The Good: Andretti > Hakkinen, McLaren '93.
For a driver with such an illustrious American CV, few would have predicted such a bruising and ultimately short F1 career for Michael Andretti. Albeit under the strain of the hot-seat alongside Ayrton Senna, the American failed to show any real pace, was lapped by Senna at the Spanish Grand Prix and marred his season with frequent crashes, one of which, in Interlagos, was a massive start-line collision with Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari.
In stepping aside by mutual consent following the Italian Grand Prix, Michael inadvertently made way for one of the finest driver pairings the sport had ever seen; albeit only for three races. Reserve driver Mika Hakkinen, who had expected to be a race driver in 1993 prior to Andretti’s announcement, out-qualified Senna in his first race as the imperious Brazilian’s team-mate in Estoril. Unfortunately Senna’s fateful move to Williams robbed F1 of any more internecine rivalry between the dynamic duo.
The Bad: Frentzen > Alesi, Jordan '01.
For a Jordan Team that had proven so effective at teasing out the elusive but widely revered potential of Heinz-Harald Frentzen, it was a shame to see a partnership that had won races and finished a lofty third in the standing in 1999 turn sour. Amid a Mugen-Honda engine lagging behind Jordan’s competitors and the sensational reports that Frentzen had offered to pay for upgrades for the car out of his own pocket, Eddie Jordan took the decision to sack Frentzen and hire Jean Alesi for the final five races of 2001.
Whilst typically outpaced by team-mate Jarno Trulli, there is a pleasing circularity in the fact Alesi spent his F1 swansong with the same outfit with whom he had taken the F3000 title in 1989. And yet there was a bitterness to the end of a career that had promised so much for Alesi – and of a Jordan Team struggling to find direction in what would be its terminal downward spiral.
The Good(ish): Zonta > Trulli, Toyota '04
Whilst in the fullness of time moving away from the Renault Team on the eve of its pair of title-winning years may not appear the smartest decision, at the time, it was a very sound move indeed. On the one hand, the latent might of the world’s biggest car manufacturer pumping more money into F1 than any other team (even Ferrari), on the other, an increasingly fractious internal dynamic fueled by Flavio Briatore’s determination to ensure the supremacy of his prodigious Spanish protege. Jarno’s eagerness to jump ship was understandable, although he would ultimately never win a race, let alone a title, with Toyota.
The Good: Villeneuve > Kubica, BMW Sauber '06
The downward spiral of a career that had peaked too soon reached its zenith in 2006, when a Sauber Team, newly bolstered by a works engine deal with BMW, failed to provoke any renewed vigor in the ’97 world champion. An “injury” for Jacques following a crash at the German Grand Prix was an ideal opportunity to evaluate highly-rated reserve driver and inaugural Formula Renault 3.5 champion, Robert Kubica.
The first ever Pole in F1 duly finished an impressive seventh at a Hungarian track the team were pessimistic about going into the weekend. Whilst Kubica was ultimately disqualified with an underweight car, he had done enough to confirm the end of Villeneuve’s increasing sour tenure with Sauber. Kubica would go on to further vindicate the switch with a podium at Monza. With a driver of Kubica’s calibre waiting in the wings, the Pole proved that even champions can be replaced; perhaps that is why the Canadian has recently gone to such efforts to belittle Robert’s career.
The Ugly: Bourdais > Alguersuari, Toro Rosso '09
Much like Michael Andretti’s stateside credentials, Sebastien Bourdais’ four consecutive Champ Car titles showed for little amid the competitiveness of an F1 grid. Alongside a fresh-faced champion-in-waiting, Bourdais did not completely embarrass himself compared to Vettel, with qualifying honours even midway through the 2008 season. However when the latest spec of Ferrari engine was bolted to the car after the summer break, it was Vettel who could get the best from the most competitive car the Faenza-based squad has ever fielded. Cowed by Vettel in the later half of 2008 and unable to match the pace of new rookie team-mate Buemi in 2009, Bourdais’ F1 adventure came to an end following the 2009 German Grand Prix.
