With but a few top seats for 2009 still up for grabs — well, officially — it’s time for an overview of the 2010 Silly Season. Here’s my first guess, but feel free to add or delete where applicable.

BMW Sauber F1 Team
BMW Sauber F1.10 – BMW P86/10
1. Robert Kubica (contracted for '09; option for '10?)
2. Nick Heidfeld (contracted for '09)

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
Ferrari F2010 – Ferrari 056
3. Kimi Räikkönen (contracted until '10)
4. Felipe Massa (contracted until '10)

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
McLaren MP4-25 – Mercedes FO108X
5. Lewis Hamilton (long-term contract)
6. Heikki Kovalainen (option in long-term contract taken up)

Panasonic Toyota Racing
Toyota TF110 – Toyota RVX-10
7. Jarno Trulli (will he stay on for another season?)
8. Timo Glock (re-signed for 2009; on a multi-year deal)

ING Renault F1 Team
Renault R30 – Renault RS27
9. Fernando Alonso (likely to sign a multi-year deal for '09 and beyond)
10. Lucas Di Grassi / Nelson Piquet, jr. (depends on which driver gets the seat in ’09)

Red Bull Racing
Red Bull RB6 – Renault RS27 / Ferrari 056 (2009 engine swap with Toro Rosso? Ferrari contract runs until ‘10)
11. Mark Webber (confirmed for '09; likely to stay on)
12. Sebastian Vettel (moves to mother team; on a multi-year deal?)

AT&T Williams
Williams FW32 – Toyota RVX-09 (how long does the Toyota contract run?)
14. Nico Rosberg (has a deal until the end of '10)
15. Kazuki Nakajima (confirmed for '09; probably on long-term deal)

Honda Racing F1 Team
Honda RA110 – Honda RA810E
16. Jenson Button (any news of a 2009-’10 contract?)
17. Fernando Alonso (depends on whether he’s at Honda for ’09; Brawn and Fry stated that they would like to have him) / Anthony Davidson (former test driver, now without a drive) / Mike Conway (current tester) / Bruno Senna (rumoured for ’09, too)

Scuderia Toro Rosso (maybe Mateschitz won’t sell his 50% stake after all)
Toro Rosso STR5 (no more customer cars) – Ferrari 056 / Renault RS27 (2009 engine swap with Red Bull? Ferrari contract runs until ‘10)
18. Sébastien Bourdais (unknown whether the team will keep him) / Takuma Sato (tested recently)
19. Bruno Senna (rumoured; has links with team boss Berger) / Sébastien Buemi (Red Bull test driver, missed out on GP2 Asia title, 6th in GP2) / Brendon Hartley (test driver) / Michael Ammermüller (Red Bull junior driver; rather unsuccesful in '07 and '08)

Force India F1
Force India VJM03 – Ferrari 056 (a deal for Ferrari engines probably in place until ‘10)
20. Karun Chandhok (after another GP2 season, he gets the nod from Mallya) / Giancarlo Fisichella (probably out after ‘09)
21. Adrian Sutil (depending on his ‘08 performance)

No news of an 11th, let alone a 12th team, although Ultimate Motorsports were rumoured to buy Mateschitz's 50% stake in Toro Rosso.

Legend:
Bold red is team name
Bold black is contracted and/or confirmed car and engine name and number
Regular black is contracted and/or confirmed driver
Blue is probable/possible/rumoured sponsor, engine or driver

About the starting numbers: Kubica winning the 2009 WDC is just a guess; Toyota should finally be able to beat Renault, although this might be wishful thinking; Newey's Red Bull-Ferrari beats Williams, Honda and the sister team's Toro Rosso-Renault.

I never thought about Fernando having two F1 seats - guess it makes sense... he can pick and chose on a track by track basis which one is best and pick up two mega paychecks - he has a great manager.

it is too early for 2010 Silly Season, but anyway Kubica as nr 1 look's great.

It is... but only just. I posted the 2009 Silly Season thread on December 10th, 2007.

