Mark to Lotus Renault ?

[Valve Bounce]

Reported that Lotus Renault's team principal Eric Bouiller is interested to have Mark on board :Aussie ace Mark Webber in Lotus pose | Herald Sun

The team is getting really competitive with Petrov's great drives and will only improve with time.

[RJL25]

I don't think Mark would be leaving the benchmark team for a mid-pack drive just at the moment, regardless of how much potential Renault may have. BUT we know that he struggles with the concept of being a number 2, and if things keep going the way they are at Red Bull, then this will only get worse... he will definetly be number 2 at Ferrari, so that only leaves McLaren, and thats only if Lewis leaves McLaren, which I seriously doubt will happen. So maybe Renault is the move??

What does all this mean for Kubica though? If they are going to make Webber the undisputed number 1, are they casting doubts on Kubica's ability to return??

[Hawkmoon]

... and will only improve with time.

And that's something Webber doesn't have. He's on the downside of his career and a move to Renault is an admission that he's no longer serious about the world championship.

[RJL25]

And that's something Webber doesn't have. He's on the downside of his career and a move to Renault is an admission that he's no longer serious about the world championship.

I think Mark's priority would be Red Bull, then Ferrari, then Mclaren, and only then would he go to Lotus Renault

However, it may well be that he ends up at Lotus Renault if their are no options for him at the other teams or if the deal they put on the table, ie a "number 2 driver" clause, is not satisfactory to him.

[steveaki13]

I think if he leaves Red Bull he has lost his chance of a world championship and he may well rather call it quits than move to Renault.

[Koz]

So Kubica's career is effectively over then?

Mark is old, he doesn't have 3-4 seasons left in him if he is in a midfield team... I hope he doesn't become a Fisi/Trulli... If he can't get a RBR, Ferrari/McLaren driver, he should call it - no point being nearly world champion one day and never winning a race again... Unless he's aiming for Rubens' record for most starts...

[N. Jones]

How about if Red Bull trades Mark to Ferrari for Massa?

It's all speculation... we'll find out more when the time is right.

[Big Ben]

I think if he leaves Red Bull he has lost his chance of a world championship and he may well rather call it quits than move to Renault.

waiting for SV to break a leg (literally) is not much of a plan however.

[intheway]

I think if he leaves Red Bull he has lost his chance of a world championship and he may well rather call it quits than move to Renault.

I think people forget that winning the world championship isn't the only reason these people drive... there's also among other things, the money.

Why not spend a year or two at Renault and keep building his fortune? He's got many years before he's 65.

[keysersoze]

I think people forget that winning the world championship isn't the only reason these people drive... there's also among other things, the money.

Why not spend a year or two at Renault and keep building his fortune? He's got many years before he's 65.

With Renault's rumored financial woes, I doubt they could pay him more than he's making now. And it would have to be significantly more for him to make a move. I would think after 10+ years in F1 that Mark is doing very well financially, and $$$ is a secondary concern for him.

He's not going to win a WDC at RBR, but he might win races. I'd also say he's highly unlikely to win at Renault, and it might not be so easy to beat Petrov.

OT, I'm a Vitaly believer, but I'd really like to see Kubica return fully healthy to see if the Renault's potential is being maximized.