Antonio Giovinazzi back again in China.

Antonio Giovinazzi back again in China.

Sauber's Pascal Wehrlein to miss Chinese Grand Prix, replaced by Antonio Giovinazzi

 

Kimi should be nervous Actually I feel bad for Werhrlein. This must be frustrating. Also maybe as a new up and coming driver one might not wish to risk the Race Of Champions so early on. Hopefully he will recover soon.

 

DC racing with broken ribs post plane crash. Kimi in excruciating pain with a back injury to the point that the Mclaren doc (Kimi at Lotus at this point) actually sorted him out before the race...Mansell testing with a broken NECK.

How ****ing unfit is he? Just throw the career away will you. I'm glad actually. I like Gio, don't like Wehrlein. Works for me.

 

At least we agree on that.

But really, I wonder if this isn't a smokescreen to drop Wehrlein from the team.

 

thats what I was thinking.....they are being euphemistic about it saying its still his injury. Like Gio too.

 

Great for Antonio and for F1! Very strange episode on Wehrlein's side, though.

 

Just by curiousity: is there any insurance paying for his salery while he is "injured"? Is Sauber saving money that way? I can´t actually imagine that as I doubt that he gets that much money that it actually makes a difference but still...

 

As far as I know Wehrlein is still a Mercedes product, so I'm sure they're paying Sauber handsomely for the seat.

That said, Gio being a Ferrari product, Ferrari could well be paying equal amount or more...Who knows.

 

So does anyone know what his lingering injury is???? Is he just scared?

 

Yes, but how long for?

Are they paying Sauber just so that Gio keeps the seat warm?

 

+1

 

Either Wehrlein doesn't want it, or he believes he is entitled.

 

Presumably a full season to evaluate him further and see how Ocon does. IMO Ocon's seat will definitely be safe, as will Bottas'.

If and when Wehrlein returns, I'm not sure for how long. I think a swap of the seats will quickly happen provided Gio keeps up his good doings (which I imagine he will). May not be a seat for him at Sauber but I actually think he could well be in the runnings for a seat at Haas (Magnussen's).

 

I think the latter.

Perhaps he should review last year how he compared to Haryanto (NOT F1 material). Apart from 2 decent showings, a very poor season if you ask me.

 

Cool news. I like the Italian.

Robb

 

Stop sitting on the fence Bas , tell us what you really think

 

If Gio is driving in Bahrain, Wehrlein is gonna lose his seat.

 

Werewolf doesnt deserve a seat as far as I can see, he hasn't done anything at all, whereas his replacement comes in, first race, drives well and keeps improving. If he was that good merc wouldn't have bought bottles, and I doubt being told to go to the 'reserve drive' for a year to prove himself, and then playing truant from it, won't exactly go down well

 

Except that the statements are coming from Wehrlein and I can't see why he would agree to say he is injured so that someone else could take his seat. It is doubly harming him because it makes him look bad and gives someone else the opportunity to look good. It is all very odd and surely more to it than is being said.

Jonathan

 

For someone who is quite happily walking around and travelling all over the world, this is one hell of a stealthy injury. I just don't buy it.

 

Yap..looks strange....as Bas said, many, many drivers drove with serious injuries just because they were afraid lo let his seat be ocupied by someone else that could do a beter job....could be he is really husr..but i does look fishy....but since i dislike the guy, keep on doing that!!

 

I personally don't care for Wehrlein but to be fair these new cars are generating incredible G forces--levels never before seen in road racing. As the season progresses we might see more instances like this where the drivers suffer from the tremendous loads. These guys will need to wear G suits if the issue isn't addressed.

 

Pascal may sit out Bahrain.

APRIL 4, 2017

Doubts surround Wehrlein fitness story



Pascal Wehrlein could miss the entire China-Bahrain double header in the next two weeks, as a bizarre story about his physical fitness continues to unfold.

The Mercedes-backed German sat out the 2017 season opener in Melbourne, citing a lack of fitness in the wake of his winter back injury following a rollover crash at the race of champions event.

He was replaced by the Ferrari reserve Antonio Giovinazzi, who impressed. The Italian will now race again in Wehrlein's place this weekend in China.

This is "to ensure that Pascal will be back in the cockpit in best physical shape at the earliest possible opportunity", Sauber announced in a statement.

But that could be next weekend in Bahrain "or the Russian grand prix", the Swiss team admitted.

"For me the most important is that I can train intensively to ensure a 100pc performance from my side as soon as possible," Wehrlein said.

But some are not buying the 'fitness' story. Former British racing driver and TV presenter Tiff Needell said on Twitter: "Wehrlein doesn't think he's fit enough?! Do you think Giovinazzi ever thought 'but I'm not fit enough'."

Needell's cynicism is not isolated. La Gazzetta dello Sport, an authoritative Italian sports daily, said Sauber's announcement was "a day after Wehrlein said he wanted to at least do Friday practice" in China.

Germany's Auto Bild said Wehrlein, 22, was in the Mercedes F1 simulator on Monday.

The major German daily Bild, as well, does not know how to interpret the Wehrlein story.

"He has now trained for two weeks (since Australia) to be fit," correspondent Lennart Wermke said. "He is supervised by Josef Leberer, once the physio to the great Ayrton Senna.

"But according to Sauber, the ambitious Wehrlein is voluntarily not racing?

"Will Wehrlein be fit enough for Bahrain? Or is there something more to this?" Wermke added.

Wehrlein's career is overseen by Mercedes, whose boss Toto Wolff said: "I feel for Pascal, because he has had all the bad luck.

"Now he needs to build up his fitness and come back strong. I have no doubt that when he's back in the car, he'll prove he's still the same Pascal."

 

I guess in truth Wehrlein is locked up somewhere deep down underneath Brackley, where Toto is torturing him to tell him all the secrets about the Ferrari PU.

 

Damned by faint praise.