2010 driver line-up: Deals and rumours
Eurosport - Tue, 03 Nov 16:28:00 2009
The 2009 season is over, but less than half of the field is confirmed for next season.
Fernando Alonso's (pictured) long-rumoured move to Ferrari held up the traditional summer announcements before being confirmed, while the addition of new teams and the uncertainty over the future of Sauber makes for an interesting off-season.
We take a look at the driver market on a team by team basis.
Brawn Mercedes
Despite taking championship honours at its very first attempt, the team has yet to confirm its driver line-up for next season. We know that Rubens Barrichello has left the team and will race for Williams Cosworth, while 2009 champion Jenson Button is expected to shortly conclude a deal to remain with the team. Nico Rosberg is expected to join Button at the team next year, with the blessing of Mercedes who will almost certainly take equity in the team.
Continuity is the name of the game at Red Bull, with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber both confirmed for the 2010 season.
McLaren Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton is set firm for next year while 2009 team-mate Heikki Kovalainen is expected to move on. Kimi Raikkonen is favourite to conclude a deal to race alongside Hamilton, but should he and the team be unable to reach an agreement, a number of drivers including Adrian Sutil, Nick Heidfeld as well as Kovalainen and possibly Timo Glock remain in contention.
Ferrari
The Italian team has paid off Kimi Raikkonen and signed Fernando Alonso to partner Felipe Massa next season. Giancarlo Fisichella has agreed to take the test and reserve role, so barring any unforeseen problems, the Ferrari line-up is now all set. The only twist is Fisichella who suggested he might be allowed to race for one of the new teams, parallel to his Ferrari duties.
Doubts will remain regarding the future of the Toyota team ahead of the Japanese parent company signing off the finances for next season. Kamui Kobayashi shined in two grand prix starts for the team and is expected to race next season, while Kovalainen has been linked to the second seat.
Sauber Qadbak Ferrari
The future of the team, founded by Peter Sauber and run as BMW Sauber in recent seasons, remains unclear. Qadbak has purchased the team, but as it stands, they cannot compete as 14 teams in Formula One are not permitted. Should Sauber be granted a grid position for next season (whether by unanimous agreement from the other teams or by the withdrawal of a team), Nick Heidfeld is expected to be retained.
Williams Cosworth
It is all change for Williams next year with test and reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg promoted to a race seat after claiming GP2 honours in 2009. He is joined by F1 veteran Rubens Barrichello while the team will switch from Toyota to Cosworth engines.
Renault
After a difficult season on and off the track, 2010 is a rebuilding year for Renault. With Fernando Alonso moving to Ferrari, Robert Kubica is confirmed with the team, while Timo Glock has been linked to the second seat. The future of Romain Grosjean remains unclear but should the team fail to secure the services of Glock, he could still retain the seat.
Force India Mercedes
Adrian Sutil will probably remain with the team next year, while Tonio Liuzzi had already been expected to race. However, Liuzzi returned to the team at Monza and subsequently failed to match the pace of Sutil in the final five races of the season and may well be placed on the sidelines again in favour of a well funded rookie.
Toro Rosso Ferrari
The Red Bull-owned team has not confirmed its driver line-up for next season, but having invested heavily in Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari this year, it is expected that the team will field an unchanged line-up next season.
Campos Meta Cosworth
Bruno Senna has been confirmed with the new Spanish-owned team for next season, while Pedro de la Rosa has been linked with the team but may ultimately opt to remain as a McLaren Mercedes test and reserve driver. Bernie Ecclestone is keen to see Nelson Piquet race again, but so far the subject is just rumour.
Lotus Cosworth
With its Malaysian backing, the team is eyeing one experienced F1 veteran as well as a Malaysian driver for its debut season. Jarno Trulli is not expected to remain with Toyota and has been rumoured as a possible Lotus driver, while Fairuz Fauzy has been making noises that he is ready to step up to F1 with the team.
Manor Cosworth
A number of drivers have been linked to the British team including Adam Carroll and Anthony Davidson, but the driver situation remains fluid for this new team.
