QUOTE
Bruno Senna reckons he is 90+ per cent certain he will be in F1 next year. I am 100 per cent certain him being there will be great for F1
Full Version: 2010 Silly Season (merged)
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NobleF1:
Maybe Toyota might keep Trulli?
Noritoshi Arai on Japan: I think this was one of the best races in the history of Panasonic Toyota Racing.
http://www.toyota-f1.com/en/season/gp2009/...pan/report.html
Trulli: It was very unfortunate he couldn't race after his accident in qualifying because I am sure he would have had a great result too. We work really well together and there is a great atmosphere so I know he was cheering me on to the podium. But he will bounce back and we will both be fighting for another positive result in Brazil.
Sounds like he is pushing for no change, Toyota aren't getting Kubica and Raikkonen looks very unlikely, they will end up with two inferior drivers to what they have now if they aren't careful.
Noritoshi Arai on Japan: I think this was one of the best races in the history of Panasonic Toyota Racing.
http://www.toyota-f1.com/en/season/gp2009/...pan/report.html
Trulli: It was very unfortunate he couldn't race after his accident in qualifying because I am sure he would have had a great result too. We work really well together and there is a great atmosphere so I know he was cheering me on to the podium. But he will bounce back and we will both be fighting for another positive result in Brazil.
Sounds like he is pushing for no change, Toyota aren't getting Kubica and Raikkonen looks very unlikely, they will end up with two inferior drivers to what they have now if they aren't careful.
QUOTE (Phucaigh @ Oct 6 2009, 23:53) 
Sounds like he is pushing for no change, Toyota aren't getting Kubica and Raikkonen looks very unlikely, they will end up with two inferior drivers to what they have now if they aren't careful.
If they aren't careful? If they don't get Räikkönen/Kubica/Heidfeld/(Kovalainen) in their cars - each of them being quite unlikely from what we hear and read at the moment - they will have two inferior drivers to their current Glock/Trulli lineup.
I don't think Toyota considers any non-Japanese newcomers - except maybe Senna, as someone mentioned - for their 2010 race seats.
I l;ike saward, outstanding journalist, but he is a rumour peddlar of the highest order.
QUOTE (HMV @ Oct 6 2009, 21:42)
Kubica is a fluke.
QUOTE (stonebutter @ Oct 7 2009, 01:27)
What was that about? You're unfamiliar with all the meanings of the word "fluke"?
QUOTE (alecc @ Oct 6 2009, 21:41)
NobleF1:
Senna to McLaren with Santander backing him
QUOTE (Francesc @ Oct 7 2009, 19:23)
Senna to McLaren with Santander backing him
I reckon he'll end up in Lotus, twenty-five years after Ayrton did (and for sentimentality's sake, Lotus will bid for the nmbers twenty-four and twenty-five), or he'll end up with Virgin F1 (I expect the Virign group will fully buy Manor out) because Richard Branson would see the value in aligning Virgin with the name Senna.
QUOTE (Captain Tightpants @ Oct 7 2009, 10:27)
... Richard Branson would see the value in aligning Virgin with the name Senna.
My thoughts exactly. Although no one in respectable F1 media has put this option forward.
Forgive me, as a relatively new fan of the sport (certainly not in Senna's days), can someone tell me why that would be a valuable commodity to have Senna with Virgin? Was there something similar for Ayrton?
Thanks
Thanks
QUOTE (Don_Humpador @ Oct 7 2009, 21:17)
Forgive me, as a relatively new fan of the sport (certainly not in Senna's days), can someone tell me why that would be a valuable commodity to have Senna with Virgin? Was there something similar for Ayrton?
No, but Senna is the single biggest name in the sport's history. Bigger than Schumacher. Virgin is one of the biggest names in modern business, and they're expected to buy Manor out and rename it Virgin F1. It's a match made in heaven.
Don't think there's any history between the Senna family and Virgin. The thing is, the name Senna is very very well known to the public. Therefore it has marketing value. Virgin is all about exposure and publicity stunts so this would fit their brand very well.
But then it would be the same for all teams wanting to hire Senna.
You made it sound like there was a special link between the two names, though. Thanks for clearing it up.
You made it sound like there was a special link between the two names, though. Thanks for clearing it up.
QUOTE (paranoik0 @ Oct 7 2009, 11:22)
Don't think there's any history between the Senna family and Virgin. The thing is, the name Senna is very very well known to the public. Therefore it has marketing value. Virgin is all about exposure and publicity stunts so this would fit their brand very well.
The name may be well known, but I really don't see anyone (outside of Brazil) being particulary interested unless Bruno proves to be fast.
QUOTE (Don_Humpador @ Oct 7 2009, 21:38)
But then it would be the same for all teams wanting to hire Senna.
Well, the thing is that Bruno is unproven. He has the name, and he's had a moderate amount of success, and when his uncle was alive, he spoke very highly of him. And as Nico Rosberg, Kazuki Nakajima and Nelson Piquet Jnr. have proven, a famous name is no substitute for good results. And a lot of drivers who were quick in the lower leagues - case in point: Romain Grosjean - haven't always got what it takes to succeed in Formula One. Formula One is more competitive than GP2 and he other feeder series by a whole order of magnitude.
So while Senna is famous, it's no guarantee of anything. He might be on someone's shortlist - he was widely tipped for Honda before they withdrew and Barrichello got the drive - but it could be anywhere between on and six teams.
QUOTE (Don_Humpador @ Oct 7 2009, 21:38)
You made it sound like there was a special link between the two names, though. Thanks for clearing it up.
Not really, but you can see the benefits: Virgin, one of the biggest groups worldwide - just look at Brawn's sponsorship this season: Virgin Atlanic (airliners), Virgin Media (records), Virgin Active (health care), Virgin Galactic (space travel); the list is endless - aligned wth Bruno Senna, the nephew of a man many consider to be the greatest driver the world has ever seen, even fifteen years after his death.
I think you'd find that the name Senna has a lot more weight than Rosberg, Nakajima or even Piquet.
QUOTE (paranoik0 @ Oct 7 2009, 22:30)
I think you'd find that the name Senna has a lot more weight than Rosberg, Nakajima or even Piquet.
Still dosn't make it a substitute for results.
QUOTE (Captain Tightpants @ Oct 7 2009, 11:55)
Well, the thing is that Bruno is unproven. He has the name, and he's had a moderate amount of success, and when his uncle was alive, he spoke very highly of him. And as Nico Rosberg, Kazuki Nakajima and Nelson Piquet Jnr. have proven, a famous name is no substitute for good results. And a lot of drivers who were quick in the lower leagues - case in point: Romain Grosjean - haven't always got what it takes to succeed in Formula One. Formula One is more competitive than GP2 and he other feeder series by a whole order of magnitude.
So while Senna is famous, it's no guarantee of anything. He might be on someone's shortlist - he was widely tipped for Honda before they withdrew and Barrichello got the drive - but it could be anywhere between on and six teams.
Not really, but you can see the benefits: Virgin, one of the biggest groups worldwide - just look at Brawn's sponsorship this season: Virgin Atlanic (airliners), Virgin Media (records), Virgin Active (health care), Virgin Galactic (space travel); the list is endless - aligned wth Bruno Senna, the nephew of a man many consider to be the greatest driver the world has ever seen, even fifteen years after his death.
So while Senna is famous, it's no guarantee of anything. He might be on someone's shortlist - he was widely tipped for Honda before they withdrew and Barrichello got the drive - but it could be anywhere between on and six teams.
Not really, but you can see the benefits: Virgin, one of the biggest groups worldwide - just look at Brawn's sponsorship this season: Virgin Atlanic (airliners), Virgin Media (records), Virgin Active (health care), Virgin Galactic (space travel); the list is endless - aligned wth Bruno Senna, the nephew of a man many consider to be the greatest driver the world has ever seen, even fifteen years after his death.
I'm not talking about his driving ability here. I said it [his marketing value and name] would be the same for all teams. For the wider public, it makes no difference which team Senna drives for, so to pick Virgin out of a bunch of teams is specifying something for nothing.
I can see the benefits for any team wanting Senna, so it makes no sense just to pick out Virgin.
