It is never very nice to move quickly on from the misfortunes of a driver to theorise about a replacement, but Formula 1 is not a world where one can stand still and Lotus Renault GP needs to make decisions quickly because Kubica’s replacement is going to need all the time possible in the car – and the next test starts on Thursday. Thus a decision is probably needed by tomorrow – if such a thing is possible.
But it is really not an easy thing to decide about. The team was relying heavily on Kubica. Robert is a class driver and there are few in F1 at his level. I am a big fan, as you will have noticed when I ranked him number one last year. I may not agree with some of the ways that Lotus Renault has gone about its business, but I do feel for the team in this situation. It is a disaster of the highest order. Vitaly Petrov is promising but he is not ready to step into Kubica’s sizeable driving boots. The reality is that of the reserve drivers there is no-one in the big league. That is not to say that they cannot step up and be good one day, but right now it is a problem. The only way to get a driver of comparable talent and experience would be to go for Kimi Raikkonen, but there are questions about his motivation. Given that he is running his own team in the World Rally Championship one must imagine that he has a say in whether or not he stays where he is or goes back to F1 – if he gets an offer.
On paper the choice is between Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean. The Brazilian has 18 Grand Prix starts to his name, but his experience with HRT may not have much relevance compared to a front-running car. The Franco-Swiss driver raced for Renault seven times in 2009 and did nothing much to impress, although Boullier seems to be a fan.
Still, promoting in-house may not be enough to please the team’s main sponsor: Group Lotus, which need success this year so as to create a better reputation and to avoid any chance of being beaten by Team Lotus, which would not be good news (and is rather unlikely – at least on paper). The old Renault team has decades of experience and lots of good people and the new Team Lotus is still coming together and will take time to gel. Generally-speaking fairy stories don’t happen in F1… but then again two seasons ago we had the story of Brawn GP, so you really do never know.
The new Renault R31 looks like a very decent car, although it is still rather too early to start suggesting it is the class of the field, and thus the team needs a driver like Kubica who can use it to the full. Youngsters may be keen and quick, but experience is important, not least in terms of engineering feedback in a world where no testing is allowed. So up to date experience is good. Really good. Nick Heidfeld and Pedro de la Rosa both raced in 2010 and both are known as good test drivers, but neither has won a race and when you have 172 Grands Prix to your name (as Heidfeld does) or 12 years of experience (as de la Rosa has) without victories people tend to think that you are past your best. It is a similar story with Giancarlo Fisichella, who has 229 Grands Prix to his name, and won three races in that time. He has the added bonus of having raced for the Renault team in the past. There are some who argue that Nico Hulkenberg is the man, but that would require a settlement with Force India and one must remember that Hulkenberg has the same experience as Petrov and Senna – which is not much.
Some readers of this blog will shout and scream if I mention the name Tonio Liuzzi, as they seem to think that I favour the Italian, but the fact remains that he is in a rather unique position in that he has 63 races behind him, he raced in 2010, he is well-regarded as a test driver and he is available. Some would say that he has had his chances (but please don’t write in about it because I’m bored with the whole argument).
It really depends on whether Boullier rates the guy – and I have no idea about that because I have never discussed it and he is a busy chap at the moment.
I guess that some Austrians might argue a similar case for Christian Klien, although he did only three races in 2010 and is not particularly famous for his testing skills.
All the other scenarios would require a degree of upheaval in other teams which make them unlikely, although most midfield teams would sell their drivers if the money was right. Some think Mark Webber might jump ship from Red Bull Racing to rejoin the team that he used to test for, but one should always remember the old saying “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”.
Yes, the Renault might be competitive, but would anyone really give up an Adrian Newey car? Adrian Sutil might be willing to jump ship from Force India, but he is not renowned for his engineering skills, although he is quick…
We will have to see.
joeblogsf1 
It is a tough one. Lots of names, lots of positives and negatives for each.
The biggest disaster would be the return of Raikkonen. I expect that the rumours to that effect come from the usual sources – that is, desperate fanboys chattering about his return in the hope that it will happen. Right now the team needs a leader, and if Raikkonen showed anything during his years at McLaren and Ferrari, it was that he certainly isn’t one of those.
But then, none of the other names stand out particularly as leaders either. What a difficult decision this is – I’m glad I don’t have to make it.
In Bouliier’s place I would, despite your case that he is rather inexperienced, do my best to prise Nico Hulkenberg away from Force India.
In my view, he did enough at Williams last year to justify a decent chance and the Renault/Lotus/Whatever, will probably be a better car relatively than that which he had last year. And since being reserve at Force India is hardly a top job, he should be reasonably priced!
I wonder whether they might be able to tempt Glock away from Virgin?
Probably not in Kubica’s league (but frankly, of the drivers who might conceivably be available, who is?) but a good, solid pro with several years’ experience. As quick as Trulli when they were paired up at Toyota.
A veteran return, such as JV or DC, anyone? 😉
Hi Joe,
what do you think are the chances of Renault having a chance at getting Glock or Kovalainen (Trulli is probably past his best, just like Heidfeld and Pedro dl Rosa).
Both seem to be really into getting their teams forward, but would a Renault role doing the same not be interesting for them?
Altough I would expect that especially Heikki would have trouble getting out of his contract at the green team.
Anthony Davidson? – No current F1 experience, but lots of sim-work.
Heidfeld is the best choice in my opinion. Quick, with a huge experience. A serious guy, for sure.
But as a big Team Lotus fan, I suggest Lotus Renault GP to let Chanoch Nissany drive for them 😀
Kimi is merely renting the car this year. He has no commitment to be anywhere. So that’s one hurdle out of the way. Does he want to be in F1? No-one knows and if anyone says otherwise they are just making it up. He is so tough to read. Could Renault afford him? Well, can Bahar afford him? I am sure they must be desperate for Kimi and if the insurance pays out on Kubica the Robertson’s might smell some $$$
I suspect the PR/marketing people will want the shot of Bruno in the car… Renault no. 2 alongside Alonso didn’t give the impression of a level inter team playing field, although you’re more likely to know more on that than I am Joe.
In terms of what’s needed, an experienced chap to set up the car and get results is what’s needed; In fairness to Bruno, I don’t know how bad the HRT was, at times it looked to have the handling characteristics of a shopping trolley, so it may not be a good reflection on his skills. If it was me, I’d be speaking to Heidfeld, he did reasonably well in the Sauber, has a good record of getting the car home, has some experience on the tyres, and should be able to provide the guidance that Petrov seems to need.
It’s never feels good to be talking about replacing someone so quickly, but that’s the way of the world, look at football, the old manager’s barely cleared his desk before the queue of applicants is there…
Anthony Davidson? a mature head, a great driver, perhaps not as experienced as some others you mention but a possible for the list.
