Quote from racer hero :

http://www.ekartingnews.ca/new ... 322095864ce74844637b18273

Rotax is the most competitive form of karting in the world today, it's what all the best drivers race.

Rotax is the most common, but not so tough like KF2 or SKF imo. Ive seen Rotax in Europe, and if you compare it to KF classes, its just easy riding.

Quote from racer hero :

http://www.ekartingnews.ca/new ... 322095864ce74844637b18273

Rotax is the most competitive form of karting in the world today, it's what all the best drivers race.

Fore/Ardigo/Kozlinski/Lammers/Thonon/Catt/De Vries/Rowland etc... - Professional karters aka the BEST karters who do not race Rotax because Rotax is NOT the highest level of karting. These guys are paid a wage to race because they are the best around.

While Rotax is the most popular without a doubt, it is not the highest levels of the sport. If that were the case Ben Cooper (Rotax World Finals winner) would have stayed there instead of moving over to KF as would Luke Varley and Chris Lock. (Those 3 have dominated world rotax in recent years before moving UP to KF) The best (or most successful) Rotax drivers move to KF/KZ for the greater challenge because it is the highest level of the sport.

If Rotax were the highest level what are the big manufacturers doing actually paying people to race KF and KZ instead of Rotax? The pay pros to race in K and KZ because that's the top level. They are the CIK stamped classes that the best drivers in F1 all raced. historically it's where you need to be. Why would Schumacher only be satisfied racing KZ against these guys?

It's like saying 125cc Bike racing is a higher level than MotoGP!

+ the MAX FR125 is a terrible terrible terrible thing. yyuukkkkkkk

It is too early in his career to tell if he is a good drive as so far he has mostly built up top 10 finishes. Give it until his teens and a season or two in the Euro leagues (where many drivers are made or broken), then you'll know if it is just daddies money or this kids talent. Though thus far it just screams silver spoon kid.

Quote from Intrepid :

I know people who have with less that $20,000 performed and got results at higher levels and you don't see Ferrari knocking at their door. The Rotax World Finals is hardly the pinnacle of karting. It's a tough little competition, but not the pinnacle. And trust me just because everyone is on the same gear doesn't make it harder!

The kid is a good driver, no one is arguing this, as any kid would be with a dad worth $450,000,000 and who has a very strong business relationship with Ferrari. If I had 450,000,000 I'd be in GP2 right now having a right laugh!

Are you seriously saying this kid has been chosen on merit? So out of all the absolutely fantastic talent around the world who prove them self at a higher level with far less funds, Ferrari choose the son of their muilti-millionaire Canadian friend and business partner before the Canadian GP.

Räikkönen got to F1 with 4,5mil. , so why not F1?

Quote from Mr.46 :

Räikkönen got to F1 with 4,5mil. , so why not F1?

Because you need an FIA super licence first, which means quite a lot of seat time in an F1 feeder series. Though should you gain a super licence, a lower F1 team would offer you a seat if you could help pay the bills.

What i think, is this little child will grow, if your parents had the money to have a go kart in the back yard..ADVANTAGE....

Doesn't make me disadvantaged <~~~ big word

Quote from AtomAnt :

Check this out

Think back to when you were 11 and barely mature enough to ride a bike....

You learned to ride a bike at 11 years old? I was doing this when I was 7... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzcaWX6_kj0

Sure I wasnt flying as far but we've had worse wrecks.... including people getting spinal fluid in their brain... luckily that wasn't me

Quote from Bmxtwins :

You learned to ride a bike at 11 years old? I was doing this when I was 7... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzcaWX6_kj0

Sure I wasnt flying as far but we've had worse wrecks.... including people getting spinal fluid in their brain... luckily that wasn't me

I stole the keys to my old mans car at 6 ...I got 3 blocks...and a hella beatin...sweetest day of my life...i felt like a MAN

Quote from Bmxtwins :

You learned to ride a bike at 11 years old? I was doing this when I was 7... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzcaWX6_kj0

Sure I wasnt flying as far but we've had worse wrecks.... including people getting spinal fluid in their brain... luckily that wasn't me

And it would appear they kept their bikes from childhood too.

Quote from P5YcHoM4N :

And it would appear they kept their bikes from childhood too.

Lets hope he didn't work his way up from no bike to hurting small mammals.

