SILLY SEASON 2009/2010

I love that scheme, but it's had it's day. The current one is perfectly fine and they're under no compulsion to change it, even when Mercedes do leave them.
 
Loz said:
Force India to test di resta and Hildebrand.

Call me crazy, but if one of these two get a seat, I could see Sutil going to Mercedes/Brawn, being German and all.
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Excellent - I've seen Di Resta race in karts every month since he was 12 (we were at the same kart club). I don't remember him ever not winning something he competed in. Force India aren't necessarily a back marker these days, either.
 
Holy crap my old high school classmate is testing a Formula One car, go J.R!
 
that is awesome! small world!

I wonder if USF1 may be interested post test... ? or is this just a young driver award sort of situation?
 
justvisiting said:
that is awesome! small world!

I wonder if USF1 may be interested post test... ? or is this just a young driver award sort of situation?
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just some award I think.
 
littletones said:
and marlboro is technically with ferrari still correct?
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I've been told that Marlboro effectively paid Ferrari a lump sum and then negotiated their own deals with other sponsors (AGIP, Etihad, etc.) to put their logos on the car.

So I don't know if Marlboro is working with the new sponsors or if Marlboro's contract has expired and Ferrari is going back to negotiating individual sponsorship deals.
 
There are rumors that Mercedes GP are looking at signing Kubica if Renault sells or pulls out.
 
List updated with the Force India signings.

Starting Drivers with contracts or team ending at seasons end (9):

Heikki Kovalainen (Out at McLaren. New team?)
Nick Heidfeld (Sauber? Mercedes?)
Romain Grosjean (Future has been thrown up in the air, but I expect he'll re-sign, at the least a test-driver.)
Jaime Alguersuari (Expect to re-sign)
Kazuki Nakajima (Leaving Williams. Maybe out of F1.)
Jarno Trulli (Toyota quit. Malaysia?)
Kamui Kobayashi (Toyota quit. I completely forgot about this guy, I hope the other teams don't. Malaysia? Renault?)
Nelson Piquet (Campos? NASCAR? A spot in hell?)
Luca Badoer (Don't laugh. The guy is still regarded as one of the best in test driving. Could be a valuable asset to a new team that is looking at running youngsters, like Campos.)

Test/Back up Drivers with contracts ending at the end of the year (8):

Pedro de la Rosa (Probably back with McLaren. Has been linked with Campos)
Gary Paffet (Was linked with Prodrive at one point. Who knows where he is going.)
Marc Gene (Has been linked with Campos. Probably out at Ferrari unless they decide to carry two test drivers again.)
Christian Klien (Staying with Sauber?)
David Coulthard (Has said he would like to race again, but who would give him a seat? Expect to stay with the BBC.)
Brendon Hartley (STR? The only reason he left was to concentrate more on his F3 and Renault World Series racing.)
Anthony Davidson (Give this man a seat! Has been linked with Manor and Lotus.)
Alexander Wurtz (Tried to start his own team. I wonder where he will end up.)

Seats open (9-11):

McLaren x0
Ferrari x0
Toyota loves hybrids too much
Renault x1
Red Bull x0
Toro Rosso x1
Williams x0
Force India x0
Brawn GP Mercedes GP x1
USF1 x2
Dallara-Campos x1
Manor F1 x1
Lotus Malaysia F1 x2
** Sauber F1 x2 (If they take Toyota's spot)

Drivers signed through next season (16):

Lewis Hamilton - McLaren (He ain't leaving.)
Jenson Button - McLaren (Signed 11/18. Multi-year.)
Felipe Massa - Ferrari (Signed through 2010.)
Fernando Alonso - Ferrari (Signed 9/30. Three years.)
Giancarlo Fisichella - Ferrari (Signed contract at Monza, will become test driver after this year.)
Mark Webber - Red Bull Racing (Signed through 2010.)
Sebastien Vettel - RBR (He ain't leaving)
Vitantonio Liuzzi - Force India (Signed through 2011, with race seat clause for next year. Confirmed 11/27.)
Robert Kubica - Renault (Signed 10/07)
Bruno Senna - Campos (signed 10/31. Rookie.)
Rubens Barrichello - Williams (Signed 11/2)
Nico Hulkenberg - Williams (Signed 11/2. Rookie.)
Sebastien Buemi - Toro Rosso (Signed 11/9.)
Timo Glock - Manor GP (Signed 11/17.)
Nico Rosberg - Mercedes GP (Signed 11/23.)
Adrian Sutil - Force India (Signed 11/27.)

Drivers leaving F1 for sure next season. (2)

Kimi Raikkonen - ??? (McLaren talks ended 11/17. Probably will go to rally)
Sebastien Bourdais - Superleague Formula - Sevilla FC (Canned from STR 7/16. Supposedly also in talks with both Peugeot in LMS and several IRL teams for next year)

Thoughts?
 
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Massa is signed till the end of 2010 IIRC.
 
http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/091201105323.shtml

However, Alguersuari said in the Spanish press last week that he signed a new contract some months ago. However, while Buemi is listed by the FIA as the occupant of next year's Toro Rosso car number 16, the identity of his team-mate has not been confirmed.


"Jaime's contract has been signed and renewed for next season so this is very surprising news," AP report Alguersuari's management as saying. "Jaime is, as we speak, undergoing physical and psychological training with the Red Bull team in Austria in preparation for the upcoming season.?
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What the hell? I wonder if this means he got demoted to test driver?
 
piercey said:
What the hell? I wonder if this means he got demoted to test driver?
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If he signed a contract to drive and has met whatever conditions that contract required (like sponsorship money), I don't think STR could arbitrarily demote him without risking legal action.
 
From the STR twitter page.

The FIA lists our second driver as "TBA." We hope to announce him fairly soon. Can't say more than that for now.
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Wondering if they might be bringing Hartley in and knocking Jaime down to reserve driver.
 
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