F1 F1 Silly Season! (Driver signing rumors)

[Centurion]

Toyota signed an experienced driver last time and we all know how that went. But you're right, Alonso or an experienced driver from a top team is what Toyota desperately need. Heidfeld would be a suitable Toyota driver too but I doubt that BMW are willing to let him loose.

 

[450SEL6.9]

>

^ I agree SEL, but they'd also need someone like Ross Brawn.
After dumping Mike Gascoyne they went down thru the rest of 2006 and especially now in 2007.

Pat Symonds is not as famous as Brawn, but he's a good man to have in the team, probably very underrated. If I'm Toyota, I'd try to poach Heidfeld and Sam Michael, with an intent to poach Kubica in a few years. As long as Toyota can show some progress or get to where Ferrari was in '95, their money should allow them to get anyone.

Toyota signed an experienced driver last time and we all know how that went. But you're right, Alonso or an experienced driver from a top team is what Toyota desperately need. Heidfeld would be a suitable Toyota driver too but I doubt that BMW are willing to let him loose.

Unfortunately, their choice of experience drivers was very suspect. First, they signed the wrong Schumacher for a massive price. Their other experienced driver might look like Ayrton Senna, but ol' Jarno Trulli can't exactly develop a car like Senna.

Remember the Million Dollar Man in wrestling? Everybody's got a price, everybody's got to pay! The contractual situation in F1 is less clear these days. Drivers can get out of contracts. Even after Massa signed his new deal, some F1 observers still think he is far from safe.

 

[PanterroR]

Alonso-Renault talks in deadlock


Three years or no deal - Ghosn

Negotiations between Fernando Alonso and Renault about 2008 have reached a deadlock, reports from Spain and Italy on Tuesday said.

The Spanish sports daily Marca claims that while team boss Flavio Briatore is happy to accept Alonso's demands for a one-year contract, Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn is refusing to budge on the offer of a minimally three-year stay.

It is rumoured that Alonso wants a one year deal because he has already agreed to switch to Ferrari in 2009 - despite Kimi Raikkonen being under contract to the end of 2009 and Felipe Massa recently confirmed to the end of 2010. That is a scenario that might understandably be unattractive to Renault chiefs.

The wire service Agenzia Giornalistica Italia quotes Ghosn as confirming: "It's three years or nothing."

Source: Formula 1 : News ALONSO - F1-Live.com

 

[Remy Zero]

i just hope he doesn't drive for my beloved Scuderia at all

 

[Centurion]

He can always spend a year at Toyota. Him and Glock would make a great team.

 

[bmer]

He can always spend a year at Toyota. Him and Glock would make a great team.

Yup, I believe Toyota could sacrifice Trulli if Alonso didn't charge too much for his services.

 

[PanterroR]

lonso-Renault announcement imminent



Path cleared for Alonso to rejoin Renault

With Renault spared sanctions for possessing McLaren secrets, the path is now clear for Fernando Alonso to sign with the French team for 2008.

The Spaniard had delayed his final decision about next year until it was clear that he would not bear the burden of any penalties; or whether in fact Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn would pull the plug on the F1 programme altogether in the face of a hefty fine.

But Spanish media, including the newspaper Diario AS, report that 26-year-old will certainly now sign a two-year contract.

Alonso's contract will reportedly include an exit clause in the event that the new collaboration 'does not work' for unspecified reasons.

'The announcement is imminent,' the newspaper predicted, speculating that next Monday could be the day.


Source: Formula 1 : News ALONSO - F1-Live.com

 

[Bartek S.]

Ralf Schumacher unlikely to find ride for 2008, dumps manager

The game of musical chairs is winding to a close, with most of the race seats for the 2008 Formula 1 season locked up. One of the few drivers left without a seat is Ralf Schumacher, who left Toyota at the end of the 2007 season.
Ralf, who has won less grands prix than his brother Michael has world titles, tested for Force India, the team that took over from Spyker, but performed poorly, forcing the German driver to admit he might have to take his brother's advice and sit the next season out.
With his 2008 prospects looking bleak, Ralf has fired his manager Hans Mahr. In 2006 Ralf parted company with his previous agent Willi Weber, who continues to manage Michael to great success even in his retirement. Mahr, a media expert with political and entertainment experience, is reportedly shifting his focus on a new media enterprise.
[Source: F1-Live]

 

[Matt530i]

I can't see Ralf getting back into F1 if he doesn't manage to find a seat this year, which is doubtful. Why would someone take a chance on an older driver who has been inconsistent at best when they could give a young driver a shot?

 

[Centurion]

Ralf is rubbish and is overpaid and credited too much because of his surname. Nobody wants him any longer and nobody is going to miss him.

 

[Sunny]

Yeah, must be the managers fault!

 

[Centurion]

The grass doesn't seem to be greener on the other side for Alonso. Hamilton, Massa, Kimi, Heikki and Rosberg have all been bragging and talking about how good their new rides are and they have all demonstrated their claims on the track during testing the latest weeks.

