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Apparently, Timo Glock is leaving Marussia, maybe even F1 all together.
The '13 driver transfer discussion/speculation thread op updated 16/10
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Appears to be to a DTM drive.
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The original source is Bild, a tabloid. I'll wait for something a little more reliable before believing it myself.
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Have you seen twitter conversation with Dirk Müller and Timo Glock. Seems to suggest it.
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From what I've seen and heard, their sports department is pretty darn reliable when it comes to the rumor mill. They've got plenty of very reliable sources apparently. And a few others are picking up on the story as well.
It would be a shame for Timo to leave. To think he turned down a Renault drive for 2010 and picked the Virgin seat instead, thinking that the Renault team would fold by then. That's a big what if scenario.
He would do good in DTM, maybe even give Le Mans a go.
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Glock and Marussia parting confirmed - http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/289500/confirmed-glock-and-marussia-part-ways/
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Sounds like they just couldn't afford him then.
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Unless he's being kept at Caterham or goes to FI, that second seat at Marussia has Petrov's name all over it.
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I'd expect Toyota to recruit him for a third Le Mans entry. Unfortunately, Toyota is only fielding 2 cars 
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They'll most likely be keeping Paul Di Resta for 2013, however.
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I wouldnt be so sure - Dieter Rencken reckons di Resta could lose his seat, particularly if the team undergoes a leadership change. And this doesn't seem to be a hypothetical situation, either; a group of investors led by Colin Kolles have apparently made a bid for the team. Force India deny it, but from the sounds of things, Vijay Mallya doesn't have full control over the team the way he once did. He owns 45% of the team, Subhatra Roy - of the Sahara Group - owns 45% and Michel Mol (who worked with Spyker) and the Mol family own 10%. Mol is there to make sure that anyone who controls the team needs a coaliation to do it, but if investors buy into the team and sway him over, Mallya will lose control over the team.
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prisonermonkeys
Paul Di Resta's attitude of late certainly won't have done him any favours then...
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I wouldn't be surprised to see him in one of the backmarker teams if this is the case.
Also, Petrov's supposedly not negotiating with Marussia:
http://www.f1news.ru/news/f1-82361.html
But it could also be the case that the deal's been done, which would explain the non-negotiation.
Also, Petrov's supposedly not negotiating with Marussia:
http://www.f1news.ru/news/f1-82361.html
But it could also be the case that the deal's been done, which would explain the non-negotiation.
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Okay, crazy theory time:
1) Late in 2012, Gerard Lopez and Eric Lux were reported to be considering selling Lotus F1. However, the deal fell through when Kimi Raikkonen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; Lopez and Lux put the price up, but the investors lost interest because of it. On 11 December, Christian Nimmervoll reported that a bid for a race-winning team had been rejected the day before, but gave no further explanation.
2) Dieter Rencken and Christian Nimmervoll report that a bid was made for Force India, led by Colin Kolles representing a group of German investors. It is believed that Kolles also made a bid to acquire HRT after it collapsed, but it's possible he was preparing this bid instead. I suspect that the group that is looking to acquire Force India is the same group that was looking to acquire Lotus.
3) It has been speculated that this mystery consortium is looking to establish a German "All-Stars" team. This makes sense because Force India already has an engine deal with Mercedes. The group could acquire the team and continue using Mercedes engines to further the idea of an all-German team. Adrian Sutil is believed to be one of the candidates for a Force India seat, and would would naturally fit in with this vision.
4) Timo Glock recently became available. I know it was only announced yesterday, but John Booth's comments make it pretty clear that Marussia tried everything in their power to keep him, and that letting him go was a last resort. Glock is also widely expected to annouce his future plans very soon, and while he is rumoured to be testing a Mercedes DTM car, the important point is that he would have known the writing was on the wall at Marussia for some time, and made plans accordingly. If he knew that there was a bid for Force India that specifically wanted German drivers, he would be mad not to investigate it.
Which brings us to the question of who these mystery bidders are. I suspect they might be led - or at least supported by - Franz Hilmer.
Hilmer runs Formtech GmbH, which is described as a Formula 1 "supplier". Quite what the company supplies to Formula 1 teams is unclear, but Hilmer is evidently a figure closely connected to the sport. Furthermore, he has made at least two attempts to enter the sport in the last five years: first, Formtech acquired Super Aguri's assets when they folded in 2008. And secondly, he submitted a bid to join the grid in 2010 under the Brabham name (the Brabham family reportedly didn't like this, and they recently won a court case to stop someone using the name in Germany, but that person wasn't Hilmer, which leads me to believe their problems with the 2010 entry were related to the name being used elsewhere). Hilmer also recently established Hilmer Motorsport, and won a bid to join the GP2 Series grid, replacing Ocean Racing Technology.
