From crash.net Despite being named among the initial quintet of drivers selected by Red Bull for its two squads in Formula One next season, Scott Speed's exact role has yet to be determined by the drinks manufacturer. Although confirmed, as expected, as part of the new-look Scuderia Toro Rosso line-up for 2006, the American cannot be sure of a race seat, if the ambiguity of the squad's latest press release is anything to go by. Robert Doornbos' confirmation as third driver at the 'senior' Red Bull Racing squad underlined Speed's switch to the 'junior' Toro Rosso outfit, where he has been widely tipped to partner Vitantonio Liuzzi next season, but the press release that heralded the Dutchman's arrival insisted that Speed's position was not yet settled. "Following Red Bull's purchase of Minardi earlier this year, Scott Speed will now join Red Bull's newest team, Scuderia Toro Rosso," the missive revealed, "His exact role in the team will be confirmed in the near future." While Liuzzi is all but assured of a race role following his limited outing with RBR in 2005, it may be that the management has decided that Swiss driver Neel Jani, added to the Red Bull F1 squad after a race-winning GP2 campaign, is now a better competitive bet, particularly after his strong performances in the new A1 Grand Prix series of late. Speed did not win a race in GP2, despite several podium appearances, and failed to shine in the Team USA car at the start of the A1GP campaign. Hmm sounds like Speed might be testing again next year. That or a split seat type deal like Klien and Luizzi last year.
Allegedly Doornbos came with a big suitcase of $$$. Jani has also been downgraded because of that and is now sharing his Friday test sessions. All in all a highly competitive situation. Sad if Speed doesn't has it, but possible.
Is it just me, or does it seem slightly laughable that Squadra Toro Rosso is worried about being competitive? I really have to disagree with the article's premise. The rebranded Minardi team is not likely to be any better than it was last season, so the only thing that can be affecting driver positions is 1) sponsership money and 2) the cryptic relationships between the team principals and the drivers' managers.
Forgive my ignorance, but how does that work, does Doornbos have an investor that pays the money for the seat, in exchange for a (large I'd imagine) percentage of prize money generated? Do they sign agreements that they get a portion of his salary if he ever signs a future racing contract? Or are these pay-to-play drivers just independently wealthy?
Not sure about this for two reasons: - Look what happened to the Jaguar team this year under RB management - Despite FIA rules, I'm sure there will be interaction/synergies/knowledge and hardware transfer between RBR and Toro Rosso. Money does play a big part in F1, especially at the lower end of the scale, where every penny counts. I read an interview with Stoddart and he admits the team was running on fumes. There will be some massive cash injections changing all that.
Newey will, no doubt, be working on both cars so i think they'll be ok. Look for Midland to be the tail enders next year
Normally the driver brings sponsorship money to the team. The sponsor pays for the logos on the cars and gets his say in the driver choice. Ironically the same situation led to the big divorce between Sauber and Mateschitz a few years ago (and culminated in Mateschitz buying his own teams): Mateschitz wanted Klien in the Sauber and Peter didn't. The result was that Klien didn't end up in the Sauber and Mateschitz took his $$$ elsewhere.
To me it would really be ashame not see Speed in the race seat for Torro Rosso next year. Ive been dying to see an American in F1 that might have a chance at the title some day. Although after seeing him in A1GP, it seems like he might need a little more experience in the car before he gets the race seat. Either way Im rooting for him to be in the cockpit racing next year in F1. Mark
Some are wealthy pay to play drivers some, some have personal sponsors or investers. I rememeber hearing that when RB was with the Stewart team he was a pay driver. If i understood right he paid for the seat and his sponsors then paid him. Now Dave tell me...... Is that ghey?
Too bad there aren't any American companies willing to pony up and help put Scott Speed in a seat. I guess it goes back to the unfortunate, imagined disconnect between F1 and US race fans.
