2014 Belgian Grand Prix Discussion Thread

Dj_bereta · Post by **Dj_bereta** » 20 Aug 2014, 00:10

Well, at least a reject sponsor is back...

AustralianStig · Post by **AustralianStig** » 20 Aug 2014, 00:33

Poor Kamui seems to always be the fall guy...unfortunately I highly doubt he'll get another chance in F1 unless he can get major sponsorship backing.

CaptainGetz12 · Post by **CaptainGetz12** » 20 Aug 2014, 00:37

Dj_bereta wrote:Well, at least a reject sponsor is back...

And apparently Hyper Energy is owned by another err....almost reject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_Energy

First launched in 1994 by Hard Rock Cafe founder Barry Cox, the company has been headed since May 2000 by former Formula One racing driver, Bertrand Gachot.

Post by **Nuppiz** » 20 Aug 2014, 01:59

CaptainGetz12 wrote:And apparently Hyper Energy is owned by another err....almost reject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_Energy

First launched in 1994 by Hard Rock Cafe founder Barry Cox, the company has been headed since May 2000 by former Formula One racing driver, Bertrand Gachot.

So a German sports car racer debuts at Spa, backed by a company headed by a driver whose own imprisonment resulted in the debut of another German sportscar driver 23 years ago at the same track...

Post by **mario** » 20 Aug 2014, 05:32

Simtek wrote:My German's less than perfect but from what I understand it's official:

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/form ... 46461.html

Lotterer is bringing sponsorship from energy drinks manufacturer Hype to the team. Sadly it is indeed Kamui that he's replacing this weekend.

Running it through a translator, it seems that they are reporting that Lotterer is sitting in for Kamui only for the Belgian GP - they claim it is because Lotterer is considered to be an excellent driver in wet conditions and, given the high likelihood of rain, they are gambling that a wet race and a wet weather specialist, combined with a redesigned nose section and diffuser, might be enough to put them back ahead of Marussia in the WCC.

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 20 Aug 2014, 06:36

Adam Cooper also reported on the story yesterday: http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/08/19/lotterer-set-for-spa-debut-with-caterham-at-32/

Apparently we should have an announcement today!

And Cooper also mentions that James Rossiter is also in the frame for a drive...!

Klon · Post by **Klon** » 20 Aug 2014, 06:53

mario wrote:Running it through a translator, it seems that they are reporting that Lotterer is sitting in for Kamui only for the Belgian GP - they claim it is because Lotterer is considered to be an excellent driver in wet conditions and, given the high likelihood of rain, they are gambling that a wet race and a wet weather specialist, combined with a redesigned nose section and diffuser, might be enough to put them back ahead of Marussia in the WCC.

And that is why you should hire professionals to translate stuff.

The article is merely pointing out that Lotterer has a reputation as a wet-weather specialist, which may prove decisive in Spa. There is nothing in there that states that this was the reason they hired him. According to that article, the main reasons why Lotterer is being given the chance is because he is supposed to help the team develop the mentioned update package and because of the Hype sponsorship.

mrfakeboullier · Post by **mrfakeboullier** » 20 Aug 2014, 07:41

I like Lotterer but I also like Kobayashi. But I dislike Caterham. I don't know wht to do. Also, if Kobayashi does return I can see Caterham becoming Andrea Moda V2.0

takagi_for_the_win · Post by **takagi_for_the_win** » 20 Aug 2014, 09:55

Nuppiz wrote:
CaptainGetz12 wrote:And apparently Hyper Energy is owned by another err....almost reject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_Energy

First launched in 1994 by Hard Rock Cafe founder Barry Cox, the company has been headed since May 2000 by former Formula One racing driver, Bertrand Gachot.

So a German sports car racer debuts at Spa, backed by a company headed by a driver whose own imprisonment resulted in the debut of another German sportscar driver 23 years ago at the same track...

And Lotterer will go on to be a 7-time F1 World Champion. It's written in the stars.

AxelP800 · Post by **AxelP800** » 20 Aug 2014, 10:28

André Lotterer to F1

I've been thinking for a day now, what if Benoît Tréluyer also got into F1. What I hope he will replace Max Chilton or Gutierrez. Or even Audi brings a new car :lol:

(too much fantasy)

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 20 Aug 2014, 10:43

AxelP800 wrote:André Lotterer to F1

I've been thinking for a day now, what if Benoît Tréluyer also got into F1. What I hope he will replace Max Chilton or Gutierrez. Or even Audi brings a new car (too much fantasy)

An André Lotterer - Benoît Tréluyer team-mate lineup in F1 you say....?

