It's getting to that time; although rumours flying around F1 are part and parcel of the sport, now the talking point is ahead to next season.
And the most common question (other than 'Has Bernie gone crazy?'
is 'Who's going where?'. Let's have a look at the possibilities.
Red Bull:
Vettel is almost a certainty to stay. He's been a cornerstone to Red Bull's title challenges and brings much publicity to the team as he's one of their home-grown stars. The second seat has already kicked up a bit of a storm. Webber has been linked with Ferrari, and being good friends with Alonso would definitely help him in that respect. But none of the other Red Bull-backed potential drivers are quite ready for the responsibility that the Number 2 seat has. Buemi lacks race practise and rarely shows flashes of brilliance. Alguersuari is a very determined racer, but not on great terms with the mug that is Helmut Marko. Ricciardo has floundered a bit in the races despite being quite handy in qualifying, and Vergne is the exact opposite. Should Webber leave, they'd probably have to cast their net elsewhere. Hamilton has been linked with the seat too, but looks poised to sign a mega-bucks contract with McLaren.
I would imagine, though, that Webber would stay. He's probably got one or two seasons left and although there'd be the temptation of driving for the Prancing Horse, Red Bull have the equipment to provide him with that last hurrah.
McLaren:
Hamilton most probably would stay with the team that brought him from karts to the F1 WDC. He'd obviously get a huge boost to his bank balance if he did, so that's another bonus for him. Button would most likely stay too, seeing as he already has a contract with the team for 2013. Neither of the test drivers, Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey, ever look like stepping up and nobody really knows who McLaren would actually go for as a replacement. Both drivers to stay, I feel.
Ferrari:
Now here's where it gets interesting. Alonso's contracted until 2016, so he's a given. The second seat has been the focus of much speculation, fuelled by Massa's underacheivement in the last couple of seasons. Perez has been very much linked to the seat but Montezemolo has ruled him out, for 2013 anyway. Webber's been linked too; he'd surely love the opportunity for a swansong in the (cliché alert) most evocative marque in F1. So who, if anyone, would replace Massa?
I would not imagine it would be Jules Bianchi, as he's shown in GP2 that he's a bit crash-happy. Plus, he's inexperienced and probably wouldn't be good enough to drive for them anyway. Glock or Kovalainen could be viable options, as both have persevered with their (relatively) new outfits and deserve a go at the top. Kobayashi could be an option too, as he's a real racer and would push Alonso. However, despite the protestations I think they'd be mad not to sign up Perez.
Mercedes:
Rosberg has now found some form this season, and has picked up 59 points in the last 4 races. He's also contracted for 2013, so should stay. Speculation surrounds Schumacher though, regarding his retirement in particular. So far, he's not found this season to his taste and has let that be known. However, this is possibly a cover for his own misgivings and should probably call it a day now in my eyes (I know that certain members will disagree). He's not seemingly able to unlock the potential of the car and perhaps should hand over to someone who is very much part of this age of F1.
And we more or less know who this is: Paul di Resta. He's been groomed (not in THAT way) by Merc for a while now, and should be odds on to step in there should The Formerly-Red-Now-Silver Baron retire.
Lotus:
They'd be mad to can either driver. Both have been very good so far this year (other than when Grosjean ends up facing the wrong way at the opening stages), so they should keep them both.
Force India:
As mentioned, if Schumacher retires then Di Resta is probably off. Hulkenberg looks to be getting back in the swing of things, so would be a good bet to lead the team next season. Now, despite the fact Bianchi 'tests' for the team, don't take for granted that he'll follow in the current drivers' footsteps and get a race-seat. Mallya wouldn't want to spend money on new cars, because as mentioned earlier Bianchi is a little 'wild' in his driving. I think the best bet here is Alguersuari. Pirelli testing should keep him relatively fresh, and he's a very good racer. Don't rule out Merc DTM-protogés Robert Wickens and Christian Vietoris for test seats, though.
Sauber:
If Perez ends up at Ferrari, in order to keep the Telmex money should elevate Gutierrez. Gutierrez hasn't been amazing in GP2, but could definitely do a good job for Sauber. Massa is another alternative if he leaves Ferrari. Kobayashi would most likely stay, as chances are he'd continue to be overlooked for the top seats.
Toro Rosso:
Would probably stay the same. The drivers need more experience.
Williams:
Drivers bring lots of money. Williams need money, ergo status quo. Bottas is a possibility, though.
Caterham:
Probably the same, I'd imagine. Drivers push one another and the car's slowly improving.
Marussia:
Glock would most likely see out the remainder of his contract. Would Pic stay? Probably, but John Booth might dip into GP2 again for another driver.
HRT:
De La Rosa, and anyone who pays. Could be Karthikeyan again, or might be another Red Bull backed driver. Who knows?
GP2's dearth of talent:
Davide Valsecchi is currently winning, with Luiz Razia second and van der Garde 3rd. These drivers have been in GP2 for a while, and although that partially allowed Maldonado and Petrov to get seats, maybe they're not brilliant bets for F1 seats. Having said that, they could do a solid job. James Calado's been pretty good, and he could be a good bet for a reserve seat somewhere. Max Chilton's been consistent, too. From the first-year drivers (other than Calado), Nasr should be doing better at DAMS, Dillmann's been quite unlucky and Berthon's ok but not spectacular. One thing's agreed, Giancarlo Serenelli is the most useless driver ever.
For me, it's the following:
Red Bull: Vettel, Webber
McLaren: Button, Hamilton
Ferrari: Alonso, Perez
Merc: Rosberg, Di Resta
Lotus: Raikkonen, Grosjean
FI: Hulkenberg, Alguersuari
Sauber: Kobayashi, Gutierrez
Toro Rosso: Ricciardo, Vergne
Williams: Maldonado, Senna
Caterham: Kovalainen, Petrov
Marussia: Glock, Pic
HRT: De la Rosa, whoever's got money.
What are your predictions?
GPGSL: S6 - TafuroGP Tester (14th) /// S7 - ART Tester (6th) /// S8 - Demon Driver (13th) /// S9 - Demon/Snake Driver (13th) /// S10 - Snake Driver (???) ///]
"My ambition is handicapped by laziness" -
Charles BukowskiEdited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/06/2012 11:16AM by Incident 2k9.