The thing is that the new engine regs might force their hand, if they don't see Massa as a long-term option then why not put a youngster in the car who can develop with the team?
According to Turun Sanomat, Webber is a candidate, along with Hulkenburg and Bianchi - but Massa has three races to save his seat.
If those figures are true they are crazy - I wince at the pay demands of some drivers but if they are WDCs or proven race winners then Zi understand the argument.
Rosberg's talented but not that talented surely? I'd say that money would be for a number 2 driver at a top team. ...I think I just answered my own question.
According to Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo and citing information compiled by Business Book GP 2013 F1 wages - 1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari €20m = Lewis Hamilton Mercedes €20m 3. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes €16m 4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing €12m 5. Nico Rosberg Mercedes €11m 6. Mark Webber Red Bull Racing €10m 7. Felipe Massa Ferrari €6m 8. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus F1 Team €3m
They also seem to forget that RBR have a different pay structure to the other teams: 40% retainer and 60% bonus compared with Ferrari and Mercedes which is 70% retainer and 30% bonus (http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2010/08/how-much-does-an-f1-driver-earn/) And tbh Vettel's wage which we see there is very old. That's during the early 2011 period, later into 2011 he was getting 16 million euros after he signed up till 2014. Now he has won another world title and has more clout I highly doubt he is still on 12million but more like 22million now as reported by the German and Austrian media. It's just Seb refuses to reveal his wages out into the open and doesn't have a manager or brand company to take a percentage of it. And surprising enough Alonso has gone down from 30 million to 20 million... http://www.crash.net/f1/news/180405/1/f1_2012_driver_salaries_revealed_-_but_who_earns_most.html Seems like the Spanish papers just enjoy putting Alonso on top.
I have no evidence to back this up but my gut feeling is that, having been part of the Mercedes GP project from the beginning, Nico is more likely to want to see it come to fruition: firstly, because he's never been in a better place racing and career-wise than he is now; secondly, because he doesn't seem the type to jump to Ferrari for a bit of glory when surely it will be more satisfying to be a key player in the resurrection of one of motor sport's great marques, assuming that's what happens Thirdly, he has more parity partnering Lewis than he would probably have partnering Alonso. Things are finally coming good for him and doubts about his talent are being challenged: why would he risk that? Edit: there's another word I might have used here: loyalty. As I said, it's just a gut feeling and, of course, it can be a weakness in a sport like this.
Massa's pace is better than what it was last year but it's still frustrating when you look at Alonso's performances in the races and see how far away Massa still is. With the car he has this year, one podium in seven races isn't good enough. I'm tired of seeing Massa deliver average performances. Ferrari should be very close to Red Bull in the constructors, but they're already 56 behind after 7 races. I'd much rather see Bianchi as Alonso's teammate. He may be inexperienced but he so far he hasn't chocked under pressure, he hasn't caused any collisions and his pace has been great. If Ferrari think it's too early for him, I'd happily welcome Hulkenburg to Ferrari.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/108290 Chilton thinks another year at Marussia is needed before he goes looking for a big team
Craig Scarborough ‏@ScarbsF1 2m For 2014 8 days of post race testing is proposed. Instead of filming days, straightline and young driver tests
Confirmed, Webber to quit F1 at the end of the year to go Sports Car Racing. Let the fight for the seat alongside Seb begin!
http://www.markwebber.com/on-the-tr...t-mark-webber-to-contest-le-mans-for-porsche/ Porsche Press Release: June 27, 2013 Stuttgart. The Australian Formula 1 pilot Mark Webber has signed a contract with Porsche that extends over several years. From the 2014 season he will compete in Porscheâs new LMP1 sports prototype at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the sports car World Endurance Championship WEC. The 36-year-old Australian has already raced at Le Mans twice. In 1998 he finished runner-up in the FIA GT Championship at the wheel of a sports prototype. Over the course of his Formula 1 career from 2002 until today, Webber has achieved 36 podium places, nine race victories and has started from pole position eleven times. âItâs an honour for me to join Porsche at its return to the top category in Le Mans and in the sports car World Endurance Championship and be part of the team. Porsche has written racing history as a manufacturer and stands for outstanding technology and performance at the highest level,â says Mark Webber. âIâm very much looking forward to this new challenge after my time in Formula 1. Porsche will undoubtedly set itself very high goals. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world.â âIâm very pleased to have secured Mark Webber for our LMP1 project as one of the best and most successful Formula 1 pilots of our time,â says Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG. âMark is without doubt one of the worldâs best race drivers, he has experience at the Le Mans 24 hour race and on top of that heâs been a Porsche enthusiast for many years.â âI learned to appreciate Markâs qualities when we were both involved in Formula 1,â says Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1. âHe is one of the best pilots I could imagine for our team. Iâm absolutely delighted that we have such an experienced and fast regular driver onboard from 2014.â Competing in the new LMP1 car alongside Mark Webber are the two long-standing Porsche works drivers Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) as well as the ex-Formula 1 test driver Neel Jani (Switzerland). Bernhard and Dumas already joined forces in 2010 to bring home overall victory from the Le Mans 24 hour race. In the years 2007 and 2008, they secured the American Le Mans Series title at the wheel of the RS Spyder LMP2 sports prototype. Neel Jani has contested the LMP1 class since 2010.
"after my time in Formula 1. I can hardly wait to pilot one of the fastest sports cars in the world." please log in to view this image
I wonder if we could see Buemi in Webbers seat 2014 onwards? Most people only consider Kimi and the TR youngsters, but Buemi has a very good relationship with Vettel and is a known quantity.
