Ok, I'll start it..Buttons Replacement(merged)

[luke]

Anthony Davidson fits perfectly

[djinvicta]

As I pointed out earlier, some team bosses dont seem to have the publics common sense. Looking in from the outside we can fix ALL their probs, but being in the middle of it must be much harder.

[Adam43]

Good point. Almost all of the time I'd go with a team bosses' choice than the public's.

[Trebor]

I am well informated and I have just heard 3 names:
Mika Hakkinen
Ricardo Zonta
Anthony Davidson

There already contact between Mika and Richards

[Adam43]

Originally posted by Don K
Then they will have to decide what they want:
- Contract a new first driver and keep Sato as second driver.
- Have Sato as first driver and contract a new second driver to help Sato.
- Have Sato as first driver and have the second driver collect points too.

OR try and get the best driver available for the seat that isn't Sato's.

[Dick Spanner]

Originally posted by Skam85
DR should look at the bigger picture, Button is going, or wants to go, so he needs to find a replacement. So give Ant a go. Sato is more than capable, and judging Ant's friday pratice times, so is he. The lowest they're going to finish in the WCC is 3rd, and WDC, well if I was DR, JB doesn't want to drive for us, so stuff him.

Blimey, death by taxidermy, isn't that a bit harsh?

[Kirk]

Originally posted by luke
Anthony Davidson fits perfectly

Not unless they drop Sato, he doesn't. Not enough experience between the two. Possibly Heidfeld could be the answer, but I also believe that DC, with his experience really has a legitimate shot now. I guess much depends on DR's strategy; I can also see a Heidfeld/Trulli tandem working.

[John Abrahamsen]

da Matta?

[minirda]

Dave Richards seems to goto Finland and will meet Mika H. But both Hakkinen and Richards declared earlier that this has nothing to do with Formula one.
Button to Williams is a true surprise, and at the same time it is not. I suspect Richards will take at least one experienced driver now (Coulthard, Trulli, Heidfeld) and for the other seat I think Davidson and Sato have the biggest chance. Zonta can do hiemself a favour showing his abilities at Toyota now.
DR can make this the silliest season ever, coming with another big surprise: Hakkinen, Verstappen, Alesi or Salo. I admit very unlikely, but never say never.

I don't have to explain which surprise I would prefer, do I?

[Kicking-back]

Hakkinen, Alesi and Salo are all retired from F1 and won't be back. Verstappen won't be hired by BAR.

[ElScOrChO]

- Davidson
- Villeneuve (If DR leaves)
- Trulli
Does anyone thinks that da Matta might get a chance?

[Kicking-back]

No, he won't.

Honda wouldn't be interested in a Toyota reject.

[sonic]

Originally posted by Don K
If the situation around Button's contract doesn't clear up soon, BAR might use this to replace Button by Davidson for one race, pretending that Button needs some time to get focussed again.
And that might give them a chance to see how Davidson performs in a race situation at this time.

I think (hope) this is one of the more likely scenarios.

If Ant went out and got a podium in his debut for the team I think all fears over his suitablility / lack of experience would magically vanish.

However if this isn't the case, Ant either needs sato to get much more mature and consistent and become a dependable points scorer - meaning there would be room for a new guy - or do much worse, crash a lot and give BAR an excuse to Honda to give him the boot.

[luke]

Anthony Davidson
it ends there

[Uncle]

ant has it all.just see the tiger in him,he doesnt give up he has done a fantastic job this year remember this all the circuits have been new to him.when you see the live timing you realise how on the pace he is and those times are made with fuel on board .a real team player this young man, makes the hair stand up on your neck.

[golem]

I think it's a fight between Heidfield and DC if Richards wants experiance. I'd choose Heidfield.

Davidson is the other option. He's not lacking for poke. And after him I think DR will look outside current F1 unless he's been impressed with Bruni. Wilson might get a shot. Doesn't lack for poke, but size hurts. F3000, or the American series might turn something up. Honda has some reach.

The only other person I reckon with a chance is DaMatta, because he can race. But his pace against Panis hasn't been great so I doubt he'll get it.

[sonic]

I simply can't imagine richards looking outside of F1 to fill that second seat. Why take even more of a risk?

I'd have thought its between: Ant / Heidfeld / DC / Trulli - and perhaps Panis.

