Lets face it, The car is essential to formula one success. Only the greats like Senna and Schumacher could take a mediocre car and somehow manage a podium. Scott has shown he can drive and nearly scored points in his first start.
2007-09-10 10:31:45 · 17 answers · asked by 24fan 4 in Sports ➔ Auto Racing ➔ Formula One
Scott Speed is a little difficult to evaluate, there is no doubt he is talented as a driver, but then again, all F1 drivers are very talented, and it is minor degrees that seperate the best drivers in the sport from the rest.
Scott was burdened with a less than ideal car during his time in F1, and was also on a team that operated in a way that clearly clashed with his personal style. Ultimately, not a recipe for success.
He showed often showed good pace against his team mate, who was quite highly regarded coming into the sport. However, he also seemed prone to key mistakes and ultimately did not finish well.
So, given that he is talented enough to be in F1 to start with, beign in a front line car would mean he would be "competitive." He would likely be able to challenge for a race win on occassion if not actually win, and would most likely score a podium or two as well as often be in the points!
All of which sounds good, but all of which would not be enough to keep a seat with a top team. Vettel's recent qualifying showed that as he's come to grips with the car, he has moved on to better pace than either STR driver showed earlier this year. Now, given some improvements and a better atmosphere, Speed may have shown more... but from what we've seen he is a good, though not great driver (although still young enough that there is upside to where he could wind up, though it seems unlikely he'll get that chance).
2007-09-12 10:29:40 · answer #1 · answered by Paul S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I thought that Kimi would have been dominate over Massa. I considered Massa a mid pack driver before he came to Ferrari and Kimi as a very top driver before Ferrari. I consider Scott a mid pack driver, but would he be as quick as Massa in the Ferrari? I am leaning towards YES, I think he would do well at Ferrari. But maybe i'm not giving Massa enough credit and therefore Scott would be a step below Massa.
You have to rate the drivers compared to their teammates, at McLaren Kimi dominated Montoya. Montoya was very dominate in the States but was a step below Kimi. You could really see Kimi's dominace when DeLaRosa was driving the other McLaren. We have only seen Scott run against Tonio, and Tonio was not that great in the part time Red Bull seat the year before STR.
It is unfortunate that F1 is less about the driver and much much more about the car. I'm glad to see the traction control go for 2008 and I wish other driver aids would go.
2007-09-11 06:32:02 · answer #2 · answered by Lawrence L 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, it's a proven fact that 70% of the performance comes from the car...the rest is from the driver.
But a powerful car needs skill to go along with it. And a good racecraft is needed to win also...I am not against Scott but I don't think he will be effective in a good car...but he most certainly will be a regular point's scorer (like Rubens while at Ferrari). That's my guess.
Throughout this season, I watched him make a few slip-ups that allowed him to be overtaken and exploited.
So a car alone cannot bring you victory. Remember Rubens Barrichello while he was with Ferrari for 6 seasons? He could gain only 9 victories while the superior Schumacher simply was too much for Rubens. He lost 1 victory to Michael thanks to idiot Ferrari team-orders.
Don't be mistaken, Rubens got a lot of podiums while he was at Ferrari but it is the wins that matter the most.
So, it's not just about a good car but skills and good racecraft.
2007-09-10 13:10:29 · answer #3 · answered by Marc McLaren 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Scott would be very competitive in a Ferrari or a McLaren. Think about Sato when he was driving for Honda 3 years ago.
2007-09-11 08:39:29 · answer #4 · answered by Nicole's Nikky 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hate to say it, but I don't think he would be. Sure, there would be occasional races when he might shine, but in the long run he would still be error prone.
When Scott Speed won the Red Bull US Driver Search shootout he wasn't just chosen for his driving. Red Bull was looking for "the complete package." They felt Scott's driving would improve and that he had the personality they were looking for to further their interests in marketing the product throught he sport--and particularly in the USA.
I think Scott Speed is a good driver, but not good enough to win Grand Prix races in Formula One; best car or not, he's not a competitive driver in F1.
RP
2007-09-11 02:38:21 · answer #5 · answered by R P 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If by the word "car" you mean the manufacturer and the team that supports the racing effort it would be difficult to answer. I lot of it has to do with the synergy between the racer and the team manager and crew. Some just blend well together.
Do you think Michael Waltrip would win more races if he drove Jeff Gordon's no. 24 car? I don't think so. I think you either have or you don't but without the complete support of your team it could be a struggle and the team could make you struggle.
2007-09-10 19:40:11 · answer #6 · answered by toughnottobeacynic 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If he really pushes harder and focuses, then it will help. But not entirely. The balance has to be equal- the car has to be good and the driver must play his part too. There's no way some driver in a great car can beat others if he isn't very good in the first place.
2007-09-12 00:46:08 · answer #7 · answered by , 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Speed needs to find his feet again in another open wheel series, like Champ Car or something like that. If Speed was still in F1, he would never get higher than 10th. NEVER.
Learn how to drive fast, Scott.
2007-09-11 00:15:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately I don't think he would be competitive.
He may be up in the top 6 or 8 but thats about it. He'd only be there due to the car.
2007-09-11 01:16:34 · answer #9 · answered by mitul.shah 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Probably. The gap in performance between the larger teams and the smaller ones is so huge at F1 that he would at least be a consistent points-scorer.
2007-09-10 11:57:56 · answer #10 · answered by Mearn 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