2012 Driver Changes - Early Predictions?

[Chris Jenkins]

Maybe Kubica if he makes a good enough recovery drive.

 

[Gary Corby]

Massa's contract at Ferrari expires end of next year. I doubt he'll leave voluntarily before that, because he has nowhere better to go. Ferrari's unlikely to pay Massa out unless they have a far better replacement, and it would be a brave/foolhardy driver who agreed to race in the same team as Alonso. Odds are then the Ferrari team won't change next year, but Massa's almost certainly a dead duck come 2013.

Alonso is toxic to his team mates, and he's locked into Ferrari for the next five years. That leaves Ferrari with an interesting problem in 2013. It's hard to predict which top driver will be desperate enough to take the second seat come 2013.

RBR is unlikely to change. Webber and Horner are both making the right noises for a contract renewal. When Webber does retire, I guess in a year or two, there are so many good options for a replacement that it's an embarrassment of riches.

Hamilton can do no wrong in the eyes of McLaren. He might be eyeing RBR but he won't get a seat next year, and he's crazy if he thinks Vettel won't be their #1 driver when Webber retires. He's also crazy if he thinks the McLaren is not at least the equal of RBR now. Nor is he likely to rematch with Alonso at Ferrari; not after the disaster they had as a team last time. Therefore Hamilton's not moving.

Technically, Button is the better driver, and even McLaren might be forced to admit that soon; at least, they'll have to if they want more wins. Button would be an absolutely brilliant replacement for Webber, but he's probably one of the few drivers who wouldn't necessarily jump at the chance. I think he's found his natural home at McLaren.

The difficulty is to find good seats for Kobayashi and Rosberg. They've both more than earned winning cars. Rosberg I guess will stay with Mercedes, with no better option and enticed by piles of cash and his own team. Kobayahi is another who'd make a superb Webber replacement.

Further down the order it's pretty much randomness as far as I can see. I wouldn't be surprised if Virgin got the wooden spoon this year. Which would trigger a big reshuffle.

Heidfeld is a much better driver than his results have ever shown. He seems to have the mark of doom upon him. If he could produce some good results with Renault this year he might be picking up another seat, but if so it won't be with Renault. Sadly, I doubt Kubica will make it back, or if he does, it might be brief. There are *lots* of drivers to fill that seat.

The problem is there are too many excellent drivers, and not enough winning cars.

 

[Luke McVicar]

Button better then Hamilton, LOL.

 

[Ross Balfour]

Look at the standings and it tells you all you need to know Luke.

 

[Gareth Jones]

As a Button fan, I'm loathed to admit that I think Hamilton has a bit more outright pace than Button most of the time, the problem is, Hamilton seems to have gone downhill in his maturity and decision making this season, with the exception of China.

As for the driver changes, I'd love to see Kobayashi in a more competitive car, possibly Mercedes (to put a swerve on things) if Schmacher retires, if Di Resta doesn't get there first that is. Webber's future is not decided yet, perhaps a move to Ferrari maybe on the cards for next year, as Massa is not consistent this year.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Haven't heard the annual Valentino Rossi to Ferrari rumor. His name should be on the list as well

 

[Luke McVicar]

Thats assuming it will stay that way, besides its pretty blind to just look at a points table for an argument on who is better, Why don't look you look at the head to head results in Qualifying then you will see someone getting destroyed.

either way its clearly obvious Hamilton has bucket loads more talent then Button.

 

[Ryan Callan]

Talent over one lap and talent over a whole race are two different things.

Just driving does not a driver make, one has to know the politics, play the human element, have good engineering knowledge and communicate that clearly and quickly, concentration, have a cool head when making decisions, whether it's strategy or quick decisions like choosing a side of a track.

I'm not saying X is better than X but there is a whole lot more to driving than just driving

 

[Dave Oliver]

Thats assuming it will stay that way, besides its pretty blind to just look at a points table for an argument on who is better, Why don't look you look at the head to head results in Qualifying then you will see someone getting destroyed.

either way its clearly obvious Hamilton has bucket loads more talent then Button.

