What of Vauxhall drivers for 2010

[WSRfan82]

With Vauxhall pulling out at the end of the season im just wondering what will happen to the drivers.

Fabrizio Giovanardi
Matt Neal
Andrew Jordan

Gio: i cant see him in the BTCC next season. maybe WTCC or some other Touring car series.

Neal: I can see him either going back to TD(Yet again) or moving to some other series maybe V8 Supercars

Jordan: Can see him in private entered Vectra with John guest on it in next seasons BTCC

what do the rest of you think?

[UltimateDanGTR]

The vauxhalls will hopefully be picked up and run by privateers next year and hopefully 2 if not 3 of the current vauxhall drivers can stay on next year either for pirvateers or other teams ie neal to team dynamics. But like you WSRfan i wouldnt be surprised to see gio go back to WTCC, or Italian Superturismo or something like that.

but, we will have to wait and see.

[Chris2k6]

Well i think the Jordans will take one of the Vauxhalls and run Andy in it as that was the aim before he was unveiled at Vauxhall
Gio i think will go to WTCC which is a shame
while Neal in my opinion will go back to Team Dynamics

[mattie007]

Sounds about right. Would TD switch to the Vectra as well though as I cant see the current Civic being good enough to win outright. Gio does seem to love the BTCC though, maybe a season in a BMW?

[Chris2k6]

maybe BMW would look at setting up a team in the BTCC after leaving F1 and will give Gio a drive? Long shot but worth a punt

[Brown, Jon Brow]

maybe BMW would look at setting up a team in the BTCC after leaving F1 and will give Gio a drive? Long shot but worth a punt

no

[UltimateDanGTR]

Sounds about right. Would TD switch to the Vectra as well though as I cant see the current Civic being good enough to win outright. Gio does seem to love the BTCC though, maybe a season in a BMW?

I disagree. Thompson was very good in that car, shame for his other commitments. with the right drivers the civic is a good little car IMO and excellent through the twisty stuff. Herbert looks good, and so that could be a good combination.

[BDunnell]

I disagree. Thompson was very good in that car, shame for his other commitments. with the right drivers the civic is a good little car IMO and excellent through the twisty stuff. Herbert looks good, and so that could be a good combination.

Isn't it meant to be quite a tricky car to drive well at the limit, though?

[BeansBeansBeans]

Gio does seem to love the BTCC though, maybe a season in a BMW?

Not a chance.

Giovanardi is a professional racing driver. He'll go where he can get a salaried works drive, possibly with Chevy in the WTCC.

[VkmSpouge]

I think Andrew Jordan will be able to continue in a privateer team. Matt Neal probably head back to Team Dynamics and Fabrizio Giovanardi will go to the WTCC. I'm more interested in what will happen to Triple Eight, I hope they are able to continue in the BTCC.

[UltimateDanGTR]

Isn't it meant to be quite a tricky car to drive well at the limit, though?

well herbert looks alright in it, and he's a rookie, albeit a very skilled driver, maybe it is harder to drive at the limit, but it looks competitive IMO, just not with pinkney for whatever reason

[BeansBeansBeans]

I'm more interested in what will happen to Triple Eight, I hope they are able to continue in the BTCC.

I'm not sure how many projects they can cover in one season, but they'll be running all the cars in the Pro1000 Racing Series.

[LiamM]

I can't see TD buying Vectras, its been mentioned elsewhere that they are quite expensive. I can only see TD spending anymore on an NGTC car atm, whilst continuing on the the Civic for a few more years

[Rollo]

Why wouldn't the three 888 drivers remain with 888? They announced the following back in April:

“It is not the end of Triple Eight though, far from it. We will be back next season, albeit in a different guise, still doing what we do best: Winning races and promoting our partners and sponsors products in the very best possible way."
- 17-04-09
http://www.tripleeight.co.uk/press/

Conceivably 888 would still race in the BTCC but without backing from Vauxhall. They've been doing just fine without manufacturer backing in the V8 Supercars now for quite some time.
I'm pretty sure that 888 will look at the rulebook for 2010 and them simply produce the best car according to the rules that they can do, which may or may not be a Vauxhall/Opel.

888 are smart enough to build Ford, BMW, Vauxhall, etc etc etc and make it into a success. Heck, I'd even think that they'd be able to engineer a ZaZ Cruž£ if they wanted.

[bt52b]

888 are also running the Caparo series next year.

[rwdvectra]

I've heard a rumour of Gio having talks with chevolet about a WTCC seat next season

[Robinho]

Gio will probably go back to WTCC, unless 888 stay with a decent car and some decent money.

