2010 Driver Lineup

[cider_and_toast]

While I understand why a new team would want a driver with plenty of test and development experience.

Alex Wurz?

As a driver he has managed to have great opportunities to shine at both Benneton and Williams and seemed to lose interest at both teams.

I think USF1 would do a lot better to look at Anthony Davidson becasue he hasn't had a proper chance in a well funded team.

 

[bogaTYR]

alex was just awesome in le mans this year CaT. so i am not suprised if he would come back. it makes sense for new teams to have experienced drivers to set up things really.

 

[teabagyokel]

We have a new element to consider - BMW are out so where does that put Kubica or indeed Heidfeld?

 

[Brogan]

There are going to be some frantic negotiations over the coming weeks & months.

Kubica is already being linked to a drive with Ferrari to replace the injured Massa.

Long term though, possibly McLaren to replace Heikki?
Not sure about Heidfeld at McLaren despite them possibly wanting a German driver.

 

[Speshal]

Although I wouldn't be surprised to see BMW "do a Honda" and pack it in at the end of the season, contract with the FIA or not.

Dun dun duuuuuuuh

 

[Brogan]

At last, an excuse to post my "DunDunDunDunDuuunnnn" gif

 

[Brogan]

Rumours that Pedro de la Rosa and Vitaly Petrov will be driving for Campos.

If Petrov does drive for them he will be only the 3rd Russian in F1 after Sergei Zlobin and Roman Rusinov.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090820095901.shtml

 

[teabagyokel]

Sorry, I cba to update the front page, but Russians in F1... interesting!

 

[FB]

[quote:204k928g]Fat Bloke said:

Although I wouldn't be surprised to see BMW "do a Honda" and pack it in at the end of the season, contract with the FIA or not.

Dun dun duuuuuuuh [/quote:204k928g]

I can no longer deny it I am Alison Dubois

Anyway, the BBC reckon as Alonso is off to Ferrari Kubica's will replace him at Renault. It's at the bottom of this article about Mario Thiessen trying to but BMW and reckoning if Mclaren can win a race this season so can they

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8213082.stm

 

[teabagyokel]

McLaren: 43 years of heritage in F1, recently "big 2" team, 163 GP wins, 8 Constructors Titles and 12 Drivers titles for Fittipaldi, Hunt, Lauda, Prost, Senna, Hakkinen and Hamilton.

BMW Sauber: Winners of the 2008 Canadian GP.

I can see why BMW Sauber will feel that they are the equal of McLaren!

 

[O_Danny_Boy]

I don't see the comments are that out of line, he was not comparing the history of the two teams but simply their early struggles this season. With a couple improvements look what McLaren has done. I certainly do not see it as impossible for BMW to institute a few technical improvements and have a chance at a GP win sometime this season. I would think that even making the team more competitive would make them much more attractive to potential buyers.

 

[Brogan]

I would think that even making the team more competitive would make them much more attractive to potential buyers.

I think that's the general idea.

As the technical rules & regulations are going to remain pretty much the same for 2010, it makes sense to carry on developing this year's car as much as possible.

With limited testing time over winter, whoever finishes at the top this season is most likely to continue at the front next season.

 

[FB]

I sort of take your point o_danny_boy but the reason for the laugh smilie was simply BMW's recent history of improving cars through the season hasn't been good and why would they invest more money in development given they've just announced they are going to quit. I can sort of see they would want to attract a buyer but there does seem to be a bit of a queue of teams waiting to get into F1 at the moment and I'm sure they would be happy to buy either BMW's place and/or the Sauber factory to get on the grid.

Bro - won't there be significant design changes as the teams will have to fit a full size fuel tank into the cars for next season? I presume the cars will need changing simply to make sure the weight distribution is good and will a bigger tank mean aero changes as the car may be longer/wider/taller to cope?

 

[Brogan]

Bro - won't there be significant design changes as the teams will have to fit a full size fuel tank into the cars for next season? I presume the cars will need changing simply to make sure the weight distribution is good and will a bigger tank mean aero changes as the car may be longer/wider/taller to cope?