AxelP800 · Post by **AxelP800** » 20 Aug 2014, 11:12

Biscione wrote:An André Lotterer - Benoît Tréluyer team-mate lineup in F1 you say....?

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 20 Aug 2014, 11:31

It's happening for real

andrew · Post by **andrew** » 20 Aug 2014, 11:36

Biscione wrote:
AxelP800 wrote:André Lotterer to F1

I've been thinking for a day now, what if Benoît Tréluyer also got into F1. What I hope he will replace Max Chilton or Gutierrez. Or even Audi brings a new car (too much fantasy)

An André Lotterer - Benoît Tréluyer team-mate lineup in F1 you say....?

Don't show that photo of fry to caterham, they might try to hire him!

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 20 Aug 2014, 11:37

CONFIRMED

Caterham wrote:André Lotterer will drive for Caterham F1 Team at the Belgian Grand Prix. The team will benefit from having another experienced driver at the wheel of the car throughout the weekend and the German's feedback will contribute to improve the performance of the car. The weather also plays a big role at Spa-Francorchamps and Lotterer is one of the most experienced drivers racing under mixed conditions.

Lotterer will replace Kamui Kobayashi for this round of the championship. The Japanese driver still remains part of the team.

eytl · Post by **eytl** » 20 Aug 2014, 12:01

*begins researching for the Lotterer profile*

But at the expense of the Sushi Chef's Son from Amagasaki? Do I hear HWNSNBM calling all fans to bring their torches and pitchforks?

AxelP800 · Post by **AxelP800** » 20 Aug 2014, 12:06

eytl wrote:*begins researching for the Lotterer profile*

But at the expense of the Sushi Chef's Son from Amagasaki? Do I hear HWNSNBM calling all fans to bring their torches and pitchforks?

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 20 Aug 2014, 12:31

GwilymJJames wrote:CONFIRMED

Caterham wrote:André Lotterer will drive for Caterham F1 Team at the Belgian Grand Prix. The team will benefit from having another experienced driver at the wheel of the car throughout the weekend and the German's feedback will contribute to improve the performance of the car. The weather also plays a big role at Spa-Francorchamps and Lotterer is one of the most experienced drivers racing under mixed conditions.

Lotterer will replace Kamui Kobayashi for this round of the championship. The Japanese driver still remains part of the team.

I say the weather will stay dry all weekend now...

roblo97 · Post by **roblo97** » 20 Aug 2014, 12:39

AxelP800 wrote:
eytl wrote:*begins researching for the Lotterer profile*

But at the expense of the Sushi Chef's Son from Amagasaki? Do I hear HWNSNBM calling all fans to bring their torches and pitchforks?

YES

Fixed

watka · Post by **watka** » 20 Aug 2014, 12:46

dr-baker wrote:
GwilymJJames wrote:CONFIRMED

Caterham wrote:André Lotterer will drive for Caterham F1 Team at the Belgian Grand Prix. The team will benefit from having another experienced driver at the wheel of the car throughout the weekend and the German's feedback will contribute to improve the performance of the car. The weather also plays a big role at Spa-Francorchamps and Lotterer is one of the most experienced drivers racing under mixed conditions.

Lotterer will replace Kamui Kobayashi for this round of the championship. The Japanese driver still remains part of the team.

I say the weather will stay dry all weekend now...

This is clearly all about money. Kolles' is in charge of the team so that's going to be their number one concern. Kamui's sponsors have paid up and have nothing more to give and the fact that they've gone to Lotterer suggests that they are very desperate indeed for cash. It's a stupid idea but I, for one, love it! I'm fine with pay drivers being in F1 if they're for teams that don't have a hope of challenging - it's not as if they are denying someone else more worthy a decent seat. Kobayashi was doing OK for the team and is clearly a good driver but being with the team this season was never going to extend his career, so in my view Kamui hasn't lost much out of this and its only for one race at the moment anyway.

As for the wet weather speciality, that's like taking a world class chef and asking them to run a farm. Technically, the same industry but a different set of skills. Le Mans cars do not equal F1 cars.

Yannick · Post by **Yannick** » 20 Aug 2014, 14:10

eytl wrote:*begins researching for the Lotterer profile*

But at the expense of the Sushi Chef's Son from Amagasaki? Do I hear HWNSNBM calling all fans to bring their torches and pitchforks?

