With recent news that Pastor Maldonado losing his seat at Renault for the coming season after Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA failed to make contracted payments to the team. With Maldonado bringing in to a team believe to be over £30 million a year.
So this means a top six successful pay drivers in Formula 1's modern era. With the only rules that any driver from the last 20 years, any pay drivers must score points in his F1 career, does not include any current F1 drivers, excludes engine manufactures paying for a drive for the team such as Kazuki Nakajima driving for Williams between 2007 to 2009 paid by Toyota for example, or any Red Bull drivers as-well.
Starting with Number 6:
Number 6: Christijan Albers
Story: Started his F1 career at Minardi in 2005 bringing in sponsorship from Holland. Albers best result in F1 with a fourth place finish in the 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Then moved over to Midland (formerly Jordan and currently Force India) team for 2006 and staying with the team for 2007 under the Spyker name. However that didn't last long in the middle of the 2007 season he was released from his Spyker contract, due to a lack of sponsorship money. Overall, Albers completed 46 Grand Prixs' with two teams and scoring only 4 points in his F1 career.
Number 5: Narain Karthikeyan
Story: Started his F1 career at Jordan in 2005 bringing in sponsorship from India via Tata and becoming India's first ever F1 driver. Karthikeyan best result in F1 was a fourth place finish in the 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Karthikeyan moved to Williams in 2006 and 2007 as a test-driver. Then after taking some time away from Formula 1, which includes a few seasons racing in A1GP with Team India. Karthikeyan return to Formula 1 with the HRT team for two seasons before the team close to finish off Karthikeyan F1 career. Overall, Karthikeyan completed 48 Grand Prixs' with two teams and scoring only 5 points in his F1 career.
Number 4: Pedro Diniz
Story: Started his F1 career with Forti in 1995 bringing in sponsorship from Brazil which included sponsorship from his family and Parmalat from Italy. Then moving to Ligier in 1996. Then moving again to Arrows in 1997 and 1998 taking his best results with two fifth place finishes at the 1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix and the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix sometimes outperforming his 1997 team-mate 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill. Then moving to Sauber in 1999 and 2000 includes outperforming his 1999 team-mate Juan Alesi. Then in 2001 Diniz retire from Formula 1 and purchased a 40 percent stake of the Prost team for $10 million and took a management role within the team before leaving the team at the end of the 2001 season. Overall, Diniz completed 98 Grand Prixs' with four teams and scoring only 10 points in his F1 career.
Number 3: Vitaly Petrov
Story: Started his F1 career at Renault in 2010 bringing in sponsorship from Russia via Lada and becoming Russia's first ever F1 driver. Petrov best result in F1 was a third place finish in the 2011 Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne. Then moved to Caterham F1 team for 2012 with a reduce budget from Russia. Then having no budget for 2013, Petrov lost his drive for Caterham finishing off his Formula 1 career. Overall, Petrov completed 58 Grand Prixs' with two teams and scoring 64 points in his F1 career.
Number 2: Pastor Maldonado
Story: Started his F1 career at Williams in 2011 bringing in sponsorship from Venezuela via state oil company PDVSA and becoming Venezuelan's first ever F1 driver. Maldonado best result in F1 was a Grand Prix win at the 2012 Spainish Grand Prix at Barcelona becoming Venezuelan's first ever Grand Prix winner. Then, Maldonado moved to Lotus for 2014. With the team owned by Renault, Maldonado's long-time backer Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA, failed to make contracted payments to the team, due to global oil prices have plummeted which has effect Maldonado's home nation Venezuela which effectively lost his drive finishing his Formula 1 career for now. Overall, Maldonado completed 96 Grand Prixs' with two teams and scoring 76 points, a pole position and a Grand Prix win in his F1 career.
Number 1: Adrian Sutil Story: Started his F1 career at Spyker in 2007 bringing in sponsorship from Germany via Medion, staying with the team for 2008 under the Force India name. Sutil best result in F1 was a fourth place finish in the 2009 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Despite missing out the 2012 F1 season via personal issues, Sutil stayed with the team till 2013. Then swapping over to Sauber in 2014 where he stayed for one season before losing his drive for 2015 finishing off his Formula 1 career. Overall, Sutil completed 128 Grand Prixs' with two teams and scoring 124 points in his F1 career.