QUOTE (Don_Humpador @ Oct 7 2009, 22:48)
I can see the benefits for any team wanting Senna, so it makes no sense just to pick out Virgin.
Because they're Virgin. You won't find a bigger business invovled in Formula One; I'm surprised Branson hasn't gotten involved sooner. Maybe it's better this way; sponoring Brawn when he did has to go down as one of the best-timed decisions in history. I'm just disappointed they're not sticking around.
QUOTE (Captain Tightpants @ Oct 7 2009, 12:51)
Because they're Virgin. You won't find a bigger business invovled in Formula One; I'm surprised Branson hasn't gotten involved sooner. Maybe it's better this way; sponoring Brawn when he did has to go down as one of the best-timed decisions in history. I'm just disappointed they're not sticking around.
Yes, Virgin will be able to get more out of him in terms of publicity, but the advantages are there for plenty of teams, that's all I'm saying
QUOTE (Clatter @ Oct 7 2009, 12:49)
The name [Senna] may be well known, but I really don't see anyone (outside of Brazil) being particulary interested unless Bruno proves to be fast.
qft.
QUOTE (Francesc @ Oct 7 2009, 05:23)
Senna to McLaren with Santander backing him
Santander is no longer backing him.
QUOTE (rodlamas @ Oct 7 2009, 14:04)
Santander is no longer backing him.
Yes they are: Santander announced a new deal with McLaren mid-September.
Other news: Kubica joins Renault for 2010
QUOTE (lustigson @ Oct 7 2009, 12:28)
Yes they are: Santander announced a new deal with McLaren mid-September.
Other news: Kubica joins Renault for 2010
Other news: Kubica joins Renault for 2010
He meant Santander is no longer backing Bruno.
QUOTE (Anssi @ Sep 27 2009, 19:22)
Hey, let's have a look at the direct quotes in that article:
What announcement? Oh, their driver line-up for next year. And there is no mention of the drivers.
OK, so there is a strong hint Alonso will be out of Renault. But this tells us only he is very likely going away from Renault.
It's no proof of Alonso going to Ferrari.
Also, there is no quote in that article telling us Kubica is going to Renault. I know it has been discussed, even by Martin Whitmarsh.
But to say someone was right, based on that article... that's quite a leap of faith. And notice how good odds they have to get the driver moves right. In a lottery you have very, very bad odds to win. But with the driver moves in F1, the odds are good that you get it right. The reporters have it way too easy - they have very good odds to get it right even when they know pretty much nothing.
What announcement? Oh, their driver line-up for next year. And there is no mention of the drivers.
OK, so there is a strong hint Alonso will be out of Renault. But this tells us only he is very likely going away from Renault.
It's no proof of Alonso going to Ferrari.
Also, there is no quote in that article telling us Kubica is going to Renault. I know it has been discussed, even by Martin Whitmarsh.
But to say someone was right, based on that article... that's quite a leap of faith. And notice how good odds they have to get the driver moves right. In a lottery you have very, very bad odds to win. But with the driver moves in F1, the odds are good that you get it right. The reporters have it way too easy - they have very good odds to get it right even when they know pretty much nothing.
What about now?
QUOTE (Arion @ Oct 7 2009, 14:31)
He meant Santander is no longer backing Bruno.
Oops...
B. Senna Lalli is talking to Campos, Manor (which he called 'Virgin', by the way), and Force India.
QUOTE (prty @ Oct 7 2009, 16:13)
What about now?
We got one more person who didn't understand what I was saying.
Sometimes, someone, somewhere, is just pointing out what 'proof' there is in an article - not saying whether anything in it is true or not... there is a difference.
"to say someone was right, based on that article... that's quite a leap of faith"
QUOTE (prty @ Oct 7 2009, 15:13)
What about now?
Stil the same.
Even with Alonso's and Kubica's seats confirmed nothing realy changed with the fact that this article does not prove that Alonso is going to Ferrari and Kubica to Renault.
Emirates Brawn Mercedes
Brawn BGP 002 – Mercedes FO108X (Mercedes rumourd in (partly) take-over)
Team Principal: Ross Brawn ; Technical Director: Ross Brawn (?)
1. Jenson Button (negotiations for new contract ongoing, with money an issue)
2. Rubens Barrichello (one more season; may depend on Button's negotiations)
Nico Rosberg (likely dependent on Mercedes deal)
Kimi Räikkönen (rumoured if Rosberg goes to McLaren)
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull RB6 – Renault RS27 (currently) / Mercedes FO108X (likely due to Mercedes' dismissal of a Williams deal)
Team Principal: Christian Horner; Technical Director: Adrian Newey
3. Sebastian Vettel (on a multi-year deal until '11, with an option for '12)
4. Mark Webber (re-signed for '10)
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro (Santander title sponsor?)
Ferrari F2010 – Ferrari 056
Team Principal: Stefano Domenicali ; Technical Director: Aldo Costa
5. Felipe Massa (contracted until ‘10)
Giancarlo Fisichella (signed testing deal; may be recruted for race team if Massa's not fit)
6. Fernando Alonso (3-year deal '10-'12)
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
McLaren MP4-25 – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Martin Whitmarsh ; Technical Director: Paddy Lowe, Neil Oatley
7. Lewis Hamilton (contracted until '12)
8. Heikki Kovalainen ('10 option not taken up)
Kimi Räikkönen (highly likely with Alonso-Ferrari now confirmed)
Nico Rosberg (rumoured for McLaren since 2008, now poised for Brawn)
Gary Paffet (long-time McLaren test driver)
Panasonic Toyota Racing
Toyota TF110 – Toyota RVX-10
Team Principal: Tadashi Yamashina ; Technical Director: Pascal Vasselon
9. Timo Glock ('10 option not taken up; free to look elsewhere)
Heikki Kovalainen (possibly)
10. Jarno Trulli (a new deal is unlikely, according to team bosses)
Kazuki Nakajima (allegedly has a long-term Toyota deal, but may not have the ultimate skill to make in in the big time)
Kamui Kobayashi (current test driver)
Kimi Räikkönen (rumoured, though unlikely)
AT&T Williams
Williams FW32 – Renault RS27 (preferred option for the team, dependent on Red Bull choice, and whether Kubica is taken up by Renault) / Cosworth CA2010 (under review, too) / Toyota RVX-10 (team asked to get out of 2010 contract) / Mercedes FO108X (approached, but not possible, say Mercedes)
Team Principal: Frank Williams ; Technical Director: Sam Michael, Patrick Head
11. Rubens Barrichello (Williams said they’d like an experienced driver in ‘10)
12. Nico Hülkenberg (test driver and 2009 GP2 champion; most likely)
Adam Carroll (GP2 race winner and A1GP champion, has been approached by 2 teams for ‘10)
Kazuki Nakajima (current driver, likely dependent on Toyota power)
Renault F1 Team (team's future in doubt due to Singapore 2008 cheat; Briatore and Symonds fired/quit, David Richards said to be in the picture as team boss)
Renault R30 – Renault R27
Team Principal: David Richards (rumoured) ; Technical Director: unknown
14. Robert Kubica (confirmed for 2010)
15. Romain Grosjean (likely)
Heikki Kovalainen (may return to the French team)
Lucas Di Grassi (long time Renault development and test driver; admired by David Richards)
Force India F1 Team (Aston Martin Racing; in Prodrive take-over)
Force India VJM03 (Aston Martin DBF1-10) – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Vijay Mallya ; Technical Director: James Key
16. Adrian Sutil (another year; where would he go otherwise?)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
17. Vitantonio Liuzzi (allegedly has '10-'11 deal)
Karun Chandhok (after another GP2 season, he gets the nod from Mallya; will test McLaren simulator)
Neel Jani (will test McLaren simulator)
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Toro Roso STR5 – Ferrari 056 (Ferrari contract allegedly runs until ‘10) / Renault R27 (if Red Bull-Mercedes comes to fruition)
Team Principal: Franz Tost
Technical Director: Giorgio Ascanelli
18. Sébastien Buemi (hard to see him dropped after some solid drives)
19. Jaime Alguersuari, jr. (replaced Bourdais mid-season '09, likely to stay on)
Brendon Hartley (Red Bull junior driver and tester)
Neel Jani (finally he gets his chance, but 2 Swiss drivers at STR?)
