Who will be the first driver to lose their seat?

Who is going to lose their seat first this year?
Karthikeyan, Glock, or...

 

Who would be the first important driver to lose his seat...may be a better question to ask.

 

Maybe Senna...I'm wondering if Williams will keep their nerve if both drivers can't start to get consistent results with what is obviously a fundamentally quick car.

I'm sure they've thought more than once or twice about what kind of results Rubens would be getting if he was still in the team.

Mid-season recall from Indycar, Frank?

 

As much as I would love to see Rubens return I really don't see him leaving IndyCar and the oportunity to hang out with his close friend at the track. Well maybe for a really really big pile of cash.

 

Massa

 

I don't know, he was reminiscing a few weeks ago...


http://en.espnf1.com/usracing/motorsport/story/77811.html

Although if he replaced anyone named Senna he'd be testing people's religious faith in Brazil...

 

+1

 

Before Monaco, absolutely. I wonder if he's done enough to save his skin for the rest of the season though. Who do you think would replace him?

 

He drove a good race, but a 6th place isn't really anything to write home about.

 

Yeah, I agree. He just hasn't done enough to justify that seat. I just think Monaco at least kept him out of the electric chair for a little longer.

I don't see who they'd replace him with right now. If they really want Perez or Webber they're going to have to wait until the end of the season.

 

You're right, but Monaco is a unique venue, let's see how he performs when the circus rolls on to a proper circuit again.

Agreed. I actually think he will last for the rest of the season, with Webber signing a 1 (possibly 2) year deal for 2013 and beyond. After Webber's stint they will likely bring in Perez, at least that's how I envision it playing out.

 

He needs to finish consistently close to Alonso to be part of next year.

 

I wondered about Maldonado. The announcers mentioned that he may have money troubles due to some problem in Venezuela.

 

The low level driver that can't bring the sponsorship dollars.

 

Yeah, I agree...this will be the measuring stick they'll be holding him to.

Even with the win, jury is still out I think. He better keep getting good results.

 

F1 is about money, no team has ever had a problem handing a driver over to another team mid-season where money was involved. Running an F1 Team business is running a business. Webber could go to Ferrari next month, Ferrari pay Webber or RedBull to make it happen, RedBull pull a driver up from TorroRosso and get a test driver into a seat.

RedBull will continue to sell drinks, and if Mark goes to Ferrari, then probably some extra Ferraris get sold in Australia. What Ferrari want is a more Ferrari proportion of the TV revenue at the end of 2012, the money to make RedBull happy and provide them the opportunity to test Daniel or another driver in the prime gear probably isn't too high.

For the right amount of money you could get Michael out of the Brawn outfit for a few races and fill the Ferrari seat for an official send-off race at the end of the season. As a business you could make that one work really easily.

If a situation like Mansell in Adelaide in 1994 was to happen now, it would definitely be monetarised a lot more successfully. I think with the track lineup in November this year, it is pretty much a guarantee we're going to see a few one-off liveries and driver cameos - cause the potential to earn there will be significant, both from traditional WCPoints, and more current trending merchandising and disruptive digital sales.

 

Massa is gone from Ferrari by years end! He's auditioning for a ride next year
with a mid-level team at best.

 

Massa is gone. Unless he scores a podium at every race from here on in.

Do you believe in miracles?

 

Yep, agree. Lot of moving parts in the silly season this year with Hamilton and Webber's contracts expiring, but I think the key pivot will be what happens with Schumacher. If he retires the whole thing is going to get very interesting.

Here's my prediction if he does retire...
Di Resta to Mercedes
Massa to Force India
Webber to Ferrari
Ricciardo to Red Bull
Rossi or Daly to Torro Rosso
Hamilton to stay put at McLaren

If Webber stays put at RB, then Perez to Ferrari and Ricciardo stays at TR.

Let's check back in 9 months to see.

 

Im not bashing Massa but I believe he will go. Ferrari need a closer association with a mid pac team, like Toro Rosso. Politicly I could see a swap between Massa and Daniel Ricciardo. He is young enough to develop and his ego is small enough for Alonso

 

Does anybody know whether Massa brings any significant sponsors to the table?

If he doesn't I think not even HRT etc will want him. Probably at Indy next year.

 

I don't think so. He's been pretty a much a pro / non-pay driver since he started with Sauber back in the day. I remember him getting bumped by HHF early on that first season even when he was already getting some decent results, which probably wouldn't have happened if he was bringing significant sponsor cash to the table.

 

Good point.

 

+1