Jacques Villeneuve? experience, desire to get back, experience, former champion…
It must be pretty demoralizing for Senna and the list of 3rd drivers that they have. Maybe they should get their job title specified as – 3rd driver (for the 2nd driver).
Wouldn’t it be less risky to get Massa than Kimi?
Anthony Davidson.
At least from a technical development side, I know it wont happen as Peugeot/Mercedes are hardly going to release him from his duties to drive for a competitor (all be it in the company sense) but it has to be said, by me at least. Turkey 07 still stands proud in my mind as the Super Aguri was given every bit of the beans & more in quali.
Dont really think race wins will really come in to it, I see Quick Nick in the seat.
Even then, give Petrov the attention that a #1 driver gets & we may all be pleasantly suprised.
Goes without saying but #getwellkubica
Sad coincidence that Roberto Moreno’s “race of my life” was in Autosport a couple of weeks ago i.e. the race after Sandro Nannini’s helicopter crash. Moreno, as with Elio de Angelis’ replacement, Derek Warwick, were allegedly the only drivers who hadn’t rung up immediately after the accident to pimp themselves at the expense of one of their fellow competitors.
Renault seem to need a driver who can be the focus of the team and galvanise them onto greater levels; Fisichella (Renault 2007) and Raikkonen (Ferrari 2008-9) have both proven themselves not to be that type of driver.
Other than Hulkenburg, the drivers that are out of contract find themselves in that situation for a good reason, but I reckon they’ll go for Heidfeld.
If I was Eric I think I would go for Nick Heidfeld, he may not be the best driver but he has experience. And what with the new tyre configurations coming into play, being able to choose the right set-up might just give the Renault a couple more tenths and make up the difference. I can’t imagine one of the old rookies such as Hulkenburg or indeed Petrov being able to get the car in sync with the new tyres and without an experienced driver like Heidfeld or De La Rosa it would be heart breaking not to see the Renault reach its full potential.
jacques villeneuve???
What about Timo Glock?
From the sounds of it Lotus Renault only has the choice of a young gun or journeyman. The dream ticket from a fan’s perspective is clearly Kimi but his irritation with Renault last season would seem to suggest that’s a non-starter, plus he seems to be loving his rallying. I’d like to see fellow Bromley boy Gary Pafett given a chance but realistically that’s not going to happen. I wonder if DC is getting the comeback itch…
Perhaps the ideal drivers would be Kovy or Trulli — both experienced drivers driving in a car well below their potential. Shame there is so much bitterness between the two, as I imagine a deal could be done where Renault take Kovy, and Chandhok gets promoted into the 2nd driver position.
Renault have already cheesed over Raikkonen after claiming they had been in talks last year, which he flatly denied.
Heidfeld would be my logical replacement: lots of experience, matched Kubica for a number of seasons at BMW and excellent at providing feedback. Will also help he was involved in pirelli. However, Kubica will be sorely missed and I wish him well.
HRT are stuffed if Renault bring in Liuzzi. Any news on that second HRT seat?
how about Anthony Davidson? recent F1 experience and current simulator driver at Merc.
He was always quick and a great development driver for BAR
A few out-of-the-box, but still serious (at least for me), scenarios:
1) Of all *real top shelf* drivers, Michael Schumacher seems to be the one that is the least comfortable in his current role. Could he be tempted to switch teams?
2) Williams Team needs cash, maybe Rubens Barrichello’s contract could be bought for the right price.
Maybe the situation is now right for Kimi?
Perhaps last time around in their negotiations neither was really serious about the other. Kimi new that RK was the lynch pin at Renault, equally Renault had RK as their priority and Petrov with his dollars on the table.
To me, that doesn’t look like a scenario to inspire a driver like Kimi. Let’s face it racing drivers in general have a massive ego, and bowling up to ‘save the day’ at Renault might just appeal to Kimi?
And of course Dany B would have been at Ferrari in Kimi’s time and as seemingly Lotus are on an aspirational path (even down to planned lifestlye store in London – not unlike another sports car brand…), maybe Kimi would be the choice for them.
Nick H would be my second choice, he didn’t have the outright pace against RK at BMW but generally seemed to race well against him.
Just to throw out a wildcard, I’ll mention Gary Paffett. It wouldn’t hurt Lotus to get a British driver in the car, and it’s not a stretch to imagine McLaren loaning him out, provided they could get Pedro to return for testing (also not a stretch).
Pup,
I think he may be a little light on race experience
You are right to say that whilst it’s not pleasant to talk about a replacement when Robert still resides in intensive care, the fact it, it needs to be done.
Having signed five(!) reserve drivers, one would expect the replacement to come from these ranks. However, stepping in on occasion is different to developing the car and leading the team.
One name you haven’t mentioned – and I appreciate that it’s a long shot, in Anthony Davidson. He’s still very quick and highly rated by Peugeot to lead their Le Mans team, has relatively recent F1 racing experience as well as doing hundreds of hours of simulator work for Mercedes GP. He is also a well regarded tester and doesn’t come with any ‘baggage’.
Or, I wonder if Tony Fernandes would lend LRGP Karun Chandhok…
Question, is Lotus Renault GP under contract to pay Kubica while he is away from racing? I only mention it to see what kind of funds they may have available to lure a driver (i.e. a Kimi or Sutil).
paxdog57,
This is why they invented insurance
I think the chance of having senna in a black and gold lotus will be to much for Danny Bahr. I expect to see him racing, although if he beats Petrov consistently and Kubica comes back it could create some problems for the team.
Beyond that, i cant see the appeal for kimi to come back, he has proved himself and won the championship, he didn’t want to race for Renault last year, i don’t see why he would now, aside from a personal appeal from Robert.
Interlagos aside, Hulkenberg has as much experience as senna and will likely come at a price, leaving Liuzzi and Heidfeld. Whilst both of them need the chance, neither of them are as ‘box office’ as the name senna.
Nick in Dubai,
You get better publicity by winning. Putting a famous name in the car is not enough
Beggars can’t be choosers.
Nick Heidfeld must be the favourite but Liuzzi is a good shout.
Kimi, Webber not even the smooth talk and fairy stories of Dany will manage that.
The worrying thing is that other blogs are saying that Robert has lost his fine motor skills. I think it may be a little to early for that sort of and just the facts need to be reported, just like Joe does.
We wish you well Robert.
Joe,
Assuming he was interested, how many millions do you think it would take to sign Räikkönen?
Is the Renault good enough to make signing a top driver worthwhile? Does Renault_Lotus even have that level of budget?