USF1 Cosworth
The team had hoped to run one F1 veteran alongside a rising US star. Many names have been linked with the drive but none have gained any momentum. High profile names such as Danica Patrick and Kyle Busch can now be eliminated.
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Comment 166 - 185 of 185
I'm amazed how many people bought the trick that Top Gear played on us when they revealed Shumacher to be Stig. It was a one-off and everyone knows (except Thomas) that there have been several Stigs, all unknowns, and the Schu thing was just for one programme. So, Thomas the tit- over to you!
the stig is shumacher you tit
I think Jenson Button should take up the opportunity to race for Mclaren next year, if offered the seat. I feel brawn mite struggle to live up to expectations, and what a line up it would be, Button and Hamilton.
the Stig should be given a race seat...if he already doesn't have one...
Alonso will be as much use to Ferrari as a photoshoped Badoer was :-)
Well said Ron (#169).They don't have saddos like Potter (in all her puerile guises) and moronroute on that site.
McLaren would be fools to sign Kimi. He just doesn't have the motivation for it anymore
BRUCEF1LEE
Why not just use your real name WAYNE KERR
I reckon mclaren mercerdes should attempt to sign buttom so we have a all british team to cheer on plus it is two of the best drivers it would be interesting to see what would happen.
My pappa saya the BIGGA lily posta, is bigga Turnip head withaa noa brains uh.
She say she a bigga FRIEND with a Biga count Another Turnip Head, she told me in her own Way, he does a big Bang Bang in his Fiatwoski.
Now that Jenson Button has won the F1 Championship, is he going to be knighted by the queen; after which he'll have that phony star Susan Boyle on her knees, ready to take in his spray?
NOW I WONDER WHEN RENAULT AND MERCEDES BENZ GOING TO ANNOUNCE THEIR WITHDRAWL FROM F1,,,,,,,,,,THE ONLY TWO ENGINE SUPPLIERS WILL BE FERRARI AND COSWORTH..........
OH WHAT A FEELING......T..O..Y..O..T..A
OH WHAT A FEELING......T..O..Y..O..T..A
OH WHAT A FEELING......T..O..Y..O..T..A
OH WHAT A FEELING......T..O..Y..O..T..A
TOYOTA SET TO QUIT FORMULA ONE!!! (from Financial Times & CNN)
Toyota Motor has decided to follow Honda and BMW out of Formula One racing to save costs as the Japanese carmaker braces for its second straight annual loss, a person with knowledge of the situation said on Wednesday.
Akio Toyoda, the Japanese automaker's president, is expected to announce the move later on Wednesday.
Toyota's decision deals a fresh blow to F1, which has been battered by scandals, management disputes and an exodus of sponsors and car manufacturers amid the global economic downturn.
It adds to the challenges facing Jean Todt, the former Ferrari team boss who won a bitterly contested election for president of the Federation International d'Automobile, the motorsport's governing body, last month.
On Monday Bridgestone, F1's exclusive tyre supplier, said it would abandon the sport after its contract expires at the end of the 2010 season.
F1 teams spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year to stay competitive on the technology-intensive circuit. Toyota has few trophies to show for its investments, however, and speculation that it would quit had been growing since Honda announced its exit last December.
Toyota, which is the world's largest car manufacturer, suffered a Y766bn ($8.5bn) net loss last year and expects to lose money again in the current year to March 2010.
Other motorsports have also suffered during the downturn, with Subaru, Mitsubishi and Suzuki leaving the world rally championship and Kawasaki withdrawing its MotoGP team.
Recently, I found an age-gap site called ~~~ Agegapmingle--C O M ~~~ It's a nice and free place for Younger Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger Men, to interact with each other. Age gap is not problem there. You may check out or tell your friends.
Recently, I found an age-gap site called ~~~ Agegapmingle--C O M ~~~ It's a nice and free place for Younger Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger Men, to interact with each other. Age gap is not problem there. You may check out or tell your friends.
This site sucks the big one ! if you want to blog with people who know the sport and give there educated opinions go too the SPEED F 1 site ay least they keep the useless postings too a minimum .
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