All the top MB brass are in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Should be interesting as they crank up a closer relationship with Brawn and start to dismantle the long standing relationship with McLaren. That having been said, obviously there are four strong Mercedes seats available in 2010. So to whom do they go?
Hamilton is set for McLaren, obviously. The other three? I think Brawn will come to terms with Button. Ok, two left.
The Rosberg rumors and innuendo are pretty strong in the paddock this week. He'll be in one of the two remaining seats. I see two scenarios...Barrichello returns to Brawn and they put Nico in the McLaren seat being the most likely.
The other possibility is that they actually cave to Kimi's ridiculous demands and put him in the McLaren seat and Nico in the Brawn. Hamilton prefers Kimi, but he's not writing the check.
I don't have any ideas but DO wonder how fast the Brawn would be if someone other than Button were driving it. (I like Rubens and always have but let's face it; in Brazil the one thing we didn't hear during the race was "and Rubens Barricello just set the fastest lap."
I honestly don't know which way it will go, either Rosberg or Raikkonen. But you'll soon learn what is more important to MB - winning or appeasing sponsors with personal appearances. If they want to win races they'll hire Kimi. If they want someone who will stand for pictures with CEOs and their families, they'll hire Nico. Nico is fast, but not as fast as Kimi. This year's McLaren finished as a fast car. If they can build on that for next year, a Hamilton/Raikkonen pairing would be pretty much insurmountable. Only Ferrari has a chance, but I suspect their driving pairing will be much rockier than people think, which will take momentum away from the team.
Well said: If McLaren wants to win races they will go with Kimi.
I think that you all may be overlooking Sutil. German in a Mercedes.... Sutil is fast. Hamilton and he are friends it appears and Hamilton thinks that Sutil is under rated. Hopefully Kimi will be a McLaren pilot but Sutil may be the German in the German car they're looking for...
Serious Brawn talks to start after Sunday - Button (GMM) Jenson Button on Thursday skimmed over speculation he might be set to take his 'number 1' to McLaren in 2010, revealing that talks with Brawn about next season have now begun.
Amid a dispute with his current team about the size of his 2010 retainer, rumors had surfaced that Button might be snapped up by McLaren, and Lewis Hamilton said he would welcome the 29-year-old to Woking.
Button has been holidaying in Dubai with his girlfriend in recent days, and told reporters in Abu Dhabi that he had not seen the latest internet reports.
"I have started discussions with Brawn, but we are not going to talk seriously until after this weekend when we can sit down and focus on the future," said the Briton.
"We've had chats this week; we're talking and that's the main thing," added Button.
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Mercedes Benz will be closely involvement / part owner of both Brawn and McLaren.
The Daimler Benz bosses would probably like to see at least one German driver in the cars.
Rosberg to Brawn would be a good guess. Otherwise either Heidfeld or Sutil would be a good fit.
I would like to see Räikkönen in the second McLaren.
Cheers
Sutil in the McLaren sounds great. Kimi on the otherhand will probably not be in F1 in 2011. I don't think his drive is there anymore regardless of what he drives (pun intended)
Hamilton unsure of 2010 teammate (GMM) Lewis Hamilton on Friday repeated his claim that he would not mind if he has to wear the number 2 on his McLaren car next year.
Amid Jenson Button's disagreement with Brawn about the size of his 2010 retainer, Hamilton said recently that he would welcome his countryman to the Woking based team.
The likelihood of a McLaren switch for Button, 29, has grown even more in recent days, as McLaren tosses up between signing the very expensive Kimi Raikkonen, or the 2009 world champion at half the price.
"I've heard the rumors but the team haven't decided anything and they haven't told me anything," Hamilton told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
"So I'm sitting back and waiting to see what happens. I don't have any preference, if I'm honest."
Hamilton finished the day/night practice session at the new Yas Marina circuit on Friday evening with the second fastest time, behind his friend and current teammate Heikki Kovalainen, who is expected to lose his seat after this event.
"I've such a strong relationship with Heikki, I really do think he is a great guy and a great driver and I'm happy with him being my teammate," said Hamilton.
"If things change it will be unfortunate in some ways, but whoever comes I'll welcome them and hopefully they will help us win world championships," he added.
Heidfeld now on pole for McLaren seat UPDATE (GMM) Nick Heidfeld has emerged as the leading candidate to become Lewis Hamilton's McLaren teammate in 2010, according to a leading German newspaper.
Bild-Zeitung claims the 32-year-old "suddenly has the best chance" to replace Heikki Kovalainen, after Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button were also touted for the seat.
Nick Heidfeld
"Nick's qualities are well known to us, but still nothing is decided," Mercedes competition boss Norbert Haug is quoted as saying.
Bild said his asking price is less than 5 million euros; about half Button's desired retainer, and much lower than the apparently apathetic Raikkonen's lucrative demands.
Retaining his services would also fully appease Mercedes' desire for German drivers, with Nico Rosberg expected to go to Brawn in 2010 with the carmaker's blessing.
With BMW pulling out of F1 and the fate of the Sauber team uncertain, Heidfeld is on the market to extend his career into a tenth season next year.
Having enjoyed Mercedes support through his formative career and acting as McLaren test driver in 1999, he was gutted to have been looked over for the race seat in 2002, when his then Sauber teammate Kimi Raikkonen moved to the British team.
Perhaps coincidentally, Heidfeld walked into the paddock wearing a t-shirt with the words 'The future is not what it once was' printed on the front.
10/21/09 (GMM) Nick Heidfeld was the forgotten man of the 2010 silly-season, but he could be in the running for a coveted seat at McLaren or Renault.
The Abendzeitung newspaper reports that, with Lewis Hamilton pushing hard against the prospect of sharing a team with Nico Rosberg or Kimi Raikkonen next year, Germany's 32-year-old Heidfeld has emerged as a candidate.
"He is the most under rated driver in formula one," McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh, likely to part with Hamilton's current teammate Heikki Kovalainen at the end of the season, is quoted as saying. zzzz
And Mercedes' Norbert Haug adds: "He (Heidfeld) brings over ten years of consistently strong performances."
Germany's Bild newspaper said Heidfeld, who debuted for Prost in 2000 and also raced with Sauber, Jordan, Williams and BMW although never winning a race, is also in the running for the Renault seat currently occupied by Romain Grosjean.
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