There will be no engine swap between STR and RBR. It's far more likely, that the engines will be evened prior to 09 season. This new team organization is looking into it together with FIA.

Also Vettel is contracted until 2010 as is Webber iirc.

In case you are honestly wondering why Alonso is named more than once: the legend explains how some names are listed in blue because there are persistent rumours about a possible new contract. Since most rumours are about drivers without a solid contract, it makes sense he will be listed under more than one team.

Williams had an initial three year deal with Toyota that is currently into its second year. I do not know if it has been extended. SFW said that he would be happy to stay with Toyota.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71204

Di Resta has to be in the picture for the Mclaren drive now. There are rumours about Mclaren signing Kubica up after his 2009 BMW contract runs out, like they did with Montoya and Alonso, too. Unless Kova improves markedly, he's in big trouble, and even if he does, he might find himself needing a new team.

I don't think Kubica will go to McLaren, he knows all too well that's Team Hamilton. I think if Di Resta impresses in testing they will sign him for one year as a test driver and then have Heikki replaced by him in 2010.

Repeat of the history but this time with different end? If BMW doesn't deliver competetive car who knows...

Max is about to announce his cost cutting measures for 2010.

Autosport

An update with the latest information on 2009 taken into account:

BMW Sauber F1 Team
BMW Sauber F1.10 – BMW P86/10
1. Robert Kubica (contracted for '09; option for '10?)
2. Nick Heidfeld (contracted for '09)

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
Ferrari F2010 – Ferrari 056
3. Kimi Räikkönen (contracted until '10)
4. Felipe Massa (contracted until '10)

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
McLaren MP4-25 – Mercedes FO108X
5. Lewis Hamilton (long-term contract)
6. Heikki Kovalainen (option in long-term contract taken up)

Panasonic Toyota Racing
Toyota TF110 – Toyota RVX-10
7. Jarno Trulli (will he stay on for another season?)
8. Timo Glock (re-signed for 2009; on a multi-year deal)

ING Renault F1 Team
Renault R30 – Renault RS27
9. Fernando Alonso
10. Lucas Di Grassi (takes Piquet's place)

Red Bull Racing
Red Bull RB6 – Renault RS27 / Ferrari 056 (2009 engine swap with Toro Rosso? Ferrari contract runs until ‘10)
11. Mark Webber (confirmed for '09; likely to stay on)
12. Sebastian Vettel (moves to mother team; on a multi-year deal?)

AT&T Williams
Williams FW32 – Toyota RVX-09 (how long does the Toyota contract run?)
14. Nico Rosberg (has a deal until the end of '10)
15. Kazuki Nakajima (confirmed for '09; probably on long-term deal)

Honda Racing F1 Team
Honda RA110 – Honda RA810E
16. Jenson Button (any news of a 2009-’10 contract?)
17. Bruno Senna (should he get the seat in '09, too) / Lucas Di Grassi (if he doens't take Piquet's place at Renault) / Nelson Piquet, jr. (if Di Grassi takes his place at Renault)

Scuderia Toro Rosso (maybe Mateschitz won’t sell his 50% stake after all)
Toro Rosso STR5 – Ferrari 056 / Renault RS27 (2009 engine swap with Red Bull? Ferrari contract runs until ‘10)
18. Sébastien Bourdais (partly depends on whether the team keep him for '09) / Takuma Sato (tested recently; is considered for '09)
19. Bruno Senna (rumoured) / Sébastien Buemi (Red Bull test driver, missed out on GP2 Asia title, 6th in GP2)

Force India F1
Force India VJM03 – Mercedes FO108X
20. Adrian Sutil (depending on his ‘08 performance)
21. Karun Chandhok (after another GP2 season, he gets the nod from Mallya) / Giancarlo Fisichella (probably out after ‘09)

No news of an 11th, let alone a 12th team, although Ultimate Motorsports were rumoured to buy Mateschitz's 50% stake in Toro Rosso.