Random,
No idea
I agree, Joe, Liuzzi is probably the best solution given the available drivers at this point.
Remember Alonso’s recent comments about Liuzzi? At the time I was surprised but then I remembered his comments after the British GP that he still had a good shot at the title…
Who better to judge a fellow driver you share the track with all season long.
Joe,
What do you think about the speculation that as a pay reserve driver, Senna may have a clause in his contract guaranteeing him the drive?
bigwagon,
That would not be a very bright contract, would it?
If Kubica is definitely expected to be going to miss more than, say, the first five/six races (which seems quite possible), then I’d go for
Heidfeld
Hulkenberg
Liuzzi
Senna
in that order.
If there was a good chance of it being less then I’d just stick with Senna.
But I certainly agree that Renault will have to look beyond the third and reserve drivers if we’re talking a full season.
It’s an interesting but unfortunate question, isn’t it mate?
I blogged this morning and one name came instantly to mind – Anthony Davidson. A sublime test and development driver whose experience would be so important to Renault as they stand on the verge of a season in which they hoped to return to winning ways. He’s also pretty handy behind the wheel of a car in race conditions and has been kept race sharp with regular work for Mercedes in their simulator.
My other idea was Giorgio Pantano. Yes, yes, hear me out. The only GP2 champion to have not made it back to F1. And why? Everyone who has run him since his failed F1 season in 2004 has spoken of a technically diligent, incredibly fast racer who deserves a seat in F1. And he’d grab it with both hands. Add to this his incredible relationship with Petrov, with whom he was partnered at Campos in 2007, a season in which Petrov made perhaps his greatest leaps forward as a driver until last year with Kubica.
I think Grosjean is going to focus on GP2, and while I’d love Senna to have a shot will the team really risk it all on two such inexperienced drivers?
Liuzzi, Hedifeld, de la Rosa, Fisichella all have merit… but as your headline asks, if I was Eric Boullier..? It’s a choice I’d never want to have to make, but I know who my first two phone calls would go to.
Personally I’d like to see Raikkonen back as my first choice. I’d also like to see Hulkenberg get another chance. Baring that, I think Heidfeld is the safest bet for a solid year.
Virgin now has a Russian connection so maybe they could swap Petrov for Glock. From a PR point of view Senna would be the smart move but a big gamble.
Joe
Only a week or so ago you were talking about teams needing to honour contracts with their drivers
I would have thought that as they have contracts with reserve drivers, you’d be pushing for the same thing to happen.
so which is it?
RC,
I was talking about honouring contracts or reaching a suitable settlement.
‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man’
Ant Davidson would be my choice.
He would really ‘grasp the nettle’.
What about Fisico ?
Mr. Briatore made and effort to visit poor Kubica yesterday. I hope it was for personal reasons and a get well soon message only….
Let the speculation commence.
Get well soon Robert Kubica, its horrible such a talented driver is missing from the grid and doing something he loves so much.
I think to compare Heidfeld with De la Rosa is not fair because neither the F1 carreer of the Spaniard has been 12 consecutive years nor so long in top teams like F1 carreer of German.
So, in that terms, you could say things like De la Rosa scores one point in his first race with a team like Toro Roso o worst, or he achieved his first second place within less races than Heidfeld.
The smart choice is Heidfeld.
Remember that Nick hasn’t won a single race, but he was leading Webber at Williams, beat Massa & Kimi at Sauber and he actually beat Kubica in their last season at BMW Sauber. He was right on Kobayashi’s pace when he joined Sauber w/o any testing and he has Pirelli tire testing experience.
It’s just a no-brainer…
Joe,
I don’t know if such a clause would be smart or not from the team’s standpoint, but I can imagine why a reserve driver with a paying sponsor would ask for it. It would potentially limit the team’s options, but isn’t that partly the point of a contract, to ensure in advance that the other party will abide by a previous agreement in the instance that they may later wish to do something different?
I guess it depends on how badly the team wants the money whether they would agree to it or not.
I seem to be in the minority here but I would put Senna in the car without any hesitation. You’ve got to put trust in the guys you hire to triumph in adversity. No scenario is ideal – and I think these days people are unjustifiably negative about Rookies.
Senna is a good face to have in the car in the circumstance, and I think if given this kind of chance will blossom.
How about Damon Hill?
Lotus Renault GP vs Mercedes
settle a few old scores…
How about Dario Franchitti? Plenty of race experience… would probably jump at the chance…
Heidfeld – AT HIS BEST – was not so far off Kubica, or Webber ( at Williams ), but is he well past his best? If I had to choose though, it would be between two germans, Heidfeld and Hulkenberg.
One good thing – you can try them out in a test.
In Boullier’s place, I would seriously consider Timo Glock. He may not be a natural leader, but he’s many-sided, and in terms of pure speed, he used to give Jarno Trulli a run for his money. If the latter doesn’t look impressive to you, think again. JT out-qualified any one of his team-mates, Alonso no exception.
Just to add to the noise above I’d like to nominate Alguersuari and Schumie for the seat. Or else we wait for an official LRGP press release…
What about Arturo Merzario?
Lots of experience and if you believe Motorspot magazine he wears a black Stetson these days. Easy to add a golden linning.
Of the guys available, Nick Heidfeld is the obvious chioce.
(who may not yet have one, but did beat Robert Kubica in 2 of the 3 seasons they were team mates at BMW Sauber)
“won”, not “one” Sorry.
They might get Hulkenberg on loan if Force India want to keep him race fit while he’s their third driver but even then his testing and development abilities might be a problem. My understanding was that Barrichello was invaluable in getting the Williams up to scratch last year while Hulkenberg got himself acclimatised with F1.
Given that teams are still developing their cars furiously in the early season races they need someone experienced who can help develop the car and race it at the same time. The best guy who can do that and is available is Heidfeld. Also you know for sure he will take however many races he can get and will do his maximum for no other reason than to get a drive for 2012.
The Webber argument in my opinion is totally ridiculous. Why the hell would he leave the championship winning team and an Adrian Newey car for a few races in a less competitive car & team? He would have to be completely insane.
Wonder what insurance they had on Kubica. I would assume as a lot of their campaign this year depended on his efforts it would be more than just salary.
So sad. I am heading to Poland next month to visit Grandma and was looking forward to seeing the ongoing development of F1 in Poland. He singlehandedly put the sport on the map.
the thing is all the names put in the mix, Renault had the chance to sign as reserve drivers, but they didnt, they picked Senna and Grosjean primarily as the back up drivers for Kubica and Petrov, and we all know that the reserve driver has to be ready to race in F1 as anything can happen.
They arent there just for team pictures and the odd friday session, they have to be ready to step in for the lead driver if required.
