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

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It's a gift by the sponsors of Loeb's Citroen - also Redbull - as a prize for winning the championship. Loeb himself said that he isn't considering anything in F1.
 
Alonso, and Piquet, stay with Renault

Fernando Alonso has ended months of speculation about his future by opting to stay at Renault for two more years.

The double world champion had been a Honda target but has turned them down following Renault's upturn in form.

Alonso, who scored more points than any other driver in the season’s final five races, will be partnered by Brazilian Nelson Piquet Jr for a second year.

He said he stayed because Renault had "always been my first choice and I feel happy and comfortable with them.”
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7711243.stm
 
I'm glad they're giving another chance to Nelsinho. I just hope he doesn't screw it again, 2008 season was horrible for him.
 
FatAssBR
I'm glad they're giving another chance to Nelsinho. I just hope he doesn't screw it again, 2008 season was horrible for him.
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Me too. He had a lucky result in Germany, but he had a good race in Japan.

Hope Bourdais gets another shot too.
 
Plus, they owe him one for that safety-car period in Singapore. :P

But I'm glad he's around for another season. While he didn't have the amount of late-season improvement Kovalainen (or Vettel) have shown in their debut seasons, he was a likeable chap and not that slow - just overshadowed. He won't be a Hamilton, Vettel, or Alonso - but his racecraft wasn't too bad when he didn't lose control.

And with Alonso also staying at Renault, I can happily keep cheering for the Yellow-Blue-INuGly outfit.
 
Metar
Plus, they owe him one for that safety-car period in Singapore. :P

But I'm glad he's around for another season. While he didn't have the amount of late-season improvement Kovalainen (or Vettel) have shown in their debut seasons, he was a likeable chap and not that slow - just overshadowed. He won't be a Hamilton, Vettel, or Alonso - but his racecraft wasn't too bad when he didn't lose control.

And with Alonso also staying at Renault, I can happily keep cheering for the Yellow-Blue-INuGly outfit.
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I disagree, if I was a team principal I wouldn't want to hire him except for the money, which I'm guessing is the major factor here.
I still have yet to be impressed by Piquet Jr.

So, all thats left now is for Honda and Toro Rosso to say they are keeping the same drivers again (except obviously Vettel) and this will have been the happiest we have seen all of the teams at once with their drivers. Would it make it the least driver changes between F1 seasons ever?
I see no reason for Honda to get rid of Button and Barrichello, they couldn't do anything when the car had not been developed at all. I hope to hell that Berger saves Bourdais' F1 career, the guy has done enough to prove he has what it takes in my opinion.
 
So the only new driver would be Senna if he gets the Rosso seat?
 
I think Senna might just be getting a test-contract at best. I think Piquet showed teams this year that perhaps pulling them into F1 as early as Hamilton and Vettel isn't always smart..
 
Alex.
So the only new driver would be Senna if he gets the Rosso seat?
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Berger said Senna is still "raw" so i wouldn't say STR for him. He does have strong sponsorships, in Embratel and Petrobras, so he could end up in Honda, if the rumors of Petrobras ditching Williams and signing with Honda are true.

I would say Di Grassi is the best up and coming talent, and i would apreciate if he gets a chance at STR.

Too bad for Rubens, looks like we don't have enough spots for him.

I wouldn't bet on Piquet bringing loads of cash, since the Piquet's company (Autotrac) isn't even featured at Renault right now.
 
Keeping Piquet for another year?

His last name must bring in a load of sponsor money for renault.

Either that or the folks at renault see some sort of potential i failed to see in 2008
 
Your first season is your learning season. You have to deliver in your second season or your out. That's the way it should be.

It could be a good time for a new driver since the new rules for 2009 make it a more level playing field in the sense that the current drivers won't have any more experience with the 2009 cars that anyone new.
 
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Even if they realized Piquet is a no-hope (which he isn't - he's not that terrible, just not spectacular), they'd be better off letting their next generation mature a bit longer in GP2. Rosberg started a bit of a young-feeder-to-F1 promotion craze, with Hamilton, Kovalainen, Piquet, Vettel and Nakajima pulled into F1 at a very young age, perhaps too early in some cases. After Piquet, team-bosses might want to re-think that..

And I hope your theory (which I agree with) holds true for Bourdais, Tired Tyres.
 
Half Piquet's probem was the fact that the R28 chassis sucked, at least to begin with. Once Renault pulled their fingers out and started developing it, Piquet at least started to have some results, like in Japan.

Anyway, I'm glad Alonso has signed for Renault; it'll put all thse ridiculous rumours about his movig to Ferrari to bed.
 
The main problem wasn't just the lack of pace - it was also a very nervous (read: unpredictably oversteering) rear, a problem that got halfway-fixed at Barcelona, but only really fine-tuned and cured in the later half. Interesting fact: Had the championship started at Monza, Renault would've had both titles.
 
Oh freakin joyful, we get to see Hamilton in a McLaren until he's at least 70. Boring!
 
Although I don't think Senna is ready for F1 I don't see Rubens continuing in Honda. All he does is complain about the car! He should've retired togheter with Coultard.
 
