So with the news today that Mercedes look set to confirm Lewis Hamilton next week the big question is who will replace him at McLaren? Heikki Kovalainen has been linked with a return to the Woking squad however it emerged yesterday that his management team have held talks with Ferrari about next season.
The latest report to emerge today is that Sauber's Sergio Perez could be set replace Hamilton at McLaren. If this is true, McLaren would have to weigh up their options as to whether or not it would be worth signing Perez from a financial point of view. The reason for this is because Perez is part of Ferrari's Young Driver Academy so any McLaren deal would have to be signed off by Ferrari and I doubt they would be willing to release their star young driver to their main rival.
From a commercial point of view it would make perfect sense for the team as Perez is sponsored by the Telemex Telecommunications company and it is widely believed that McLaren's title sponsor are extremely keen to enter the Latin American market.
Another stumbling block for McLaren would be the fact that they would also have to pay Sauber a hefty compensation package as the Swiss team would be losing their star driver so in affect the team would be paying double.
So I believe that McLaren are pushing like crazy to retain Hamilton for next season. However if Hamilton is determined to leave the team you can be assured that he and his management team at XIX Entertainment will do all they can to get him into Mercedes.
Friday, 14 September 2012
Mercedes set to confirm Hamilton next week
Today's Daily Mail reports that Mercedes are closing in on securing Lewis Hamilton's service's for next season with an announcement due in the build - up to next weekend's Singapore GrandPrix. If the story is true, it will end months of speculation relating to Lewis Hamilton's future as the Briton is out of contract at the end of this season.
The story goes on to say that the prospect of working with Ross Brawn who's Brawn GP team won the 2009 Driver's and Constructor's championship's with Jenson Button before selling the team to Mercedes at the end of 2009.
Not only that, the fact that in 2014 Formula One will change to V6 turbo charged engine's and it is believed that it will be beneficial for a driver to be with a 'work's' team like Mercedes or Ferrari and Renault are also in a good position however they will be supplying Lotus, Caterham and RedBull Racing.
I believe that if the deal goes ahead it is a great opportunity for Hamilton for the long term however in my opinion he could find it difficult to adjust to a new team next year particularly as there are very few technical change's in store for next season as the big change's will come in 2014. So far this season McLaren have won five races whereas Mercedes have only won a single race this year.
So it will be very interesting to see what happens in the next couple of day's.
The story goes on to say that the prospect of working with Ross Brawn who's Brawn GP team won the 2009 Driver's and Constructor's championship's with Jenson Button before selling the team to Mercedes at the end of 2009.
Not only that, the fact that in 2014 Formula One will change to V6 turbo charged engine's and it is believed that it will be beneficial for a driver to be with a 'work's' team like Mercedes or Ferrari and Renault are also in a good position however they will be supplying Lotus, Caterham and RedBull Racing.
I believe that if the deal goes ahead it is a great opportunity for Hamilton for the long term however in my opinion he could find it difficult to adjust to a new team next year particularly as there are very few technical change's in store for next season as the big change's will come in 2014. So far this season McLaren have won five races whereas Mercedes have only won a single race this year.
So it will be very interesting to see what happens in the next couple of day's.
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Kovalainen linked with a switch to Ferrari for 2013
Finnish television station MTV3 are reporting today that Heikki Kovalainen's management have held talks with Ferrari in relation to replacing Felipe Massa next season. The reports comes just day's after Kovalainen was linked with a move back to McLaren to replace Lewis Hamilton who is set to switch to Mercedes if the speculation is true.
Kovalainen is currently in his third year driving for the Caterham F1 team and it is thought that he is looking to get a drive with a more competitive team for next season. There are potential drive's available at Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.
The Finn made his debut with Renault in 2007 and moved across to Mclaren in 2008 as he and Alonso switched seat's with Alonso heading back to Renault. So it is going to very interesting to se what happens with the driver line ups next season.
I certainly believe that Felipe Massa will not be a Ferrari driver next season. Speaking to Sky Sports News yesterday Luca Di Montezemelo told the channel that Sergio Perez is too young and inexperienced for the a Ferrari drive. That in my opinion is the clearest indication that the Italian team are looking to replace Massa.
So there is going to be some driver musical chairs at the end of the season so that is going to be extremely interesting to see what happens.
Kovalainen is currently in his third year driving for the Caterham F1 team and it is thought that he is looking to get a drive with a more competitive team for next season. There are potential drive's available at Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.
