2009 lineup - Rumours, Speculation and (a few) facts

  • Thread starter Hun200kmh
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Hun200kmh

Hun200kmh

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Just read this in www.f1-live.com :

Nick Heidfeld could be set to move from BMW Sauber to Honda for the 2009 season.

The struggling Japanese team's Chief Executive Nick Fry told spox.com that he is keeping an eye on the availability of the 31-year-old German, whose inconsistent form this year has cast doubt on his future.

It is believed that Jenson Button will definitely be retained by Brackley-based Honda next year, but team chiefs have been weighing up their options for the seat currently occupied by veteran Rubens Barrichello.

Honda's most high profile target was Fernando Alonso, but the Spaniard is now widely expected to stay at Renault.

"I've already spoken with Nick, and more than just saying 'hello'," Fry admitted.

The Briton also confirmed rumours that 2008 GP2 runner-up Bruno Senna is in the frame, even though it is believed team boss Ross Brawn is pushing for an initial test driver contract.

"He has the name, he has the genes," Fry said.



Wilder speculation, repeated in the authoritative French sports daily L'Equipe, is that Toro Rosso has thrown in a serious bid to sign the available Alonso next year.

"Of course I am interested (in Alonso), but so is everybody else," team co-owner Gerhard Berger said, admitting that his Faenza-based team cannot compete with the financial incentives offered by its rivals.

Honda's Fry, meanwhile, advises Alonso to spurn BMW Sauber's advances.

"Fernando found that McLaren is rigid, and BMW is even worse," he said.

Source: GMM
© CAPSIS International
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So, as last year, nobody talks about 2009 driver's lineup without talking, at the same time, about Alonso. People like Fry even give him advice about "rigid" teams :lol:

Anyway, and thinking about next year's lineup, if Barrichelo retires and Heidfeld moves to Honda, who do you think will take the BMW available seat? Rosberg? or ... Raikkonen? ;)


EDIT: Wrong year, sorry :dopey:
 
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Honda's interested in everyone, lol.

Interesting....Barrichello has unnannouned retirement plans?
They were already clearly interested in Alonso, because Brawn kept mentioning they were waiting to see what he would decide.

But...
Wilder speculation, repeated in the authoritative French sports daily L'Equipe, is that Toro Rosso has thrown in a serious bid to sign the available Alonso next year.
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Erm, thats a bit odd considering Toro Rosso is being sold next year.....I doubt Alonso will be looking there. He's best staying at Renault in my opinion, they have the ability still to be a championship winning team.
 
Well I believe Toro Rosso can use customers cars for next year and then they must become a constructor? Not certain on that..

Buti t would make sense if they are able to. Alonso moves there for a year, gets some great results with the team, intrest in buying the team intensifies whilst Alonso does himself no-end of favours before jumping to Ferrari or something.

And as for Heidfeld at Honda... DO IT. DO IT NOW! TWO BEARDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE!
 
Bee
Well I believe Toro Rosso can use customers cars for next year and then they must become a constructor? Not certain on that..

Buti t would make sense if they are able to. Alonso moves there for a year, gets some great results with the team, intrest in buying the team intensifies whilst Alonso does himself no-end of favours before jumping to Ferrari or something.

And as for Heidfeld at Honda... DO IT. DO IT NOW! TWO BEARDS ARE BETTER THAN ONE!
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True, and yes, they'd need to become a constructor for the team to continue in 2010. I'm wondering whether Gerhard Berger will keep his 50% in the team or not.
I'm intrigued to see what it would be like to have the team of Button and Heidfeld actually..
 
About next year's lineup, I went to check the news about each driver. Here's the "status quo" right now, if I didn't miss anything important:


FERRARI

Raikkonen - contract expires at the end of 2009 season. Rumours are that Ferrari can opt out paying a contract penalty

Massa - contract expires at the end of 2010 season. No rumours here.



MCLAREN

Hamilton - contract expires at the end of 2012 season. It seems not only the longer but also the more stable relationship between driver and team there is. Probable world champion in 2008, his contract could soon be extended for even a few more years.

Kovalainen - contract expires at the end of 2009 season. No rumours here, inspite some dissapointing results this year.



BMW

Heifeld - contract expires at the end of this season. Interesting seat if it becomes vacant.

Kubica - contract expires at the end of this season. Mid season this driver had a substancial raise, and it has been said that BMW wanted to extend his contract, but that wasn't achieved, at least it wasn't announced.



RENAULT

Alonso - contract expires at the end of 2009 season. Rumours are that Alonso can opt out.

Piquet - contract expires at the end of this season. It seems Piquet will be leaving the team, considering his poor results (Renault had an option to extend his contract, they delayed the deadline to it to this day - September 30th - so we may have news tomorrow). Another very interesting vacant seat, if Piquet leaves.



