2008 Driver Line Up
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Force India F1 logo anyone? Possibility.
As for Alonso news, rule out the manufacturer backed teams according to McLaren.
http://formula-1.updatesport.com/ne...Alonso-can-switch-to-privateer-only/view.html
GO TO WILLIAMS! Tell them all Ferrari and McLaren secrets and make the most stupendously competitive car EVAR!
As for Alonso news, rule out the manufacturer backed teams according to McLaren.
http://formula-1.updatesport.com/ne...Alonso-can-switch-to-privateer-only/view.html
GO TO WILLIAMS! Tell them all Ferrari and McLaren secrets and make the most stupendously competitive car EVAR!
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Red Bull it is then. Probably.
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Then who gets the boot and where do they go? DC has been with Red Bull since Day One, but Webber has pretty much upstaged him this year. They're both two of the oldest drivers on the grid, which is a point agains them ... aand one of them has to go in order to make way for Alonso (assuming he does go to the Austrian outfit).
Who gets the chop?
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Webber to McLaren maybe. He always qualifies well, it would certainly give McLaren/LH a boost to have his team mate up there with him when the lights turn green on a Sunday afternoon. Or perhaps a return of DC to McLaren as a mentor for Lewis?
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I'll take the second suggestion as a bit more possible, but it doesn't mean anything! I know DC was quite loyal to McLaren playing a big part as a #2 driver and all, but i think DC would better be off in RBR. He really build the team from the ground up, with Adrian Newey designing the car and getting feedback from DC, its like the team really works well together. Webber can move to other teams....( Williams maybe, if Nico goes to McLaren or any other team....) But its very unlikely Alonso goes to RBR. I'm positively sure Alonso would really want to go back to Renault, its like the team he win his 2 Championships with as well as working well with Flavio Briatore.
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Ha, with the bullcrap Webber said about Williams when he left, you really think Frank would hire him again!? lol
I love that both Williams AND their drivers finished the season ahead of Webber, showed that he:
A) Was an idiot for the things he said about the Williams team
B) Moved to a worse team. lol
EDIT:
ROSBERG CONFIRMED FOR WILLIAMS IN 08
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/11/7071.html
-Think Hamilton mentioned Sutil as another driver he wouldnt mind as teammate.
I love that both Williams AND their drivers finished the season ahead of Webber, showed that he:
A) Was an idiot for the things he said about the Williams team
B) Moved to a worse team. lol
EDIT:
ROSBERG CONFIRMED FOR WILLIAMS IN 08
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/11/7071.html
-Think Hamilton mentioned Sutil as another driver he wouldnt mind as teammate.
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livemusic
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I think these reports were already denied, Alonso can go to any team.
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Why do I really really want this to happen?
If I were Alonso... I'd take my paycut and join Williams, just because they're the legendary Williams team. Kinda like McLaren, but without hating him.
And sadly, Nakajima doesn't seem to appear in any solid rumors and ideas.
Yes, they were confirmed by both parties that every team is open.
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Hmm....no mention of Heikki? Thats odd. For all i know is, boo-yea!!! Alonso is going back to Renault, or is it? I'm pretty sure Alonso wants to go to Renault but he wants to stay for only a season, but Flavio wants him to stay a little longer. Fisi should hang up his helmet and retire from F1. I mean he is no longer competitive and finding a good drive next year would be impossible (unless he doesn't mind joining Force India or Prodrive... 💡) But the question mark is, where's Heikki? Is he going to be a test driver again? Does he have to join a new team? As for Piquet, i do hope he can race next year, should be fun to watch how good he really is, but then, where's Heikki going to be!!!!?
(sorry, i'm sensitive towards Finnish drivers....
)Okay....its just a possibility, but it would be fun if the possibilities are true.....
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McLaren and Fernando Alonso have a real stronghold on the Transfer Market currently so I thought I'd go through what I think are realistic possibilites and how I think it will all pan out.
