It's that time again: The driver market opens for business. In F1 this is the time for those whose contacts are up for grabs to show off what they can do and how good they actually are.
So far in the last few weeks we have seen drivers dropped, hired and re-signed for another stint. But there has yet to be announced a driver switch.
With Fernando Alonso expected to be announced as a Ferrari driver in two weeks at Monza, the driver market is about to be blown open once again.
McLaren has warned their driver Heikki Kovalainen he has to up his game to retain his seat, and if he doesn't we can expect a large group of drivers trying to bid for his spot in the team.
Nico Rosberg appears to be at the top of that list, but the likes of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld will be closely looked at. From a marketing point of view it would make sense to employ a German driver, so Heidfeld and Rosberg along with Timo Glock will be more attractive to McLaren.
If Alonso does make the switch to the Italian squad, then that would leave an open seat at Renault. Robet Kubica has been linked with the drive and this probably looks more likely than a switch to McLaren.
Toyota's future hangs in the balance of the powers that be in Japan. The wait in the signing off of their 2010 budget is getting everyone at Cologne a bit anxious, even more so for that of Jarno Trulli, who looks like he could be on the move after the announcement that the team are unlikely to retain the Italian for 2010.
He could end up giving one of the new three teams a hand, lending his experience and knowledge to the new comers.
Ferrari looks to have their driver line up sorted for 2010. As mentioned earlier it looks almost certain that Alonso will make the switch in the next season. Felipe Massa will most certainly be retained, as his impressive work in 2008 and his consistency in this year's championship will have earned him a well deserved drive, provided he can fully recover from his accident in Hungary.
Kimi Raikkonen has been very quiet about his future, feeding rumors he is to leave F1 altogether.
Moving further down the grid before going back to the sharp end, Force India are most likely to keep hold of Adrian Sutil, who has been linked to a McLaren drive also.
But the feeling is he will remain at the Silverstone based squad for 2010. The likelihood of Giancarlo Fisichella staying is 50/50. Not a lot has been mentioned about where he may end up next year.
Red Bull has their seats firmly filled next year, with both first team drivers signed, sealed, and delivered (pardon the pun...) for next year at least.
The sister team Torro Rosso is most likely to keep their two youngsters Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari as both have impressed in their short Formula 1 careers. (My view is that Alguersuari is a one to watch for the future, keep an eye on him)
To Grove, where Williams resides...Nico Rosberg has made no secret of wanting to switch to a more competitive side, but Williams has improved and Nico is driving well, scoring points consistently.
So he has a lot to think about, but the feeling of the paddock and media is that the German will move South Westerly to Woking and join the Silver Arrows.
5 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete