Using Kovalainen as a yardstick | FerrariChat

Using Kovalainen as a yardstick

Discussion in 'F1' started by Qvb, Oct 8, 2009.

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  1. Qvb

    Qvb F1 Rookie
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    #1 Qvb, Oct 8, 2009
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2009
    I have been thinking about the relative performances of the different teams. Teams like Toyota, who have been very close at some tracks this year. Then I was thinking about the performance differential between any teams 2 drivers. Many teams have 2 drivers that perform relatively similarly, Button and Barrichello for instance have consistently similar speed (Rubens tended to have a lot of problems or mistakes early in the season but their speed was close) as do Trulli and Glock, and the Toro Rosso drivers in general. Massa and Kimi have also been surprisingly close. Some teams, on the other hand, have a rather large discrepancy between the 2 drivers, Alonso and whoever, Rosberg and Nakajima, and Hamilton and Kovalainen. It's noteworthy that Alonso and Hamilton are considered to be 2 of the best. So if we can rate Hamilton as a great driver, then Kovalainen could be considered average (in terms of F1). Teams without a standout could either have 2 great, 2 average or 2 not so good drivers. So a team like Toyota is (probably) made up of 2 average drivers. If Trulli or Glock are approximately equal to Kovalainen (Kovalainen was similar to Fisichella when they were at Renault. Trulli and Fisichella were also close to each other at Renault), then you (and Toyota) can imagine how much better they would be doing if they had Hamilton. As the Toyota started the year much better then the Mclaren, and Hamilton is fighting for 5th in the championship, it is conceivable that he could have been fighting for the championship if he had been driving the Toyota.
    This all leads to a very interesting 2010 season. How will Alonso do vs Massa (Is Alonso as good as people say? Has Massa really become a great driver?) Will we get to see Hamilton vs. Kimi? Vettel vs. Kimi? Rosberg vs Hamilton? (is Rosberg as good as people think) It looks like 2010 could be a superdriver shakedown. It would be amazing to see possibly the best 6 drivers on 3 of the best teams. (Let's just hope Kimi doesn't leave quite yet.)
     
  2. subirg

    subirg F1 Rookie

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    #2 subirg, Oct 8, 2009
    All very interesting - but you forget one vital differentiator - the car. Assuming all drivers were in similarly performing machinery, then we would have a true driver comparison. However, life isn't like that, and we know that all the cars will perform very differently. Chances are that Ferrari and McL will produce better cars than this year. Likewise, teams like Brawn will probably take a step backwards as they just don't have the same level of resources to be able to throw at car design/development. Personally, I think it would be great to see the likes of Alonso, Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel and co battling it out - and a bit of on track overtaking would be a bonus too.
     
  3. LightGuy

    LightGuy Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #3 LightGuy, Oct 8, 2009

    Nice thread.
    Kovi's big claim to fame was beating someone by the name of Michael Scumacher in a stadium racing series which "obviously" meant he was the next MS. Wrong. different cars + different track = different results.
    GP2 is a fair comparison.
    So I look at Nico's, LH's, Hulks, Glock (part two), HK's, and Grosjeans results there. Especially the second sprint race when the grid is reversed. From that I can see that yes; LH, Nico, and Hulkster ARE the real deal. The variable is more HP and more preassure but a similar standard.
    Kovi had the misfortune of being teamed with two superstars. Yet as #2 he had to "try harder". Frustrating, unfair, and unreasonable indeed but that was his lot.
    He would be hell on wheels in WRC IMO.
     
  4. aquapuss

    aquapuss Formula 3

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    #4 aquapuss, Oct 8, 2009
    Kovalainen is a very poor yardstick for anything because he is a badly damaged driver. He is extremely talented and fast in almost any type of car but he suffers from profound lack of confidence that has resulted in race day impotence. How and when this occurred is being debated but many people familiar with the situation blame Flavio's manhandling for it, JJ Lehto included. And he should know.

    Even before Kovalainen entered F1, Keke called him out publicly on that very same issue. "Kovalainen likes to talk trash but where the rubber meets the road he'll **** his pants", was roughly what Keke said to the Finnish media. This occurred after Heikki had made some comments about Nico "having it easy and driving with rich daddy's money". So maybe it was Keke who did it. At any rate, it seems like a case of too much nice and not enough ice to be successful in F1.
     
  5. LightGuy

    LightGuy Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #5 LightGuy, Oct 8, 2009
    Nicely summed up. At this level confidence is King.
    He may have one more year with one of the new teams.
    Time for some metal in the face, a tear-drop tattoo, and a purple mo-hawk ?
    The new Kovi.
     
  6. Darkhorse575

    Darkhorse575 Formula Junior

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    #6 Darkhorse575, Oct 8, 2009
    Remeber Kov did beat his more experienced teammate (Fisi) as a rookie in at Renault in 2007. Finishing 7th and 8th.
     
  7. LightGuy

    LightGuy Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #7 LightGuy, Oct 8, 2009
    A very good standard to judge Kovi's abilities. A bit better than Fisi.
    Take it from there.
     

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