MUSICAL CHAIRS 2010

Snowy · Post by **Snowy** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:15 pm

Most reports have Button at McLaren as a done deal now. I can't say I envy him.

Ed · Post by Ed » Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:34 pm

I do agree that it will be difficult for Button to match Hamilton at McLaren at least in the first year.

But it seems that the initial reports that Mercedes (Brawn) were looking for an all German team were not true and if a reasonable offer is still there, I think Button should take it. He will have a better chance with Mercedes than with McLaren

Snowy · Post by **Snowy** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 11:53 pm

I can't understand why Brawn are so reticent about rewarding Jenson for his driving and his loyaty to the team.

But clearly Ross is more pragmatist than romantic, Rubens was unceremoniously bundled out of the team and their relationship goes back eons.

Ed · Post by Ed » Wed Nov 18, 2009 12:47 pm

Brawn certainly is! Brawn GP will the only team in history that won the title on debut and was then sold off!! Brawn GP existed for only 1 season!

As for Button, it seems Brawn knows that the best place for Button is at Mercedes and hence he give him what he is asking for!

A followup on the Cosworth situation, it is now reported that Cosworth are very confident with the reliability and output of the engine and the main issue they are concentrating on is the fuel consumption!

GhoGho · Post by **GhoGho** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 5:23 am

Ed wrote:Brawn certainly is! Brawn GP will the only team in history that won the title on debut and was then sold off!! Brawn GP existed for only 1 season!

What a great investment!
Buy the team for 1 pound (knowing that you have a great advantage using the loophole in the way the regs were written) and sell it less than a year down the line for 260 000 000 euro!!

Jim Watt · Post by **Jim Watt** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:33 am

Well Chaps, now that it's official that the Silver Arrows will be running again under the three pointed star, the only real question is whether or not they'll be willing to buy K. Raikkonen to fill the other seat!

If so, then we could see a brilliant battle between young Rosberg, who's so far not ever been in a competitive seat, and the brilliant, but uneven, Finn.

As to the other Finn, the one whose I never learned how to spell and whose seat the Jense just took -- well, maybe Campos will have a seat for him? or the BMW/Sauber/Camel Driver group?

If, that is, the Ecclestone decides to 'allow' the long-suffering Swiss campaigner a 'slot' next year. And isn't THAT fantastic! The team that earned 6th place in the manufacturer's points AND who is rumored to have the best power plant on the grid, isn't even guaranteed a slot next year!!

Personally, I am very disappointed that Mercedes-B[raun]enz, didn't snatch up Timo Glock to confront the All-Brit McLaren line-up with an (almost) All-Teuton Merc one!

But, leaving the second Merc seat open for the moment, let's run down the 2010 grid as of this moment:

Red Bull/Renault (and here's hoping Renault, if they pull out, will still supply Adrian Newey's slick chassis with a decent engine!) is the only team for next year with continuity: they were Second in Manufacturer's points and Second (Vettel) and Fourth (Webber) in Driver's points. Here's hoping next year they startle us all by moving their numbers from 3 & 4 to 1 & 2!

McLaren/Mercedes were third in manufacturer's points and their drivers for next year will be [1] Button and [5] Hamilton. Should be fun to watch because the Jense will be playing the Barrichello to Hamilton's Schumacher.

Ferrari, alas, is on a downward slope I fear.

The great discipline and brilliant results they managed under Meister Braun and Maestro Todt with the RingMeister Schu are a thing of the past.

Alonso only managed ninth in points last year and Massa scored eleventh & would probably been a couple higher but for bad luck, but unless a miracle has been managed at Maranello --and I doubt it has-- the famous red machines could go for a record number of races without a podium.

It will be fun, though, to hear from the Spaniard about the car's performance!

Williams, alas, will be Cosworth powered. Couldn't Sir Frank have at least TRIED for some Renault blocks? Or even BMW?!!

Ed says (rightly) that Cosworth has a great F1 heritage. But heritage don't win you races, that takes grunt (power plus reliability) and a good chassis with a good to great driver. Presumably Sir Frank will supply a decent chassis, but Rubens and the Hulk don't look very promising (points wise) to me.

Renault has a great driver in Robert Kubica--

--and maybe V. Petrov can bring enough cash with him to keep the French machinery before the public.

Granted that I hate Renault (for no good reason, I admit

) I will be very sad to see them leave.

And VERY upset if they pull out and wreck Red Bull's chances!

Now I can't say that about Toyota, the "world's largest car builder". They never should have been in F1 since they evidently were more committed to sales than racing. I say good riddance.

But alas, they left two solid drivers high and dry.

Timo Glock, they say, has gone to Manor/Cosworth. So I really doubt he'll be in the top ten drivers in points next year! And Jarno? Is it true he's signed with Lotus?

And that brings us to Force India , the third team on the grid with Illmore (oops, I mean, Mercedes) power.

They'll probably keep Adrian Sutil --and maybe even partner him with Nick Heidfeld? Suddenly we find Teutons everywhere!

