2009 Line-Up Rumour Mill

fbc said:
^ I'm very skeptical - just can't the tantrum-throwing 'nando wanting to drive alongside Kimi.

Though it would be great seeing Kimi wipe the floor with him.
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Erm... who says he'll drive alongide Kimi if he goes to Ferrari? Kimi said that Ferrari will be his last team, so this might be a hint towards an early retirement.
 
fbc said:
Though it would be great seeing Kimi wipe the floor with him.
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Well, Kimi doesn't wipe the floor with Massa either and I definetely think Alonso is better than Massa. :)

I'd love to see a Kimi-Alonso pairing at Ferrari, I would be really curious who would be better, but I don't see that happening.
 
vikiradTG2007 said:
Erm... who says he'll drive alongide Kimi if he goes to Ferrari? Kimi said that Ferrari will be his last team, so this might be a hint towards an early retirement.
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Well, yeah, that may well be what's happening - but I'd be hugely surprised to see Kimi walk away from the sport after 2009.

Joc? said:
Well, Kimi doesn't wipe the floor with Massa either and I definetely think Alonso is better than Massa. :)
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Kimi's got Massa's measure - Massa may have his moments, but he's not in the same class as Kimi.
 
Surely not. Ferrari would've seen what happened when Alonso came up against someone half decent last season, and I rate Kimi higher than Hamilton at the moment. Unless Raikkonen is on his way out then I dont see why they'd risk it.
 
fbc said:
Kimi's got Massa's measure - Massa may have his moments, but he's not in the same class as Kimi.
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I didn't say Massa is as good as Kimi, but if I hear that a drive wipes the floor with an other I think of Alonso-Piquet, Webber-DC or Rosberg-Nakajima.

Kimi is better than Massa, but to say he'll wipe the floor with Alonso - well, I wouldn't think so ;)
 
Joc? said:
I didn't say Massa is as good as Kimi, but if I hear that a drive wipes the floor with an other I think of Alonso-Piquet, Webber-DC or Rosberg-Nakajima.

Kimi is better than Massa, but to say he'll wipe the floor with Alonso - well, I wouldn't think so ;)
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Ah, all I said was that it would be great to see it happen - I'd wet myself with laughter. Would it actually happen? Probably not, but I'd expect Kimi to be able to handle Alonso... who would then fall apart again.
 
I don't think Ferrari would/will sign Alonso, I think it would be silly to have him as Kimi's teammate. Like fbc I find it hard to see Kimi going into early retirement, so if Alonso were to go to Ferrari he would replace Massa.
 
I could see Toyoya making a major move like signing Alonso. They've got to do something. They're spending way more then Honda and yet aren't running much better.
 
Sato looking to find way back into F1

Takuma SatoTakuma Sato says he remains determined to return to Formula One racing following the demise of the Super Aguri team earlier this season.

The Japanese driver, along with former teammate Anthony Davidson, was left without a drive after Super Aguri announced they were withdrawing from Formula One right before the Spanish Grand Prix.

Since then Sato has met with Honda's representatives - including the team's operating officer Hiroshi Oshima - to talk about his plans for the future and the driver said the Japanese company would like to stay associated with him.

Sato said, however, that nothing has been finalised yet, but the 31-year-old has made it clear his intention is to return to grand prix racing.

"No plan as yet," Sato said. "It is a blank sheet of paper. I did feel they (Honda) would like to be associated with me but that does not necessarily relate to their F1 project.

"I have my own ideas and before I went over to see him (Oshima) I did already tell him of my feelings but I wanted to see him in person.

"I believe I can bring out my best performance. I proved what I could do with Aguri. I am still competitive so I am looking for a way to come back to F1."

The Japanese racer admitted he is ready to wait until 2009 to return to racing, but has not ruled out accepting a test driver role if it leads to a racing seat in the future.

"If there is an opportunity I want to race now," he said. "But I am not that desperate to race at any cost this season. If there is a chance I would like to, but if 2009 is better opportunity I will wait.

"I would not like to rush out to make a hasty decision. I would like a proper opportunity, and if testing is required (for 2009) then I am prepared to test."

And Sato played down rumours linking him with a seat at the Renault team to replace Nelsinho Piquet, who is believed to be under pressure to raise his game following a shaky start to the season.

"As a driver I do welcome such rumours," Sato added. "I think this time last year I was going to replace Ralf (Schumacher) in Toyota. When I am ready I will let you know."