My crazy theory is therefore this: Force India will be rebranded as Hilmer Motorsport in 2013, running cars with Mercedes engines and having at least one (or possibly two) German drivers in its line-up.
1) Late in 2012, Gerard Lopez and Eric Lux were reported to be considering selling Lotus F1. However, the deal fell through when Kimi Raikkonen won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; Lopez and Lux put the price up, but the investors lost interest because of it. On 11 December, Christian Nimmervoll reported that a bid for a race-winning team had been rejected the day before, but gave no further explanation.
2) Dieter Rencken and Christian Nimmervoll report that a bid was made for Force India, led by Colin Kolles representing a group of German investors. It is believed that Kolles also made a bid to acquire HRT after it collapsed, but it's possible he was preparing this bid instead. I suspect that the group that is looking to acquire Force India is the same group that was looking to acquire Lotus.
3) It has been speculated that this mystery consortium is looking to establish a German "All-Stars" team. This makes sense because Force India already has an engine deal with Mercedes. The group could acquire the team and continue using Mercedes engines to further the idea of an all-German team. Adrian Sutil is believed to be one of the candidates for a Force India seat, and would would naturally fit in with this vision.
4) Timo Glock recently became available. I know it was only announced yesterday, but John Booth's comments make it pretty clear that Marussia tried everything in their power to keep him, and that letting him go was a last resort. Glock is also widely expected to annouce his future plans very soon, and while he is rumoured to be testing a Mercedes DTM car, the important point is that he would have known the writing was on the wall at Marussia for some time, and made plans accordingly. If he knew that there was a bid for Force India that specifically wanted German drivers, he would be mad not to investigate it.
Which brings us to the question of who these mystery bidders are. I suspect they might be led - or at least supported by - Franz Hilmer.
Hilmer runs Formtech GmbH, which is described as a Formula 1 "supplier". Quite what the company supplies to Formula 1 teams is unclear, but Hilmer is evidently a figure closely connected to the sport. Furthermore, he has made at least two attempts to enter the sport in the last five years: first, Formtech acquired Super Aguri's assets when they folded in 2008. And secondly, he submitted a bid to join the grid in 2010 under the Brabham name (the Brabham family reportedly didn't like this, and they recently won a court case to stop someone using the name in Germany, but that person wasn't Hilmer, which leads me to believe their problems with the 2010 entry were related to the name being used elsewhere). Hilmer also recently established Hilmer Motorsport, and won a bid to join the GP2 Series grid, replacing Ocean Racing Technology.
My crazy theory is therefore this: Force India will be rebranded as Hilmer Motorsport in 2013, running cars with Mercedes engines and having at least one (or possibly two) German drivers in its line-up.
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- mrvajj
Interesting theory. Formtech are involved with metal alloy bonding related to the aerospace industry according to their website, so I'd imagine they might do contracting work constructing titanium parts here and there. My only real problems with the "German Superteam" idea are these; that Adrian Sutil and Timo Glock are hardly what you'd call superstars, both are F1 journeymen, and the fact that it's worth more to Bernie to have an "Indian" team than it is to have another European team.
http://www.formtech.de/en/en-spf.htm
http://www.formtech.de/en/en-spf.htm
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Bernie can push for an Indian team all he wants, but it doesn't mean that he is going to get it.
And while you are correct in saying that Sutil and Glock are hardly superstars, they would be good for a team trying to establish itself. They could take Sutil and Glock in 2013, and then drop Sutil for Abt in 2014. Having said that, though, Glock has just secured a DTM test with BMW.
And while you are correct in saying that Sutil and Glock are hardly superstars, they would be good for a team trying to establish itself. They could take Sutil and Glock in 2013, and then drop Sutil for Abt in 2014. Having said that, though, Glock has just secured a DTM test with BMW.
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I'm not sure why you asked if we would be back to 20 drivers then?
I was under the belief that Force India may not be making it to the grid in 2013 possibly.
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Have to wonder. I really think its not Brawn but Mercedes who is dropping the ball here. I'd be a bit worried if I were Hamilton and now finding out that the team principal is leaving.
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