Miguel98 wrote:Sean Gelael is handed 4 FP1 outings with Toro Rosso later this season... Quite curious deal, because I don't see Jagonya Ayam! as a "natural" sponsor choice for STR. Unless, of course, Ricardo Gelael has ideas for his son's career for 2018 at the expense of a russian and overtaking a frenchman in the fight for the second STR seat.
I think it just reflects that these days an FP1 outing ( like a young drivers test day appearance) is the only way some drivers get to drive an F1 car . Years ago if you had some money and reasonable talent your career could include a few Grand Prix entries ( in a Coloni, Osella, Brabham ( late - model) , AGS, Forti, Simtek, Pacific, Arrows, Minardi , Jordan , Prost etc) . These days - not much chance. So you spend your sponsors money on an FP1 appearance instead.
As you say - there's no chance he's getting a race seat, surely. So its probably the best he can get. So why not?
Toro Rosso can manage without full race-team driver input from an FP1 session ...its not likely to affect them much, so why not let him have a go ?
If Sean had a race seat, and Rio got another chance- they could have that Indonesian GP with a capacity crowd.
( Bring back spare cars - but make the teams race them for 20 laps on Saturday with a driver having fewer than 10 GP races experience..or something)
I started supporting Emmo in 1976 (3 points )....missed 75, 74, 73, 72...