At the moment, Force India have 3 very good drivers, and I am not yet convinced that Force India have the right 2 drivers competing in the race. Ignoring the Lux-Sutil case, who do you think should Force India pick? Hulkenburg I'm a big fan of Hulkenburg. It wasn't just the excellent pole position that was impressive, but also his performance against "the most experienced driver on the grid" in the second half of 2010, and his great consistency. Unfortunately, he was hyped up to be the next Lewis Hamilton before the season even started, and he was never going to fulfill those unrealistic expectations. Now as a reserve driver, he doesn't get much time in the car but when he does, hes done quite well - most of the time he's been faster Force India driver. Sutil In the early days of Sutil's career, I thought he did quite well given the terrible cars he had. He may have had loads of crashes, but in terms of driving ability he didn't look too bad in the Spyker and he might have had more points with Force India if it wasn't for Raikkonen always hitting him. A lot of people describe Sutil as "underrated". Main problem for me is, Sutil's never had a good teammate apart from maybe Paul di Resta - but even then it's still early days, and there could be an unknown factor that is making Sutil underperform (for example, maybe Sutil is struggling to adapt to Pirelli's) - although this is unlikely because I haven't heard Sutil or Force India say anything. Di Resta Probably the best rookie of 2011. Most of the time he outperforms Sutil, and on those occasions where Sutil comes out on top, it isn't by much. It's still very early days, so for Di Resta to be performing at such a high level already makes you wonder just how good he might become in the future. I think he's got a lot more to show and the fact that he's already being linked to Mercedes suggests that he's something special, and Force India should be very happy to have his services. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any team hiring a rookie or an inexperienced driver is taking a gamble, but Di Resta doesn't lack consistency and he knows how to race. I also hear that he provides good input, which means Force India are less reliant on Sutil's experience. To me, it's clear that Paul Di Resta should be in the car, and the second seat is between Sutil and Hulkenburg. I think the second seat should go to Hulkenburg. He's proven many times in the Williams that he put in good consistent performances and defend against much faster cars. I think that Hulkenburg is the best driver in Force India, at least for the moment. He should be in the car alongside Di Resta. What are your thoughts about the FI drivers?
I don't know. I think I'm very slow to follow the curve. I still wouldn't call myself 100% convinced about Kobayashi but I have come round to liking him more recently. Everyone else seemed to love him almost immediately. Similarly, with Sutil, I've thought he was very good for some time and I'm not ready to give up on him yet. I think he's definitely in a rut at Force India but if a seat doesn't open up in a better team what do you do? I'd stick with Sutil and Di Resta for the moment.
Ok here is my take. Force India should stick with what they have. I think it is harsh to jump on Sutil's back so soon as his 2010 season was very good. I expect him to comeback to form by the end of the year. He is not driving well at the moment i concede, but it has only been 5 races after 13 my opinion of him may be different. As for Hulkenburg. He is one of the most overated drivers around. No he did not deserve to be sacked from williams, but i disagree that it is some crying shame. His season was merely OK. Rubens Barrichello ( who is getting on a bit and despite his experience i would rate him similar on 2010 form to Sutil) outqualified him 13-6. Decent for a rookie. Just decent. No more. The pole position means nothing as it was done as a glory run on a heavily compromised setup for the race (as pole to 8th is evidence of). The other point you made was his ability to defend against much faster cars. When? The only time i've seen him neer much faster cars (the FI dosn't count) were Brazil (where he was overtaken) and Italy (where he cut corners.) Sorry if this sounds like a rant because i think Nico is a good driver, But the way people whine about how he is not in a car these days. You'd think he'd have done so much more.
Everyone just loves the guy in form. I pride myself on being part of the weird and small group of people who believed in Kobayashi in the first half of 2010. The opinion of Sutil will change fast when he is back on form.
Sutil is massivly overrated, he has had some below average team mates which have made him look better than he is. I would pick Di resta and Hulkenberg.