Well hang on who won the last GP, thats right Button. Who drove into the side of Button thats right Hamilton. Its clear obvious that hamilton has a bucketload more EGO and rather more inpatient.

Its just like online racing doesn't matter if your the fastest over a single lap, it's how fast you are over the race distance.

 

[Luke McVicar]

It was actually button who drove into Hamilton. Either way name 1 victory by button in the last two years that wasn't due to unique circumstances.Hamilton can win on merit button can't.Buttons qualifying record against Hamilton is pretty horrible as well.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

Well hang on who won the last GP, thats right Button. Who drove into the side of Button thats right Hamilton. Its clear obvious that hamilton has a bucketload more EGO and rather more inpatient.

Hamilton didn't drive into Button.

Hamilton's problem right now is his new top-dollar ego-massaging celebrity management team.
Manipulative money-grabbers that owe nothing to the teams, just to the people they're paid to be manage and take a pretty hefty percentage of everything Hamilton earns in the process. They'll try and push him to be looking out for himself and himself only, because unfortunately, thats what rakes in the $$.

The sooner Hamilton realises this and learns that he has to find a balance between what his manager tells him is right and what he knows is right, the better.

 

[Luke McVicar]

Well button has been linked to a high paying Ferrari drive which could pave threat for a Hamilton/kobayshi driver pairing could you imagen how insane that would be.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

Luke I think you need to balance out the blame a little bit.
Hamilton is getting a rough ride at the moment, yes.
In Canada, both collisions were racing incident where you can't really blame one driver over the other.
In Monaco, Massa may have turned in a bit too much, but Hamilton was never going to make that pass at the hairpin without a collision, therefore he should've got a penalty.
With Maldonaldo, yes Maldonaldo turned in a bit too much, but Hamilton severely out braked himself going into the corner, a racing incident at best, but I honestly think, due to how hard he hit Maldonaldo that Hamilton should've been penalised.

I am very much a Hamilton fan so don't think I'm jumping on the blame bandwaggon, but in Monaco he was a tad bit too aggressive and he paid for it. In Canada he was just unlucky.
I wouldn't say he's being 'screwed on' in any way. He's one of the best drivers in F1 so he'll naturally attract more media attention, because it sells.

 

[Gary Corby]

Even as we have this conversation: McLaren say they want to pay Button more, and Ferrari contact Button's management: http://www.yallaf1.com/2011/06/20/mclaren-vs-ferrari-begin-tug-of-war-for-button/

For all the reasons I gave before, I'm sure he won't move. McLaren seem to be worried though.

 

[Luke McVicar]

Both incidents in Monaco where the same as the the Schumacher battles he had, allthough i believe the massa move was a bit stupid.

The Maldonado/Hamilton incident was the same as the Hamilton overtake on schumacher on T1 only Schumacher used hes mirrors and Maldonado didn't, either way that was IMO a pure racing incident.

Hamiltons move on Webber IMO was Hamiltons fault, but to say it was Hamiltons fault that Button couldn't see him thus ramming him into the wall is a bit blind IMO.

Im not really a Hamilton fan but im just saying it how i see it, real Racers have to be allowed, but the buracratic rule system F1 is turning to is not allowing real racing unless you want dire consequenses.

No wonder Montoya and Kimi left.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

It is fair enough though. You collide with other cars, you get a penalty, assuming it was avoidable. Which both incidents in Monaco were.

 

[Ross Balfour]

If you were a team manager - who would you choose between Button and Hamilton??

The majority would chose Button, despite him not being the quickest driver of the two, he is the better. Button is more experienced, has a cooler head, can manage tyres longer, is more popular in the global audience... and he can actually admit when he is in the wrong - unlike Hamilton.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

Depends if they were thinking with their racing heads or their business/marketing heads on.
One 'head' will bring a lot more $$ than the other.

 

[TheHemps]

Depends if they were thinking with their racing heads or their business/marketing heads on.
One 'head' will bring a lot more $$ than the other.

How much is he costing them in broken parts though?

 

[Luke McVicar]

Overall Button is still worse, he did get outscored last year, and he lacks the speed on the top 3 drivers(Hamilton, Vettel and Alonso).