WILLIAMS

Rosberg - contract expires at the end of 2009 season. No rumours here

Nakajima - contract expires at the end of this season. Rumours are that if Williams wants to keep the Toyota engine they have to keep Nakajima also.



RED BULL

Webber - contract expires at the end of 2009 season. No rumours here.

David Coulthard - Retires this year and will be replaced by Vettel.



TOYOTA

Trulli - contract expires at the end of 2009 season. No rumours here.

Glock - contract expires at the end of this season. Probably to be extended.



SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO

Vettel - Confirmed to move to Red Bull. No news about who will replace him.

Bourdais - contract expires at the end of this season. Inconsistent and very unlucky this year, a few very good displays of raw speed should ensure him a seat to next season. Either he stays, or he goes elsewhere (considering he's french, he's probably contacting Renault right now. (This is not a rumour, it's just my opinion :D )



HONDA

Button - contract expires at the end of this season. Some F1 news websites report that it has already been extended for 2009, but no official confirmation has yet been released.

Barrichello - contract expires at the end of this season. He has expressed that "this won't be his last year in F1", but there's no word of a possible extension. Got a podium this year, but it may not be enough, since Honda admits talks with Heidfeld.



FORCE INDIA

Sutil - contract expires at the end of this season. Sutil himself said the contract was extended for 2009. No confirmation from the team (at least I didn't find it).

Fisichella - contract expires at the end of this season. The driver says he hopes to remain in the team for 2009.



So ...


IF Alonso moves away from Renault (either to BMW or Ferrari, I don't imagine him going anywhere else), and Piquet is indeed out of F1 by the end of this season ... the two Renaults could be very, very tempting to many drivers.

That decided (and the BMW seat, if Heidfeld moves to Honda), all else will just fit in as soon as possible.
 
That pretty much sums up the current situation.
I doubt Fisi will be kicked out, the team seem to value his experience and input. Sutil won't be sacked because he has had a few moments of small glory. I don't think Force India were expecting any decent results at all, because they said themselves that they were focusing on 2009 and using 2008 as a sort of "warm-up season".

Piquet has to be on his way out. I can't see Renault wanting his servies anymore and I don't see any other team being particularly impressed.

Also, we should probably mention the potential drivers to join teams from outside of F1 (or from test drivers):
Sebastien Buemi (apparently meant to have a seat with Toro Rosso for 2009, but unconfirmed)
Takuma Sato (tested for a seat with STR, but unknown, might take Bourdais' seat)
Bruno Senna (rumoured for Toro Rosso, but probably will be picked up as a test driver, as I agree with Berger's comments that he "hasn't proven himself as a racer yet")
Lucas Di Grassi (tipped to be going for a race seat for Renault)
Romain Grosjean (same as above)
 
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Honda could be just as tempting ... sure, 2007 was an embarrassment, an this year has only been marginally better, but I've read reports that they're light years ahead of everyone else when it comes to KERS. Of the teams that have started testing it, I think BMW and Williams have only been running with prototypes, while McLaren's KERS unit is supposedly about twenty kilograms heavier than the version they want to include in their 2009 challenger. Of course, it's likely Honda will retain the service of their resident idiot, Shuei Nakamoto, but given the presence of Ross Brawn and their work with KERS so far, they may well be far more competitive than anyone expects next year.
 
Raikkonen and Ferrari have extended their contract until the end of 2010
 
Do you race?
Honda could be just as tempting ... sure, 2007 was an embarrassment, an this year has only been marginally better, but I've read reports that they're light years ahead of everyone else when it comes to KERS. Of the teams that have started testing it, I think BMW and Williams have only been running with prototypes, while McLaren's KERS unit is supposedly about twenty kilograms heavier than the version they want to include in their 2009 challenger. Of course, it's likely Honda will retain the service of their resident idiot, Shuei Nakamoto, but given the presence of Ross Brawn and their work with KERS so far, they may well be far more competitive than anyone expects next year.
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Agreed, I think Honda and Ross Brawn are going places next year.
I also think Force India should be watched, if they have indeed spent most of their resources on 2009 and not 2008.
 
In reply to Hun200kmh's huge team-by-team post:

Ferrari

As Daan so rightly pointed out, Kimi has got his contract extended untill the end of 2010.

Williams

I do believe Rosberg has confirmed he'll be at the team next season. Story.

Red Bull

Webber was confirmed on the eve of the British GP. Story.

STR

Buemi has pretty much got a job, not confirmed, but I'd say 85% there. Story.
 