Telefónica Campos Meta Team
Campos CM10 – Cosworth CA2010 (Dallara-designed and -built car)
Team Principal: Adrián Campos ; Technical Director: Daniel Audetto
20. Pedro de la Rosa (experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
21. Vitaly Petrov (although Russian, he drove for Campos/Barwa in GP2 successfully, and brings sponsorship, too)
Virgin Manor F1 Team (likely renamed Virgin F1 Team)
Manor BW01 (Virgin VF1-10) – Cosworth CA2010 (car designed and built by Nick Wirth, formerly of Simtek and Benetton)
Team Principal: John Booth (of Manor Grand Prix) / Alex Tai (of Virgin) ; Technical Director: Nick Wirth
22. Anthony Davidson (experienced ex-F1 driver)
Lucas Di Grassi (GP2 race winner, did F3 for Manor in 2005)
23. Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
Adam Carroll (GP2 race winner and A1GP champion, has been approached by 2 teams for ‘10)
Mike Conway (GP2 race winner, currently in IndyCar)
Best Buy Team US F1
US F1-10 – Cosworth CA2010 (contracted) / Toyota RVX-10 (rumoured)
Team Principal: Peter Windsor ; Technical Director: Ken Anderson
24. Alex Wurz (although Austrian, experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Pedro de la Rosa (although Spanish, experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Franck Montagny (rumoured although French, has some experience)
25. Ryan Hunter-Reay (experienced driver)
Jonathan Summerton (oft-rumoured, but still young)
Marco Andretti (some people believe he has what it takes for F1)
Graham Rahal (rumoured)
1Malaysia Lotus F1 Team
Lotus 110 – Cosworth CA2010
Team Principal: Tony Fernandes ; Technical Director: Mike Gascoyne
26. Neel Jani (allegedly aligned with the Malaysian group)
Jarno Trulli (rumoured)
27. Bruno Senna (wouldn't that be nice)
Alex Yoong (experienced and, well, Malaysian)
Sauber F1 Team (BMW-owned team did not sign 2010-2012 Concorde Agreement, but obtained '14th place'; talks on allowing 14 teams in 2010 ongoing)
Sauber C25 – Ferrari 056 (again with Petronas badge?)
Team Principal: Lionel Fischer (of QADBAK) / Peter Sauber (unlikely) ; Technical Director: Willy Rampf
28. Nick Heidfeld (contracted for '09; may stay on)
29. Christian Klien (current test driver; could make for a typically sound Sauber line-up with Heidfeld)
Brawn BGP 002 – Mercedes FO108X (Mercedes rumourd in (partly) take-over)
Team Principal: Ross Brawn ; Technical Director: Ross Brawn (?)
1. Jenson Button (negotiations for new contract ongoing, with money an issue)
2. Rubens Barrichello (one more season; may depend on Button's negotiations)
Nico Rosberg (likely dependent on Mercedes deal)
Kimi Räikkönen (rumoured if Rosberg goes to McLaren)
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull RB6 – Renault RS27 (currently) / Mercedes FO108X (likely due to Mercedes' dismissal of a Williams deal)
Team Principal: Christian Horner; Technical Director: Adrian Newey
3. Sebastian Vettel (on a multi-year deal until '11, with an option for '12)
4. Mark Webber (re-signed for '10)
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro (Santander title sponsor?)
Ferrari F2010 – Ferrari 056
Team Principal: Stefano Domenicali ; Technical Director: Aldo Costa
5. Felipe Massa (contracted until ‘10)
Giancarlo Fisichella (signed testing deal; may be recruted for race team if Massa's not fit)
6. Fernando Alonso (3-year deal '10-'12)
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
McLaren MP4-25 – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Martin Whitmarsh ; Technical Director: Paddy Lowe, Neil Oatley
7. Lewis Hamilton (contracted until '12)
8. Heikki Kovalainen ('10 option not taken up)
Kimi Räikkönen (highly likely with Alonso-Ferrari now confirmed)
Nico Rosberg (rumoured for McLaren since 2008, now poised for Brawn)
Gary Paffet (long-time McLaren test driver)
Panasonic Toyota Racing
Toyota TF110 – Toyota RVX-10
Team Principal: Tadashi Yamashina ; Technical Director: Pascal Vasselon
9. Timo Glock ('10 option not taken up; free to look elsewhere)
Heikki Kovalainen (possibly)
10. Jarno Trulli (a new deal is unlikely, according to team bosses)
Kazuki Nakajima (allegedly has a long-term Toyota deal, but may not have the ultimate skill to make in in the big time)
Kamui Kobayashi (current test driver)
Kimi Räikkönen (rumoured, though unlikely)
AT&T Williams
Williams FW32 – Renault RS27 (preferred option for the team, dependent on Red Bull choice, and whether Kubica is taken up by Renault) / Cosworth CA2010 (under review, too) / Toyota RVX-10 (team asked to get out of 2010 contract) / Mercedes FO108X (approached, but not possible, say Mercedes)
Team Principal: Frank Williams ; Technical Director: Sam Michael, Patrick Head
11. Rubens Barrichello (Williams said they’d like an experienced driver in ‘10)
12. Nico Hülkenberg (test driver and 2009 GP2 champion; most likely)
Adam Carroll (GP2 race winner and A1GP champion, has been approached by 2 teams for ‘10)
Kazuki Nakajima (current driver, likely dependent on Toyota power)
Renault F1 Team (team's future in doubt due to Singapore 2008 cheat; Briatore and Symonds fired/quit, David Richards said to be in the picture as team boss)
Renault R30 – Renault R27
Team Principal: David Richards (rumoured) ; Technical Director: unknown
14. Robert Kubica (confirmed for 2010)
15. Romain Grosjean (likely)
Heikki Kovalainen (may return to the French team)
Lucas Di Grassi (long time Renault development and test driver; admired by David Richards)
Force India F1 Team (Aston Martin Racing; in Prodrive take-over)
Force India VJM03 (Aston Martin DBF1-10) – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Vijay Mallya ; Technical Director: James Key
16. Adrian Sutil (another year; where would he go otherwise?)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
17. Vitantonio Liuzzi (allegedly has '10-'11 deal)
Karun Chandhok (after another GP2 season, he gets the nod from Mallya; will test McLaren simulator)
Neel Jani (will test McLaren simulator)
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Toro Roso STR5 – Ferrari 056 (Ferrari contract allegedly runs until ‘10) / Renault R27 (if Red Bull-Mercedes comes to fruition)
Team Principal: Franz Tost
Technical Director: Giorgio Ascanelli
18. Sébastien Buemi (hard to see him dropped after some solid drives)
19. Jaime Alguersuari, jr. (replaced Bourdais mid-season '09, likely to stay on)
Brendon Hartley (Red Bull junior driver and tester)
Neel Jani (finally he gets his chance, but 2 Swiss drivers at STR?)
Telefónica Campos Meta Team
Campos CM10 – Cosworth CA2010 (Dallara-designed and -built car)
Team Principal: Adrián Campos ; Technical Director: Daniel Audetto
20. Pedro de la Rosa (experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
21. Vitaly Petrov (although Russian, he drove for Campos/Barwa in GP2 successfully, and brings sponsorship, too)
Virgin Manor F1 Team (likely renamed Virgin F1 Team)
Manor BW01 (Virgin VF1-10) – Cosworth CA2010 (car designed and built by Nick Wirth, formerly of Simtek and Benetton)
Team Principal: John Booth (of Manor Grand Prix) / Alex Tai (of Virgin) ; Technical Director: Nick Wirth
22. Anthony Davidson (experienced ex-F1 driver)
Lucas Di Grassi (GP2 race winner, did F3 for Manor in 2005)
23. Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
Adam Carroll (GP2 race winner and A1GP champion, has been approached by 2 teams for ‘10)
Mike Conway (GP2 race winner, currently in IndyCar)
Best Buy Team US F1
US F1-10 – Cosworth CA2010 (contracted) / Toyota RVX-10 (rumoured)
Team Principal: Peter Windsor ; Technical Director: Ken Anderson
24. Alex Wurz (although Austrian, experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Pedro de la Rosa (although Spanish, experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Franck Montagny (rumoured although French, has some experience)
25. Ryan Hunter-Reay (experienced driver)
Jonathan Summerton (oft-rumoured, but still young)
Marco Andretti (some people believe he has what it takes for F1)
Graham Rahal (rumoured)
1Malaysia Lotus F1 Team
Lotus 110 – Cosworth CA2010
Team Principal: Tony Fernandes ; Technical Director: Mike Gascoyne
26. Neel Jani (allegedly aligned with the Malaysian group)
Jarno Trulli (rumoured)
27. Bruno Senna (wouldn't that be nice)
Alex Yoong (experienced and, well, Malaysian)
Sauber F1 Team (BMW-owned team did not sign 2010-2012 Concorde Agreement, but obtained '14th place'; talks on allowing 14 teams in 2010 ongoing)
Sauber C25 – Ferrari 056 (again with Petronas badge?)