Meaning Adrian Sutil is the most successful pay driver in Formula 1's modern era.
Review of Round Four of the 2015-16 Formula E season held at the Puerto Madero Street Circuit in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The race was won by DS Virgin Racing Formula E Team driver Sam Bird in his Spark-Citroën. Second was Renault e.Dams driver Sebastien Buemi in his Spark-Renault, he was seven tenths of a second behind Bird in the end. Meanwhile, third was ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport driver Lucas di Grassi in his Spark-Abt Sportsline, he was eight seconds behind Bird in the end.
Highlights of the race bellow, enjoy.
Next stop, Round Five of the 2015-16 Formula E season at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the Mexico City ePrix in five weeks time.
Former Manor F1 Team Principal John Booth and Manor F1 Sporting Director Graeme Lowdon have announced they are entering the 2016 World Endurance Championship which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in the LMP2 class, under the Manor name.
Manor will field an Oreca 05 chassis in next year's World Endurance Championship, powered by the Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 engine the team confirmed yesterday (5/12/16).
Also, confirmed they have signed Tor Graves as its first driver who have previously race for the team back in his Formula 3 days with the other drivers sign at a later date.
It was announced this morning (3/2/16) Renault has signed former McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen as one of their drivers for the 2016 season, following Pastor Maldonado's exit on Monday.
Maldonado was retained by Lotus for the upcoming campaign prior to Renault's takeover of the team and the French company initially intended to keep him alongside Jolyon Palmer.
However, Maldonado's long-time backer Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA, failed to make contracted payments to the team, due to global oil prices have plummeted which has effect Maldonado's home nation Venezuela. Means the former Grand Prix winner was forced to relinquish his drive for the team this coming season to Magnussen.
Magnussen raced for McLaren in 2014 and finished eleventh in the standings, which included a debut podium finish in finishing second place at that seasons Australian Grand Prix. But, was dropped back to a reserve driver role for the 2015 season as the team opted to retain Jenson Button to partner the returning Fernando Alonso.
Magnussen had hoped to reclaim a McLaren race seat for 2016 season. However, both Button and Alonso are retain for 2016. With Magnussen wanted to race next year, McLaren had no option to let Magnussen go and leave Magnussen to find a drive for 2016.
In my opinion, this is not a big surprise this news has happen been heavily rumoured for a few weeks now. I do believe his the right choice for the team in short notice. He did a great job at McLaren in 2014, which include a fantastic job finishing in second place finish in his debut race at Melbourne, and he was as fast in some races as his much experience team-mate Jenson Button. Just, bad luck for him to lose his job at McLaren for 2015 to two World Champions at the team. I do believe he deserved another chance in Formula 1 with the talent his got and with a great chance with a team like Renault.
It was also announced today, current GP3 series champion Esteban Ocon has joined the team as reserve driver for the 2016 season. He will likely take part in some Formula 1 free practice sessions and will attend all races and tests throughout the season.
Also, announced by Renault they have signed ART Grand Prix boss Frédéric Vasseur as its new Racing Director ahead of the team comeback as a full works Formula 1 team in 2016.
Vassuer has helped guide the career of several current Formula 1 drivers, with Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Nico Hülkenberg, and Valtteri Bottas to name a few that won GP2 and GP3 titles at ART in the last decade.
With Kevin Magnussen as their new driver, Esteban Ocon as their reserve driver and a driver for the future too. And Frédéric Vasseur as their new team boss at Renault things are slightly looking up for the team in 2016 despite it will be more of a developing year for Reanult.
It was confirmed yesterday (1/2/16) by Pastor Maldonado that he has lost his seat at Renault for the coming season, and will not be on the grid, with Kevin Magnussen set to be named as his replacement on Wednesday.
Maldonado joined Lotus from Williams for the 2014 season and was confirmed to race alongside Lotus test-driver Jolyon Palmer before Renault completed its takeover of the team in early December of last year.
However, Maldonado's long-time backer Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA, failed to make contracted payments to the team, due to global oil prices have plummeted which has effect Maldonado's home nation Venezuela. With Maldonado posted on twitter confirming his exit.
