Arrows driver line-up 2001

[Tristan]

Just about everyone's been linked with Arrows for next year:

Button
Heidfeld
Zonta
Mark Webber
Fisichella
Diniz (!)
Esteban Tuero (!!)

This is working on the assumtion that their two (very good) drivers Verstappen and PDLR are to be poached. Who to? PDLR to BAR seems a strong rumour and as has been posted in this very forum Jos has been linked with Ferrari for 2002. This, in my view, is unlikley as Ferrari already have options on RALF Schumacher to partner his brother for 2002.

I digress: who'll be driving for Arrows in 2001? Their line-up seems THE most difficult to predict. Over to you.....

[Gerard]

Tristan, this is a very hard to answer question, since there are a lot of rumors going on at the moment.
More than in any other year.
The key to all of this seems to be Jacques Villeneuve.
As soon as it's clear what he's going to do next year, the whole train will start rolling.

As for Ferrari already having an option on Ralf Schumacher to partner his brother in 2002, I think this is in-correct.
In an interview (read: http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=2880), Michael Schumacher has said: 'We would never drive for the same team. It would not make any sense for either of us. In different teams, with equipment which is more or less equal - no problem.'

Zonta is probably going to be sacked by BAR and it's very well possible Pedro de la Rosa will drive for them next year.
In that case Button could make a move to Arrows, especially when Franchitti goes to Jaguar.
Jos Verstappen? He will stay with Arrows, I think you can count on that.

[Sharky]

ESTEBAN TUERO?!?!? DINIZ?!?!? Is Tom W. out of his ******* mind???? Why doesn't he give Ricardo Rosset a call then??

Did he learn nothing when he chose Toranosuke Takagi over Mika Salo last year?!?!?

[Minardi fan]

Tuero??? Man, that would be cool.

Next year the Arrows will be driven by Verstappen and Panis. De La Rosa will replace Zonta at BAR, and Diniz will either replace Mazzacane at Minardi or also say bye-bye to F1.

Thats what I think anyway.

[steve nielsen]

I think youre right about Panis at Arrows MF, in the beginning of the Year when asked about Tom Coronel's vhances for the Arrows drive TW answered:" only Jos Verstappen and Olivier Panis where the canidates for that seat", and with the Peugeot engines probably going to Arrows it would by very likely.

[Tristan]

Sorry to bring back my own topic from the depths of Page 2, but recently there have been several topics focussing on PDLR going to BAR and now Verstappen to Benetton seems to be the hot rumour (although I don't believe it!)

But WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE ARROWS??? WHO'S JOINING THEM?? Any ideas....?

[Dino IV]

Ofcourse there is a possibility their line-up remains the same, Tristan. Both PDLR as well as Jos aren't exactly the drivers that make the F1-world go 'round.
So my guess would be they stay at Arrows.

If PDLR could go to BAR - I don't know why actually, Zonta is bringing a lot of sponsoring there and it was the south american part of BAT that started the whole thing wasn't it? Wouldn't they be searching for a Brazilian again? Like Burti perhaps? - that leaves a spot open at Arrows to be filled with someone who pleases their Spanish sponsors, I guess. Alonso maybe? He's defenitely on his way of making a strong reputation in F3000.

[Minardi fan]

El Tourist informed me today that apparently Panis is going to BAR, which suggests DLR would stay with Jos at Arrows...

I stil reckon Panis will replace DLR at Arrows - he was going to sign for them for this season remember until the McLaren test drive turned up. And thus DLR will end up at BAR. As for Burti, the way things are going, I think Jaguar are going to need him in 2001.

[Ralf's Girl]

I don't think Ferrari have options on Ralf. He's never been linked to them in any way, unless you count Michael, but that doesn't really count. Anyway, Ralf has said he'd like to stay at Williams after 2002, but Ralfie, if they haven't started winning by then, it's time to move on...