The 2010 F1 season "Which Driver Goes Where?" Thread

Dippy · 9th October 2009, 14:34

Please discuss all F1 Driver and their team swaps in this thread. Having multiple threads for each driver gets confusing. The previous threads have been closed.

As of now

Alonso - Ferrari
Kubica - Renault

Keep the updates coming in.

suman · 9th October 2009, 14:37

Thanks Dippy, good initiative. Was losing track!

sgiitk · 9th October 2009, 14:48

@Dippy: How about merging the closed threads into this thread.

pradster · 9th October 2009, 15:10

Here's a pretty comprehensive report on the same by autoblog :

As in previous years, several teams have been waiting to finalize their rosters pending the decision of one vital puzzle piece: Fernando Alonso. Now that the two-time world champion has Abarth to headline its rally program, leaving Formula One altogether. Newer reports, however, have placed him back at McLaren, at Red Bull or at Toyota, however, Kimi has stated he'd only be interested in driving for a team with a winning car. Santander, tipped to shift its sponsorship from McLaren to Ferrari, is reportedly willing to bankroll the transfer of Kimi's contract with Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton is confirmed to remain at McLaren next season. However his team-mate Heikki Kovalainen has not, so far, had his contract renewed. While McLaren could be waiting to see if they can get their hands back on Raikkonen, the team's management has indicated they could very well retain Kovalainen for another year.

The only other team to confirm its drivers for next season is Red Bull, which will hold on to Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel and in the process could emerge (in stark contrast to last year) as the only team to keep the same drivers for 2010. If Raikkonen is up for grabs, however, Webber could find himself on the market as well.

Despite their winning combination, neither Jenson Button nor Rubens Barrichello have been confirmed for next season at Brawn GP. Button's negotiations reportedly come down to money, but he's expected to stay with the team, reports suggest that Barrichello could swap places with Nico Rosberg, placing the young German at Brawn and the old Brazilian at Williams.

For its part, Williams is tipped to be canceling its engine deal with Toyota in favor of either Cosworth or Renault, and could seek out a young driver from the GP2 ranks to drive for the team next season.

Scuderia Toro Rosso is expected to confirm both Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastian Buemi for next season, but has so far made no announcement.

Toyota remains a big question mark, with various reports speculating on alternative career moves for both Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock.

Force India, which currently fields Tonio Liuzzi and Adrian Sutil, may wait for the dust to settle before confirming its drivers for next season. Reports suggest that Giancarlo Fisichella, who left the team to fill in for Felipe Massa at Ferrari and is contracted to remain in Maranello as a reserve driver, may be allowed to race for another team once Ferrari's back on track.

The biggest piece to the puzzle, however, is where the four new teams scheduled to join the field next year will get their drivers. Campos Meta, Manor, Lotus and USF1 are all going to need talent, which is good news for free agents, aspiring drivers from the feeder series and retired veterans who may find their experience in demand.

Original Article here : End of Year Shuffle: 14 Formula One teams swap drivers for 2010 Autoblog

issigonis · 9th October 2009, 16:05

The above post is very interesting as it opens the door wider - Alonso still not confirmed for Ferrari is news. Whitmarsh's comments in the thread above somewhere seems to point to McLaren getting ready for McLaren, if Heiki performs the way he has been doing so far in 2009.

I think we should look at teams which have a realistic chance ( as of now) of winning F1 2010*, viz. McLaren, Brawn, Ferrari, Red Bull. One driver each ( four in all) seem to be pukka for each of the four teams - Hamilton, Button,Massa and Vettel respectively. The other drivers are : Kovaleinen/Kimi; Rosberg/Barichello; Alonso/Kimi; Webber, respectively.

To my mind, from Kimi's perspective, after leaving Ferrari ( looks a foregone conclusion what with all the rumours swirling around), McLaren is the first option -the risk being Hamilton's humongous ego.

Brawn is the second option. In Brawn, he will have Ross Brawn with whom he has worked earlier and the fact that Ross is a good strategist and planner.
I'd expect McLaren to be very competitive in 2010 and Brawn has to be one too, if it has Button ( the likely 2009 champion) and Kimi in its ranks.