Sting
Oh freakin joyful, we get to see Hamilton in a McLaren until he's at least 70. Boring!
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Unlike watching Schumi for the last 8 years of his career. Even Ferrari wouldn't allow any competition for him from the sister car.

NapoleonMikey
Sorry really should have reprashed that.i do mean current ferrari and more clarrification i mean since massa and raikkonen have been on the same team. realy they dont seem to favor one over the other. probably cuz they know both are capable of winning the WDC so it further increases there chance to not favor one over the other unlike the other teams that need there second driver to help the number 1 driver as much as possible.
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Ferrari are still a 1 driver team, Kimi just wasn't in it this year. I bet next year Massa will be back to supporting Kimi who'll be driving for the championship, he hated having to give places up to Massa this year and won't want to do the same again.

At least with Lewis he's a more exciting driver, besides there's plenty of other drivers that will race for the championship and make it exciting.
 
J-PaP
Seeing a driver you don't like racing and winning can be considered boring.
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Yeah I stopped watching F1 for a few years after Schumacher kept winning nearly every single race, the way I see it its going to be no different with Hamilton... Now thats he's finally broke the ice he's probably going to be winning the championship for years (unless these drastic 09 changes really do level the playing field).

On another note does anyone have a real pic of an 09 spec car yet? I saw some Mclaren pics but a looked a mish mash of 08 and 09.

Robin
 
The trouble that Bruno Senna has is his name. If he were called Bruno Berger, nobody would have a problem with him, but because he's a Senna, everyone expects him to be magic, which he clearly is not. Thus, he almost immediately disappoints people.

Plus, if you're going to make it in F1, you really need to win GP2 at your first try, which excludes Giorgio Pantano, Bruno Senna, Lucas Di Grassi, Romain Grosjean, Pastor Maldonado and Sébastien Buemi from ever making a huge impression on F1.

Nico Hulkenburg is the next talent, I reckon.
 
Robin.
Yeah I stopped watching F1 for a few years after Schumacher kept winning nearly every single race, the way I see it its going to be no different with Hamilton... Now thats he's finally broke the ice he's probably going to be winning the championship for years (unless these drastic 09 changes really do level the playing field).
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How do you figure that? When Scumi won all those championship's there wasn't another team that could touch Ferrari. I don't see the FIA letting McLaren have that kind of stranglehold on F1, besides look at all the team's and drivers that are coming through now. I don't think next year is going to be a 1 horse race, just like it hasn't been for the past 3.
 
TMM
I don't see the FIA letting McLaren have that kind of stranglehold on F1
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Well Im hoping so! I suppose thats what the 09 changes are meant to ensure but Hamilton has loads of talent so even if the cars are more similar Im expecting him to still dominate... I agree that this season and last has been far more entertaining and varied, I just hope it doesnt go the way of a one man show.

Robin
 
F1 has been excellent for the last four years. Lets hope the 2009 rules will make that five years in a row.

I think Honda will go with Button for sure and either Barrichello or Senna. If they are really confident of a competitive car they would want the proven ability of Barrichello to gain the most points they can. If they are not so sure then they may try Senna to give him some experience.
 
Tired Tyres
F1 has been excellent for the last four years. Lets hope the 2009 rules will make that five years in a row.

I think Honda will go with Button for sure and either Barrichello or Senna. If they are really confident of a competitive car they would want the proven ability of Barrichello to gain the most points they can. If they are not so sure then they may try Senna to give him some experience.
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I'm not so sure Honda are thinking that way....they'll probably be looking at McLaren, Toro Rosso, Toyota and Williams and thinking maybe having a young rookie is a risk worth taking. But then again, I think they were just hanging out for Alonso and will now likely just sign up Button and Barrichello again and see how the 09 car goes.
I doubt they will sack Barrichello just for saying the 08 car is crap, Button has said the same along with several other Honda team members, they openly acknowledge they have focused on next year and this is why the current car is awful (as well as being a a carry-over of last years even worse car). If Barrichello is sacked, its because he's older not because he's done anything wrong. In fact, he's out-qualified his teammate and out-scored him. Really it should be Button getting the sack, unforuntately, the Honda executives love the guy just because he brought the team's first win.
 
Robin.
Yeah I stopped watching F1 for a few years after Schumacher kept winning nearly every single race, the way I see it its going to be no different with Hamilton... Now thats he's finally broke the ice he's probably going to be winning the championship for years (unless these drastic 09 changes really do level the playing field).
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I too found the Schumacher years rather dull, and at times worry that Hamilton could similarly dominate, but then I see just how competitive many of the other drivers are today, while Schumi had little in the way of serious challengers for a few years.

Now, remember the events of last year. McClaren were stripped of their points, their prize money, and fined millions. I think they were LUCKY to have been able to challenge for this years title after that, and believe that the only way they have been able to do so was at the expense of next years car. Just how much time and money have they had available to pump into developing a completely new car for the new rules?

I don't see McClaren being much better than a midfield team for the next few years whilst those that spent this season concentrating on next will move ahead of them. Hamilton will learn some humility before challenging for another title in a few years when his team has caught up on the new rules.

At least, that is my hope.
 

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