TBK-Light.com

Werner Heinz, recently dumped by Frijns because he was paying too much attention to the Hulk's affairs.

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The Marussia's performance ceiling was reached a very long time ago by Bianchi and Chilton is only now just beginning to catch up.

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For the definitive latest on Perez;

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/3025 ... -on-perez/

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Dan Wheldon ¦ 1978-2011
Marco Simoncelli ¦ 1987-2011
Jules Bianchi ¦ 1989-2015
Justin Wilson ¦ 1978-2015

Yeah, I know he's mad and I don't care. I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I'm here to race him.

I think we should give Chilton some slack and blame F1 for this.

If a high-midfield team can't choose the best side-kicks and PAY them to do the job, something's clearly wrong.

Chilton in Force India and Maldanado in a Lotus?

Yes please, there hasn't been nearly enough safety car lottery races this year!
These 2 moved ensure 2014 will be a much more exciting season just for that

(seriously tho, depressing! People moan about DRS when it's paydrivers that are taking a lot of the allure out of F1 atm.)

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RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley

That's how I feel about it. Given the money etc, I'm sure 90% of TBK-ers would be able to do what Chilton has done if we were committed from a young age. He's not on the level of other drivers; he's not hopeless (I'm looking at you, Gonzalez) but he's merely just good.

Meanwhile, Lotus come out in even more praise of Kimi
http://www.f1zone.net/news/lotus-chairm ... nen/20936/

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

No I completely agree with Scotty. If he at least stuck around in series to get enough experience to become respectable at it, at least through pure experience, but he doesn't. He just buys his way up the ladder with zero achievement. Being a pay driver is one thing - achieving quite literally nothing, and going up every step purely because your dad is rich...that's another.

I'd absolutely hate to be in the position Chilton is in, or someone like Scott Tucker. Where you're completely out of your depth, and as soon as you have no money, that's it - you're gone. Maybe I'm just too competitive, but I'd rather at least race at my level, somewhere where I could do well.

"I'd rather lose a race driving fast enough to win it, than win a race driving slow enough to lose it." - Stirling Moss

Wonder if Chilton or Tucker has heard of him. A real racing driver. Success is useless if you haven't fought for it.

I don't think Chilton's anywhere near the list of top 24 open-wheel drivers in the world, who ideally would occupy the F1 seats, but I take issue with the suggestion that "90%" of the guys around here could do the same, even with years of practice - I don't think you realize quite how extraordinarly talented you need to be to have a shot at F1. For example, the hopeless Karthikeyan is smoking the field in AutoGP. The even more catastrophic Yuji Ide was a FNippon front-runner ahead of a handful of Japan's finest drivers and a few solid, professional foreigners. Chilton had to beat a lot of good drivers to get those meagre 2 GP2 wins.

If there's one thing I learnt from simracing is that there's dozens, hundreds, thousands of guys quicker than you no matter how hard you try. The gap in talent is enormous between the average guy and the world class guys. I look at the guys that are backmarkers in things like the iRacing Pro F1 champ and they absolutely batter the laptimes of the average guy in every single car and track. Now transpose that to real life racing where there's the element of risk and G-forces, and comitting to a corner takes balls. No, if a guy like Chilton can get within a few tenths of utterly professional, talented, Ferrari-backed guys like Bianchi, it's a sign he'd completely cream the ordinary motorsport fan in a car. Despite the fact he's still nowhere near good enough for F1.

I sort of get Ellis' comment that it must be soul-crushing to be toddling around as an incompetent driver in a backmarker car with no-one to fight against, but on the other hand, hey you get to drive a F1 car in all the shiny new circuits, be a relevant part of the paddock, and share the track with all the superstars. If what you really enjoy is F1, why wouldn't you make the most of it for as long as you can - there's plenty of time to find your level later on in your career, in touring cars or GTs or whatever.

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ma twatter (F1/motorsports, footie, games and general nonsense ramblings)

I won't type a long message (on my phone). Im not a better driver than Chilton - I just don't think he deserves to have been promoted up the ranks of any series he's ever driven in.

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theRacingLine.net
SportsCarArchives.com

Yeah I agree, won't argue against that.

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ma twatter (F1/motorsports, footie, games and general nonsense ramblings)

Money rules the show these days, unfortunately.

If you can get the backing, through any means, you are more than likely to get up to the top, regardless of results. Look at Danica Patrick, perfect example. Driving equipment that is probably 3rd best and she struggle for 30th each race.

I repeat what I wrote earlier... Karthikeyan, Rosset and Takagi were all very promising and highly rated drivers in most junior formulas. They won multiple races in various formulas against very good opposition. Chilton is the polar opposite. He is not a driver worthy of a seat in F1. Some people have had to work incredibly hard to get through each rung of the junior ladder, making sacrifices in life and career along the way to get a chance they deserve in the big leagues. And Chilton?

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Adding to what Kals said, the difference between most pay drivers and Chilton is that a pay driver normally (not always) has backing for a reason. Usually they have to impress before they can get the money behind them which will push them up the ranks. Chilton is literally paid by his rich daddy. It's to the point where AON doesn't even appear on the cars - he doesn't come with sponsorship that he earned, he comes with his dads money.

Tomorrow's news today!

Kimi's new toy for the winter break (or the new Ice Age).


Lynx Rave RE 600 E-TEC 2014

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"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

There was another guy like the Chiltons' a few years ago called Rollo McNally (the name may be familiar as his dad, Paddy runs (ran?) the F1 Paddock Club) but unlike the Chiltons' he realised pretty quickly that if he couldn't win at Club level there was no point perusing through the ranks even though money was absolutely no object.

Shame Max and Tom didn't have that same light bulb moment, mind you, Tom has now.

Are you saying Tom has retired? (please see it is so)

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

Kimi has not been paid at all for 2013. He now wants Lotus to cough up what is owed or he is walking.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111042

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Dan Wheldon ¦ 1978-2011
Marco Simoncelli ¦ 1987-2011
Jules Bianchi ¦ 1989-2015
Justin Wilson ¦ 1978-2015

Yeah, I know he's mad and I don't care. I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I'm here to race him.

So early in October, when Boullier said that they've paid their staff and Kimi, he was lying.

Seriously, I'm convinced that Lotus will pick Maldonado because of this situation they have, but since their financial issues, their 2014 R&D has been shorthanded. And ironically, Maldonado will only see Williams' rear wing next year.

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"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

Frankly I find it kinda hypocritical of Kimi to throw in the towel now.

Before landing the Ferrari deal I could understand. You're not getting paid but at least have a shot at showing you still have it so you can sign somewhere else. But after that I'd would have said "pay up or fuck you."

It's been 4 races since he landed the Ferrari deal, after this weekend there are 2 left. Just finish the season. Those 2 races won't make a difference.

If you were moving to a new job and your current employers weren't paying you, would you turn up for the last two working weeks?

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

No he's just become a daddy so hopefully Freddie will enlighten him to the error of his ways....

But in 8 years no doubt Freddie Chilton will be Karting.