Brawn set to extend Button’s contract – but will he get a new team mate?

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Should Rubens Barrichello stay at Brawn for 2010?

On the eve of the Australian Grand Prix it emerged Jenson Button had accepted a pay cut in the region of £12-15m to stay at Brawn GP following the withdrawal of Honda.

Now, with a healthy lead in the world championship, he is tipped to sign a new multi-year deal with Brawn.

Button looks set to stay – but will Rubens Barrichello remain as his team mate?

Barrichello at Honda and Brawn

Rubens Barrichello’s F1 future was written off at the end of last season as many expected the most experienced F1 driver ever to be dropped by Honda in favour of sponsor-friendly GP2 racer Bruno Senna.

But after Honda put its team up and Brawn took over, Barrichello’s F1 career was saved.

By the end of this year he’ll have amassed 284 Grand Prix starts. Another full season in 2010 could but him past the 300 mark. But will he get another contract extension?

Barrichello joined Honda in 2006. He was largely out-performed by Button in their first two years as team mates, but Barrichello turned the tables last, most notably with an excellent podium finish in the streaming wet British Grand Prix.

However Button has beaten him in all six races so far this year, taking five wins and a third place. Barrichello has said he felt the modifications made to the BGP001 at the Spanish Grand Prix better suited his driving style, but he is yet to make that improvement count on race day.

After the Spanish race Barrichello revealed his frustration with his race strategy, which left him vulnerable to being passed by Button, leading to suggestions that Brawn was favouring its championship leader. The team rejected the claims.

It isn’t necessarily the case that if Barrichello is under-performing Brawn might seek to replace him. He continues to display the qualities that made him the perfect number two to Michael Schumacher – even if he is adamant that his contractually inferior status to Schumacher at Ferrari is not being replicated with Button at Brawn.

A new team mate for Button?

If Brawn did want to replace Barrichello, to whom might they turn?

They aren’t likely to be short of suitors. Most F1 drivers are due to have their contracts renewed this year, including Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica, Heikki Kovalainen, Jarno Trulli, Nico Rosberg and (presuming the Ferrari rumours aren’t true) Fernando Alonso.

Outside F1 we find a crop of promising talent including Bruno Senna, Lucas di Grassi, Paul di Resta (linked to Mercedes via the DTM, but likely to be disadvantaged by sharing the same nationality as Button) and Romain Grosjean (though likely to end up at Renault).

Are any of these drivers a better prospect for the team than Barrichello? Or should he get to stay with the team and become the first driver to start more than 300 races?

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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84 comments on “Brawn set to extend Button’s contract – but will he get a new team mate?”

  1. If Brawn did want to replace Barrichello, to whom might they turn?

    What do you think, Keith?

  2. Rubens will of course be signed up for another season after he turns the tables on Jenson and takes the title at the Brazilian Grand Prix ;)

    Hope springs eternal…

    Back in the real world, I expect Rubens to bow out. I’m sure he’ll win a race or two this season and to exit the sport after winning races in his 17th season (and as the oldest driver) would be a career end most drivers can only dream of.

    If Brawn are thinking long-term, they should look to a young hotshoe to develop into a team leader for when Jenson eventually moves on or retires. I’m fairly certain that will be Bruno Senna.

    1. I second your motion Pete Walker, Bruno would be the obvious choice to groom as a future championship contender.

    2. I cant think of anyone worse than bruno senna. he’ll be a piquet. looks fast in another series, but will blow in F1. it’s not like he’s walking all over drivers in other race series. sure he’s competitive, but not dominating.

      i’m not so sure if they’ll drop or lose rubens yet. they are still growing that new package and car and rubens has helped button in the last two races.

      without rubens knowledge of how an f1 car works button would not have had the right setup for the last two races, on both counts he used rubens setup as his starting point and moved from there.

      IMO they should go after vettel, but i doubt he will change teams, he’s a good kid that will stay loyal to RBR for a long time, i think they’d be better off with either Alonso, Rosberg or one of the other upcoming rookies.

    3. sure he’s competitive, but not dominating.

