Senna,Barrichello,Sutil,Bottas

[eurobrun]

So that's what happened with Red Bull's driver swap plan in 2005

[Wizzie]

So that's what happened with Red Bull's driver swap plan in 2005

I think that was more simply a case of Klien driving Liuzzi out of a job

[eurobrun]

So that's what happened with Red Bull's driver swap plan in 2005

I think that was more simply a case of Klien driving Liuzzi out of a job

Execpt both of them are crap.

[Myrvold]

Williams don't need a potential WDC winner though, they just need a steady hand for the medium-long term who can consistently drive to the car's potential.

True enough, and by that measure Sutil and Rubens fit the bill. Would Williams do a car-share a-la Brundle and Suzuki at Ligier in 1995? You never know.

don't thinnk car share is possible as iirc a team may only change driver 3 times in a season after they need ALL the other teams permission

4. And it is 4 different. They can change between Sutil and Barrichello for every race.

[AdrianSutil]

So that's what happened with Red Bull's driver swap plan in 2005

I think that was more simply a case of Klien driving Liuzzi out of a job

Execpt both of them are crap.

Whoa!! Liuzzi yeah but not Klien.

Anyway, I could see Barrichello doing a driver share, mainly because he's like Moreno, drive anything just to stay in Formula 1.

[Wizzie]

I think that was more simply a case of Klien driving Liuzzi out of a job

Execpt both of them are crap.

Whoa!! Liuzzi yeah but not Klien.

Anyway, I could see Barrichello doing a driver share, mainly because he's like Moreno, drive anything just to stay in Formula 1.

Hell, he'ld probably try to find some Brazilian sponsors if he had to to get that second Caterham seat.

[DanielPT]

Execpt both of them are crap.

Whoa!! Liuzzi yeah but not Klien.

Anyway, I could see Barrichello doing a driver share, mainly because he's like Moreno, drive anything just to stay in Formula 1.

Hell, he'ld probably try to find some Brazilian sponsors if he had to to get that second Caterham seat.

At his age, it might difficult for him to find sponsors of any kind. He is not Schumacher and I think people in Brazil already forgot that he drives in F1. Although if he asks Frasier might help...

[Wizzie]

Whoa!! Liuzzi yeah but not Klien.

Anyway, I could see Barrichello doing a driver share, mainly because he's like Moreno, drive anything just to stay in Formula 1.

Hell, he'ld probably try to find some Brazilian sponsors if he had to to get that second Caterham seat.

At his age, it might difficult for him to find sponsors of any kind. He is not Schumacher and I think people in Brazil already forgot that he drives in F1. Although if he asks Frasier might help...

If there's a will, there's a way.

Besides, Trulli has had a seat waiting for him waiting for him at the retirement home since the end of 2009.

[DanielPT]

Hell, he'ld probably try to find some Brazilian sponsors if he had to to get that second Caterham seat.

At his age, it might difficult for him to find sponsors of any kind. He is not Schumacher and I think people in Brazil already forgot that he drives in F1. Although if he asks Frasier might help...

If there's a will, there's a way.

Besides, Trulli has had a seat waiting for him waiting for him at the retirement home since the end of 2009.

It is true that whining your way into a racing seat requires a lot of will!

Anyway, I've read somewhere that with Patrick Head now gone he became favoured inside the team again. He might have something in there.

[solarcold]

Liuzzi's not crap!

[DanielPT]

Liuzzi's not crap!

Ah! I always had a feeling you were a disguised member of this forum, Joe Saward!

Captain, let's get him! To the pitchforks!

[CoopsII]

Liuzzi's not crap!

He has 26 points in his career and hes been beaten by every team mate hes ever had. Hes a star!

[BlindCaveSalamander]

Liuzzi's not crap!

He has 26 points in his career and hes been beaten by every team mate hes ever had. Hes a star!

No, no, you're forgetting his trouncing of Scott Lack-Of-Speed, scoring 1 point to 0 over 28 races.

[CoopsII]

Liuzzi's not crap!

He has 26 points in his career and hes been beaten by every team mate hes ever had. Hes a star!

No, no, you're forgetting his trouncing of Scott Lack-Of-Speed, scoring 1 point to 0 over 28 races.

Excellent. I can see the team meetings now with Liuzzi banging the desk saying "But I am the Number 1 driver here!"

[AdrianSutil]

Liuzzi's not crap!