Alonso has said squat about the his new ride and has yet to say anything positive about the technical side side of his team change, and the team hasn't exactly been blazing fast during testing. I'm starting to suspect that it's going to be a slightly lousy season for them and that Alonso will most likely switch over to Ferrari next year.

 

[Gullwing]

sounds good.

 

[Remy Zero]

The grass doesn't seem to be greener on the other side for Alonso. Hamilton, Massa, Kimi, Heikki and Rosberg have all been bragging and talking about how good their new rides are and they have all demonstrated their claims on the track during testing the latest weeks.

Alonso has said squat about the his new ride and has yet to say anything positive about the technical side side of his team change, and the team hasn't exactly been blazing fast during testing. I'm starting to suspect that it's going to be a slightly lousy season for them and that Alonso will most likely switch over to Ferrari next year.

both Ferrari drivers have firm contracts till 2009.

 

[Imhotep Evil]

The grass doesn't seem to be greener on the other side for Alonso. Hamilton, Massa, Kimi, Heikki and Rosberg have all been bragging and talking about how good their new rides are and they have all demonstrated their claims on the track during testing the latest weeks.

Alonso has said squat about the his new ride and has yet to say anything positive about the technical side side of his team change, and the team hasn't exactly been blazing fast during testing. I'm starting to suspect that it's going to be a slightly lousy season for them and that Alonso will most likely switch over to Ferrari next year.

Actually he said it's about 1 sec. behind the pace of the leaders (Ferrari/McLaren). But until the season ends apart from the seat belts nothing will the same on the car, and I don't imagine Alonso to say like Kovalainen that he didn't make a good setup in the early parts of the 07 season. The main problems of the R27 were rectified, there's a new weight distribution, new front suspension, new nose wing.
Now the part about Ferrari, I think its true, I think he wants a seat for 2009 or 2010.

 

[Centurion]

Massa mistakes fuel Ferrari exit rumours

Felipe Massa's newly married wife was unimpressed with speculation linking her husband with an early exit from Ferrari.

It has been rumoured all week in Malaysia that, despite the Brazilian driver's ongoing contract with the Italian team, Sebastian Vettel or Fernando Alonso are in fact more likely to be driving the red car in 2009.

On live Brazilian television, Rafaela Bassi-Massa blankly labelled the gossip as 'bullshit'.

Former Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher, though, predicts a tough couple of weeks for the 26-year-old, after his spins in Melbourne and Malaysia and heading to Bahrain with a points tally of zero.

"It is certainly going to be very difficult for Felipe, because, especially in Italy, the media is explosive," the DTM driver told the German newspaper Bild.


Schumacher thinks Massa is now very much Ferrari's 'number two' driver.

Former triple world champion Niki Lauda, meanwhile, thinks it is possible that Massa's car was to blame for his terminal Sepang spin.

"But if he has made a mistake two races in a row, it is brainless," the Austrian said.

F1live.com

 

[Centurion]

Ferrari rumours 'logical' says Alonso

Fernando Alonso on Sunday admitted that Felipe Massa's mistakes are likely to increase speculation about his own future at Ferrari.

After finishing just eighth in his Renault in Malaysia, the Spaniard was asked by his local press corps about rumours linking him with becoming Kimi Raikkonen's team-mate next year.

"It is too early to talk about team transfers," he is quoted as saying by the newspaper Diario AS, "but Massa has had two bad races with errors and it is logical that people are talking about Vettel and me."

Although Ferrari analysts have not yet confirmed definitively the cause of Massa's terminal spin at Sepang, it is believed that the Brazilian simply made a mistake.


In Australia just over a week ago, the 26-year-old similarly spun, leading to suggestions that Massa is struggling to adapt to life without traction control - a driver aid he has enjoyed since debuting in F1 in 2002.

Alonso continued: "I always want to be in the best car in the field."

"I am driving for Renault now because I won here in 2005 and 2006 and want to do it again, if not this year, then the next."

"It is clear that Ferrari has one of the best cars already," he added.

F1live.com

 

[Zonda]

One thing we are forgetting is that only the team, and the only knows exactly the cause of the spin. All we know is what we see on TV. But it could also be that it was caused by a new invention by Ferrari and they let Massa take the blame to keep their invention secret.
There are other possibilities as well but my point is that Ferrari doesn't necessarily share our opinions. They know the real cause and will judge from that.

 

[BMW///MPower]

Vettel will drive fro Red Bull next year! As is confirmed bu this AMs article:

Offiziell: Vettel fährt 2009 für Red Bull Formel 1 bei auto motor und sport

I hope he will get a better car next year

 

[Matt530i]

I think it's the logical move for Red Bull to make. I wonder if Anthony Davidson has any shot at picking up Vettel's seat at TR.