"Today, with the utmost humility, I inform you that I will not be on the starting grid for the 2016 season,"
In my opinion, this is not a big surprise this news happen. It has been strongly rumoured since last week with Maldonado will lose his drive due to economical problems in Venezuela, which was out of Maldonado control.
Meanwhile former Mclaren driver Kevin Magnussen is set to be named as Maldonado replacement on Wednesday. Magnussen made his Formula 1 debut with McLaren in 2014, which included a debut podium finish in finishing second place at that seasons Australian Grand Prix. But, was dropped back to a reserve driver role for the 2015 season as the team opted to retain Jenson Button to partner the returning Fernando Alonso.
Magnussen had hoped to reclaim a McLaren race seat for 2016 season. However, both Button and Alonso are retain for 2016. With Magnussen wanted to race next year, McLaren had no option to let Magnussen go and leave Magnussen to find a drive for 2016.
This is the end for Pastor Maldonaldo in Formula 1? he only scored 76 points from his five seasons in Formula 1 which is poor to compare other drivers in that period despite winning a Grand Prix, but that's been nearly four years ago now. Unless he brings in sponsorship to a team, that is the end for Pastor Maldonaldo for Formula 1.
As the title says a Rolex 24 at Daytona Review of the race. Review of Round one of the 2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at Daytona and the first round of the North American Endurance Cup.
Tequila Patrón ESM team won the race overall and Prototype class too of Ed Brown, Johannes van Overbeek, Scott Sharp, and Pipo Derani in their Ligier JS P2, Honda HR35TT 3.5 L V6 Turbo.
While, Wayne Taylor Racing team finished in second place in their Coyote Corvette, Chevrolet 5.5L V8; the team of Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor, Max Angelelli and Rubens Barrichello; they were over twenty-six seconds behind the leaders. Meanwhile, VisitFlorida.com Racing team finished in third place in their Coyote Corvette, Chevrolet 5.5L V8; the team of Marc Goossens, Ryan Dalziel, and Ryan Hunter-Reay; they were eighty-seven seconds behind the leaders.
In GT Le Mans Class, Corvette Racing team won GT Le Mans Class and finished in seventh place overall in their Chevrolet Corvette C7.R; with the drivers of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Marcel Fässler; they were 14 laps behind the leaders.
In GT Daytona Class, Magnus Racing team won GT Daytona Class and finished in fourteenth place overall in their Audi R8 LMS; with the drivers of Andy Lally, John Potter, Marco Seefried and René Rast; they were 33 laps behind the leaders.
In Prototype Challenge Class (all teams using Oreca FLM09 race car), JDC/Miller Motorsports team won Prototype Challenge Class and finished in eighteennth place overall; with the drivers of Mikhail Goikhberg, Chris Miller, Kenton Koch and Stephen Simpson; they were 34 laps behind the leaders.
Next Stop Twelve Hours of Sebring in six weeks time for round two of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Recap of the last round of WRC from this weekends round 1 of Rallye Monte Carlo in Monte Carlo of course.
This weekend was round one of the 2016 World Rally Championship at the Rallye Monte Carlo (21st-24th January), that was won by current WRC champion Sébastien Ogier in the works Volkswagen Polo R WRC. Meanwhile, team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen finished second in the other works Volkswagen Polo R WRC, Mikkelsen was 2 minutes behind Ogier at the end. Meanwhile, Thierry Neuville finished third in the works Hyundai i20 WRC, Neuville was over 3 minutes behind Ogier at the end of the rally.
Meanwhile in WRC-2 class (Group R5, R4, Super 2000 and Group N4 spec cars), that was won by M-Sport World Rally Team rally driver Elfyn Evans in his Ford Fiesta R5. Elfyn Evans finished in eighth place overall, he was 18 minutes behind Ogier at the end of the rally.
While in WRC-3 class (Group R1, R2 and R3 cars) that was won by Printsport rakky driver Ole Christian Veiby in his Citroën DS3 R3T. Ole Christian Veiby finished in nineteenth place overall, he was 41 minutes behind Ogier at the end of the rally.
Highlights of the rally bellow, enjoy.
Next stop, Round Two of the 2016 WRC season for Rally Sweden in three weeks time.