He has 26 points in his career and hes been beaten by every team mate hes ever had. Hes a star!

No, no, you're forgetting his trouncing of Scott Lack-Of-Speed, scoring 1 point to 0 over 28 races.

EPIC!!

[BlindCaveSalamander]

He has 26 points in his career and hes been beaten by every team mate hes ever had. Hes a star!

No, no, you're forgetting his trouncing of Scott Lack-Of-Speed, scoring 1 point to 0 over 28 races.

Excellent. I can see the team meetings now with Liuzzi banging the desk saying "But I am the Number 1 driver here!"

And bam, I have a new sigquote.

[FullMetalJack]

Sutil is who Williams need. He has money, he's experienced, even as a midfield team's leader, and he can go beyond his car's limits a few times, e.g. in the wet.

Bottas is a fine choice for Friday drives.

Barrichello couldn't help last year, he had his opportunities, actually far better than this year's Williams can be, it's time to say goodbye.

Bruno: well, no comment rather

This. Although i'd love for Barrichello to stay in F1 another season, it's time to hang up the keys.

[mario]

I find it hilarious just how many people have wet dreams about how good Sutil is!

I don't dislike him or anything, I just don't think he deserves all the praise he gets. Having said that, out of the drivers listed, he's probably Williams' best bet, and will do a better job than Barrichello would. Petrov? I think he'd need another year of experience before trying to lead a team.

Exactly - out of the drivers who are known to have spoken to Williams in the past Sutil seems like one of the better candidates for the position, even if there has been a fair amount of speculation around Bruno Senna (with Autosport reporting that Bruno has denied signing a deal with Williams, or any other team for that matter, in the latest bout of speculation linking him with the team http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/96902 ).
Williams have had plenty of time to evaluate Bottas, particularly off the back of the Young Driver test in Abu Dhabi, so you'd have to assume that if the team were interested in having Bottas drive for them they'd have already promoted him (assuming it'd be easier to fill a reserve driver role than a main driver position). It does look like Bottas might be getting more time in the car during free practise sessions though, so perhaps Williams are looking at him as a potential candidate for 2013.

As for Barrichello, it seems that the odds of him remaining at the team have been rising recently with the departure of Patrick Head; it seems that Head was rather angered by Barrichello's criticism of the team - perhaps in part because it was uncomfortably close to the mark at times - whereas the rest of the team seem to have a better working relationship with Rubens. In particular, it seems that the mechanics, limited though their voice may be, are particularly supportive of Barrichello because of the strength of Rubens's feedback - which is one area in which Sutil is at a disadvantage since his feedback hasn't been that highly rated. Still, Rubens has already been lucky to survive this far - he could have easily left the sport back in 2009 with Honda's withdrawal as he had no contract at the time - and his luck will run out sooner rather than later.

Sutil, to be fair, did finish with something of a flourish in 2011 and he does have the advantage of financial backing from Medion, and overall he does seem like the sort of driver that Williams need - quietly efficient, becoming better at managing his strategies and generally shaping up as a safe pair of hands. Moreover, sponsorship could be a key factor in the decision given Williams's slightly precarious financial position - although the team has gained PDVSA via Maldonado and is chasing sponsorship from Qatar, they have been dropping any reference to AT&T from their website - and their name - amid rumours that AT&T will not be renewing their deal with Williams. As things stand only Bruno Senna is pretty much assured of bringing sponsorship with him too (and potentially much more sponsorship, albeit at a price), and the extra few millions that Sutil could bring with him might be enough to help tip the balance.
That said, there are a couple of potential stumbling blocks - the first being his poor feedback rating and the second being the rumour that he only wants a one year contract to keep his options open for 2013 (when the driver market is expected to be shaken up much more as Massa's contract expires) when Williams might be hoping for a driver who is willing to make a longer term commitment to the team. He's probably still odds on favourite, but we may yet be surprised from an unlikely quarter.

As for Bruno Senna, as things stand he seems like one of the less likely candidates. Whilst he brought a wide range of sponsors along with him last year - Embratel, Gilette etc. - he is, in all honesty, probably one of the weaker drivers of the lot due to his inexperience. With his family also putting pressure on him not to sign for Williams - given the tragic association between the Senna name and Williams - and Bruno's own comments suggesting that he seems to be working on a deal to become a reserve driver, it seems more likely that he'll be at Lotus and hoping that either Kimi or Grosjean don't make it to the end of the season.

