" Son of a Jaguar" drivers

[ralf fan]

So the guys in the running are
Ant, DC , Nick Heidfeld, Pizzonia, Klein. anybody else?

Good news for DC, if it does not work out at Williams i think he has a reasonable shot at the seat. I Klein sponsored by red bull? if so then i think he is probably a certainty in one of the seats..

[esorniloc]

Vitantonio Liuzzi should be on the list!

[Kicking-back]

I understand Liuzzi is virtually a stick-on for one of the seats.


It would be sensible to put Coulthard in the other and have Klien as test driver.

[BootsOntheSide]

I doubt Williams would release Pizzonia, he's of great value to them as a test driver, and could be their best choice of #2.

My choice would be Heidfeld and either Wirdheim or Liuzzi, perhaps with the other of those 2 as test/third driver. Assuming the rules don't change Klien can't do the Friday morning duties, and I think Red Bull have stopped backing him anyway.

[climb]

Interesting news, thus Liuzzi could have more chances

[sonic]

Purnell likes Luzzi and he has red bull written through him like a stick of rock so yeah, I'd imagine he'll be in.

I'd have thought DC would be primed for the other seat with klein as tester.

if heidfeld doesn't get the willy race drive he'll likely get the test drive. So pizza may then be free to move and he'll be pretty devastated if he doesn't get the race seaT AND may want to go anyway. but after his experiences at Jag I doubt he would be top of their list.

[Shunt the Hunt]

Don't forget Christian Klien and Narain Karthikeyan who was backed by Red Bull in Nissan WS (India is a huge business market for RB).

[BootsOntheSide]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
Assuming the rules don't change Klien can't do the Friday morning duties, and I think Red Bull have stopped backing him anyway.

On account of this, can people who predicts or suggests Klien as tester have a quick rethink?

Karthikeyan is another option, but he's more likely to go to Red Bull's IRL team. Never really thought he'd be good enough for F1.

[billiaml]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
I understand Liuzzi is virtually a stick-on for one of the seats.


It would be sensible to put Coulthard in the other and have Klien as test driver.

I like your drivers but, since Klien is at least familiar with all of the tracks on the scheduele, I'd lean towards keeping him as the #2 driver and make Liuzzi the test driver.

At least we agree that whoever the #1 driver is, he has to be a seasoned veteran.

[Snrub]

If Williams decide not to use Pizzonia right now, it might make sense to keep him under contract and let him get more experience in F1.

[joe rossi]

Originally posted by billiaml
I like your drivers but, since Klien is at least familiar with all of the tracks on the scheduele, I'd lean towards keeping him as the #2 driver and make Liuzzi the test driver.

At least we agree that whoever the #1 driver is, he has to be a seasoned veteran.

I think you're right. It would be mad not to keep the continuity with Klien, especially now he knows the tracks and wasn't that bad last year. Luizzi would probably benefit from a years testing, and giving DC or Heidfield a year's contract would make perfect sense to use their experience.

[luke]

DC could be saved.

Link

[luke]

Also Christian Klein has been comfirmed for 2005.

[luke]

Originally posted by luke
Also Christian Klein has been comfirmed for 2005.

Scott Speed is likely to be test driver.

I don't know if old news but Gehard Berger is rumored to join.



(apoliges for 3rd post in a row, clicked quote instead of edit ).

[BootsOntheSide]

Berger would be a more sensible choice of driver than Scott Speed, that's for sure.

[billiaml]

Originally posted by luke
Scott Speed is likely to be test driver.

I don't know if old news but Gehard Berger is rumored to join.



(apoliges for 3rd post in a row, clicked quote instead of edit ).

Even tho Scott Speed has done well this year, I'd kind of hoped he would spend another year or 2 in Jr Formulae before moving up to F1.

Hadn't heard @ Gehard Berger. They've got quite a pool of young talent to choose from, don't they?

Apology accepted. Take off the Honest mistake. I do it all the time; it's just that now I catch myself, go back 1 screen, and click "edit."

[Kicking-back]

Gerhard Berger has said he won't be taking any sort of full time role in F1 in the near future.


Purnell and Pitchforth will do a good job for Red Bull.

[alesi95]

Glad Klein has a seat for 2005. He was a plesant surprise this year.

[ralf fan]

Klein was brilliant but did a good job... enough to deserve a second chance..

[Knowlesy]

He did more than enough. Easily the best rookie and the longest lasting team-mate of Mark Webbers! (Red Bull money or not. Besides, RB went off him pretty quickly).

[Gaz]

Where have you read that Klien's been confirmed? All the major websites state that Red Bull are still undecided on their 2005 line-up.

Liuzzi is a world class talent, he will be exceptional and is more than worthy of a seat at any F1 team in my opinion. For sure he deserves one of those Jag/Red Bull seats more than anyone. The other I would give to a more experienced racer, in my opinion Nick Heidfeld. The guy worked wonders at Jordan last year and deserves a chance further up the pecking order again.

DC's had more than his fair share of chances now and in my opinion Heidfeld would be a better bet for Red Bull as he could develop a car as well as Coulthard and could drive it a damn site faster!

Give Ant the Williams seat, employ Klien as a test driver at Red Bull and Pizza as test driver at Willy and I'll be happy!

[luke]

Originally posted by Gaz
Where have you read that Klien's been confirmed? All the major websites state that Red Bull are still undecided on their 2005 line-up.

I read from a secret source . Dietrich Mateschitz has made it clear that Christian Klein will retain his seat following the company's takeover.

Klein shall have a test in November to officialiate his postion.

And if you look at the candidates David Coulthard is just about the other driver and a slight chance of Luizzi as driver, but more likely test driver.

[BootsOntheSide]

Really they should have gone for Liuzzi or Wirdheim as their driver a year ago. I know Klien is Austrian, but I thought the whole point of Red Bull's sponsorship was to promote their product internationally? Although Christian is a good driver, and appeared to improve as the season went on, I'm in no doubt that Tonio and Bjorn have more potential.

They do definitely need an experienced driver in the other car. DC would be the best for publicity, Heidfeld has long-term potential, but which would be faster in the here and now?

[Kicking-back]

Coulthard.

If Heidfeld was better than him, Ron would have had him in a McLaren in 2001.

[billiaml]

Considering the amount of pressure that Red Bull put on Jag last year to get them to put Klien into a race seat rather than a test role, this really comes as no surprise; even tho, @ one point during the season, they more-or-less admitted that he would have been better off testing rather than racing. Live & learn, eh?

Now that he has a year under his belt, tho -- and is more familiar with the car, the circuits, etc -- we should get a better idea what this young man is capable of.