The '13 driver transfer discussion/speculation thread op updated 16/10

  • Thread starter Thread starter F1 fan
  • 2,521 comments
  • 168,948 views
Status
Not open for further replies.
Jimlaad43
My predictions for the remaining seats.
CATERHAM
Pic
Senna
FORCE INDIA
Di Resta
Algersuari
HRT
Clos
LOTUS
Grosjean
MARUSSIA
Chilton
SAUBER
Kovalainen
WILLIAMS
Maldonado
Bottas
Click to expand...

I'd like to see Heiki go to Sauber, but is also like to see Gutierrez go there.
 
m8h3r
I'd like to see Heiki go to Sauber, but is also like to see Gutierrez go there.
Click to expand...

Pic to Sauber, he's drove about as well as a driver could drive that Marussia in a debut season, he's only 22 and I believe he has good financial backing.
 
Peasantslayer
Pic to Sauber, he's drove about as well as a driver could drive that Marussia in a debut season, he's only 22 and I believe he has good financial backing.
Click to expand...

👍 I quite like Pic, and I'd love to see him in a car that can regularly score points. But I think it's much more likely for Pic to go to Caterham.
 
gorsad
👍 I quite like Pic, and I'd love to see him in a car that can regularly score points. But I think it's much more likely for Pic to go to Caterham.
Click to expand...

Yeah french reporter who are close to him (teach him karting and formula driving) said Pic probably have a vocal agreement with Catherham, but apparently he might got a shot at Force India too.
Laffite said this week-end that Buemi might be in very good position on Force India as well.
 
I also want to predict to line-up for next season:

Lotus:
Grosjean
I can't see who else they would take. He has had some cock-ups this season, but he has shown pace and can collect points on a good day.

Sauber:
Kobayashi or Gutierrez
This is a bit of a toss-up, could be anyones seat, but I do get the impression that the team has given Kamui plenty of chances to show himself and are keen on some fresh blood.

Force India:
Di Resta and Alguesuari, Sutil or Bianchi
I think Bianchi was pretty much hyped earlier this season for being the next driver for the team, but that was a bit washed away considering his former results. I think Jaime has the biggest shot joining Paul next year.

Williams:
Maldonado and Bottas
This is the prediction I am most certain of. It has been predicted since the start of the season, but Senna has shown a bit better form recently. I still think Bottas has more potential.

Marussia:
Glock and Max Chilton
Recent reports have linked Chilton for a Virgin seat next year, but I still feel this seat is still a bit open.

Caterham:
Kovalainen, Petrov, van der Garde or Pic
Caterham has a pretty much open line-up for next season. All depends on weather they chose driver talent over sponsorship money.

HRT:
Clos (or basically anyone which can bring financial backing)
Ma is also a potential candidate if he brings plenty of sponsorship with him, but I don't think he is ready for F1 yet.

All predictions are based on the most natural factors (reserve driver or "in-team" members) so there are no surprises here. Most, if not all listed drivers have been linked with the respective teams so all predictions are very plausible.
 
The only way Sutil is coming back is Liuzzi or Klien-style, that is, because a team is desperate for an experienced replacement or interim driver.
 
fps_christian
Sauber:
Kobayashi or Gutierrez
This is a bit of a toss-up, could be anyones seat, but I do get the impression that the team has given Kamui plenty of chances to show himself and are keen on some fresh blood.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think Sauber has given Kobayashi plenty of chances and perhaps it's time for some new drivers to come in. Gutierrez is more of a realistic choice but recently Monisha Kaltenborn made a comment that she's a bit uninspired by Gutierrez's performance in India means that he might be on hold. But if anything, he remains the favourite.

Charles Pic to Sauber is... Might not happen though.

fps_christian
Caterham:
Kovalainen, Petrov, van der Garde or Pic
Caterham has a pretty much open line-up for next season. All depends on weather they chose driver talent over sponsorship money.
Click to expand...