Team Principal: Lionel Fischer (of QADBAK) / Peter Sauber (unlikely) ; Technical Director: Willy Rampf
28. Nick Heidfeld (contracted for '09; may stay on)
29. Christian Klien (current test driver; could make for a typically sound Sauber line-up with Heidfeld)
QUOTE (lustigson @ Oct 8 2009, 14:41)
AT&T Williams
Williams FW32 –
Robert Kubica (Williams said they’d like an experienced driver in ‘10; Renault engine deal was allegedly dependent on Williams not signing Kubica, before Briatore's departure from Renault)
Williams FW32 –
Robert Kubica (Williams said they’d like an experienced driver in ‘10; Renault engine deal was allegedly dependent on Williams not signing Kubica, before Briatore's departure from Renault)
I think you can take Kubica out of the Williams box ;p
Apart from that top list
QUOTE (lustigson @ Oct 8 2009, 18:41)
Emirates Brawn Mercedes
Brawn BGP 002 – Mercedes FO108X (Mercedes rumourd in (partly) take-over)
Team Principal: Ross Brawn ; Technical Director: Ross Brawn (?)
1. Jenson Button (negotiations for new contract ongoing, with money an issue)
2. Rubens Barrichello (one more season; may depend on Button's negotiations)
Nico Rosberg (likely dependent on Mercedes deal)
Kimi Räikkönen (rumoured if Rosberg goes to McLaren)
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull RB6 – Renault RS27 (currently) / Mercedes FO108X (likely due to Mercedes' dismissal of a Williams deal)
Team Principal: Christian Horner; Technical Director: Adrian Newey
3. Sebastian Vettel (on a multi-year deal until '11, with an option for '12)
4. Mark Webber (re-signed for '10)
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro (Santander title sponsor?)
Ferrari F2010 – Ferrari 056
Team Principal: Stefano Domenicali ; Technical Director: Aldo Costa
5. Felipe Massa (contracted until ‘10)
Giancarlo Fisichella (signed testing deal; may be recruted for race team if Massa's not fit)
6. Fernando Alonso (3-year deal '10-'12)
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
McLaren MP4-25 – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Martin Whitmarsh ; Technical Director: Paddy Lowe, Neil Oatley
7. Lewis Hamilton (contracted until '12)
8. Heikki Kovalainen ('10 option not taken up)
Kimi Räikkönen (highly likely with Alonso-Ferrari now confirmed)
Nico Rosberg (rumoured for McLaren since 2008, now poised for Brawn)
Gary Paffet (long-time McLaren test driver)
Panasonic Toyota Racing
Toyota TF110 – Toyota RVX-10
Team Principal: Tadashi Yamashina ; Technical Director: Pascal Vasselon
9. Timo Glock ('10 option not taken up; free to look elsewhere)
Heikki Kovalainen (possibly)
10. Jarno Trulli (a new deal is unlikely, according to team bosses)
Kazuki Nakajima (allegedly has a long-term Toyota deal, but may not have the ultimate skill to make in in the big time)
Kamui Kobayashi (current test driver)
Kimi Räikkönen (rumoured, though unlikely)
AT&T Williams
Williams FW32 – Renault RS27 (preferred option for the team, dependent on Red Bull choice, and whether Kubica is taken up by Renault) / Cosworth CA2010 (under review, too) / Toyota RVX-10 (team asked to get out of 2010 contract) / Mercedes FO108X (approached, but not possible, say Mercedes)
Team Principal: Frank Williams ; Technical Director: Sam Michael, Patrick Head
11. Rubens Barrichello (Williams said they’d like an experienced driver in ‘10)
Robert Kubica (Williams said they’d like an experienced driver in ‘10; Renault engine deal was allegedly dependent on Williams not signing Kubica, before Briatore's departure from Renault)
12. Nico Hülkenberg (test driver and 2009 GP2 champion; most likely)
Adam Carroll (GP2 race winner and A1GP champion, has been approached by 2 teams for ‘10)
Kazuki Nakajima (current driver, likely dependent on Toyota power)
Renault F1 Team (team's future in doubt due to Singapore 2008 cheat; Briatore and Symonds fired/quit, David Richards said to be in the picture as team boss)
Renault R30 – Renault R27
Team Principal: David Richards (rumoured) ; Technical Director: unknown
14. Robert Kubica (confirmed for 2010)
15. Romain Grosjean (likely)
Heikki Kovalainen (may return to the French team)
Lucas Di Grassi (long time Renault development and test driver; admired by David Richards)
Force India F1 Team (Aston Martin Racing; in Prodrive take-over)
Force India VJM03 (Aston Martin DBF1-10) – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Vijay Mallya ; Technical Director: James Key
16. Adrian Sutil (another year; where would he go otherwise?)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
17. Vitantonio Liuzzi (allegedly has '10-'11 deal)
Karun Chandhok (after another GP2 season, he gets the nod from Mallya; will test McLaren simulator)
Neel Jani (will test McLaren simulator)
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Toro Roso STR5 – Ferrari 056 (Ferrari contract allegedly runs until ‘10) / Renault R27 (if Red Bull-Mercedes comes to fruition)
Team Principal: Franz Tost
Technical Director: Giorgio Ascanelli
18. Sébastien Buemi (hard to see him dropped after some solid drives)
19. Jaime Alguersuari, jr. (replaced Bourdais mid-season '09, likely to stay on)
Brendon Hartley (Red Bull junior driver and tester)
Neel Jani (finally he gets his chance, but 2 Swiss drivers at STR?)
Telefónica Campos Meta Team
Campos CM10 – Cosworth CA2010 (Dallara-designed and -built car)
Team Principal: Adrián Campos ; Technical Director: Daniel Audetto
20. Pedro de la Rosa (experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
21. Vitaly Petrov (although Russian, he drove for Campos/Barwa in GP2 successfully, and brings sponsorship, too)
Virgin Manor F1 Team (likely renamed Virgin F1 Team)
Manor BW01 (Virgin VF1-10) – Cosworth CA2010 (car designed and built by Nick Wirth, formerly of Simtek and Benetton)
Team Principal: John Booth (of Manor Grand Prix) / Alex Tai (of Virgin) ; Technical Director: Nick Wirth
22. Anthony Davidson (experienced ex-F1 driver)
Lucas Di Grassi (GP2 race winner, did F3 for Manor in 2005)
23. Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
Adam Carroll (GP2 race winner and A1GP champion, has been approached by 2 teams for ‘10)
Mike Conway (GP2 race winner, currently in IndyCar)
Best Buy Team US F1
US F1-10 – Cosworth CA2010 (contracted) / Toyota RVX-10 (rumoured)
Team Principal: Peter Windsor ; Technical Director: Ken Anderson
24. Alex Wurz (although Austrian, experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Pedro de la Rosa (although Spanish, experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Franck Montagny (rumoured although French, has some experience)
25. Ryan Hunter-Reay (experienced driver)
Jonathan Summerton (oft-rumoured, but still young)
Marco Andretti (some people believe he has what it takes for F1)
Graham Rahal (rumoured)
1Malaysia Lotus F1 Team
Lotus 110 – Cosworth CA2010
Team Principal: Tony Fernandes ; Technical Director: Mike Gascoyne
26. Neel Jani (allegedly aligned with the Malaysian group)
Jarno Trulli (rumoured)
27. Bruno Senna (wouldn't that be nice)
Alex Yoong (experienced and, well, Malaysian)
Sauber F1 Team (BMW-owned team did not sign 2010-2012 Concorde Agreement, but obtained '14th place'; talks on allowing 14 teams in 2010 ongoing)
Sauber C25 – Ferrari 056 (again with Petronas badge?)
