Why does Bourdais suck?

I think he is still getting into his groove.

 

Champ car was/is a show. F1 is pure performance.
The formula required to do well in either is different.
He struggles for the same reason most superbike champs struggle in MotoGP. The game is quite different.

 

I don't think it's much of a surprise...CHAMPCAR and F1 have very little in common and it's not like he's exactly a youngster being brought up thru the ranks like the younger stars of today.

 

There is nothing worst for a good driver than to step in a new series onboard an uncompetitive car and an inexperienced team.

Let's face it, F1 is a different ball game to ChampCar in term of qualifying sessions, driving time, regulations, etc...
Apart from the Ferrari engine, there is nothing to praise from the Toro Rosso car, which is a second-hand Red Bull design.
Finally, I don't think the management and team at Toro Rosso are very good.
The budget is not famous, and they don't have a technical team of their own to improve the car.

Also, Bourdais comes from a specs series, where cars are very close. In F1, you have to taylor the car around you through testing, and I don't think Toro Rosso is very good at that.

 

Because you really thought Bourdais was going to win in his torro rosso this year?

williams was a top team and the car a challenger for the championship........you can't really compare

 

I need to disagree:

http://img517.imageshack.us/my.php?image=denisedesantige7.jpg
http://img257.imageshack.us/my.php?image=denisedesanti2fd6.jpg
http://img501.imageshack.us/my.php?image=97470desanti122913lorg5.jpg

 

I was of your opinion as well. I thought Bourdais would do very well in F1. He was actually onto a 4th place finish in the opener until the car let him down with less than 3 laps to go. Montoya and Villenueve made the transition look fairly easy. Looks like we both misjudged his F1 debut success.

 

I have to admit that I expected Bourdais to struggle considerably in F1 but I think he has done a very good job, particularly being handicapped by driving for the most arse-backward management team in F1.

Everyone thinks that Vettel is the next big thing but frankly I think Bourdais has more than held his own against him. SeaBass will likely never be WDC but I would vote for him as Rookie of the Year this season.

There...how's that for eating crow?

 

Button and Barichello on Honda with all their experience can't even get in the points that often.

How can you expect Bourdais doing well in a below-than-average car?

Put him in a McLaren or a BMW, and that could be a different proposition!

 

Bourdais was lucky in ChampCar. He doesn't remotely look good in F1. Scott Speed was better. Vettel is definetely better.

Ted, Bourdais, F1 Rookie Of he Year? Stop, Bourdais looks bad on the track. Off the track he is a self centered ass. That comment definetely convinces me you have been watching roller derby and have no reason to bash Massa.

The fact is, even in a mediocre car he looks bad. I do not think anyone expected him to run in the points, but I also do not think him to DNF so often.

Bourdais will be gone next season, there are way too many better drivers in Europe. Unless he is bringing money to the table, goodbye Boringdays.

 

How luck only can bring you 4 championships in a series? Didn't he have opposition? (I admit I don't follow Champcar). Champcar is a specs series, right, where you win because of your driving as opposed to your equipment.

I don't think Bourdais is bad, but maybe he spent too much time in Champcar and got too old before stepping into F1.

A few years back, he was short-listed by Renault. I don't think he was looking bad at that time.

 

Ron, I'll bet if I were to look back on my pre-season posts predicting a Bourdais failure, you were on the other side of that debate...

You are the Conrad Dobler of F-Chat

 

What?! He was a 3 time Champcar/Cart Champion and was the only driver to ever win 3 consecutive championships. He sure was luck over those three seasons. Prior to that he was Cart's Rookie of the year and qualified on the pole in his very first race. And he had to over come a constant Paul Tracy crashing into him. His credentials are quite impressive.

 

Just how was it a show from the late 80s through the mid 90s?

 

Don't have a clue, mate.
Late '80s through '90s I was competing in combined driving and had little interest in F1 after
GV's death in '82, let alone any lesser national comp.

It certainly was a show when it came to Surfers P', near me, recently, though.

Bourdais was too desperate to get back to Europe. Needed to have at least a mid-field car to have a chance of looking OK.

 

+1

plus, luck hasn't always been on his side too.

 

I didn't like the way he raised his hand in frustration to the team when the fuel hose got stuck. Just drive.

 

Do you mimic everything you hear on television?

 

Not the biggest Bourdais fan in the world but he's done fairly well, certainly better than "suck" status. As for saying Scott Speed was better, who's got more points in their F1 career? Enough said.

Bourdais is in a bottom end car where points are very difficult to come by. I can't testify to his DNF's, how many are car related vs. driver related? I'll give you that he's a boring personality and isn't the best team-player in the world but he's still very quick.

 

Bourdais is a typical example of why drivers shouldn't be obsessed with being in F1.
If you can get into a competitive team, OK.
But if you want to be in F1 at all cost and end up as a tail-ender, that really damages your reputation and you may never recover.
Why Bourdais has never been able to be considered by a good team during during his career may have something to do with his management, his image, sponsors interest, etc... and not much to do with his driving abilities as such.
In the end, I believe that driving an inferior car makes you look bad on the track and affects your driving.

 

Senna dragged the anemic Toleman to victory and everybody woke up.

 

I think he is doing an OK job so far. I thought he would do better in Montreal as he has driven there with Champcar. Most of the other circuits would be new to him. He needs to get into a better qualifying position first to avoid the mayhem that occurs on the run down to Turn 1.