When I first read the news, I could not believe it. My first thought was "Lotterer? Why?!" It does not make any sense for Caterham to let go of their experienced pair of hands, Kamui Kobayashi, to let a rookie race without any prior testing.
I feel bad for Kamui because he paid for his ride at Caterham. Too bad he only got a bad deal, even though it's the best looking car on the grid.

Now, Lotterer: First, I remembered him as this young Austrian sportscar driver, still wondering who was paying for all this. And surely, somebody must be paying for it. Otherwise, no current F1 team would put a rookie into a race seat in the week before the race, unless it's a team that really badly wants to be profiled on this very website.
And then I have just read an article that Lotterer is in fact German and 32 years of age, and that his F1 debut feels like Lucas Luhr's IndyCar debut about a year ago from today for Sarah Fisher's team with sponsorship from his regular sportscar team boss Greg Pickett's Muscle Milk bodybuilding supplements company: totally out of the blue.

And only when I logged onto here, to find out what the F1 Rejects fan community would say about it, have I realized that the sponsor who is paying for all of this has the inimitable erstwhile part-owner of Pacific Racing, he of the pepper spray gate fame incident, as its CEO.
Yet, it begs the question: Couldn't Bertrand Gachot just stick his decals onto the Caterham car with F1 Rejects' favourite driver, and the best Japanese F1 driver ever, Kamui Kobayashi driving?

No, he could not. And why? Because this way, it's much more spectacular.

Bertrand Gachot knows this place and he knows his fans. They gather in the F1 Rejects community. We guys on here are the target audience for his product. Even more so if Lotterer manages to pull off a Markus Winkelhock-esque move and manages to get a lead lap in or a fastest lap in during a rainy race at Spa. So to make sure that the Hype stickers get our attention, Bertrand buys an F1 start for the most Markus-Winkelhock-esque driver he could get, in place of F1 Rejects' declared favourite driver (which surprisingly must have been available at a reasonable price).

I'd call that good marketing. I myself won't buy the product but I'm not sure none of you would.

Who knows, maybe Andre Lotterer can achieve the unthinkable and outperform Luca Badoer in his final F1 race when he drove for Ferrari at the very same circuit?

Here's hoping Lotterer is being paid well for this publicity stunt, and that Kobayashi will find a better drive in F1 for next season.

SeedStriker · Post by **SeedStriker** » 20 Aug 2014, 14:11

roblomas52 wrote:
AxelP800 wrote:
eytl wrote:*begins researching for the Lotterer profile*

But at the expense of the Sushi Chef's Son from Amagasaki? Do I hear HWNSNBM calling all fans to bring their torches and pitchforks?

YES

Fixed

Add me to the list of "People that wants to burn down Caterham F1"

Maybe Kolles think that Lotterer might be another potential Schumi (making debut on Spa, never before testing the car), but quite frankly, this is the most idiotic and desperate move of a team in recent years. Kamui was 2nd on the grid last year, in a driver's circuit, and while Crazy RoGro ended the task on the first corner, it's obvious that Cowboy is suited for this kind of tracks. Maybe Kamui could be called to replace Sutil or Guti on Sauber

. On the other side, Marcus Ericsson finally have one chance to blitz a teammate on a weekend

andrew2209 · Post by **andrew2209** » 20 Aug 2014, 15:03

Big question is, what number does André Lotterer take? The whole unique number situation could get messy quite quickly if drivers come and go.

Backmarker · Post by **Backmarker** » 20 Aug 2014, 16:31

andrew2209 wrote:Big question is, what number does André Lotterer take? The whole unique number situation could get messy quite quickly if drivers come and go.

In Formula Nippon he's driving #36 this season, which is still free.

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 20 Aug 2014, 16:37

Backmarker wrote:
andrew2209 wrote:Big question is, what number does André Lotterer take? The whole unique number situation could get messy quite quickly if drivers come and go.

In Formula Nippon he's driving #36 this season, which is still free.

Only if test drivers don't count (which I think they do), otherwise van der Garde has it.

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 20 Aug 2014, 16:52

GwilymJJames wrote:
Backmarker wrote:
andrew2209 wrote:Big question is, what number does André Lotterer take? The whole unique number situation could get messy quite quickly if drivers come and go.

In Formula Nippon he's driving #36 this season, which is still free.

Only if test drivers don't count (which I think they do), otherwise van der Garde has it.

