A few people reporting this possibility, including:
@willbuxton Fascinating rumour coming out that @BSenna will replace Heidfeld for rest of season. Pantano AND Senna back in race seats this weekend? ACE!
Interesting...
A few people reporting this possibility, including:
@willbuxton Fascinating rumour coming out that @BSenna will replace Heidfeld for rest of season. Pantano AND Senna back in race seats this weekend? ACE!
Interesting...
I hope so. I am curious to see Bruno with a better car.
Could be good fun
Could be fun, and it would be nice to see Senna in a better car but it's completely unjustified to get rid of Heidfeld based on performance alone. He's been better than Petrov and I would wager my house on Senna not being any better than Nick has been.
Gerard Lopez's GenII Capital has merged with a Brazilian investment firm, so I guess the rumour makes a lot of sense. Senna isn't going to do any better than Heidfeld, but he'll certainly bring some more cash to the team, and maybe a few Brazilian sponsors.
Senna's not really had any opportunity to show his true pace. 'If' he gets the drive and can be near/equal to Petrov it could be interesting.
As for Nick...same old story, too inconsistent.
i'd be happy to see the switch, i've got heidfield in my FGP but my reserve is Senna
Too bad for Heidfeld but he really didn't take the opportunity at Renault. He should have beaten Petrov in qualifying and the races but instead he's been up and down the whole year. Senna could bring new energy to the team, it's just that nobody really knows how good he is.
Pantano? Not heard that one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave B
Senna to replace Heidfeld on performance alone would be silly. Nick hasn't worked wonders but he has more points than Petrov who has steadily improved since his debut year. Bit sick of the Heidfeld bullying in the press and from the team actually...
As for Senna he was immediately outpaced by an out-of-practice Christian Klien last year in every race apart from his home race in Brazil if memory serves correct. I know Senna's the tester but if they were looking for more performance I'd have taken Klien.
Pantano will be back... but on Indycars AFAIK.
I think Bruno should enter in the simulator and practice hours and hours in it, mostly when in-season testing isn't allowed. I'm pretty angry with those who want to make fun with him and show him as another Badoer.
About 2 tenths faster than Sakon Yamamoto and on Chandhok's level.Quote:
Originally Posted by F1boat
Yep, money talks.Quote:
Originally Posted by N4D13
Yes, Pantano will substitute for the injured Justin Wilson in the Dreyer & Reinbold car at Infineon Raceway this week-end.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mekola
Heidfeld may sue Renault
Heidfeld may sue Renault
Quote:
Renault want to replace Nick Heidfeld with reserve driver Bruno Senna for the remaining eight races of the season, starting in Belgium this weekend, but may face legal action from the German who is unhappy at the prospect of being dropped.
The Enstone-based team would not confirm on Monday night, who would be driving for them in Spa. However, this newspaper understands that 34 year-old Heidfeld — hired earlier this year to stand in for the injured Robert Kubica, whose career remains in the balance following a major accident in a rally car — is prepared to use legal channels to hang on to his race seat.
Good atmosphere they are building in that team..Quote:
Originally Posted by thunderbolt
I wonder if this could perhaps be a sign that we may not see Kubica in a Renault next year either.
Good news for Senna, I hope he does well.
What a douchebag. He is lucky he got to race at all this season.Quote:
Originally Posted by thunderbolt
Just more reason for another team NOT to give him a ride next year.
There goes my fantasy F1 :(
Heidi is a has been and was never a great driver. With his decision to sue Renault he puts an end to a not very illustrious career. But I really hope that Bruno will not be another Badoer as Mekola said. The qualifying against Klien was pretty embarrassing.
the strory was on BBC yesterday, as informed by Eddie Jordan, but seems to have disappeared again, perhaps we've jumped the gun a little
I agree, how dare Heidfeld expect that his contract be honoured. Employees should know their place.Quote:
Originally Posted by F1boat
If Renault cuts short his contract without due compensation that would say more about the team than about Heidfeld.
As for Nick's future employment prospects given his age he's looking at the end of his career anyway.
All this smacks of a team in dire straits, having lost the core of its successful technical staff and running short of money too. Senna is not going to perform better than Heidfeld, he'll struggle to trouble Petrov IMO.
Yes, I tend to think that if they let Nick go they are looking for a scapegoat for having dropped back in performance since the start of the year when in reality it's clear that the team haven't kept up with the development of their rivals.Quote:
Originally Posted by Malbec
You serious? Why on earth should Nick just agree to walk out - yes it was lucky he got the drive, but now he's got it and is beating his teammate there is no valid reason Renault can have for trying to shove him out. He is unlikely to get a ride next year in F1 but his main stength is his personality in the garage and willingness to help teammates, so for him to want to sue the team suggests they are massively in the wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by Koz
Senna now confirmed.
