There are several second generation “Names” out
there currently cutting their teeth in the various “feeder” series, with
aspirations of Formula 1 “grandeur.” Names such as Senna, Mansell, Piquet,
Rosberg, Andretti, Rahal and Tambay are just a few of the luminaries setting
their sights on the pinnacle of motorsport...
That’s
what I scribbled for a stillborn racing driver’s Blog called M-Wheels that I
briefly penned 'Wayback in “Twenty-Oh-Seven; YIKES!
Alas, since
then, this story has nagged at Mwah whilst fermentin' here in Nofendersville, albeit
being overshadowed by thy nebulous No Fenders Wormhole Vortex... Sometime last
year I noted how the list had most certainly grown; as I recited the following
three new additions: (apparently only
out loud to thyself) Jolian Palmer, Alex Brundle and Conor Daly. (To name just
a very brief few of those I knew about)
Hence,
every time lately that I read about another second generation driver aspiring
to join the ranks of Formula 1, I almost immediately think of that original No Fenders rant titled Future Formula 1 Star; with a virtual unknown
aspiring Open Wheel racer, who was the original recipient of the vaunted
"NIFSTAR" Award, which I plan upon re-christening this coming
December during what's traditionally Awards month; but I digress...
So when I read the news that Jos "THE
BOSS!" Verstappen's son Max has just been inked to the Red Bull Junior
Driver squad, naturally I thought of the subject once again...
And whilst another famous racing name was
also in the news regarding his F1 aspirations, nevertheless Pietro Fittipaldi
is a third generation driver if I'm
doing my sums correctly.
While Max Verstappen seemingly is A-L-L the
rage in European racing circles right now, he'll certainly face stiff competition
for a potential Toro Rosso seat from another noted Sir-name, that being Carlos
Sainz Jr. who's already a member of the Red Bull Driver Academy - which
unfortunately has a nasty reputation for signing up burgeoning Open Wheel
talents and then simply throwing them out like old bathwater!
As Brendon
Hartley's name springs to mind, along with Jaime Alguersuari and
Sebastian Buemi, albeit the latter is still somewhat
vicariously hanging on as a "Simulator Jockey" for the 'B-I-G 'N 'lil
Bulls, nee Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso as a test/reserve driver. As they're just a few of
the countless legions to be spat out by the Red Bull machine, which could
become a story for another day, eh?
Along
with Sainz Jr. who's widely tipped for an F1 seat at Toro Rosso next
year, there's also Johnny Cecotto
Jr. plying his trade in Formula 1's premiere
"Feeder Series" right now, that being GP2, which sadly is NO
longer aired upon a consistent basis on thy Telie' anymore. Or at least I
cannot find I-T regularly upon "Peacock-lite," nee NBCSN; which is
too bad, since another aspiring name upon this list, aka Conor Daly is
currently driving for the relatively unknown Team Lazarus.
Team Lazarus's full name is Venezuelan GP Lazarus; as
the Italian based GP2 team obviously races under Venezuelan backing
with Team Principal Tancredi
Pagiaro announcing its intentions to join the series
in 2012 as Super Nova Racing's replacement; with Conor being a relatively late addition to the
squad's 2014 campaign, and has been a passing phenomenon this season, a la Indy
Car's 'TK Follow-your-Schnoz Kanaan.
As young Messer Daly noted upon a recent
Autosport Radio episode, he's passed something like 64-cars in GP2 this season,
on what's essentially a race-by-race dealio. Noting if they could just sort out
their Qualie' issues, then perhaps he'd
be spraying some champagne upon the
podium... While unless he can find somebody willing to pony-up a reputed $15m
Euros to pay for an F1 seat, things are probably looking pretty slim in regards
to actually making it into the pinnacle 'O motorsports, nee Formula 1!
And although there is the hope of landing a
ride at the forthcoming Haas Formula project, it's not slated to appear upon
the grid until 2016, while obviously Conor wants to have a ride next year and
thus is focusing upon hopefully landing a fulltime IndyCar ride for 2015
instead, while currently participating
as one of Indy Lights IL15 chassis tester's, (during GP2's summer break) along
with 2012 Indy Lights champion and IndyCar castoff Tristan 'turbo Vautier.
Meanwhile, I've completely ignored Jolian Palmer from this rant, who obviously deserves mention, since the only time I caught a round of GP2 on thy Telie' this season; Uhm? Where was I-T? CRAP! Know it was narrated by thy 'Wee Willie Buxom (Will Buxton) and Robin Frijns, Jolian was the series points leader.
Thanxs Zed Internetz for knowing EVERYTHINGY;
Hooah! As that's right, it was during the Austrian GP weekend, yet still haven't
seen another GP2 race since, so C'mon NBCSN!
As Jolian
Palmer does indeed lead the GP2 championship points-wise
quite handedly at the moment, leading with 192-points; nearly 50-markers clear
of second place Felipe Nasr, who trails Palmer by 43 with 149-points,
while the totally unknown to Mwah Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren Reserve Driver) lies in third with 109-points and the
aforementioned Cecotto Jnr. is a further nine markers adrift in fourth...
Yet as Y'all know, F1 just doesn't hand out
rides based upon merit alone, as not even having an established Sir-name is
enough to grant automatic entrance into
Formula 1, even if your Pappy' was world champion! As just ask Bloody Nige's
(Mansell) sons Greg and Leo 'bout that! Or Nicholas Prost for that matter, who
like Bruno Senna is plying his trade in European Sports Cars. Although the
younger Prost races Prototypes whilst Bruno has been contesting the GT ranks
instead, along with being confirmed as one
of Formula E's drivers this inaugural season.
Ditto for Alex Brundle, who's currently
competing in the Tutor United Sports
Cars championship Stateside for Oak Racing, along with contesting the European
Le Mans Series with the factory Ligier Sports Car effort. While 'Yanks Marco
Andretti and Graham Rahal have long since focused upon IndyCar instead, which hopefully
Messer Daly will be a part of next year...
Nelson Piquet Jr, who I grew loathe of after
his stupendous Gay slur, is currently racing in Global Rally Cross and is set
to test a Formula E racecar for China Racing.
And haven't heard a peep 'bout Adrien Tambay
since somehow discovering his name awhile ago, who's currently plying his trade
in the DTM for Audi sport, having become a Tintops driver in the German Touring
Car series in 2012.
Thus, will any of our current second
generation GP2 Hot Schues' Cecotto and Palmer, or likely Formula Renault 3.5
(FR 3.5) championship winner Sainz make it to Formula 1? Or will Palmer possibly become the third GP2
champion after Giorgio
Pantano and Davide Valsecchi to not gain
admittance into this rarefied club; we'll see shortly.
Whilst I've totally overlooked some Dude
named Nico Rosberg, who's not only a bonafied Formula 1 star, but a multi-time
race winner and current points leader who'll hopefully emulate his father Keke
and be crowned world champion later this year!