      Exactly. I don’t like the way Senna talks as if he’s assumed to get into F1 at some point. He’s not that special, has never won a championship,(compare this to Hamilton’s 5 before he entered F1 for example), has won 3 races from 41 starts in GP2… where is the evidence he should be in F1?

    4. yeah totally agree. i get the same impression, he’s barely making top 10 finishes, how is that f1 material?

    5. seriously, change his name to Steve Smith and then rate him as a potential f1 driver against the other talent that’s around.

      1. It’s a bit unfair comparing senna’s lack of a championship to Hamilton’s 5 before F1. Senna only started racing in 2005 I think, so being competitive at all is fairly impressive. I’d like to see Brawn sign him, just because it would be interesting to see how he performs.

  3. i think they should replace him because he is crying all the time. Who knows we may even see alonso there?

  4. I’d like to see Rubens go when he wants to, not when someone else has decided that he is past it.

    But, there is also something to be said for not outstaying your welcome. Would have been far nicer for DC if he’d retired a season earlier, and I think Rubens should keep that in mind.

    1. Scott Joslin
      28th May 2009, 16:30

      I think they would be ill advised to change anything, he seems to be doing a very good job and, despite throwing his toys out of his pram in Spain, he is a team player. Next year should be harder for the Brawn team and therefore equally as critical as this year. Perhaps once the team is financially established then perhaps they can take risks on new boy such as the aforementioned names.

      Bruno Senna would be a mistake I feel. A young driver who has not won a major championship, who is prone to mistakes and one that has had an enforced year of absense would be a negative destraction for the team.

      Perhaps go half way and get someone with decent experience but a point to prove – Davidson perhaps or Kovi if he is droped for Rosberg next year at Mclaren.

    2. He always said he wants to get 300 race starts, but it wouldn’t be good if he had to spend that last year in a dog of a car after having such a good car this year.

  5. Unless Rubens do ridiculously bad for the rest of the season, i can’t see Brawn dropping him for a new/young driver.

  6. Rubens is still very good at setting the car up – his work on Friday and Saturday has helped save Button’s bacon at each of the last two or even three races. Which is not to say Jenson can’t set up a car, but two wise heads are always better than one in that respect.

    He still has the desire, and if he believes next year’s car is going to be another good one (and why wouldn’t he?), I’m sure Rubens will be trying his best to persuade the team to keep him.

    On the other hand, Bruno Senna must be a tempting commercial draw (more from Bernie’s point of view than Brawn’s), and I’d love to see Ant Davidson back in a Formula 1 car. A lot will depend on which teams end up getting a place in F1 next year…

  7. I would love to see him in the seat next year and break the 300 mark. But if her were to leave then having someone like either Alonso or Heidfield may be good! Heidfield would, i think, get on well with the balance of the car more so than his BMW at the moment, and Alonso may want to go with a team on the up, rather than one, whose at the moment,F1 inclusion next year is in doubt….maybe!

  8. I think they should keep him. His technical knowledge is very good, teammates often use Barrichello’s set-up data.

    And its not like he’s been miles behind Button, unlike certain other supposedly highly-rated teammates (I’m think of you, Heikki). If Button had made any slipups, he’d be right there to take the win and I’m certain he’ll win a couple of races this year.

    Let him show you can be old and still well on form and let him go when he decides, or at least when his performance drops off. He’s better now than he’s ever been.

  9. My initial reaction was that they should keep Rubens, he is proving to be a great teammate to Button and beneficial to the teams development. However, what then would happen to Senna, is that an opportunity you would want to miss (assuming he is not over-hyped).

    I think some careful consideration is required here, but am thinking Button/Senna next year… there is no other driver (Alonso aside) on the grid that would be good for Brawn IMO.

    As for Rubens, I don’t want him to retire at the end of the year. I think he has still proved his worth and that he has a lot of speed and fight in him, and that any team would find him a great help in developing the car. I doubt a big team will take him, but Williams have already expressed an interest in experience and Rubens could fit well there, and if Rubens is happy to then Force India may be a nice place to be for a year or two before finally retiring. Of course he would need to accept a pay cut.

    This is all assuming of course that the rest of the season continues as it has started.