Quote from JPeace :

Not really. 11 year old is the perfect time to sign somebody to a contract, because if you spot the talent young, then you take all the glory (as a sponsor) from being the one that saw it at a early age. Also when you pick them up early, they havn't acheived anything, and therefore jump at the thought of signing. Then as soon as they start doing really well, they have no controll over where they are going - the sponsor or the person that picked them up early does. Signing earlier, is much more of a benefit to the sponsor, or the talent scout or whatever. Take Lewis Hamilton, he was picked up at the ages of 10-12, which is very good, he showed talent early on and McLaren took the gamble and signed him. The next years, bingo, he started to really mature and being a great driver. Get them young while they don't know what they are letting themselves into I guess. If I where a sponsor, I would make damn sure I got somebody who showed talent as young as possible. So that then I can have complete controll over their career. Because once you have them, they can't get away because they will have no-where else to go. Not from a massive organisation like McLaren.



Also, of course there will always be thousands of talented kids that will never make it to the big stage because of the lack of money their parents have. It's a waste in my opinion, but there are too few people out there willing to give their money away and risk it. They fail to see the massive profits they make if it all pays off though. I myself am in a situation of dire need for sponsors just to make it to the next level on the ladder. My parents can no longer pay for a year of karting, so I have decided it's time to try find a sponsor to get into singleseaters. However, as a friend of mine told me, its the "poorer" kids who get a sponsor that will make it. The richer, or more well off people will always go far to start with but when it comes to they don't have enough experience to really make it worth while. For example, the mind set of somebody well off is, or it was with me.. There isn't enough pace in the kart, hmm, I will drive it harder, and faster, more smoothly, cut the corners finer, concentrate more etc. The mindset for a better off kid (and im not saying this counts to everyone but..) is that there isn't enough pace in the kart, well, im brilliant, it must be the kart. But a new engine, move to a new kart manufacturer etc. But its the less well off kids that will make it bigger when they get the chance to race at the top because they will have gained more experience from fighting hard for everything they have acheived. Thats the way I think of it anyway, and I am open to everyone's opinion, and I will listen to what you have to say.

Don't get me wrong, Im not saying that rich people are spoilt and don't deserve what they get, im not saying that at all. And - I refer to the terms, rich and poor, you are by no means poor to race karts at any level at all, im not being selfish and having a whinge. Im just saying what I see in the karting world today. I think it was Martin Hines from ZipKarts YoungGuns team what once said to me: I asked him who he thought was the best driver he had ever seen. And he said to me that he doesn't think he has seen the best driver at all, he is a strong beleiver that racing come naturally and not through learning, I beleive the oposite, but nevermind. He said that he beleives he hasn't seen the best driver ever, because there could be a starving african child that is dying that will be the best driver, we never will know. And that come's back to the money argument. If you where to give a less well off kid a chance to realise his dreams in racing, he would take it. And if you play the cards right, you may hit the jackpot. Sadly in motorsport nowadays, its either who you know, or what you have. And without them, you can acheive great things in karting maybe, but ultimatly you cannot go all the way: which is sad as it is the ambition of many many drivers out there.

Holy Chit, I think this is the first we have ever agreed on a subject..I can now die in Peace.

Quote from Mr.46 :

Räikkönen got to F1 with 4,5mil. , so why not F1?

Straight from Formula Renault Uk to F1 the biggest leap in category done in history.

and yet he ended up winning a WDC.

Quote from Intrepid :

Didn't say "make it into F1". I said "top of the sport" aka win championships. If we look at the guys 'truly' fighting for this years championship - Alonso/Hamilton/Vettel/Button - you'll notice they've all raced at the high levels of karting. The guys that don't or haven't raced at that level tend to fall short unless of course they inherit some insane car advantage. But merely getting into F1 really isn't THAT big of a deal.

Webber, Did 1 year of karting, won the NSW state championship(on a world scale is absolutely nothing), then went to Formula ford and then as soon as he went to europe, did wonders!
what about him?

Daniel Ricciardo basically had the same thing for him, no where in karting then boomed as soon as he got in a Open wheeler, and is the most likely driver to get into F1 next season.

Quote from Mustafur :

Webber, Did 1 year of karting, won the NSW state championship(on a world scale is absolutely nothing), then went to Formula ford and then as soon as he went to europe, did wonders!
what about him?

Daniel Ricciardo basically had the same thing for him, no where in karting then boomed as soon as he got in a Open wheeler, and is the most likely driver to get into F1 next season.

I said 'fighting for championships'. As much as I like Webber, and respect what he has done, it's starting to become clear he's not going to be fighting for championships. Daniel Ricciardo will go along the same route.