This is very open. Very, very open. Kovalainen don't seem to care whether he will stay or not, rely on his team. Petrov's manager somewhere in this year commented that he's not stable in terms of sponsorship money as I heard Sibur may make their way out (?) and that his manager is not ready for a late sponsorship/contract hunt like last year? Unsure, but Petrov isn't safe either. Van de Garde is a realistic choice if any one of the current drivers are out while Pic has done very well in Marussia this year being a rookie and I think he has some cash behind him. No problem if he's in I think.
 
Prince.M5
Gutierrez is more of a realistic choice but recently Monisha Kaltenborn made a comment that she's a bit uninspired by Gutierrez's performance in India means that he might be on hold. But if anything, he remains the favourite.
Click to expand...

Gutierrez was very unimpressive, he was slower than Van Der Garde in the Caterham, a car which is 2-3 seconds slower than the Sauber. His GP2 season was also fairly unimpressive, he really should have been challenging for the title.

My picks for the remaining seats are:
Lotus: Grosjean. Despite all the first lap accidents, he has shown impressive pace, and surely has e potential to be a race winner, or maybe even more.

Sauber: Gutierrez. Despite the reasons above, Gutierrez gets the seat over the highly impressive Robin Frijns because he bring s more sponsorship money, crucial to a midfield team like Sauber. Look for him to be on a short leash though, a poor season could see him lose his seat for 2014.

Force India: Sutil/Alguesuari/Buemi/Bianchi. This is a tricky one, will force India continue the pattern of promoting their test driver, or will they go for a known quantity in Sutil? Or do they go for an ex Toro Rosso driver, both appear to be on the market.

Williams: Maldonado and Bottas. Despite not confirming either driver, the general consensus is that this is the lineup Williams will have next year, and I see no reason to disagree. Maldonado is clearly fast, and is getting better at finishing the races. Williams believe they have a future star in Bottas, and are eager to give him a shot to show what he's got.

Caterham: Pic and Kovalainen/Petrov/Alguesuari/ Van Der Garde. Pic has impressed in his rookie campaign, and seems headed for Caterham next year. Who will join him is another question, with plenty of drivers willing and able to fill the other seat.

Marussia: Chilton. Marussia will continue its trend of giving Glock a new teammate every year by promoting Chilton to a race drive. Max has been fairly impressive in GP2, and brings plenty of money, so this seems like a decent choice, although why they let go of Pic is puzzling.

HRT: Clos. With Ma Quing Ha not yet ready for F1, HRT promote their other reserve driver, Clos, to a race drive. They also achieve their goal of having an all Spanish lineup, so this move makes sense.

Of course this is just my view, please don't take it as fact. Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors, I typed this whole thing on my iPad.
 
But didn't HRT denied it already?

ESPNF1
But as rumours circulated, an HRT spokesman told GPUpdate.net: "The press conference wasn't such thing, but a tribute paid by the Chinese authorities to Ma for what he's achieved this season. That was it."
Click to expand...

I think it's just the Chinese media jumping the gun...
 
Here's the latest round of crazy stories from the silly season:

- Carlos Slim has been quoted as saying there will be two Mexican drivers on the grid in 2013, implying that Esteban Gutierrez will take the second Sauber seat.
- Pastor Maldonado and Bruno Senna will leave Williams, to be replaced by Vitaly Petrov and Valterri Bottas. This supposedly comes from Renault Sport, via Russian sources.
- Heikki Kovalainen will lose his Caterham seat because he took too long to make up his mind over the contract that was on offer; Tony Fernandes supposedly offered a multi-year deal, but Kovalainen only wanted a single season.
- Force India have supposedly told Kovalainen that they are looking for a paying driver.
- Caterham's line-up could see Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde join the team.
 
Here's a slightly bizarre theory that I heard about HRT. I picked it up from a member of the F1 Fanatic blog: namely, that Kazakhstan will get involved in HRT next year.