  10. I like Rubens. I think he is a decent chap, hes an experienced driver and still quick.
    I get the impression he is good at car development- im sure that is very useful to the Brawn team.
    It seems Jenson finds Rubens useful for car setup, dialing them in. Jenson mentioned that he was struggling with the balance during free practise at monaco until they used Rubens setup.
    I feel a little sad for Rubens that he hasnt been able to really take the fight to Jenson- this has to be his best chance at a world title…
    Still, its early days for the championship, but i think he needs to start beating Jenson on sundays soon to stand a chance.
    Im not sure it would be productive to put a young “hotshot” in with Jenson, might not have the desired effect.
    I think Brawn should stick with Rubens for 2010.
    If Brawn decide to go with a new driver id like to see Bruno Senna in the second seat.

  11. I think Brawn should be thinking about long term development too, and even if they replace Barichello with younger talent, they should keep him on in a role similar to DC at Red Bull to help with developing and testing the cars. Otherwise all his knowledge will just be wasted…….

  12. If Barrichello wants to stay at Brawn next year I think he will get the chance. If he felt Button was being favoured at Brawn he has already said he would leave. If he wanted to race next year but didn’t have a seat at Brawn I think he would have plenty of options with all his experience and all the potential new teams.

    I hope when he does retire it is his choice and not forced upon him, it would be nice if he planned it in advance so he can have a proper send off at his last Grand Prix like Coulthard last year, but hopefully with a better result.

    If Brawn do need a new driver next year their options have increased. Before this season Bruno Senna missed out on a race seat because Brawn wanted the experience of Barrichello because of their lack of testing etc, now you could argue they could dictate the terms and have their pick of most of the available drivers. I don’t think they will sign Alonso though unless he finds himself without a seat due to Renault or Ferrari withdrawing.

  13. Bigbadderboom
    28th May 2009, 11:54

    If Brawn did want to replace Barrichello, to whom might they turn?

    Not sure that there is a real reason to, unless his fitness is failing, or he wants to walk away. I think he has massive benefits, his experience alone is priceless, and having a calm old head in the team must be a benefit.
    Although I don’t agree with team orders there is certainly a benefit in having an older guy teamed with a younger race winner.
    I really can’t see Brawn wanting to upset the applecart by introducing a new young buck who may end up doing more damage to the team.
    However!! I think Nick Heidfeld will probably fit the bill best, I don’t think he is in Jensons league and may be willing (unofficially) to play rear gunner if required. Also I think he is less likely to take Jenson out first corner!
    I don’t see the benefits (other than cost saving) of Brawn taking on any of the young guns outside F1 at this time.

    I really like Rubens and I think he is a credit to both the sport and his team, a good solid driver who can win races and will accumalate a lot of points for the team. I think he should stay on for the magic 300!!!!

  14. Alonso doesn’t have a contract for 2010, does he? I’d like to see him replace Rubens, then we’d see how good Button really is…

  15. Bigbadderboom
    28th May 2009, 12:00

    Alonso has Ferrari contract I am sure!!!

  16. I tend to stay out of silly season rumours but I think whoever is Jenson`s teammate needs to be, if not Rubens, then someone very like him.
    Ross has worked for many years with Rubens. They know each others ways. Rubens is also good with set-up as we have seen this year.
    Next year when Brawn have to provide their own car in a much shorter timeframe this could be extremely important.
    I don`t think you`d find Jenson or Alonso would jump at the idea of being teammates. Neither would Kimi or Felipe IMO. You could may up with another Alonso/Hamilton situation which is self-defeating to a team.
    So, for both Jenson & Alonso`s teammates I think it would have to be an older less-successful driver or a younger one not yet ready to threaten their position.
    Just my gut instincts, though.

  17. Alonso will never be happy in a team where he is not the lead driver. Brawn will never make him No.1, it will be Mclaren all over again.

