What we do have is a Classic Silly Season this year. Started early, and has been full of soap opera, unexpected moves and high drama.

What is sad that F1 has become a sport where cutting costs have become more important than getting the best possible drivers at any cost. It seems like there's more money involved in sacking drivers than hiring them.

Indeed. I can't remember a better silly season ever. Only the 1995-1996 winter comes to mind in terms of number of driver moves.

This has been the silliest silly season of the decade at least. Bodes well for the new decade.

I think the lack of proper testing until February is possibly helping drag things out. It's not as if the teams are going to be needing their race drivers for next year testing now, there is no rush to have a finalised line-up so that be helping drag things out.

I wonder how good/bad the 2011 silly season will be in comparison

It's rumoured that PdLR will drive next year in F1. Probably he'll join a team backed by a beer trademark. A team capable of fighting for points but not for wins. I bet Force India.

BTW, it seems that J. Jonathan Summerton will join USF1.

Feel free to discuss it here...

An unforgettable drama.

2010 should be like this now:

McLaren
1, Jenson Button
2, Lewis Hamilton

Brawn
3, Nico Rosberg
4, Nick Heidfeld

Red Bull
5, Sebastian Vettel
6, Mark Webber

Ferrari
7, Fernando Alonso
8, Felipe Massa

Sauber/Qadbak
11, Giancarlo Fisichella
12, Christian Klien

Williams
14, Rubens Barrichello
15, Nico Hülkenberg

Renault
16, Robert Kubica
17, Heikki Kovalainen

Force India
18, Adrian Sutil
19, Vitantonio Liuzzi

Toro Rosso
20, Sébastien Buemi
21, Jaime Alguersuari

Manor/Virgin
?, Timo Glock
?, Lucas di Grassi

Campos Meta
?, Bruno Senna
?, Vitaly Petrov

Lotus
?, Jarno Trulli
?, Takuma Sato

USF1
?, Pedro de la Rosa/Anthony Davidson
?, Pastor Maldonado

This is the grid I expect at the moment, but I'll surely be proven wrong

Renault is interested in Adrian Sutil. And Kovalainen is variant #2.

http://confidential-renault.fr/Renault-dis...c-Sutil-et-i307

And Kobayashi is also discussed

Brazilian's website grandepremio says that Turun Sanomat is indicating that Renault has received an offer from a Russian businessman that wants to buy 40% of the French team, consenquently putting Petrov on its 2nd car for 2010.

The report also says that's the main reason Glock went for Manor and that Renault is has to find 30 million for its 2010 budget.

Finally it says that RBR is still waiting on a Renault position (regarding engine supply) in order to further develop its RB6.

Where is Wolfie for a translation of the original article?

Is Renault playing clever here?
By delaying telling RBR what will happen with their engine supply next year – they
are handicapping RBR ability to fully develop their 2010 car. ….way to go when trying to improve ones own chances against strong competition.

They want Mercedes, and now should be waiting a little as Mercedes got a bit rid of Mclaren.

Also, Renault is not fully confirmed for 2010.

And Cosworth might not be able to supply engines for 6 teams.

So, they are waiting and are not playing it clever. But not because they want it, simply because they cannot.

Now that Button was confirmed at McLaren, things should start to move a bit here, right?

I'm a Button fan so the will he wont he thing has been like a rollercoaster for me but i think it's been fantastic

And there's still seats available, IT'S NOT OVER YET!!!!!!

Most likely line up for 2010

McLaren
1. J Button
2. L Hamilton

Mercedes
3. N Rosberg
4. A Sutil

Red Bull
5. S Vettel
6. M Webber

Ferrari
7. F Alonso
8. F Massa

Sauber
9. N Heidfeld
10. C Klien

Williams
11. R Barrichello
12. N Hulkenberg

Renault
14. H Kovalainen
15. R Kubica

Force India
16. V Liuzzi
17. N Piquet

Toro Rosso
18. S Buemi
19. J Alguesuari

Campos
20. B Senna
21. V Petrov

Lotus
22. J Trulli
23. K Kobayashi

Manor
24. T Glock
25. L di Grassi

USF1
26. P de la Rosa
27. A Davidson

Yep. Next move will be Mercedes confirming its drivers which will be done later this week or at latest next week.

