Page from: http://www.yallaf1.com/2011/06/16/de-la-rosa-may-replace-perez-again/ Jun.16 (GMM) If Sergio Perez has to sit out a third consecutive race, Pedro de la Rosa is ready to again occupy the Sauber C41 cockpit. Mexican rookie Perez withdrew ill from his seat after Friday morning free practice in Montreal, two weeks after suffering concussion in a huge qualifying crash in Monaco. Sauberâs managing director Monisha Kaltenborn on Thursday said the rookie is currently training in his native country in an effort to get fit for next weekâs European Grand Prix. âHe is doing very well. We see no reason why he shouldnât drive in Valencia,â she told motorsport-total.com.. Meanwhile Sauberâs technical boss James Key confirmed that if Perez is not fit enough for the streets of the Spanish port city, then Spaniard de la Rosa will occupy the seat. âHe did a great job for us,â confirmed Key, referring to the 40-year old McLaren reserve driverâs race at short notice in an extremely challenging race in Montreal. Speaking to the Spanish press on Thursday, the countryâs motor racing president Carlos Gracia hoped De la Rosa will be in the Sauber cockpit next weekend, âwithout wishing ill on anyoneâ.
But this raises the question again , why bother having reserve driving if your not using them. I know there helpful doing simulators, Friday practice. But if you have a driver missing, you put in a reserve, like a sub in a soccer match. I think Sauber dont want to field this inexperienced driver, just use him for simulators.
Its not the first time this year that this has happened what with Kubica and them not opting for Senna, but i can understand this one more. Gutiérrez is not being hard done by its just that Sauber want to see him make his debut in better conditions not with two practice sessions as his only time in an F1 car. It would have been unsafe to put him and and Throwing him in at the deep end to put it lightly. They should not however i agree put him as reserve driver whem test driver is his only real role.
^^ yeah, maybe if the race had been on a track he was more familiar with they may have had guti race, on the other hand, giving him the odd race in a season is exactly how you would bring someone into F1 slowly, not unlike Vettel in the 2007 USGP. He's had a few goes in it since 2009 so he's at least driven the car and he wouldn't be a stranger to it.
