pokerman wrote:
mds wrote:
Who said he had to be better than Hamilton or even Bottas already?
Either way, we've seen rookies or near rookies drive for top teams throughout history. Maybe you didn't like it, but I did, and I would like teams to promote their juniors faster when occasion arises.
I look at it through the eyes of the top teams, why do they need to gamble?
What did Bottas prove? Being able to beat Massa, what's that worth in this day and age? Is that really worth more than Ocon drawing level with Perez in the second half of this year, with hardly a season under his belt?
Now if you're going to continue rejecting other examples because it wasn't fully comparable - Gilles Villeneuve was put in a Ferrari after just one race in a McLaren - and Ferrari delivered the champion and became constructor's champions that year, Villeneuve was retained for the next year. So VERY much a front running team.
More examples? Jacques Villeneuve. Damon Hill. David Coulthard. All drivers that spent 1 season or even less in other teams before they got a seat in a front-running team (i.e. one that actually won titles the year before, or the year they got promoted even). And there are much more examples to be found throughout F1's history.
And it's not about "gambling". Firstly because they should have a pretty good idea of Ocon's potential by now. Secondly because immersing your protégé in your own environment would allow him to learn from the best, in the best environment. To get him fully installed and acquainted with team personnel, procedures, car characteristics, etc, ready for when the main driver eventually and inevitably quits. Even if (and that's a big IF) you would lose out just a bit in the short term, you stand to gain a lot in the medium (to long) term.
Lastly, it's not like Ferrari have a second driver that hauls in all possible points. Which, in turn, would also be an argument for Ferrari to bring Leclerc in on the short term just as well.
Gilles Villenueve wasn't ready though, he finished 9th in the WDC and lost Ferrari any chance of retaining the WCC so they basically had to right off 1 season, I don't think Mercedes would be prepared to do likewise, this might have happened this season if they had taken on Wehrlein who was being championed by Zoue, Wehrlein who went life and death with Ericsson this season who many rate as one of the worse drivers in F1.
When Bottas beat Massa that was his second season in F1 so he didn't have that much more experience than Ocon who after all is getting beat by Perez, Perez who isn't rated high enough to land a top drive.
Regarding Williams you could argue that having weak drivers cost them the titles in 1995 and then a combination of Schumacher going to a much weaker Ferrari team and a dominant Williams car made it easy for their drivers, Mercedes no longer have a dominant car.