Silly Season 2011 Thread

[Donuts]

It will be interesting to see if Heidfeldt can beat Kobayashi...

[andrew]

Heidfeld has had his chance. He has been in F1 for for several years and a top team has yet to come knocking.

With an established driver like Raikkonen and an up and coming talen like Petrov (I don't care what anyone says about Petrov but there have been flashes of talent in his rookie season) loitering Heidfeld doesn't have a chance.

[Giblet]

Heidfeld has had his chance. He has been in F1 for for several years and a top team has yet to come knocking.

With an established driver like Raikkonen and an up and coming talen like Petrov (I don't care what anyone says about Petrov but there have been flashes of talent in his rookie season) loitering Heidfeld doesn't have a chance.

Many said the same thing about Jenson Button, but he had his chance with Brawn, and grabbed it with both hands winning the championship.

Heidfeld is a good enough driver to do the same thing with the right team. I can't see him doing any worse than Webber at Red Bull, or Button at Mclaren. I'm also quite sure he could be better in a Ferrari than Massa.

Like him or not, he can bring the car home consistently, and was able to be quite a challenge for the most part to the highly rated Kubica.

I could even see him doing a better job than that Schumacher character.

I guess I'm just saying that he hasn't really had his chance yet.

[vall]

Like him or not, he can bring the car home consistently, and was able to be quite a challenge for the most part to the highly rated Kubica.

Hasn't Kubica complained that BMW paid too much attention to Heidfeld instead of backing his WDC bid in 2008?

[WhiteBlue]

Like him or not, he can bring the car home consistently, and was able to be quite a challenge for the most part to the highly rated Kubica.

Hasn't Kubica complained that BMW paid too much attention to Heidfeld instead of backing his WDC bid in 2008?

What do you expect from an F1 driver. They all are completely self centered egotists. So whatever policy a team runs drivers will always complain. Just have a look at Alonso at Renault. He was given total #1 status with control over the choice of his team mate and he still complained about Renault not getting behind him in a way as Ferrari did with Schumacher.

BMW in 2008 had the third fastest car and wasn't capable of winning races consistently as the top teams. No amount of team order or special Kubica support would have made that car much faster. So such talk is best disregarded for what it is.

[gibells]

Seems Hulkenburg may have to make room for Maldonado next year. I think it's all money related as they will need a title sponsor after having lost RBS (and Philips) next year.

Source: (shadey, but by no means unreliable)
http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=390180

[WhiteBlue]

The same source contradicts this with a quotation by Toto Wolf saying that he his comfortable with Hülkenberg and Barrichello. This is probably just noise related to fencing off a pay rise for the Hulk.

[fritticaldi]

Italian media is reporting that Felipe Massa's contract at Ferrari could be bought out one year before it expires. Massa has recently stated he is not the new Barrichello. Polish driver, Robert Kubica who has a one year deal at Renault may be close to signing at the Maranello based team. Does anyone here think this may happen? I personally would be glad to see Kubica in the Scuderia as I think Massa has lost motivation. What do other forum members think?

[wesley123]

do you seriously think Kubica will do that? He is good friends with Alonso but i doubt that will stay very long when they both are at ferrari. Kubica is doing great at renault who show an upward line, so why should he even mind dropping his top spot for an spot as second driver at ferrari?

[aral]

...

There is NO way that Kubica would be in Ferrari next year, especially as Luca , only yesterday , said that Felipe was a joint number 1 next year.

[rich1701]

Well not just next year..

Di Montezemolo: "Felipe is and will always stay a number one driver for Ferrari. I expect the performances of a number one driver from him - both in the next four races and... next year."

If I was Felipe that hypocritical comment would upset me a great deal and i would certainly be exploring other options. It's unfortunate that he depends so much on people who have strong links with Ferrari, Rob Smedley and his manager Nicholas Todt who i would imagine would advise him to stay with the team.

[raymondu999]

Well if we can go into semantics technically he didn't say next year Felipe would be performing like a number one at Ferrari...

[zeph]

I see no reason why Massa should leave Ferrari or why Ferrari should sack him. Looks like he has swung back into the mix, and I bet he could challenge Alonso next year.

Don't forget, in '07 Raikkonen ran rings around him. In '08, it was the other way around. I would not yet discard him as a contender.

[wesley123]

I see no reason why Massa should leave Ferrari or why Ferrari should sack him. Looks like he has swung back into the mix, and I bet he could challenge Alonso next year.

Don't forget, in '07 Raikkonen ran rings around him. In '08, it was the other way around. I would not yet discard him as a contender.

Massa just isnt Championship material, he can go for wins, but for a championship no. He still makes mistakes on a regular basis. That he could go for a WDC in 08 doesnt mean he is WDC material, or do you think Irvine was too?

[timbo]

He still makes mistakes on a regular basis.

Like Alonso and Hamilton.