I suspect that STR will earn less points next season than they did as Minardi in 2005 Seriously, though, does it really matter if they're fighting for 15th 3 laps down vs 18th 4 laps down? Cash and (illegal!) tech transfers will help, but unless Speed can somehow get to the 'real' Red Bull team, I can't see that his competition level is a driving factor in this decision. I also don't think that just "having an American in F1" is going to help the fan situation here other than a possible short-term bump at the beginning of the season. People liked Mario Andretti and Phil Hill because they were winning, in an exciting sport. Speed won't win with Red Bull in 2006 or 2007 (assuming he's still there, I haven't read anything on his contract), and modern F1 has yet to recapture the excitement of the past. (of course, he'll sell merchandise, I know I'm going to be sporting a STR Speed hat)
I spoke to both Mike and Scott Speed at the super nats two weeks ago in Vegas. Speed is confirmed as the second driver for Redbull's new team. He said it was decided back in July that he was going to race in 2006.
You're falling into the traditional trap of conventional thinking that being in F1 is only about the championship, victories and podiums. Not true otherwise there would be no back markers and no midfield. F1 is a business for everybody involved. I haven't seen Stoddart's books, but I'm sure he was no romantic fool just pumping his own money into it to be a hot shot team boss. EVERYBODY makes money in F1, that's guaranteed by Bernie's magic formula of distributing the TV money. Of course the big wigs get more, but there is still plenty to go around. Points only go to 8th place, true, but having your car in a better position, fighting for position, pulling a stunt gives you and your sponsors TV time and that equals cash. Equally it matters to the drivers. How else would an Alonso have found his way into a Renault after only one year in the lousy Minardi? We might laugh at them, but the team bosses watch EVERY car and driver carefully. Heck, it took MS only one qualifying session to show his diamond in the rough in the Jordan. Which generated some nice $$$ for Eddie. Same can be said about Peter Sauber when he sold Kimi after only one season. It does matter to these guys how they're doing, even if it is for no points.
Heaven forbid, I was thinking of this business from the perspective of a race fan. You remember racing, where teams try to put the fastest drivers in the fastest cars to finish ahead of everyone else? Now I understand why I've never truly connected with F1 over the years.
Well then by that logic Neel Jani is a better choice than Speed. Jani won races in GP2 while Speed did not. Make no mistake about it Speed may be a good driver but would any of us care if he wasn't American? Red Bull knows this too and it is probably why he got a seat in the first place. All's fair in this case as far as I'm concerned. There are other drivers out there that could be in that seat other than Speed (Piquet Jr for one).
Luckily there is that other racing series, that is completely void of any shady business deals for the sake of entertainment. That series where pure racing and racing talent alone differentiates the winners from the loosers. It is called NASCAR...
Maybe I'm a bit nationalistic but I don't see Doornbos as a paying driver with no talent and only a big bag of money. He's talented and happens to have the right financial backing too. As far as I've read he signed the testing/reserve contract in order to get a racing seat in 2007. Ciao, Peter
I tend to agree with you which is why I threw the "allegedly" into my money bag statement. I read about that in the Swiss newspaper Blick, which in general gets it right. However I did sense some Swiss bias in this story since Dornboos kicked Jani out so I'm taking it with a grain of salt. Honestly I have no high hopes for all three: Jani, Dornboos and Speed haven't really convinced me yet that they're made of the MS/Kimi/Alonso mold. They all might end up in F1, but probably join the ranks of Ralf/Fisico and the like.
Beleive me, Speed got to this point with a big suitcase full of cash also. As we know, it's not always the most talented drivers who land F-1 rides. BHW
Scott Speed is the real deal. He is a talented racer, but so are most of the F1 field, financial backers or not. The question will be if he is an upper tier driver. Watching him in practice at USGP made me a believer. His dismal A1GP results have been concerning though. All the US teams fault? Herta has done a little better.
I'd agree. Despite Jani being my compatriot (and me having therefore a natural bias) I never thought he'd cut it. All his F1 shootout tests were rather dismal. However his A1GP results took me by surprise. Just the way as Speed's lack of performance in A1GP is concerning. I'm no fan of A1GP, but it is a "fair" series with everybody driving the same car basically. Hence it does indicate the talent behind the wheel. And it is also close enough related to F1 to say that if you don't cut it in A1GP there is no future for you in F1. Which is also why I'm already a believer in Piquet Jr.