Or maybe the Indian chap that Bernie E. has been championing

will buy his way in?

Torro Rosso/Ferrari should move up next year: The other Sebastien, Buemi has been solid

and if they're smart they'll snatch up K. Kobayashi for the second seat!

Wouldn't it be fun if they did a 'Braun' on Ferrari and out pointed the factory team?!

Now we enter the eight machines who will play the moving

chicane role:

USF1/Cosworth: don't be surprised if yet another Sebastian --this time the Frenchman, Bourdais-- doesn't take one of their seats. He is, after all, better known in the U.S. than most of the rest of the F1 field!

And maybe this is where Heikki, the solid, but uninspiring Finn,

will find a seat?

Or, if Peter Windsor is really lucky, he might land quick Nick Heidfeld, who would be his best chance to steal some points for his first year.

Lotus/Cosworth: they're saying Jarno Trulli and Kaz Nakajima (unless they can locate some Eurasian talent so far unknown to the larger world)

Campos/Cosworth: Bruno Senna has been signed supposedly; it would make sense for them to snatch up J. Alguersuari I think. But by the time
you get down to this point, you have to wonder whether some of these teams will even QUALIFY for races!

And, finally, Manor/Cosworth: Timo Glock they say has signed. If so, they're getting a real bargain. Will they partner him with di Grassi? Probably. But actually: who, other than the drivers involved, really cares?

Because about all I am looking forward to with respect to "the Cosworth runners" is whether or not they'll have decent livery. Let's just hope none of them hires the idiots who came up with the Jaguar paint jobs for Ford!

Well, that's it for a --way, too-- lengthy gaze at my grease smeared Crystal Ball.

I hope that 2010 is, in fact, what Ross Braun has been saying lately: a return to the good old days of the privateers and grease monkey's rubbing the manufacturer's faces in their dust as they snatch the glory. It will be especially rich if the Ross, in selling out to the fat cats at Merc, is on the losing end next year!

So here's to young Vettel and Webber and Rosberg and who ever partner's him to leaving the Silver Mercs and the Red cars fighting for nothing more than the third step on the podium!

Merry Christmas, all --and may Max and Bernie get lumps --no MOUNTAINS!-- of coal in their stockings!

Jim Watt

Jim Watt · Post by **Jim Watt** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:42 am

OOoops!

I meant to say at the end: here's to Vettel & Webber and Buemi and who ever partners him sticking it to the silver Mercs and the Red cars!

Obviously.

this is what happens when you make too long of a post. And you don't have a decent proof reader (ie. have to rely on your own wits!)

cheerio, jim

Snowy · Post by **Snowy** » Sat Nov 21, 2009 5:55 am

I don't see Ferrari's downward spiral lasting into next season. Basically they ceased developing the 2009 car half way through the season and yet it still showed pace and won convincingly at Spa. With Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa they will inevitably be a force next season. In fact with the relative stability of regulations we are assured of four very strong competitive teams.
Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari will give us the strongest championship line up ever!

Another thing to consider is the Ford engine, writing it off is not a particularly bright thing to do. The current crop of engines that the top teams will be using in 2010 were developed in 2007 and have had little development allowed since. The Ford engine is brand new and developed with the very latest specs and materials written into it design concepts. It might actually have a massive advantage...

Jim Watt · Post by **Jim Watt** » Sat Nov 21, 2009 8:18 am

Snowy:

I sure hope you're right about Ferrari. If they still had a management team (and not a corporate leaning one) I'd be as optimistic as you. But you can argue that Ferrari don't NEED F1 wins and points to sell cars (they're doing quite well, thank you very much) and neither does FIAT. They'll stay of course, and the tifosi will remain faithful, but I think if they do as well NEXT year as McLaren did THIS year, they'll be very lucky.

As to the Cosworth/Ford engines. It would be fantastic if they out perform the Mercs and Ferraris and Renaults. Maybe they're right now busy re-badging some renegade BMW blocks. If so, then next year, as you say, could be even more exciting than this year! But right now, my money's on Red Bull and the Silver Arrrows.

happy holidays,

Jim Watt

Ed · Post by Ed » Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:06 am

On the Cosworth engine, it isn't a new engine but one that is built on the 2006 V8 2.4 engine they had. It will certainly have new components but the basic design hasn't changed and they are working hard on reducing its fuel consumption and that is the most critical aspect for them due to the refuelling rules next year.
Cosworth are saying that power wise and weight wise they are on par with the other engines. Driveability remains to be seen though.

Julian Mayo · Post by **Julian Mayo** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:37 am

Ed wrote:On the Cosworth engine, it isn't a new engine but one that is built on the 2006 V8 2.4 engine they had. It will certainly have new components but the basic design hasn't changed and they are working hard on reducing its fuel consumption and that is the most critical aspect for them due to the refuelling rules next year.
Cosworth are saying the power wise and weight wise they are on par with the other engines. Driveability remains to be seen though.

And we know what happens if a race engine is run as lean as possible on a near vertical torque curve
.........................KABLOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEYYY!!!.
(eg, Renault turbos)