So for all the bluff coming out now that Renault are a serious team who had aims to win races so they now need a serious driver, well they were that a few days ago surely before Kubica’s accident, why did they not pick “serious” backup drivers
and Boullier said this only a few days ago at their launch that Senna would be the first driver the team called
“…I will get the one who is ready and obviously Bruno is the most ready driver…”
so IMO its no good if Renault say but we never expected to have make this decision and now faced with it we dont actually like our choices we need someone else.
because yes you can argue they dropped the ball on picking suitable reserve drivers and maybe even picking Petrov in the first place, but having made their choices, surely theyve got to stick with them, or else how “serious” a team are they
Dear Eric,
I sometimes borrow my mum’s Clio so i have plenty of Renault experience. Furthermore, I’ll undercut all other available options and although I have a 4 week notice period at my current employer, I’d be happy not to honour it.
Eagerly awaiting your call.
What about Takuma Sato? Isn’t he a available? He already drives for “Lotus” in the Indycar series. I would love to see his “aggressive” driving style back in F1.
It’s Heidfeld.
The knock that he hasn’t won a race is merely down to who he’s driven for and when, really. On a 2nd tier team you need a bit of luck to find a win and it just never fell his way. Clearly, he has the ability to bring home a winning car; how many podiums does he have; half a dozen or more? In reality, they will probably give Senna the cockpit in the first couple of races and only bring in another driver if he isn’t on the pace.
If I was in charge at Renault, I’d be trying to prise Kobayashi out of Sauber.
Second choice; Kimi
Third Choice; Massa
Desperate Measures; Hulkenberg
Paffett have enough race experience, but in other series. And he knows current F1 car.
If Kimi is interested and motivated, and Renault can fork up the cash, I’d go for him. If not, I’d go for Tonio.
I doubt Kimi would come back to F1, especially to Renault who he accused of using his name for publicity, but anything is possible.
If Eric wants to win races – and he appears to have a promising car – a call to Kimi is the only option.
It’s not for the nothing that the top teams have two top guys in their cars . . even two World Champions.
If you can’t afford World Champions . . . well, at least you hire the best experience or the most promising youngsters. As Team Lotus with Trulli and Kovi, or FIFI with Hulk and di Resta.
Eric didn’t do any of that. He hired Fairuz Fauzy to win a brownie point in a petty squabble and a bunch of pay-for-Friday drivers for the hospitality tent.
I don’t have much faith in him making any good choices now.
I think Nick Heidfeld will get it, if only for his experience and general speed. He’s not the quickest on the grid but he’s the safest bet if LRGP wants to get their car developed and as quick as it can be, and it might be a good choice to help Petrov learn some more.
For the time thats left to test, LRGP wont be looking to make any deals with other teams to loan drivers, they need someone in that can do the job thats needed.
Besides, if Ant Davidson was to come in, who would partner Crofy ??!
I’d go with Heidfeld or Liuzzi for testing then decide the race driver later. Most speculation is suggesting a full replacement but I don’t see why they can’t have a test then race driver.
Did you ask for my opinion? either way here it is:
Hulkenberg
Liuzzi
Grosjean
Jon Stanbrough
me
my postman
Klein
Senna
those old guys mentioned.
As for the contract buyout required for Hulkenberg, well, it’s F1, so from my p.o.v. they’ll just pay it. (or borrow it from someone who acquired a company that has a loan from a shell corporation run by the chief financial officer as the government of Mars.)
Raikonen is the best possible choice, but if he is not available I would take a decision based on testing.
In terms of availability I would try experienced driver Heidfeld as the benchmark for one day. I think he is good but was beaten regularly by Kobayashi last year. His performance has already reached its peak, but no one can argue that he is reliable. Then I would try Bourdais. I think he is a better gamble on the experienced drivers. I think he is a driver that if the car suits him or can work on certain developments of the car he can be fast and also a good racer. Also he has already worked with Bouiller .I think Liuzzi and de la Rosa have had already their chances to proof something.
If young drivers is the way to go I would try Hulkenberg, then Senna and finally Grosjean for all the reasons exposed above.
So my selection would be
1. Raikkonen
2. Bourdais/Heidfeld depending on testing
3. Hulkenberg
4. Senna
5. Grosjean
a/ They absolutely need an experienced driver as soon as next Thursday:
– to develop the car now and through the season,
– to satisfy Lotus as Joe stated,
– to fight for a top 4 or even top 3 place in the constructor’s championship (to get the money Lopez does not invest…),
b/ Forget about Fisichella (why Ferrari would help a competitor?), Villeneuve, Ralf Schumacher and other outdated names…
c/ Of course forget about Alesi, Mansell and Stewart… The Group Lotus / Bahar marketing plan does not forsees a GP winner to drive a Formula 1… I’m not sure it forsees anything… but time will tell.
d/ Forget about Juan-Pablo Montoya… Chip Ganassi let him ride motorbikes and eat as many hamburgers as he wants… and I bet he’ll be a real threat this year.
e/ Forget about Senna, Grosjean, Piquet Jr, and other past Renault testing drivers or drivers. This would surely be very costly for the constructor’s championship… so the money. Bruno has a name, but hasn’t got its DNA. For those of the fans who did not live the 80s and early 90s, run to the movie next summer…you’ll know what I’m talking about. If he gets the seat for contracts reasons, OK, but no doubt there will be clauses to put him out after 3 or 4 races if the results… but the damages in the constructor’s standing will have been done.
f/ Forget about De La Rosa: has shown absolutely nothing during his whole carrier except his McLaren years which is a completely different job (he showed it last year, Badoer did the year before…),
g/ Hulkenberg is a target, sure his famous agent has already gave phone calls… but what does his current contract says? Would FIndia let him go? Not sure about it… and he lacks experience and technical skills which are absolutely vital with the testings ban.
h/ Forget about Davidson, Klein and other old promising young guns… What have they really shown?
i/ Raikkonen would be a great opportunity and a marketing hit. Bernie would love it: all the Champions from 2000 on the grid. I would give Robertson my first phone call. But does he really want to come back? Don’t think it. What if, in September, Kubica is ready to come back but Raikkonen is in a position to fight for the title?
j/ Getting a driver from an other team (Sutil, Kobayashi…) is non sens. The other team would automaticaly reduce its own chances for 2011… and 2012 (money from the constructor’s standing, once again).
k/ Liuzzi? He’s fast, in a good physical shape (as others), even if he has not shown much (to me) he deserves a real chance (as others). But I doubt about his technical skills… and he sounds a bit risky to me.
So my point is the reasonable – only – choice considering the whole situation is Heidfeld. He’s not the best solution, but the best available solution.
