Awesome side by side racing at the end there, big championship shake up too.
Marco looks really pissed.
Wow, Iowa was nuts, so was Milwaukee
If you think Iowa was Nuts, can't wait to see Toronto.
Marco's always pissed when he doesn't win. He's like Hamilton but crap.
I'm more of a road course guy, but I have to say that Iowa is currently the second best facility of the schedule, behind Indy. Fantastic racing yesterday(or 2 days ago, if you live on the other side of the pond)
I don't like Marco much, but I don't think he was "pissed" yesterday. He just seems to be a very shy and self-centred individual, who has trouble with showing emotions outside the car. The only times he manages to show (negative) emotions is when he gets "aggressed"(ie: he gets passed on track, or strategy doesn't go his way), then he just ends up raging.
Being somewhat similar to him personally, I kinda feel for him. It really sucks when people think you're endlessly pissed, when you just aren't the kind of people to go crazy-happy all the time like Helio.
Now it's just my own analysis as someone who just knows the "on record" side of him, maybe he's a different person off the record?
But nevertheless you can't argue that he's far from being the ideal PR person. In those times when PR and sponsor hunting matter more than actual performances, Marco can be very grateful for he can make up for both with his last name! Without it, he wouldn't have the top ride he has right now.
BTW, the more time passes, the more the similarities between Marco and his former female team-mate are shockingly obvious! Just look at that, both are:
I feel for poor old Michael Andretti, who had to cope with both of them for so long. If you're looking for why AA lost so much ground on the "big 2" in the late 2000s, you have probably one of the answers right here.
I don't like Marco much, but I don't think he was "pissed" yesterday. He just seems to be a very shy and self-centred individual, who has trouble with showing emotions outside the car. The only times he manages to show (negative) emotions is when he gets "aggressed"(ie: he gets passed on track, or strategy doesn't go his way), then he just ends up raging.
Being somewhat similar to him personally, I kinda feel for him. It really sucks when people think you're endlessly pissed, when you just aren't the kind of people to go crazy-happy all the time like Helio.
Now it's just my own analysis as someone who just knows the "on record" side of him, maybe he's a different person off the record?
But nevertheless you can't argue that he's far from being the ideal PR person. In those times when PR and sponsor hunting matter more than actual performances, Marco can be very grateful for he can make up for both with his last name! Without it, he wouldn't have the top ride he has right now.
BTW, the more time passes, the more the similarities between Marco and his former female team-mate are shockingly obvious! Just look at that, both are:
- Pretty damn good at Indy, and above average on high banked ovals...
- ... but way below average on road and street courses.
- Not good at setups
- In desperate need of anger management, they shout in the radio all the time(OK, it's an impression that is enhanced by the fact that their radio communications get in public more often than the others)
- Not comfortable in close racing situations
- Not a very good team player
- Massively overhyped(one more the other, though!
)
I feel for poor old Michael Andretti, who had to cope with both of them for so long. If you're looking for why AA lost so much ground on the "big 2" in the late 2000s, you have probably one of the answers right here.
Guess you didnt watch Iowa last year. Marco is a great driver, its quite clear AA are off the pace on road/street courses this year. Racing close with teammates is not good on lap 100 of a 250 lap race.
No. But there are plenty of opportunities to get laps back, with cautions. If every lead lap car between you and the pace car pits, you can get your lap back. Then you can pit before the caution ends, and still keep the lap you "gained".
We might see more of this kind of situations nowadays, as track position is arguably less valuable with the DW12, than it was with the IR03/07. So taking the gamble to pit under yellow is less risky. And more lead lap cars into pitlane under caution ultimately means, more chances for lapped cars to get a lap back.
But anyway, big shout out to Ed Carpenter, who got a lap back twice in a row, at Milwaukee and Iowa! And he didn't need any lucky cautions or lucky dog-style gimmicks - he did it the hard way, by passing the leader at a restart.
Good point for Marco on Iowa 2011.
Although I really disagree on AA being off the pace on road and street courses. Just look at sophomore Hinch's performances in the first 4 races: 4 "fast 6" in quali, and 4 top 6 in the race. He was in the hunt at Barber, but messed up a restart or two.
And remember, RHR was the only man able to challenge Will Power at Sao Paolo.
If anything Andretti probably has the best overall car this year, when you consider that they always have a guy up the front battling for wins.
True. And let's not forget that, unlike Ganassi, Penske and KV, they have no former champion, and no former championship contender in their driver roster.
I Wish Marco had the urge to move to another team to reinvigerate his career from the early potentional he showed, it could pave way for drivers like Pagenaud to take the seat, Simon really needs a top seat because i think hes right at Powers Driver ability, maybe even better.