The Renault part of the article quickly translated

McLaren
1. J Button
2. L Hamilton

Mercedes
3. N Rosberg
4. N Heidfeld

Red Bull
5. S Vettel
6. M Webber

Ferrari
7. F Alonso
8. F Massa

Sauber
9. G Fisichella
10. C Klien

Williams
11. R Barrichello
12. N Hulkenberg

Renault
14. H Kovalainen
15. R Kubica

Force India
16. A Sutil
17. K Chandhok

Toro Rosso
18. S Buemi
19. J Alguesuari

Campos
20. B Senna
21. V Petrov

Lotus
22. J Trulli
23. K Kobayashi

Manor
24. T Glock
25. L di Grassi

USF1
26. J Villeneuve
27. J Summerton


That's my take on it

Yeah, it has been epic.

Martin Whitmarsh has gone out of his way to say that money was not the reason why Jenson has joined the team.
Could it be that the real reason Jenson went to McLaren was because Ross Brawn was only allowed to offer him a 2 year deal ? That is, until Vettel is out of contract ?

If this is the case it becomes obvious why the negotiations between Ross Brawn and Jenson were so protracted :
The duration of the contract on offer to Jenson was going to depend on whether the Mercedes deal went through or not.

Whoever is in the second Brawn seat, it well be fascinating to see how long the two contracts are for.

The clear winner out of all this is McLaren.

Thanks!

First thing:

People need to remember that Sauber will have the final entry on the grid, so they will have the highest numbers.

Now, something to think about:

Kubica to Merc?

Glock signing with Manor is surely an indication that there's a lot of doubt over Renault's entry for next year. There's no sense in him going to a new team if he can be with an established one with at least moderate success. We've heard that Daniele Morelli made calls to McLaren after the Toyota exit.

Heidfeld may have to be put on suicide watch if it happened. It would be the second time he lost a seat with a Mercedes-backed team to a teammate he beat.

And it isn't over yet! Plenty of time for more joy and wonder to come, lol

Would be wise for Mercedes to wait for Renault's final definition.
Would be extremely stupid to sign Sutil.

I have no problem with Nick, but I'd prefer Anthony Davidson or Adrian Sutil to Mercedes.

Barrichello must be laughing his as off right now. Brawn didn't see this coming. LOL

Here we go again on the Heidfeld vs Kubica thing.

What will happen next?

Indeed, he should have kept Rubens just in case Jenson might leave Brawn GP Rubens would also be a good benchmark to asses how good Nico is.

Ralf Schumacher to USF1...


Petrov to Renault with the 30mil to save them?

Seriously, this has been the most f'd up silly season... ever!

He is said to be talking with Sauber via Eddie Jordan who is looking around to be a "teamboss" again.

http://www.motorsport-magazin.com/formel1/...backplaene.html

Or maybe Brawn is the one laughin right now.

Rubens would be the #1 at MercGP.

are these the same guys that invested in midland-f1?

i'd suggest/recommend them to better save money rather than waste it on Renault...

Now that would be surprising: Eddie Jordan as Sauber's team boss.

Quite a busy couple of days. All top seats are now taken, albeit not all of them confirmed. (The drivers that have been confirmed, though, I made bold, for better overview.) Here's another update...

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes (now effectively a Mercedes customer team)
McLaren MP4-25 – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Martin Whitmarsh ; Technical Director: Paddy Lowe, Neil Oatley
1. Jenson Button (on a multi-year deal, likely until '12)
2. Lewis Hamilton (contracted until '12)

Mercedes Grand Prix (title sponsors Emirates, Orange and Mobil 1 mentioned)
Mercedes W2010 – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Ross Brawn ; Technical Director: Ross Brawn (?)
3. Nico Rosberg (ever more likely due to Mercedes deal)
4. Nick Heidfeld (very probable, since Button's departure)

