Comments on: Barrichello, Bourdais and Piquet: will they still be F1 drivers in 2009?

By: Fergus Gallas

Fergus Gallas — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:29:33 +0000

Brazillian press headlines today:
Bruno Senna has offered $14millions for a 2009 seat in Toro Rosso.
I believe Berger needs this cash.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:02:07 +0000

STR would be crazy to drop Bourdais. He was the quickest driver in the Red Bull stable at Spa, Fuji and Shanghai.

If I were McLaren I’d pick him up should STR drop him, test him for a year then replace Kovalainen.

By: Gman

Gman — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:37:59 +0000

I think Bourdais deserves his drive without a doubt and he should be allowed to stay. I remember us all talking awhile back about F1 being a place for the best drivers in the world- if that is the case, SB deserves to be here because he earned his way in- he is a decorated champion in another top series, and not someone who was tutored to make it into the sport.

Sadly, I think it is almost certain that he will be dumped after this weekend- Red Bull seems to be obsessed with getting Buemi into a seat, and there seems to be an overlying principle in F1 that Sato needs to be employed by one of the teams in order for the sport to be in perfect harmony- how many other drivers who are far better get as many chances as he dose? As a result, sadly, Seb will be looking for a different line of work, although I very much hope I am wrong on that one.

Piquet will get another year- Renault wants that family name to be a success, and he’s still no threat to Alonso. You see, as long as Alonso and Hamilton are employed at their current teams, you will never see a truly elite no. 2 driver at those teams- the goal at those programs is to get the WDC for their leading driver- Ferrari can keep the WCC as far as Ron and Flavio are concerned.

As for Rubens, I agree that he should not be forced out. However, I think retiring at the end of this season may have been his best move- if he gets left in the dust with the new regulations next seaosn he will be wishing he had retired when he still had the crummy car as an excuse. In any event, I think the only way he would have been forced out is if Honda could get Alonso, and since that dosen’t appear to be the case, Rubens will soldier on for at least one more season.

By: beneboy

beneboy — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:48:31 +0000

I think that had more to do with Alonso’s paranoia & constant media outbursts every time Lewis did well.

Don’t want to get into an argument or anything, it’s only F1 after all ;~).

As a Ferrari fan I watched last years events at McLaren as a bit of an independent observer as I had no emotional attachment to anyone in the team. If anything I like Alonso more than Hamilton too.

I’ve got to say though that from the outside it looked like Alonso lost the psychological battle & then used every excuse he could think of to explain why Lewis was doing as well & sometimes better than him in the same car. Some of his interviews last year were verging on the hysterical, especially his Spanish ones.

Why would Ron spend so much money bringing Alonso into the team & then spend so much paying his salary if he didn’t want him to win ?

McLaren have a history of hiring two very good drivers & then using their rivalry to push the team forward, some drivers thrive on it while others crumble under the pressure.

Alonso crumbled.

Sorry amy, I’m ranting again & you ended up with a Saga.
Don’t take it personally though I do it all the time, getting old & can’t help myself :~)

By: amy

amy — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:39:12 +0000

Yes but would that equality steward have been needed if Alonso was getting fair treatment?

By: beneboy

beneboy — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:47:40 +0000

amy,
I seem to remember a certain “equality steward” in the McLaren garage at the end of last year ensuring that both drivers got an equal chance of winning.

Lewis may have been favoured by Ron but if Alonso hadn’t been so childish then his relationship with Ron would have been much better, threatening your boss is not an intelligent career move.

Alonso only has himself to blame for not being a 3 times world champion now.

No teams give equal treatment to their drivers but to suggest that Alonso’s chances of winning last season were hampered by Ron Dennis, in my opinion, doesn’t give a fair reflection of the circumstances or Ron Dennis.

(I’m not a McLaren or Hamilton fan by the way.)

By: amy

amy — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:21:08 +0000

Matt,
Although hamilton tied on points with Alonso last year lets not forget the preferential treatment he got towards the end of the season, it was clear that Ron favoured hamilton and that obviousy hampered Alonso’s chances of doing well.

By: Mystic Pizza

Mystic Pizza — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:07:06 +0000

I’d say keep Bourdais and Barrichello. As identified in the piece on Bourdais above it seems very unfair if he were to lose his seat on the back of another Steward’s enquiry that fell Ferrari’s way. He has closed the gap on his team-mate and unless Red Bull are going to radically change their Renault engine, I would not be at all surprised if Toro Rosso remain higher than their “sister” team despite wunderkid Vettel.

Barrichello is still very competitive despite not being in a very competitive team. His wealth of experience and development skills should be rewarded with a race drive – not just an excuse to pension him off. Surely he knows when the time is right for him to retire, not to have the decision forced on him by bringing in younger and younger drivers. Age doesn’t always maketh the man. At this rate, pit stops will have to be made for nappy changes rather than fuel or tyres!

Piquet has been given the opportunity to try and has shown some promise but whether that is enough to satisfy Renault or more importantly Flavio remains to be seen. Renault have always taken chances with their drivers, sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. It’s catch 22, do you give someone who’s lacks experience another crack of the whip or bring in someone with no F1 experience who might be wonderful? I’m glad I’m not a strategist but suspect that Piquet will be demoted.

By: ron

ron — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:38:56 +0000

Heck i say keep all of them, since next season the whole car is a different equation, you would really want some static variables. these drivers are settled in, and the car design upset is enough to throw a team off it’s rythm, let alone a new driver and his excess bagage…

Rubens and Bourdais should be held onto, they will definetly earn their cash next year. …

By: donwatters

donwatters — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:30:45 +0000

SeaBass: Of course. He’s earned another year…and I really think it could be a break-through year for him.

Piquet: I don’t think so. He just doesn’t seem to have it.

Rubens: A tough choice. Probably best if he retires.