Bianchi would be the pick out of those for me

I had read someone (can't find the link) that Stefan GP had talks with Kazuki Nakajima. If they got a grid slot expect Nakajima to partner someone like Vitaly Petrov, Mikhail Aleshin or Serbian Formula 2 driver Milos Pavlovic.

Zoran Stefanovic of Stefan GP today speaking exclusively to Dieter Rencken, Autosport columnist on Autosport.com PLUS.

"We have two plans, Plan A and Plan B," he said. "While we hope all 13 teams can make the grid next year, and we certainly don't want anybody to fall out, we are hoping to be the 14th team. But if that fails, we go to Plan B, which is to be in Formula 1 in 2011. We are certainly not stopping with our plans, we intend to be there, if not in 2010, then 2011."

"If we don't get an entry for next year we intend to go testing for the year. We have the drivers signed up and we have an engine contract," he said, "and we have (ex-Arrows and -McLaren designer) Mike Coughlan on board, plus many other F1 people."

I don't see why Williams won't let them be a 14th team, it would save so many jobs, make use of the factory in Cologne and more opportunites for drivers.

and a smaller piece from the cake for williams

Only if the fourteenth team beat Williams. The television rights are divided up based on a complex series of formulae that take into account the team's history in the sport (ie how long they've been a part of it) and their successes of the previous year. And new teams aren't eligible for them, anyway. Not in their first year, except in special circumstances like Brawn when the money was pretty much needed because the team would falter without it.

I finally think I have the 2010 lineup correct.

McLaren
1. Jenson Button
2. Lewis Hamilton
TD. Pedro de la Rosa/Gary Paffett

Mercedes
3. Michael Schumacher
4. Nico Rosberg
TD. Anthony Davidson

Red Bull
5. Sebastian Vettel
6. Mark Webber
TD. Brendon Hartley/Daniel Ricciardo

Ferrari
7. Felipe Massa
8. Fernando Alonso
TD. Giancarlo Fisichella/Jules Bianchi

Williams
9. Rubens Barrichello
10. Nico Hulkenberg
TD. Andy Soucek

Renault
11. Robert Kubica
12. Jacques Villeneuve
TD. Ho-Pin Tung

Force India
14. Adrian Sutil
15. Vitantonio Liuzzi
TD. Paul di Resta

Toro Rosso
16. Sebastien Buemi
17. Jaime Alguersuari
TD. Mirko Bortolotti

Lotus
18. Jarno Trulli
19. Heikki Kovalainen
TD. Fairuz Fauzy

Campos
20. Vitaly Petrov
21. Bruno Senna
TD. Dani Clos/Javier Villa

USF1
22. Alex Wurz
23. Jose Maria Lopez
TD. Jonathan Summerton

Virgin
24. Timo Glock
25. Lucas di Grassi
TD. Alvaro Parente/Luiz Razia

Sauber
26. Nick Heidfeld
27. Kamui Kobayashi
TD. Bertrand Baguette

Stefan
TD. Kazuki Nakajima
TD. Milos Pavlovic

Did not Wurz ruled himself out of the USF1 Team seat sometime ago?

No you don't - Rosberg is carrying the number three, and there's absolutely no guarantee that Stefan will make it.

2 things wrong with that

• Alex Wurz is not racing in F1 next year
• There will be no more than 13 teams racing

Apart from those 2 points, i'd say that is very accurate as to who we will see on the grid in Bahrain 2010

Not necessarily, Mercedes might switch the numbers around. Remember STR switched the numbers this year, Buemi was car 11 on the entry list before they confirmed their second driver. When Bourdais was signed they put him in car 11 and Buemi was changed to car 12.

like raikkonen/massa at the beginning of the season

Yes, quite emphatically. But he still keeps appearing in these lists. I guess someone must REALLY like him

Alex Wurz might be in F1 next year after all after seeing this.



So Alex would compete in F1 with the reserve driver racing in Canada when Alex is at Le Mans.

"Baguette zu "96 Prozent sicher" bei Sauber" ~ "Baguette to Sauber"
...he/they just don't know whether as 2nd or 3rd.

http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/news/20...r_09121808.html

If he's 2nd driver - smth I doubt he will be... Koba and Baguette...two rookies? - what about Nick?!

nah - it will be koba and someone like Nick or maybe Klien?

Schumi at Merc, Baguette at Sauber(?), somebody from Genii at Renault, it doesn't look good for Nick

I would be surprised to see effectively 2 rookies at Sauber. Baguette as 3rd driver, while Kobayashi gets either Heidfeld or Klien as team mate, sounds plausible, though. Not to mention safe, which is a keyword with P.P. Sauber, I reckon.

So not only do they get a driver who isn't very good, but they don't even get him full time

Drop Stefan GP and I think the lineup finally looks plausible. Perhaps Wurz saw something in USF1 after all?

When Sauber has gone for rookies, the results have been stunning, though. Raikkonen, Massa, Kubica, Vettel... Not to mention his line-up of Schumi, Wendlinger and Frentzen in World Sportscar. If Peter's gone for Kobayashi because he's talented, and not to secure enough Matsushita funding to pay his way in 2010, then that has to be the ultimate endorsement for Kamui. Put another way: Sauber won't hire two rookies if one of them's crap.