Neal can drag himself back to TD with his tail between his legs after being soundly beaten by a real champion, about 100 points between him and Gio this year. he has proven out of his depth against a proper team mate without his team around him and his driving standards have deteriorated if anything, whislt the likes of Collard and Plato have raced hard and clean this year (mostly) Neal has carried on with his same old stock car style.

Jordan i would assume will have a Jordan/John Guest/Pirteck team run by his dad and hopefully a decent team mate, maybe with ex 888 VX's - he has been great this year, very quick on occasion and a good team guy, pity he didn't win a race this year, but i think his time will come in the next few years

[Martin-MC]

Gio will probably go back to WTCC, unless 888 stay with a decent car and some decent money.

Neal can drag himself back to TD with his tail between his legs after being soundly beaten by a real champion, about 100 points between him and Gio this year. he has proven out of his depth against a proper team mate without his team around him and his driving standards have deteriorated if anything, whislt the likes of Collard and Plato have raced hard and clean this year (mostly) Neal has carried on with his same old stock car style.



Plato and clean in the same sentance oh please! Tom Chilten was in his way yesterday a little push was needed to get by in race 2, Rockingham blatently pushed Jonny Adam out the way. Theres many more througout the season.

[WSRfan82]

Plato and clean in the same sentance oh please! Tom Chilten was in his way yesterday a little push was needed to get by in race 2, Rockingham blatently pushed Jonny Adam out the way. Theres many more througout the season.

at lest plato is a true hard racer that pushes hard with out dangering his fellow racers unlike neal lol.

platos no saint but his driving i think was clean compared to neal. just look at the final race. not even in the fight for the championship (ok vx driver) but any real racer would of just got on with looking for the win in stead of backing up the field tying to cheat his team mate into winning the championship and trying to take out Turkington. in the good old days of super touring i had a lot of respect for neal...now....cant stand the guy on or off the track.

seems to of lost the plot in how to race

[Martin-MC]

I aint defending Neal but in the fianl race he did what any team player would expect. Plato is a great driver no doubt about it but when it gets tough he pushes his way through and once hes on recieving end he winges like Nigel Mansell!
At first meeting it was not ok for Jonny Adam to make a mistake with his braking point and tap Plato into that slide. But a few months later with a bigger name ie Plato pushing Adam out the way at Rockingham that was ok it seams. Plato great driver bad sportsman mmmm Neal just about in same catagory!

[Eurotech]

I can see 888 doing what WSR did after loosing the MG backing - just look at what they achieved this season! :)

[Robinho]

I aint defending Neal but in the fianl race he did what any team player would expect. Plato is a great driver no doubt about it but when it gets tough he pushes his way through and once hes on recieving end he winges like Nigel Mansell!
At first meeting it was not ok for Jonny Adam to make a mistake with his braking point and tap Plato into that slide. But a few months later with a bigger name ie Plato pushing Adam out the way at Rockingham that was ok it seams. Plato great driver bad sportsman mmmm Neal just about in same catagory!

don't get me wrong, i'm no particular Plato fan, and in previous years his driving has been pretty questionable, but i feel he has considerabley cleaned up his act this year, and on the whole driven exceptionally well, albeit he's still had a few dodgy incidents its nothin like the "move or i'll drive through you" approach Neal adopts at pretty much every meeting. Neal has driven often poorly and dangerously. For the record i was at Donington that day back in .... when Neal won as a privateer in the Super Touring Nissan for the first time, stood at McLeans cheering as loud as anyone else, and was behind him for the titles in the Integra against Plato, but he's gettiong worse and it doesn't fit the current championship, where a clean racer like Turkington can race to the win without of punting everyone off

[Eurotech]

the problem is that Neal still drives like everyone used to in the BTC-T cars but now everyone has mpved to S2000, they need to adopt a different driving style - everyone else has managed it but I think that the main problem with Neal is that he has no pace anymore...

[Bezza]

Neal has always been a dirty driver and not a very arrogant, cocky idiot off the track. It wasn't created any time during the 2000's, its just that in the 90's everyone liked him because he was a privateer against the big boys.

IF you have frequented this forum for a few years you will know my opinions on Matt Neal were the same back in 2001/2002 when I joined the forum. He has not got an ability to drive fairly, it is not ruthlessness as some may call it – it is just dirty and unnecessary driving. On Sunday he took it way too far by trying to determine the outcome of the championship by delaying Turkington and trying to take him out. The problem is he never gets reprimanded by the stewards. He is a serial whingebag right from back in 2002 when he got a drive-through at Oulton Park for not lining up in the right position. Rather than accept his mistake, he blamed the circuit design! Funny how all the other drivers managed fine, even in the support races!

