2008 Driver Line Up

[MagpieRacer]

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2007/11/19/glock-hopes-to-fight-for-the-championship-with-toyota/

He is also perhaps being a bit hopeful...

 

[Omnis]

Oh god damn. There goes my prophecy about Sutil.

 

[mipuumal]

on August 28th

According to a finnish newspaper Timo Glock will be replacing Ralf Schumacher at Toyota next season.

Don't see it on autosport.com so I don't know if it's credible.

Is it too soon to break out the Moet? Maybe we should wait for official confirmation first ...

I told you! jk

It would be weird to see yet another Brazilian number two driver if Alonso goes to Renault and gets Piquet Jr. as his lackey.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Renault boss Flavio Briatore says a decision will be taken on whether Fernando Alonso rejoins his outfit for 2008 in the next few days. He also claimed there is currently a 60 per cent chance of it all coming off.

"Renault will definitely have different drivers next year," Briatore told the ANSA news agency in Italy. "There's about a 60 per cent chance Alonso will be with us."

"We have an advantage in taking him because we know him well," Briatore added. "By the end of this week we should have a decision."

"Alonso knows us well as human beings and that's important," he went on. "The last season has been difficult for him. It may have even changed his personality. We'll talk, I want to see where he wants to go. At McLaren he arrived as the world champion and he was put in competition against a rookie driver: that way the relationship inside a team is put in danger. You can't have two primadonnas inside a team. You need to get behind one of the drivers."

"In this phase he is not thinking of the money. He is thinking of everything except money," Briatore concluded.

Note that Briatore said "Renault will definitely have different drivers next year", so does this mean Kovalainen has lost his seat? Could we see him at Mclaren next year?

 

[livemusic]

Note that Briatore said "Renault will definitely have different drivers next year", so does this mean Kovalainen has lost his seat? Could we see him at Mclaren next year?

I thought of that too. Maybe Piquet Jr. will get his seat? Briatore criticized McLaren for putting a rookie to team up with Alonso though...

 

[mipuumal]

I thought of that too. Maybe Piquet Jr. will get his seat? Briatore criticized McLaren for putting a rookie to team up with Alonso though...

Flavio criticized them because they gave the rookie the same treatment as the champion, some would say even better. Flavio has also said that if he gets Alonso back that Alonso will be the unquestionable number one driver.

 

[Alex.]

What about Hami and Bruno Senna? surely that's a possibilty

 

[Lee]

What about Hami and Bruno Senna? surely that's a possibilty

Not quite yet, Bruno needs another year in GP2 to rough out those mistakes.

 

[<_Spike_>]

Just to back up the Renault thing

Flavio Briatore reckons there's a "60 percent chance" Fernando Alonso will return to Renault next season as the team looks to replace both 2007 drivers.

From SkySports, Fisi is also "considering" other options (a bit like Ralf, in other words, he's been sacked ). Can't fathom why he's getting rid of Heikki though, unless he's already signed a McLaren deal or another team.

 

[Eagle]

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/071120143630.shtml

Latest word has their negotiations stuck because the CEO of Renault wants a 3 year contract.

 

[Tornado]

Flavio criticized them because they gave the rookie the same treatment as the champion, some would say even better. Flavio has also said that if he gets Alonso back that Alonso will be the unquestionable number one driver.

Which is totally how it shouldn't be, but I'm sure it will make Alonso feel better about himself.

 

[<_Spike_>]

Fernando having signed a deal for Ferrari in 09 eh? That's an interesting turn if true.

 

[Blake]

Not quite yet, Bruno needs another year in GP2 to rough out those mistakes.

To say the least…

 

[Danny]

Nov.22 (GMM) David Richards has confirmed for the first time that Prodrive will definitely not debut in formula one as planned in 2008.

"There was a dispute about our eligibility," the Briton said in an interview with the German specialist magazine Auto Motor und Sport.

"In addition, the new Concorde agreement has been repeatedly delayed. We asked the FIA to be able to start mid-way through the season: our request was rejected.

"So for 2008 there is not a realistic chance of there being a Prodrive formula one team," Richards stated.

In April of last year, F1's governing body announced that Banbury-based Prodrive, an outfit famous for its involvement in world rallying with Subaru, had been selected to become the twelfth and final team in 2008.

But the touted 'customer car' rules have since been the subject of intense controversy in the paddock, moving Richards last month to reveal that a planned link-up with McLaren-Mercedes had been called off.

Richards explained that Prodrive's target now is to debut in 2009, pending the consent of the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

"Secondly, we must wait for the new Concorde. Only then can we fully assess our options," he added.

Richards, former Benetton and BAR boss, said: "Our ambition is still to be in formula one.

"But there was the risk of legal procedures because we wanted to use a customer car. As a result, our entire business plan was put into doubt.