The Finn made his debut with Renault in 2007 and moved across to Mclaren in 2008 as he and Alonso switched seat's with Alonso heading back to Renault. So it is going to very interesting to se what happens with the driver line ups next season.
I certainly believe that Felipe Massa will not be a Ferrari driver next season. Speaking to Sky Sports News yesterday Luca Di Montezemelo told the channel that Sergio Perez is too young and inexperienced for the a Ferrari drive. That in my opinion is the clearest indication that the Italian team are looking to replace Massa.
So there is going to be some driver musical chairs at the end of the season so that is going to be extremely interesting to see what happens.
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
RIP Professor Watkins...An inspiration and Formula One legend
I was shocked and saddened this evening to hear the news that Professor Sid Watkins passed away at a London hospital this evening. The 84 year old neurosurgeon was the Formula One medical delegate for many years and helped save the lives of countless Formula One driver's. He was also extremely close to the great Ayrton Senna and was one of the first people on the scene following the Brazilian's fatal crash at the San Marino GrandPrix in 1994.
Sid Watkins was a true legend and inspiration to everyone in Formula One and was instrumental in the implementation of the safety features that Formula One boasts. Sid Watkins last appearance at a GrandPrix was very recent, as he attended the 2012 British GrandPrix where he was interviewed by David Coulthard and Lee McKenzie for BBC F1.
He also helped introduce the Head And Neck Safety device into Formula One. My thought's are with his family and everyone in the Formula One community, the sport has lost a true legend and inspiration. He has left a lasting legacy with Formula One. Rest In Peace Professor Sid Watkins
Sid Watkins was a true legend and inspiration to everyone in Formula One and was instrumental in the implementation of the safety features that Formula One boasts. Sid Watkins last appearance at a GrandPrix was very recent, as he attended the 2012 British GrandPrix where he was interviewed by David Coulthard and Lee McKenzie for BBC F1.
He also helped introduce the Head And Neck Safety device into Formula One. My thought's are with his family and everyone in the Formula One community, the sport has lost a true legend and inspiration. He has left a lasting legacy with Formula One. Rest In Peace Professor Sid Watkins
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Is Hamilton playing a dangerous game?
So the latest news according to Sky Sports is that Lewis Hamilton will be staying at McLaren in 2013. The Briton, who won the Italian GrandPrix on Sunday told Sky Sports News that "the team are incredible' he also stated that he was 'looking forward to the future'. Despite these statements we are no closer to discovering what he is going to do next year.
If I was Ron Dennis or Martin Whitmarsh I would be getting very impatient with Lewis and I would give him a deadline to decide his future. In Spa Lewis tweeted his telemetry comparison to Jenson and complained. The team weren't happy about it however they took no action against the driver.
Again if I was part of the management of a team who are obsessed with their public image and watch what everyone says to the media I would have been very annoyed with that situation. The team did sit Hamilton down to discuss the problem.
In my opinion, Hamilton is testing the team and I believe that Ron Dennis may be getting a little fed up that his star driver has so far failed to sign a new agreement with the team. The media in the UK believe that Lewis will not sign a new McLaren deal due to his body language over the weekend and following his victory on Sunday. However I believe that they are over analyzing the situation.
As for Martin Whitmarsh's apparent comments yesterday where he reportedly said that the team 'have no plan B' should hamilton decide to leave. However there are a number of different driver's potentially available one of which as I mentioned earlier today could be Paul Di Resta.
So we shall have to wait a while longer to see how this plays out.
If I was Ron Dennis or Martin Whitmarsh I would be getting very impatient with Lewis and I would give him a deadline to decide his future. In Spa Lewis tweeted his telemetry comparison to Jenson and complained. The team weren't happy about it however they took no action against the driver.
Again if I was part of the management of a team who are obsessed with their public image and watch what everyone says to the media I would have been very annoyed with that situation. The team did sit Hamilton down to discuss the problem.
In my opinion, Hamilton is testing the team and I believe that Ron Dennis may be getting a little fed up that his star driver has so far failed to sign a new agreement with the team. The media in the UK believe that Lewis will not sign a new McLaren deal due to his body language over the weekend and following his victory on Sunday. However I believe that they are over analyzing the situation.
As for Martin Whitmarsh's apparent comments yesterday where he reportedly said that the team 'have no plan B' should hamilton decide to leave. However there are a number of different driver's potentially available one of which as I mentioned earlier today could be Paul Di Resta.
