One Toro Rosso Seat down -- One to go???

[Bluewolf]

It looks like the Bourdais deal is done except for signing the contract

http://www.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlin...17100541.shtml

The question now is -- who will go?? Or is it a moot point because Vettel has also been praised by Berger and might be in line for a possible seat in '08?

The Champ car series needs more American drivers so Speed is likely to land there {and perhaps even at NH} but where will Liuzzi go if he loses his seat??? ---- hmmmm.

[Super Hans]

Heidfeld holds the key, bizarrely. If he stays with BMW Sauber, then Vettel is almost certain to partner Bourdais at STR. If he switches to Toyota, then Vettel would be in line for his seat at BMW, which might just save Liuzzi's STR career.

[strider]

If Heidfeld were to switch to Toyota, that would indeed be bizarre.

[Bluewolf]

Originally Posted by strider

If Heidfeld were to switch to Toyota, that would indeed be bizarre.

It would be except for one thing -- Will Toyota write a check to Heidfeld that will have an absolutely frightening amount of zeroes on it? If so, Nick is gone.

[rocketracer]

I dont think nick would sell out for dollars. I think he has ridden the bmw wave of success up to now (and been a large part of it) and it's just about to peak. Next season, bmw is the hot seat to have imo.

STR will be the 2 sebs. speed and liuzzi out....

speed will race off to champ car.

liuzzi will end up at honda to test for a year.

honda will sign someone else to replace rubens, and from 2009-2015, liuzzi will be ferrari test driver, ala badoer.

</wild stab in the dark prediction>

[ThePenguin]

Originally Posted by rocketracer

speed will race off to champ car.

If Speed decides that he has had enough F1 that is probably where he will go, and he should have a very easy time getting a seat there. If he decides that he wants to stay in F1 he may try to get a job as a test driver, or possibly go to GP2, to build his way back up to F1, to try to get onto a better team.

[Fiorentina 1]

To be honest I would get rid of Weber first! He is soooooo overrated! There are a lot of Red Bull young stars around; Vetel, Zuber, Albuquerque, etc. Put Bourdais at Red Bull, where he could actually challenge for points and put one or two new young guns in Toro Rosso. Who should go, Speed or Luizi? That's a tough one, I like both. I would hate to see Speed out of F1.

[Notso Swift]

RBR has its two drivers contracted. If they were wanting to premote the STR guys they could have not signed DC, the only other possibiliy is if they do a swap with someone (Toyota or Renault, isn't Fisi out of contract?) for Weber, but all indications are that both parties are happy pushing forward to 2008.
Stranger things have happened though... much stranger things

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by Fiorentina 1

To be honest I would get rid of Weber first! He is soooooo overrated! There are a lot of Red Bull young stars around; Vetel, Zuber, Albuquerque, etc. Put Bourdais at Red Bull, where he could actually challenge for points and put one or two new young guns in Toro Rosso. Who should go, Speed or Luizi? That's a tough one, I like both. I would hate to see Speed out of F1.

I didnt think Willi Weber had a seat?

[andy_b]

Originally Posted by ThePenguin

If Speed decides that he has had enough F1 that is probably where he will go, and he should have a very easy time getting a seat there. If he decides that he wants to stay in F1 he may try to get a job as a test driver, or possibly go to GP2, to build his way back up to F1, to try to get onto a better team.

I doubt Speed will have a say in the matter. I'm sure Berger and STR will decide if Speed stays.

[Bluewolf]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

I didnt think Willi Weber had a seat?

And if he does have a seat -- can he fit in the car???

[BootsOntheSide]

Great that Bourdais will finally get a chance in F1, a full 5 years after he nearly ended up at Arrows. He's proved himself in the US and in F3000 before that.

ChampCar needs US drivers more than F1 does, especially if there's no USGP from now on, so Speed probably won't be missed - and I'm not sure he'll truly miss F1. Liuzzi has underperformed so far, showing speed but not consistency, maybe a year of testing can turn him around.

[FPV GTHO]

With the current testing restrictions, unless they become more favourable to 3rd drivers, thats unlikely to do him any good.

[billiaml]

I wouldn't be surprised to see RB move Speed over to champcar. Didn't they try to move Klien over to champcar @ the beginning of this season, when Allemdingher moved to NASCAR?

I'd love to see Bourdais get a shot @ F1. Of course, the better the car he has underneath him, the more I'd like it, tho

[dcp2685]

Originally Posted by billiaml

I wouldn't be surprised to see RB move Speed over to champcar. Didn't they try to move Klien over to champcar @ the beginning of this season, when Allemdingher moved to NASCAR?

I'd love to see Bourdais get a shot @ F1. Of course, the better the car he has underneath him, the more I'd like it, tho

Agreed. Bourdais is an interesting guy. The way i see it, if he beats his teammate then it'll show he's generally a good talent. If he doesn't, it shows the talent in Champ Car is WAY overrated.

What'll it be?

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by dcp2685

Agreed. Bourdais is an interesting guy. The way i see it, if he beats his teammate then it'll show he's generally a good talent. If he doesn't, it shows the talent in Champ Car is WAY overrated.

What'll it be?

I hope it works. You don't win multiple championships if you are rubbish, but as you say he will be compared to his team mate.

I still don't know where to place Champ Car in terms of talent. Justin Wilson didn't disgrace himself in F1 and has become a Champ Car front runner, but the majority of the field is so erratic it's difficult to know, apart from Bordais who else you would thinking of putting in an F1 car.

[billiaml]

I suppose we'll find out next year

[Knowlesy]

Speed will head to Champcar, it looks very likely. A nice addition to that series.

Liuzzi will hit unemployment and frequent bars across the world. Or something. I have no idea honestly.

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by Alan Raine

I hope it works. You don't win multiple championships if you are rubbish, but as you say he will be compared to his team mate.

I still don't know where to place Champ Car in terms of talent. Justin Wilson didn't disgrace himself in F1 and has become a Champ Car front runner, but the majority of the field is so erratic it's difficult to know, apart from Bordais who else you would thinking of putting in an F1 car.

Wilson, Power, Bourdais and Dornbos would be a few names i'd suggest if they werent simply put in the car and told to drive i.e. theyre given time to adapt. Dornbos had a few races replacing Klien and didnt seem to make much of it, and he's matching himself against Bourdais, but you can see with him that his F1 experience wasnt what you'd call an accurate gauge.

[cds_uk]

Originally Posted by dcp2685

Agreed. Bourdais is an interesting guy. The way i see it, if he beats his teammate then it'll show he's generally a good talent. If he doesn't, it shows the talent in Champ Car is WAY overrated.

What'll it be?

The latter i think.