I think he’s always been underated, outpaced Kubica first and last BMW years, he’s fast, reliable, experienced, in good shape, drove well last year (scored points), knows how to bring a car home, has the technical abilities, knows how to overtake, knows about big teams, etc.
I would go for him.
Montoya? You must be joking. Have you seen pictures of him recently. He has taken to hamburgers in a fairly big way. I’m not sure he would fit in an F1 cockpit.
As has already been touched on, the prospect of a Senna in a black & gold “Lotus” Renault must be very tempting. It may not be too successful, but to a team run ever-more by businessmen, with the sole aim of introducing other businessmen to each other and creaming off the top, does success really matter that much? It would be a strong image.
Another possibility I’d like to suggest is the masters within the Malaysian government insisting on Fauzy. I would hope Bahar isn’t stupid enough to suggest it himself, but depending how many Ringgits are involved they may be able to enforce it.
A third idea is the simplest of all. Whoever offers the most money. Which may be the Malaysians, as above.
Easy…
Sébastien Bourdais
If I were Eric I would be making a phone call to Anthony Davidson’s manager before even thinking about anyone else.
I certainly don’t envy Bouiller, but a comment you made has given me pause for thought.
Whatever has been said about group lotus, I think many real fans are excited (or were) about the prospect of this year and Kubica’s hopeful emergence after a while in the new (ex championship winning) team.
However there does feel, for me at least, to be some sort of karmic retribution, with the way group lotus has bullied their way into a situation of perceived success.
I just hope, sincerely and with all my fibre, that we have not seen the last of Kubica
Hope its Kimi, otherwise Quick Nick looks like the best available.
1) Heidfeld – a tremendous talent
2) Grosjean – think the Flavio regime was to difficult
3) Kimi – fast if available
4) Hulk – has potential
5) Luizzi – solid driver
I can’t see anyone beyond these 5 really. A mon avis.
Unless it’s Webber I can’t think of anyone who will do justice to what looks like the first moderately competitive car they’ve put together in the last five years.
Renault’s plight is summed up by the fact that you even had to mention Fisico!
Personally I think that Kimi should quit throwing Citroens at the scenery and give it a crack. Better him than a never-was, a never-will-be or Grosjean, who has a foot in both those camps.
Poor Robert, shades of Nannini. Let’s hope he gets back to the big time next year, 2010 was as faultless and committed a display as I can remember in F1. Get well soon.
If it was up to me I’d do the decent thing and pick one of their many reserves. Out of all 47 of them Bruno would get the nod, no problem. Senna had almost zero competitive karting experience before hitting cars and he got into his stride very quickly indeed. He ran Pantano very close in GP2 despite the Italian being at that level of the sport for longer than Senna had even been racing.
But it’s about ultimate potential, not how quickly you reach your peak and I still remember Ant Davidson when pressed about Senna’s chances of the Brawn drive in 2009 saying that although his junior career was stellar the squiggly lines that the engineers at Brawn looked at didn’t look so promising.
Quick Nick has always given his teammates headaches and Liuzzi is also due a spot of luck in his career. Kimi is a massive and expensive risk, but massive expensive risks appears to be Danny Bahr’s style…
From where I’m sitting, the safe and unadventurous option is Heidfeld and the big gamble – the could-soar-could-slump option – is Sebastien Bourdais.
Seabass has been mighty in everything he’s done except F1, but was that his fault or Toro Rosso’s? That wouldn’t exactly be my choice for the team most likely to get the best from a driver.
But I have to admit, if I was Boullier I wouldn’t risk it for a moment. I’d be straight on the phone to Nick…
What about Jacques Villeneuve…. by all accounts he has kept in good shape and is undeniably talented and experienced..
If Renault could get him some test time, i think he would be a good option.
Davidson could be good too, as could Luizzi and Pantano as you and Will suggested.
But id be happier to see Bruno get a chance, i think he could be really good given the right car, dont ask me why i just think he’s a talent…..
Tom Adams,
Jacques is history in modern F1 terms. When did he last drive a car? And look at Michael. He has tried to come back and despite his obvious talents is still not able to beat Nico Rosberg.
If I were Eric Boullier,
I will call Sebastien Bourdais. I don’t understand why he is not on Renault short list. Maybe politics.
Joe, can you enlighten us why he is so underrated within F1 circles.
my 2 francs.
Thanks
George,
Because he was not very good at Toro Rosso
Think logically, because there is not time enough (don`t forget Badoer and Fisi with Ferrari in 2009).
Experience with KERS? Heidfeld, maybe Grosjean but not enough and of course Kimi and Fisi.
Experience with Pirelli? Heidfeld, de la Rosa, Grosjean, Hülkenberg.
Experience with 2010 car? Heidfeld, de la Rosa, Hülkenberg, Liuzzi. (I am not account experience with car or team like HRT).
Result? For only several races logically Heidfeld. But for whole season there is better chance for improvement for Hülkenberg or Liuzzi.
But maybe Danny B. will prefer Taku…
Ivan, I agree. It’s a no-brainer. Quick Nick is by far the best driver, and the best developer available.
While I don’t think Webber-to-Renault is plausible this season, it may be on the cards next year – especially if (god forbid) Robert can’t return.
Do I suspect a bit of English patriotism on display here with a lot of these responses? Why would you put Ant Davidson in the car as an experienced driver? When was the last time he actually drove a F1 car?
I do like the left field idea number 2 from Renato, but I suppose it all depends on how much cash the black lotus team have to spend. I would imagine having to buy out the Williams contract THEN having to pay Rubens would stretch the purse strings a bit too much.
My personal feelings is either Heidfeld or Hulkenberg. My Brain says Heildfeld. My heart says Hulkenberg.
Obvious choice seems to be Nick Heidfeld. Was on par with Kubica in BMW (and narrowly missed out on that fortunate win Kubica has to his name), and raced as recently as last year.
I like Hulkenberg and feel bad he lost his Williams seat after improving greatly, but I doubt he’d be able to lead the team as one with several years experience would be able to. I have no good or bad feeling about Liuzzi, and he’d make a decent alternate to Heidfeld.
We’ll see I guess.
I feel for the engineers at Renault. Finally their car seems to have some pace (based on testing) and their chance at returning to the front is pulled from under them.
With regards to the drivers, they would be mad to use Senna or Grojean. Neither has the pace or experience. I think they’re only on the team to help its bank account.
Whilst I am a Kimi fan, I think he has turned his back on F1. What does he have to gain in coming back? Having seen what has happened to Schumi, he would probably think twice about it.