As far as I'm aware FB the only significant changes are an increase in the maximum length (10mm or 10cm, I'm not sure which) and weight increased to 620 kg.

I suppose the extra length may lead to some design tweaks but the bigger fuel bladder will just effectively be more ballast at the start of a race.

Essentially though the overall design rules will be the same with regards to width, height, front and rear wings, aero-appendages, etc. so this season's designs will effectively be the starting point for next season.

 

[FB]

Ah, so...

Just to add something more on topic this article on the BBC website is full of gossip.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8214450.stm

Alonso to Ferrari (well durr), Raikkonen's contract to be paid off and move on to Brawn/Renault/Toyota. Rosberg to Mclaren. Kubica to Williams or Brawn or Renault.

The silly season is well and truly upon us

 

[cider_and_toast]

Bro - won't there be significant design changes as the teams will have to fit a full size fuel tank into the cars for next season? I presume the cars will need changing simply to make sure the weight distribution is good and will a bigger tank mean aero changes as the car may be longer/wider/taller to cope?

I read a recent article (can't remember where so no link sorry) with Adrian Newey saying that there wasn't much to worry about with next years car. He described the fact that the cars required a bigger fuel tank as being a detail change in the car design.

 

[Speshal]

So where will Sebastien Loeb be driving in 2011

 

[Brogan]

Is the investigation into the alleged race fixing by Renault going to have an impact on who goes where in 2010?

If Renault are found guilty there are some suggestions they could be banned from the sport altogether.
Of course this wouldn't stop Alonso from remaining in F1 (presumably?) but would anyone be interested in employing him if he is found to be complicit?

He has already admitted to using stolen data from Ferrari when at McLaren, then he attempted to blackmail Ron Dennis over the use of that data and now this.

There are a lot of ifs and buts there I appreciate but if Renault are found guilty then there are going to be significant repercussions.

 

[FB]

Has any other driver attracted as much controversy as Alonso? Senna and Schumacher had their moments on the track and there are often tensions between team-mates but I can't think of anyone who has been involved/implicated in as much dubious off track stuff.

In answer to your question Bro, I get the feeling regardless of what baggage Alonso brings with him there will still be teams who want to give him a drive. If he is implicated in the Singapore conspiracy though I would hope he would be banned from next season, this sort of action has no place in any sport.

The only chance he may be off lightly is for the same "commercial reasons" Renault were allowed to race in Valencia. Without Alonso F1 in Spain ceases to exist and Santander may decide that throwing money at F1 isn't what they want to do any more. Money talks, as ever...

 

[Brogan]

The silly season is really heating up now.

This article in The Telegraph suggest that a deal has been done for Rosberg to drive for Brawn and that Button's place is now uncertain.

Telegraph Sport understands that Williams' Nico Rosberg has agreed a deal to drive for Brawn in 2010 pending their successful takeover by Mercedes-Benz, which we first revealed.

Mercedes, which also owns a 40 per cent stake in long-term partners McLaren, is known to want a German driver at one of its two teams next season for marketing reasons.

The carmaker declined to comment on Monday when asked about Rosberg's potential move to Brawn, but recent remarks made by Mercedes-Benz Motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug and McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh are enlightening. "Nico is an option," Haug said before Mercedes' interest in Brawn was revealed. "He's a candidate with whom we are talking."

Whitmarsh denied recently that his team were in talks with any drivers outside the team.

As ever with Formula One, nothing is set in stone. But if Rosberg does move to Brawn, it would mean just one race seat remains at the Brackley-based team next year. Paddock eyebrows have been raised in recent months over Brawn's apparent reluctance to tie down Button, who won six of this season's first seven races, to a contract extension. It had been assumed the two parties were haggling over money but it now appears likely Brawn were waiting for Mercedes-Benz to declare their hand.

Jenson Button's future unsure as Brawn target Nico Rosberg