Davidson gets number one test role

[Francesca]

Anthony Davidson is about to be announced as BAR's number one test driver.
I'd like to say congratulations to Ant!
I love it when an F3 driver gets a break.

[Francesca]

Also ex-F3 champ Antonio Pizzonia has been announced as an official test driver for Williams.

Apparently he will continue to compete in International F3000.

[Spiddy-Spid]

Yeah, Congratulations Ant, I'm sure your managers role in the team has nothing to do with this decision.

Pizzonia's deal has been done for months, perhaps combining his f1 test drive with an f3000 title charge will have the same effect as webber last year. Then we will see Bourdais become champ for sure.

[sgrok]

Originally posted by Francesca
Anthony Davidson is about to be announced as BAR's number one test driver.
I'd like to say congratulations to Ant!
I love it when an F3 driver gets a break.

Personally, I love it when a driver without a string-pulling manager and no budget worries gets a break.

[pitbit]

manning should be number 1 test driver!

[Francesca]

Hmm... such a cynical bunch!

[pitbit]

Originally posted by Francesca
Hmm... such a cynical bunch!

Who is this refering to? I don't see it as cynical, what is the point in drivers working their backsides off for years to get the money and experience for F3000 and alike, to have kids (F3) then come and take the places they have slogged their guts out for (yes, I know the F1 teams have a choice). I just hope that F3000 from next year becomes the feeder for F1 because otherwise there is no point in having alot of formulas.

[hysen]

Just because they've supposedly got no money and supposedly struggled to get to F3000 doesn't give them them right to an F1 testing spot. If they actually had the talent in the first place their passage would be made alot easier.

[pitbit]

Originally posted by hysen
If they actually had the talent in the first place their passage would be made alot easier.

It doesn't give them a right to F1 testing but they have more knowledge and experience. Manning is already a testdriver for BAR, i just think it is abit off that Davidson has been announced No.1.

Hysen, are you saying that Wilson, Dumbreck, Turner etc etc are not talented? I think that it just goes to show it most cases now its not what you know, its who you know eg. Sato and his Honda connections, Davidson with his Williams connections. There is alot more talent wasted, than there is in F1!

[hysen]

I'm not saying those who you mentioned are not talented, but you have to ask yourself why Button and Davidson have moved through so quickly. If you know their history you'd realise they just have that little bit extra, their managers know this, team bosses know this. Those mentioned have all been tested, if they were that good they'd have been given the gig!

[Spiddy-Spid]

Originally posted by hysen
Just because they've supposedly got no money and supposedly struggled to get to F3000 doesn't give them them right to an F1 testing spot. If they actually had the talent in the first place their passage would be made alot easier.

So please, tell us how Anthony Davidson (for example) after a year in FORMULA FORD, with next-to-zero slicks and wings experience does have the right to an F1 test drive?

I dont totally agree that working your way to the top earns you the right to be an F1 test driver, but guys in F3000 have been PROVING their skill for years in many diferent classes. At least they know about downforce and the effect of wings!! And racing for longer than 20 laps around Brands!!

Talent may be something you either have or you don't, but it's also something that you hone with experience.

And pitbit - it's not what you know, it who you know and HOW MUCH MONEY you have - that Minardi seat is going begging to whoever can get the $Xmil needed...

[Spiddy-Spid]

Originally posted by hysen
I'm not saying those who you mentioned are not talented, but you have to ask yourself why Button and Davidson have moved through so quickly. If you know their history you'd realise they just have that little bit extra, their managers know this, team bosses know this. Those mentioned have all been tested, if they were that good they'd have been given the gig!

Yeah, and 'that little bit extra' isn't always talent!

[Francesca]

At the end of the day motorsport is a business Pitbit - do you really think that a professional Formula One team are likely to choose a driver just because he has good connections.
Do you think that teams would waste a huge amount of time and money on a 'kid', as you put it, with little talent. No they need a driver with proven technical and driving ability, etc etc - obviously BAR think Davidson is a better choice than Manning.
Over to you Pitbit - persuade us that Manning deserves to be number one tester!

[hysen]

I never said Davidson had the right to an F1 deal, what i'm saying is that Button, Davidson and Raikkonen bring very little to the table (as opposed to Sato), and therefore the reason they got their roles is due to the talent and potential the teams see in them, over all the other drivers who have been tested.

Just because they haven't gone through several seasons of car racing doesn't not make them any less worthy than those that have, the saying 'if your good enough your old enough' springs to mind.

[pitbit]

Originally posted by hysen
If you know their history you'd realise they just have that little bit extra, their managers know this, team bosses know this. Those mentioned have all been tested, if they were that good they'd have been given the gig!

I know their history very well, no taking it away from Button he has talent, everyone acknowledged that in karting and Fford. The Robertsons did a brilliant job at managing and marketing Button and started the whole, young driver jumping the ladder trend. Davidson and Sato have contacts in high places making it easier for them.

The people I mentioned earlier have all been tested, Turner still does test for McLaren, I think, but more often than not the lesser talented drivers with the bigger cheque or better contacts have knocked them, and others, aside.

[Francesca]

Well put Hysen.

