Formula One’s worst-kept secret is out, Ferrari confirming Fernando Alonso on a three year deal starting in 2010.
It has since emerged that a deal starting in 2011 was concluded in the summer but has since been brought forward, the recent race fixing scandal and Kimi Raikkonen’s acceptance that he is no longer wanted at Maranello paving the way for an early switch. It makes sense for both parties. Switching to a team that has long since given up on this year to develop the 2010 car gives Alonso a shot at getting out of the midfield, while Ferrari will feel the Spaniard’s tenacity and self-motivation, allied to his sheer speed, will bring more points than the laid-back, sometimes disinterested Raikkonen. Alonso will be partnered by Felipe Massa, who remains on course for a return at the start of next season. The entire paddock has been waiting for the Alonso/Ferrari deal to be confirmed before making their own driver moves, and with early October being an uncommonly late time to start finalising driver line-ups, the next couple of weeks promise to be hectic.
Where next for Kimi? He was uncharacteristically chatty when asked about it earlier, though as usual his answer consisted of the truth as it stands and nothing else. ‘No, I haven’t got a contract anywhere, so I could do rallies, or I could do F1, or I could do nothing.’ At least one more season in single-seaters remains the most likely move, and his old seat at McLaren is currently the one he’s expected to occupy. Santander, the banking firm currently sponsoring both Ferrari and McLaren, are said to be bankrolling a deal that will take the Finn back to Woking and into what would be a fascinating inter-team battle with Lewis Hamilton.
That would leave Heikki Kovalainen out in the cold, unsurprisingly given his poor recent run after a fine start to the season. A return to Renault is an option now that the man behind his departure, Flavio Briatore, has left, though that’s equally true for Jarno Trulli, a man not currently in high demand at his present home Toyota. Robert Kubica is considered almost certain to be confirmed as a Renault driver next week, but Romain Grosjean’s underwhelming performances since replacing Nelson Piquet Jr mean there could be a second seat available.
It’s likely that there’ll be at least one change at Brawn, the smart money currently putting Nico Rosberg at the team for next season. Rubens Barrichello’s resurgent form looks sure to keep him on the grid for another year, probably in a straight swap with Nico taking him to Williams, but there may yet be a seat at Brawn for him; Jenson Button is holding out for more money, money the team are currently unwilling to give him. His form since May isn’t a fantastic bargaining chip, so the champion-elect may have to settle for what’s on offer, and it’s hard to imagine that he wouldn’t. If he doesn’t, he might be the Brawn driver moving to Williams instead. The second seat there is Nico Hulkenberg’s, leaving Kazuki Nakajima with no obvious options for next year unless long-time supporters Toyota offer a lifeline.
Where does Nick Heidfeld go? He’ll be another watching progress at Williams closely – he’s driven for them in the past and is highly regarded by engineering director Patrick Head, a blunt, straightforward character not renowned for being easy to impress. BMW remain an option having been taken over by Qadbak Investments, the mysterious investment company also currently bankrolling the faintly ridiculous goings-on at Notts County FC. That team, however, are not guaranteed entry to next year’s world championship, and Heidfeld may consider waiting for them to be an unnecessary risk.
The new teams are spolit for choice. Kovalainen could be an option for Lotus, Manor, Campos or USF1 if he can’t find a drive at Renault, while such talents as Anthony Davidson, Pedro de la Rosa and Christian Klien, all steady hands if not ultimately world beaters, are currently without a race drive of any kind. Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion currently touting himself to anyone with an available car, brings a famous name and an amount of credibility even if his ultimate pace would surely be lacking, while Bruno Senna brings an even more marketable surname and the speed to go with it. To my eyes, there remains no obvious candidate for the ‘young, up and coming American driver’ role USF1 are seeking to fill, though if you listen to everything Bernie Ecclestone says, you’ve probably already decided that there won’t be a car for the young American to drive. You’re also a bit daft, though time will tell whether B.C.E is right on this one.
What we’ll see in the coming weeks will be one of the biggest shifts in driving personnel of recent years, and some of the potential pairings, particularly the ones at McLaren and Brawn, are mouthwatering. There are bound to be surprises in store, though. Who do you want to see where in 2010?