Ferrari can win 2010 only if it has a better package (car's straightline speed + speed in turns+ high speed stability) overall than that of McLaren and Brawn. I think neither Alonso nor Massa can transcend the car's deficiencies to win consistently all season through.

Nowadays, an outstanding driver in a lesser car is no good - witness Schumi struggle in the Ferrari in 2005 & 2006!

*Predictions can make anyone look like a fool - the 2009 season with Brawn is a case in point.
Regards

gomzi · 9th October 2009, 17:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by pradster

Here's a pretty comprehensive report on the same by autoblog :

pending the decision of one vital puzzle piece: Fernando Alonso.
....
Newer reports, however, have placed him back at McLaren, at Red Bull or at Toyota, however, Kimi has stated he'd only be interested in driving for a team with a

Quote:

Originally Posted by issigonis

The above post is very interesting as it opens the door wider - Alonso still not confirmed for Ferrari is news.
....
To my mind, from Kimi's perspective, after leaving Ferrari ( looks a foregone conclusion what with all the rumours swirling around), McLaren is the first option -the risk being Hamilton's humongous ego.

How can this be correct? Alonso has been announced as a ferrari driver for next year Alonso Joins Ferrari - Formula One Blog - NYTimes.com and it has been confirmed than Kimi is leaving them at the end of this season. No speculation there!

What is speculation-worthy is where will Kimi move to for next season. I'd guess the front runners are McLaren & BrawnGP.
Red Bull would love to have him in their lineup at the cost of one current drivers - this despite having confirmed lineups for next season.

pradster · 9th October 2009, 17:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by gomzi

How can this be correct? Alonso has been announced as a ferrari driver for next year Alonso Joins Ferrari - Formula One Blog - NYTimes.com and it has been confirmed than Kimi is leaving them at the end of this season. No speculation there!

What is speculation-worthy is where will Kimi move to for next season. I'd guess the front runners are McLaren & BrawnGP.
Red Bull would love to have him in their lineup at the cost of one current drivers - this despite having confirmed lineups for next season.

I think its a typo from Autoblog , it should say Kimi instead of Fernando!

malgudi · 9th October 2009, 18:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by gomzi

What is speculation-worthy is where will Kimi move to for next season. I'd guess the front runners are McLaren & BrawnGP.
Red Bull would love to have him in their lineup at the cost of one current drivers - this despite having confirmed lineups for next season.

I dont think BrawnGP has the funding to spend a big amount that would be required to avail of Raikkonen's Services.

My bet would be on McLaren. Ferrari has announced its Line up which is formidable with Alonso & Massa. If McLaren needs to win the Constructors championship, it would also need two front drivers & Hamilton with Raikkonen would be the best bet. Kovaleinen performance has been lacklusture this year.
I also presume that McLaren are in talks with Raikkonen/his manager. The talks may have stalled on yearly salary between Raikkonen & McLaren as these burst of threatening to quit F1 from Raikkonen & McLaren threatening back with they may continue with Kovaleinen indicate.

Can RedBull spring a surprise by hiring Raikkonen? (IMO they have the funding and the car capable of winning)

pradster · 9th October 2009, 18:46

you know Kimi might just end up staying at Ferrari, Massa still has to recover and his test with the f2007 will be pivotal in deciding his and Kimi's future.
I highly doubt Ferrari will sign up Massa if he off the acceptable pace, if that happens kimi will retain his seat.
what do you guys think?

Rocky_Balboa · 9th October 2009, 18:55

Kimi is officially off Ferrari, with an undisclosed amount as pay-out.
If Massa doesnt get fit, Fisichella will take over as he is the official Ferrari reserve for 2010.

pradster · 9th October 2009, 19:21

You know Kimi has made an official statement saying his contract for 2010 with ferrari still stands.

Rocky_Balboa · 9th October 2009, 19:47

@pradster, that was before Ferrari officially announced Alonso's inclusion and Kimi's exclusion for 2010.

