Who will be the first driver to lose his seat in 2009?

Who will be the first driver to lose his seat in 2009?


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yeah right. Judging from the past few races, Piquet is gonna get sacked any moment.
 
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yeah right. Judging from the past few races, Piquet is gonna get sacked any moment.

Got to agree with that. He's doing a bit better, though. I think Spain will be a pivotal moment in the minds of the team. Maybe he won't get sacked after, maybe not for 3 or 4 GPs after, maybe not even till the end of the season, but I have a feeling that if he does bad next week he'll have made up the team's mind about him, whether to fire him or keep him.
 
Piquet rumours back on song in Turkey


Even before Nelson Piquet beached his Renault in the gravel in the first round of qualifying on Saturday, speculation that his seat is still in danger was floating around the Istanbul paddock.

The latest rumour is that the Brazilian has been given until next month's Hungarian Grand Prix, to be staged the day after his 24th birthday, to prove he should remain Fernando Alonso's team-mate for the rest of 2009.

Alonso has scored all of Renault's 11 points so far this season, but in Turkey Piquet vowed not to let the negativity get him down.

"Criticism is going to be around my whole life, so it's nothing that bothers me; it won't make me go quicker or slower," said Piquet, whose famous father and namesake won three world championships and 23 Grand Prix.

Nelson Piquet Jr made his debut alongside Alonso, and with the unforgiving Flavio Briatore at the helm of the Enstone-based team, in 2008.

"I have been through a lot of tough moments the last two years," he admitted. "I have a hard team, a hard boss and a hard team-mate which is going to help me a lot in the future.

"

Worsening the speculation about Piquet's future is the increasingly high profile of team reserve driver Romain Grosjean, who watches the action at races from the Renault pitwall.

"I know there are plenty of other drivers hitting the door wanting to come in, so it's normal for a team to put pressure on a driver - but then I put the pressure on myself, although this is not enjoyable right now," Piquet continued.

"I am sure my day will arrive when I get more comfortable, get more experience and Renault progress into a better shape or I get into a car that is quicker," he added.
 
"I am sure my day will arrive when I get more comfortable, get more experience and Renault progress into a better shape or I get into a car that is quicker," he added.

Hows about you get quicker as a driver first? then we can talk about the cars, pressure etc...

Just look at Alonso's performance, blaming on your equipment is the last thing you should be doing....
 
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He's so arrogant in a very silly way
 
And yet in interviews (not related to his performance/spins/crashes) he seems like such a likeable chap. :)
 
I'm staggered Piquet hasn't lost his seat yet... maybe he's got some revealing photos of Flav stashed away...
 
I'm glad he still has a seat.

No one else could have provided that level of entertainment last night in qualifying, seeing a car beached in the gravel in Q1. I had tears in my eyes I was laughing so hard. Brilliant.
 
^ :lol: I'd never thought of it like that, he's the comic relief.

Which is my I miss Ide. At least we still have Nakajima and Piquet :)

Next year we will most likely have a lot of laughs. Especially if Jaques Villeneuve makes a comeback.
 
Well, Piquet and Nakajima are doing much better as of late, any new thoughts on this?

And it really isn't fair comparing Piquet to Alonso, as we all know Alonso's so good he could probably get a Force India into the points consistently. I watch what he does with his car (when the beeb bothers to show him) and you can tell it's not a lack of skill holding him back.

That being said, Piquet I think is quite good too, he just gets frustrated and pushes himself a bit too much, sadly ending in the gravel trap most of the time. If he could somehow control his frustration more I think he'd be better off, but his tendency to push hard and take chances is bound to come good at some point. We must also consider that since Renault treats him as sort of the "B" driver from day 1 (much like poor heikki) perhaps the car is not capable of being balanced in a way he likes. Alonso can overcome that with skill and experience, but for someone relatively new to the sport and quite possibly lacking in confidence like Piquet it is a big mountain to climb.

(I mean seriously, the poor guy knows what most of us armchair F1 pilots think of him, that's really got to be a downer.)
 
