Silly season 2010

[WhiteBlue]

This just the way I think it could work out. Do your own version to show what you think.

[gibells]

I think that Heidfeld would be a good fit into McLaren. He's under-rated, every bit as quick as Kubica and almost always finishes. There's a lot to get said for that. As much as I like Kimi I think Heidfeld would be better.

[noname]

I think that Heidfeld would be a good fit into McLaren. He's under-rated, every bit as quick as Kubica and almost always finishes. There's a lot to get said for that. As much as I like Kimi I think Heidfeld would be better.

few years ago McLaren was looking for replacement for Mika and they choose Kimi instead of Nick. when I look at Nick's achievements in F1 I do not see the reason why they should make a different choice this time (if they really considering Nick). it looks like they are not afraid of having in one team two drivers capable of being a champion.

[CMSMJ1]

With regard to Nick - Is he any better than Kovi? I would say so.

I think he would do a great job personally - he has never been beaten badly by a team mate and has a lot of experience.

McLaren could do a lot worse... Also, he is tiny so would be a good sized pilot for packaging reasons!

[ESPImperium]

With regard to Nick - Is he any better than Kovi? I would say so.

I think he would do a great job personally - he has never been beaten badly by a team mate and has a lot of experience.

McLaren could do a lot worse... Also, he is tiny so would be a good sized pilot for packaging reasons!

Personally, i do think that Nick is better than Hekki. Taking last season for example he scored more podiums than any other driver (exepting Lewis, Felipe, Kimi and Bob) and completed more laps and distance in the 2008 season than any other driver and is easier on the equiptment than any other driver.

Yes he is also a suitable size as well, in relation to Lewis. Whitch i do thik its ideal to get 2 drivers that are a simmilar size, would also be good to have a test driver a simmilar size as well.

But overall, i think that if McLaren took Nick, they would get a good qualifyer with a briliant race technician. Someone that can talke his car from say P6 to P2 or P3 with relitive ease. Whitch if Lewis is having a off day Nick could pick up the ball and do something as well. And with McLaren machinery, i think that the win-less hoo-doo could be lifted off his back in simmilar way that Webber had this season with Red Bull. If Nick took a win in good equiptment, i think he could go on to many more wins.

Overall, i rate Nick, but if i think that McLaren are thinking about Nick and Kimi, and if they cant work financials out with Kimi, i think that Nick will be in McLaren in a flash.

EDIT: Kimi to take a sebatical: http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n ... 1155.shtml

[deus1066]

I also lend my support for Heidfeld.

I think with Kimi, Mclaren will go back to there "best 2 drivers we can get" method e.g. prost + senna, kimi + montoya and hamilton + alonso. Unfortunatly it rarely works for them, though I think with lewis and kimi it would have a better chance as they both like similar handling cars, and kimi is more reserved and easy going compared to alonso for example.

However, when it comes to thinking about Mclaren as a team, I think heidfeld would be perfect. He's quick and very consistent and will really help with the constructors, where Kovalinen's efforts were very poor. Nick will probably be good value for money and his mature, focussed atitude would certainly be good to have around. He's probably better on the feedback side, helping to develop the car.

He probably deserves a drive after kimi was picked over him when they were at sauber, despite scoring more points that season.

[gibells]

And he's got to be the German they are looking for. In fact more proper than the half Finn they've got at Brawn.

[mx_tifoso]

EDIT: Kimi to take a sebatical: http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/n ... 1155.shtml

No offense ISP, but that article is useless. It's pure speculation that uses commonly known salary figures along with an insignificant quote from Heidfeld.

[WhiteBlue]

I would think that a Hamilton Heidfeld pairing would match Hakkinen Coulthard in efficiency. Ten years ago Coulthard drove on a very high level but he never made it to champion because his team mates were usually a bit quicker. Heidfeld could have taken several GP wins with a seat in championship winning cars as Coulthard had them.

With Alonso and Kovalainen McLaren had extremes of a spectrum. Heidfeld could be in the middle. He works very hard but if the team needs him he can be a team player.

[Pup]

Heidfeld would be good, and would challenge Hamilton I think. But Kimi would give them far more airtime and sponsorship dollars, which has to be considered.

[compo]

[jon-mullen]

Heidfeld would be good, and would challenge Hamilton I think. But Kimi would give them far more airtime and sponsorship dollars, which has to be considered.

Are you sure they didn't pick up Heidfeld specifically to NOT challenge Hamilton? If you look up "bridesmaid" in the dictionary there'd be a picture of Nick Heidfeld. If I were running a race team and could have implicit team orders, I'd pick up Heidfeld in a second, he's impossible to get around and always brings the car home.

[WhiteBlue]

well the word at work is that they wanted kimi to give lewis a kick up the bum as they think he is getting a bit lazy!!!

goony

That is interesting. Hamilton was pushing enough to loose a car in the final laps of a GP. If this is what is perceived as lazy at McLaren I wonder what they had thought of Kimi's attitude between June 2008 and June 2009. He was often driving as if he didn't give a damn. At least the perception was pretty negative. He is also know to be extremely adverse to sponsor work which is an area where Hamilton was never lazy.

I'm more inclined to the view that McLaren have put a cap on their 2nd driver's salary which will automatically sort out any Alonso/Hamilton wobbles in the future. There are other obvious obstacles in addition to the 10 or 15 million $ gap between the offer and the asking price. McLaren are unlikely to let Kimi ralley and get away with only 50% sponsor work. If a team starts to be dictated such terms by the drivers the management will have a pretty hard time the next time round. And the fact is McLaren have a WDC in their employ and do not necessarily need another. So why should they throw away money, policy and sponsorship opportunities to get Kimi?

[sunny1304]

am a huge kimi fan, but now a days it looks like kimi is more interested in money than racing....he behaves like a businessman, not as a racing driver.

anyway, i think it would be interested to see kimi working with ross brawn...i would like to see how things goes if they work together.

[mx_tifoso]

am a huge kimi fan, but now a days it looks like kimi is more interested in money than racing....he behaves like a businessman, not as a racing driver.

anyway, i think it would be interested to see kimi working with ross brawn...i would like to see how things goes if they work together.

Being a sharp businessman is almost as important as being a sharp race driver. Ralph Schumacher was an excellent businessman and not an amazing F1 driver, so if Raikkonen is an amazing driver, he has more than enough reason to be negotiating as he has been doing so lately.

And I agree that seeing Raikkonen and Brawn together would be interesting, more so because I would like to see Raikkonen destroy Button at BGP .