this point of the F1 Championship he's eleventh and he has already scored 50 points. In 2010 he scored 32 points, and in 2011 he scored 30 points. So this isn't Kobayashi's worst F1 season.
Also, you have to consider that he was very unlucky this year: he had brake issues in Malesia, he was involved in the crash at Spa, he was damaged by Hulkenberg at Singapore...

Yeah, Perez's season was better overall, but Kamui's not that far.
He has a lot of talent, and seeing him go would be sad, considering that drivers who are way, way worse than him are likely to stay in 2013.
 
RX-7_FD3S
I dont really agree, he's not that far from Perez actually, check that comparaison for both of them :
Kamui stat against Perez

You have also have to remember that each time Perez finished quite high, Kamui wasnt running on the same strategy. I hope Sauber gonna keep him.
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Thank you. Finally, someone who doesn't just ride on the Perez hype train.

There is certainly more to this than what the raw stats (and hype) seem to suggest really, just as RX7 has mentioned. Even though I have to admit, Kobayashi could do slightly better, especially as these slightly lower stats (compared to Perez) are actually going kind of against him, but I think that people are a little but to quick to write him off just like that really.

It would be really sad to see such a great, true racer like Kamui-kaze having forced to go really...
 
HeXoSKEL3t0n
It'd be really sad to see such a great, true racer like Kamui-kaze to go really...
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Lol, today's incident was quite kamikaze indeed, but Kamui is usually very calm and collected, and calling him Kamikaze is not very accurate. I mean, his overtakes are very aggressive but reasoned at the same time.
He's amongst the best drivers of the Circus at the moment, together with Raikkonen, Di Resta, Perez and recently Hulkenberg.
 
Enex
I disagree. He did a great job in Spain and in Germany too, placing fifth and fourth respectively. Suzuka was not his only bright spot, imho.
.
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Don't forget Spa. Managed to avoid being lapped despite having been plowed into in the first lap carnage.
 
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Enex
Lol, today's incident was quite kamikaze indeed, but Kamui is usually very calm and collected, and calling him Kamikaze is not very accurate. I mean, his overtakes are very aggressive but reasoned at the same time.
He's amongst the best drivers of the Circus at the moment, together with Raikkonen, Di Resta, Perez and recently Hulkenberg.
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I meant Kamui-kaze as a compliment :D, as in a proper racer who can overtake superbly. Sad to see his aggressive overtaking style being toned down by these fast wearing Pirellis (seems like it at the very least).

I no doubt rate him very highly, he certainly has what it takes to be a properly good racer.

Right now though, he seems to be in a bad place at a wrong time, especially under the circumstances he is in (and some bad luck too)... Sadly that is, especially with all the Perez hype.
 
HeXoSKEL3t0n
I meant Kamui-kaze as a compliment :D, as in a proper racer who can overtake superbly. Sad to see his aggressive overtaking style being toned down by these fast wearing Pirellis (seems like it at the very least).

I no doubt rate him very highly, he certainly has what it takes to be a properly good racer.

Right now though, he seems to be in a bad place at a wrong time, especially under the circumstances he is in (and some bad luck too)... Sadly that is, especially with all the Perez hype.
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Yeah, Kamui had a lot of problems with those tyres, especially this season, and I don't even know why. Probably his car setup isn't very suitable for Pirellis.

The "Perez hype train" in understandable, since he is extremely promising. McLaren made a huge deal by employing him.
Still, I'd take Kobayashi over Perez all day (even though I like Sergio a lot), but seeing how things are going at the moment, I'm not so sure that Kobay will have a seat in 2013...
 
Hulkenberg to Sauber for 2013 : BBC

But slightly more worrying/interesting :

And Mexican Esteban Gutierrez, the team's reserve driver, is tipped as a partner for the German, which would leave Kamui Kobayashi without a seat.

Massa stays at Ferrari : Autosport
 
I'm guessing Hulkenberg knows the writing is on the wall at Force India. There's an arrest warrant out for Vijay Mallya in India, so the team's immediate future is uncertain and its long-term future could be in jeopardy. If Hulkenberg is looking to get out while he still can, then that might just make him the smartest man on the grid.
 
Enex
Yeah, Kamui had a lot of problems with those tyres, especially this season, and I don't even know why. Probably his car setup isn't very suitable for Pirellis.

The "Perez hype train" in understandable, since he is extremely promising. McLaren made a huge deal by employing him.
Still, I'd take Kobayashi over Perez all day (even though I like Sergio a lot), but seeing how things are going at the moment, I'm not so sure that Kobay will have a seat in 2013...
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I also agree that Perez's very talented too, no doubting that.

It's just that most people are too quick to dismiss Kobayashi really...
 
prisonermonkeys
I'm guessing Hulkenberg knows the writing is on the wall at Force India. There's an arrest warrant out for Vijay Mallya in India, so the team's immediate future is uncertain and its long-term future could be in jeopardy. If Hulkenberg is looking to get out while he still can, then that might just make him the smartest man on the grid.
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We'll see in two weeks, now won't we. As for Hulkenberg I would have loved to see him stay, but his decision for Sauber is probably a good one.
 
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Further rumours emerging that Korea was actually Kamui Kobayashi's last race with Sauber (and that this had been decided before the race, so his first-lap wipeout didn't influence the decision), with Esteban Gutierrez being primed for a drive in India, Abu Dhabi, Austin and Brazil.

It's been met with a dose of scepticism from fans, though.
 
prisonermonkeys
Further rumours emerging that Korea was actually Kamui Kobayashi's last race with Sauber (and that this had been decided before the race, so his first-lap wipeout didn't influence the decision), with Esteban Gutierrez being primed for a drive in India, Abu Dhabi, Austin and Brazil.

It's been met with a dose of scepticism from fans, though.
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Source?
 
An extension of the reports claiming that a) Ferrari will keep Massa in 2013 and will annouce it shortly, and b) Vettel has a pre-contract with Ferrari despite Christian Horner saying otherwise.
 
It most likely means nothing, but while BBC was talking to Sauber's team principal, a photographer was taking Esteban Gutierrez's picture in the paddock.
 
Yeah, that doesn't mean anything. Gutierrez is the team's test and reserve driver, and so attends all of the races with them. And the photographer was probably unaffiliated with the BBC and had no way of knowing what the interview was about unless a) Gutierrez was standing next to Monisha Kaltenborn and b) the interview was specifically about Gutierrez's possible future with the team.
 
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