Scott Speed Not Feeling the Love

[Otto Puzzell]

If I were Scott Speed, Berger's comments would have me collecting the deposit on my flat and scrounging some boxes to pack my stuff.

Toro Rosso confirm Liuzzi but Speed not definite
Date    2007-02-13
By Nikki Reynolds - Motorsport.com

Toro Rosso, the last team to announce a driver line up for 2007, confirmed on February 13th that Vitantonio Liuzzi will continue to race with the squad this season but Scott Speed is not yet definite. At a media meeting in Barcelona Toro Rosso cited 'contractual issues' as the reason for Speed not being confirmed.
   
Both Liuzzi and Speed have always seemed fairly confident of keeping their seats even though the team has been linked with other drivers and the aforementioned pair never appeared as named drivers on Toro Rosso's official FIA entry list for 2007. Evidently Speed is going to have to wait a little longer to find out his F1 future.

"Everything is fine with Tonio, he's in the car and he's going to drive," Toro Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger told Reuters. "With Scott we still have some contractual issues to sort out. We are going to see later... We analysed our drivers very well after last season and found their strengths and weaknesses quite well."

"We worked very hard together over the winter, especially with Tonio. He's going to make less mistakes in the second season, I think he's also working harder than in the first one so he's going to be better. But you're not going to see miracles because they just don't exist in Formula One."

Speed was the first of the drivers to score a point for Toro Rosso, in Melbourne last year, but subsequently lost it for overtaking under yellow flags. Liuzzi managed to hold on to his point that he picked up in the USA and it's the only one the team has achieved so far.

Speed, who was not present at the Toro Rosso media call, may not find out if he will retain his seat until the first race of the season. Berger conceded that the American was still the favourite but said resolving the issue could take time. "It could be in a matter of a few days, or it could be a matter of a few weeks," he commented. "It is going to take as long as necessary, and it could be as late as Melbourne."

Despite this undisclosed contractual wrangle, Toro Rosso doesn't appear to have its eye on anyone else. Sebastian Bourdais has tested with the team but is in Champ Car this year and Red Bull man Robert Doornbos has gone the same route. Another rumoured candidate was Tiago Monterio but the ex-Spyker MF1 pilot just announced he "will not take up any of the offers he has received from F1 teams for 2007".

[MG]

I think Formula One NEEDS an American driver in the series. And I can NOT believe that Scott is being difficult about continuing his adventure in F!.  Contract issues? What contract issues?  "Uh, Scott, we want you to do a commercial for Red Bull standing naked on a camel with 17 beautiful women around you."

"NO! Dammit, Gerhard, you go too far. TOO FAR, I say. Take your F-ing contract and shove it up your besuchtenhalter."

Nope, I just can picture that conversation happening.     

[Otto Puzzell]

Oh yes, and Toro Rosso confirms Speed

The Red Bull philosophy of guerrilla marketing may work in the bars and clubs, where the Austrian drink sells well to the younger generations, but in Formula 1 circles some of the antics sometimes pass way over the heads of the F1 crowd. A case in point is the announcement - or perhaps one should say the non-announcement - that Scott Speed is staying with the team in 2007. This came as a one-liner at the end of the Sakhir testing report on Saturday afternoon, at a time that was pretty much guaranteed to get as little coverage as possible.

Whether this tactic was adopted because it was "cool" and will sell more drink or whether the team does not want the world to know it is running the only American driver in F1 is a mystery.

Anyway, the point is that the Formula 1 grid is now, finally, filled for this season and the only thing we now wait to see is the colour of the new Honda (green) and whether or not any of the teams will take the opportunity of a PR stunt and announce an Oompa-Loompa as the third (fourth or fifth) driver before the season begins.

None of this will make the cars go any faster.

from: http://www.grandprix.com/

[MG]

Oompa-Loompa

I understand Mr. Loompa holds the track record at a location NOT in Kansas!   

[GRAYWOLF]

Wasn't Mr Oompa the Crew Chief until Mr Loompa got short w

[MG]

I believe the correct answer is found in Wizard Of Oz arcania.......

[Boxer2500]

I believe the correct answer is found in Wizard Of Oz arcania.......

You're getting your trippy fantasy flicks confused here. The Oompa Loompas were employed in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, not the Merry Old Land of Oz.

[MG]

Oooops. Silly me!