As for Pedro, he is at best only a bench warmer. He had his chance at Sauber to step up and be a true No.1 driver, but he could not produce any results.
With Fisci, I can only see Ferrari letting him go in an effort to sabotage their opponents Renault!
Tonio and Nick are the only true reasonable choices. Not that they are the same level as Robert, but they have enough experience to help develop the car further. I would guess Nick is the better of the two though.
I think an outsider is Ricciardo. Renault have close ties with RBR and Ricciardo has demonstrated he has the pace off the bat (unlike Petrov). They could take a gamble in blooding a talented young driver rather than taking the conservative choice in either Nick or Tonio. RBR would certainly support that as they could then use him next year to replace Mark and he’d already have a season under his belt.
I think there are two options, take Heidfeld and hope the car is consistent enough to be a regular point scorer ala last year.
Or, slightly from left field, ring RBR and try and get Mark in the seat. It’s becoming clear that Mark is a track dependent driver so he may dissapoint on tilke clones but you figure if the car is right around Monaco or Suzuka or Spa he may just nab a win for the team.
It would be crazy not to go after Heidfeld. By far the most reasonable choice in the matter. I think it would be rude to snub Senna out of a chance in the car, but Heidfeld would pull in more points and give better feedback. He was a force to be reckoned with when he was at BMW Sauber and he helped create these new tires for bloody sakes!
Would it be incredible if Kimi made a one off, one year comeback and kicked @$$, why yes it would? Is that going to happen? The odds are incredibly stacked against it.
My money is on Renault starting Senna in the car and seeing what he can do. Maybe all he needs is a little Lotus magic like his uncle once had.
Just take Massa out of his Ferrari misery in a straight trade for Kubica when he returns. In the meantime Ferrari can assign one of the available experienced drivers to be Alonso’s coffee fetcher.
It’ll probably be Heidfeld. Of the available drivers, he’s the logical choice. Unless they can lure an active driver out of his team… Koba in a Renault, anyone?
Best wishes to Robert.
And pass on trhe set up tips to Juan Pablo before he starts next week
I’d go for Jackie Stewart (I’m good at promoting myself, rrright?).
Too bad bad the tickness of my new glasses don’t fit into the helmet and… well… my upcoming hip replacement does not help much either
All the best Mr. Sawarrrd
I think it’s time for ‘our nige’ to get that moustache grown and get his helmet on 🙂
Ja ja, qvick Nick, bitte! Dankeschon.
Give Senna a chance, it works on lots of levels.
He destroyed Petrov when they were both in GP2.
Unless they can get a proven frontrunner, which is unlikely, then why not go for a guy with potential and has huge PR value?
Joe, agree I used to be a big fan of Montoya. But if he was ‘big’ for an F1 driver in his day, he’d be positively outsize now. I was lucky enough to attend the MVR launch yesterday and couldn’t quite get over how titchy Messrs Glock and d’Ambrosio are!
Would love to see Ant Davidson given a proper shout, but the safe money has to be on Heidfeld. zzzzzzzz
Someone who won’t point out that Lotus is a sponsor, I’m guessing…
If Renault are going to approach VJM about Hulkenberg, they might as well see if they can get Sutil. If Force India still have outstanding contract issues with Liuzzi, they might be relatively happy to get a pile of money for one of their drivers. A move would be good for Sutil. He’s undoubtedly got talent and a change of team could be just what he needs to take a step up.
Joe,
Kimi isn’t too trim these days either.
Heidfeld is the best option, a steady set of hands with a proven podium pedigree, capable of piloting a car at the front end of the field. His value as a tester is undisputed, no one available is more experienced than Nick. Does he have speed? he doesn’t possess to most natural talent on the grid but he’s an efficient driver who habitually collects points, outscoring Robert in two of their three and a bit seasons spent together. Had Heidfeld been more selfish he would have won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix instead of Robert so there’s that. Webber, Massa and Raikkonen are all drivers Nick can claim to have beaten during their tenures together. Those drivers may have been at different points of their careers to what they are now but it shows Nick has true grit.
Jacques Villeneuve? Come on people! Why would Renault choose him over Senna or Grosjean? Yes, he was a World Champion. Fair play to him. But his F1 days are long behind him.
Bloody hard choice.
Most of the “sensible” options mentioned have all had thier chance and not really shone.
I have tried to think of others but my mind keeps popping back to……….
………Senna!
I imagine they’ll give Senna a role in testing this week and see what his pace is like and make an assessment of how long Kubica is likely to be out for.
If he’s back some time this season they’ll use Senna, if he’s out for the whole season they may look elsewhere, most likely Heidfeld.
Don’t understand people mooting Raikonnen as the best person to fill the slot. He’s not a development driver, he showed very little interest at Ferrari beyond actually racing the car he was given.
A very large number of comments on your post but they all seem to focus on the sporting merits of the various drivers mentioned. Er.. hello?? This is F1 we’re talking about – business first sport second if you don’t mind.
So who has the greatest “value add”? Who increases the size of the overall pie by the most? Kimi Raikonnen, that’s who. And that’s why it will happen…
… Bernie will make sure of it!
How long will Kubica be out? That’s probably the core question. If he’s out for the rest of the season they should do every effort to get an experienced fast driver. I’d say Heidfeld. It’s true he’s never won a race but with Sauber BMW he was sometimes faster than Kubica. True, he never won, but he was never in a world class car either.
If Kubica is out for only half a season, Senna would be a good choice. He was better than Petrov in GP2 and deserves a fair chance.
With the front exhaust exit Renault uses a out of the box, lets try to make a difference approach. It would stupid undoing this by choosing a save but not so top driver. Like Heidfeld or Liuzzi who never showed something special in F1.
Senna Who never showed something special anywhere.
I would go for Hulkenberg or get a let’s try style driver back in the f1 like Kimi or even Takoma Sato( who even drives for Lotus in the USA)
Sensible would be heidfeld, by the looks of it kubica will be out for 6 months tops (although it seems to be speculation at this point) so a temp driver is needed, one that will bring home the bacon in terms of constructors points (and thereby dollar$) Renault also need someone who can continue development of their very promising new motor, so again that would point to Heidfeld.
Anyone else would be a bit of a risk and whats the point of a hulkenberg who’s still learning or a Liuzzi who is so hot and cold he needs a thermostat building into his overalls?
I think we’ll see Senna and Grosjean go testing a little bit but I can’t see either of them as a safe, steady pair of hands.
