F1 entries/rumours that never came to be

[AnonymityRules]

Williams tested Jeff Gordon once and showed interest in Scott Dixon.

McLaren gave Sarah Fisher a demo run in 2002.

According to the Official ITV F1 Guide for 2002, Jos Verstappen signed for Prost after losing his Arrows seat and Jonathan Cochet would have been his teammate, according to Autosport after Prost folded.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by AnonymityRules

Williams tested Jeff Gordon once and showed interest in Scott Dixon.

McLaren gave Sarah Fisher a demo run in 2002.

According to the Official ITV F1 Guide for 2002, Jos Verstappen signed for Prost after losing his Arrows seat and Jonathan Cochet would have been his teammate, according to Autosport after Prost folded.

The 2004 version claimed Jos the Boss was switching to Jordan alongside Nick Heidfeld after leaving Minardi. In the end, his sponsorship fell through and they signed Giorgio Pantano and even then, the rumours linking Verstappen to Jordan for that season kept circulating.

Jos Verstappen also tested for Jordan in 1999 with the possibility of replacing the retiring Damon Hill.

[AnonymityRules]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Also for 1987, Ferrari held talks with Nigel Mansell, even offered a contract, but Nige didn’t sign and stayed with Williams

1988
Didier Pironi would have made a comeback with Larousse Lola if he hadn’t been killed in a powerboat race the previous year

Christian Danner was going to replace Larrauri at Eurobrun mid season, but was too tall for the car.

Pironi also tested for AGS in 1987.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Norberto Fontana signed a draft contract with Tyrrell for 1998 but lost out to Ricardo Rosset when BAT bought the team out.

The Argentine would also lose out to his countryman Gaston Mazzacane for a Minardi seat in 2000 and a Prost seat in 2001.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

If Arrows had survived into 2003 then the drivers would most likely have been Enrique Bernoldi and Sebastien Bourdais.

https://tentenths.com/forum/showpost...&postcount=317

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Stephane Sarrazin repeatedly missed out on race seats during his stints as a test driver for Prost and Toyota.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by AnonymityRules

Pironi also tested for AGS in 1987.

86 actually

1989
Williams were going to sign Alboreto to race alongside Boutsen, but it didn’t work out, partly because Alboreto refused to drop his Marlboro backing, whereas Williams were sponsored by Barclay cigarettes

When Berger was injured in that fiery accident at Imola, Larini was going to stand in for him at Mexico, only for Berger to come back sooner than intended. I think Lehto would have taken Larini’s seat at Osella

Pirro was originally going to drive for Larousse from the British GP onwards, but he had already replaced Herbert at Benetton. Dumfries might have been originally in line to replace Herbert

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by S griffin

86 actually

1989
Williams were going to sign Alboreto to race alongside Boutsen, but it didn’t work out, partly because Alboreto refused to drop his Marlboro backing, whereas Williams were sponsored by Barclay cigarettes

When Berger was injured in that fiery accident at Imola, Larini was going to stand in for him at Mexico, only for Berger to come back sooner than intended. I think Lehto would have taken Larini’s seat at Osella

Pirro was originally going to drive for Larousse from the British GP onwards, but he had already replaced Herbert at Benetton. Dumfries might have been originally in line to replace Herbert

So I was a year out, I was typing faster than my brain could keep up, Alex Caffi was once an outside prospect for Williams due to his Dallara performances.

Jean Alesi of course turned down a Williams contract for 1991 in favour of Ferrari.

[S griffin]

1990
The FIA’s initial entry list had Jonathan Palmer in the no 27 McLaren, as Senna had his licence briefly taken away due to his comments on the FIA’s handling of the 1989 title

Marco Greco was going to race for Eurobrun, but was another Superlicence rejection

Michael Andretti was the original choice to replace the injured Nannini at Benetton.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Jean Alesi of course turned down a Williams contract for 1991 in favour of Ferrari.

https://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4015942&#post4015942

[S griffin]

1991
With the whole Alesi saga, with him originally going to go to Williams, Ferrari announced Nannini would drive for them, but then he changed his mind, as he didn’t agree with the contract and decided to stay with Benetton. Then came the helicopter crash….

Martin Donnelly signed for another season with Lotus and was actually on the entry list, despite the fact he was still recovering from his crash

As well as Johansson and Coyne, EJ also considered Rosberg to take the Jordan seat at Spa, as he felt he would get good publicity for having an ex-champion drive his car

When Moreno was dropped by Benetton for Schumacher prior to Monza, Zanardi was a back up option for the team, if the court ruled in favour of Jordan

Roberto Colciago was originally going to take Tarquini’s place at AGS from Spain onwards.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Well I know one thing that definitely almost happened in 1987, Pascal Fabre was aiming for a Ligier seat until he signed for AGS, Roberto Moreno was meant to join him in a 2nd AGS towards the end of the season but ended up replacing him as the Austria carnage left the team with no spare car.