As I say getting into F1 isn't anything to write home about. Australia are developing though, but geographically speaking you're at a mighty disadvantage. It's a shame because you have the raw talent in Oz

BRING BACK ICA-J, ICA, AND FA!!
Much cheaper than KF classes, much more simple motors and almost the same

Quote from Mustafur :

Webber, Did 1 year of karting, won the NSW state championship(on a world scale is absolutely nothing), then went to Formula ford and then as soon as he went to europe, did wonders!
what about him?

Daniel Ricciardo basically had the same thing for him, no where in karting then boomed as soon as he got in a Open wheeler, and is the most likely driver to get into F1 next season.

He's not, Bottas will, but if you are talking about Aussiiieess then you're right

Quote from Intrepid :

I said 'fighting for championships'. As much as I like Webber, and respect what he has done, it's starting to become clear he's not going to be fighting for championships.

Ill hold this for later.

Quote from Mustafur :

Webber, Did 1 year of karting, won the NSW state championship(on a world scale is absolutely nothing), then went to Formula ford and then as soon as he went to europe, did wonders!
what about him?.

Webber is quite the Journeyman despite recent results, dominant in a mid field team, beating second tier teammates and all that. He has the chance to shine now Redbull has a very good car - not trying to discredit him but in a good car the gap between drivers gets smaller. Just as DC can occasionally beat Mika in 98 and Rubens can occasionally beat Schumi in 02.

So what I see in Webber is like DC in his prime - He will win races, and if anything happen to Vettel he might be up to the job of contesting the championship, but as soon as Redbull's advantage is diminished he will be racing for rostrums again.

Quote from Intrepid :

I said 'fighting for championships'. As much as I like Webber, and respect what he has done, it's starting to become clear he's not going to be fighting for championships. Daniel Ricciardo will go along the same route.

As I say getting into F1 isn't anything to write home about. Australia are developing though, but geographically speaking you're at a mighty disadvantage. It's a shame because you have the raw talent in Oz

This is some complete bull****

Did you watch the formula renault 2.0 couple of years ago? When daniel was always fighting with Bottas? And just lost it in the end? When imo bottas had the better car. Did you watch british F3? Are you looking at whats happening now in the fr3.5? Being always among the best in a car thats byfarr not the best. Are you speaking to insiders?

Ricciardo, one of ( THE ) the biggest talents out there. Did you watch his f1 test? http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1- ... nal-test-day-of-the-year/

Saying it can just be karters who can be "fighting for championships" is one thing. But trying to avoid admitting there are alot of exceptions is another.

"As I say getting into F1 isn't anything to write home about." You serious?

Quote from NickC :

This is some complete bull****

Did you watch the formula renault 2.0 couple of years ago? When daniel was always fighting with Bottas? And just lost it in the end? When imo bottas had the better car. Did you watch british F3? Are you looking at whats happening now in the fr3.5? Being always among the best in a car thats byfarr not the best. Are you speaking to insiders?

Ricciardo, one of ( THE ) the biggest talents out there. Did you watch his f1 test? http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1- ... nal-test-day-of-the-year/

Saying it can just be karters who can be "fighting for championships" is one thing. But trying to avoid admitting there are alot of exceptions is another.

"As I say getting into F1 isn't anything to write home about." You serious?

The Guy lives in Karting world what you expect, Ricciardo is performing well outside the cars limits, hes destorying hartley in F3.5 at the moment and giving a good title challenge, however Redbull are paying a bit for hes driving now but idk how much, he is looking like Redbulls next Vettel.

Btw: congrats on your win in race 2 at Hungary.

Quote from Intrepid :

But geographically speaking you're at a mighty disadvantage. It's a shame because you have the raw talent in Oz

I can Garrentee you in the next 10 years anyone from this part of the world who gets into F1 will be nothing in karting simply because its not possible, yet it will do hardly anything in the way of restricting there skills.

Quote from NickC :

Saying it can just be karters who can be "fighting for championships" is one thing. But trying to avoid admitting there are alot of exceptions is another.

"As I say getting into F1 isn't anything to write home about." You serious?

Yes, getting into F1 isn't anything to write home about. Once you understand the finances that control F1 you'll know that it isn't a big deal getting into F1. Why do you think F1 teams are so desperate to start young driver development programs. They want to sign and find drivers who are genuinely talented before money masks and muddies the water, well some do, some do it for PR.

Quote from Intrepid :

I said 'fighting for championships'. As much as I like Webber, and respect what he has done, it's starting to become clear he's not going to be fighting for championships.

*Cough*