2theMax · 9th October 2009, 20:22

Can't Imagine Sutil still not being poached by other teams. Mr Mallya's magic ???

SilentEngine · 9th October 2009, 21:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by pradster

You know Kimi has made an official statement saying his contract for 2010 with ferrari still stands.

Kimi has no contract at the moment. His contract was broken after Ferrari and Kimi agreed to do so to make way for Alonso.

Confirmed so far:
Ferrari - Alonso, Massa (Fisichella as reserve)
McLaren - Hamilton
Red Bull - Vettel, Webber
Renault - Kubica

Other teams are yet to confirm their driver lineups.
Red Bull may drop Webber for Kimi, if the rumors are to be believed. If that happens, Webber is likely to go to McLaren.

Possible moves expected:
McLaren - Kimi
Brawn - Button, Rosberg
Williams - Barichello
Toyota - Glock
Force India - Sutil, Liuzzi

KRf1 · 10th October 2009, 03:35

Among the new teams , USf1 have confirmed that they might not have even one American driver next season .
Also Brunno Senna has indicated that he is close to getting a seat for next year .
Grosjean , Trulli , Heikki and Glock seem to have lost their seats at their current teams .

9th October 2009, 14:34	#1
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,559 Thanked: 2,462 Times	The 2010 F1 season "Which Driver Goes Where?" Thread Please discuss all F1 Driver and their team swaps in this thread. Having multiple threads for each driver gets confusing. The previous threads have been closed. As of now Alonso - Ferrari Kubica - Renault Keep the updates coming in.
	() Thanks

9th October 2009, 14:37	#2
suman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 4,589 Thanked: 279 Times View My Garage	Thanks Dippy, good initiative. Was losing track!
	() Thanks

9th October 2009, 14:48	#3
sgiitk BANNED Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gurugram Posts: 7,969 Thanked: 4,788 Times	@Dippy: How about merging the closed threads into this thread.
	() Thanks

9th October 2009, 15:10	#4
pradster BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Delhi Posts: 292 Thanked: 16 Times	Here's a pretty comprehensive report on the same by autoblog : As in previous years, several teams have been waiting to finalize their rosters pending the decision of one vital puzzle piece: Fernando Alonso. Now that the two-time world champion has Abarth to headline its rally program, leaving Formula One altogether. Newer reports, however, have placed him back at McLaren, at Red Bull or at Toyota, however, Kimi has stated he'd only be interested in driving for a team with a winning car. Santander, tipped to shift its sponsorship from McLaren to Ferrari, is reportedly willing to bankroll the transfer of Kimi's contract with Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton is confirmed to remain at McLaren next season. However his team-mate Heikki Kovalainen has not, so far, had his contract renewed. While McLaren could be waiting to see if they can get their hands back on Raikkonen, the team's management has indicated they could very well retain Kovalainen for another year. The only other team to confirm its drivers for next season is Red Bull, which will hold on to Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel and in the process could emerge (in stark contrast to last year) as the only team to keep the same drivers for 2010. If Raikkonen is up for grabs, however, Webber could find himself on the market as well. Despite their winning combination, neither Jenson Button nor Rubens Barrichello have been confirmed for next season at Brawn GP. Button's negotiations reportedly come down to money, but he's expected to stay with the team, reports suggest that Barrichello could swap places with Nico Rosberg, placing the young German at Brawn and the old Brazilian at Williams. For its part, Williams is tipped to be canceling its engine deal with Toyota in favor of either Cosworth or Renault, and could seek out a young driver from the GP2 ranks to drive for the team next season. Scuderia Toro Rosso is expected to confirm both Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastian Buemi for next season, but has so far made no announcement. Toyota remains a big question mark, with various reports speculating on alternative career moves for both Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock. Force India, which currently fields Tonio Liuzzi and Adrian Sutil, may wait for the dust to settle before confirming its drivers for next season. Reports suggest that Giancarlo Fisichella, who left the team to fill in for Felipe Massa at Ferrari and is contracted to remain in Maranello as a reserve driver, may be allowed to race for another team once Ferrari's back on track. The biggest piece to the puzzle, however, is where the four new teams scheduled to join the field next year will get their drivers. Campos Meta, Manor, Lotus and USF1 are all going to need talent, which is good news for free agents, aspiring drivers from the feeder series and retired veterans who may find their experience in demand. Original Article here : End of Year Shuffle: 14 Formula One teams swap drivers for 2010 Autoblog Last edited by pradster : 9th October 2009 at 15:21. Reason: cleaned up tags, now where is my cookie for all the hard work?
	() Thanks

