This was from another posting:
I half expect Ralf will get replaced by Mark Webber before the end of the year.
And The Swamee sez:
David Coulthard will retire at years end along with Rubens Barrichello.
Nelsinho Piquet Jr will foolishly jump ship and take Rubinho's place at the adrift-at-sea Honda team for next year. He is not very popular with Renault of late.
Jenson Button will shock all by first announcing he will retire then take DC's place at Red Bull.
...
Gil deFerran will attempt to lure Pedro delaRosa to take over Jenson Button's race seat at Honda (bringing with him knowledge of the inner workings of the McLaren), but PDLR will decide to stay put. They will eventually get Gary Paffitt.
Red Bull will surprise all by announcing Graham Rahal as Mark Webber's replacement sending shock waves through the Red Bull hierarchy.
And the verdict is...
McLaren - Alonso/Hamilton
Ferrari - Massa/Nico Rosberg!!!
BMW-Sauber - Heidfeld/Kubica (w/ Sebastien Vettel staying on as tester)
Williams - Wurz/SeaBass
Toyota - Trulli/Webber
Honda - Paffitt/Piquet Jr
Red Bull Racing - Graham Rahal/Jenson Button
Renault - Fisichella/Kovalainnen (Briatore will unsucessfully try to get Sebastien Vettel or Robert Kubica who will both stay at BMW-Sauber)
The other teams will not matter as far as top race seats are concerned.
Retired: David Coulthard, Rubens Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher
Heres another possible scenario (I guess all of them are possible!):
Ferrari stunner! Raikonnen is dropped after one season with the team. Ferrari hires Nico Rosberg who is fed up at Williams. Massa and Rosberg prove to be a much stronger pairing.
Nelson Piquet convinces Frank Williams to hire Nelson Jr (since Flavio Briatore makes it plain that he wants either Robert Kubica or Sebastien Vettel. He tests Marco Andretti and offers him a test seat. Marco decides to stick with the IRL. Kubica and Vettel choose to stay put.).
Flavio Briatore offers a drive to retired David Coulthard! DC doesn't take the offer seriously. Briatore ends up sticking Fisichella and Kovalainnen.
Frank Williams hires Sebastian Bourdais. The team stalls renewing its contract with Alex Wurz who decides to take a race seat with Toro Rosso offered by Gerhard Berger.
Jenson Button moves to Red Bull Racing to replace David Coulthard along with Bobby Rahal's son Graham Rahal.
Mark Webber announces he had signed a contract with Toyota for the 2008 season during the 2007 USGP weekend to replace Ralf Schumacher (which might explain the rapid exit of Schu Jr after his first corner shunt).
Valentino Rossi signs with Super Aguri racing to partner Takuma Sato who finishes an amazing 8th in the point standings at the end of the year ahead of both Williams drivers and Heikki Kovalainen.
AUDI announces it will be entering Formula 1 as an engine supplier for 2009. Ford plans a Formula 1 return in 2009 rebadged as Mazda.
Rubens Barrichello takes a managerial position at Ferrari. He is poised to succeed a soon-to-be retiring Jean Todt. Jean Alesi resurfaces as well.
Not to be left out, Spyker F1 offers a similar gig to Eddie Irvine who acts as though he will take on the responsibility, then backs out. Niki Lauda offers virtually the entire paddock his services in such a capacity, but finds no takers.