Team Principal: Lionel Fischer (of QADBAK) / Peter Sauber (unlikely) ; Technical Director: Willy Rampf
28. Nick Heidfeld (contracted for '09; may stay on)
29. Christian Klien (current test driver; could make for a typically sound Sauber line-up with Heidfeld)
Brawn BGP 002 – Mercedes FO108X (Mercedes rumourd in (partly) take-over)
Team Principal: Ross Brawn ; Technical Director: Ross Brawn (?)
1. Jenson Button (negotiations for new contract ongoing, with money an issue)
2. Rubens Barrichello (one more season; may depend on Button's negotiations)
Nico Rosberg (likely dependent on Mercedes deal)
Kimi Räikkönen (rumoured if Rosberg goes to McLaren)
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull RB6 – Renault RS27 (currently) / Mercedes FO108X (likely due to Mercedes' dismissal of a Williams deal)
Team Principal: Christian Horner; Technical Director: Adrian Newey
3. Sebastian Vettel (on a multi-year deal until '11, with an option for '12)
4. Mark Webber (re-signed for '10)
Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro (Santander title sponsor?)
Ferrari F2010 – Ferrari 056
Team Principal: Stefano Domenicali ; Technical Director: Aldo Costa
5. Felipe Massa (contracted until ‘10)
Giancarlo Fisichella (signed testing deal; may be recruted for race team if Massa's not fit)
6. Fernando Alonso (3-year deal '10-'12)
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
McLaren MP4-25 – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Martin Whitmarsh ; Technical Director: Paddy Lowe, Neil Oatley
7. Lewis Hamilton (contracted until '12)
8. Heikki Kovalainen ('10 option not taken up)
Kimi Räikkönen (highly likely with Alonso-Ferrari now confirmed)
Nico Rosberg (rumoured for McLaren since 2008, now poised for Brawn)
Gary Paffet (long-time McLaren test driver)
Panasonic Toyota Racing
Toyota TF110 – Toyota RVX-10
Team Principal: Tadashi Yamashina ; Technical Director: Pascal Vasselon
9. Timo Glock ('10 option not taken up; free to look elsewhere)
Heikki Kovalainen (possibly)
10. Jarno Trulli (a new deal is unlikely, according to team bosses)
Kazuki Nakajima (allegedly has a long-term Toyota deal, but may not have the ultimate skill to make in in the big time)
Kamui Kobayashi (current test driver)
Kimi Räikkönen (rumoured, though unlikely)
AT&T Williams
Williams FW32 – Renault RS27 (preferred option for the team, dependent on Red Bull choice, and whether Kubica is taken up by Renault) / Cosworth CA2010 (under review, too) / Toyota RVX-10 (team asked to get out of 2010 contract) / Mercedes FO108X (approached, but not possible, say Mercedes)
Team Principal: Frank Williams ; Technical Director: Sam Michael, Patrick Head
11. Rubens Barrichello (Williams said they’d like an experienced driver in ‘10)
Robert Kubica (Williams said they’d like an experienced driver in ‘10; Renault engine deal was allegedly dependent on Williams not signing Kubica, before Briatore's departure from Renault)
12. Nico Hülkenberg (test driver and 2009 GP2 champion; most likely)
Adam Carroll (GP2 race winner and A1GP champion, has been approached by 2 teams for ‘10)
Kazuki Nakajima (current driver, likely dependent on Toyota power)
Renault F1 Team (team's future in doubt due to Singapore 2008 cheat; Briatore and Symonds fired/quit, David Richards said to be in the picture as team boss)
Renault R30 – Renault R27
Team Principal: David Richards (rumoured) ; Technical Director: unknown
14. Robert Kubica (confirmed for 2010)
15. Romain Grosjean (likely)
Heikki Kovalainen (may return to the French team)
Lucas Di Grassi (long time Renault development and test driver; admired by David Richards)
Force India F1 Team (Aston Martin Racing; in Prodrive take-over)
Force India VJM03 (Aston Martin DBF1-10) – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Vijay Mallya ; Technical Director: James Key
16. Adrian Sutil (another year; where would he go otherwise?)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
17. Vitantonio Liuzzi (allegedly has '10-'11 deal)
Karun Chandhok (after another GP2 season, he gets the nod from Mallya; will test McLaren simulator)
Neel Jani (will test McLaren simulator)
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Toro Roso STR5 – Ferrari 056 (Ferrari contract allegedly runs until ‘10) / Renault R27 (if Red Bull-Mercedes comes to fruition)
Team Principal: Franz Tost
Technical Director: Giorgio Ascanelli
18. Sébastien Buemi (hard to see him dropped after some solid drives)
19. Jaime Alguersuari, jr. (replaced Bourdais mid-season '09, likely to stay on)
Brendon Hartley (Red Bull junior driver and tester)
Neel Jani (finally he gets his chance, but 2 Swiss drivers at STR?)
Telefónica Campos Meta Team
Campos CM10 – Cosworth CA2010 (Dallara-designed and -built car)
Team Principal: Adrián Campos ; Technical Director: Daniel Audetto
20. Pedro de la Rosa (experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
21. Vitaly Petrov (although Russian, he drove for Campos/Barwa in GP2 successfully, and brings sponsorship, too)
Virgin Manor F1 Team (likely renamed Virgin F1 Team)
Manor BW01 (Virgin VF1-10) – Cosworth CA2010 (car designed and built by Nick Wirth, formerly of Simtek and Benetton)
Team Principal: John Booth (of Manor Grand Prix) / Alex Tai (of Virgin) ; Technical Director: Nick Wirth
22. Anthony Davidson (experienced ex-F1 driver)
Lucas Di Grassi (GP2 race winner, did F3 for Manor in 2005)
23. Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
Adam Carroll (GP2 race winner and A1GP champion, has been approached by 2 teams for ‘10)
Mike Conway (GP2 race winner, currently in IndyCar)
Best Buy Team US F1
US F1-10 – Cosworth CA2010 (contracted) / Toyota RVX-10 (rumoured)
Team Principal: Peter Windsor ; Technical Director: Ken Anderson
24. Alex Wurz (although Austrian, experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Pedro de la Rosa (although Spanish, experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Franck Montagny (rumoured although French, has some experience)
25. Ryan Hunter-Reay (experienced driver)
Jonathan Summerton (oft-rumoured, but still young)
Marco Andretti (some people believe he has what it takes for F1)
Graham Rahal (rumoured)
1Malaysia Lotus F1 Team
Lotus 110 – Cosworth CA2010
Team Principal: Tony Fernandes ; Technical Director: Mike Gascoyne
26. Neel Jani (allegedly aligned with the Malaysian group)
Jarno Trulli (rumoured)
27. Bruno Senna (wouldn't that be nice)
Alex Yoong (experienced and, well, Malaysian)
Sauber F1 Team (BMW-owned team did not sign 2010-2012 Concorde Agreement, but obtained '14th place'; talks on allowing 14 teams in 2010 ongoing)
Sauber C25 – Ferrari 056 (again with Petronas badge?)
Team Principal: Lionel Fischer (of QADBAK) / Peter Sauber (unlikely) ; Technical Director: Willy Rampf
28. Nick Heidfeld (contracted for '09; may stay on)
29. Christian Klien (current test driver; could make for a typically sound Sauber line-up with Heidfeld)
Why is Nick Heidfeld considered only as part of the new QADBAK team?
I would there were rumours about Renault along Kubica and possibly Toyota....
QUOTE (F1_conman @ Oct 9 2009, 00:52)
Why is Nick Heidfeld considered only as part of the new QADBAK team?
