2009 Line-Up Rumour Mill

^ Hmmmm that would be interesting, but I don't see Honda letting that happen. I really wouldn't be surprised to see Sato driving for Honda next year. He's too popular in Japan not to have a ride.
 
Last rumours: Heidfeld to Williams and Rosberg to BMW.

But now there are thousands of rumours and I'm not excited about them anymore. If half of them would be truth they'll must clone Alonso about five times or so because he should be in every team except McL I think. So now I'm just waiting for an official announcements.
 
I know this is mostly the driver rumor mill, but has anyone heard if any teams are set to replace the super best friends next year?

I'd love to see an american team back there, even if only in name. The return of Stewart perhaps? :D
 
Williams retains drivers for 2009

Wednesday, 01 October 2008 23:29

Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima will remain as Williams?s race drivers for the 2009 season, the team announced on Wednesday evening.

The Grove-based squad confirmed it has opted for an unchanged driver line-up for next year when the former champion team will hope to take advantage of Formula 1's new era of regulations and move back towards the front of the field.

In an official statement Williams, which also confirmed German hotshoe Nico Hulkenberg would remain as its official test driver, said continuity had been a ?key consideration? in its decision.

Team owner Frank Williams said: ?I am delighted we are able to maintain continuity with our drivers going into 2009.

?Nico Rosberg continues to be one of the most capable drivers in the sport.

?Kazuki is getting stronger all the time and has more to offer and Nico Hulkenberg is developing well.?

While the team's driver line-up had been expected to remain unchanged into 2009 for some time, the official confirmation means Rosberg will enter his fourth consecutive season at Williams after making his debut with it in the sport in 2006.

Nakajima was promoted to a race seat this year after making his grand prix debut in Brazil and completing testing duties for the team last term, and despite generally struggling to match Rosberg in qualifying has scored nine points in his rookie campaign.

Williams, which last won a grand prix in 2004, currently sits eighth in the constructors? championship after a largely disappointing campaign, but still retains the realistic chance of finishing ahead of both Red Bull squads in the table after Rosberg and Nakajima finished second and eighth respectively last weekend in Singapore.
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Senna confident of 2009 F1 seat

01 October 2008

GP2 driver Bruno Senna says he has a good chance of making it into F1 next season and claims to be talking to several F1 teams about joining their outfit next year.

"I had a great season in GP2 and it was a season with a few highs and a few lows but good enough to finish second overall," Senna told reporters in at a Mercedes event in Germany. "It has given me good possibilities to go to F1 next year."

"We've been speaking with quite a few teams and there's a great interest from some of them," he added. "There are a few opportunities to be a race driver and a few for a test role, but there's a lot of competition and I need to get ahead in the negoatiations right now to see if I can get a race drive."

The most likely possibility for Senna is thought to be Toro Rosso as a race driver.
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...if Toro Rosso are considering Senna then why did they test Beumi and Sato, and not Senna? Unless they are sure about him, but not so sure about the other two...
 
Wow I really didn't see Williams keeping Nakajima in a race seat. He hasn't been putting in the times in my opinion, Rosberg has been constantly outpacing him.

I guess we can blame the downturning economy effecting Williams sponsors, and Nakajima's connection to Toyota. I wonder what he brings with that connection.
 
justvisiting said:
Wow I really didn't see Williams keeping Nakajima in a race seat. He hasn't been putting in the times in my opinion, Rosberg has been constantly outpacing him.

I guess we can blame the downturning economy effecting Williams sponsors, and Nakajima's connection to Toyota. I wonder what he brings with that connection.
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I think he's done enough to deserve a seat for next year. He'll be better next year on circuits he'll have some experience on and I dont think he's been that much worse than Rosberg, whom Frank rates very highly. Remember the Williams is still a pretty poor car and they've lost out in the development race against rivals such as Toyota and Toro Rosso. Don't forget earlier in the year (when the Williams was a better car in comparison with it's competitors) Nakajima was scoring points with some pretty solid drives.
 
justvisiting said:
Wow I really didn't see Williams keeping Nakajima in a race seat. He hasn't been putting in the times in my opinion, Rosberg has been constantly outpacing him.

I guess we can blame the downturning economy effecting Williams sponsors, and Nakajima's connection to Toyota. I wonder what he brings with that connection.
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Oh come on man, it's his first year. He is done a good job. I wonder if he wasn't Japanese and provided free Toyota engines, would you people still bash him this much?
 
I personally am glad that Naka's still in the game, however, I think it's more to do with the Toyota connection than his driving skill. I want Sato back though :(. That guy was king...
 
Nakajima brings free Toyota engines, but as I said in the other thread, I think he has done enough regardless to be worthy of a seat. Senna to Renault would not surprise me in the slightest, although why would they have Di Grassi then?
 
Nakajima should perform a lot better next year, Williams have made a good move keeping him I think. I don't think Williams could've signed anyone significantly better.
 
I'm also glad that Nakajima is staying. He's not too much behind Nico, he's been performing better than I had expected.
 
Devon said:
. I don't think Williams could've signed anyone significantly better.
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I agree with that, he hasn't done badly just a few rough spots. I didn't realize I was bashing, I don't think he is bad at all just without impression, though he did beat Rosberg a few times. I forgot that it is his first year. We'll see next year, hopefully williams will be more competitive.
 
Symonds: Di Grassi ready for F1

Thursday, 02 October 2008 16:43

Renault's executive director of engineering Pat Symonds believes the team's test driver Lucas di Grassi deserves a Formula 1 seat, amid suggestions that the GP2 star is being lined up to replace Nelson Piquet alongside Fernando Alonso next year.

Di Grassi had his most extensive Renault test yet at Jerez last month, and made a positive impression on the team.

His stock has also risen after a highly impressive part-season in GP2.

The 24-year-old Brazilian had missed out on the 2007 title to Timo Glock and seemed set to focus on F1 testing this year, but returned to GP2 with the Campos team from round seven onwards and proceeded to take three wins and vault up to third in the championship - despite missing nearly a third of the season.

With Piquet struggling to impress in his rookie F1 season, di Grassi has been strongly linked to the second Renault drive for next year, and while Symonds made no promises, he readily admitted that di Grassi is ready to join the F1 field.

"I think Lucas deserves to be in F1," Symonds told Autosport magazine.

"He's really good.

"I was probably a little bit guilty at the beginning of the year of underestimating - it's very difficult these days with test drivers to get meaningful laps of them.

"It was nice that he had three days at Jerez when he could play with the car a little bit more.

"The results were very good.

"It's great he got back to racing in GP2 as well, because if the championship had started when he came back, he would have walked it."

Di Grassi has distanced himself from the speculation about his F1 prospects, but hopes he has done enough to earn an opportunity.

"All the rumours on the internet about my future in F1 are a surprise to me," he said.

"I dont know where they come from but I can guarantee you that nothing has said to me.

"A lot of people were happy with my GP2 championship and F1 tests and I think I am prepared to race in F1, and that is what I want at the moment."
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Is this an indication that di Grassi will replace Piquet Jr. ??
 
BMW Sauber to continue with Kubica and Heidfeld
06 October 2008

The BMW Sauber Formula 1 team has confirmed its driver line-up for 2009 on Monday morning. Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld will continue to race for the team next season. The team's current test driver, Christian Klien, has extended his contract at the Hinwill based team.

"We see Nick and Robert as a strong driver pairing and Christian as an experienced test driver. We are in no doubt that we will again achieve our ambitious aims with them in the team's fourth year," explains BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen.
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Very interesting and I must say surprising. I would have thought they would have waited until the end of the year before securing Heidfeld.
 
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