Top 5 picks for Webber's replacement in 2014.

Yesterday Red Bull announced that they have extended triple world champion Sebastian Vettel's contract until the end of the 2015 season. Whilst this is great for the German it does surface the question of if Mark Webber leaves then who will be his replacement? It is a widespread rumour  that the Aussie will be moving to the World Endurance Championship driving for Porsche next season and whilst Webber has not 100% confirmed or denied this rumour, the events of the 2013 season thus far are certainly hinting at a departure from the sport.

So what happens to Red Bull if Webber leaves? The answer is simple, they need to find a replacement who will deliver the same if not better performances and someone who could be a long term number 2 driver to support Sebastian. Below I have listed my top 5 picks for the seat if Mark were to leave and the reasons why.



5.) Nico Hulkenberg:

The German Sauber driver has turned a lot of heads over the past couple of seasons. With a career highest of fourth position and a pole in Brazil 2010, Nico has proved that he has potential. His 2013 season however is not as successful thus far. Picking up just 5 points from the opening 7 rounds (however that's all of the points Sauber have scored this year) If Hulkenberg wants to be considered for the Red Bull seat next season and doesn't quite have the car for consistent points finishes, what he needs to do is attack and show the world that despite the car not being as competitive as it has been in previous years, he can still fight for the lower points and have some exciting battles on the circuit. But with his talent and what he have already seen from him, I
wouldn't write him off just yet.

4.) Paul Di Resta

Since his debut in 2011, Paul Di Resta has continued to improve and impress as his career goes on. 34 points this season alone out of the teams total of 51 and a season best of fourth in Bahrain, Di Resta again is looking very strong in a Force India. The ever competitive midfield in Formula One is where you can expect to see the Scotsman at his best, with a driving style that combines aggression with calmness he has a mature mindset and coming from DTM, it's easy to see how the skills needed to run bumper to bumper and be cool calm and collected when in group racing have transpired into F1.

3.) Kimi Raikkonen

Having won the opening round of the season, the Iceman was out to win a championship and he had made that point crystal clear looking at his race results. Three second places in a row saw him move up to second in the championship whilst teammate Grosjean struggled to get the consistency needed to support Kimi and aid Lotus's Constructors bid, much like Alonso and Piquet JR partnership at Renault a few years back. But the key here is that over the past two seasons Kimi has been with Lotus, he has taken 11 podiums and 2 victories. The only issue here is that I don't think the partnership would work. It would mirror the Alonso and Hamilton McLaren partnership in 2007, two drivers who want the spotlight with the team backing their "Golden Boy". This could even be the case at Red Bull now following the Multi 21 incident and the numerous other encounters the two teammates have had in the past. As good as Raikkonen would be in a Red Bull, I just feel that he is too dominant to be a number 2 driver, team orders can make or break a drivers championship and if Raikkonen had to yield to allow Vettel to pick up some crucial points for the championship ending his own, would he?




2.) Daniel Ricciardo & John-Eric Vergne

Yes that's right I've chosen two drivers for number two. Toro Rosso was the proving ground for Sebastian Vettel in 2008. He took his first victory for the Red Bull sister team at Monza that year and now he's a triple world champion. No other driver however has been able to achieve the same feat or indeed anywhere close. Sebastian Bourdais and Jaimie Algesuari are just a couple of names to mention. But Daniel Ricciardo looks like he could be the man to change that. However in doing so, he needs to out qualify and finish better than his team mate Vergne who has been on a great tun lately. Red Bull boss Christian Horner has said  "Daniel is a very, very talented driver. He has come from the Red Bull junior programme and has done a great job. We have an eye on him. "We're also looking at what Jean-Eric Vergne is doing, and it's nice to see the progress they're making." Vergne picked up a fantastic result this weekend at Canada finishing in a career best of 6th position. The Toro Rosso pair are alternating who is quicker almost every race now and it will be very interesting to see if Red Bull choose Daniel or John for the 2014 seat. 


1.) Nico Rosberg

Three pole positions and a victory are the way Nico Rosberg has started the opening half of his season. Alongside his new teammate Lewis Hamilton who is signed at Mercedes until 2016, Rosberg has been on fire as of late. His learning curve over the past five years or so has been great to watch as his totals now add up to two race wins and four pole positions with the potential for many more. Often considered the nice guy of Formula One,  the 28 year old in my eyes would be the perfect replacement for Webber. Still relatively young, quick, consistent and smart. He does not often go for moves unless he knows 100% that they will pay off. He respects team orders (Malaysia this year is a good example however he made his feelings clear to the team) and works very well as a second driver.

Only time will tell who Christian chooses as his new number two driver but there is a lot of speculation circling at the moment, the next few races in particular will perhaps make things a little clearer but we need to wait until the end of the season for a more realistic idea of who the driver could be.
Who would you choose if you were in Horners position? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet them to me @LiamJSimRacing

Read More

The Jenkins Judgement- Endurance Racing

14th April 2013, the day that my eyes were opened properly to a brand new form of Motorsport. Now like many motorsport fans I tune in to Le Mans when possible but was never a die hard endurance racing fan. I preferred the shorter sprint races like you see in the BTCC or Formula 3. But Simraceway had organised for me to go up to Silverstone for the opening round of the World Endurance Championship. 