  18. John Spencer
    28th May 2009, 12:30

    The problem is that I remember Rubens as a fresh faced youngster, so I would never consider him over the hill. And of course, Mansell was nearly 40 when he won the championship, so there’s still time for Rubens…

    On the other hand, for all his experience and ability, he is now and always has been a couple of tenths shy of greatness. He makes a jolly good number 2. He’s good at set up and keeping Jenson honest but isn’t exactly irreplaceable.

    He’s not going quietly though, is he? Rubens feels he has unfinished business in F1, because he’s either been a contractual #2 or in an uncompetitive car. Now his time has come … and we can see that Jenson has the measure of him.

    I say bring on Bruno Senna for 2010, then we can laugh at Brawn for making a terrible mistake.

    Talking of contracts, here’s an esoteric trivia question: when Jenson wins the championship, he will be the lowest paid driver to do so for how many years?

  19. schumi the greatest
    28th May 2009, 13:08

    Honestlty i dont know, although rubens is in his 17th year you could hardly say hes past it, hes not getting thrashed by button although the 5 wins to 0 scorline may look like that, better luck here or there and maybe if rubens went lighter than jenson in qualifying for once and it would be a close race.

    I think that they will put bruno senna in though, next year the brawn team arent going to have as big a budget fro drivers as they did in the honda days so i assume senna would bring alot of sponsorship and that bernie might be encouraging ross to take him on for the commercial aspect of the sport.

    Ross has also said that he was very impressed with senna during the testing over the winter so thats another sign.

    At the moment though rubens is a perfect foil fro jenson because you know that if jenson runs into trouble rubens is more than capable of getting the result.

    There were also rumours of alonso joining honda after brawn took over remember…..

    i think theyl end up with senna though….maybe im way off the mark here but i dont think hes “that” good.

    1. yeah the win ratio isn’t in his favour, but the points tell the story more, he’s second, not way down the order.

      he’s still very fast and motivated, you should have seen him at Massa’s karting event in the off season. he won some of the races – if not the whole thing if i’m correct? (i forget, i think he wont at least 1 race).

  20. schumi the greatest
    28th May 2009, 13:08

    apologies for the woeful spelling

  21. Senna, great PR move…

  22. No-one thinking Hamilton then? Sulks off from McLaren looking for success? (Only kidding).

    I don’t understand all the mentions of Heidfeld. Never rated him.

    However, if RB does go, maybe to Williams, Brawn could do worse than replace him with Rosberg.

  23. I can’t but wonder how Bruno Senna would be doing in a Brawn car. Do you people think he would be doing better than Barrichelo?

    1. This season, I would doubt it. Bruno has shown flashes of speed but he is very inexperienced. Rubens is one of the best on the grid at car setup and development, so he’s surely getting more out of the Brawn package than Senna could.

      I just wish Rubens would be more selfish and stop sharing this expertise with Jenson!

  24. I for one am not entirely convinced that Brawn-Mercedes will be the prospect in 2010 that it has proven to be in 2009. Remember: they had almost a year’s head start on their 2009 car, funded by Honda. It is not yet clear if they can keep up the rate of development necessary to do pick up WDC and WCC, plus still allocate the resources necessary for next year’s car.

    Teams like McLaren, Ferrari and BMW Sauber would still be a better bet for most top drivers, since they’ve proven to be top contenders if not race winners continuously. Although I hope not, 2009 could prove to be a fluke for Brawn. They could be a reasonable alternative if the top cars are all taken, though, but could also destroy a career like Alonso’s if he should join Brawn and not be at least a WDC contender.

  25. Bigbadderboom
    28th May 2009, 14:35

    It’s Rubens’s willingness to share his setup and insite into circuit information which makes him such a valuable assett to Brawn, which is why in my opinion he will keep his seat.
    It would do a lot for Rubens’s legacy in F1, to so obviousley had aided a multiple world champion and a world champion with a new team should Jenson win this year. The more I reflect on Rubens career in F1 the more i get an appreciation for the often under valued Brazilian. I would love to see him achieve the 300 gp’s with Brawn I couldn’t think of anybody more deserving.