I would there were rumours about Renault along Kubica and possibly Toyota....
I would there were rumours about Renault along Kubica and possibly Toyota....
They probably start and end on this forum.
So Toyota have apparently managed to tell Trulli and Glock to piss off even though they have no one even reasonably established to replace them with? Seriously?!?
QUOTE (Jackmancer @ Oct 8 2009, 15:46)
I think you can take Kubica out of the Williams box ;p
Fixed.
Emirates Brawn Mercedes
Brawn BGP 002 – Mercedes FO108X (Mercedes rumourd in (partly) take-over)
Team Principal: Ross Brawn ; Technical Director: Ross Brawn (?)
1. Jenson Button (will eventually agree a new contract
2. Nico Rosberg (has probably already signed a deal)
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull RB6 – Renault RS27 (currently) / Mercedes FO108X (likely due to Mercedes' dismissal of a Williams deal)
Team Principal: Christian Horner; Technical Director: Adrian Newey
3. Sebastian Vettel (on a multi-year deal until '11, with an option for '12)
4. Mark Webber (re-signed for '10)
Ferrari
Ferrari F2010 – Ferrari 056
Team Principal: Stefano Domenicali ; Technical Director: Aldo Costa
5. Felipe Massa (contracted until ‘10)
Giancarlo Fisichella (signed testing deal; may be recruted for race team if Massa's not fit)
6. Fernando Alonso (3-year deal '10-'12)
McLaren
McLaren MP4-25 – Mercedes FO108X (might drop Mercedes and build their own engines)
Team Principal: Martin Whitmarsh ; Technical Director: Paddy Lowe, Neil Oatley
7. Lewis Hamilton (contracted until '12)
8. Heikki Kovalainen ('10 option not taken up)
Kimi Räikkönen (highly likely with Alonso-Ferrari now confirmed)
Adrian Sutil (ex-teammate of Hamilton in F3 and Mercedes likes him)
Toyota
Toyota TF110 – Toyota RVX-10
Team Principal: Tadashi Yamashina ; Technical Director: Pascal Vasselon
9. Timo Glock ('10 option not taken up; free to look elsewhere)
Heikki Kovalainen (possibly)
10. Jarno Trulli (a new deal is unlikely, according to team bosses)
Nick Heidfeld (good chance at a seat here)
Kazuki Nakajima (allegedly has a long-term Toyota deal, but may not have the ultimate skill to make in in the big time)
Kamui Kobayashi (current test driver)
Adiran Sutil (interesting driver for Toyota, former Japanese F3 champion)
Kimi Räikkönen (rumoured, though unlikely)
Williams
Williams FW32 – Renault RS27
Team Principal: Frank Williams ; Technical Director: Sam Michael, Patrick Head
11. Rubens Barrichello (Williams said they’d like an experienced driver in ‘10)
12. Nico Hülkenberg (test driver and 2009 GP2 champion; most likely)
Renault
Renault R30 – Renault R27
Team Principal: Alain Prost (rumoured) ; Technical Director: unknown
14. Robert Kubica (confirmed for 2010)
15. Romain Grosjean (likely)
Heikki Kovalainen (may return to the French team)
Lucas Di Grassi (long time Renault development and test driver; admired by David Richards)
Nick Heidfeld (could end up next to Kubica again)
Timo Glock (apparently Renault is interested in him)
Adrian Sutil (long shot)
Vitaly Petrov (Renault has an interest in the Russian market and with MegaFon a Russian sponsor)
Force India
Force India VJM03 – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Vijay Mallya ; Technical Director: James Key
16. Adrian Sutil (another year; where would he go otherwise?)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
17. Vitantonio Liuzzi (allegedly has '10-'11 deal)
Paul dit Resta (McLaren test driver, linked to Force India last year)
Gary Paffett (McLaren test driver)
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Toro Roso STR5 – Ferrari 056 (Ferrari contract allegedly runs until ‘10) / Renault R27 (if Red Bull-Mercedes comes to fruition)
Team Principal: Franz Tost
Technical Director: Giorgio Ascanelli
18. Sébastien Buemi (hard to see him dropped after some solid drives)
19. Jaime Alguersuari, jr. (replaced Bourdais mid-season '09, likely to stay on)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull junior driver, probably has preference over Hartley now)
Brendon Hartley (Red Bull junior driver and tester)
Campos Meta Team
Dallara – Cosworth CA2010 (Dallara-designed and -built car)
Team Principal: Adrián Campos ; Technical Director: Daniel Audetto
20. Pedro de la Rosa (quite certain)
Marc Gene (if they can't get a deal with de la Rosa they will go for Gene)
21. Vitaly Petrov (although Russian, he drove for Campos/Barwa in GP2 successfully, and brings sponsorship, too)
Bertrand Baguette (has been negotiation with them recently)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
Giorgio Pantano (he deserves another chance)
Roldan Rodriguez (can bring sponsors to the team, has a lot of cash)
Javier Villa (long shot)
Andy Soucek (F2 champion, pretty good driver)
Lucas di Grassi (deserves a chance)
Romain Grosjean (if Renault drops him)
Jaime Alguersuari (if Torro Rosso drops him, Repsol might sponsor Campos then)
Nelson Piquet Jr. (long shot but maybe he can bring some money?)
Manor F1 Team (likely renamed Virgin F1 Team)
Manor BW01 (Virgin VF1-10) – Cosworth CA2010 (car designed and built by Nick Wirth, formerly of Simtek and Benetton)
Team Principal: John Booth (of Manor Grand Prix) / Alex Tai (of Virgin) ; Technical Director: Nick Wirth
22. Christian Klien (negotiating with Manor)
Heikki Kovalainen (could end up at Manor, likely to be dropped by McLaren)
Anthony Davidson (experienced ex-F1 driver)
Takuma Sato (experienced ex-F1 driver)
Lucas Di Grassi (GP2 race winner, did F3 for Manor in 2005)
23. Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
Adam Carroll (GP2 race winner and A1GP champion, has been approached by 2 teams for ‘10)
Esteban Guerrieri (has negotiated with Manor)
Alvaro Parente (has negotiated with Manor)
Bertrand Baguette (has talked to them but he has a much better chance at Campos)
Max Chilton (his dad might get involved with the team)
[color="red"]Team US F1
US F1-10 – Cosworth CA2010 (contracted) / Toyota RVX-10 (rumoured)
Team Principal: Peter Windsor ; Technical Director: Ken Anderson
24. Alex Wurz (experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Franck Montagny (USF1 have a stong interest in him)
Sébastien Bourdais (would be excellent choice, well known in the USA)
Pedro de la Rosa (probably ends up at Campos)
Takuma Sato (experienced & fast ex-F1 driver)
25. José-Maria Lopez (Argentinian but apparently close to a deal with USF1)
Ryan Hunter-Reay (experienced driver)
Jonathan Summerton (oft-rumoured, probably not ready yet)
Marco Andretti (some people believe he has what it takes for F1)
Graham Rahal (probably the best of the Americans)
Scott Speed (probably stays in NASCAR)
Kazuki Nakajima (F1 experience and quite fast)
Lotus F1 Team
Lotus 110 – Cosworth CA2010
Team Principal: Tony Fernandes ; Technical Director: Mike Gascoyne
26. Jarno Trulli (rumoured
Neel Jani (allegedly aligned with the Malaysian group)
Timo Clock (F1 experience)
Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus has shown interest in him)
Giorgio Pantano (deserves another chance)
27. Fairuz Fauzy (Malaysian, decent results in the World Series)
Anthony Davidson (has been linked to Lotus)
Kazuki Nakajima (F1 experience)
Sébastien Bourdais (F1 experience)
Takuma Sato (F1 experience)
Romain Grosjean (if Renault drops him)
Christian Klien (F1 experience)
Sauber F1 Team (BMW-owned team did not sign 2010-2012 Concorde Agreement, but obtained '14th place'; talks on allowing 14 teams in 2010 ongoing)
Sauber C25 – Ferrari 056 (again with Petronas badge?)
