All Brit line up at McLaren in 2010

[FIA]

Just a thought, witht he rumours linking Paul Di Resta to a GP2 drive next year or a McLaren Test Seat, what are the chances of Paul Di Resta partnering Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2010. With Heikki Kovalsinen only getting a 1 year contract with Toyota looking interested if Jarno Trulli retires. Could the 1st race back at Donington Park be a front row of Hamilton and Di Resta both McLarens?

[elinagr]

yes

[Allyc85]

Anythings posssible......

[jens]

FIA, where have you got information that Toyota wants to replace Trulli with Kovalainen for 2010?

[woody2goody]

I think there could be an all Brit lineup of Button and Hamilton for 2009. But I wouldn't mind if Heikki was still there.

Button could be a champion in a decent car but I'm not sure he would like the relatively strict, sponsor-driven McLaren environment.

[Oli_M]

I don't expect there to be an all Brit lineup in McLaren, possibly ever.

Having two drivers of the same nationality in the team SERIOUSLY limits your marketing potential. Add that to the team also being of the same nationality and you're really limiting yourself. Always better to have two different nationalities and increase your exposure therefore increasing your sponsorship and everything hence associated with it.

[acescribe]

I doubt there will be an all British line up anywhere, and not McLaren - and I'd be very, very surprised to see Jenson Button at the wheel of a McLaren.

And getting the McLaren test drive doesnt automatically mean promotion to the race team, ask Gary Paffett.

Lets get 2008 over, and into 2009 before thinking about 2010!

[wedge]

Makes me wonder what on earth McLaren/Mercedes are playing at sometimes.

If I was Norbet Haug I'd badger McLaren to stick De Resta in test seat right away after Vettel has now made a name of himself in F1 and yet Di Resta is stuck in a year old CLK in DTM having beaten Vettel to the 2006 Euro F3 title! :crazy:

[Valve Bounce]

Just a thought, witht he rumours linking Paul Di Resta to a GP2 drive next year or a McLaren Test Seat, what are the chances of Paul Di Resta partnering Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2010. With Heikki Kovalsinen only getting a 1 year contract with Toyota looking interested if Jarno Trulli retires. Could the 1st race back at Donington Park be a front row of Hamilton and Di Resta both McLarens?

No, the front row will be occupied by Massa and Vettel. You can bet your B--ls on it.

[I am evil Homer]

Makes me wonder what on earth McLaren/Mercedes are playing at sometimes.

If I was Norbet Haug I'd badger McLaren to stick De Resta in test seat right away after Vettel has now made a name of himself in F1 and yet Di Resta is stuck in a year old CLK in DTM having beaten Vettel to the 2006 Euro F3 title! :crazy:

Agreed, Mac should get Di Resta in, he's better than Paffet IMO and has greater potential than Button.

[Garry Walker]

I have heard DiResta might race for Force India next year.

[jens]

Makes me wonder what on earth McLaren/Mercedes are playing at sometimes.

If I was Norbet Haug I'd badger McLaren to stick De Resta in test seat right away after Vettel has now made a name of himself in F1 and yet Di Resta is stuck in a year old CLK in DTM having beaten Vettel to the 2006 Euro F3 title! :crazy:

Actually di Resta is not in a year-old car, but in a brand new car in DTM this year and after today's race is only 2 points behind championship leader Scheider, so it'll be a thrillng finale at Hockenheim. ;)

I'd be very interested in seeing di Resta in F1 too. As much as I've seen him racing, he has been very impressive, pushing on the limit and taking risks (today's race was a good example, when he took a gamble on tyres). I think he could be the real deal in open-wheel racing too.

[Mark]

Was David Coulthard / Damon Hill the last time we had two British drivers driving for a British team?

[Ranger]

I think he could be the real deal in open-wheel racing too.
He beat Sebastian Vettel in the same team and the same car in Euro F3 and is only 1 year older. I would say he's bound to be pretty good.

Was David Coulthard / Damon Hill the last time we had two British drivers driving for a British team?
Nope... Jaguar in 2000 with Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert.


I have heard DiResta might race for Force India next year.
I would hope that is true.

[LeonBrooke]

First, I don't really think of McLaren as a British team - started by a New Zealander, early staff largely New Zealanders, Early star drivers New Zealanders...

As for Di Resta and Hamilton at McLaren in 2010... who knows? I thought it was going to be a mistake putting Hamilton in the race seat for '07, and I was wrong, they could well make a punt on another rookie, and it may well pay off.