The president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, was spotted at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, despite having never expressed any interest in Formula 1 before. Nobody seems to know exactly what he was there for, only that he was there. As president, Nazarbayev oversees the Astana Group (named for the capital), an umbrella corporation representing the interests of all state-owned enterprises in Kazakhstan. They are no strangers to sports sponsorship either, backing Team Astana. Significantly, they also have a presence in motorsport:

Formel3_Dallara_F308_Juncadella_2010_amk.jpg


That's Daniel Juncadella, who won this year's Formula 3 Euroseries, FIA European F3 Championship and the Masters of Formula 3 at Zandvoort, and is the defending champion of the Macau Grand Prix (he is also returning this year). He also recently tested for Ferrari as his prize for winning the Euroseries, and is the nephew of HRT team principal Luiz Perez-Sala.

It's unlikely that Kazakhstan will buy into HRT - but if they are willing to commit sponsorship through Juncadella, they could go a long way to securing the team's future. Juncadella has an excellent resume, connections to government-backed sponsorship, and with no word on Cosworth's 2014 plans, his Ferrari test could pave the way for a customer engine deal. All of this would go a long way towards securing the team's future, and could therefore make the team more attractive to potential buyers.
 
Sadly I think its end of the road for HRT judging from the sounds coming from around the internet. Probably worth a separate thread though as its not really driver transfer news.
 
Liquid
RML and Prodrive have wanted in for a while, but they'll be nowhere near an F1 grid anytime soon.
Click to expand...

Prodrive have wanted in from 2007 if I'm correct? Chances of them making it are very, very slim as you said.
 
Signal52
Is there a likely replacement team?
Click to expand...

Liquid
RML and Prodrive have wanted in for a while, but they'll be nowhere near an F1 grid anytime soon.
Click to expand...

Not likely just because we've had a 13th slot open since 2009....if anyone really wanted in they would have already by now, they don't need to buy/replace HRT to get a grid slot.

Its now getting a bit late in the day for anyone to be saving HRT either as they haven't signed the Concorde agreement or signed up for next season yet..

A crying shame but HRT have always been a ragtag outfit from the beginning. I think we can really thank Colin Kolles for keeping it alive really as they've never found any serious sponsors beyond what their drivers brought to the table.
Thesan invested money this year and moved and setup the team in Spain, but they clearly don't have the money or want to spend the money.

I think one has to wonder what HRT's marketing department have been doing and whether their struggle for cash is a sign of the times or down to them.

I hope the employees manage to find employment elsewhere in these tough times!
 
Carlos Slim Helu is in Austin this weekend and has allegedly been telling Sauber that if they want to keep his companies as sponsors, then they need to take Esteban Gutierrez on in 2013.
 
According to AMuS, everyone with a driver's licence is under consideration at Force India, most notable the following: Sebastien Buemi, Jaime Alguersuari, Adrian Sutil, Jules Bianchi, Heikki Kovalainen, Davide Valsecchi, Luiz Razia, Johnny Cecotto, Jr. and Rodolfo Gonzalez. From that list, it's apparently been whittled down to Buemi, Alguersuari and Sutil.

Bruno Senna, Rubens Barrichello and Jacques Villeneuve have supposedly approached the team, but Barrichello and Villeneuve were ruled out as they are too old, and the team is said to be so unimpressed with Senna's performances this year that they didn't think he would be worth eight figures in sponsorship he and his sposnors were offering.

And f1enigma reckons Alex Wurz and a Antonio Mesquida - a Spanish media consultant - are trying to buy HRT.
 
And here's the google-translate version, without PM's poisonous spin on it.
The free seats in F1 are getting fewer. After Valtteri Bottas seem set at Williams and Esteban Gutierrez at Sauber, there is only an attractive job in the paddock. The second cockpit with Force India. To apply the 13 drivers.

Where there are still places in Formula 1? Lotus, Williams, Force India, Sauber, Marussia and Caterham have their second seat still not been officially confirmed. But with five of the six teams the occupations are obvious.

