Nov 17, 2009 9:49:58 AM
Timo Glock to lead Manor F1:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8363770.stm
RT Moderator - 997.1 Carrera S GT Silver/Cocoa, -20mm/LSD, PSE, short shifter, SportDesign rims, Zuffenhausen collection
Nov 17, 2009 12:19:33 PM
Nov 18, 2009 8:25:11 AM
Brawn against Button McLaren switch...
(18 November 2009)
Ross Brawn believes that Jenson Button's future in Formula 1 would be best served by staying at the team that helped make him a title winner, rather than make the switch to rivals McLaren.
Despite mounting speculation that Button is close to signing a contract to join McLaren, having agreed terms with the Woking-based team, Brawn is adamant about where the world champion should drive in 2010.
"Negotiations [with Button] are continuing and the reports that he has already agreed terms with McLaren are not helpful. I would be amazed if that were the case," Brawn told The Independent newspaper.
"His best future is with our team, where he has a good group around him, and there's a lot to be said for that. The logical thing would be for him to stay with us, but of course logic doesn't always prevail."
Talks between Button and Brawn stalled after the two parties could not agree financial terms for a new deal - with Button's camp adamant that he deserved a wages hike after taking a £5 million pay cut for this year.
But with Brawn's finances tight, even following its takeover by Mercedes-Benz, the team and driver could not agree on a figure before McLaren entered the equation.
Brawn CEO Nick Fry told Radio 5 earlier this week that his team would not get involved in an auction for Button's services.
"We've had discussions with Jenson on what we think is a sensible salary and this is not going to change anything," Fry said about the impact of the team becoming Mercedes Grand Prix. "We're running with a budget that is probably less than most and that's what Mercedes likes."
McLaren appears set on finalising a deal with Button, having broken off talks with Kimi Raikkonen about a deal for 2010 – which has left the Finn facing a sabbatical next year.
Mercedes GP will run Nico Rosberg in one of its cars next season, with speculation having linked Nick Heidfeld with the other seat should Button jump ship.
IMO Mercedes should has bought Vettel's contract from RBR. He is the only driver fit for a car giant like M-B entering F1.
Button won the title on the back of Brawn GP's absolute superiority in the first half of the season. I don't think he is that good when he is faced with stronger competition. And don't forget that last season Ferrari was totally out and McLaren was struggling.
kimi...party on!
so kimi is ready for 24h Le Mans & WRC
Raikkonen to sit out of F1 in 2010
Kimi Raikkonen’s manager, Steve Robertson, has stated to the media that the 2007 world champion will take a sabbatical in 2010, according to autosport.com.
The decision comes after talks between Raikkonen and McLaren broke down for a number of reasons.
"The options in F1 were with McLaren next season or not at all," Robertson was quoted as saying by respected Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, which has close links with the Raikkonen camp. "Kimi and McLaren were unable to reach an agreement, so he will not drive at the F1 level - at least not next year.
"A gap year means nothing for Kimi. He is more interested in fighting for wins and the world championship. F1 will miss Kimi. He worked hard over the summer - doing things in a Ferrari that only the best drivers are capable of."
It is possible that the Finn might compete in the World Rally Championship next year, until he sorts out an F1 return.
Source: autosport.com
andrea:
kimi...party on!
so kimi is ready for 24h Le Mans & WRC
Kimi for me is a top driver who should have at least another 2 championships to his name.
However, he is notorious for some bad habits in his private life and if he stays out of sport for a year I don't think he will ever come back.
reginos:
IMO Mercedes should has bought Vettel's contract from RBR. He is the only driver fit for a car giant like M-B entering F1.
Button won the title on the back of Brawn GP's absolute superiority in the first half of the season. I don't think he is that good when he is faced with stronger competition. And don't forget that last season Ferrari was totally out and McLaren was struggling.
exactly.I think Lewis will be faster than Jenson
about Kimi: it's better for him in economic terms
http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/091106091155.shtml
and now Peugeot and Audi will fight to sign him for 24h Le Mans
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Dedi La vita è troppo corta per non guidare italiano.....
Nov 18, 2009 11:23:36 AM
More on Kimi's move to WRC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8365967.stm
RT Moderator - 997.1 Carrera S GT Silver/Cocoa, -20mm/LSD, PSE, short shifter, SportDesign rims, Zuffenhausen collection
Nov 18, 2009 12:20:32 PM
Breaking News: Button joins Hamilton at McLaren...
(18 November 2009)
Jenson Button has signed to drive alongside Lewis Hamilton in an all-English line-up at McLaren next season, BBC Sport has learned. The world champion's move will be announced later on Wednesday.
