Renault on point of quitting F1: deal with Prodrive under study


Renault is working out a plan to leave Formula 1 before the start of next season, according to L'Equipe newspaper in France.

A team has been charged by Renault president Carlos Ghosn with making a study into the possibility of striking a deal with Prodrive's David Richards to take the team on.


Ghosn made some uncomplimentary remarks about F1 recently, claiming that it was drifting out of relevance, with the challenge for car makers in the 21st century being all about ecology and sustainability. Renault recently launched four new electric models onto the market.

According to L'Equipe, Renault Sport president Bernard Rey is leading the work to find an exit strategy while Ghosn has been meeting F1 commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone a lot recently.

Richards was in Abu Dhabi and indicated that he was interested in working with a team to restructure for the new-look F1 with slimmed down workforces, along the lines of the Brawn and Force India models. Some of the bigger teams are going to have to lose a significant number of the workforce to fit within the resource restriction agreement and slim the travelling race team down to 45 people, roughly the number Force India was taking last season. This takes considerable expertise.

Richards will be looking for a deal which involves the minimum spend on acquisition. According to L'Equipe, Richards has a second tier manufacturer behind him, looking to make an impression on a global scale through F1. Given the increasing globalisation of F1 teams, with a US team and a Malaysian team joining the circus next year, I wonder whether it might possibly be one of the Korean brands, something Ecclestone would be likely to encourage as he seeks to push the sport into new markets. There is a Korean Grand Prix on the calendar next season.

"We will announce something the day we have something to announce," said a Priodrive spokesman yesterday. "Prodrive had its candidature turned down by the FIA for 2010, but would be ready to engage with F1 as long as it could be competitive and the business is viable."

There is a suggestion that part of the incentive for Richards is to relocate his Prodrive business, sell the factory in Banbury and the Renault deal would allow him to move to much larger state of the art premises with built in wind tunnel, CFD department and far better facilities.

As for engines, as I wrote here last week, Renault will continue to supply engines for 2010 and it is not hard to imagine that this arrangement would continue until the end of 2012 when the engine formula is set to change ironically to a more environmentally friendly formula, no longer based on engine capacity but on fuel efficiency precisely the kind of thing Renault says is important for F1.

However Red Bull boss, Christian Horner, has said that Renault wants some assurances on engine parity before committing. It is not yet confirmed that his team will use the Renault engine next year, even though it appears on their entry in the FIA entry list. It depends on what steps are taken to equalise the engines, as the FIA has indicated that this year it should be rounded down rather than rounded up and it is up to the teams to decide among themselves how that should be done,

"I think it depends on what's done with the engine regulations moving forward in terms of parity," said Horner. "The teams have decided that the engine should not be a performance differentiator under the frozen rules. I think it's vital, not just in the case of Renault, but in the case of all the engine manufacturers, that a solution is found."

Sauber 'confident' of thirteenth 2010 entry
Racing series F1
Date 2009-12-03

By Motorsport.com/GMM

A spokesman for Sauber is confident the Swiss team will be granted the thirteenth official entry on the 2010 grid.

It has been suggested that Toyota, a signatory of the 2010 Concorde Agreement while Sauber is not, will hand over its entry to the little-known Serbian outfit Stefan GP.

But the latest rumour is that the FIA is actually leaning towards refusing the Stefan solution in favour of allowing Sauber, whose team has been a continuous presence in F1 since its debut in 1993, to keep racing.

"So far 12 teams have been announced. We are confident that we will be the thirteenth and that we will soon receive confirmation," a Sauber spokesman is quoted as saying by the German news agency DPA.

The 13th team's drivers will be assigned the race numbers 26 and 27.

Por partes, ahora resulta que si Renault llega a un acuerdo con Prodrive a Pedro se le puede abrir otra puerta.......... puerta que casi esta confirmada en Sauber.........

Este año esta mas solicitado, que un puesto de trabajo en la oficina del INEM

Nick Heidfeld: "Correr para Mercedes GP sería un sueño"
El alemán es el piloto con más posibilidades de alcanzar el deseado asiento

A falta de confirmación del piloto que ocupará el segundo asiento de Mercedes GP, Nick Heidfeld no ha dudado en admitir que ser el elegido sería "todo un sueño" para él.

Según las declaraciones emitidas por Kimi Raikkonen en las que aseguraba que la escudería Mercedes prefería a pilotos alemanes entre sus filas para 2010, Heidfeld se ha convertido en el centro de todas las miradas para acompañar a Nico Rosberg. El piloto alemán de 32 años aseguraba que el asiento en juego en la antigua escudería Brawn GP es "el sueño de cualquier piloto" aunque, por su parte, no hay nada firmado.