Team Principal: Lionel Fischer (of QADBAK) / Peter Sauber (unlikely) ; Technical Director: Willy Rampf
28. Nick Heidfeld (contracted for '09; may stay on)
Timo Glock (if Toyota drops him)
Heikki Kovalainen (experience with a top team)
29. Christian Klien (current test driver; could make for a typically sound Sauber line-up with Heidfeld)[/quote]
Neel Jani (has been linked to them, ex Sauber test driver)
Giancarlo Fisichella (Ferrari might loan him out)
Jules Bianchi (Ferrari has an interest with him and might loan him out)
Sébastien Bourdais (F1 experience and fast)
Andreas Zuber (has a link with the Middle East, agressive driver that I would like to see in F1)
Brawn BGP 002 – Mercedes FO108X (Mercedes rumourd in (partly) take-over)
Team Principal: Ross Brawn ; Technical Director: Ross Brawn (?)
1. Jenson Button (will eventually agree a new contract
2. Nico Rosberg (has probably already signed a deal)
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull RB6 – Renault RS27 (currently) / Mercedes FO108X (likely due to Mercedes' dismissal of a Williams deal)
Team Principal: Christian Horner; Technical Director: Adrian Newey
3. Sebastian Vettel (on a multi-year deal until '11, with an option for '12)
4. Mark Webber (re-signed for '10)
Ferrari
Ferrari F2010 – Ferrari 056
Team Principal: Stefano Domenicali ; Technical Director: Aldo Costa
5. Felipe Massa (contracted until ‘10)
Giancarlo Fisichella (signed testing deal; may be recruted for race team if Massa's not fit)
6. Fernando Alonso (3-year deal '10-'12)
McLaren
McLaren MP4-25 – Mercedes FO108X (might drop Mercedes and build their own engines)
Team Principal: Martin Whitmarsh ; Technical Director: Paddy Lowe, Neil Oatley
7. Lewis Hamilton (contracted until '12)
8. Heikki Kovalainen ('10 option not taken up)
Kimi Räikkönen (highly likely with Alonso-Ferrari now confirmed)
Adrian Sutil (ex-teammate of Hamilton in F3 and Mercedes likes him)
Toyota
Toyota TF110 – Toyota RVX-10
Team Principal: Tadashi Yamashina ; Technical Director: Pascal Vasselon
9. Timo Glock ('10 option not taken up; free to look elsewhere)
Heikki Kovalainen (possibly)
10. Jarno Trulli (a new deal is unlikely, according to team bosses)
Nick Heidfeld (good chance at a seat here)
Kazuki Nakajima (allegedly has a long-term Toyota deal, but may not have the ultimate skill to make in in the big time)
Kamui Kobayashi (current test driver)
Adiran Sutil (interesting driver for Toyota, former Japanese F3 champion)
Kimi Räikkönen (rumoured, though unlikely)
Williams
Williams FW32 – Renault RS27
Team Principal: Frank Williams ; Technical Director: Sam Michael, Patrick Head
11. Rubens Barrichello (Williams said they’d like an experienced driver in ‘10)
12. Nico Hülkenberg (test driver and 2009 GP2 champion; most likely)
Renault
Renault R30 – Renault R27
Team Principal: Alain Prost (rumoured) ; Technical Director: unknown
14. Robert Kubica (confirmed for 2010)
15. Romain Grosjean (likely)
Heikki Kovalainen (may return to the French team)
Lucas Di Grassi (long time Renault development and test driver; admired by David Richards)
Nick Heidfeld (could end up next to Kubica again)
Timo Glock (apparently Renault is interested in him)
Adrian Sutil (long shot)
Vitaly Petrov (Renault has an interest in the Russian market and with MegaFon a Russian sponsor)
Force India
Force India VJM03 – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Vijay Mallya ; Technical Director: James Key
16. Adrian Sutil (another year; where would he go otherwise?)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
17. Vitantonio Liuzzi (allegedly has '10-'11 deal)
Paul dit Resta (McLaren test driver, linked to Force India last year)
Gary Paffett (McLaren test driver)
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Toro Roso STR5 – Ferrari 056 (Ferrari contract allegedly runs until ‘10) / Renault R27 (if Red Bull-Mercedes comes to fruition)
Team Principal: Franz Tost
Technical Director: Giorgio Ascanelli
18. Sébastien Buemi (hard to see him dropped after some solid drives)
19. Jaime Alguersuari, jr. (replaced Bourdais mid-season '09, likely to stay on)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull junior driver, probably has preference over Hartley now)
Brendon Hartley (Red Bull junior driver and tester)
Campos Meta Team
Dallara – Cosworth CA2010 (Dallara-designed and -built car)
Team Principal: Adrián Campos ; Technical Director: Daniel Audetto
20. Pedro de la Rosa (quite certain)
Marc Gene (if they can't get a deal with de la Rosa they will go for Gene)
21. Vitaly Petrov (although Russian, he drove for Campos/Barwa in GP2 successfully, and brings sponsorship, too)
Bertrand Baguette (has been negotiation with them recently)
Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
Giorgio Pantano (he deserves another chance)
Roldan Rodriguez (can bring sponsors to the team, has a lot of cash)
Javier Villa (long shot)
Andy Soucek (F2 champion, pretty good driver)
Lucas di Grassi (deserves a chance)
Romain Grosjean (if Renault drops him)
Jaime Alguersuari (if Torro Rosso drops him, Repsol might sponsor Campos then)
Nelson Piquet Jr. (long shot but maybe he can bring some money?)
Manor F1 Team (likely renamed Virgin F1 Team)
Manor BW01 (Virgin VF1-10) – Cosworth CA2010 (car designed and built by Nick Wirth, formerly of Simtek and Benetton)
Team Principal: John Booth (of Manor Grand Prix) / Alex Tai (of Virgin) ; Technical Director: Nick Wirth
22. Christian Klien (negotiating with Manor)
Heikki Kovalainen (could end up at Manor, likely to be dropped by McLaren)
Anthony Davidson (experienced ex-F1 driver)
Takuma Sato (experienced ex-F1 driver)
Lucas Di Grassi (GP2 race winner, did F3 for Manor in 2005)
23. Bruno Senna (said he's in talks with the team)
Adam Carroll (GP2 race winner and A1GP champion, has been approached by 2 teams for ‘10)
Esteban Guerrieri (has negotiated with Manor)
Alvaro Parente (has negotiated with Manor)
Bertrand Baguette (has talked to them but he has a much better chance at Campos)
Max Chilton (his dad might get involved with the team)
[color="red"]Team US F1
US F1-10 – Cosworth CA2010 (contracted) / Toyota RVX-10 (rumoured)
Team Principal: Peter Windsor ; Technical Director: Ken Anderson
24. Alex Wurz (experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Franck Montagny (USF1 have a stong interest in him)
Sébastien Bourdais (would be excellent choice, well known in the USA)
Pedro de la Rosa (probably ends up at Campos)
Takuma Sato (experienced & fast ex-F1 driver)
25. José-Maria Lopez (Argentinian but apparently close to a deal with USF1)
Ryan Hunter-Reay (experienced driver)
Jonathan Summerton (oft-rumoured, probably not ready yet)
Marco Andretti (some people believe he has what it takes for F1)
Graham Rahal (probably the best of the Americans)
Scott Speed (probably stays in NASCAR)
Kazuki Nakajima (F1 experience and quite fast)
Lotus F1 Team
Lotus 110 – Cosworth CA2010
Team Principal: Tony Fernandes ; Technical Director: Mike Gascoyne
26. Jarno Trulli (rumoured
Neel Jani (allegedly aligned with the Malaysian group)
Timo Clock (F1 experience)
Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus has shown interest in him)
Giorgio Pantano (deserves another chance)
27. Fairuz Fauzy (Malaysian, decent results in the World Series)
Anthony Davidson (has been linked to Lotus)
Kazuki Nakajima (F1 experience)
Sébastien Bourdais (F1 experience)
Takuma Sato (F1 experience)
Romain Grosjean (if Renault drops him)
Christian Klien (F1 experience)
Sauber F1 Team (BMW-owned team did not sign 2010-2012 Concorde Agreement, but obtained '14th place'; talks on allowing 14 teams in 2010 ongoing)
Sauber C25 – Ferrari 056 (again with Petronas badge?)