I think Heidfeld is the best option available. He has considerable driving skills, bags of experience and is a very good tester. He can guarantee the car being developed properly and land points regularly, clinching some significant prize money
PS. Joe, re: Brawn story, you kind of forget about 500 million pumped into BGP 001 by Honda. Nothing to do with Team Lotus and it’s slim chances of catching Renault. However, if LRGP doesn’t hire someone capable to replace Kubica, they might be close, but if I were Jarno or Heikki I wouldn’t like to have such “success” when the lynch pin of Renault team is in hospital fighting to get back to the sport. It’s like fighting an injured rival, not really an achievement, is it?
I wish they give bourdais a test !
“Some readers of this blog will shout and scream if I mention the name Tonio Liuzzi, as they seem to think that I favour the Italian”
I’m afraid you do, Joe. You said that Liuzzi has done a “decent” job at Force India and should retain his seat – but when has “decent” ever been good enough in Formula 1?
Jason
Boullier. “In the meantime, we will look for Kubica’s substitute: the names considered are Senna, Liuzzi and Heidfeld.”
Sorry, but you have no idea what you are talking about.
Never take Sato, He couldn’t get the better of JV. When Jenson arrived at BAR he showed how slow JV was.
Joe,
Great insight on the drivers as usual you bring the info we don’t have access too ie: I didn’t know Sutil wasn’t good as a test/dev driver.
That is the most uncomfortable question to ask, but a much happier one Williams had to make May 1994, and for that we all should be thankful and wish well to RK.
It is a big inconvenient as the team was preparing to make it big this year, the package is made to perform THIS year.
they must look at it logicaly.
This would be my analysis, I don’t have your insight on thesesdrivers I only know them from watching the races basically.
They can’t take a “young” driver with limited experince that will take him 2-3 years to get to his peek, that eliminates Senna, Grosjean and the likes.
A lot of drivers are past their prime Trulli Fishico, Klein and Davidson never shined.
Bringing back a vet like a JV or a DC all sounds cool but it will take them more time to get acclimated with the car again, and you never know if they will ever be as performant, I am a huge fan of JV but a realist as well he was amazing, was being the key word.
My choices would be if they had the money I would hire Massa, he must know his days are numbered at SF and jumping to a different team might spark him, understanding he has something to prove again. He could try to do it where he is now, but I am afraid Fernando will have his measure any day.
Another choice would be Nick, he has talent I consider him past his best but I also considered JB past his best in ’09! he could be a surprise…. he never elcetrified the circuit but he was quick Nick and did well on occasion, not as consistent as we would want him to be.
Vettel is young WC after only a few season hungry for more pushes the limit and will do whatever to win, I am not a fan but I have a huge amount of respect for his ability, while he is not a candidate, only one other driver on the grid is young (except FA is not that young relatively speaking) with a few years experince and never ever gives up Kamui Kobayashi and he is super fast he could make an impact right away
The Kimi rumours, I am not sure, he has been away for a year and it is tough to come back JV had a hard time with it, Prost did it easy enough but that was Prost! There is also some mudd slinging that happened during the 2010 season, Kimi accusing Renault of using his name for publicity, Boulier saying that he had not motivation… not a good chemistry to start with, even if the deal goes thru, and that could hurt.
Thoughts?
There is a win:win deal with Team Lotus in there, somewhere. Just make peace and get either Trulli or Kova, with either Chandhok or Senna in the second Team Lotus car.
I can see the attraction for the marketing guys to have Senna in the car, and maybe that will be enough to get him in at the beginning. If however the Renault wins the first race or seems to have the pace to be a title contender then I would expect Bruno to be booted out in favour of a more experienced driver. This would also be the only way of getting a driver such as Reubens and co who allready have drives for 2011. No driver with a current race contract is going to give that up for a few races at Renault unless a potential championship is available, Kubica might be back mid season at which point the reserve would be out the door and finding it very difficult to get back in anywhere. If the Renault turns out to be a solid mid field car then they might as well leave Senna in, assuming he isn’t a complete disaster of course.
The only sensible choice of drivers available is Liuzzi or Heidfeld, the rest are either too old, too inexperienced, too under contract, or too expensive, Renault don’t have a huge budget remember.
Heidfeld is the perfect choice if you want someone to put their head down, race and rack up a good haul of points whenever the car or circumstances allow. If you want someone to lead a championship charge like Boullier has been talking up during the winter then it’s a completely different story. Sure Heidfeld could maybe do it, like Heinz-Harald Frentzen at Williams was in with a shout of the title many years ago but Heidfeld hasn’t got that race-winning experience. He does have recent Pirelli experience though.
Villeneuve already had his shot at Renault and didn’t perfom very well there after 1 year out. Now it’s been 4 years since he drove for Sauber and we’ve seen how Schumy struggled after 4 years off. As a fan of JV though I would love to see him back in F1. With 3 full pre-season tests he could possibly get up to speed but would Renault have to sacrifice some seat time for Petrov to get JV up to speed? They’d certainly not be able to run one of the reserve drivers in testing. Same argument for Fisi, no recent running, will need lots of testing time and may not deliver.
Bruno Senna has the name, the link with JPS Lotus and Senna that the marketing guys will love, recent F1 experience, is young, fit and hungry. Maybe in a decent car in a well run team like Renault and not in fear of losing his drive every week like at HRT he’ll bloom.
If I were Eric I’d stick Nick H in one day at the next test, Senna the next. Let the stop watch decide.
Joe,
I’m going to try be dispassionate about this here, and put my feelings about Robert to one side.
If I was running Renault, I’d have to plan for the worst case, which is that Robert isn’t coming back this year, maybe not at all, and position the team for that. If that turns out to be wrong, it’s all upside.
When you’re an ambitious but financially stretched team like Renault, it makes good sense to pay for a top flight number one who is both fast and consistent, and can also lead the team and develop the car. That way, you can give them your complete trust, knowing that you’re getting everything you can from the package, and focus on what’s wrong with the car / engine / tyres.
And when you’ve got a number 1 who ticks all the boxes, it can make sense to put a pay driver in the second car.
My question to Eric is, is there a clause in Petrov’s contract allowing the team to remove him if or when Kubica leaves the team or is unavailable for say 3 races? There should be. If not, can the team claim force majeure (I doubt it, but maybe worth asking)? The decision to re-sign Petrov was predicated on having a Kubica or someone of that stature in the car. They need to reach a deal to agree to remove him now that that’s no longer the case.
After that, it’s easy. They sign Heidfeld as the solid, dependable driver who’ll pick up points (hopefully – though I have to admit I was underwhelmed by his performance against Kobayashi at Sauber last year) and help develop the car, and Hulkenburg as the young charger who’s quick but still needs polishing.
Of course none of that will happen. Second choice – can they buy Kobayashi out of Sauber? Real promise and aggression, but moderately experienced and seems to have matured into a much more consistent driver than I would have imagined.