Both Sato and Davidson are believed to be on the list of possible candidates to replace Piquet if the Brazilian fails to improve his form.

Renault, however, are committed to helping Piquet and the young driver is scheduled to run during all three days of testing at Barcelona next month.
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Source

Well.. Piquet & Glock, you better shape up cuz Sato is knocking your doors.

Or maybe in the end he will take a seat next to Button again :dunno:
 
ROFL

Sato trying to get back into F1?? LMAO, good luck then.
 
Right, why would any team want a quick driver that tends to be able to out-perform his machinery. How silly, much better with Captain Gravel Trap Piquet.
 
chitownjeff said:
I could see Toyoya making a major move like signing Alonso. They've got to do something. They're spending way more then Honda and yet aren't running much better.
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They have tried it. They have tried to sign Alonso, Kimi, even Schumacher a couple of years ago. Promising them to pay more money than they get at any other team.
But top drivers don't want to go to Toyota. For some reason, I can understand them :rolleyes:
 
Symonds: Piquet needs self-belief

By Jonathan Noble Wednesday, May 28th 2008, 09:59 GMT

Nelson PiquetNelson Piquet can still turn around his troubled debut season in Formula One - but needs to starts believing in himself if he is to do so.

That is the view of Renault's director of engineering Pat Symonds, who thinks that the Brazilian has to improve his self-confidence if he is to make the step forward in performance he needs.

Piquet has yet to score any points so far this year and the team are trying all they can, which includes giving him three-days of running at next month's Barcelona test, to help him gain more confidence in the car.

And although there is growing speculation that former Super Aguri driver Anthony Davidson is being lined up as a possible replacement should Piquet not improve his form, Symonds still has faith that Piquet can sort the situation out.

His conviction is based on the fact that Heikki Kovalainen, who also had a troubled start to his rookie season with Renault last year, transformed his campaign with a strong fourth-placed finish in Canada last year.

"It has been difficult for him (Piquet), but he has put in some good races," Symonds told Renault's official podcast. "This time last year, a lot of people were thinking Heikki was entering his last few races, and Canada was just an incredible weekend for him because on Saturday could things really have gone worse?

"He had two major accidents, one of them in qualifying and it is still a miracle to me we got the car out in qualifying to get anywhere. (Then he had) a fabulous race on Sunday in Canada and he never looked back.

"I've said it so often before how much with a driver or sportsman is about self esteem and believing in yourself. And all Nelson needs to do is turn that corner and believe in himself and it will happen again."

Piquet has expressed some optimism that his fortunes will improve from the French Grand Prix, when he returns to tracks he knows well. The Brazilian also says he is not surprised he has been told to improve his pace if he is to retain his place in F1.

"It's normal for them to be pushing me, this is the way Renault is," he said. "They like to push the drivers and they think this is better. The driver needs to know how to focus himself, put things aside, and work."
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Source
 
Coulthard to visit NASCAR team

David Coulthard will pay a visit to Red Bull's NASCAR racing arm next weekend.

The itv.com/f1 columnist will drop in at the Dover International Speedway in Delaware as a guest of the Red Bull NASCAR team while on his way to the forthcoming Canadian Grand Prix.

The primary purpose of his visit will be to participate in a Red Bull promotional film, but he will also sit in the team's Toyota Camry NASCAR machine and join the squad's technical debrief before watching the race.

"I'm interested in all sorts of racing, but hardly ever get a chance to see anything other than Formula 1," Coulthard explained.

"So when Red Bull came up with the idea of shooting a promo film around their NASCAR operation on the week before the Canadian GP, it seemed like a great opportunity to go and see why this form of racing is so popular in the States."

But the team has gone out of its way to ensure that Coulthard's visit to Dover isn't taken as evidence of an impending career change.

The press release announcing his appearance in the NASCAR paddock ended with the phrase: "We would appreciate it if you did not start a load of silly rumours about him switching from F1 to NASCAR in 2009."

Juan Pablo Montoya famously quit McLaren and Formula 1 midway through the 2006 season to join the thriving NASCAR series, which is easily the most popular form of motor racing in America.
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Source

A glimpse of what 2009 holds for DC?
 
Devon said:
A glimpse of what 2009 holds for DC?
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DC in Nascar?
What the hell would he do there?
I mean, even former IRL or CC drivers are struggling in Nascar.
 
Don't think DC will turn to Nascar.....
 
From F1 yes.... but that doesn't mean he will have to resort to Nascar.
 
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