  26. Prisoner Monkeys
    28th May 2009, 14:43

    I keep waiting for someone to (seriously) suggest Hamilton for Brawn. Ignoring the fac that Brawn probably couldn’t afford him right now, the only way I could ever see that happening would be if Mercedes pulled its work support for McLaren and gave it to Brawn instead, demoting Woking to a customer team. But Mercedes have endured hard seasons with Ron’s boys before, and they’re not the sort to go jumping ship at the first sign of trouble.

    I can’t see a rookie driver signing up for Brawn. Not unless they have serious issues with getting sponsorship, but when you qualify and finish one-two on debut, sponsors should be falling over themselves to get their name on your car. But a team’s secons season – and a driver’s, too – is considered to be their most important because they’ve been in the game for a year and there are no more excuses. I hope Brawn haven’t set the bar too high; the BGP-002 is already under development and is based on what has to be one of the best cars in Formula One history, but Brawn will need both continuity and some experience. They have some of it in the shape of Button, but Ross Brawn will know the importance of having an experienced driver in the other car as well. He’s not Flavio Briatore, ignoring the second driver.

    Everyone is going to want a Brawn drive for 2010, but I can’t see the older names like Trulli and Heidfeld being considered. Brawn will want someone quick and to the point, and so if Barrichello does not return, I’d pick Rosberg or Kubica. Rosberg is tied up with Williams and is having some trouble converting practice pace into race results, but with the right car I think he could do it. Kubica, on the other hand, is consistently quick when he has the right hardware. The other alternatie would see Kovalainen move from one Mercedes team to the other, with a promotion for Adrian Sutil to the McLaren. Sutil might not be as quick, but he gets along well with Hamilton, and I think the two could make for one of those driver pairings that simply clicks. Such a move would also see Barrichello move to Force India (or one of the new teams), and Fisichella retired (or again moved) in favour of another young driver, probably someone like Chandhok. But two things stick out: I don’t think Kovalainen is quick enough to warrant a Brawn drive (so he’d only really be filling up space), even if he was the best rookie of 2007 (he improved dramaically over the course of that year, unlike Hamilton who was merely consistent), and secondly, I don’t think Barrichello would take to the idea of simply teaching a new driver in a backmarker of a car.

    If he doesn’t work out a contract with Brawn for 2010, the best place Barrichello could go would be one of the new teams. Even if he takes a pay cut, he’d be invaluable. He’d experienced and he knows his way around a car; when he first joined Honda, he apparently taught Button a lot about finding the optimal setup. If he joins a new team – say USGPE – he can establish himself as the driver who leads the team through their first season.

  27. There is no need to replace Rubens. I think a lot stems from his age and how long he has been around. He’s only just turned 37 and as somebody said earlier, Mansell was 39 when he won his championship and came back in his forties with Williams (where he won a race) and later signed for McLaren.

    You could see at the Spanish GP that Rubens still has the speed required for F1. There is no need to change the current line-up. The ‘get a young driver’ statements that you constantly hear make no sense as someone who knows how to drive an F1 car and has the experience of such is far more valuable for a team than someone who is unproven in F1.

    Rubens can win. Hell, he can win the world championship. A few wins and podiums in the right places could make a different predicted 2009 champion, and if Brawn signs him for the 2010 season it could make him even more motivated to take the title.

    I think he has more than a few seasons left in him. They should stick with Rubens.

  28. HounslowBusGarage
    28th May 2009, 14:46

    As Dougie, SiY, Andrew and others have said, it’s not as if Reubens is miles behind, is it? You wouldn’t get rid of a driver who came second in the WDC, would you?

    I suspect that Keith is working on the basis that brawn will be the Championship-winning team and that JB will be the WDC.
    Under those circumstances, I can’t see Alonso joining Brawn; he’d have to take second place to the World Champion and his pride would not allow him to do that. In the same way, I can’t see Massa, Raikkonen or Hamilton doing that either.
    Ross has worked with Barrichello for years and no doubt values his testing and analytical skills very highly. If Barrichello is to retire from racing (and actually, I don’t see why he should for another couple of years), he would only be able to pre-season testing for the team, and not Friday set-up. And as JB has had to rely on Barrichello’s set-up a couple of times already this season, I can’t see Ross Brawn letting that valuable resource walk away.
    As Dougie, SiY, Andrew and others have said, it’s not as if Reubens is miles behind, is it? You wouldn’t get rid of a driver who was second in the WDC, would you?

