2012 Factory drivers Silly Season

[Mal]

With various threads talking out about drivers moves and potential drivers amongst the factory squads it may be easier to have a dedicated thread the driver market in those teams so who do you think will be the driver lines for next year for the WEC and 3rd car additions for LM and possibly Spa

[Victor_RO]

This is only personal opinion, as requested in the OP.

I suspect Audi will keep the 4 guys who did the full ILMC at least for next year, Porsche isn't coming back yet so Bernhard can still drive for Audi for the time being. So I suspect that they may keep the same 9 drivers, maybe shuffled around a bit (possible exceptions due to Rocky's DTM commitments) and then promoting their reserve driver if Dindo calls it quits.

Peugeot have said they're only looking for two drivers, but after this year I suspect they will actually be reshuffling squads. Question mark is probably on Bourdais and Pagenaud's potential IndyCar commitments, but otherwise I can see Davidson + those two in the leading car, Montagny-Sarrazin in a second one, and the third driver there plus the third car - probably determined by how they rate the two newcomers to the team.

[Mal]

I think a lot of the market hinges on where Lotterer and Treluyer end up and that depends on their existing contracts.

[Osella]

and there are some soon-to-be ex-F1 drivers who might need the work. I'd imagine that Sutil and Liuzzi would be welcome somewhere.

[19dodge]

Bernhard and Dumas will likely only be with Audi through Le Mans.

Treluyer could step up as full-season driver alongside Fassler.

At Peugeot, expect reserve driver JK Vernay to get drive. Team also tested Lucas di Grassi and Bertrand Baguette... We know Wurz is gone, Lamy likely as well. Minassian could also be on the hot seat, but potentially saved by Wurz's leaving.

[deggis]

In the latest Autosport Famin said (and repeated?) that likely only two drivers will be changed.

[cmk]

And including Vernay and Kimi they seem to have had 9 drivers testing for those two seats (going by what's been reported). An embarrassment of riches to sample from. I would have thought that JK Vernay and Loic Duval would have the inside line but the latter also has Oreca links to exploit.

[Porsche917K]

Originally Posted by Osella

and there are some soon-to-be ex-F1 drivers who might need the work. I'd imagine that Sutil and Liuzzi would be welcome somewhere.

Liuzzi has been in and out of F1 for years so I could see him walking away, but Sutil if he is dropped will probably pull a Christian Klien and try hard to find a seat anywhere he can. I also would have to say F1 drivers with no experience in endurance racing can be liabilities.

[JAG]

Di Grassi was asked back for a second test, it's the top sportscar story in Autosport, seems he's favourite along with Verney (drove with Signatech to gain race experience) for the Peugeot seats.

Things will get more interesting once Toyota run a second and third car, really can't see them running one car at Le Mans, even in a test year. I would think Duval is the hottest free agent, if he's not going to Peugeot, he must be a shoe in at another manufactuer.

[AGD]

I don't know much about di Grassi other than hearing that he was a F1 reject. Maybe he has some hidden talent? Was it a case of him running out of money in F1? Perhaps Peugeot wants a Brazilian driver for marketing reasons and he is all that is available.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by AGD

I don't know much about di Grassi other than hearing that he was a F1 reject. Maybe he has some hidden talent? Was it a case of him running out of money in F1? Perhaps Peugeot wants a Brazilian driver for marketing reasons and he is all that is available.

He's being compared with Wurz, articulate, intelligent with good technical knowledge, most of the best drivers aim for F1, but with limited seats, many great drivers take a different career path.

[AGD]

Originally Posted by JAG

He's being compared with Wurz, articulate, intelligent with good technical knowledge, most of the best drivers aim for F1, but with limited seats, many great drivers take a different career path.

Is he a car crasher?

[The Badger]

I reckon JCB is outta Rebellion .

[cmk]

di Grassi acquitted himself pretty well vs Timo Glock in his rookie year in a dog of a Virgin, but was shuffled out at the end of the season when another rookie, Jerome d'Ambrosio, appeared with a bigger bag of funding and similar talent. Now the pattern has repeated itself as after a solid rookie year d'Ambrosio is out and Charles Pic's even bigger bag of money sees him as an F1 rookie in 2012. Basically, being a Virgin (now Marussia) 'reject' says more about your wallet than your driving.