The confirmation follows news that former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will not race in F1 next year.
The move leaves McLaren with one of the most exciting driver line-ups in F1 and Button facing arguably the toughest challenge of his career. Button's former team Brawn, who have been taken over by Mercedes, made Button an offer, but the 29-year-old did not consider it acceptable. His switch means McLaren will be fielding the last two world champions in the same team, Hamilton having won the drivers' title in 2008.
Button's preference for McLaren is not solely to do with money, according to sources. He also believes it is the best option for his career. After a poor start to the 2009 season, McLaren came back strongly in the second half of the year, while Brawn, after dominating the first third of the season, slipped back in competitiveness as the year went on.
Button's manager Richard Goddard was unavailable for comment.
Brawn emerged from the ashes of the former Honda team, after the Japanese company pulled out of F1 last winter. Button took a pay cut last winter to help secure the team's future and they went on to win the world championship together in Brawn's debut season.
Now renamed Mercedes Grand Prix, the team have already signed the German Nico Rosberg as one of their drivers. His fellow German Nick Heidfeld is the favourite for the second seat.
Nov 18, 2009 1:09:16 PM
It's official - Jenson Button will drive for McLaren in 2010:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8363892.stm
Interestingly, in an online BBC poll, out of over 8000 votes so far, 82% think Lewis Hamilton will outperform Jenson Button next year - I would agree with that
RT Moderator - 997.1 Carrera S GT Silver/Cocoa, -20mm/LSD, PSE, short shifter, SportDesign rims, Zuffenhausen collection
Nov 18, 2009 1:09:46 PM
VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES SIGNS REIGNING WORLD CHAMPION JENSON BUTTON TO MULTI-YEAR DEAL
Sensational double World Champion driver line-up created as Jenson Button joins Lewis Hamilton at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
Woking, 18 November 2009: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is delighted to announce the signing of the reigning World Champion Jenson Button to a multi-year deal. He will be partnered by 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, who will be embarking on his fourth consecutive season as a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver.
This unique partnership will mark:
- The first time in Formula 1 history that a team has started the new season with a line-up featuring the most recent two successive World Champions
- The first pairing of two British World Champions since Graham Hill [1962, 1968] partnered Jim Clark [1963, 1965] at Lotus in 1968
Jenson Button
2009 Formula 1 World Champion
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes car #1
“It’s always a difficult decision to leave a team when you’ve been there for so long. But life is all about challenges – and, most important of all, it’s about challenging yourself. So, although I won the World Championship with Brawn GP last year, and I’ll never forget that, I was always adamant that I wanted to continue to set myself fresh challenges.
“So that’s why I’ve decided to join Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. You can’t help but be affected by this team’s phenomenal history. McLaren is one of the greats of world sport, and its achievements and list of past champions read like a Who’s Who of Formula 1 – Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and of course my new team-mate Lewis Hamilton. I’ve followed the McLaren team ever since I was a small boy, and it feels unbelievable to finally be a part of it.
“When I visited the McLaren Technology Centre earlier this month, it wasn’t simply the technical resources and the incredible standards of excellence that impressed me. No, I was equally struck by the ambition, the motivation and the winning spirit that flow through everybody there. And then there’s the team’s epic history: put it this way, the trophy cabinets seem to stretch for miles.
“From a personal point of view, it’s also a great pleasure to be joining a fellow British World Champion. Lewis has achieved an incredible level of success in a very short period of time, and he’s a wonderfully gifted driver who has earned the respect of every Formula 1 driver. I’m sure there’s plenty that we can learn from each other, and I’m really looking forward to using our combined knowledge to push the team forward.
“Also, I think it’s fantastic that we’ll be forming an all-British line-up. I know that we both fly the flag with pride, and I sincerely hope we can make the whole of the United Kingdom, as well as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes fans across the world, proud. Nothing means more to me than to be able to represent my country, and I’m looking forward to both of us painting Formula 1’s circuits red, white and blue for many years to come.
“While I’m fully aware that there’s a tremendous amount of hard work ahead, I’m absolutely certain that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes will be able to deliver where it matters: on track. I’m already looking forward to starting work with the engineers at the McLaren Technology Centre as we begin our preparations for the 2010 season – and the defence of my world championship. This is a team that always goes racing to win, and I’m looking forward to being part of that.
“Last but very far from least, I want to say that the 2009 season will always have a special place in my memory, and I’m absolutely sure that everybody at Brawn GP who worked so hard to achieve our World Championship successes feels exactly the same way about it. Equally, I want to thank the guys at Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines, without whom we’d never have been as competitive as we were. I’m so pleased that I’ll still be using their engines in 2010 and beyond.
