Here is where you make your predictions for who will be driving for which team next season. If you think driver X is going to be replaced by some guy you've never heard off, just write 'New Prospect' instead of worrying! I'll start off: Red Bull: Vettel and Webber Mclaren: Hamilton and Button Ferrari: Alonso and Perez Mercedes: Rosberg and Massa Renault: Senna and Petrov (I think Kubica will have to recover for a bit longer, or maybe never race again) Williams: Maldonado and a new driver. Force India: Sutil and Di Resta Sauber: Kobayashi and a driver from one of the lower teams. Toro Rosso: Buemi and Alguersuari Lotus: Trulli and Kovaleinen Hispania: Ricciardo and Liuzzi Virgin: Glock and a new driver.
Red Bull: Vettel and Webber - No change. Mclaren: Rosberg and Button - Lewis leaves McLaren and trades places with Nico. Ferrari: Alonso and Perez - Massa trades with Perez. Mercedes: Lewis and Schumacher - Nico leaves Mercedes to McLaren. Renault: Senna and Kubica - Kubica comes back and remains number 1. Williams: Maldonado and Sutil/Grosjean - It's what you get with a Renault engine, a French driver but Sutil could replace Rubens. Force India: Hulk and Di Resta - Sutil gets replaced by Hulk. Sauber: Kobayashi and Massa - Trade with Perez. Toro Rosso: Ricciardo and Alguersuari - Buemi gets the boot. Lotus: Petrov and Kovalainen - Trulli gets the boot and Petrov brings more money in. Hispania: Gutiérrez/Rossi and Liuzzi/Rubens - New blood with money backing him, Rubens to bring experience and do the same role as with Williams. Virgin: Glock and Wickens - Youth product, will surely replace Ambrosio.
the top 6 will probably stay the same, the team with the biggest selection problem is probably torro rosso, Alguersuari has come on in leaps and bounds since getting his botty smacked by the boss. the Rosberg/Hamilton switch around would be interesting, everyone would finally see how mediocre Rosberg is and Hamilton would retire Schumacher.
Red Bull: Vettel and Hamilton Mclaren: Button and Webber Ferrari: Alonso and Perez Mercedes: Rosberg and Schumacher Renault: Senna and Kubica Williams: Maldonado and Raikkonen Force India: Sutil and Di Resta Sauber: Kobayashi and a driver from one of the lower teams. Toro Rosso: Buemi and Alguersuari Lotus: New driver and Kovalainen Hispania: Ricciardo and Liuzzi Virgin: Glock and a new driver.
Red Bull: Vettel and Webber -Both have already signed contracts Mclaren: Hamilton and Button -Same Ferrari: Alonso and Massa -Both are contracted for next season. Whilst Massa might not be the best driver for that seat, he has a contract, and I don't think Ferrari could afford (with RRA) to pay him off like Raikkonen. He's also a perfect number 2. Mercedes: Rosberg and Schumacher -Rosberg has a contract, and I think Schumacher has the option, not Mercedes, so I think they'll be unchanged. Schumacher is on a par with Rosberg, and can help with development, so no need to change. Renault: Senna and Petrov -Unless Renault can find another driver with lots of money behind them, Petrov is going nowhere, Senna looks like the best bet if (when) Kubica is declared unfit. Williams: Maldonado and ????? -Maldonado and his money aren't going anywhere, if Williams and Raikkonen can't make an agreement, then I think Barrichello has another season in him. Force India: Sutil and Di Resta -I think Di Resta will definitely be staying, based on talent. Sutil has scored well too, so maybe he'll be kept. However, with new investors, Sutil's sponsors are no longer as important, and the night club incident in China may mean his services are no longer required, especially if a good young Indian driver can be found. However, I think he'll stay. Sauber: Kobayashi and Perez -2 excellent drivers, and with no seats further up the grid free, I can't see either of them wanting to go anywhere, and based on performance, I don't think Sauber want to lose them either. Toro Rosso: Buemi and Alguersuari -Despite speculation Alguersari would lose his seat earlier in the season, both have performed well of late, and I can't see a reason for changing them. Lotus: Trulli and Kovaleinen -Both have contracts signed. Hispania: Ricciardo and Vergne -I think Red Bull's arrangement is working well for both, and it wouldn't surprise me if they extend the arrangement to cover Vergne next season. Liuzzi is being paid by Force India, with whom I think his contract expires this year, so I can imagine him being left without a seat. Virgin: Glock and a new driver. -They'd be fools to get rid of Glock, he's been excellent, and I'm sure signed a 4 year deal recently. I think D'Ambrosio's seat is dependent on who in the lower formulas is looking for a seat, especially if they bring money, or with the Marussia tie-up, are Russian.
Renault: Senna and Petrov -Unless Renault can find another driver with lots of money behind them, Petrov is going nowhere, Senna looks like the best bet if (when) Kubica is declared unfit. Senna faring well on this forum, he's getting quite a beating on others, lol!
This forum is more balanced than others, thus why I came here in January, but things are sadly changing a little.
But realistically, who else is there? They've already decided Heidfeld isn't good enough, couldn't sort anything out with Raikkonen, and of their test drivers only Grosjean has F1 experience- and he didn't exactly set the world alight last time. As Senna drove this season, he should be able to hit the ground running next year, with fewer rookie errors than anyone else that they could bring in from GP2, etc. By the logic in my last post, the only current drivers looking for race seats are likely to be Barichello and Liuzzi, and I don't think either of them are any more suitable, so sticking with someone who the team likes and has had a hand in development of the 2012 car makes sense.
Senna gets way too much praise, yet another crap race where Kovalainen nearly beat him. And if Petrov didnt have a brain fade then he would have easily beat him.
No change in any of the teams except STR (Ricciardo in, Buemi out), Virgin (who knows) and HRT (Vergne in for Karthikeyan) I think Barichello will settle his problems with Williams myself.
May be that's true for this race, but he's come under his fare share of criticism; being judged on driving for the terrible HRT, getting slagged because he's called "Senna". Regardless of how underwhelming his performance was today, you can't deny he has talent, having been thrown into the car in the middle of the season with no testing...
He has had countless Practice sessions to adjust and maximize his potential for each race, what would a few weekends of pre-season testing have gained him?
Pre-season testing plus participation in actual races like his competitors, and may be the experience of having had a decent car the year before to name it all
But we are comparing him to Petrov right? Therefore the car he is in does not matter, we expect 9th or 10 place finishes from both Renaults, he has also participated in actual races, India will call to question his skill as everyone (inter-team) is on the same level.
But you shouldn't forget that Petrov was not driving an HRT last year, nor did he jump in mid-season like Bruno- he has TONS more experience in a reasonable car.
Come on AS, they both have driven a 2011 spec F1 car... they understand the fundamental basics of driving on. So why is Senna slower than Petrov? I agree with the fact that he came in mid-season, but shouldn't he be bringing in 1 or 2 points each race in the Renault?
I can't give you the exact reasons, but my guess is (in light of his severe tyre degradation), he's struggling with the Pirelli's, plus his bad starts are symptomatic of a lack of actual race experience. With regard to points, I guess that's what the team expects from him, but they should keep their expectations real, given the circumstances. Of course he will be judged on the coming races, India included.