[AnonymityRules]

Brabham tested Willy T. Ribbs in 1986 and he was in consideration for a 1987 race seat but the team went for Ricardo Patrese and Andrea de Cesaris.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

David Coulthard signed a draft contract with Jaguar for 2005, just before Ford sold the team to Red Bull, DC still ended up driving for them.

Antonio Pizzonia was rumoured to replace the underperforming Alexander Wurz at Benetton in 2000.

Three years later at Jaguar, the situation was reversed but Pizzonia was eventually replaced by the late Justin Wilson, crossing over from Minardi.

[AnonymityRules]

The early 90s BMW effort and the 1993 Bravo F1 team.

https://www.unracedf1.com/the-story-...avo-judd-s931/

[Nononsensecapeesh]

The Mexican GLAS F1 team which became Lamborghini/Modena, had they entered under their original name, Marco Apicella would have been in the frame for a race seat and he even tested the car.

[AnonymityRules]

Ignazio Giunti signed to continue driving for Ferrari in 1971 but perished during the 1000km race at Buenos Aires.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Ronnie Peterson signed for McLaren for 1979 prior to the Monza crash that caused the leg injuries that led to his passing.

[AnonymityRules]

Patrick Neve was the initial tester and intended driver for the ill-fated Kauhsen team.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

After Marussia were forced to release Timo Glock ahead of the 2013 season, despite the German being contracted to the end of 2014, Luiz Razia was his initial replacement. Razia's sponsors subsequently failed to pay up and he was replaced by the ill-fated Jules Bianchi and this was before the season even started.

Caterham initially retained Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli for 2012, the Italian got as far as the launch of the CT01 and the first pre-season test then all of a sudden, he lost his seat to Vitaly Petrov.

[S griffin]

Pedro Chaves had an agreement to race with March in 1992, but didn't get the sponsorship money

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Chaves

[S griffin]

More from 1992:

Alex Zanardi was nominated as one of the Tyrrell drivers, just so the team could reach the deadline for entries. De Cesaris replaced him. David Brabham was going to race for the team at the final GP in Adelaide, but it didn't happen

Brabham were going to replace Hill with Bailey mid-season

[kurski]

Harri Toivonen was driver contracted to Pacific in 1995, but didn't race because of sponsorship (Spanish construction company) troubles. The agreement was signed Hockenheim 1994. Ian Dawson wanted her on the team.

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

The Dallara-built Honda F1 prototype in 1999, Jos Verstappen and Nicolas Minassian were among the drivers to test the car, the project floundered after Harvey Postlethwaite passed away from a heart attack.

Mika Salo said in an interview that he had made a deal with Honda before Postlewaite died 1999.

Kansallis-Osake-Pankki F1 team (now Nordea) was Keke Rosberg's project, he himself would have been the principal, he wanted buy Tyrrell 1988 and probable drivers mentioned were Stefan Johansson and JJ Lehto. However the project didn't really take off since the funding didn't go through in KOP board

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by kurski

Harri Toivonen was driver contracted to Pacific in 1995, but didn't race because of sponsorship (Spanish construction company) troubles. The agreement was signed Hockenheim 1994. Ian Dawson wanted her on the team.

Mika Salo said in an interview that he had made a deal with Honda before Postlewaite died 1999.

Kansallis-Osake-Pankki F1 team (now Nordea) was Keke Rosberg's project, he himself would have been the principal, he wanted buy Tyrrell 1988 and probable drivers mentioned were Stefan Johansson and JJ Lehto. However the project didn't really take off since the funding didn't go through in KOP board

Harri Toivonen is a male.

When Jordan secured Toyota engines for 2005, it looked as though Ryan Briscoe would join the team as part of the deal but the team were more likely to sign Timo Glock and Robert Doornbos, then Midland bought the team out.

Scuderia Toro Rosso held off retaining Scott Speed for 2007 so long that at one point, it looked like the American would be replaced by Tiago Monteiro, Autosport even named Monteiro as a (potential) STR driver when covering the launch of the STR2. Speed ultimately retained his place until mid-season when Vettel replaced him.

[kurski]

Jari Nurminen had a chance drives the second car of the 1988 Coloni team, but AKK (Finnish National Automobile Sport Federation) had demanded that Nurminen not get a super license and it came true. He also had a seat for Arrows in 1987, but Keke Rosberg blocked the move, Keke seriously feared that Jari would manage to go up to F1, and destroy JJ and Mika's chances.

Originally Posted by Nononsensecapeesh

Harri Toivonen is a male.

Harri would have been 35 when he made his F1 debut, if I calculated correctly.