  29. Bigbadderboom
    28th May 2009, 14:47

    USGP have expressed the need for 2 American drivers.

  30. For a start Mercedes owns a part of Mclaren so I cant see how Mclaren could end up a customer team …. and Im more concerned Brawn wont find the sponsership for 2010

  31. It would be exiting to have Alonso in the seat but as already mentioned he wouldnt join a team not based around him. Rubens will keep his seat i think, Even though not at Buttons level yet, he’s still perfoming and 2nd in the championship.
    I still think Braun shavers should be the main sponsor.

    1. I still think Braun shavers should be the main sponsor.

      If only in a barter deal, supplying the likes of Ross Brawn, Jenson Button and Richard Bransons. Just too many bearded men for any one team to handle.

    2. “I still think Braun shavers should be the main sponsor.”

      I don’t think Jense and Ross would be the best posible spokesmen for an electric razor.

  32. Would be nice to see a rookie try and compete with Jenson. Barrichello is clearly useless and should retire at the end of the year after a competitive season.

    As long as Nando or Lewis doesn’t go there I’d be happy, yes I’d love them to win but I wouldn’t be seen dead in a Brawn GP shirt

  33. I think Rubens should stay.. As long as he is making a good performance..

  34. For many reason Rubinhoshould stay for next season. He is a team-oriented driver, works well with Brawn (and apparently with Button), has a great deal of experience and knows the business upside down. He is a very good #2 driver as well. No reason for him to go, at least not form the moment.

  35. Hate to say it but if Jenson wins the WC this year Ruebens is gone in favor of another younger driver. By that time he will have done alot of development of the car and Brawn will be comfortable enough to move away from the “established” driver lineup that they felt necessary this year due to the new car/team etc. They will also save a few bucks and be able to budget Jenson for that large contract enticement to stay on.

  36. Rubens should stay on for at least another year. I has proved he is more than capable passionate and enthusiastic…

    1. oops I meant to say “He has proved…”

      By the way, what happened to the edit feature….

  37. I see that he is doing fine this year and I cant see why they would want to replace him.

  38. Much as though Button is the better prospect i much prefer watching Barrichello, especially incar views. His much flashier balls out style is both more entertaining and more instructive into what an f1 driver actually does. Button does make tiny adjustments to balance the car but it doesnt show on Tv or even when you watch him through a corner like Blanchemont in the flesh. So i hope he gets a drive next season, hes one of the few left that entertains.

  39. It is foolish to pick anyone but Ruebens,
    1.If Button fell out of any of his winning grand prix, Reubens would be in the lead or tied for first in the series.
    2.He’s played the role of #2 before, knows it well, and is there to pounce at every race.
    3.Setup, you want to know why he’s great, 2 words Luca Badoer, he’s learned from the best tester/setup man on the planet (don’t believe me, look at all Michael Schumacher’s championships but 2, there’s Luca looming in the back). Ross Brawn loves great tester/setup guys. As much as they’ll whine, he knows why he needs Reubens.
    4. Senna is just going to crash and learn not go out and score points that the team needs to win a championship. If you want a championship, keep Reubens, it’s that simple.
    5. As for the Hammy thoughts, I seriously doubt he’s switching around. I can’t see them wanting to share (Between Button and Hammy).

  40. ConcedoNulli
    28th May 2009, 17:49

    If not Rubens then Adam Carroll (ex BAR Honda test driver 2005 and current A1GP drivers champion). Unfortunately that would mean two Brits in the team.

    1. That would be disappointing. A1GP drivers are very amateur. A top driver should sign for them and not just a filler driver.

    2. Bigbadderboom
      28th May 2009, 18:45

      There is a bit of a class difference between A1GP and F1, not sure Adam is good enough to test even.

    3. Agreed. That explains the ridiculous collisions during races. Makes it exciting though!

    4. HounslowBusGarage
      28th May 2009, 21:42

      Adam Carroll is Irish, isn’t he? He drives for A1 GP Ireland.