Red Bull Racing
Red Bull RB6 – Renault RS27 (currently) / Cosworth CA2010 (remains an option) / Mercedes FO108X (ever more unlikely)
Team Principal: Christian Horner; Technical Director: Adrian Newey
5. Sebastian Vettel (on a multi-year deal until '11, with an option for '12)
6. Mark Webber (re-signed for '10)

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro (Santander title sponsor?)
Ferrari F2010 – Ferrari 056
Team Principal: Stefano Domenicali ; Technical Director: Aldo Costa
7. Felipe Massa (contracted until ‘10)
8. Fernando Alonso (3-year deal '10-'12)

AT&T Williams
Williams FW32 – Cosworth CA2010
Team Principal: Frank Williams ; Technical Director: Sam Michael, Patrick Head
9. Rubens Barrichello (confirmed; 2-year deal?)
10. Nico Hülkenberg (confirmed, probably on long-term deal)

Renault-Gordini F1 Team (possibly branded 'Renault-Gordini'; take-over by Prodrive and/or Charouz rumoured)
Renault-Gordini R30 – Renault R27
Team Principal: Bob Bell (interim); Technical Director: Bob Bell
11. Robert Kubica (confirmed for 2010)
12. Franck Montagny (former test driver, brings some experience to the team, and is French)
Adrian Sutil (rumoured)
Heikki Kovalainen (may return to the French team)
Lucas Di Grassi (long time Renault development and test driver)
Romain Grosjean (replaced Piquet mid-season; allegedly fallen out of favour due to bad results)

Force India F1 Team
Force India VJM03 – Mercedes FO108X
Team Principal: Vijay Mallya ; Technical Director: James Key
14. Adrian Sutil ('10 option taken up by the team, but free to go to bigger team, e.g. Renault or Mercedes)
Nelson Piquet (could be an option if Sutil leaves)
Karun Chandhok (after another GP2 season, he gets the nod from Mallya; will test McLaren simulator)
Neel Jani (Swiss with Indian father, will test McLaren simulator)
15. Vitantonio Liuzzi (has '10-'11 deal)

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
16. Sébastien Buemi (solid season with 6 points earns him another season)
17. Jaime Alguersuari (likely to stay on, but no contract signed, yet)
Brendon Hartley (Red Bull junior driver and tester)
Neel Jani (finally he gets his chance, but 2 Swiss drivers at STR?)

Campos Meta Team
Campos CM10 – Cosworth CA2010 (Dallara-designed and -built car)
Team Principal: Adrián Campos ; Technical Director: Daniel Audetto
18. Bruno Senna (gets his chance at new team, allegedly along with Petrobras money)
19. Vitaly Petrov (although Russian, he drove for Campos/Barwa in GP2 successfully, and brings sponsorship, too)
Pastor Maldonado (rumoured; brings sponsorship)
José Maria López (rumoured)
Pedro de la Rosa (experienced test driver; would need sponsorship for the drive)
Nelson Piquet (Adrián Campos said he's a possibility)

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
20. Timo Glock (2-year deal with an option for a 3rd)
21. Lucas Di Grassi (GP2 race winner and long-time Renault junior driver, did F3 for Manor in 2005)
Anthony Davidson (experienced ex-F1 driver)
Adam Carroll (GP2 race winner and A1GP champion, has been approached by 2 teams for ‘10)
Esteban Guerreri (has a priority pre-contract until 5 November)
Nelson Piquet (Booth allegedly stated he would consider him)

Best Buy Team US F1
US F1-10 – Cosworth CA2010 (contracted) / Toyota RVX-10 (rumoured)
Team Principal: Peter Windsor ; Technical Director: Ken Anderson
22. Jacques Villeneuve (says he's in talks with the team; getting a former F1 WDC and Indy 500 winner would be a major coup for the team)
23. Pedro de la Rosa (although Spanish, experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car)
Franck Montagny (rumoured although French, has some experience)
Alex Wurz (although Austrian, experienced test driver; excellent choice to develop the new car; allegedly lost interest)
Jonathan Summerton (oft-rumoured, but still young)