So we shall have to wait a while longer to see how this plays out.
Kovalainen could return to McLaren
Caterham's Heikki Kovalainen could be set to replace Lewis Hamilton at McLaren next season, that is according to a report in today's Daily Mail. With speculation rife that Hamilton is set to join Mercedes next season, it is reported that Kovalainen, who drove for the team from 2008 to 2009 could be set to return to the Woking based squad.
The Finn picked up his first victory with the team at the 2008 Hungarian Grandprix and despite the fact he is with Caterham, in my opinion a move back to McLaren would be more beneficial to him and it would also be a great move for McLaren as it would restore a sense of harmony within the team.
As for Caterham, they have a number of driver's that would be perfect replacements for Heikki. They have American Alexander Rossi for example, who would be ideal as next year we will have two Granprix next ear.
According to the report he is one of three driver's on McLaren's short list should Hamilto leave the team. Sergio Perez and and Paul Di Resta are also apparently on the list. The problem with Perez is the fact that he is part of Ferrari's Young driver Academy and it is extremely unlikely that the Italian team would release him to join McLaren.
During the Italian GrandPrix weekend, Scotland's Paul Di Resta announced that he has a new manager Richard Goddard who also represents Jenson Button so Di Resta could be lining up a move to McLaren and it would be an ideal situation for McLaren as they would be dealing with one management team.
In my opinion, Lewis Hamilton should just announce what his plan's are instead of waiting as it would put an end to all the speculation.
The Briton took an emphatic victory at the weekend in Monza, however I think too much has been read into his reaction of winning the race. He won the race. it was a great performance but it is obvious to me that he is not enjoying his time at McLaren for whatever reason.
The Finn picked up his first victory with the team at the 2008 Hungarian Grandprix and despite the fact he is with Caterham, in my opinion a move back to McLaren would be more beneficial to him and it would also be a great move for McLaren as it would restore a sense of harmony within the team.
As for Caterham, they have a number of driver's that would be perfect replacements for Heikki. They have American Alexander Rossi for example, who would be ideal as next year we will have two Granprix next ear.
According to the report he is one of three driver's on McLaren's short list should Hamilto leave the team. Sergio Perez and and Paul Di Resta are also apparently on the list. The problem with Perez is the fact that he is part of Ferrari's Young driver Academy and it is extremely unlikely that the Italian team would release him to join McLaren.
During the Italian GrandPrix weekend, Scotland's Paul Di Resta announced that he has a new manager Richard Goddard who also represents Jenson Button so Di Resta could be lining up a move to McLaren and it would be an ideal situation for McLaren as they would be dealing with one management team.
In my opinion, Lewis Hamilton should just announce what his plan's are instead of waiting as it would put an end to all the speculation.
The Briton took an emphatic victory at the weekend in Monza, however I think too much has been read into his reaction of winning the race. He won the race. it was a great performance but it is obvious to me that he is not enjoying his time at McLaren for whatever reason.
Magny Cours comes to life as F1 returns to France
Formula One returns to the Magny Cours circuit in France this week for the first since 2008 as three team's tack to the track for the 2012 Young Driver test programme. Force India, Ferrari and Mercedes AMG will all have driver's in action over the next four day's. Jules Bianchi will be in action for Ferrari, putting the F2012 through it's test programme before switching to Force India. The Frenchman is part of Ferrari's young driver programme and is also Force India's test and reserve driver.
Britain's Sam Bird will be testing a major upgrade package on the Mercedes AMG ahead of the Singapore GrandPrix in two week's time.
It is going to be interesting to see how the test goes. I believe that instead of running the young driver test programme team's should be allowed to trade the young driver test for a full day's testing for their race driver's to iron out any potential problems they may have.
For example, it would be ideal for McLaren as Jenson Button to us as he had a suspected fuel pick up problem and also for the two RedBull driver's who failed to finish the race and that was RedBull's first double retirement since Korea 2010
Britain's Sam Bird will be testing a major upgrade package on the Mercedes AMG ahead of the Singapore GrandPrix in two week's time.
It is going to be interesting to see how the test goes. I believe that instead of running the young driver test programme team's should be allowed to trade the young driver test for a full day's testing for their race driver's to iron out any potential problems they may have.
For example, it would be ideal for McLaren as Jenson Button to us as he had a suspected fuel pick up problem and also for the two RedBull driver's who failed to finish the race and that was RedBull's first double retirement since Korea 2010
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