2009 silly season - The latest thinking

[cider_and_toast]

According to autosport this is the current thinking for 2009 driver line ups.

Two teams have a confirmed line up

RED BULL - WEBBER - VETTEL

HONDA - RUBENS - JENSON


The following teams have yet to confirm: (*potential drivers according to Autosport)

(Confirmed or under contract in capitals)

Ferrari - KIMI / MASSA / *Alonso
BMW - Robert / Nick H (not confirmed but almost certain)
Renault - Alonso / Nelson Jnr / *Romain Grosjean
Toyota - TRULLI / Glock / *Nakajima
Mclaren - LEWIS / Heikki
Williams - NICO / Nakajima / *Nick H / *Kamui Kobayashi
Toro Rosso - *Bruno Senna / *Sebastian Bourdais / *Sebastien Buemi
Force India - FISI / Sutil / *Karun Chandhok / *Vitantonio Liuzzi / *Neel Jani

So there you go.

In my opinion BMW will confirm so I don't know why Autosport seem to think that Nick Heidfeld would go to Williams.

Neel Jani would be quite interesting in the Force india.

There is no mention of Davidson or Sato and I don't think they will be back on the grid next year.

Any thoughts ???


C_A_T

 

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

In my opinion BMW will confirm so I don't know why Autosport seem to think that Nick Heidfeld would go to Williams.

Well ive heard rumors Of Roserberg being brought out his contract by Mclaren so he can replace Hekki, So perhaps Williams a looking for a new Lead driver
It'll be intresting to see Rosberg at Mclrean though if it does happen, Although I think they could do with someone with a bit more experience on the Raceing side (i know DeLarOsa has bags of experience)

 

[Brogan]

I posted about the driver changes a while ago.
See here: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=42

I correctly predicted DC would be retiring but I was wrong on RB.

That's an interesting rumour about HK. Where have you heard that?
Wonder what would happen to Heikki if that was to go ahead...

I think we're still yet to hear Kimi's plans.
I expect a lot will depend on whether he wins the WDC title again this year and if he doesn't, whether he beats Massa or not.

 

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

well actully i got it a bit wrong,

It was started by the two shu's manager willi webber who said that Rosberg has a clause in his contract that McLaren wanted to activate and williams had no way of avoiding it.

Ive got the link of Mclrean denying it

http://www.autosport.com/news/grapevine.php/id/69196

 

[teabagyokel]

Funnily enough I think McMerc are quite happy with Kovali. No, he's not been mega on the point scoring & racing front, but I think McMerc want a little bit of team solidarity... ie. they don't want everything going a bit 2007! Can you imagine Alonso having pulled up for Hamilton à la Kovali in Germany even if Hamilton was 100 points clear of Fernando and 4 seconds a lap faster?

Remember it was Alonso's "team play" that led to Räikkönen poaching the title from McMerc last year. If Alonso had let Hamilton grab pole in Hungary last year, Alonso was guaranteed 2nd rather than 4th, gaining him 3 more points - and costing Räikkönen 2 points, in a title that Alonso lost by 1 point!

So McMerc will be happy that car no. 23 (again Alonso's fault) will be filled this year by someone who is enough of a team player to be able to support Hamilton if needs be and not block him in qualifying, for example...

And therefore I can't see why Ferrari would want Alonso. If Alonso goes to Ferrari he will be challenged by either Räikkönen, or if Räikkönen retires, Massa... I'm not sure Ferrari are used to dealing with someone so stroppy. Remember Irvine was content to play no. 2, as was Schumi when Irvine was going for the title in 1999. Barrichello was even magnanimous enough to give up a race win in Austria 2002 (it was wrong, but it took character not to plough ahead over the line). ATM, Massa is almost dependent on the team, Räikkönen is detached from it and non-confrontational anyway. I'm sure Ferrari won't want to sacrifice their team spirit!

As for Toro Rosso, I'm not sure Seb français has done enough. I'm sure they're nostalgic for Scott Speed...! And its not out of the question that Fisi could retire giving Liuzzi a seat at Force India, although you feel VJM will want an Indian driver sooner or later...

I can't see Heidfeld leaving BMW. Everyone says he's having a bad season... in the WDC he's only 7 points behind Kubica, and only 17 behind Hamilton. If you are to launch a WDC campaign you need a no.2 for the WCC who'll stay out of the way of the no.1 yet still pick up points à la DC in 1998. There's no-one better at this than Heidfeld...

 

[cider_and_toast]

I can't see Rosberg leaving Williams next year. If he was going to Mclaren and they did have a release clause then I reckon that he would have gone for this season. Heiki is doing a perfectly good job and is starting to come to grips with the car. He looks far better this year than he did in the Renault last year so I don't see why Mclaren would ditch him just yet.

It's 2010 that should be the most interesting time in years for driver changes. There could be at least one seat up in all the top 5 teams. I wouldn't mind betting that there could be a couple of surprise moves as well. Double driver change at Honda for instance ??

Regards C_A_T

 

[teabagyokel]

Honda will only change both drivers for 2010 if the 2009 car is another rubbish one and JB can't continue with televised gallows humour any more. I can see Barri retiring though at the end of 2009...

There could also be a big change in philosophy at STR if it gets a new owner, and will there be a possibility of new teams by 2010?

I'd imagine Raikkonen will retire by the end of 2009 (or take a "sabbatical"); Ferrari might bring in Alonso or some young driver they've got..., they may even de-Massa themselves! If he hasn't made himself unemployable, Alonso will be the usual wildcard, although I can't really see Hamilton leaving McLaren...

Then again, you never know when a new Raikkonen, Alonso or Hamilton will turn up or who's in the Red Bull, Mercedes and BMW youth systems! By 2010 a young driver may have jumped in and someone may have "done a Montoya"(my money's on Alonso)!

Vettel to win the Championship!