Valtteri Bottas will replace Bruno Senna at Williams. Esteban Gutierrez comes on for Sergio Perez Sauber. Marussia is Max Chilton next to Timo Glock, and at Caterham is most likely driver pairing Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde. Lotus at all depends on whether salaries are paid. Then Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean are fixed.
Barrichello and Villeneuve ask for Force India

The second Force India cockpit, making it the most coveted job in Formula 1 13 drivers have knocked on the Indians. Auto Motor und Sport knows the list: Sebastien Buemi, Jaime Alguersuari, Adrian Sutil, Jules Bianchi, Heikki Kovalainen, Bruno Senna, Davide Valsecchi, Luiz Razia, Johnny Cecotto Jr., Rodolfo Gonzalez, Rubens Barrichello and Jacques Villeneuve.

Kimi Raikkonen and if Lotus pay his salary can not 2012er. The Finn is Lotus expensive than expected, as his contract is based on World Cup points. Apparently you have forgotten to put a lid on the bonus points. The team was apparently out of a maximum of 100 meters. Raikkonen but has 198 points after 18 races already in the account.
Force India-selection is reduced to three riders

Last week met in Mumbai, the Force India boss. Also to discuss the driver question. It apparently two things were decided. No Paydriver, no veterans. Thus Valsecchi, Razia, Cecotto, Gonzalez, Villeneuve and Barrichello are out of the race.

The best chances Buemi, Alguersuari and Sutil are granted. Senna does indeed with a double-digit million sum, but has not yet convinced the team management with his performances. Since the Brazilian is in Austin and Interlagos again must give the right gas.
Click to expand...

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/...-um-den-zweiten-force-india-sitz-6145233.html
 
prisonermonkeys
Bruno Senna, Rubens Barrichello and Jacques Villeneuve have supposedly approached the team, but Barrichello and Villeneuve were ruled out as they are too old, and the team is said to be so unimpressed with Senna's performances this year that they didn't think he would be worth eight figures in sponsorship he and his sposnors were offering.
Click to expand...

Younger than Schumacher; considered too old. :lol:
 
gorsad
:lol:

I truthfully don't see what the problem is, he's experienced and probably still quite fast.
Click to expand...

Rubens outscored Pastor last year but I don't know how he stayed in F1 for so long, the number of championship winning cars he has drove and he has only won 11 races IIRC. Most top drivers in his position would have won at least one title.
 
David Coulthard only won 13 races, Gerhard Berger 10. Kimi Raikkonen has only won 19 races, and he's driven some good cars in his time. And if you're talking titles, Jacques Villeneuve won one but Alesi, Berger, Coulthard nor Barrichello ever came close. It's all relative.

Let's not forget, Rubens played second fiddle to Schumacher for six seasons. Even if he wasn't at Ferrari during that time, Schumacher would still be winning. No-one stood a chance of racking up race victory after race victory during that period, which goes partway to explaining Raikkonen having less than 20 victories.

But Rubinho is, despite his wealth of experience, too old to race in F1 now. He'd be racing at the expense of a potentially explosive up and comer. Or pay driver.
 
Barrichello too old? He wasn't too old in 2009 or 2010. He wasn't that bad last year.
And he's been pretty decent in Indycar this year.

I don't see anything wrong at all with hiring Rubens now, he's no way too old for it and he's still got some speed. He's a known quantity.

If teams still hire Pedro de la Rosa...they can certainly still hire Rubens Barrichello.

As for JV...well one can dream but they'd be crazy to gamble on him. Would love to see it though even though it would probably be quite embarrassing.
 
Barrichello is my #1 driver of all time, but I think that now he's gone from F1, he should stay gone. The only thing I'm sore about is the RA107 costing him the chance of scoring points in every one of his seasons in the Formula. If he's having success in IndyCar, why not stay? For a rookie, he's done very well, even winning Rookie of the Year at the Indy 500.

de la Rosa is a solid driver, but he's been wasted at HRT. Easily outshining Karthorse-ikayan, but outpaced at Sauber by an at-the-time quick Kobayashi.

But as for Force India, they should look at younger, fast drivers. And preferably not ones with inflated egos. *cough*di Resta*cough*. I suppose it comes down to £££.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest Posts

Back