"Estoy negociando con varios equipos y estoy seguro de que el año que viene competiré para una escudería competitiva", admite Heidfeld.

Después de la salida de BMW, con el que ha competido durante 4 años, el piloto alemán busca su sitio y dice estar listo para empezar a ganar grandes premios.



http://www.thef1.com/noticias/noticias-200...-seria-un-sueno


Pues si para ti es un sueño, para nosotros (una vez dentro Sauber) no te quiero ni contar

Heidfeld confident of 'competitive' seat in F1 2010


As mystery continues to surround the identity of the driver who will partner Nico Rosberg at Mercedes Grand Prix in F1 2010, Nick Heidfeld reveals he is 'confident' of securing a 'competitive' seat next year...
Nick Heidfeld has insisted that he remains 'confident' of gaining a 'competitive' seat in F1 2010 as uncertainty continues to shroud the identity of the driver who will occupy the second cockpit at reigning world champions Mercedes Grand Prix.

Heidfeld is understood to be one of three or four drivers under consideration to partner ex-Williams F1 ace Nico Rosberg at Brackley next season along with record-breaking multiple world champion Michael Schumacher, Ferrari refugee Kimi Raikkonen and 2009 BMW-Sauber team-mate Robert Kubica, dependent upon the Pole being released from his Renault contract or in the case of the French manufacturer pulling the plug on its official involvement in the top flight.

Whilst it has been mooted that the Stuttgart marque is planning an all-German 'super team', such talk has been refuted by Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Vice-President Norbert Haug and it is believed that the team is ideally seeking to prise Kubica away from Renault, which it may find itself able to do should its rival car maker not commit to 2010 within the coming weeks [see separate story click here].

Heidfeld reflected in an interview with German publication Sport Bild that a Mercedes promotion almost a decade on from being passed over by the three-pointed star in favour of then Sauber team-mate Raikkonen would be 'every driver's dream', but he urged that he is taking his time in order to assure himself of securing 'the best possible option'.

The man from Mönchengladbach has also been linked with remaining at Hinwil now that Peter Sauber has taken back over the operation he sold to BMW four years ago contingent upon the squad being successfully granted a spot in the 2010 F1 field.

I am in promising talks with several teams, the 32-year-old told German news agency dpa, and confident of driving for a competitive racing team next season.

Heidfeld made his debut in the top flight as reigning International F3000 (now GP2 Series) champion back in 2000, but 167 starts and twelve rostrum finishes later, he is still in search of his maiden grand prix victory.


http://www.crash.net/f1/news/155092/1/heid...in_f1_2010.html

Trulli admits things are 'evolving rapidly'


Having 'satisfied his curiosity' in NASCAR - for the time being, at least - Toyota F1 refugee Jarno Trulli is now focussed on securing his place on the 2010 grand prix grid, and promises an announcement soon
Toyota F1 refugee Jarno Trulli has confessed that things are 'evolving rapidly' regarding his immediate future in 2010 but as rumours intensify about a possible NASCAR switch, the experienced Italian insisted that he has 'satisfied his curiosity'...for now at least.

In company with former F1 rival Mika Salo, Trulli tried out a Michael Waltrip Racing-run Toyota Camry Sprint Cup machine around the 800-metre New Smyrna Speedway oval in Florida last month and afterwards had the team singing his praises regarding his performance behind the wheel. The experience, it seems, was an enjoyable one for both parties.

It all went very well, the 35-year-old told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. I covered 400 laps and put in a very strong showing. The team was pleasantly impressed, because after only two runs I was already lapping at the same speed as the best and I did several long runs too. Steve Hallam [Mika] Hakkinen and [Kimi] Raikkonen's race engineer at McLaren was there, and I also received advice from Juan-Pablo Montoya.

[The hardest thing] was adapting to being inside a closed cockpit, but in the end you get used to the walls being so close. The aerodynamics are practically inexistent, whilst setting the car up throws up an infinity of possibilities far more than in F1. I was also impressed by the requirement for a smooth driving style, as this has always been my forté.

Clearly interested in a move across the Pond in the fullness of time, Trulli has been quick to stress, however, that in 2010 he sees himself still firmly on the grand prix grid what would be his 14th full season at the highest level. The Abruzzese has been most strongly linked with newcomer Lotus F1 thanks to his strong working relationship with Mike Gascoyne, and he admitted that an announcement is not far off.

For now I have satisfied my curiosity [for NASCAR], underlined the Pescara native, a veteran of some 216 grand prix starts. As to the future, I will have to decide. The situation is evolving rapidly, so stay tuned soon you will know everything.


http://www.crash.net/f1/news/155096/1/trul...ng_rapidly.html


Vamos, que le mola la NASCAR, pero intentara la F1 esperemos que fiche por Lotus............

