The F1 ‘silly season’ never seems to end these days, with countless rumours and stories frequently circulating a paddock so heavily influenced by the internet and social media sites as well as newspapers and TV. That said, the time has arrived for teams and drivers to look on to the future. Here is how the 2013 campaign is shaping up…
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GPUpdate.net's guide to what things might look like in Melbourne
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Red Bull Vettel and Webber stay on for fifth campaign
The double World Champions, who could soon become triple World Champions, have already confirmed their line-up for next year. For the fifth consecutive season, Mark Webber will be teamed alongside Sebastian Vettel. The Australian has done what he did before, by agreeing to another one-year deal, whereas the German is in place up to and including 2014.
McLaren Please sign here, Mr. Hamilton…
Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton will remain team-mates for a fourth season in a row. No, that is not yet official, but the latter is likely to be agreeing terms over this summer break. Button’s ‘multi-year’ deal was never clarified by the team, but Martin Whitmarsh did let slip by all but stating that it’s a three-year contract which would take him to the end of 2014. Hamilton is looking for a long-term arrangement, so a three-year deal seems most likely.
Lotus Finland and France to fight again
This time last year, who would have thought these couple of seats would be so sought-after! Not only has Kimi Räikkönen made a real impression, but has also been linked to Ferrari. In reality, both the 2007 Champion and Romain Grosjean – who has made heads turn – won’t be going anywhere, remaining as of the most exciting combinations on the grid. Furthermore, Eric Boullier has already stressed how important consistency is.
Ferrari ‘Waiting for the phone call’
That is how Eddie Irvine once described team orders which he so often received to allow Michael Schumacher past. But just who is waiting for a confirmation from Ferrari? It’s Formula 1’s best known secret, but Sergio Pérez is doing everything right to become Fernando Alonso’s team-mate next year. Not only is he already a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, but has worked wonders for Sauber. Sources close to the Mexican have already said he talks about the possibility, even though he hasn’t claimed so much himself. Other contenders have included Mark Webber - who did briefly speak to Ferrari - plus Heikki Kovalainen, Adrian Sutil and of course Felipe Massa. The Kimi Räikkönen rumours should be forgotten…he and Luca di Montezemolo aren’t the best of friends.
Mercedes If at first you don’t succeed…
The silver arrows are all set to retain Michael Schumacher alongside Shanghai winner Nico Rosberg. We know the latter is staying put and so will the former, should he want to. Remember, the seven-time World Champion’s brand is massive for Mercedes-Benz and Daimler. Moreover he has proven that, given the right package, he can still deliver despite a few silly mistakes. Other men linked with Mercedes have been Nico Hülkenberg and Jaime Alguersuari – perhaps a reserve seat for 2013? Oh, and then there’s Paul di Resta, who is arguably the favourite if Schumacher does decide to go.
Sauber The queue builds, but there’s no rush
After BMW suddenly pulled the plug, Sauber were in the doldrums in 2010. Not anymore. Peter, Monisha Kaltenborn and the team have worked wonders to sit a comfortable sixth in the championship – and they’re pushing for the top five. Sergio Pérez has performed excellently and is set to switch to Ferrari. The Hinwil squad are very fond of Kamui Kobayashi; after all, he has still scored over 40% of their points this year. Who might be stepping up? Reserve driver and 2010 GP3 Champion Esteban Gutiérrez is an obvious candidate, but Jaime Alguersuari has been linked to the team and Bruno Senna will be on the market if Valtteri Bottas moves up at Williams. Sébastien Buemi remains on the sidelines and he shares his nationality with the outfit. Whatever happens, we shouldn’t expect anything until Pérez is announced by Ferrari. No haste is needed here, anyway.
Williams Bottas poised to join Maldonado
Poor Bruno Senna. The Brazilian has done a good job this season, but – like Nico Hülkenberg in 2010 – it doesn’t seem anything will be enough to stay put. Money always has been vital in this game so, when you have Pastor Maldonado bringing in millions from Venezuelan state-owned oil company VDVSA and winning races at the same time, you can’t blame them. Reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, the reigning GP3 Champion, is highly regarded by the team and has put in some fine performances in Friday practices. He also happens to be friendly, is great with sponsors and isn’t the kind to put in a bad word – just how Sir Frank likes 'em. Whatever the decision, Williams is looking in good shape for 2013.