Bee
In reply to Hun200kmh's huge team-by-team post:

Ferrari

As Daan so rightly pointed out, Kimi has got his contract extended untill the end of 2010.

Williams

I do believe Rosberg has confirmed he'll be at the team next season. Story.

Red Bull

Webber was confirmed on the eve of the British GP. Story.

STR

Buemi has pretty much got a job, not confirmed, but I'd say 85% there. Story.
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I stand corrected on Raikkonen's contract, it's indeed 2010, not 2009. My mistake, and thx to both you and daan for pointing that out. About Buemi, I guess he's "on pole" for Vettel's seat, we shall see how all this unfolds in the coming months.




EDIT:

Lucas di Grassi thinks he has a chance to take Piquet's seat at Renault

Bruno Senna says he has "a few oportunities" as a F1 race (not test) driver in 2009
 
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here in nz we get limited coverage of the brittish f3 series,

can you guys give me your opinion on the young kiwi. brendon hartley i think it is.... or is it nelson hartley, he is driving for the red bull junior team. he test drove the current redbull f1 car before the team drivers... surely that has to be a sign or something towards some talent... maybe another kiwi f1 driver soon i hope
 
Why is Honda so keen to keep Button instead of Rubens? Rubens has almost scored 4 times the points Button has at this stage.
 
Slash05
here in nz we get limited coverage of the brittish f3 series,

can you guys give me your opinion on the young kiwi. brendon hartley i think it is.... or is it nelson hartley, he is driving for the red bull junior team. he test drove the current redbull f1 car before the team drivers... surely that has to be a sign or something towards some talent... maybe another kiwi f1 driver soon i hope
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A lot of young drivers get F1 test drives, so it's too soon to tell. Hartley would have to step up to the ranks of GP2 first before possibly being signed on as a test driver or, if he's good enough, advancing to a race seat. And he'll be competing with a whole host of other GP2 drivers for a very limited number of seats, not to mention the other Red Bull Young Drivers and the drivers Williams and BMW have been offering test drives to. If Hartley is going to end up in Formula One, it's stil going to be a couple of years in the making. He'll be up against Senna, di Grassi, Asmer, Buemi, Fillipi, Grosjean, Chandhok, Zuber, Kobayashi, Conway and Valles, whose names have all come up at one stage or another, and that's just the current line-up of GP2 drivers who have been mentioned. Of all the regions in the world, Australasia is probably the second-hardest area to come from if you want to break into international motorsport, behind only Africa. Geographically, we're isolated and it's very difficult to find sponsorship. More than one driver has had to return home because he ran out of money before he een got close to a race seat.
Casio
Why is Honda so keen to keep Button instead of Rubens? Rubens has almost scored 4 times the points Button has at this stage.
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Because Barichello has been in the sport seven more years. It was Button who got Honda's only points last year, Button who took Honda's first win as a make, and Button who is wearing a pair of thirty million dolalr handcuffs after Honda bought out his contract with Williams.
 
Ardius
I hope he's successful, infinitely more able than Piquet and this will be the first time for 7 years that a French driver has raced for a French team since Jean Alesi at Prost in 2001.
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Agreed, Bourdais in a good Renault(hopefully alongside Alonso) would be wonderful. But as long as Bourdais is back next year, in any car other than a backmarker like Force India, I'll be happy.
 
Tobias123
Agreed, Bourdais in a good Renault(hopefully alongside Alonso) would be wonderful. But as long as Bourdais is back next year, in any car other than a backmarker like Force India, I'll be happy.
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Hopefully, he doesn't annoy Alonso, because then he will be under a season of hate. Not the best teammate to have if you're a potential front-runner in a very good team.
Also will have to watch out for Flavio too, wouldn't want to make a Trulli mistake :nervous:
 
Ardius
Hopefully, he doesn't annoy Alonso, because then he will be under a season of hate. Not the best teammate to have if you're a potential front-runner in a very good team.
Also will have to watch out for Flavio too, wouldn't want to make a Trulli mistake :nervous:
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Very True...Renault is a hard team to survive in. If you're really good, then you get kicked out because Fernando doesn't like you. And if you're garbage, you get kicked out for not bringing results(like Piquet).
 
The way I see next years line up:

Ferrari
Raikkonen
Massa


Mclaren
Hamilton
Kovalainen

BMW
Alonso
Kubica

Renault
Bourdais
Lucas di Grassi

Williams
Rosberg
Nakajima

RBR
Webber
Vettel

Toyota
Trulli
Glock

Scuderia Toro Rosso
Bruno Senna
Buemi

Honda
Button
Nick Heidfeld

Force India
Sutil
Karun Chandhok

Might I add its all based on rumour and speculation aslwell as my own thoughts.
 

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