Raikkonen? I think people are right to see it as a possibility. Clearly Renault offer a very different proposition now to the one they had on the table a couple of months back, and I’m sure that feelers have been put out. If they really think the R31 is good, the smart thing would be to invite him to do a test on a no-obigation basis and see if he gets excited. But my guess is he doesn’t really want to bother, and the deal will only work out for Renault if he turns up hungry and up for it. Waving loadsamoney at him to try to drag him into the cockpit will work out badly for everyone.
In the “good old days” a team owner would have called Bernie and asked who he should put in the car, now they seem to want to make the decision themselves.
The decision that Renault have to make is going to be based on how confident they are of the new cars potential.
If they honestly believe that they are in with a shout, then it must be Raikonen, if not, it don’t matter who they put in the car, the result will be the same.
this is the prove of how much petrov is not helping this team…
in my opinion the should get liuzzi and raikkonen.
Can’t believe people think its possible to oust Petrov. he’s on a very strong deal as a pay driver, thats the reason he’s there in the first place, lots of russian backing.
Not surprised by Eric’s list of potential drivers.
Senna – Best prospect of their reserve drivers
Heidfeld – Solid points finisher, development driver with no contract
Liuzzi – Another points finisher with no contract, may even be able to get FI to pay for the drive.
Anyone who already has a contract or reserve driver role would want more than a 6 month-1 year contract to leave their current seats in reality.
I would say as he’s already their employee that Senna has the best shot, but he needs to be faster than Petrov in Jerez to convince Eric he’s worth a punt.
Liuzzi, though, said after visiting the Santa Corona hospital: ‘A lot of people talked about this: not the team, but a lot of journalists.
‘Personally, at the moment I think Robert’s health is the first thing.
‘Then, it’s obvious that when Renault are sure that Robert won’t be able to step in the car, this chance might be open and I hope to be chosen instead of somebody else.
‘But, again, at the moment Robert’s health is the priority.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354867/Robert-Kubicas-rally-car-crash-barrier-left-critically-injured.html#ixzz1DOkFWVqs
I think it’s fall-on-the-floor-funny that Renault have 5 test drivers and they still don’t have one they can call on without hesitation. But Renault are fairly unique in having one superb driver and one sophomore driver who’s partly there because of his cash. If this had happened in any of the top 4 teams, they are at least safe in the knowledge they have proven quality in the other car (granted, Rosberg’s never won, but he’s clearly class).
I think Boullier’s got it right narrowing it down to Liuzzi, Heidfeld and Senna. I would’ve included Grosjean too, but as he’s got a full GP2 program I can understand why he’s been discounted ( I think RG’s got potential to be a class F1 driver, he deserves another shot imo). Presuming RK’s out for at least a season then, for my money, the choices are AL or NH
AL is a decent quality driver, who by all accounts is good with the engineers. He does blow a bit hot and cold, but it could get VJM out of hole.
NH is the best option if imo as he’s a great test driver, and is quick. His record against RK is very good. He may not be the best qualifier, but he generally has good race pace. He will score points regular in a half decent car, he does hold the record for most consecutive finishes after all.
If RK will be back before half way (which looks like less likely), then I’d give Bruno a shot. I’d like to see what he’s capable of cos a year in the HRT is worthless for judging him. It would also be Bahar’s wet dream to see Senna in JPS-“Lotus”! I think it’s a good chance to see what Petrov’s made of too that way. Force him to step up. let’s see if he’s got what it takes to score regularly and drive the team forward. It also serves as nice comparison having him race Bruno. If he can’t better what Bruno does, then he could well be benched upon RK’s return.
All this also depends how quick that car really is. The fact they topped the 1st test times are pretty meaningless. For all we know it it might be 6th or 7th best car on the grid, in which case, I’d go for Bruno all the way.
The most important thing is that RK recovers to full health and is able to return in his own time. I hope it’s soon, and I’m sure everyone else does too, but I hope he doesn’t rush back to the detriment of his health.
What’s with all the Heidfeld supporters? He got his arse handed to him by a rookie driver in Kamui Kobayashi. Luizzi? No…did nothing at Force India. Senna? Unproven given the car he was driving…let’s face it…even Ayrton Senna wouldn’t have been able to drive an HRT fast. That leaves just one man that can fill Bob’s shoes….Nico Hulkenberg. The Incredible Hulk came on strong in the latter part of the F1 season, even taking claim to a pole position.
I am sorry but there are far too many armchair F1 managers to read all the comments above and so I may be be repeating them.
so this armchair F1 manager would try my hardest to get Kimi back and fired up – perhaps on an incentive scheme – he certainly has the car control to match Robert and make up some of the time the car may not have. He proved that in spades at Ferrari when he was on song. The PR profile he would adopt would not be an awful lot different from Roberts as well! – watch out Behar!
The more realistic alternative looks like Hulkenberg if he can be winkled out and you will be taking a risk with the inexperience
For all that Heidfeld and Liuzzi are (or were) fine drivers, they were both comprehensively beaten by their team mates last season. I don’t say that with any relish, as I admire both of them and I was quite disappointed that they didn’t do better. However it really doesn’t qualify them very well for such a demanding role.
I was also disappointed with Senna. Given the poor standard of his team mates, I expected him to lead his team clearly, but I’m afraid he wasn’t really any better than them.
So all three were dropped by their teams at the end of last season, in favour of three none too promising replacements. And yet we’re seriously discussing which of them should be the lead driver of a top 4 team?
Given that the silly wrangling with Team Lotus needs to be settled, I should have thought that a deal could be done to defer action over names for a year in return for Lotus loaning Kovalainen in return for Senna.
Kovalainen did quite well last year, basically equalling Trulli (who was good enough to score a merited 2nd place as recently as the penultimate race of 2009). Kovalainen isn’t great, but I think his 2010 performance was better than being clearly beaten by Kobayashi or Sutil.
McPete
I remember Ferrari in a similar situation when Massa was out – they had no one they could really call on – which is why they tried to get MS and then eventually got Fisi (who IMO is useless anyway)
Yeah Kimi would be able to fill the shoes just fine but I don’t think he’s available.
And it’s pretty clear that there are not many F1 teams he is interested in and I don’t think Renault is among them.
I imagine only Red Bull and McLaren are realistic options for him as we must exclude Ferrari. I don’t see Kimi going to other F1 teams ever.
So to put it bluntly, chances are low to see him back in F1. I would say if he isn’t in a Red Bull F1 car next year in place of Webber then he is not coming back at all. McLaren has drivers for 2012 and I think in 2013 it’s too late, Kimi would likely be detached too much from the life of F1 by then to seriously consider a come-back.