With Alonso now free to go anywhere, McLaren are looking for a new guy, a driver who can keep Hamilton honest, but at the same time, accept he's probably not gonna have the kind of support from the team as Hamilton will. (Regardless fo what Ron says..) I think you can look at Kovalainen but is he a man who is out there to make a name for himself? Yep he could probably keep Hamilton honest but would he be willing to enter a team where he might not be considered their favourite?
Then you got Adrian Sutil, done well in the Spyker, if a little messy, I think McLaren would rather let him have 'Rosberg season' and rough out all the bumps. Speaking of Rosberg, I think you can clearly count him out now that he has completely comitted to Williams, plus I don't think Keke would be too happy with his son going up against Hamilton in the same machinery.
So, who else do we have? There's talk of Heidfeld being considered, especially with F1 Racing and Autosport both reporting in their magazines that Hamilton included Nick in his list of preferred drivers. I'm now gonna quote this week's Autosport issue, which has a segment on the rumour in Mark Hughes' collumn.
Sounds like McLaren's wet dream no? Just one problem, Nick has already secured himself a contract with BMW Sauber for 2008, McLaren would have to pay a fairly huge sum to secure his services (Remember they still have that fine to pay aswell..).
However, Alonso's choice on who he joins could also dictate proceedings. The hot favourite is still his former team, Renault, however Flavio is understood to be pushing for a contract longer than just a single season (With understandings that Alonso is Ferrari-bound for '09). Then there's Red Bull, who, although have declined that they have spoken to Fernando, have someone became part of the list of teams tipped to be Fernando's home enxt season. Unlike Renault, they would probably settle for a single season with the ex-champ, however they have the problem of two already-confirmed drivers for 2008. Finally there's Toyota who, like RBR, have the money to lure Alonso to their squad, they have also promised that the team would be built around Alonso, somehow I think Trulli is having flashbacks of '04..
There is one man however who could potentially play his part, Fernando's manager, Flavio Briatore. He could have a game of musical chair, drop the past-his-sell-by-date Fisichella and open a seat for one of two drivers, either 'Nando or Mark Webber. Choosing the latter would allow RBR to go for Alonso with all guns blazing, with renault locked out, RBR would look more favoured over Toyota who have had 6 seasons with a large budget and no results. Flavio also has Nelson Piquet jr, tipped to take a race seat for '08. Perhaps he could team Alonso or Webber, especially if Kovalainen magically ends up at McLaren..
Now lets say somehow Toyota land the Spainard, perhaps his idea of Alonso F1 powered by Toyota is too strong for him to realise there are better options. This could spell trouble for newly-crowned GP2 champ Timo Glock who has been linked to the Japanese squad for a fair while now. Where else would he have... Force India? Perhaps Honda if they do demote Barrichello to Super Aguri? Of course then either Davidson or Sato loose out..
The choice of McLaren's second driver could end up vital for a number of driver's career, perhaps this is one Silly Season that's more serious than silly.
My Projected Line Up:
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton
Heikki Kovalainen
Renault
Mark Webber
Nelson Piquet jr
Red Bull Racing
Fernando Alonso
David Coulthard
Toyota
Jarno Trulli
Timo Glock
Honda
Jenson Button
Anthony Davidson
Super Aguri
Takuma Sato
Rubens Barrichello
With Alonso now free to go anywhere, McLaren are looking for a new guy, a driver who can keep Hamilton honest, but at the same time, accept he's probably not gonna have the kind of support from the team as Hamilton will. (Regardless fo what Ron says..) I think you can look at Kovalainen but is he a man who is out there to make a name for himself? Yep he could probably keep Hamilton honest but would he be willing to enter a team where he might not be considered their favourite?
Then you got Adrian Sutil, done well in the Spyker, if a little messy, I think McLaren would rather let him have 'Rosberg season' and rough out all the bumps. Speaking of Rosberg, I think you can clearly count him out now that he has completely comitted to Williams, plus I don't think Keke would be too happy with his son going up against Hamilton in the same machinery.