“So I wish all my old Brawn GP mates well in their new Mercedes Grand Prix adventure, just as I hope they’ll wish me well in my new Vodafone McLaren Mercedes adventure.”
Lewis Hamilton
2008 Formula 1 World Champion
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes car #2
“It’s fantastic news that Jenson has decided to join Vodafone McLaren Mercedes – and I’m looking forward to working with him and our engineers to make sure we kick off the 2010 season with a car that’s competitive enough to win the World Championship – but I want to send my best wishes for the future to my 2008-09 team-mate and now good friend Heikki Kovalainen, who is one of the nicest human beings I’ve ever met.
“I already know Jenson, and we get on very well together. We both really want our team to succeed. Although we’ll be pushing each other hard, I’m sure we’ll very quickly establish a great working relationship. He’s an exceptional driver: very controlled and very smooth, and he has a real depth of knowledge and experience. I think we’ll complement each other very well, and our collaboration will make the team stronger as a result. Also, I’m delighted to be racing alongside a fellow British World Champion, and I believe we can pull together to make Vodafone McLaren Mercedes the best team on the grid.
“I’m sure Jenson has already started to appreciate our team’s unique culture and the special family atmosphere that makes it such an incredible place to live and work. We really are like one big family – and I’m sure Jenson will feel the warmth of that welcome from day one.
“Obviously, as a British driver, I’m also thrilled that we’ll be flying the flag for the United Kingdom, and I think today’s announcement is fantastic news for all British sports fans. I hope they’ll be giving us their full support when the season kicks off next March. I’m already looking forward to Silverstone – it’ll be massive!
“Looking ahead, I think the results from the second half of 2009 speak for themselves, and I’m convinced we can carry that momentum through the winter and into the new season. I’ve been closely following the development of our 2010 challenger, the MP4-25, and I think it’s going to be a state-of-the-art car that will enable both of us to consistently fight for victories.”
Martin Whitmarsh
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
“Everybody at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is absolutely delighted to be able to welcome Jenson to our team. It has always been our policy to employ the two very best possible drivers – and, in Jenson and Lewis, we feel we not only have the fastest pairing on the 2010 grid, but also the two most complete, professional and dedicated drivers in Formula 1.
“Moreover, I’m confident that we’ll be able to successfully balance and harness Jenson’s and Lewis’s complementary skill-sets. Our engineers are already looking forward to working with Jenson, and I’m convinced that such a strong and dynamic driver line-up will make us an even more complete and competitive operation. Now we have to provide Jenson and Lewis with race-winning machinery.
“I want to make clear that Jenson’s decision to join us was in no way motivated by money. We’ll be paying him no more than he could be getting elsewhere, and that fact is a reflection of not only Jenson’s belief in Vodafone McLaren Mercedes but also his desire and ambition to build on the phenomenal results he achieved during the 2009 season.
“I also want to thank Heikki for his selfless contribution over the past two years. As well as being very quick, Heikki was and remains a great character whom we’ll all miss considerably. It goes without saying that we wish him all the best for next season, and would be very pleased if he were to secure a good drive for 2010.
“We’re ambitious, we’re motivated and we’re hungrier than ever. We make no secret of our ambition for next year: Vodafone McLaren Mercedes wants to win both World Championships – and, with Jenson and Lewis, we believe we’re better equipped than any other team in the pitlane to do exactly that.”
Jenson Button (GBR)
Date of birth: 19 January 1980 (29)
World championships: 1 (2009)
Wins: 7
Pole positions: 7
Points: 327
GP starts: 170
Lewis Hamilton (GBR)
Date of birth: 7 January 1985 (24)
World championships: 1 (2008)
Wins: 11
Pole positions: 17
Points: 256
GP starts: 52
- ENDS -
Nov 18, 2009 1:19:49 PM
easy_rider911:
It's official - Jenson Button will drive for McLaren in 2010:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8363892.stm
Interestingly, in an online BBC poll, out of over 8000 votes so far, 82% think Lewis Hamilton will outperform Jenson Button next year - I would agree with that
I am glad the Mercedes F1 seat has been vacated for someone better than JB (I hope)!