Force India Promising improvers or a shaky future?
This is a tricky one. Without doubt, Force India has been one of the most-improved teams over the past four years; on top of that, they’re again having their best ever year in terms of results and points – it’s just that Sauber and Williams have improved and are masking this. On the other hand, Vijay Mallya’s finances aren’t in the best of shape and the future of the team remains sketchy. Paul di Resta and Nico Hülkenberg could stay, especially if Michael Schumacher decides to carry on at Mercedes. If the seven-time Champion retires, then one of the two could replace him. Reserve driver Jules Bianchi could then step up, but let us not forget that his employers are red and so that would require a decision from Ferrari. It’s all about the M’s, then: Michael, Mallya and Maranello.
Toro Rosso That’s anyone’s guess…
Toro Rosso’s driver decisions are probably the most brutal in the pit lane. Around November every year, a group of Red Bull executives – notably Helmut Marko – sit down to decide who’s hot and who’s not for the next season. Drivers will then receive phone calls breaking either fantastic or tragic news. Very hard, maybe, but that’s how it is. Once again, the decision will hinge on whether or not they feel Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne have done enough compared to Alguersuari and Buemi last year. The verdict can also be influenced by up and coming Red Bull Junior Drivers, so the pressure is on and the current pair can’t guarantee a thing. On the other hand, taking advantage of a wet race or strange circumstances could help greatly – just as Seb Vettel did at Monza in 2008.
Caterham Riding the winds of change?
This hasn’t really been Caterham’s year, has it? They wanted at least Q2 qualifying performances. As it happens, they’ve struggled more than they expected to. However, it is true that the move from Norfolk to Oxfordshire has somewhat hampered development, so 2013 will be a big season for Tony Fernandes and co. The Malaysian is a great believer in consistency. That means Heikki Kovalainen will stay unless the highly regarded Finn, whose contract will soon be up, is given a better offer and decides to accept it. Vitaly Petrov settled in quickly and is likely to remain – and he’ll become team leader if Heikki does depart. If so, who is favourite to join him? Their current reserve drivers are Giedo van der Garde, Rodolfo González and Alex Rossi. Also on the market are Jaime Alguersuari and Adrian Sutil. Then there is Bruno Senna, likely to be left on the sidelines by Williams as Valtteri Bottas joins Pastor Maldonado. Take your pick, Tony…
Marussia A new candidate for ‘the survival seat’?
The ‘survival seat’ – just one way you can describe the position alongside Timo Glock. So far, money has been the biggest influence – not to take anything away from Lucas di Grassi, Jérôme d’Ambrosio or Charles Pic who have all given the German a run for his money at times. It will come down to the same situation this year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Pic will be making an exit. And what of Glock himself? Fans of the ex Toyota man may want him to move on, but he’s already agreed a deal lasting until the end of 2014.
HRT F1’s first all-Spanish line-up
HRT is poised to bring the sport a first next year, with reserve driver Dani Clos favourite to step up alongside Pedro de la Rosa. This would leave Narain Karthikeyan out of Formula 1. On the other hand, although the all-Spanish image would be great for sponsor interest and strengthen the HRT brand, we also doubted Karthikeyan’s future this time last year. There is certainly no reason to dump Pedro. Not only is he the quicker driver in 2012, but is instrumental in the rebuilding process thanks to his years of experience with McLaren.
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Place your bets. In truth, no matter how long you have followed F1 as a fan or journalist, nobody can get everything right. As we’ve learned in the past, we should expect the unexpected and you can be sure that several quick, reliable and popular drivers will be left on the sidelines. But hasn’t that always been the case in this game? To make your own driver predictions and perhaps counter ours, feel free to leave a comment in the interactive GPUpdate.net Facebook panel located underneath this article.
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Note: Teams listed in order of current Constructors’ Championship
Gregory Haines
GPUpdate.net Editor
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