So, who else do we have? There's talk of Heidfeld being considered, especially with F1 Racing and Autosport both reporting in their magazines that Hamilton included Nick in his list of preferred drivers. I'm now gonna quote this week's Autosport issue, which has a segment on the rumour in Mark Hughes' collumn.
Mark Hughes
Sounds like McLaren's wet dream no? Just one problem, Nick has already secured himself a contract with BMW Sauber for 2008, McLaren would have to pay a fairly huge sum to secure his services (Remember they still have that fine to pay aswell..).
However, Alonso's choice on who he joins could also dictate proceedings. The hot favourite is still his former team, Renault, however Flavio is understood to be pushing for a contract longer than just a single season (With understandings that Alonso is Ferrari-bound for '09). Then there's Red Bull, who, although have declined that they have spoken to Fernando, have someone became part of the list of teams tipped to be Fernando's home enxt season. Unlike Renault, they would probably settle for a single season with the ex-champ, however they have the problem of two already-confirmed drivers for 2008. Finally there's Toyota who, like RBR, have the money to lure Alonso to their squad, they have also promised that the team would be built around Alonso, somehow I think Trulli is having flashbacks of '04..
There is one man however who could potentially play his part, Fernando's manager, Flavio Briatore. He could have a game of musical chair, drop the past-his-sell-by-date Fisichella and open a seat for one of two drivers, either 'Nando or Mark Webber. Choosing the latter would allow RBR to go for Alonso with all guns blazing, with renault locked out, RBR would look more favoured over Toyota who have had 6 seasons with a large budget and no results. Flavio also has Nelson Piquet jr, tipped to take a race seat for '08. Perhaps he could team Alonso or Webber, especially if Kovalainen magically ends up at McLaren..
Now lets say somehow Toyota land the Spainard, perhaps his idea of Alonso F1 powered by Toyota is too strong for him to realise there are better options. This could spell trouble for newly-crowned GP2 champ Timo Glock who has been linked to the Japanese squad for a fair while now. Where else would he have... Force India? Perhaps Honda if they do demote Barrichello to Super Aguri? Of course then either Davidson or Sato loose out..
The choice of McLaren's second driver could end up vital for a number of driver's career, perhaps this is one Silly Season that's more serious than silly.
My Projected Line Up:
McLaren
Lewis Hamilton
Heikki Kovalainen
Renault
Mark Webber
Nelson Piquet jr
Red Bull Racing
Fernando Alonso
David Coulthard
Toyota
Jarno Trulli
Timo Glock
Honda
Jenson Button
Anthony Davidson
Super Aguri
Takuma Sato
Rubens Barrichello
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Blake
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Somehow I doubt it. Toyota are pushing pretty hard for Glock, although the contract recognition board has slowed down proceedings there. Perhaps theyll have to give up on the idea of Glock. Although Im not sure why theyre so keen for him; Glock has been unimpressive in both F1 and Champ Car in the past, and I dont think he has suddenly jumped up to the skill level of previous GP2 champions this year.
I think he was the best of a poor field, to be honest.
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It's not totally true Blake. In the first half 2006 GP2 season, he had a crappy car and when he jumped to iSport and inmediatly he could win races, podium etc etc...
In 2007 he had his share of bad luck. couple of times take out by drivers, SC came out of the worst moment. He even was taken out at Spa in the warm up lap
. I think that Glock is capable of being a good driver.
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Blake
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It's not totally true Blake. In the first half 2006 GP2 season, he had a crappy car and when he jumped to iSport and inmediatly he could win races, podium etc etc...
In 2007 he had his share of bad luck. couple of times take out by drivers, SC came out of the worst moment. He even was taken out at Spa in the warm up lap
Eh, I just dont rate him that much. He never impressed me when he was in F1 or Champ Car.
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Blake
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They didn't in 2005
They came 4th. Yeah, it was a good season, but it should have vaulted them onto bigger and better things and they fumbled. With 4th as your high point you cant say theyve used their resources effectively.