This pairing will prove another McLaren driver cock-up
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It's not where you're going, it's how you get there that counts
Nov 18, 2009 1:24:28 PM
easy_rider911:
It's official - Jenson Button will drive for McLaren in 2010:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8363892.stm
Interestingly, in an online BBC poll, out of over 8000 votes so far, 82% think Lewis Hamilton will outperform Jenson Button next year - I would agree with that
I agree too. I do not think Button is a very special driver. He won mainly because his car was so much better then the competition. What he did well is manage the pressure. He will have a very uncomfortable year at Mc-Laren and the english newspapers will rip him apart
997.2 C2S, PDK, -20mm
reginos:
andrea:
kimi...party on!
so kimi is ready for 24h Le Mans & WRC
Kimi for me is a top driver who should have at least another 2 championships to his name.
However, he is notorious for some bad habits in his private life and if he stays out of sport for a year I don't think he will ever come back.
+1 . Kimi will not come back. And he has the talent to be more then once worldchampion. Look how he managed to drive this years Ferrari
997.2 C2S, PDK, -20mm
Nov 18, 2009 1:28:15 PM
IMO very perceptive article from Andrew Benson:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2009/11/what_mercedes_buyout_of_brawn.html
RT Moderator - 997.1 Carrera S GT Silver/Cocoa, -20mm/LSD, PSE, short shifter, SportDesign rims, Zuffenhausen collection
Gnil:
reginos:
andrea:
kimi...party on!
so kimi is ready for 24h Le Mans & WRC
Kimi for me is a top driver who should have at least another 2 championships to his name.
However, he is notorious for some bad habits in his private life and if he stays out of sport for a year I don't think he will ever come back.
+1 . Kimi will not come back. And he has the talent to be more then once worldchampion. Look how he managed to drive this years Ferrari
2003 should have been title number one. In spite the MP/4-18 farce Kimi ran Schumacher close and lost by 2 points.
2005 was also Kimi's title morally, because in spite of the general unreliability of the car (and the absence of tyre changes that made McLaren suffer) he finished second winning 6 races, same as Alonso.
Nov 18, 2009 5:12:13 PM
Sir Jackie Stewart and John Watson's views on Button's move to McLaren:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8366570.stm
Andrew Benson's view on it:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2009/11/jenson_buttons_decision_to_sig.html
RT Moderator - 997.1 Carrera S GT Silver/Cocoa, -20mm/LSD, PSE, short shifter, SportDesign rims, Zuffenhausen collection
Nov 18, 2009 5:49:23 PM
Schumi to mercedes-brawn....I don't believe it...however..
http://www.worldcarfans.com/109111823107/schu-spokeswoman-says-merc-race-seat-unlikely
In italy a news was that Kimi will drive for red bull sponsor in rally and in 2011 he can take the seat of webber
and about 2009 earnings in € mln
o1. Kimi Raikkonen 30,42
02. Lewis Hamilton 12,17
03. Fernando Alonso 10,14
04. Nico Rosberg 5,74
05. Felipe Massa 5,40
06. Jarno Trulli 4,39
07. Sebastian Vettel 4,05
08. Mark Webber 3,71
09. Jenson Button 3,38
10. Robert Kubica 3,04
11. Heikki Kovalainen 2,36
12. Nick Heidfeld 1,89
13. Timo Glock 1,35
14. Giancarlo Fisichella 1
15. Sébastien Buemi 1
16. Rubens Barrichello 0,67
17. Jaime Alguersuari 0,33
Via | Eurosport.com
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Dedi La vita è troppo corta per non guidare italiano.....
Nov 18, 2009 7:49:59 PM
easy_rider911:
Andrew Benson's view on it:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2009/11/jenson_buttons_decision_to_sig.html
"F1 might not miss Raikkonen's android-on-Mogadon news conferences"
"Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out."
Nov 19, 2009 7:47:08 PM
I think its rather cocky of JB to leave such a happy and fairytale team. B!tching about not making enough, give me a break, you're rich. I wish him the best but will smile when Lewis outperforms him.
As for Brawn, good for them. They will be just fine. This could turn really intense, McLaren being all British and Brawn (Mercedes GP) employing german drivers....
PLEASE SIGN VETTEL!!!
indeed shifting is ancient technology - so is a fuel burning engine.. I happen to like both :)
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1984 BMW 323i 5spd 2.3L 141 hp (105 kW) More door. Black on black (parting out)
1986 BMW 325e 5spd 2.7L 121 hp (172 lb·ft) Le Mans Blau on Tan leather.
1986 BMW 325is 5spd 2.5L 168 hp (164 lb-ft) White on Tan leather (parted out)
2005 Ford Focus S, 5spd 2.0L 136 hp (120lb-ft) CD silver on grey (sold)
1986 Porsche 944, 5spd 2.5L 150 hp (168lb-ft) champagne gold on grown leather. (sold)