[hysen]

Your implying that Davidson is one of these cheque-book racers? His karting record is arguably as good as Buttons and certainly (barring Wheldon) miles better than any other British driver over the last 10 years. Trust me the kids got talent.

[Spiddy-Spid]

None of that changes the fact that his manager is heavily envolved with BAR, or that he was signed as a test driver having completed one season of Fords a season of something lesser beforehand and a one-off F3 race (this is from memory, so don't quote me if it's wrong) how could he possibly have 'proven technical and driving ability'??? I think develpoing an F1 car is a little different to setting up your Haywood Mygale.

Yes, I'm bitter....

Perhaps now, after the four-or-so days testing that he's had, they think he deserves to be number one....

[pitbit]

Originally posted by hysen
Your implying that Davidson is one of these cheque-book racers? His karting record is arguably as good as Buttons and certainly (barring Wheldon) miles better than any other British driver over the last 10 years. Trust me the kids got talent.

He is not one of the cheque-book drivers but he has the contacts, he has talent, but no more (not that he has shown) than some that I have mentioned. As for 'if your good enough your old enough' some of the new kids on the block haven't shown that they are good enough, one or two championships and your in (not even winning counts).

From the business angle I do understand, Francesca, that motorsport is a business that is possibly why young lads are getting to F1 so quickly 'more marketable' they attract attention. Good connections are everything when it comes to a business like F1, Davidson has contacts at BAR not that they would choose Davidson soley for that reason but it doesn't hurt if your in with the team. For that reason and experience Manning deserves the No.1 seat.

[Jonny Apex]

Darren Manning in my opinion does not deserve the test role at BAR over Davidson. For me Davidson has that extra raw talent that Manning has always seemed to lack - very quick over one lap but just does not have that killer instinct like Davidson. And that is the vital difference. If the pair of them were side by side into a corner, regardless of who was on the outside and the inside, I know who I'd put my money on to come out of it in front ...

[Lisa Davidson]

Er, ca I point something out to people here.... Davidson isn't in F1! He's only there test driver this year!!! Along with Ryo Fukuda, Darren Manning and Patrick Lemarie.

So you see, he has actually made it there yet so I don't understand why you're getting upset by Darren Manning! He's still there...

Also there are good points to be made on this topid however. Yes I agree Davidson isn't the most talented out there and has got there through a combination of good publicity and management pushing him.

What you worried about peopl - he isn't the best looking driver in the world so not exactly the most marketable. If his driving doesn't live up to their expectations, then this year could in fact see the end of his F1 career! It's a big risk - especially when you consider he hasn't exactly won much on his travels.

I mean Button showed moments of greatness along the way (winning the FFord championshpi) but has flopped a bit this year. Davidson hasn't even got that to his name! What has he got, the Winter Zetec FFord Championship and nothing else! (OK, he won the festival but that's not a championship).

So all it has to take for Davidson to be yesterdays news is for a driver to come along in 2002, wipe the floor in F3 or F3000 (yes even F3000 because it's only got to take one person to get that formulae back on track with a good performance and the right PR team backing him) and they'll be the hot property for 2003 and Davidson may not even get a look in!

Yes his rise has been meteroic and very manufactured, but just like Hear'Say are old news and Ric Waller is the flavour of the month, don't think that Davidson has got an F1 race seat just yet as someone else (even Fukuda) could so easily get there before him.

[Spiddy-Spid]

If the pair of them were side by side into a corner, regardless of who was on the outside and the inside, I know who I'd put my money on to come out of it in front ...

Quite possibly neither of them!

[Francesca]

"From the business angle I do understand, Francesca, that motorsport is a business that is possibly why young lads are getting to F1 so quickly 'more marketable' they attract attention. Good connections are everything when it comes to a business like F1, Davidson has contacts at BAR not that they would choose Davidson soley for that reason but it doesn't hurt if your in with the team. For that reason and experience Manning deserves the No.1 seat." - Pitbit

Good connections are not everything - sure, connectioins might get your name noticed in the right places but at the end of the day...if you can't cut the mustard, you're out.
You still haven't come up with a plausible reason why Manning would benefit the team more than Davidson!

[Lisa Davidson]

Before I forget to mention it - I am not related in any way to Anthony!

[pitbit]

Originally posted by Francesca
"Good connections are everything when it comes to a business like F1, Davidson has contacts at BAR not that they would choose Davidson soley for that reason but it doesn't hurt if your in with the team. For that reason and experience Manning deserves the No.1 seat." - Pitbit

Good connections are not everything - sure, connectioins might get your name noticed in the right places but at the end of the day...if you can't cut the mustard, you're out.
You still haven't come up with a plausible reason why Manning would benefit the team more than Davidson!

"connectioins might get your name noticed in the right places but at the end of the day" - Francesca - wasn't that my point anyway! I think I have given plenty of reason why Darren should be classed as the number 1 test driver...

Yes Lisa, we all know that Davidson hasn't got the race seat. Oh, and how many F1 drivers do you know who are marketable for their looks... not many, if any. Youth is the big pitch now.

How's about Francesca gives the reason Davidson deserves the No.1 test seat... (I know it is just a test seat, but its keeping me entertained instead of work) Experience definatley won't come into it and no real proven track record.