The identity of the two Mercedes Grand Prix drivers remains uncertain at the moment, although Nico Rosberg is believed to have a contract in place. There has been much speculation about the other drive since Jenson Button signed for McLaren with the names Kimi Raikkonen, Michael Schuamcher and Nick Heidfeld being bandied around. The latest name in the frame is that of Robert Kubica, who is contracted to drive for Renault F1 in 2010. There is speculation, however, that Renault will sell the team and if that happens Kubica would come likely come on the market again and would be a very good choice for the team. The Polish driver was much in demand before he decided in September to join Renault, talking to McLaren, Williams and Ferrari before deciding to go for the lead drive with the Renault team. At the time all seemed to be well but the Singapore 2008 scandal transformed Renault’s situation. It remains to be seen what the French car manufacturer is going to do. Some think that Renault boss Carlos Ghosn has a little more gumption than most of his colleagues in the automotive world and hope that he will find a more creative way to extend the company’s 32-year involvement in F1. The automobile world is still suffering from the difficult economic situation and others fear that it may turn out that Ghosn is no better than them and that Renault will follow the other manufacturers out of F1.
“Jenson Button singed for McLaren with the names Kimi Raikkonen, Michael Schuamcher and Nick Heidfeld”
Wow, a choral group huh? When will the CD be released?
You know, I really do hope that Heidfeld gets the chance with this drive?
He is a driver with proven consistency and baring any car issues with balance/tyres etc such as he suffered from last year (as had Kimi and as has Jenson etc etc), he has always been combatent with his team mates whoever thay have been. Don’t forget also that he was for many years on the books at McLaren.
I for one think that he would be more than an even match for Rosberg, or anybody else for that matter.
His situation reminds me of the opinions that abounded regarding John Watson when he was at both Brabham and McLaren. A quick and reliable driver but with little in the way of a promotable image to the wider public.
A tad myopic but understandable in a world judged by the bottom line…
Eddie Jordan has been filmed for the BBC website stating that he thinks that Schumacher is going to drive for Merc next year.
Going on the basis that most of EJs predictions on the BBC race coverage last season were way off, its probably not going to happen!!!!!
I’d love to see Shumi back on track with Mr Brawn behind him. I agree with Joe however, when he says it could destroy his legacy.
He’d also probably be throwing away first refusal on an order any future Ferrari road car for the rest of his life! Surely that holds a bit of weight against another seasons racing, whereby he could do his credibility real damage!
I’m sure if its on the table, he’ll jump at it. Race Of Champions shows that he’s still got race pace, but does he have the stamina?
I agree that Rosberg is signed up. Would he have given up his Williams seat, unless he could get in a bigger team? Also, there’s only Merc seats left unannounced now isn’t there? I couldn’t see him opting to go from Williams to one of the new teams.
Joe,
I’m a big fan of your blog – definitely the best F1 website by a mile.
The whole Brawn/Mercedes/McLaren/Button situation is very strange.
I’ve been trying to get my head round why Button would sign for McLaren, or why McLaren wanted to sign Button. I have a theory from McLaren’s side. Refuelling will be banned next year. This means that it will be more important for a driver to drive a heavy car quickly without burning through their tyres. Hamilton has sometimes been noticeably harder on his tyres than other drivers (think Turkey in 2007 and 2008) whereas Button is one of the smoothest on the grid. McLaren may be hedging their bets. If Lewis struggles with the new regulations (unlikely but possible) they now have the driver who will be gentle on his tyres at the start of a race. Apologies if you or the other contributors have already thought of this.
On Button’s side McLaren have a better development track record than Brawn/Mercedes. I also think McLaren will be more likely to design a pace setting car than Brawn/Mercedes for next year. In 2009 a unique set of circumstances came together that allowed Brawn but get the jump on the field. I don’t think this will be repeated next year. So being in a McLaren is not a bad thing at all. However, Button’s problem is that McLaren are Lewis’ team and the will probably design the new car to exploit Lewis’ driving style. Button may struggle to adapt the car to his style. Of course, if he does beat Hamilton in a McLaren then his legacy is complete. Whatever the outcome it will be an exciting year for McLaren.
Mercedes puzzle me. They clearly need a proven winner for their team. Rosberg may become one, but he is not yet proven. Button would have been the obvious choice, so why let him go to McLaren? None of the names linked to Mercedes are any better. Kimi is great when he’s in the mood, Schumacher would have been perfect 10 years ago, Heidfeld is solid but does he sparkle? Kubica would be a better choice than the others but he is already signed for Renault. I only hope Renault do not put Mercedes in a position where they can sign him. Whether F1 needs car manufacturers or not it certainly needs engine makers.
Keep up the good work,
Andrew
Despite the fact almost everybody says Kimi is out for 2010 I can’t stop myself thinking Mercedes needs him.