As for them locking out the front row at Donington? Highly unlikely I say, with the likes of Massa, Kubica and Vettel around, I think it unlikely that there'll be any front row lockouts by one team in the coming years.

As for Button, I don't rate him at all, never have. I think he's got the same chance of becoming WDC as I do, even if everyone else was driving pedal cars I think he'd still be coming around 12th. Ron would have to be having serious problems with his thinking if he signed Button.

[acescribe]

Was David Coulthard / Damon Hill the last time we had two British drivers driving for a British team?

Yes.

[acescribe]

First, I don't really think of McLaren as a British team - started by a New Zealander, early staff largely New Zealanders, Early star drivers New Zealanders...



I can see where you are coming from but its a bit like saying that Renault is actually a British team because its ancestory is Toleman....

[LeonBrooke]

I can see where you are coming from but its a bit like saying that Renault is actually a British team because its ancestory is Toleman....
I do think that sometimes, actually.

[Tumbo]

Nope... Jaguar in 2000 with Eddie Irvine and Johnny Herbert.

Eddie may have a disagreement w/ u there given that while he's from Nrth Ireland he associates with the Republic ;) remember all the problems he had w/ the UK flag and anthem being played on the podium

[Valve Bounce]

Eddie may have a disagreement w/ u there given that while he's from Nrth Ireland he associates with the Republic ;) remember all the problems he had w/ the UK flag and anthem being played on the podium

That is worse than calling a Kiwi an Aussi just because he plays Rugby League for an Aussi team. Or a South African a Pom just because he is captain of the Pom's Test Cricket team.

[Tumbo]

I hope u mean calling Eddie a pom cause he definitely is irish ;) FIA gave him hell for leather but good on him sticking to his guns

[Valve Bounce]

I hope u mean calling Eddie a pom cause he definitely is irish ;) FIA gave him hell for leather but good on him sticking to his guns

"That's what I'm talking about". So said Shane Crawford!!

[Tumbo]

glad we're in agreement :D ! even if he did associate w/ the UK he's technically Nrth Irish not British as he's not from Britain..............bit like Coulthard is from Scotland too?

[Valve Bounce]

glad we're in agreement :D ! even if he did associate w/ the UK he's technically Nrth Irish not British as he's not from Britain..............bit like Coulthard is from Scotland too?

Well, di Resta sounds a bit Italian, so I think we'd better ask pino for confirmation on that one. :p :

[wedge]

About bloody time!

http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=44180

[FIA]

It's going to happen, please. He is the cousin of the Franchitti brothers so there must be an italian heritage.

[Mark]

Well not at all. Scotland is in Britain so DC is very much British, and Scottish. Same as Hamilton is British and English.

[aryan]

Well not at all. Scotland is in Britain so DC is very much British, and Scottish. Same as Hamilton is British and English.

Scotland of course is in Britain, as is England, so it is correct to call both Hamilton and DC, "British".

Northern Ireland is not in Britain, as witnessed by the complete name of your country (the one on your passport) which is "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".

As such, to call Irvine, "British", is technically incorrect. Same thing applies to anyone from Jersey or Isle of Man (both of which are not even in the UK).

Strangely enough, until 26 January 1949, "Australian" did not exist as a nationality, and the nationality of all Australians was "British". As such, you can call Alan Jones and Jack Brabham British-born drivers.

Even today, if you have a British passport and you were born before 1949, you can vote in Australian elections, and if you have an Australian passport and were born before 1949, you can participate in the UK elections (in both instances, you have to be a resident in your electorate though).

[Robinho]

i did not know that little titbit of information - thanks

[Robinho]

oh, and i think it would be great to see Di Resta get a chance in F1, he's highly talented and i rate him well ahead of several of the GP2 guys being tipped for F1

[elis]

Let's face it, anyone signed up to be 'team mates' with Hamilton will only be there to make up the required numbers. McLaren are only interested in one driver, the other is 2nd fiddle.. Personally I hope Heikki gets the heck out of there asap ;)

[Iain]

He is the cousin of the Franchitti brothers so there must be an italian heritage.

Yep there definitely is. Both big well known families here in West Lothian thanks to their various businesses.

[driveace]

I sincerely hope that Button ,never goes to Mclaren.I do not rate him one little bit.He is a winger .Put Alonso in that car and he would SORT it,I dont believe Button can set a car up ,nor give feed back to his team about what is wrong with the cars handling,
Alonso sorted the Mclaren out ,and is sorting the Renault out now ,something that Fisi could not do,when he was there last year