Plato isn’t an angel when it comes to driving I’ll admit, but I believe he races hard but fair – the only times he has taken it too far that I can recall have been when Neal has done something to him first and wound him up.

Without his dad supporting him it is clear that Neal is a decidedly average driver at the end of the day and his championships in 2005 and 2006 can be put down to having the best car and a team-mate that is not allowed to beat him.

What has never helped is Tim Harvey’s love of Matt Neal over the years, although for the first time Harvey admitted Neal was in the wrong this Sunday for his blocking moves.

It is about time Neal retired while he is still somewhere near the pace of the other drivers, otherwise I can expect his driving standards and ability to both decrease as the years go on.

[NoahsGirl]

If the rumours are true, Gio will be in a Chevvy next season in the WTCC.

[Ian McC]

Neal has always been a dirty driver and not a very arrogant, cocky idiot off the track. It wasn't created any time during the 2000's, its just that in the 90's everyone liked him because he was a privateer against the big boys.

IF you have frequented this forum for a few years you will know my opinions on Matt Neal were the same back in 2001/2002 when I joined the forum. He has not got an ability to drive fairly, it is not ruthlessness as some may call it – it is just dirty and unnecessary driving. On Sunday he took it way too far by trying to determine the outcome of the championship by delaying Turkington and trying to take him out. The problem is he never gets reprimanded by the stewards. He is a serial whingebag right from back in 2002 when he got a drive-through at Oulton Park for not lining up in the right position. Rather than accept his mistake, he blamed the circuit design! Funny how all the other drivers managed fine, even in the support races!

Plato isn’t an angel when it comes to driving I’ll admit, but I believe he races hard but fair – the only times he has taken it too far that I can recall have been when Neal has done something to him first and wound him up.

Without his dad supporting him it is clear that Neal is a decidedly average driver at the end of the day and his championships in 2005 and 2006 can be put down to having the best car and a team-mate that is not allowed to beat him.

What has never helped is Tim Harvey’s love of Matt Neal over the years, although for the first time Harvey admitted Neal was in the wrong this Sunday for his blocking moves.

It is about time Neal retired while he is still somewhere near the pace of the other drivers, otherwise I can expect his driving standards and ability to both decrease as the years go on.

Ooh deja vu! :laugh:

How are you Bezza? Thought you would of got bored of your favourite subject by now :p

[Bezza]

Ooh deja vu! :laugh:

How are you Bezza? Thought you would of got bored of your favourite subject by now :p

I'm good thank you, Ian - good to here from you again :)

If you notice I am now in a majority of people who question Matt Neal's driving standards. I remember when on this forum I was in the minority, I'm sure you recall that too :) How times change - I am happy I was right all along ;)

[Wasted Talent]

Neal has always been a dirty driver and not a very arrogant, cocky idiot off the track. It wasn't created any time during the 2000's, its just that in the 90's everyone liked him because he was a privateer against the big boys.

IF you have frequented this forum for a few years you will know my opinions on Matt Neal were the same back in 2001/2002 when I joined the forum. He has not got an ability to drive fairly, it is not ruthlessness as some may call it – it is just dirty and unnecessary driving. On Sunday he took it way too far by trying to determine the outcome of the championship by delaying Turkington and trying to take him out. The problem is he never gets reprimanded by the stewards. He is a serial whingebag right from back in 2002 when he got a drive-through at Oulton Park for not lining up in the right position. Rather than accept his mistake, he blamed the circuit design! Funny how all the other drivers managed fine, even in the support races!

Plato isn’t an angel when it comes to driving I’ll admit, but I believe he races hard but fair – the only times he has taken it too far that I can recall have been when Neal has done something to him first and wound him up.

Without his dad supporting him it is clear that Neal is a decidedly average driver at the end of the day and his championships in 2005 and 2006 can be put down to having the best car and a team-mate that is not allowed to beat him.

What has never helped is Tim Harvey’s love of Matt Neal over the years, although for the first time Harvey admitted Neal was in the wrong this Sunday for his blocking moves.

It is about time Neal retired while he is still somewhere near the pace of the other drivers, otherwise I can expect his driving standards and ability to both decrease as the years go on.

I'm with you on this Bezza, and I've also been critical of Neal for a long time.

Hopefully he will clear off to banger racing where he belongs.........

WT

[woody2goody]

I'm with you on this Bezza, and I've also been critical of Neal for a long time.

Hopefully he will clear off to banger racing where he belongs.........

WT

His methods of 'racing' leave a lot to be desired, and Harvey in particular has never really condemned him for it.

Oh well I hope something can be found for Gio and Andy Jordan next year.