2008 season

[schumi]

Looks like another complete team with Toro Rosso announcing they've signed Champ Car driver Sebastien Bourdais. Having said their signing of Vettel was long term it looks like Liuzzi is out of a race seat for next year.

[schumi]

Kubica and Heidfeld confirmed to stay at BMW. Original post updated.

[schumi]

Oh dear, poor old Ralfy. Looks like he's on his way out soon, as Toyota don't appear to want to make a decision, and Toro Rosso have turned him down.

[Genghis]

schumi said:

Oh dear, poor old Ralfy. Looks like he's on his way out soon, as Toyota don't appear to want to make a decision, and Toro Rosso have turned him down.

How can we do without the self-proclaimed "third best driver" in F1

Nearly as arrogant as big bruvver... but without the talent ;D

[schumi]

Fernando Alonso is reportedly off to Ferrari next season in a £20m per year deal, while Felipe Massa is moving to Toyota.

Alonso's position at McLaren has become more untenable with the FIA's confirmation that it was the Spaniard's emails that resulted in the team being stripped of their 2007 Constructors' Championship points and handed a £50m fine.

And with Ron Dennis admitting that his relationship with his driver is "extremely cold" and that Alonso's unhappy with the team's equality policy, the double World Champion's time at McLaren appears to be running out - and fast.

In fact, according to the News of the World, Alonso has just three more races as a McLaren driver having already agreed to join Ferrari.

According to the tabloid, the Spaniard has agreed a £20 million a year deal to join Ferrari for 2008, leaving Felipe Massa out in the cold.

Massa, though, is already making plans for the future with the Daily Mail claiming that he 'opened preliminary negotiations with Toyota last weekend.'

The newspaper went on to say that Massa's decision to leave Ferrari could be based on team boss Jean Todt's pending (and unwanted) retirement in order to make way for Ross Brawn's return.

The Ferrari tech director, who is nearing the end of his year-long sabbatical, is expected to return to the Scuderia next season as team boss. And should this happen it could place Todt's son, who is also Massa's manager, in an uncomfortable position.

'Massa is acutely aware that if Jean Todt, as expected, loses an impending internal power struggle within Ferrari, he will be instantly vulnerable as he is managed by the Frenchman's son, Nicholas,' the Mail surmised.

From www.planetf1.com

[donsking]

And, not content with holding up Hamilton in the pits, Alonso seems to be putting various driver's careers on hold.............


Fisichella must wait on F1 future

By Jonathan Noble and Michele Lostia Monday

Giancarlo Fisichella looks set to face a longer wait to find out his Formula One future, as the driver market is put on hold because of uncertainty about Fernando Alonso's plans.

That is the view of the Italian's manager Enrico Zanarini, who thinks that teams are now stalling on firming up their seats for next year until they know whether or not Alonso will be a free agent.

Although Alonso has a contract with McLaren, his troubled relationship with the team and boss Ron Dennis has cast doubts over whether or not he will remain on board for 2008.

Renault have admitted they would welcome Alonso back, while speculation over the weekend has even linked the Spaniard with a move to Ferrari as replacement for Felipe Massa, who in turn has been linked with Toyota.

The situation remains uncertain, however, and Zanarini thinks all he and Fisichella can do is wait until the Alonso situation becomes clear.

"It's very confusing at the moment, everyone is waiting to see where Alonso ends up," Zanarini told Gazzetta dello Sport. "Until then we'll just have to wait.

"We've long held talks, but at the moment everyone just needs to wait and see whether Alonso leaves McLaren. At that point a complex mechanism of swaps will come into play.

"We don't know anything until he leaves. We'll then need to see what free seats will be available. At the moment we wait."


Courtesy of autosport.com

[schumi]

From www.planetf1.com

Felipe Massa is set to remain at Ferrari until the end of 2010 after signing a new deal with the Scuderia.

Massa's future has been the topic of some debate with reports suggesting that he's heading to Toyota next season to make way for Fernando Alonso.

Ferrari, though, have put an end to those rumours by announcing a contract extension for the Brazilian. The new deal sees him remain at Ferrari until the end of the 2010 Formula One season.

To date the Brazilian has raced in 34 grands prix for Ferrari, claiming five victories, six podiums and eight pole positions. He has also amassed 166 points during his time with Ferrari.

Massa's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen is already under contract through to the end of the 2009 F1 season.

[donsking]

And with the news that Spyker's new owners are looking to change the team name to Force India F1 for next year, I would say there are very short odds on them naming Narayan Karthikeyan in the team.

[schumi]

Or Nakajima who has replaced Wurz at Williams?

[donsking]

schumi said:

Or Nakajima who has replaced Wurz at Williams?

You've lost me, is there a sponsor connection?

[schumi]

I was thinking Japan, not India. I'm playing your "stupour" game.

[donsking]

schumi said:

I was thinking Japan, not India. I'm playing your "stupour" game.

I think you're winning! ;D

[schumi]

Confirmed calendar:

2008 FIA Formula One World Championship

16th March..Australia
23rd March..Malaysia
6th April..Bahrain
27th April..Spain
11th May..Turkey
25th May..Monaco
8th June..Canada
22nd June..France
6th July..Great Britain
20th July..Germany
3rd August..Hungary
24th August..Europe
7th Spetember..Belgium
14th Spetember..Italy
28th September..Singapore*
12th October..Japan
19th October..China
2nd November..Brazil

* Night race

[braveheart]

6th July, Great Britain. Must be the least glamorous place to hold a GP

[Deleted]

braveheart said:

6th July, Great Britain. Must be the least glamorous place to hold a GP

And Hungary and Germany are?