I agree with that to a certain extent and it's hard to say what is really going on. We don't really know all the circumstances or what his contract states. If it's performance based then I can't blame them, as he has only been average, but average is probably enough for any performance claim to be debunked fairly quickly.Quote:
Originally Posted by pettersolberg29
If it's due to money, then I wouldn't blame Heidfeld for suing the team. They should have thought about their money and had their budget sorted before the season started. Anyway I'm kind of interested to see what Senna can do. Someone said he is on Chandhok's level but we don't really know what level Chandhok is on either. I'm looking forward to seeing him in a reasonably competitive package.
Heidfield was/is a known quantity and Petrov has proved he has improved as he's been pretty close or ahead of Nick as the season has worn on. Renault are going to gain nothing this season by keeping Nick on, a few points here and there but his experience isn't going ot yield podiums or wins, so they lose very little giving Senna a try out. If over the next few races he is able to get on par or even close to Petrov then he will prove he's got a place. If he's reamed then his chance will have been lost, but at least it will have been a good one in a decent car against a known quantity. I'd like him to do well, but being realistic I guess thats pretty unlikely, given how Chandock fared against Kovy in Germany.
Renault might regret this if they can't keep ahead of Force India and Sauber for the rest of the year.
Senna is only confirmed for Spa, so expect to see Grosjean in the car and maybe one or two others! How many drivers are one team allowed during the season?
Let's ask HRT! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by RS
Wait, so if your boss breaks your contract and fires you without any reason from your job as the janitor, you will just take it willingly and accept it, because otherwise you would be a douchebag?Quote:
Originally Posted by Koz
well said.Quote:
Originally Posted by Robinho
that is how I see it too
:up:
My dislike of this Boullier grows bigger every minute.
I don't think the blame should be laid ar Eric's door. Danny Bahr will be the culpret if the company falls on its knees. Tony might allow himself a wry smile, especially if ends up buying the 'other' Lotus name at a knockdown price.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mia 01
What goes around comes around......
petrov has a drive because of all the incentives and money coming to the team, via Russia....including meetings with Putin and so on.
Talent????? hahaha...maybe if he drives an F1 car long enough, he will get better.
Then there is Senna. Donot kid yourself about some BS of "senna-Lotus" bringing back memories as to why he is there.....
it is all about money.......another pay driver
The qualifying against Klien was embarrassing? Only embarrassing? Then what about barely being faster than Sakon Yamamoto?!Quote:
Originally Posted by F1boat
Not sure why people continue to mention Renault in this whole mess.Quote:
Originally Posted by RS
This team is not Renault team it's Genii Lotus whatever team with Renault engines and no money.
Looks like he would, he would probably even say thank you for the boot!Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry Walker
But hey there are billions of such people out there, and that's fine with me.
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by SGWilko
Still Boullier is just a clown.
One of the funniest things that I've read so far about Heidfeld losing his seat is the fact that Renault is only a number of points behind Mercedes in the constructors and that apparently by Senna now coming in to join that Mercedes can now relax a little more for the rest of the season!! :)
I think that demonstrates just how 'hard up' this team is. Will they be here next year? That is two years in a row now they have asked Bernie for an advance of the TV money. Does not sound good, does it......Quote:
Originally Posted by kfzmeister
In my opinion, Lotus Renault GP(*) is just not doing well as a team, point. First, their car has lost its pace throughout the year. Next, there were constant rumors in the press of financial struggles within the team. There was a speculation that they might switch to the less expensive engine, and later some whining about how little money the Russians and Lotus are giving the them. Instead of acknowledging this new reality, they try to shift blame onto Nick Heidfeld and they use that as an excuse to recruit another pay driver. That's the way I view it. Performance wise, Nick has been on the same level with Petrov, add or subtract a few points, which implies that both drivers are limited by the capability of the car. It's just a lousy team and it will keep on going down. I actually kind of feel a little sorry that Petrov had signed a two year contract with them.
(that's the name the team is registered with according to wikipedia)
Money bought Senna the drive apparently:
Heidfeld hoping High Court action can restore his Renault drive by Singapore - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com
I guess we all figured this anyway.Quote:
"This position is disputed by the team for apparently purely financial reasons. We do not intend to rest before Nick's legal position has been fully restored."