  I was extremely excited as not only would this be my first time at the home of British Motorsport but I was also able to meet the Radio Le Mans team and one of my commentary inspirations John Hindhaugh along with Jonny Palmer who I had previously worked with on the BARC finals at Thruxton. This was an amazing experience as I was allowed inside the booth whilst the live broadcast was taking place, seeing just how much work goes into it.

Me interviewing Anthony Davidson at Silverstone

That accompanied with the chance to conduct an interview with Anthony Davidson meant that this was one of the best weekends I had ever had. But on to the racing.

I don't think anything quite matched the adrenaline and tension of seeing over 30 cars slowly leave their grid slots to begin the formation lap. 6 hours of hard and strategic racing were about to get underway and I couldn't wait. The roar of the crowd and the silence of the mechanics as they nervously await the start of the race and hearing the roar of the engines slowly get louder as the cars circulated their way to the Club chicane. This is the World Endurance Championship.The sound was just remarkable as the green flag flew and the four categories of sports cars separated out and began their individual race.

One factor that makes these races so tense is traffic. A term used frequently in Formula One to describe slower cars more than a lap down who have to yield to the leaders. The World Endurance Championship makes Formula One look like a lonely country road when it comes to traffic. After just four laps or so the LMP1's were already navigating their way past the GTE-AM's and it was just incredible. With the class still fiercely competing and fighting for positions the LMP1 drivers had to be so nimble when overtaking.

The sheer distance of the event is also what makes it stand out. 6 hours of racing means that you get such a different driving style to what you would perhaps see in Formula One or a similar open wheel series. It's very close and competitive but also conservative. You don't see drivers going for moves unless they are absolutely sure they can make it stick.

Strategy is also crucial when it comes to the WEC. Tires that can last more than one stint with a single driver provide a major advantage to the team that equips them. However with each driver having a different driving style and attacking corners in sometimes a completely unique way it truly is a gamble to make these tires

last if the second driver is on worn tires. They could give at any moment and punctures are seen quite often. Another factor which makes endurance racing truly spectacular to watch.

It's no wonder that car manufacturers such as Audi take such pride in their victories throughout the several endurance series they compete in and of course multiple Le Mans wins. Where a team finish is as much down to the driver as it is to the car. If you are pushing a car to its absolute limits for 6 hours with a few pit stop breaks it needs to be the best it can be. If a car can be better than every other competing manufacturer out there and avoid mechanical problems then it truly deserves its spot at the top of the podium. "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" is an old saying that certainly backs up this point as Audi have had Mr McNish voice a few adverts regarding new technology in their road cars.

Another reason why I enjoyed it so much is down to the fact that I took a shine to the LMP1 team Rebellion Racing. Not only did the car sound so incredible it sent chills down my spine every time it accelerated down the main straight but it is a pure underdog team. It isn't a manufacturer like Audi or Toyota they are a privateer team. Meaning that they don't have the funds or technology to compete with the Manufacturer teams.

Bearing that in mind, they were only a couple of seconds off of the pace that the two leading LMP1 teams were setting which is a remarkable feat. Both cars finished behind one another and achieved the same result at the 6 hours of Spa this past weekend with the gap if anything a little closer to the big boys. As many of you will know I am a massive Lotus F1 fan and have been since a young age (although back then it was because Benneton had a nice livery) so I have followed them through all of the highs and lows. The Lotus powered Lola counterpart in the WEC could be another reason as to why I like them. The livery is almost identical and one of their drivers is German Ex-F1 star Nick Heidfeld who ironically used to drive for Lotus.

The team also have a “big announcement” to make that has been delayed. Now this could be anything from a new driver to a car upgrade or something as simple as Gary the mechanic is celebrating his 32^nd birthday, who knows!

Needless to say I was very impressed with the World Endurance Championship and everything about it. It takes all of the emotion and excitement from the shorter races and adds factors like unpredictable weather which could turn a race upside down, the sense of despair when a mechanical breakdown occurs or when your favourite driver spins into the gravel. Not to mention the tension of not knowing what is going to happen as the law of physics take their toll on some of the greatest sports cars this generation.

Not only that but to seal the deal, a 6 hour race came down to the final few laps with Allan McNish storming to victory in his Audi. The British fans went crazy and it really was an amazing feeling to be part of such a passionate fanbase on an occasion that truly deserved to be celebrated.

 I was very impressed with the opening two rounds of the World Endurance Championship and really cannot wait for the 24 Hours Of Le Mans. If you haven't watched an endurance race yet due not having the time or being skeptical

I would highly recommend you to do so, you will not be disappointed.

Read More