"So we have chosen to re-group instead of simply race ahead blindly," he explained.

So, not this year guys.
Linky

 

[prisonermonkeys]

So, not this year guys.
Linky

Who else thinks Mr. E will sue them for not making the grid the way he sued the South Koreans a few years ago when a proposed circuit couldn't make the calendar? It'd be a bit rude of him this time around (well, ruder) as he's the one who killed the customer car idea - love it or loathe it - which was Prodrive's ticket to the grid.

 

[Sting]

No surprise really.

 

[mipuumal]

Was to be expected, but I'm really disappointed that they didn't have a failsafe.

Minardi practically welded a frontwing and attached it to an ancient Arrows at the beginning of 2005 to make it on to the grid.

Maybe David Richards didn't want to make that kind of debut, but I think this is just as embarrassing, and who's to say that they will get customer cars in the coming years either.

 

[Lee]

Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen both said no then.

 

[Metar]

Super Aguri took a Jordan Arrows, planted the Honda package, and went on the grid with a few extra mandatory safety-features. In a month.

I guess Richards, with his facilities that spawned the Aston Martin DBR9, Subaru Impreza WRCs, and various other racecars, should be able to do a better job with a 4-year old chassis?

 

[Lee]

I was infact a 2002 Arrows.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I was infact a 2002 Arrows.

I think that's largely moot point. If Super Aguri - a low budget team with no experience in mainstream motorsport (save maybe SuperGT, a brief stint in CART and a few other domestic series) - can do it, then Prodrive, one of the powerhouses of privateer motorsport, should be able to do it as well.

 

[Metar]

I was infact a 2002 Arrows.

Confusion deviates from the fact that the blueprint's owner was Eddie Jordan.

 

[TheCracker]

Confusion deviates from the fact that the blueprint's owner was Eddie Jordan.

I thought that the older Arrows chassis that formed the basis of the first Super Aguri had already been adapted by Minardi and not Jordan?

 

[Metar]

I thought that the older Arrows chassis that formed the basis of the first Super Aguri had already been adapted by Minardi and not Jordan?

It took me a few reads to get what you meant there. Too much for a non-native English speaker

Yeah, it might have been adapted by Minardi as well - but regardless of integrating it in his own car, apparently Eddie Jordan owned the rights. From what I understand.

Was the Arrows really that good?

 

[TheCracker]

Was the Arrows really that good?

I very much doubt it!


I think you might be getting Eddie Jordan confused with Paul Stoddart:

The chassis and intellectual property rights for the chassis were later bought by Paul Stoddart, the then-head of the Minardi team as a potential replacement for his own team's chassis. The new Super Aguri F1 team bought the 2002 cars and ran them (with some modifications) as the SA05 during the first races of the 2006 season. An update still based on the same chassis was designated the SA06 and made its début at the 2006 German Grand Prix. The SA05 and SA06 did not score a single point in the 2006 season. They are also based at the former Arrows factory in Leafield.

 

[Metar]

Oh.

But both have double 'd's in the name!

 

[Muzaffar]

So, not this year guys.
Linky

Well this is a really sad news. So much hype going about how Prodrive is going to enter earlier this year has now fallen with one fell swoop.

But i'm still astonished that they could postponed their debut till 2009. I mean Bernie should have really sued them for having one team less on the grid. I also agree with you guys, they could have easily take and old chassis and build some newer parts around it and go ahead and enter. I mean Super Aguri wasn't the fastest car on the field during their debut, but has quickly improved the season after that. Prodrive could at least have some F1 experience first, then they can really improve by the next season. But i guess they want to debut with a "fast car" and not some "backmarker car" or something like that......

But its ashame really....

 

[Metar]

But i'm still astonished that they could postponed their debut till 2009. I mean Bernie should have really sued them for having one team less on the grid. I also agree with you guys, they could have easily take and old chassis and build some newer parts around it and go ahead and enter. I mean Super Aguri wasn't the fastest car on the field during their debut, but has quickly improved the season after that. Prodrive could at least have some F1 experience first, then they can really improve by the next season. But i guess they want to debut with a "fast car" and not some "backmarker car" or something like that...

Three points.

A) Yes, Richards already stated he won't enter a slug. Hence why he wanted a customer car, since he said he's not going to do a slow start from the back of the grid.

B) The Super Aguri SA05 (and SA06) weren't just "not fastest". It was downright abysmal, especially in the first races.

C)No, the Super Aguri team didn't improve a car. They took a different car (Honda RA06) with minor modifications. That made them quicker, which is obvious, considering the previous car was a 2002/2006 hybrid, and the SA07/RA06 was a race-winning car.

 

[Danny]

Yuji Ide didn't really help matters...

 

[Metar]

If I'm not mistaken, Sato (when both finished) was always ahead of the three teammates he had.