I secretly hope that Merc being really annoyed by Jenson going to McLaren they would “put their hand in their pocket” (as we say in France) to find that little extra money needed to convince the finn…We’ll see! Any advice Joe?
I still think that Mercedes would make a huge mistake by not taking Kimi. I mean, what better answer to Mclaren than this?
Replace a world champion by another world champion! Plus, Kimi winning with them would really give Ron Dennis a big slap in the face!
Joe does consistency, ability to set up a car, loyalty and not blah blah blah blahing your team count any more?
Sure Robert when he is on a high delivers spectacularly like Brazil, but this year was not particularly successful taken on an overall view, even discounting the car’s poor performance up until Spa.
Ross Brawn was saying how next year having a smooth style and being able to conserve the car and its tyres/brakes will be important. Robert does not strike me as being that sort of a driver. Ironically Brawn was saying a Jenson style would be advantageous only for him days later to lose the “family silverware”.
As having one of the most rational views in the F1 media I would like to know who your top ten 2009 drivers were for this year and which of these (and other drivers) should do well given the need to drive a car from light and empty to heavy and fulled next year.
Rich,
I will give it some thought.
Everyone seem’s so worried about the tires in 2010, why? Teams will still be making tire stops, Bridgestone will still have a prime and option, so they will be more suited to a no re-fueling race, its in 2011 when teams are going to have to deal with whatever the FIA/Bernie come’s along with that tires will matter. And if the tires are junk, then being smooth wont matter! It’s always been the same, the quickest drivers are the best. Good night Jensen.
Fangio was 43 when he joined the new Mercedes-Benz team in 1954. He hadn’t won the WDC since 1951 and he had suffered an extremely serious injury in 1952 at the age of 41.
A major part of Fangio’s genius was that he had the knack of always having the best car. Michael Schumacher also has that knack, although unlike Fangio he has been conspicuously faithful, rather than swapping around.
It seems to me quite plausible that Schumacher at 40 could be the best driver available to the Mercedes-Benz team at this point, and that he could be able to lead the team and dominate Nico Rosberg. What I can’t understand is why a man with the knack of always having the best car would return from retirement to drive for the Brackley team, which on past experience can’t be expected to produce a winning car for him.
Have to say I agree with Rich. It would be very interesting to hear who your current top 10 drivers are. The comments to that would also be very interesting.
For what it’s worth, I think Heidfeld it the most underestimated driver on the grid. He is similar to Button in style, but I really think he is even faster. Heidfeld should end up at Mercedes. Is he the Dark Horse for the Championship??
Schumacher coming back makes sense for no one. He’s been out for three years, and there’s no way he’ll be in top form after just a month of testing. His legacy will be damaged, and it would compromise Merc’s situation to have a 40 year old lead driver who can’t handle the physical strain of the car anymore.
The best option for Merc is unquestionably to hire Raikkonen. He says he’s taking a sabbatical, but if he is sincere in wanting a competitive car to take a run at a championship, then I can’t see why he wouldn’t listen to Merc as his managers have said he would. He’s unquestionably one of the top drivers in the sport, and Merc needs such a driver in their car to lead their championship campaign. He’ll likely have no problem with a short-term contract, which will allow Merc to take a run at Vettel for 2012.
If Michael’s neck injury kept him from driving for his “beloved” Ferrari then I can’t see it’s going to put up with G forces for 19 race weekends and preseason testing.
On Kimi, I can’t see anyone else being harder on tyres than him; he’s a great driver but doesn’t drive with any intelligence, just gets in a drives the pants off the car.
Brawn didn’t seem keen on signing Button up again, they had the whole year to get something signed, not just the month since Brazil. It will really be their own fault if they do end up with an uninspiring lineup line Rosberg/Heidfeld.
Rosberg is certain of a seat, no doubt about it. His contract was not with a team but with a manufacturer called Mercedes and they pick the team for it. Now they’ve got bigger plans than staying with McLaren, so they put Rosberg there.
Nick Heidfeld in the second seat, looks like a solid second choice. But how gifted Rosberg may be, he is just to confirm that he can take the next step and proof himself to be a race and championship winning driver. That makes one big team, a potentially great car, the best team manager in the pit, but two drivers with a big(Heidfeld) and a small(Rosberg) question mark above their head if it comes to the championship.
Kubica will stay with Renault, somehow I’m quite confident that they will stay in F1. And now Glock has signed with manor, I think they will go after Heidfeld. That combination seemed to work well within BMW Sauber.
Schumacher would be great, I don’t see it happening. We have to admit, his days are over. He has been out of F1 for 3 full seasons now, he’s 40, he’s not familiar with the new regulations. I’m afraid he would fail and I think he knows it. And that’s why he would come back for a few races, to get the F1 feeling again, but why he is refusing the Mercedes offer. It’s too late to start a second carreer.
