The news this morning that Vitaly Petrov will supplant Jarno Trulli in the Caterham line-up for the forthcoming Formula 1 season came as little surprise. The Italian's seat had been considered vulnerable for some time, and Petrov's name was the one most regularly linked with it.
The announcement by the team made little attempt to conceal the economic factors involved in the decision, but I think it a little harsh to bemoan this as another case of a "pay driver" displacing a more deserving candidate. Petrov has done just about enough to indicate that he is worthy of another opportunity in F1, and Jarno Trulli is clearly not the force he was.
Caterham have evidently concluded that having a younger, motivated and ambitious driver, with access to sponsorship, is preferable to one whose career is in decline. The timing of the change is perhaps not ideal, and all parties may have preferred it to have happened earlier, if it was going to occur. No doubt some observers will think that this is hard on Trulli, but sentiment does not figure prominently in F1, or many other walks of life, for that matter....
Having said all this, it is sad to see Jarno go. His departure, coming soon after that of Rubens Barrichello, continues the "changing of the guard", and also makes many of us feel our own ages! As the saying goes, however, time waits for no man, and the new blood in F1 has the opportunity to carve out its own niche, and become as respected as Jarno and Rubens have been.
It is characteristic of Jarno that he was very gracious and magnanimous is his words in the press release, and reading between the lines, it seems that team and driver have parted on quite amicable terms.
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