And yet in interviews (not related to his performance/spins/crashes) he seems like such a likeable chap. :)

The nice guy who was complaining about putting "kids" in an F1 car, where they don't belong, when being interviewed after he crashed out... again? ?:lol:
 
We must also consider that since Renault treats him as sort of the "B" driver from day 1 (much like poor heikki) perhaps the car is not capable of being balanced in a way he likes. Alonso can overcome that with skill and experience, but for someone relatively new to the sport and quite possibly lacking in confidence like Piquet it is a big mountain to climb.
I think that's quite underestimated, but certainly a very valid point. I think it was the BBC guys saying the other week that he really hasn't been given a fair go from the start. He wasn't perfect at the start, but instead of getting coaching and support to improve and get over the nerves and psychological aspect of F1 driving (which is no doubt a huge step up from the categories he came from), he just gets almost mocking and derision from everyone in his team. How often do we see him spin out, more make even the most minor mistake, then the footage cutting to a shot of Flavio on the pitwall shaking his head with a look of absolute contempt on his face?

It's hardly encouraging or helping improve his confidence.
 
Make of it what you will, but James Allen is reporting that Bourdais may be dropped for Alguersuari if he doesn't get results this weekend:

Meanwhile my Italian colleagues are telling me that Sunday will be the last Grand Prix for Sebastien Bourdais at Toro Rosso. There have been persistent rumours that the Frenchman is on thin ice, but Bourdais denied them today,

?What can I say? I haven?t received any notice from the team that this is my last race so as far as I am concerned it is still a rumour,? he said.

Apparently it is not a rumour, it is a fact and he will be replaced by the recently installed reserve driver Jaime Alguersuari.

Article - http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2009/07/geoff-willis-out-at-red-bull/
 
...Well we all knew it would happen...I just feel sorry for the guy for some reason...
 
hmmm

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090711125013.shtml

Sebastien Loeb interested in Bourdais' seat

Five-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb has thrown his name into the hat as a potential candidate for French countryman Sebastien Bourdais' endangered Toro Rosso seat.

The 35-year-old, who currently drives for Citroen in the WRC and is second in the 2009 standings, told France's L'Equipe sports daily on Saturday that he would jump at the chance to immediately try his hand at the FIA's other premier series.

Having already tried a Renault in the past, Loeb participated in an hours-long Red Bull test session last November in Barcelona. The energy drink producer sponsors his Citroen team in the WRC.

L'Equipe pointed out that Loeb spent several hours at Red Bull's Milton-Keynes headquarters some weeks ago.

"We can talk about it," he confirmed. "If Toro Rosso need a driver I'd love to help out."

"I've heard talk of this possibility for Sebastien Bourdais," Loeb said. "But nothing is done. Don't imagine I'll be at the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix."

The famous Frenchman however added that he would "gladly race in Sebastien Bourdais' place," following rumours the 30-year-old will be ousted form Toro Rosso after Sunday's German Grand Prix.

Loeb however indicated that any appearance in Bourdais' cockpit might not be a prelude to a full-time Grand Prix foray this season.

"Who knows, as long as the Formula One and rallying calendars don't overlap, anything is possible. If there is a place at Toro Rosso I'm available," he declared.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090710133823.shtml

Piquet axe rumours spring up once again

Hot on the heels of similar rumours about Sebastien Bourdais, it is now rumoured in the Nurburgring paddock that Nelson Piquet's seat at Renault is in imminent danger.

As with the Bourdais rumour - dismissed with a terse 'no comment' by Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost on Friday - it is suggested that the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring this weekend could be Brazilian Piquet's last.

His replacement would most likely be Renault reserve Romain Grosjean, the French-Swiss GP2 driver, Auto Motor und Sport claims.

The report said that Piquet's contract allows the Enstone-based team to make a driver change based on his performance in the first half of the season compared with team-mate Fernando Alonso.

Flavio Briatore said "we don't know yet" when confronted with the rumours, while Piquet's famous eponymous father said he planned to speak with the team boss about the speculation.

Speculation regarding Piquet's future with Renault has been an ongoing subject for the last year. So far the Anglo-French team has stuck by the Brazilian racer.

LOL.
 
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