So, I think the best option for Mercedes is to go after Kimi. He knows that a team with Mercedes engines and a team manager like Ross Brawn are most likely to success and since he has ran out of options in Formula 1, his financial demands will have dropped too.
So Norbert Haug, take your chance (and your wallet), contact Steve Robertson and get the finn in your car. With Rosberg and Raikkonen in your cars, you take up the challenge to the great driving pairs of Ferrari and Mclaren!
Joe,
I have always enjoyed your writing (*to be honest* [and I am being sincere] you are my second favourite F1 journalist), and am part-way through reading your excellent book “Grand Prix Saboteurs”.
While I think that Kubica would be welcome at any team, I can’t see what Renault get out of leaving F1 except saving some dollars. How much of Crash-gate will re-surface? Will the murmurs be that Renault must have been more heavily involved gather volume (regardless of whether they are true or not)? I don’t know much about Ghosn (although have heard that he has been a ruthless cost-cutter) but I assume that he would be aware of the moves that have a negative PR on the company – you don’t get to the position of president or CEO of a company without taking these things into account.
Personally, I think F1 needs Renault, particularly for its engines, but that Renault also needs F1 – for the moment at least, until its reputation is restored. Unlike Max, I (and I hope a lot of F1 fans agree) don’t want an engine formula or a return to the 60s and 70s where there was the Cosworth and nothing else unless you Ferrari.
Rich, every single year the smooth drivers should come to the top. They banned TC, smooth had to be rewarded, they cut the aero and again smooth had to be awarded.
At the end of the day, we have Lewis, Felipe and Vettel:)
It’s always the talent, Lewis doesn’t strike like a smooth driver, but he was so on fire this year!
Nick probably has more experience driving an F1 car laden with fuel than anyone. How many times has he been put on full tank one-stop strategies in the past 8 years… I care not to remember.
Kubica? No way. They’d have to wait until then end of the year before Renault made an announcement to quit, and they might not, which will mean they’ll probably not have any drivers to go for by then.
Additionally, waiting for a somewhat overrated driver who has been outscored by Heidfeld, over three years no less, does not strike me as particularly sane. Heidfeld isn’t a name that has bandied around as someone who has what it takes to get regular race wins either.
Good afternoon, Joe.
My German isn’t excellent but I think this means that Qadback is a sham and that now the Sauber boys are back to square one… Have you heard anything about this??
http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/news/2009/11/Zeitung_BMW_auf_Betrueger_hereingefallen_09112202.html
Joe, Jenson to McLaren still puzzles me. There are stories about that he’s actually taking a pay CUT to go there for 6 million, as he could have had 12 from Brawn/Mercedes. Do you know if they were actually offering him that, or was it just what someone thinks he may have got by going out and selling his sponsorship for different things ?
Another thought Joe. You say “Some think that Renault boss Carlos Ghosn has a little more gumption than most of his colleagues in the automotive world” and “others fear that it may turn out that Ghosn is no better than them and that Renault will follow the other manufacturers out of F1″.
That’s pretty emotive stuff. I know where you’re coming from, of course. You and I obviously think that F1 is the most important thing going round, but not everyone does. Ghosn has duties to his shareholders and his employees, not just F1, and it’s even possible that having gumption may be needed to say that other things come before F1.
Personally I would never buy a Renault because I think they’re engineered and manufactured to self-destruct after about 100,000 kms, and if they won the title 10 times in a row, it wouldn’t change my opinion. So what exactly is the benefit to the company if they stay ?
The interesting question is did Jensen jump before Mercedes/Brawn had all their ducks in a row, or did they just not come up with an offer from the combined entity?
But let’s face it anyone try ing to second guess Ross Brawn on a team management decision is going against his history of proving himself the best over many years. I just hope that it is his decision.
Perhaps Joe a list of the people who made the most positive contribution to F1 in 2009 could be of interest, as iy is a team sport even though the “egos in Helmets” get mosy of the publicity.
For instance at Brawn there are Ross, Jensen, and Nick Fry who was criticised at the time but seems to have been important in getting the management but out up.
At Red Bull, Adrian Newey, Christian Horner who did a marvelous, if low key job keeping both harmony and motivation in a competitive team and Seb Vettel for bringing charm and humour back to the winning circle.
At McLaren Martin Whitmarsh and Norbet Haug brought the team back to respectability in the eyes of many fans while Lewis gave the team a morale boost aftre a disastrous start.
At Ferrari Luca di Montezzemolo did a very interesting thing in bringing Ferrari accross from it’s traditional attitude of self interest over all else, to a position of contribution to, and some leadership in the FOTA battle or a more reasonable attitude by FIA and FOM Chris Dyer in particular seemed to get what could have been an absolote shamble of a second half into something more respectable by at least getting the race weekend team working.
These of course are observations from a vast distance, but it would certainly be interesting to hear from those closer to the action.