The F1 media would have little to discuss if not for speculation on what drivers and team staff are going where. The 2011 off-season proved to be an interesting one with some experienced drivers being axed and some young drivers appearing from nowhere. Talk on Corners is a regular column that distills the facts and speculation of the Formula 1 Musical Chairs game into one neat and tidy package. The idea is not to provide more speculation (although some may be inevitable) but to lay out all of the thoughts of reputable F1 journalists and team members such that readers can make their own judgment.
Now that we’re only about a month away from the beginning of the 2014 Formula 1 season, things are starting to settle down and it’s about time we review what driver and staffing changes have occurred and what that means for the teams. Everybody knows that Mark Webber was not exactly a happy camper by the end of his tenure with the Red Bull team. And the team wasn’t particularly happy with him either. His performance was not exemplary and his attitude was even worse. Thankfully, both sides were able to grin and bear it until the end of the season and Webber was able to retire with a bit of dignity.
Nico Hülkenburg is a beast, as his nickname would imply. Pundits and journalists have been talking for years about how he’s one of the best drivers in the field and how he should be in a much better, race-winning seat. Thankfully, that is poised to happen next year with Kimi Räikkönen’s open spot at Lotus. My previous article discussed the fate of Paul di Resta and mentioned how he would be a good fit at the Enstone outfit, so Nico is not without competition.
Paul di Resta has been a tremendous, mid-pack driver for several years now. He has outdriven his car, been candid but not inflammatory with reporters, and perhaps most importantly, been a steady rock in a turbulent Sahara Force India team. But what’s in it for the noble steed? Clearly he has the potential to move on to bigger and better things (read: teams) but where can he go?
With the departure of Mark Webber from Red Bull, there is most certainly an open slot in the game of F1 musical chairs. The most buzz is with Kimi Räikkönen making the move to Red Bull alongside Vettel and while I don’t think that will happen for a number of reasons, it seems a foregone conclusion (according to some writers) at this point. In the same vein, there are grumblings of Romain Grosjean being on rolling 3-race contracts. It only seems logical that by the end of the season, at least one of these two seats will be vacated.
With the silly season winding to a close, it is finally becoming a little bit easier to predict who may or may not be driving on Sundays next year. Let's review who has been confirmed, and then look ahead to which drivers might be up for the remaining seats.
If I asked you who the most valuable Spanish driver in F1 was today, 100 percent of you would say Fernando Alonso. If I asked you who the best value was, most of you would still say Alonso but I would argue otherwise. Don’t get me wrong – I think he’s the best driver on the grid this season, and he has been for some time. Anyone who can make a dog like the F2012 look as good as he does is not just massively talented, but a true gift to the sport.
Full disclosure: I am a big Sergio Pérez fan. He’s the closest I have to a “home team”. I’m also a big Felipe Massa fan, but the thing about Felipe is that he has spent most of this season and much of last languishing about the middle of the field unable to do much besides crash into Lewis Hamilton and fall on his own face. If Pérez keeps driving like he did in Italy, I’m guessing there will be a Checo shaped hole at Sauber to go with that Checo shaped hole in the wall. Who moves to Sauber in this case?
At the risk of becoming a one-trick-pony, I’m going to tell you another story about Formula 1 and hipster-y beverages. This time, about booze rather than coffee because (and let’s be frank here) bourbon is way more fun than coffee. It’s a spirit that is equally at home in a tumbler by itself, with a little ice or with some vermouth and a dash of bitters served up. If James Bond drank Vespers, Steve McQueen drank manhattans… in his 1967 Rolls Royce. Watch The Thomas Crown Affair. You’ll get what I mean.
Remember that time two weeks ago when I didn’t write about Mark Webber signing on for another year at Red Bull… or anything for that matter? I was measuring my response; weighing all the options and ramifications, possibly even researching past precedence. It had nothing at all to do with laziness. Nothing, I say!
Red Bull have clearly taken a step back in relation to their competitors. Assuming Toro Rosso have taken an equal step back, they’re performing right about where they should be. Red Bull was so far ahead of the pack last year that they could afford a slight step in the wrong direction. The mid-pack was so tight in 2011 that if anyone were to take a step back, they’d almost fall into the grasp of Caterham. Guess where Toro Rosso is now.
With the season getting on halfway over, it’s time for the reserve drivers to start getting ready for the “Young Driver Tests” and to start impressing team bosses for a drive next year. Four particular reserves stand out from the pack in terms of likely Sunday drivers next year... hopefully their bosses feel the same way.
Frankly there is no real, compelling evidence that Robert Kubica will return to F1 at all. It would take a lot of testing and proving that he still “has what it takes” before anyone will even consider him for a race seat but let’s assume that he recovers in spectacular fashion and that he does make the return in 2013. What team will he be driving for? Sure, anyone would take him if he did a mediocre job in his first few tests, but what if he blows everyone out of the water? What if he hasn’t lost a step and could realistically look at a top team?
Let’s face it… Felipe Massa is very much on the back foot. With a total of 10 points to his teammate’s 76, it’s become very clear that something is not working for the Brazilian. Perhaps it’s the tires or the car itself or maybe he’s just lost his edge but whatever the reason, Stefano Domenicali needs to make a decision on what he wants to do with the second seat at the historic team.