[CoopsII]

Although i'd love for Barrichello to stay in F1 another season, it's time to hang up the keys.

The only keys you need to drive a Williams these days are the ones to your National bank vaults.....

[eurobrun]

RIP Sutils career

[AdrianSutil]

RIP Sutils career

Not the first time I've seen you write that on here. Getting boring now...

[eurobrun]

Williams will be dead in 5 years. Deal with it.

[Captain Hammer]

Williams the team, or Williams the man?

[Klon]

Williams the team, or Williams the man?

It is both pathetic and amusing at the same time that this is a legit question.

[eurobrun]

The Team

[solarcold]

But I think Williams can live through this.

[CoopsII]

I think Williams can continue for the time being; they arent at the HRT level yet.

[solarcold]

I think Williams can continue for the time being; they arent at the HRT level yet.

They will be at the day HRT improves enough!

[AdrianSutil]

Are Williams the only true privateer outfit left? If so they've done well to survive this long...

[mario]

Are Williams the only true privateer outfit left? If so they've done well to survive this long...

I guess that it depends on how you define the term "privateer" - mind you, even with the broadest definition of "privateer" there are hardly any other competitors that have lasted as long as Williams, be they privateers or manufacturers.

And we see that the rumours that Bruno Senna is going to Williams have flared up again - on his Twitter feed, Andrew Benson has reported that one of the CEO's of OGX - one of Bruno Senna's sponsors - suggested that Bruno Senna will drive for Williams.

[dr-baker]

Are Williams the only true privateer outfit left? If so they've done well to survive this long...

Sauber maybe?

[AdrianSutil]

Are Williams the only true privateer outfit left? If so they've done well to survive this long...

Sauber maybe?

I did think of them too. But they've had help from Ferrari for years. Plus the BMW buyout a few years back aswell means they've never supported themselves.

[mario]

Are Williams the only true privateer outfit left? If so they've done well to survive this long...

Sauber maybe?

I did think of them too. But they've had help from Ferrari for years. Plus the BMW buyout a few years back aswell means they've never supported themselves.

And for the first few years of Sauber's existence the team were supported by Mercedes off the back of their partnership in sports car racing, though there was a period of time in which Sauber had to sustain themselves between Mercedes leaving for McLaren and Ferrari's arrival. Either way, even if the degree to which the partnership with Ferrari worked is questionable, the purchase of the team by BMW was pretty unambiguously an example of the team switching from privateer to manufacturer status (albeit that has reversed with the departure of BMW).

I suppose, though, what we need is an agreed definition of a privateer team - all of the teams in recent years have formed partnerships with manufacturers, ranging from engine supply deals through to technical partnerships, so there is a question of how far can that partnership extend before it can be considered a manufacturer backed team.

[FMecha]

Williams will be dead in 5 years. Deal with it.

No. Please no. Otherwise you can see that Williams could became the new Brabham in ending.

[CoopsII]

Are Williams the only true privateer outfit left? If so they've done well to survive this long...

Sauber maybe?

I did think of them too. But they've had help from Ferrari for years. Plus the BMW buyout a few years back aswell means they've never supported themselves.

No, Id describe Sauber as a privateer team at the moment, at least as much as anybody can be (that noisy thing in the back of the car generally indicates support from somewhere).

[Waris]

Obviously HRT are a privateer team. Isn't that so?

[AdrianSutil]

Obviously HRT are a privateer team. Isn't that so?

Nope. Back half of their car is a Williams.

[Phoenix]

Obviously HRT are a privateer team. Isn't that so?

Nope. Back half of their car is a Williams.

Yes, but considering that Marussia and Caterham also have similar deals cut with McLaren and Red Bull respectively, I'd say the definition of "privateer" should change in a near future. Plus, I'd describe McLaren as a privateer team since Mercedes is no longer part of their board.

[eurobrun]

I don't want Williams to die but sadly it will happen soon.

[AndreaModa]

It's quite simple: a manufacturer is a team which uses it's larger parent company's technology in its car. So for example, Mercedes is a manufacturer, just like Ferrari. McLaren and Caterham, whilst both technically are car manufacturers, neither use their own engines, whilst Caterham are even using the Renault gearboxes, so can't really be considered manufacturer teams. Everyone else is basically a privateer in the literal sense of the word.