The analogy with Graham Rahal is tempting, isn't it? Didn't go the "easy way" of racing for dad, but instead, earned his rides the hard way, with sponsor hunting and results. And, although he has his own moments too, he seems to be a more stable, and mature individual than Marco.
Maybe working for another, less fancy team, for someone else than Michael, would help Marco to wake up, indeed...
Graham seems to be able get get himself in Quite good teams too, he started in champcar when he was 18 being Bourdais team mate at Newman Haas.
Now he is in Ganassi after a few years of struggling to get a ride,although i don't think its on the same par as the Target cars(correct me im wrong here).
He is okay on the Ovals but i think Road courses is his strength, but it seems as if he has no luck on his side to translate the pace into Results, last year was a good example where for like 4 races in a row he was competing for Victory untill he got either taken out or screwed under safety car.
I was Bored and being mid season of my first year watching indy Fully i made a List of all the drivers and how i rank them from A to F like a school test(A being F1 Worthy, F meaning they shouldn't be in the series)
Note this isn't about just how this season has gone but Overall how i would rate them:
Will Power: A
Ryan Hunter Reay: C
Scott Dixon: B
Helio Castroneves: C
James Hinchcliffe: C(potential A)
Simon Pagenaud: B(A by next year)
Tony Kanaan: C
Dario Franchitti: B
Ryan Briscoe: D
Graham Rahal: C(Potential B)
Justin Wilson: C
Oriol Servia: B
Marco Andretti: D
J.R Hilderbrand: D
Rubens Barrichello: D
Charlie Kimball: E
EJ Viso: D
Takuma Sato: D
Ed Carpenter: D
Alex Tagliani: D
James Jakes: F
Mike Conway: D
Josef Newgarden: C(potential A)
Simona De Silvestro: D
Katherine Legge: F
Sebastian Bourdais: B
Anyone Elses input?
Note this isn't about just how this season has gone but Overall how i would rate them:
Will Power: A
Ryan Hunter Reay: C
Scott Dixon: B
Helio Castroneves: C
James Hinchcliffe: C(potential A)
Simon Pagenaud: B(A by next year)
Tony Kanaan: C
Dario Franchitti: B
Ryan Briscoe: D
Graham Rahal: C(Potential B)
Justin Wilson: C
Oriol Servia: B
Marco Andretti: D
J.R Hilderbrand: D
Rubens Barrichello: D
Charlie Kimball: E
EJ Viso: D
Takuma Sato: D
Ed Carpenter: D
Alex Tagliani: D
James Jakes: F
Mike Conway: D
Josef Newgarden: C(potential A)
Simona De Silvestro: D
Katherine Legge: F
Sebastian Bourdais: B
Anyone Elses input?
What are you trying to say about Charlie Kimball?!
I understand he has got diabetes and all but he is doing terrible for someone who is driving a Ganassi, he has never looked like he had potential despite being more consistent this year.
Speaking about the Andrettis, here is a pretty good interview with Michael: http://pressdog.typepad.com/do ... mazda-road-to-indy-1.html
Includes bits about Marco, Andretti Autosport as a whole, his efforts as a race promoter, etc.
Includes bits about Marco, Andretti Autosport as a whole, his efforts as a race promoter, etc.
I don't know, really... I don't like "driver ratings" and this kind of things so much, personally. Each driver have his or her own personnal story, career, and background. Reducting each individual to one single mere grade is not very informative.
One thing that strikes me in particular in your ratings, is the case of Rubens Barrichello and Ed Carpenter. On one side, the 19 years F1 veteran, 40 year old oval newbie Rubens Barrichello. On the other, 2000s IRL golden boy, oval specialist, pack racing lover, driver/owner Ed Carpenter. You can't do much different than the two of them. Yet, nevermind their borderline hyperbolic contrasts, both driver's career, achievements and talents are summed up with the same grade - D.
It's like comparing the climber and the sprinter in cycling. Both still compete against each other, but their difference in terms of background and speciality make any kind of comparison between the two of them almost irrelevant.
But anyway, speaking of grades, here are Robin Miller's and Curt Kavin's takes at mid-season reports.
yep
A former Formula one winner in Rubens D, shit in F1 Sebby B B 
Former Ferrari F1 driver in Rubens, former Toro Rosso driver in Sebby...
He had the best Toro Rosso that the team has ever made and scored 4 points. He was very very abject in F1.
Hello, AOWR vs F1 can of worms:rolleyes:
Just to point this out.......
2012 IndyCar Series
(957 posts, started )
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