1Malaysia Lotus F1 Team (has confirmed it signed its #1 driver, but not whom)
Lotus 110 – Cosworth CA2010
Team Principal: Tony Fernandes ; Technical Director: Mike Gascoyne
24. Jarno Trulli (rumoured)
Anthony Davidson (experienced ex-F1 driver)
Alex Yoong (relatively experienced and, well, Malaysian; unlikely, though)
25. Takuma Sato (rumoured)
Kamui Kobayashi (rumoured)
Fairuz Fauzy (Malaysian, possibly signed as 3rd driver)
Jacques Villeneuve (allegedly in talks with the team)

Sauber Petronas F1 Team (BMW-owned team did not sign 2010-2012 Concorde Agreement, but obtained '14th place', gets 13th spot due to Toyota's leaving; Petronas said to stay on as title sponsor)
Sauber C25 – Ferrari 056 (again with Petronas badge?)
Team Principal: Lionel Fischer (of QADBAK) / Peter Sauber (unlikely) ; Technical Director: Willy Rampf
26. Christian Klien (current test driver; could make for a typically sound Sauber line-up with Heidfeld)
Nick Heidfeld (contracted for '09; may stay on if a deal with Mercedes falls through)
27. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ferrari tester; comes with the engine deal)
Vitaly Petrov (successfully raced in GP2, and brings sponsorship)
Kamui Kobayashi (only mentioned on this forum, IIRC)

Am I the only person who thinks Sutil will be at Mercedes next year?

It makes sense to have him alongside Rosberg, both are young and talented, it would be a great lineup.

I absolutely agree - I think it would be a good lineup, and I think Sutil is much better than people make him out to be.

We'll see how it plays out.

Mercedes needs better drivers than Heidfeld, Sutil or whoever comes up to line up next ro Rosberg. Raikkonen would have been fine there, but he knows that the only way to become WDC would have been at Mclaren.

No matter who Mercedes brings to line up next to Robesberg, they've made an enormous mistake. They will certainly not be among top 3 next year.

And unless RBR produces a top car just like this year, it will be Ferrari vs Mclaren all over again.

Nah, I'm pretty sure it's MS.

Mercedes need Kubica alongside Rosberg, which is possible if Renault fold, but Rosberg/Sutil or Rosberg/Heidfeld is sort of a mid fielder combo, I mean Rosberg is better than midfield but he is not on the cutting edge, it's easy to see Mercedes slipping into the midfield if they dont' get it right next year.

Brawn did ask him to wait. He asked Barrichello to wait with signing for another team. Barrichello declined.. He literally said "I'm not going to wait for Jenson".
So Yes, Barrichello will be laughing his ass off, but at the same time he will think: "Shoot I could have had another year at Brawn/Mercedes".

I think Kubica is the target now. Let's see what happens with Renault.

I think Heidfeld would be the best option for Mercedes. Force India may not be a backmarker next year (they made fairly good progress and other teams are gone or in trouble), so Sutil shouldn't be too worried about just staying there. If Mercedes truly wants an international team, then they have to do so at the expense of driver quality. Heidfeld/Rosberg is the best they can get right now, although I would have preferred the Hamilton/Heidfeld and Button/Rosberg lineups.

/signed.

I think we will probably see considering all that has been set today

Mclaren: Hamilton & Button
Mercedes: Rosberg & Heidfeld
RBR: Vettel & Webber
Ferrari: Alonso & Massa
Williams: Barrichello & Hulkenberg
Renault: Kubica & Sutil
STR: Buemi & Alguersuari
Sauber: Kovalainen & ???
Force India: Liuzzi/PDLR/Piquet (2 out of the 3)
Manor: Glock & di Grassi
Campos: Senna & Petrov
USF1: ???
Lotus: Trulli & Fauzy

If Sutil gets a ride by Mercedes GP. He don't get hit by Raikkonen in the front anyway.

So Mercedes (GER) has signed Rosberg (GER) and will sign either Heidfeld (GER) or Sutil (GER) who in a year or two will likely be replaced by Vettel (GER). But they don't want to appear overly German?