[Webslinger]

There are only two logical things for BAR to do now:

1. Drop Button onto 'gardening leave' immediately - it is clear from his actions that he does not wish to drive for BAR anymore. That being the case grant him his wish, continue to pay him what he is due, and thus keep him under contract, unable to do anything else for anyone else, until after 31 December 2004.

2. Draft Anthony Davidson immediately into the race team for Hungary. Davidson is already under a testing contract, so he is being paid anyway for what he is doing. Davidson would be more than willing to take over from the disloyal guy who no longer wishes to be there.

It should not cost BAR any more than what they are paying now - in fact they could make a saving by not having to cart Button around the remaining GP's. And since they do not have another rserve driver, make additional savings on not having the Friday running costs of the third car.

Button has made a big mistake here and David Richards should let Button go, but make life hard for him by doing the above actions . Why fight for a driver who has operated an such an underhand way? Why fight for a driver who wants to race for a rival? If Button has to stay at BAR, would he be willing to fight as the team intends, knowing in his own mind that he is with the wrong team? Would YOU want to have anyone working for YOU, who did not want to do the job that YOU were paying him for?

My answer? A bit of a rhetorical question given my comments so far. Drop him, and be done with it. Let him go... but only after 31 December 2004. Make him sweat - nothing hurts a racing driver more than not being able to drive a racing car. It is the ultimate punishment.

[Adam43]

Yet another, keep bashing out of this

[Webslinger]

Bashing has finished work for the day (it's a Friday) - just me now.

[Sato san]

Surley they have to put Anthony Davidson in there !...the guy is oooozing with talent ...I dont think anyone else needs mentioning , i really dont ..

Give Anthony a chance , he used to beat Button anyway in years gone past , and he would be a great person to move up to the race team .

+ Davidson and Sato were teammates in 2001 at Carlin Motorsport in British F3 ...they got on ok , pushed each other very hard too....thats just what a f1 team needs in team mates isnt it .

[f1manoz]

Heidfeld - perfect choice.

[Kirk]

Webslinger, I'm sure DR's knee jerk reaction is just that. But he must think of the team first and he walks a fine line here as his employment at BAR may well hinge on how he proceeds. I do like the thought of allowing Ant to take over immediately and see how Sato and he perform as teammates, before making any decision for 2005... but only if he is seriously considering Ant to take the seat next year. I think the worst approach (and the one he'll likely take) would be to fight JB in court and have JB drive for BAR at the same time. Better to bite the bullet, accept the decision to go to Williams and support his drive at BAR for the remainder of this year. Whatever the decision, it will be awkward for all involved.

[Webslinger]

Well said Sato san, a man of wisdom. We just need a few more like you now...

There is little doubt that Davidson raised his game in 2001 once he got on equal footing with Sato's equipment. Remember that at the end of 2000 Davidson had the opportunity to sign with the Jag F3 team. He turned it down and got a word of thanks from James Courtney for doing so. His reasoning? Because Sato was at Carlin and if AD wanted to forge a career in motor-sport, he said that he wanted to be compared with the best in the class. That meant going head-to-head with Sato and by the middle of the summer he had got the better of the more experienced Japanese driver.

This has always been Davidson's way since he started karting. If we go back to his Cadet days, he could have chosen the safest option and gone pot hunting. It would have been easy pickings. Instead he took his little budget family team to wherever Button and/or Daniel Wheldon went, since they had the better gear. AD, even at that age, knew the best way to make his mark, and that was up against the more experienced drivers. So week in and week out, it was a constant three-way scrap. And was it fun!

Davidson for the rest of 2004 sounds perfect - he can then stand or fail on what he does, in familiar surroundings, in a respectable car, on the opposite spectrum to what he endured at Minardi. If he can't hack it by Japan, he knows what will happen. I reckon though that he will make a big mark, except that if it rains, subject to strategy, Schumacher and Ferrari will experience an even harder time. Wet weather was invented for Davidson's style of driving.

[Thorstone]

Originally posted by Don K
He has beaten Raikkonen.

Heidfeld had two years more experience in F1 than Räikkönen 2001


2001 2002 2003 2004

Heidfeld 12, 7, 6, 3.
Räikkönen 9, 24, 91, 18. and more to come


Maybe we will see Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard together again at BAR 2005

and DC WDC this time