  41. I would have Bruno Senna or Lucas di Grassi.

    Both are very quick and where top drivers in GP2 last year. Both Had F1 test experience and seem like quick learners.

    Id rather have Senna in the car, but you cant overlook di Grassi.

    1. @HounslowBusGarage Yes he does drive for team Ireland… see if you can work out where he’s from :-P

  42. Love to see Rubens win a few races this year, then for 2010 alonso to Ferrari and Massa to Brawn.

    1. I can’t see Rubens winning a race this year. He’s past it. Button is out driving him and the Brawn is too reliable

    2. Massa is great at Ferrari and has shown flashes of brilliance.
      I think though that he would sink as a driver in any other team…

  43. Also that dude that was talking about braun razors, I remember Tyrell I think they were running around with their sponsorship before. I miss Ken, he was great. Anyways whats with that shady looking beardish thing Button has on his face. He may drive the coolest cars on earth but atleast I can grow a good looking beard, Ha! He seems like a nice enough guy though so good for him. Yo Keith, the guy that runs this newly found great website, wanna write a column to see who the best F1 pairing has been and see the comments about that?

  44. I’ve got nothing against Barichello, but I’m just sick of seeing the same old faces in F1. Sign Senna. Lets see what he’s got.

  45. If Brawn did want to replace Barrichello, to whom might they turn?

    Kimi, no doubt for me.

  46. I believe Barrichello should stay.

    But. If brawn do fire him, what about Sato?

    He was just getting good when his team was jettisoned.

  47. I agree that there is no need to replace Ruebens now, he can keep going for another year at least. But having said that, speculating who will be in the 2nd BGP-002 is rather exciting.

    Many things have been said about Bruno Senna, he’s good, but I think his name makes a lot of difference, same can be said about Piquet. If they are going for a young driver, they should go for Rosberg. I think he would be perfect for Brawn. Nico is a very raw talent, Williams have failed to nurture him, in the same way they’ve failed in the past with the likes of Montoya, but in Ross Brawn, they have the perfect tutor. Doing well for Brawn could be Nico’s stepping stone to a future seat in a Mclaren, unless he’s already going there next season.

    Alonso to Brawn? Some people are quick to say that it will be 2007 all over again, I beg to differ. I don’t think Jenson is the spoilt brat that Lewis is, and Ross Brawn isn’t Ron Dennis. It would be brilliant to see the both of them in a the team, but I think Alonso has a deal with Ferrari…which would be even better.

    Can’t really choose who is going to Brawn…Kimi and Massa dont have deals for 2010 do they?…

  48. Brawn Gp at the moment are in the boxed seats. Both drivers are performing very well, in a car strong on all kinds of race tracks. At the beginning of the season, Ross Brawn had the ideal opportunity to drop Rubens Barrichello. Bruno Senna was just one of several names suggested at the time, but most people believed that Barrichello would go.
    In keeping Rubens, Ross Brawn showed his loyalty and commitment to his old Ferrari driver. Ross Brawn knows what he needs to win championships, and that is two
    dependable drivers who score points at every grands prix possible. Drivers who seldom make mistakes.
    Bringing in a young rookie is risky, even if his last name is Senna. For one, they lack experience and are often full of ambition with a point to prove. For every Hamilton or Rosberg there comes along five Scott Speed’s. Drivers who spend the majority of their first years wrapped around piles of broken carbon fibre.
    As for Fernando Alonso, I feel that is a dead end. The Spaniard got seriously burned at McLaren, and will be extremely wary of straying too far away from Flavio Briatore’s team. His bond with Briatore and Renault must not be underestimated.
    Raikkonen maybe as possibility, but also doubtful. For him to leave Ferrari, the Scuderia would have to kick him out. I firmly believe that Kimi would sooner retire than drive for somebody else. I just can’t see it happening.
    My pick if Rubens left, Nico Rosberg….

  49. I think Rubens already gave Peter Windsor the nod if he has not already got a contract when they played golf in the US in the last off season. They need an experienced development driver as Windsor himself has said and anyway “American” driver fits Rubens. They might look for a good ol boy or Tom Cruise prototype but it won’t be to be the leader in year 2010.