9th October 2009, 16:05	#5
issigonis BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bombay Posts: 956 Thanked: 95 Times	The above post is very interesting as it opens the door wider - Alonso still not confirmed for Ferrari is news. Whitmarsh's comments in the thread above somewhere seems to point to McLaren getting ready for McLaren, if Heiki performs the way he has been doing so far in 2009. I think we should look at teams which have a realistic chance ( as of now) of winning F1 2010, viz. McLaren, Brawn, Ferrari, Red Bull. One driver each ( four in all) seem to be pukka for each of the four teams - Hamilton, Button,Massa and Vettel respectively. The other drivers are : Kovaleinen/Kimi; Rosberg/Barichello; Alonso/Kimi; Webber, respectively. To my mind, from Kimi's perspective, after leaving Ferrari ( looks a foregone conclusion what with all the rumours swirling around), McLaren is the first option -the risk being Hamilton's humongous ego. Brawn is the second option. In Brawn, he will have Ross Brawn with whom he has worked earlier and the fact that Ross is a good strategist and planner. I'd expect McLaren to be very competitive in 2010 and Brawn has to be one too, if it has Button ( the likely 2009 champion) and Kimi in its ranks. Ferrari can win 2010 only if it has a better package (car's straightline speed + speed in turns+ high speed stability) overall than that of McLaren and Brawn. I think neither Alonso nor Massa can transcend the car's deficiencies to win consistently all season through. Nowadays, an outstanding driver in a lesser car is no good - witness Schumi struggle in the Ferrari in 2005 & 2006! Predictions can make anyone look like a fool - the 2009 season with Brawn is a case in point. Regards
	() Thanks

9th October 2009, 18:46	#9
pradster BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Delhi Posts: 292 Thanked: 16 Times	you know Kimi might just end up staying at Ferrari, Massa still has to recover and his test with the f2007 will be pivotal in deciding his and Kimi's future. I highly doubt Ferrari will sign up Massa if he off the acceptable pace, if that happens kimi will retain his seat. what do you guys think?
	() Thanks

9th October 2009, 18:55	#10
Rocky_Balboa BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Namma Bengalooru Posts: 676 Thanked: 358 Times View My Garage	Kimi is officially off Ferrari, with an undisclosed amount as pay-out. If Massa doesnt get fit, Fisichella will take over as he is the official Ferrari reserve for 2010.
	() Thanks

9th October 2009, 19:21	#11
pradster BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Delhi Posts: 292 Thanked: 16 Times	You know Kimi has made an official statement saying his contract for 2010 with ferrari still stands.
	() Thanks

9th October 2009, 19:47	#12
Rocky_Balboa BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Namma Bengalooru Posts: 676 Thanked: 358 Times View My Garage	@pradster, that was before Ferrari officially announced Alonso's inclusion and Kimi's exclusion for 2010.
	() Thanks

9th October 2009, 20:22	#13
2theMax BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 337 Thanked: Once	Can't Imagine Sutil still not being poached by other teams. Mr Mallya's magic ???
	() Thanks

10th October 2009, 03:35	#15
KRf1 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NCR / BLR Posts: 339 Thanked: 3 Times	Among the new teams , USf1 have confirmed that they might not have even one American driver next season . Also Brunno Senna has indicated that he is close to getting a seat for next year . Grosjean , Trulli , Heikki and Glock seem to have lost their seats at their current teams .
	() Thanks