The Super
Aguri F1 team is accepting the "advice" of the FIA, and is withdrawing rookie driver Yuji Ide from
competition, effective immediately. Ide remains with the team as a test driver, where the team intends to give him the
opportunity to gain the experience necessary to return to F1 racing later this year.Ide will be replaced by ex-Renault test driver Franck Montagny at this weekend's European Grand Prix.
Ide was chosen by Super Aguri as part of the Honda-sponsored team's bid to be an all-Japanese presence in the F1 paddock, but the team's last-minute entry into 2007 competition meant that he had very little time to learn the ins-and-outs of driving an F1 car. As a result, Ide has been somewhat, um, crash-prone, resulting in numerous complaints to race stewards by his fellow drivers, many of whom were unfortunate participants in his misadventures.
Ironically, Ide's teammate is Takuma Sato, widely regarded as one of F1's foremost crashmasters.
[Source (appropriately): Crash.net]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Vexorg @ May 4th 2006 5:32PM
It was clear after the Imola race (where he sent Christijan Albers flipping into the gravel on lap 1) that he wasn't doing much to keep himself in an F1 ride. This confirms it.
TheMatt @ May 4th 2006 5:37PM
Man, Tak Sato has been Alonso this season compared to Ide. That said, Ide made the practice sessions much more interesting to watch.
Kwyjibo @ May 4th 2006 6:03PM
It's a good thing they replaced him before he killed someone on the track.
Judd @ May 4th 2006 7:12PM
I agree Kwyjibo. A moving chicane he was.
Carlos @ May 4th 2006 7:29PM
He should've started his F1 career as a tester. He hardly got any seat time before his first actual race - no wonder he had trouble pitting, and spinning.
He didn't get any help, either. His car was sitting outside as a display model for years. Then they got it, dusted it off, stuffed an engine in it, and didn't even fit a seat for Ide. I have a feeling that if he and Sato swapped cars, the gap between them would be lessened.
He hasn't done anything to impress me yet, but I'm not going to pass judgement until he has some more (non-race) seat time and especially some time in Super Aguri's new car (if they ever finish it).
Leo @ May 4th 2006 9:17PM
DWO: Driving while oriental. It's a curse!
ZoomZoomin' @ May 4th 2006 9:30PM
This was predictable. Yeah, after the Albers incident, you knew that was the final straw. They should have just tinted his visor blue rather than making marshals overwork their shoulders waving the flag at him. At best, he and his futile struggle was entertaining...at worst, he was pretty dangerous out on the track.
ZoomZoomin' @ May 4th 2006 9:31PM
I also wonder how long Sato is going to last, but with Ide around, he looked like a team superstar.
Ian @ May 4th 2006 9:46PM
Pretty unfair treatment IMHO.
Ide only just got to sit in an F1 car b4 the season, why didn't Honda allow him tests of the Honda F1 2005 car????????????
Also people forget that many of the current Aces went through bad starts. I recall Ralfie in a six race period with Jordan hardly managed to complete a single lap of each race b4 crashing. Now he is paid $20mm a year by Toyota.
Alonso nearly killed Mark Webber by refusing to slow down under a FCY and hit MW's crashed car at full race speed. Alonso wasn't even penailized!
Need I go on?
Eric @ May 4th 2006 9:59PM
I think the media has a facination with picking on japanese drivers. I remember last season how everyone was giving Sato a hard time because of his mistakes.
Ide may need more seat time, but let's face it even if he's close to Sato's pace he's still going to be dead last or second to last. The car is just not competetive.
Tim @ May 4th 2006 11:28PM
YES!! YES!! YES!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!
My Grandma can drive better than that deviant, homicidal maniac.
Grajeda @ May 5th 2006 1:09AM
you need months just to finish a race...
he had nothing...
he doesn´t fill the seat, but maybe in some years...
no... I don´t think so.
it is pretty embarassing to give your superlicense away
felonious monk @ May 5th 2006 5:54AM
" DWO: Driving while oriental. It's a curse!"
Posting while stupid, it's just who you are.
milu @ May 5th 2006 11:10AM
Michael and Ralf Schumacher suport Ide.
http://www.inforally.sibiul.ro/formula1-news-4053-ralf_michael_support_yuji_ide.html
amp @ May 5th 2006 4:35PM
Ide needed more seat time before his first GP. I hope Aguri replaces him with the driver that has the most talent. If he also happens to be Japanese, then all the better. I hope they don't restrict their search to just Japanese-bred drivers. Formula 1 is an international sport, and I think the team could help out its international appeal by bringing in a driver from another country.
Can?t wait for the European GP this weekend, three weeks is a long time to wait.