    Brawn has to get sponsorship soon or they will likely be toast when the Honda money expires. And what happened to the issue of FOTA blackballing their revenue share?

    1. i don’t know why everyone keeps going on about ‘brawn needs sponsorship soon’

      because they don’t, they have enough capital to see them through to the end of the 2010 season.

      so instead of accepting offers for short term solutions right now, they are pushing for big deals with big companies for 3-5 year contracts, that’s money that will see the business survive for many years, not just for now.

  50. Here’s a curve-ball: if there are so many contracts up for renewal with several other teams, what’s to stop BMW or any of the others snapping up Senna instead of Brawn??

    I think they should keep Barrichello, for all the reasons stated above. Button is “only” 29, so is good for another 3-4 years minimum, and Brawn GP has stated that they want to stitch him up to the end of his career.

    That gives plenty of time to “replace” Rubens, but only after he retires at the end of 2010. This year might’ve looked easy, but next year will be a challenge and they need his experience!

  51. HounslowBusGarage
    29th May 2009, 9:19

    @ Tommy B
    Yes, but it’s still slightly confusing as Adam Carroll was born in Portadown, Nothern Ireland. Concedo Nulli’s comment has him as a ‘Brit’, so I wasn’t sure.

    1. ConcedoNulli
      29th May 2009, 17:06

      He is Northern Irish as stated on his web site- Northern Ireland you know as in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – therefore British. With a similar background I should know.

  52. Things can change , but as it stands , I think Brawn will want to keep the same drivers , simply because they have shown the capability of a one-two finish , and while Rubens would no doubt dearly love to beat Jenson , the way it is at present is working well for them.

  53. for sure rubens will go. i love him and his driving style but money talks. Senna will be in that seat next year as he will bring sponsors and thats it really. plus, a senna competing for wins is something that not even the hullabaloo of Lewis Hamiltons entry into the sport brought.

  54. If Brawn is thinking long term/fresh face like many said above, it’s more logical that instead of replacing Rubens for a newbie that they can work with, it’s more logical that they keep Rubens and replace Button.

    I’ll explain. If they keep Rubens with a new guy, they can work the new guy long term and still have Rubens technical knowledge since Rubens is clearly the best car “set uper”. Keeping Button only because he is fast and a new face won’t do any good since Button is fast WITH rubens setups.

    1. james moreton
      30th May 2009, 2:47

      fabio.. your right on the money keep rubins let jenson go its obvious to me that without rubens setup and vast technical knowledge-jenson would fall behind experience is everything in f1,the only thing would be who to replace jenson.. bruno senna would turn the brawn cars into scrap metal..lol

  55. Michael Baker
    29th May 2009, 22:05

    Well, look at the facts.
    Mclaren (Mercedes) are raising questions about the performance of Kovalinen, so in reality he could be a potential candidate.

    Alonso is out of contract at the end of the year,

    Heidfeld will be looking for a drive.

    In reality these are the three most likely candidates to make moves in F1, but with the new F2 series returning this year, and the other Formulas who knows.

  56. HounslowBusGarage
    29th May 2009, 22:18

    @ Concedo Nulli
    yes, I accept that. But why then is Adam Carroll driving for Team Ireland?

    1. Michael Baker
      29th May 2009, 22:37

      I agree, Is he English, or Finian?

  57. james moreton
    30th May 2009, 2:38

    to get rid of rubens barichello would be the biggest mistake brawn could make hes the man with the most experience and jenson wouldnt be where he is today without help from rubens, youl all see in the next few races, and who would step in his pants if he was to leave? .. nobody is good enough in my opinion!!

  58. “We’d love to have him because he (Alonso) is the best. Of all the drivers right now, he is the only one that I see as totally complete, as Michael was.” –Ross Brawn 2008

  59. narain karthikeyan linked to

    manor f1 / campos f1 / usf1 / williams !

    the 31 year old indian , backs the biggest nation, and motorsport hunger people !!

    he has won many races in a1gp recently, and he will definitely find a way back into F1 with the teams !

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