Who will Massa's replacement be?

[Valve Bounce]

A "never say never" quote which will now be blown out of all proportion.

My money is on SchM. I can't see the sense or any positive result for Ferrari from anyone else. Just SchM's presence in the team will give them great confidence, and they will win races again.

Remember! You heard it from me.

[ioan]

although Bourdais is possible given he has the same manager as Massa.

Well, that means nothing. They need a fast driver not one that will make Nicholas Todt richer.

[christophulus]

Schumacher doesn't make sense. He's hardly unfit but I doubt he's in as good shape as he was when he retired (he's 40 after all) and hasn't raced in three years.

More to the point, his superlicence has expired (they're valid for a year), so it's going to be tough to get a new one issued given that he hasn't been racing and isn't an official reserve driver. There is a loophole though, in classic FIA fashion:

i) the driver is party to an agreement with a team entered in the FIA
Formula One World Championship to race a Formula One car in
the Championship in the year of application as first, second or
reserve driver,

...

and: (exceptionally), has a record of results which is judged
sufficient, unanimously, by the Bureau of the Formula One
Commission and has driven at least 300 km in a current Formula
One car at racing speeds, over a maximum period of 2 days,
certified by the ASN of the country in which the test took place.

http://www.fia.com/resources/documen...pendix_L_a.pdf

[ioan]

Schumacher doesn't make sense. He's hardly unfit but I doubt he's in as good shape as he was when he retired (he's 40 after all) and hasn't raced in three years.

More to the point, his superlicence has expired (they're valid for a year), so it's going to be tough to get a new one issued given that he hasn't been racing and isn't an official reserve driver. Rules are rules:

http://www.fia.com/resources/documen...pendix_L_a.pdf

He did race, even if not in F1, and he also tested last season in the 2008 Ferrari.
He'll get a superlicence before he even finishes asking for one.

If Mansell got one when he came back than MS will get one now.

Looking at the rules it looks to me that his record should be good enough to get one, what do you think?!
And he also did more than 300 kms in a F1 car I believe. :

[christophulus]

He did race, even if not in F1, and he also tested last season in the 2008 Ferrari.
He'll get a superlicence before he even finishes asking for one.

If Mansell got one when he came back than MS will get one now.

Looking at the rules it looks to me that his record should be good enough to get one, what do you think?!
And he also did more than 300 kms in a F1 car I believe. :

He's not bad but he's no Bourdais

Still can't see it, he's too busy filming Top Gear!

[ioan]

He's not bad but he's no Bourdais

It's difficult to be as bad as Bourdais.

[Sleeper]

I'm surprised people are considering Badoer, the man hasnt raced anything for 10 years AFAIK! I'd feel much safer lineing up next to Alguesuari rather than Badoer as he's done 120 races in the last few years, even if only 1 of them was in F1.

I reckon it'll either be Gene or Bourdais, the one has recent racing experience and is Ferrari contracted, the other has recent experience of racing 09 F1 cars.

[Roamy]

Bourdais AYSM - Ferrari is not in the habit of hiring the slowest guy on the grid!!

[woody2goody]

It's a win win for Schumacher if he does it. If he does well then great, he has a chance to win again, but if he doesn't, he's been retired for 3 years.

[Saint Devote]

Maybe Ferrari will do a similar thing to what they did after the death of Gilles Villeneuve and then Didier Pironi's crash at Hockenheim.

Initially enter only Kimi - as they did Pironi - and then from Spa onwards add Jacques Villeneuve as they did Mario Andretti.

JV is after all the son of Gilles and with no championship possible it would be immensely popular amongst the tifosi, especially at Monza.