But test drivers earn their numbers based on the team they're at, rather than their own personal choice. So the next question would be - does race driver choice take precedence over team choice? If Lotterer wanted #36 as his permanent number he might be able to take it from Sauber?

fjackdaw · Post by **fjackdaw** » 20 Aug 2014, 16:52

Shame - why couldn't Simona de Silvestro have replaced Adrian Sutil instead?

Backmarker · Post by **Backmarker** » 20 Aug 2014, 17:21

André Lotterer can challenge Nico Rosberg for being the most cosmopolitan driver:

Born in Germany, his father is half-Peruvian. He grew up in Belgium, lives in Monaco, and spends seven months a year in Japan.

Pointrox · Post by **Pointrox** » 20 Aug 2014, 17:45

André Lotterer achieved something Gary Paffett still didn't despite being closely tied to a Formula One team for most of his... career!
I hope he will put an end to the Ericsson Era, and start the Lotterer Leadership or some other craze 8-)

girry · Post by **girry** » 20 Aug 2014, 18:01

https://twitter.com/MikeGascoyne/status ... 5631300609

Mikey G leaving Caterham to join the F1Rejects Kamui Kraze full time?

Post by **Miguel98** » 20 Aug 2014, 18:07

Well, Gascoyne will be fired after this probably.. I mean, it's Kolles...

Post by **mario** » 20 Aug 2014, 18:44

Klon wrote:
mario wrote:Running it through a translator, it seems that they are reporting that Lotterer is sitting in for Kamui only for the Belgian GP - they claim it is because Lotterer is considered to be an excellent driver in wet conditions and, given the high likelihood of rain, they are gambling that a wet race and a wet weather specialist, combined with a redesigned nose section and diffuser, might be enough to put them back ahead of Marussia in the WCC.

And that is why you should hire professionals to translate stuff.
The article is merely pointing out that Lotterer has a reputation as a wet-weather specialist, which may prove decisive in Spa. There is nothing in there that states that this was the reason they hired him. According to that article, the main reasons why Lotterer is being given the chance is because he is supposed to help the team develop the mentioned update package and because of the Hype sponsorship.

Fair enough - I guess that the subtleties of the original article were well and truly mangled there...

Miguel98 wrote:Well, Gascoyne will be fired after this probably.. I mean, it's Kolles...

Actually, I'm not sure Kolles can do anything about Gascoyne - I believe Gascoyne is employed by Caterham Group, which was the holding company that owned the Caterham F1 Team, so I'm fairly sure Kolles can't take any action against him.

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 20 Aug 2014, 18:50

Pretty sure Gascoyne isn't involved with the F1 team now anyway. Would have been hearing a lot more from him if he was.

This move actually makes me like Caterham even more now. Precisely the sort of thing a good well-behaved reject team should be doing!

andrew2209 · Post by **andrew2209** » 20 Aug 2014, 19:09

Can HYPE splash their old paint schemes all over the Caterham? If not, I'm not interested :lol:

LionZoo · Post by **LionZoo** » 20 Aug 2014, 19:13

HYPE is pretty much the only thing that Caterham is going for these days.

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 20 Aug 2014, 19:23

Pointrox wrote:I hope he will put an end to the Ericsson Era, and start the Lotterer Leadership or some other craze

And so it begins: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7121

James1978 · Post by **James1978** » 20 Aug 2014, 21:32

I'm really sad now. I love Kobayashi and he gave up his Ferrari test/sports car career to get dumped mid-season by a backmarker team. Feels like I do at the moment.

BTW by the start of the 2015 season I will be the combined age of the Toro Rosso drivers added up (I'll be 37 - Kvyat will be 20 and Verstappen 17) . God I feel terrible!!!

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 20 Aug 2014, 22:04

James1978 wrote:I'm really sad now. I love Kobayashi and he gave up his Ferrari test/sports car career to get dumped mid-season by a backmarker team. Feels like I do at the moment.

BTW by the start of the 2015 season I will be the combined age of the Toro Rosso drivers added up (I'll be 37 - Kvyat will be 20 and Verstappen 17) . God I feel terrible!!!

Wow, that's... weird. I'm only two-and-a-half years younger than Jenson Button, so I am not there yet, but getting close...

James1978 · Post by **James1978** » 21 Aug 2014, 07:31

I actually feel this could be the beginning of the end for Caterham. They have no hope whatsoever of beating Marussia now with two pay-drivers.

Post by **tommykl** » 21 Aug 2014, 07:40

Apparently, Lotterer stated in an interview that HYPE would only be paying the Super License fees and travel costs, no more. In which case, I'm not sure why this move happened.