With Schumi officially requeting Ferrari to leave, his Mercedes drive WILL happen.

Time for Heidfeld and Peter Sauber to make an announcement.

Agreed.

Quick Nick needs to get himself a deal inked, pronto.

He's played the smart game by waiting for Mercedes to sort themselves out though.

Such a shame for Nick, it would have been great to see him in a top team.

http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/deportes...2009-12-18.html

José María López has confirmed in the last couple of days in a few talks with the press that he is 99% secured into USF1 for the 2010 campaign. He said the last week has been extremely positive and apparently the whole budget is secured, he'd have even more spònsorship than needed now! Those sponsors may be:

Visit Argentina (tourism, 3 million dollars)
Top Race V6 (Argentine stock car series, 2 million dollars)
Kwan (a web text messages company or something like that, 2 million dollars)
Some entrepeneurs related to López's father, who own the agro-machinery manufacturer Pauny. (1 million)

And apparently, oil company Pecom and the goverment of Santiago del Estero will give some money too.

Considering how cautios López has been when asked about his F1 future, I think this is really serious, so I will expect Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson to fly to Buenos Aires, to the ACA headquearters, to officially introduce JM as one of their drivers for 2010 in the next days.

Do people really think this is possible? I mean, I'm the biggest Jacques fan (to the point I take great care NOT to post about him too often as it makes me so angry reading some comments) but really I can't see him getting a seat in F1. Le Mans with Orteca or some such, maybe. NASCAR seems unlikely but who knows. Brazil/Argentina's TopRace more likely. But Formula One...?

And with Schumacher back in a 'real' team, anyway, he'd (JVi) just be in for a truckload of flack from the journo's and fans.

Ferrari seems to have lost the plot, first signing Alonso while having Massa and Raikkönen under contract, forcing themselves to sack a driver from a team where he has won the championship, probably for the first time in the history of F1. Then letting Schumacher, the most winning driver in the history of F1, to move to a rival team where he will make his most likely successful come back!

Ferrari made good choices. Kimi had not won the wc since 2007 and didnt look like winning it again, and Michael was warming seats. The team will be strong in 2010. Cant wait!

Boy, I love this argument, can I use it?

Ferrari replaced their WDC who had not won WDC since 2007 (and WCC since 2008)
for WDC who hasn't won WDC (or WCC) since 2006, and who has been hugely less
succesful than Kimi ever since.

*bows in thank you and leaves the thread*

Oh! Nevermind...

In Jan 1st [2010], people will claim that Kimi haven'y won any WDC in the current decade, therefore he doesn't deserve a seat in Ferrari.

Its only 9 wins vs 6 since 2007 despite Alonso driving a poor Renault for two of those years, not very impressive for the Finn considering the quality of his machinery and even according to Luca he went fishing in 2008, so the replacement makes sense. Ferrari fans demanded the replacement, and we thank Luca for his decision and look forward to Ferrari once again becoming the best team in the sport.

Another way to look at it is that they replaced a one time WDC with a two time WDC...

Would a Alonso/Schumacher lineup be better for promoting Ferrari?

Felipe can drive the Sauber Ferrari on loan.

Ye that would have been better of course but it looks like Luca closed the door on Michael and thats why his recent comments about a new michael are so out of line. Michael doesnt owe ferrari anything. Without him they wouldnt have had not even half their sucess.

That's a very good observation.

I can only think of Norberto Fontana who disappointed.

Sauber's announcement was a fantastic bit of news-go 'The Demon' Yashi!

Well, if people consider January 1st of 2010 to be the start of the new decade, their wrong anyway.

Today can be the start of the new decade if we say the old one started 10 years and a day ago

Well... that's true.

Fernando Alonso has won 6 GP's 2008 - 2009?

no since 2007

I know. Just wanted to know how 2007 is relevant in comparison between Kimi and Ferrie, since Kimi won WDC then and Ferrie didn't.

You said Kimi had been much for successful than Alonso in the last few years, but its only 3 vs 2 in wins. Not much difference. I wonder what it would have been if Alonso has been in a Ferrari and Kimi in the Renault?

3 to 2 means he is 50% more succesful and we are thinking only wins here, not points totally.
And if we go all recent, it's 1 to 0. Plus do you want me to get into all that Singapore Swing thing?

So no Fisichella on the grid next year?

Unless he can land a drive at Sauber in exchange for Ferrari engines - no.

Fisi is good driver, I hope he gets Sauber seat!

Really

When does your callendar starts ?
Jan 1st, 0000
or
Jan 1st, 0001

Does your callendar starts already with one year ?
Cheers

Are you saying that the next decade starts on 1st January 2011? Because if you are that means you are saying the new millenium started on 1st January 2001.

Er yah:

http://www.timeanddate.com/counters/mil2000.html

All Western calendars start at January 1, year 1 AD. There is no year 0 AD.

• So, 1 year has passed on January 1st, 2 AD
• 100 years have passed on 1 January 101 AD
• And 2000 years -- our erroneous millennium shift -- on 1 January 2001.