So, Jenson has joined McLaren (claim chowder no 1) and Michael has joined Mercedes (claim chowder no 2).
And I’ve just discovered that archived news reports at Autosport are only available for 30 days. Good job I haven’t got lots of links to that site on here. Oh, wait…
Eddie Jordan thinks that Michael Schumacher will drive for the Mercedes Grand Prix team in 2010.
Jordan says that “there’s no downside” for Michael Schumacher.
I have to agree with Joe Saward on this one — can’t see it happening.
Well, I never actually thought it would happen. I thought it was all part of a scheme to get Brawn/Mercedes to stump up the cash.
But no.
Jenson Button has joined McLaren on a ‘multi-year’ deal.
I’m not quite sure how I feel about this. On the one hand I believe that Button demonstrated just how good he is in 2009. On the other I wonder if he is as good as Hamilton in the same car.
2010 could either serve to further illustrate how skilled Button is or it could leave some saying he only won the 2009 World Championship because he was in the best car/had a slower teammate etc.
Jackie Stewart thinks Button’s made a mistake.
Ross Brawn thought he should stay with Brawn/Mercedes.
Button himself is clearly delighted with the deal.
Mercedes have today announced that they’ve bought 75.1% of the Brawn GP team and will race as Mercedes Grand Prix in 2010.
The BBC seem to think that this means Jenson Button is on his way to McLaren next year so that Nick Heidfeld can be slotted in alongside (the as yet unannounced) Nico Rosberg in a German superteam.
Can’t see that myself — I think Mercedes would be mad to throw away the chance to race with the number 1 on their car in their first year as a bona fide F1 manufacturer in 55 years.
So it’s official — Williams will use Cosworth engines in 2010. Not a massive surprise (although personally speaking I was hoping for a switch to Renault. Williams Renault just sounds great…)
Most telling from the interview FW gave to the Gulf News newspaper was this wee tidbit (emphasis added):
“[Cosworth] are 50 miles away from Williams which is very convenient. Besides we also like our independence. We will be not under the influence, not that Toyota ever bossed around, but we’ve just gone a private and independent route.”
Not that Toyota bossed you around, they just told you who to have in the second seat. Not so with Cosworth.
Good for you Frank.
The BBC think so. I can’t see it happening — it’ll either be Räikkönen or Rosberg in the second McLaren.
In other news, Jean Todt has been elected as the new president of the FIA, the future of the British GP is in doubt after Donington Park admitted efforts to raise a heap of cash through a bond plan has failed, Honda say they have no regrets about pulling out of F1 and BMW are ‘proud’ ahead of their final race.
Another year, another great Brazilian GP and another British F1 world champion.
Button pulled off some awesome overtaking moves that had me cringing and holding my breath — Kobayashi looked more than capable of taking them both off when Button was trying to get past.
The race was a great example of the different strategies at play — for the likes of Button, Vettel and Hamilton to finish where they did given their qualifying positions was a great example of clever strategies by their teams.
A top drive from Jenson and a fantastic year for F1.
Luca Badoer has come out and said that all the negative press he received for his poor drives in Valencia and Spa contributed to Ferrari replacing him with Giancarlo Fisichella.
“The media played a fundamental role in the decision to replace me.”
By reporting on your woeful performances, yes. F1 has always been a piranha club — if you’re not quick enough, you’re out. The list of drivers who don’t make the cut is huge — this season we’ve had Nelson Piquet and Sebastian Bourdais shown the door for poor performances.
Badoer goes on to say that, had Ferrari given him one more race, he’d have been on the pace.
“Maranello had faith in me. I only have one regret – from the third grand prix I would have done better.”
I remember hearing something similar after Valencia. Maranello obviously lost that faith.
(As an aside, I’m pleased that Fisichella will finally get to drive a Ferrari in F1. It’s long been his dream and the deal he’s got — racing for the final five races, then test & reserve driver next year — sounds great. Seeing him in the Ferrari kit brings back memories of seeing Alesi in the Jordan in 2001. It just felt right, you know? Anyway. Forza Fisi.)
Following on the heels of Honda, Autosport are reporting that BMW will quit F1 at the end of the year.
UPDATE: Yah, they’re off. Seems a bit of a surprise really, apart from this year their performance was really good. Is one bad year all it takes for a major manufacturer to pull out?
The new chief executive of Honda, Takanobu Ito, has come out and said that F1 is no longer attractive.
“It was a real shame that we had to leave Formula 1…On the other hand, F1 is becoming less of a medium in which companies can test their various strengths and more of an event with mounting restrictions.
“There’s little room for us to challenge new fields, so bearing in mind the current state of series, I don’t think we have the desire to return, even if the economy improves.”
Less of a medium in which companies can test their various strengths? Like building the fastest racing car on the grid?