I say apparently because, I don't pay a lot of attention to the back runners. I did a little bit in their first year because it was exciting to see new teams, but after the repetition of Q1 fallouts, I got bored. From what I did recall, he impacted very little. Paired up with Timo Glock at Marussia, you're going to look like a second rate driver. He never wowed me and rarely out performed Glock.
The reason given by Caterham was that Pic's performances were enough to reward him with a seat for next season. I think it was based on a lot more than that.
Marussia have confirmed their driver line-up for next season which will consist of the ever impressive Glock and the new kid on the block, Max Chilton. Chilton who despite not winning the GP2 series impressed with a 4th place finish in the championship and two wins at Hungary and Singapore. Coupled with financial backing a move up was almost a certainty. The decision to sign for Caterham was maybe a decision made on long term thinking.
What's confusing to me is the strides Marussia have took recently in terms of development and pace. The gap to Caterham closed significantly this season which for competitiveness sake is always a bonus. This progression can only carry on and who knows, maybe Marussia could have overhauled Caterham this coming season? Chilton's move up was almost a certainty, but not for definite. He could have held on to his seat and helped Marussia overtake Caterham. My point is if Chilton is more beneficial to the team in terms of R&D, and Glock leads them in the right direction, Pic could be left with egg on his face.
The scenario however could work visa versa. If Pic is everything he's cracked up to be, he could be the element Caterham need to make it into the points. In the last race of the season, Petrov managed an 11th place which was the highest by any of the three slower teams to date and enough to secure that all important 10th place in the constructors championship. This could be the season where they compete with the Toro Rosso's! The all important factor is Pic's team mate. Caterham have yet to confirm their complete driver line up for next season. And with only a seat left at Force India, options are running thin for drivers. A move to Caterham for a driver who has not ran in a back runner is a career killer for sure. That's why it is essential to bag the one man on the grip who has shown nearly as much consistency as Kimi Raikkonen.
I am of course taking about Heikki Kovalainen. As I've said in various blogs before, Heikki for his contributions to Caterham deserves a a quicker drive. But with everything except the Force India gig gone, it looks like Caterham is his only option. Even that may be out of reach with gossip suggesting Caterham are going for money over talent and selecting Vitaly Petrov. This would be an extremely detrimental move for Caterham because neither Petrov nor Pic can provide the team with that essential leadership quality.
Pic's arrival may only boost Caterham's campaign for a point. But he is not enough. Caterham need Kovalainen to help keep the momentum going. He has enough experience, but not as much as Pic's previous team mate Glock. This can help Pic grow as a driver out of the shadows and into his own personality.
I really don't know what to make of the move. All I know is, we probably won't notice. At the end of the day it could take a decade of being in the sport for either of the teams to make a difference. Maybe Pic can be around to provide the stars of that time with experience, but as per usual, I am not expecting much and neither should you.
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