Legend:
Bold red is team name
Bold black is contracted and/or confirmed car and engine name and number
Regular black is contracted and/or confirmed driver
Blue is probable/possible/rumoured sponsor, engine or driver

Nico has contract until the end of 2009, not 2010, and he already said that if the FW31 is not enough competitive to score podiums regulary and even some wins he won't stay any longer

Got a quote for that? I never heard that statement.

Alguersuari should be a decent possibility for the STR seat, although he'll still be a bit too young.

Kovalainen surely should be in blue?

I'm thinking of opening the silly season game in the Bets Forum, guess the driver lineup for 2010.

Wonder who will drive the force india's, even though both were already confirmed. The new McLaren/Mercedes deal could change things.

Williams' Toyota contract runs out at the end of 2009, IIRC.

Hopefully Maldonado wins the GP2 championship next year and under Todt's mgmt moves to F1 in 2010..

Rosberg will drive for BMW in 2010. I am sure his father won't let him go to McLaren, and he will be paired with Kubica. McLaren will hold on to Kovaleinen.

I bet 1 €, what are the odds?

If Heidfeld has a 2009 like the second half of 2008, he has to be in contention for the Mac drive, as a Lewis #2. He won't come cheap though. We should definitely have a 2010 Silly Season game.

The problem for Rosberg is he's not the only young german driver available. Vettel is younger and probably more talented.
If Kova has another season like this in 2009, I can't see McLaren keeping him.

There is no evident sense of panic with Nico at getting into a front-running car, and he seems content to bide his time. At the moment, his reputation with team bosses is still very good, so he can afford to hold on and wait for the right opportunity to arise. I can see him at BMW in the future, as Keke might caution against going to McLaren, given what happened to him in '86 - that is, going in there as team-mate to an established driver...

He might end out of reach for bmw driving a ferrari though. Perhaps Nico would be the best German available then, unless Schumi returns. B tw Nico is contracted to Williams for 2010 as well I read on another website today.

Seriously, do you really expect everyone do have grudges on their former teams when a season went worse then they hoped?

Keke was like 38 years old in 1986. I think he can remember very well what "happened to him" as you say. Just because he wasnt very successful doesn't mean he thinks he was done wrong with by the team...

Regarding Rosberg, if Toyota does significantly better than Williams in 2009, I wouldn't rule out Nico going or trying to move there.

When? In 2010? Replacing Trulli? Would make two German drivers then, perhaps not good for worldvise advertising. Or dropping Glock despite contract?

Yes, employing 2 drivers from the same country may be the main counterargument, but I don't think it makes such moves entirely impossible. Sauber had two Germans in 2003, Jaguar two Brits in 2000.

After all, we will have so many Germans in F1 that maybe some of them have to drive in the same team as if it will become difficult to put them all into different competitive teams.

Maybe current Williams test driver Hulkenberg becomes a race driver in 2010, then we will have again the same 2-drivers-from-the-same-country-problem unless Rosberg leaves. Then he will have to leave surely if that's a "big problem"? Or will Hulk go elsewhere?

Yeah Hulk may be ready in 2010 to drive for Williams, it depends on how he does in Gp2 this season, he will have a blody quick team-mate with Maldonado

I'm looking forward to this teammate battle. Who will be on top?

That's definitely going to be an interesting one. I have no idea who'll win.

I dare to predict Nico. Pastor is very fast but somehow hasn't scored the results I was expecting him to do. I'm also looking forward how di Resta will do in GP2.

Will Romain Grosjean compete in GP2 next season?

Probably. What else is there to do for him, if he can't secure an F1 drive?

He wont' get a race seat in 2009, Renault's line-up in confirmed. I guess he will continue to be the team's test driver.
I'm just surprised he won't be with ART next season, maybe Renault thinks ART is no longer a top team?

ART has more connections to Ferrari than it does to Renault. I would expect to see RDD drivers with Campos (Agag now?) for the next few years.