In his place came 19-year-old Jaime Alguersuari, then the youngest driver ever to make his F1 debut. In the following races Jaime had a best placed finish of just 14th, and endured a Japanese Grand Prix weekend marred by multiple crashes, including an enormous shunt at 130R. Clearly the 2008 British F3 champion was not ready for his F1 debut, and given the anonymity of his subsequent two seasons, perhaps wasn’t deserving of the call-up at all?
The Ugly: Massa > Badoer, Ferrari '09
An admitted departure from the theme, Felipe Massa was not replaced at Ferrari through any poor performances or internal team machinations, but because of his horrific accident at the Hungaroring in 2009. And yet it is perhaps the ultimate example of a poorly conceived switch. As a driver who Martin Brundle famously described as someone who “couldn’t drive a nail into a piece of wood”, it really boggles the mind why Luca Badoer was let anywhere near the car. Even after Schumacher ruled himself out, Ferrari could have given the opportunity to an experienced hand such as Coulthard or Wurz, or evaluate a young hopeful with an eye to the future. Even fellow Ferrari tester Marc Gene would have been a better choice.
Perhaps it is the ultimate example of the consequences of Ferrari’s familial approach to racing, of how the Scuderia is often out of its depth when surveying the prospects of drivers outside the confines of its tightly-knit team environment. When Ferrari finally confronted the reality of having to draft a driver from the wider marketplace, Giancarlo Fisichella did not set the world alight. Indeed, Fisichella’s switch has ultimately been more lucrative for Ferrari’s GT racing programme.
The Bad: Heidfeld > Senna, Lotus-Renault '11
Despite losing lead driver Kubica following the grievous injuries he sustained during a rallying crash, the transitional stop-gap team that was Lotus-Renault actually enjoyed a promising start to the 2011 season. A pair of podiums in the opening two races of the year and now in the steady hands of stalwart podium-collector Heidfeld, the foundations of a strong campaign looked to be in place. And yet, as the season progressed the wheels rather fell-off. Heidfeld simply did not prove fast enough to be the reference point Vitaly Petrov so obviously needed – and all too quickly Lotus-Renault looked like a team without a leader.
Bruno Senna, having impressed in GP2 and carrying the illustrious weight of his uncle’s legendary status, had spent the previous seasons linked to just about every free seat on the grid. He was Jenson Button’s presumed team-mate at Brawn prior to Barrichello’s announcement, and unfortunately for Bruno, ultimately landed in a HRT in 2010. Heidfeld’s seat looked to be the break Senna needed. And yet, in a midfield battle in which the Enstone squad looked increasingly outgunned and outdeveloped, Bruno struggled to make a significant impression – scoring just two points in the remainder of the season.
The Great: Kvyat > Verstappen, Red Bull '16
Probably the ultimate in-season switch: boldly parachute your 18-year-old sensation into your top squad and proudly stand back as he wins on debut. Hopefully Helmut Marko checked his lottery ticket that weekend. However just as the cool, calm and devastatingly quick Max we are familiar with slowly materialized as the Barcelona weekend progressed, going into the weekend there were no guarantees that Marko’s gamble would pay off. Off-track, it inelegantly aired very fresh wounds on public display in the press conference. On-track, just as a top table seat after just one season in the sport had arguably derailed some of Kvyat’s early momentum, there was a very real chance that so much so soon could have spooked one of the landmark talents of his generation. Memories of Alguersuari’s toils rather affirmed Marko’s habit for premature promotions.
But we need not have worried. Verstappen clearly enjoys being thrown in the deep-end, clearly has a blinkered disregard for own inexperience. He apparent has no need for anything as wooden as reference points, and can adapt to entirely new situations with a fluidity and a versatility that motorsport has arguably never witnessed before. At 18, Max Verstappen was prodigy, at 20, he is setting his sights on a title charge in the very near future.
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