Silly Season 2011 Thread

[marcush.]

True ..but thats why its called silly season,right?

[zeph]

If you can read German, please translate and summarize for the rest of us:

http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/news ... 92714.html

[marcush.]

If you can read German, please translate and summarize for the rest of us:

http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/news ... 92714.html

nothing really what we did not hear yet.. but the guy thinks webbo might retire early if he snaps the silverware...

everything else we have heard already.

[segedunum]

Again this time with sport1 FP1+2 broadcasters the issue of Massa to be transferred to Ferrari came up as more or less a fact...maybe Massas lack of speed is one indication..dip in motivation?

Possibly. It's clear to everyone now that Massa is not going to get a crack of the whip at the championship again, certainly not at Ferrari. That time has passed. He's a complete shadow of what he was in 2007, especially 2008 and even 2006 when he really started off.

The problem is, does anyone really want that seat at Ferrari?

[segedunum]

nothing really what we did not hear yet.. but the guy thinks webbo might retire early if he snaps the silverware...

The Webber retirement thing isn't new either. That one keeps coming up regardless of the fact that Webber supposedly has a contract for next year.

[xpensive]

...
The problem is, does anyone really want that seat at Ferrari?

I know an old geezer at Brackley who's seriously missing that seat at this very moment!

[raymondu999]

I think there are probably a few drivers who would want a winning drive right now just to experience winning. Maybe ultimately they won't mind to play 2nd fiddle initially in a championship situation, but want to win races... more of a short term outlook.

[ESPImperium]

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2010/09/28/f ... p-2892010/

Trulli to retire at end of the season???

If this is true, id expect to see his seat filled by either Faruz Fauzy or most likley Bruno Senna or Karun Chandhok as a driver that does impress. Altho, the Renault angle is in here, Petrov to Renault so they can get a driver that is more able to challange Kubica???

Leading pretty good on this story:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/87045

[andrew]

I can see Petrov in a Lotus Renault next year with either Raikonnen or Massa in the Ren-o. It looks like Luizi is gone at the end of the year with di Resta as a replacment, but realisticly I wonder if it'll be Chandhok who ends up in the Force India.

[Giblet]

Chandhok was overlooked by Vijay even at the insistence of Bernie saying he should get a test and how he could help the teams Indian image.

from his wiki:

"After Liuzzi was confirmed as a race driver, Vijay Mallya stated that he would offer Karun and Neel Jani, who has an Indian father, a chance to prove themselves in the McLaren F1 simulator. It was thought that this test could lead to a Reserve drive or future race drive for either with Force India.[citation needed]

Chandhok has said in Autosport on Friday 18th June 2010 that he is targeting a move to Force India for 2011. Chandhok believes that the commercial benefits for the team running an Indian driver make him an obvious choice."

So he linked himself with FI for 2011, but not sure how much weight that carries. If it does, then I link myself with a 2011 Ferrari drive.

[ESPImperium]

I was thinking the same thing as well, It would be a really strong brand leading into the Indian GP next year (now they have had a small bump up the arse from Bernie from the Korea mess) a Indian driver in an Indian car in India. Thats as strong an immage as an Itilian in a Ferarri at Monza or a Brit in a McLaren or Williams at Silverstone.

Im thinking this for 2011 now:

01 & 02 = Red Bull-Renault: Webber/Vettel TD: Riccardo (Confirmed)
03 & 04 = McLaren-Mercedes: Hamilton/Button TD: Pafett (Confirmed)
05 & 06 = Ferarri: Alonso/Massa TD: Fisichella/Badoer/Gene (Confirmed)
07 & 08 = Mercedes: Schumacher/Rosberg TD TBC
09 & 10 = Renault: Petrov/Raikkonenn TD: Grosjean/Tung
11 & 12 = Williams-Cosworth: Barrichello/Hulkenberg TD: Bottas
14 & 15 = Force India-Mercedes: Sutil/Chandhok TD: Di Resta
16 & 17 = STR-Ferarri: Buemi/Alguersauri TD: Vergne
18 & 19 = Sauber-Ferarri: Kobiyashai/Heidfeld TD: Guiterez
20 & 21 = Lotus-Renault: Kovalinenn/Petrov TD: Fauzy
22 & 23 = Hispania-Cosworth: Senna/Klien TD: Maldanado
24 & 25 = Virgin-Cosworth: Glock/D'Ambrosio TD: Razia

[andartop]

I was thinking the same thing as well, It would be a really strong brand leading into the Indian GP next year (now they have had a small bump up the arse from Bernie from the Korea mess) a Indian driver in an Indian car in India. Thats as strong an immage as an Itilian in a Ferarri at Monza or a Brit in a McLaren or Williams at Silverstone.

Im thinking this for 2011 now:

01 & 02 = Red Bull-Renault: Webber/Vettel TD: Riccardo (Confirmed)
03 & 04 = McLaren-Mercedes: Hamilton/Button TD: Pafett (Confirmed)
05 & 06 = Ferarri: Alonso/Massa TD: Fisichella/Badoer/Gene (Confirmed)
07 & 08 = Mercedes: Schumacher/Rosberg TD TBC
09 & 10 = Renault: Petrov/Raikkonenn TD: Grosjean/Tung
11 & 12 = Williams-Cosworth: Barrichello/Hulkenberg TD: Bottas
14 & 15 = Force India-Mercedes: Sutil/Chandhok TD: Di Resta
16 & 17 = STR-Ferarri: Buemi/Alguersauri TD: Vergne
18 & 19 = Sauber-Ferarri: Kobiyashai/Heidfeld TD: Guiterez
20 & 21 = Lotus-Renault: Kovalinenn/Petrov TD: Fauzy
22 & 23 = Hispania-Cosworth: Senna/Klien TD: Maldanado
24 & 25 = Virgin-Cosworth: Glock/D'Ambrosio TD: Razia

So, Petrov gets to drive both for Renault and Lotus, and Kubica goes to the WRC???

[andrew]

Well you know what they say about these Russian chaps - very hard working indeed!

[ESPImperium]

I am bloody tired as hell, at current, so:

09 & 10 = Renault: Kubica/Raikkonen TD: Grosjean/Tung

[jwielage]

Chandhok has said in Autosport on Friday 18th June 2010 that he is targeting a move to Force India for 2011. Chandhok believes that the commercial benefits for the team running an Indian driver make him an obvious choice."

So he linked himself with FI for 2011, but not sure how much weight that carries. If it does, then I link myself with a 2011 Ferrari drive.

Not if I have anything to say about it. I've been lining up that Ferrari seat for a while now.

On a more serious note, replacing Petrov isn't as simple as it seems. I really don't know what the best move for Renault is. From a business development/growth standpoint, Petrov carries nearly limitless potential. How much value would having a Russian driver be to a team/auto-manufacturor who is looking to tap into a relatively underserved Russian consumer/fanbase? Best case scenario with Petrov outshines best case scenario with Kimi. They know what they will get out of Kimi, an awesome driver who will generate excitement, but the growth/marketing potential is not there. If Kimi can win in the Renault, you better believe RK can, so having a winner in the cockpit should not be the primary concern. Obviously having two winning drivers would be great for the constructors battle, but its not going to hold them back at this stage in their upswing.

To me the question comes down to whether RK is going to stay put a Renault for the long haul, or if he has his sights on the same seat I'm gunning for. If Renault is just a stop over, than they must get Kimi. Otherwise I say they gamble on Petrov and Russia.