Yeah, Romain will be at Campos next season, and about Di Resta, I don't know where he can go if he's going to do Gp2, not many top seats leave

Hulk will be a rookie. he will have no chance against Maldonado who is in his third year in GP2 and for the first time in a top team.
I could be wrong.. but I don't think so.

I sorta think Hulk will be forcing Maldonado into loads of mistakes and end up better in the championship. Pastor is overrated. He is fast sometimes but he lacks consistency and cleverness. If he goes on like that he'll have a terribly hard time against Hulk.

The interesting thing will be if Nico is very strong in GP2 or even takes a win or two...then F1 teams might take notice then. A GP2 title in the second season would be enough for F1 in my opinion.

My take on 2010 driver line-ups:p

McLaren: Hamilton, Kubica
Renault: Alonso, Grosjean*
Ferrari: Massa, Raikkonen
Toyota: Glock, Kovalainen
BMW: Heidfeld, Rosberg
Red Bull: Vettel, Webber
Honda: Button, Senna(*)
Williams: Nakajima, Hulkenberg*
STR: Trulli, Alguersuari*
Force India: Sutil, di Resta*

* notes a rookie.

Kubica to McLaren may surprise some, but there are some rumours he isn't fully happy at BMW and didn't want longer than a 1-year-contract. Expect this to be Montoya- and Alonso-like announcement already before 2009 season. So Kubica's situation may be pretty much like Montoya's was with Williams then. Yes, many claim that McLaren has favoritism towards Hamilton and that's why Kubica won't go there, but this favoritism talk about McLaren has existed forever - didn't prevent those two Spanish-speaking guys from going there though.

After second successive disappointing season Renault hires another young gun, this time their young drivers' program hopeful from home country. Despite rumours no change at Ferrari until the end of 2010, but Vettel signs with Ferrari for 2011, fulfilling his two-year deal with Red Bull. BMW keeps Heidfeld for continuity's sake, interestingly taking another German alongside him, who has become fed up of Williams, but don't see another driver filling that vacant seat. Senna may or may not race for Honda in 2009, but nonetheless he will be racing there in 2010 together with rejuvenated team leader Button. Toyota makes a strange decision to hire dropped Kovalainen from McLaren, but with valuable top team experience.

The big puzzle for me is which engines will Williams use in 2010. I don't see a new engine manufacturer entering. Ferrari - no way! Mercedes - have already FI partnership. BMW - again? Sounds strange. Renault - have already RB. Honda - dropped recently Super Aguri, don't see them starting to supply another team. So Toyota and Nakajima carry on. STR does its usual "trick" and replaces both drivers at once. Buemi was rushed into F1 too early and this is how his career is ruined - another rookie is brought in. The hiring of experienced Trulli, who appears free on the market, comes as a surprise. Mallya has long-term plans with Sutil, Di Resta comes together with Mercedes. After a lot of debate customer cars will be allowed for 2010, so Force India will run McLaren 09 chassis with STR the Red Bull one.

Here's the quote:


http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news...116132816.shtml

I wonder what're those options.....

Rosberg to McLaren in 2010 swapped with Heikki Kovalainen.

I wonder if Frank is interested in Kovalainen. Also they seem keen on Nakasan as long as they run Toyota engines and their next #1 driver is supposed to be Hulkenberg should he do well in GP2.

Why is Klien not an option for the Toro Rosso race seat? Or even Honda?

I heard from someone who knows Liuzzi quite well, that he has apparently been guaranteed a race seat at Force India for 2010.

Will he replace Sutil or Fisichella? And is he even better?

I'd imagine he'd replace Fisichella. Though deciding who is the best out of the three is a toughie. The reputation and 'buzz' circling Liuzzi in the lower echelons of motor racing never really came to fruition in F1 did it?

Dieter already dumped Klien. Clearly, he saw what he could do and decided it was not enough. And Honda? Well, would you trade Barrichello for Klien??? I wouldn't!

Yeah, what's Rosberg still doing at Williams and what is Kovalainen still doing at McLaren!!