Team Principal: Lionel Fischer (of QADBAK) / Peter Sauber (unlikely) ; Technical Director: Willy Rampf
28. Nick Heidfeld (contracted for '09; may stay on)
Timo Glock (if Toyota drops him)
Heikki Kovalainen (experience with a top team)
29. Christian Klien (current test driver; could make for a typically sound Sauber line-up with Heidfeld)[/quote]
Neel Jani (has been linked to them, ex Sauber test driver)
Giancarlo Fisichella (Ferrari might loan him out)
Jules Bianchi (Ferrari has an interest with him and might loan him out)
Sébastien Bourdais (F1 experience and fast)
Andreas Zuber (has a link with the Middle East, agressive driver that I would like to see in F1)
QUOTE (kismet @ Oct 8 2009, 14:57)
So Toyota have apparently managed to tell Trulli and Glock to piss off even though they have no one even reasonably established to replace them with? Seriously?!?
More like "guys, we think you're shit - but if we can't find anyone better could you please reapply for your old jobs back". Hopefully Toyota end up with Piquet Jr and Bourdais next season.
QUOTE (kismet @ Oct 8 2009, 14:57)
So Toyota have apparently managed to tell Trulli and Glock to piss off even though they have no one even reasonably established to replace them with? Seriously?!?
Howett would say those drivers who signed elsewhere that they wanted are stupid.
Toyota need to be careful......
QUOTE (William Hunt @ Oct 8 2009, 16:21)
18. Sébastien Buemi (hard to see him dropped after some solid drives)
19. Jaime Alguersuari, jr. (replaced Bourdais mid-season '09, likely to stay on)
19. Jaime Alguersuari, jr. (replaced Bourdais mid-season '09, likely to stay on)
Toro Rosso drivers are confirmed if you dont know
http://www.tororosso.com/Season/2009/Japan...Musical-Chairs/
QUOTE (Captain Tightpants @ Oct 7 2009, 12:21)
No, but Senna is the single biggest name in the sport's history. Bigger than Schumacher. Virgin is one of the biggest names in modern business, and they're expected to buy Manor out and rename it Virgin F1. It's a match made in heaven.
Not to shoot down your dream, but exactly how did you come to the conclusion that Senna is a bigger name than Schumacher.
To go further: there are alot of business names way more know than Virgin. Start with Shell.
And this BS about this kid getting a (top) F1 drive largely because of his name, instead of more talented collegue's who don't make it just for commercials reasons, is starting to annoy me. In fact, it makes me think of Piquet junior, and the way he got a reality check.
QUOTE (OSX @ Oct 6 2009, 17:22)
Kovalainen is good friends with Renault's team principal Bob Bell and Heikki obviously knows how the team works.
We are talking about picking drivers for an F1 team, not picking a team for secondary school basketball.
QUOTE (paranoik0 @ Oct 6 2009, 21:19)
Actually, yes. From Joe Saward's blog ( http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/...et-on-the-move/ ) :
If they do end up with a Nakajima-Kobayashi duo I'm going to laugh my ass off.
If they do end up with a Nakajima-Kobayashi duo I'm going to laugh my ass off.
I would like to laugh with you, but the legandary Ferrari I support is making the same mistakes but then in key-positions in the staff.
Basically Ferrari is trying everything to make sure they have enough voting power to convince the cafeteria lady to make spaghetti each day.
QUOTE (Orin @ Oct 8 2009, 08:25)
More like "guys, we think you're shit - but if we can't find anyone better could you please reapply for your old jobs back". Hopefully Toyota end up with Piquet Jr and Bourdais next season.
Kubica still chooses Renault which, in the hands of 2x WDC, is having worse results this year than the Toyotas driven by supposedly "2nd tier" drivers. How's that for a faith in the Toyota F1 team in the eyes of so-called "top" drivers?
Unless Kimi signs for Toyota in 2010 (why?), I absolutely cannot see how they can do better than the current driver lineup. Anyway it's hard to see Glock and Trulli both return given how much crap Howett are throwing at them in the media. I bet next year Toyota will end up with worse drivers than what they have now. It's too bad since Trulli an Glock both publicly stated that they wished to continue with them.
QUOTE (patgaw @ Oct 8 2009, 16:33)
Toro Rosso drivers are confirmed if you dont know
http://www.tororosso.com/Season/2009/Japan...Musical-Chairs/
http://www.tororosso.com/Season/2009/Japan...Musical-Chairs/
Actually one of the reasons why Jaime came so early is because giving him a long chance of testing to give his full potential in 2010.
Portuguese Autosport is again tipping Parente for the new Virgin team, saying it's "almost certain". Booth wants 2 rookies and Bruno Senna is the most likely 2nd guy.
Jean-Francois Caubet hints that Kubica's teammate will be one of the following:
-Timo Glock
-Adrian Sutil
-Nick Heidfeld
-Heikki Kovalainen
-Timo Glock
-Adrian Sutil
-Nick Heidfeld
-Heikki Kovalainen
Adrian Sutil favori chez Renault pour 2010
Robert Kubica confirmé, Renault s'attèle désormais à trouver un coéquipier au pilote polonais. Alors que de nombreux médias annoncent Nick Heidfeld comme étant le favori, Adrian Sutil est à ce jour le mieux placé pour succéder à Romain Grosjean, nous annonce une source interne au Renault F1 Team.
Les représentants de l'écurie française ont effet brièvement rencontrés Vijay Mallay, le Président de Force India Mercedes Benz, lors du Grand Prix du Japon, pour évoquer le cas d'Adrian Sutil, indique notre source.
Le jeune pilote allemand réalise de très belles performances au volant de sa monoplace indienne, et s'impose comme un choix d'avenir pour Renault.
Le nom de Bruno Senna circule avec insistance du côté de Force India, pour remplacer Adrian Sutil.
L'avenir de Romain Grosjean paraît bien compromit pour 2010, Renault étant désormais bien décidé à faire signer des pilotes d'expérience pour la saison prochaine.
http://www.confidential-renault.fr/?id=210
Robert Kubica confirmé, Renault s'attèle désormais à trouver un coéquipier au pilote polonais. Alors que de nombreux médias annoncent Nick Heidfeld comme étant le favori, Adrian Sutil est à ce jour le mieux placé pour succéder à Romain Grosjean, nous annonce une source interne au Renault F1 Team.
Les représentants de l'écurie française ont effet brièvement rencontrés Vijay Mallay, le Président de Force India Mercedes Benz, lors du Grand Prix du Japon, pour évoquer le cas d'Adrian Sutil, indique notre source.
Le jeune pilote allemand réalise de très belles performances au volant de sa monoplace indienne, et s'impose comme un choix d'avenir pour Renault.
Le nom de Bruno Senna circule avec insistance du côté de Force India, pour remplacer Adrian Sutil.
L'avenir de Romain Grosjean paraît bien compromit pour 2010, Renault étant désormais bien décidé à faire signer des pilotes d'expérience pour la saison prochaine.
http://www.confidential-renault.fr/?id=210
QUOTE (Captain Tightpants @ Oct 8 2009, 14:56)
They probably start and end on this forum.
QUOTE (fastdriver @ Oct 8 2009, 18:11)
I've asked this before but have never gotten an answer. can someone please shed some light.
why is Nakajima in F1? Seriously!
QUOTE (Captain Tightpants @ Oct 2 2009, 23:39)
I don't think Button would consider McLaren, especilly if their only interest in him is to get the number one. He likes the people at Brawn and Brawn like him. He stuck with them through Honda's back-out when other drivers wouldhave immediately looked elsewhere. He's one of the most loyal drivers on the grid, and I don't think he' go abandoning the team at a moment's notice like that.
way back when, when honda was not doing too great, which other teams wanted Button? I liked him at Honda, just not enough to really 'follow' his career.
QUOTE (fastdriver @ Oct 8 2009, 18:40)
I've asked this before but have never gotten an answer. can someone please shed some light.
why is Nakajima in F1? Seriously!
why is Nakajima in F1? Seriously!
Name. Just like Piquet. But worse. Much much much worse.
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