Hulkenberg has done nothing for me to think he could be a contender, and that's what it's all about in the end. Sutil is a fairly solid driver, I'd put him at roughly the same, or even higher, than Rosberg, and although DiResta is a rookie he's probably the most qualified rookie F1 has seen, he won the F3 title by beating his then team-mate Seb Vettel, he's a DTM champion, and while winning the DTM he tested at most F1 races during the 2010. I can't see Hulkenberg beating either of them over a season.
I agree with JC, I think Hulkenberg is overrated. Sutil on the other hand is underrated. He is obviously very fast (Sutil) but may not be very consistant. I dont think Hulkenberg is neither though. I havent really been impressed.
I think saying Hulkenberg is overrarted is a bit early to say since he only had one season, and that he is still pritty young (23). Petrov gained 5 more points to Hulk in a better car, yet he kept his seat. The gap to their teammates was also in Hulks favour since Kubica was over a hundred points infront of Vitaly compared to Rubens on Nico. Hulk's had alot of growing up to do last year, and it's only fair that IF! Sutil doesn't start delivering like a seasoned driver is meant to, axe him and bring some new blood in. Give the kid 3-4 years in Force India and I reckon he would be a future contender with the bigger names.
I'll also add that I think that Hulkenberg is a bit like MW2 (Yes i'm comparing him to games). One of the most overhyped games in the whole of ever and didnt deliver. SA, in fairness, Petrov was against one of the most talented drivers on the grid and Barrichello only has experience on his side, he's not exactly quick. If and thats an if, diResta beats Sutil, they should consider swapping him. Hopefully Schumacher will retire then all 3 of them should be able to get a drive...
You say that, but let's be honest, he was consistent (just like this year) and he was humiliating Liuzzi. Anyone who's seen Liuzzi's career will know that he is useless. Two chances, both failed. To humiliate Liuzzi isn't much of an achievement in my view. Not saying he was average in 2010, I just think Liuzzi's rubbish performances made Sutil look better than he actually is, which is being proved now with Di Resta beating him.
We dont yet know if the Sutil-Di Resta balance will stay the same as it is now. Just look at the Button-Hamilton partnership. 4 races in it was 3-1 Button in qualifing and he had already won twice. As the the Liuzzi thing i would like someone to explain how this applies here but Kubica is a god after battering Petrov?
I brought up Liuzzi because it was his terrible performances that arguably made Sutil look good in 2010. Sutil wasnt that great against Fisichella either and its only now that Sutil has a good teammate that we see him getting beaten. On another note, im glad we all agree on Di Resta.
I think there are some very good points being raised in this thread, in all manner of different ways. I also think the Force India question is a good one in the first place. So far, not a single person has questioned Paul di Resta's position in the team, and I am very happy to comply with the consensus that he is fully deserving of his seat and that he is, thus far, the best rookie of 2011. Although many other drivers have been mentioned, some with good reason; I will stick to the three we are really concerned with: di Resta, Sutil and Hulkenberg. As said, di Resta is not in question. He has all the vital ingredients of a long-term F1 driver. He is very quick; he is very consistent; he does not take unnecessary wild risks but holds himself below his own limit; and he gives very good feedback to the team, which is so vital for a car's development as well as setting it up properly for each circuit in the limited time available. So, Sutil or Hulkenberg? Sutil has the benefit of more experience; something important in a relatively young team. On the other hand he has not appeared to be stunningly quick and has had his fair share of errors, although in this respect he is probably no worse than average. One more thing, and this is very much in his favour: I would not wish to upset the balance within the team as it stands at this point in the season. Hulkenberg has shown glimpses of 'something maybe?' and of course, received plenty of attention from his pole lap. But he was comprehensively overshadowed (as was quite reasonable to expect) by the man for all seasons: Barrichello. I have to say that with the exception of his moment in the spotlight, the 'Hulk' has not impressed me that much and I predicted his loss of the Williams seat long before it happened. In a sense, I feel that I am closer to the 'Hulk was hyped' side of the fence. It's never easy to compare two rather negative concepts, but on balance, I'd have to keep Sutil. So, it is with some regret that I have to say, Nico: you're fired!
