Formula 1 in 2005

[Brent]

What are your predictions for the 2005 driver line up at BAR Honda, Jaguar, and Toyota?

[Brent]

What are your predictions for the 2005 driver line up at BAR Honda, Jaguar, and Toyota?

[vinHonda]

I hope that last post is right: all empires fall.

As for 2005 driver lineups, I will put money on this:

BAR: Takuma Sato and Jacques Villeneuve
Jaguar: Christian Clean (that's a joke) and David Coulthard
Toyota: Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli

Panis and da Matta can start hitt'n up the golf course now.

I think the bigger question is: will Jenson do well at Williams? When will Sato win a race??!?!!

Cheers,

Vinh

[Eddie Martin]

BAR would be crazy to bring Villeneuve back. He will drive a knife down the middle of the team again. Sato may stay on depending on how big the cheque from Honda is.

Jaguar should get Coulthard as he can bring a lot of experience to the team. Alex Wurz should be his team mate.

I think Trulli will join Ralf at Toyota.

Davidson will either go to Sauber or BAR and Liuzzi (F3000) may find a seat somewhere. Hopefully Jordan and Minardi get some better drivers. Pantano, Bruni and Baugartner have been pretty unimpressive this year. Briscoe and Paffett may have a chance if they get some cash together.

The Montoya vs. Rakkineon and Webber vs. Button competition should be great to watch.
I just hope Williams and McLaren get there act together in 05. They have been off there game all year.

[vinHonda]

Sato is guaranteed for 2005. He recieves a cheque from BAR for his salary, but Honda puts money into BAR. The reason BAR pays his salary, is because of bonus system for points.

I had a beer w/ Sato and his manager in Montreal. He wants to make it clear that he has a ride in 2005 and that he's not a Honda paid driver.

I really think Villeneuve will be back in a BAR!

[Brent]

Sato is too reckless. He should be bumped down to test driver. He needs a while to mature. Its evident he has speed but his mindset isn't right. Anthony Davidson should take over his seat. And I'd like to see DC there for a year or perhaps see a lower-level formula driver come up. One things for sure though, I'm no longer a Jenson Button fan.

[ben]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Brent:
Sato is too reckless. He should be bumped down to test driver. He needs a while to mature. Its evident he has speed but his mindset isn't right. Anthony Davidson should take over his seat. And I'd like to see DC there for a year or perhaps see a lower-level formula driver come up. One things for sure though, I'm no longer a Jenson Button fan. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Some people may not remember that Sato and Davidson were teammates in British F3. Anyone who saw them race head to head in identical machinery whould give Sato at least another season to prove his worth. It's very easy to look good as a friday tester in F1 when you don't have to worry about qualifying and race strategy.

Also lets not forget Davidson's relatively weak race performances in the Minardi. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to race, just not next season at the expense of Sato.

Still a JB fan BTW. David Richards showed just as little respect for contracts when he tried not to pay Villeneuve last season. Shoe's on the other foot and he doesn't like it.

Ben

[Brent]

Michael Schumacher would have weak race performance in a Minardi! The fact of the matter is that lap times tell the tale; not just in Friday practice but team practices as well. Davidson usually runs more laps, drives smoother, and the end result is he's faster. Sato drives like any other Japanese driver, like a kamikaze. Ever seen Japanese GT series races? Its like watching Earnhardt drive... all you have to do to win is push people out of the way. There's no place for that in Formula 1.

[ben]

Yeah, but I saw Davidson and Sato race wheel to wheel in British F3 and Sato was better.

As for weak performances in a Minardo, nobody told Fernando Alonso. Gustav Brunner said he saw Alonso do things he didn't think possible in that car. I'm not saying just because Davidson didn't set the world on fire he's not worth a crack, but he simply isn't any better than Sato IMO.

Ben

[vinHonda]

Sato clearly belongs in Formula One. He may come across to you as reckless, but the truth is he is just pushing hard all the time. He is learning to take engineering orders now, but he is a major record holder in British F3. I've read that he is just fearless when entering some corners. Perhaps he overdrive's the car a little bit, but I believe in time, he will become one of Formula One's top contenders. The speed is there, no question about that. Too bad Webber had to punt him off course at Spa.

Vinh