F1 Off Season Thread 2011-12

[Phlashman]

So thought I'd get this started.

Kimi has signed on to Lotus Renault for next year!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula ... 934329.stm

Does this mean Petrov is out? Or will he go back to being number 2?

Petrov is backed by none other than:


So it means, sadly, that Senna is likely out of a drive, unless he can rustle up enough funding to take a seat at Williams, which may already be taken by Sutil if Hulkenberg gets his way and snags a drive with Force India next season. Di Resta is going nowhere unless Schumacher packs it in early, which I can't see happening as I reckon Mercedes will be strong next year now that they (finally) fully understand why their car has been so slow all season. With only a few regulation changes next season (the ban on the blown diffuser being the only big change), we should see four teams pretty evenly paced - McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes. My tip for a surprise package next year is Williams; they've got some fresh faces in the design team (notably Mike Coughlan) so as long as they can get a decent driver behind the wheel (Pastor is shit) they might just sneak some podiums.

I predict Kimi to be shit, and Lotus to be shit.

Well...

Romain Grosjean joins Kimi Raikkonen at Lotus Renault for 2012

So, where does this leave Petrov and Senna? I guess there is a Williams seat still going but now we have to wait to see what Force India's line up is, then Williams can pick and choose!

Watching BBC news late right now and the guy hosting the sports section( dont know his name, but he mentioned he heard a runour Button is going to Red Bull, the way he spoke to the actual news reader he said "now its just a rumour" but he seemed certain and no other F1 news was mentioned) this wasnt an actual news segment just him chatting to the reader to his left.

True? I think not. Although i can see Webber being replaced.

[Phlashman]

I've not heard anything like that. I doubt that it would happen, signed a new deal this year, winning races.

Ricciardo, Vergne to race for Toro Rosso in 2012

The right decision. Red Bull are looking for drivers to move up to RBR eventually, and Alguersuari and Buemi were not good enough. While solid mid field runners they haven't shown enough to warrant a place in any of the top teams. Time to try new guys!

[Phlashman]

I'm not sure if I agree, the car is what it is. Since they're all red bull drivers they should of all got a chance in the big boys car at a test, and the fastest should get the seat.

Shoot outs aren't a reliable way of getting a sense of whether a driver can work with a team, develop the car, and be consistent over the weekend. When has Alguersuari or Buemi ever made you think "wow" over the last three years?

Jean-Eric Vergne did a time in the young drivers test that was good enough for a front row start at Abu Dhabi. He deserves a shot. And Ricciardo has done well against Liuzzi this year.

[Phlashman]

To be perfectly honest anything outside the top 3-4 teams doesn't interest me that much.

I'd much rather see 1 or even 2 more of each of the top cars, or customer cars on the track but say the extra drivers have to be under 23 or something.

I think a lot of young drivers come in too early and don't get enough of a chance.

Well that's the age we live in now many of the manufacturers left and their driver programs are shut down. All the best drivers have risen into the best teams and everyone else have to try and shine in cars that aren't the best.

I think today is the day we find out about Force India's line up.

[Phlashman]

It's the Hulk and Di Resta at Force India then.

I don't see Di Resta moving on until there's a spot a at mercedes or higher.

I agree on Di Resta.

I feel sorry for Sutil. He drove a great season and was 9th, the best non manufacturer backed driver.

I figure he'll be announced at Williams, hopefully.

[Phlashman]

Damon Hill is in at Sky, Williams should be announcing their line-up today. Senna might be in there over Rubans.

Senna IS in there over rubens.



Confirmed!

Bruno Senna will drive the second Williams car during the 2012 Formula 1 season, as the team from Grove finally announced who will partner Pastor Maldonado.

Senna, the nephew of three-time world champion Ayrton, made his grand prix debut with the Hispania team back in 2010, but could not secure a seat for the start of the 2011 season.

He eventually replaced Nick Heidfeld at the Renault team from last year's Belgian Grand Prix, but the team decided to hire Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean for the 2012 season. Senna managed two points in eight races during 2011.

After months of speculation, Williams confirmed on Tuesday that the 28-year-old Brazilian will race alongside Maldonado this year.

Senna will make his debut with the team on February 9th at Jerez during the first test of the year.

"Bruno only started racing when he was 20 years old but quickly proved his talent in F3 and GP2," said Frank Williams.

"In a tightly fought 2008 GP2 season, Bruno finished second in the Championship with notable victories in Monaco and Silverstone, the latter in the wet. The circumstances of Bruno's two seasons in Formula 1 have not given him an ideal opportunity to deliver consistently so it was essential that we spent as much time with him as possible to understand and evaluate him as a driver.

"We have done this both on track and in our simulator and he has proven quick, technically insightful and above all capable of learning and applying his learning quickly and consistently. Now we are looking forward to seeing that talent in our race car."

Senna added: "I feel very privileged that Williams has selected me as one of their race drivers. The team has a great heritage and I hope I can help write a good chapter in their history. The evaluation process has been intense and methodical but the time I have spent in the factory has demonstrated that the team has great people and all the resources needed to achieve better things this season.

"It will be very interesting to drive for a team that my uncle has driven for, particularly as quite a few of the people here actually worked with Ayrton. Hopefully we can bring back some memories and create some great new ones too.

"I also want to get some good results in return for the support my country has given me to help get me to this position today. I am very proud to be Brazilian and more motivated than ever to demonstrate what I can do. Ever since I first sat in a go-kart I never wanted to do anything else."

The move means Rubens Barrichello looks set to be absent from Formula 1 for the first time in 20 years.

The Brazilian said on Twitter after the announcement that his "future is wide open".

(From Autosport)

[Phlashman]

Williams is the only team out of the top few that hold my interest as I was a big Williams fan as a kid, with Mansell and then Hill. I wish they could return to the top, but every year it seem more and more unlikely.