Raikkonen's WRC switch deal done

By Jonathan Noble and Gerhard Kuntschik Thursday, December 3rd 2009, 13:32 GMT


Kimi Raikkonen's switch to the World Rally Championship is expected to be confirmed in the next few hours, AUTOSPORT has learned.

The Finn has been considering his options in the wake of a failure to complete a deal with McLaren, which was his only realistic chance to remain in F1 next year after he agreed to end his Ferrari contract early.

He had been widely expected to make the move to the WRC, and sources have revealed that he has now completed a deal to compete with the Red Bull-backed Citroen junior team alongside Sebastien Ogier.

It is understood that Raikkonen will contest the entire WRC season apart from the New Zealand Rally, which his team is not competing in. He will also participate in the Arctic Rally.

Raikkonen has made no secret of the fact that he is looking at a return to F1 in 2011 - with speculation already suggesting he is high on Red Bull Racing's list to partner Sebastian Vettel.

The fact that Red Bull is backing Raikkonen's rally efforts will do little to quell those rumours, although sources at the energy drinks company are adamant that the current ties mean nothing for his future F1 ambitions.

"This has no prejudice at all for Kimi's further F1 career if he intends one," a source close to Red Bull told AUTOSPORT. "It does not mean at all that he will replace a current Red Bull F1 driver in our team from 2011."

Estamos de luto. Hemos perdido uno de los grandes para la temporada 2010. Es una verdadera lástima. No comprendo la decisión de Kimi. Al menos que esto ayude a Pedro a encontrar asiento.
En 2011 parece que Raikkonen estará con Vettel en Red Bull.

Buenas,
llevo mucho tiempo leyendos,y al final me he registrado,mas que nada es para decir,que estoy de los nervios a ver que pasa con Pedro.
Saludos

Bienvenido al foro Chismo!
Estamos todos desquiciados, jajajaja.
Saludos.

Gracias

Pues la verdad es que si,llevo como 6 meses entrando como invitado,y ultimamente llevo 1 mes y medio a diario,
ahhhhhhhhhh, haber si debajo de tanto rumor o suposición, o intento de llamar la atención de algun medio, sale ya alguna cosa.

Lo que no entiendo es lo de Campos, o no se saben vender de cara a Pedro y los sponsors, o lo que venden no es tan apatecible.

Por desgracia para todas estas suposiciones,lo unico que queda es esperar.

Pues se confirma que le dan el sitio a Sauber... Bueno para las aspiraciones de Pedro:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80429

Comunicado oficial
http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/press.../f1_sauber.aspx

Hola a todos!! Lo mismo digo, yo también soy nuevo aquí, llevaba ya tiempo entrando por los foros todos los días pero debía haber problemas para validar los registros y parece ser ya se han solucionado.

Si os digo la verdad estoy muy desconcertado con el segundo asiento de Mercedes, lo de Kubica creo que es un rumor que no va a ser posible, Raikkonen ya estaba fuera la la F1 hace días, y según dijo Norbert, lo de tener dos pilotos alemanes iba a ser muy dificil (descartamos de momento a Heidfeld), así que no se quien puede encajar con esa "sorpresa" que iba a gustar tanto a los aficionados. Sin duda sería una grandísima noticia tener a Pedro en Mercedes, pero no creo que sea esa la "sorpresa" a la que se refiererían. Y ahora me pregunto ¿que pilotos quedan para cubrir ese asiento? ¿Trulli? (Lotus), ¿Kovalainen? (Lo veo con menos posibilidades que a Pedro). En realidad no veo a nadie con la calidad suficiente como para entrar al coche actual campeón del mundo. Soñar es gratis, Pedro puede estar ahí.

buena suerte pedro buena suerte!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

vamos esta vez si!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sauber ferrari con una llamadita de botin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

vamos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Estaba cantado... la verdad es que el propio Peter Sauber ya estaba convencido de ello según sus últimas declaraciones... Kimi está colocodo... nos falta colocar a Trulli y confirmar que Renault va a continuar.

Por una parte es una buena noticia pero hubiera sido mucho mejor que el sitio de Sauber no sea para ocupar la vacante de Toyota !

Hubiera sido mucho mejor que Sauber le dieran la plaza y que Toyota pudiese vender su equipo y conservar la plaza a otra escudería.

con qué se ha colocado?
Eso no es bueno para su reputación.......

Ya sale en marca http://www.marca.com/2009/12/03/motor/form...1259858414.html

Se van cumpliendo las cosas, ahora a confirmar a Pedro como piloto oficial Sauber