Alonso to replace Button in 2003

[Nicholas]

It's been confirmed! Alonso will take Button's place in 2003.

"He is very young and has a great talent. We chose not to waste him by letting him drive for another team," said Briatore, who explained that Alonso would replace Mark Webber.

So where will Jenson go??? And will anyone care by then?

[Tristan]

WHAT??

Deary me, as much as I love Alonso, this is a TRAGEDY. If this is true there is no WAY Button should have been treated this way.

Ralf was a WINNER last year. He BEAT JPM. Button had HIS debut year alongside Ralf too. And was BETTER than he. Before a big old argument brews, this is nothing against RALF here. Just that whatever people say about him having "fallen off" and "just a cocky brat" (he's a GP DRIVER!!!) he has TALENT. He is evey bit as good as Kimi et al. May be not QUITE a Montoya, but the best British driver since... Mansell??

Give the guy a break.

[Wiki]

Indeed, there is no question Jenson has the potential to be a great driver (as has at least a third of the grid) but Flav has a very short memory and a large share of Ferdy's earnings. He's admitted before he's more interested in the profits than the racing spectacle so why am I not surprised to see him feathering his own nest in this way now?

[MGF]

Total agreement!!

Briatore certainly knows how to wreck a drivers career....

[Wiki]

Originally posted by MGF
Briatore certainly knows how to wreck a drivers career....

The most evil man in F1 ... and even his stint at Benetton with TGF can't redeem him

[Glen]

Well, yes. But - making the most money out of F1 is surely partly down to picking the best drivers. Why should any team boss, popular or not, put up with so-so performances? Jenson does deserve a wake-up call, before he lets all that potential and promise pass him by.

He'll have a great car next year, most likely, and another chance to deliver on his early promises. Even if he gets kicked out, provided he does a good job, he should be hot property for many other teams by the end of 2002... Jenson takes over from Irvine? Or DC?

[Adam43]

Originally posted by Glen
he should be hot property for many other teams by the end of 2002... Jenson takes over from Irvine? Or DC?

sorry, I'm confused, are you saying that Jenson is good or bad?

[Glen]

I'm saying that he's potentially good, and needs to work harder. Then, even if politics come into it and he fails to secure another year at Renault, he should be good for an alternative top-drive.

Lots of people seem to think that being a great driver is not enough to succeed in F1, and you can lose your seat despite talent. Mostly I disagree with this - if he works hard and does well he'll be fine. If he mucks about and doesn't get results he'll have no-one to blame but himself. He certainly has the basic talent.

[Raoul Duke]

Formula 1 is a very fickle sport, as we all know. And as circumstances change, so do people's perceptions of a driver, and Jenson is a perfect example of this. For what it's worth(personality aside), I think that Jenson is a very good driver who's ability is criminally underrated by a lot of fans. Granted, he may not have Alonso's sheer speed, or Montoya's gutsy driving style, I think he is just as good as, someone such as, Raikonnen, for example. Lst year in a Williams he managed to challenge Ralf severall times in qualifying(wich is be no means a small feat). To deny his potential is to be a bit blind to the past.

This year was new territory for him. He went from driving a decent car in Williams to driving a **** Benneton. By contrast, Fisichella has driven a bad car for nearly his entire career, so it was easier for him to get to grips with it.

[Wiki]

And Fisi knew the mechanics ... and more importantly they knew him and what he likes in set-up. He always seemed to have the car working earlier on a race weekend than Jenson did and that's mainly down to familiarity with the car and the crew.
Hopefully Jenson will use that advantage next season when Jarno is the new boy.

[big red]

just a little thought, but who's alonso's manager?

[Nicholas]

Ummm...A certain Flavio Briatore, maybe No wonder.

I'd expect Button to stay in F1, although I don't know where.
Roll on 2003 predictions!

Button replaces fed-up Villeneuve?
replaces McNish? Massa? (if they turn out to be rubbish) Oh I give up, it's too early to say

[facco]

Originally posted by Glen
(Button) needs to work harder.

That's it.

[Valve Bounce]

The dance around the musical chairs next August will be frantic when JPM announces mid season that he will drive for Ferrari in 2003. After that, the permutations and combinations for the different teams will be endless. So for us to worry about who else is going where in 2003 while it is still 2001 is slightly premature, don't you'all think?

[Speed]

Originally posted by Valve Bounce
The dance around the musical chairs next August will be frantic when JPM announces mid season that he will drive for Ferrari in 2003. After that, the permutations and combinations for the different teams will be endless. So for us to worry about who else is going where in 2003 while it is still 2001 is slightly premature, don't you'all think?

When did you meet Dancing Machine ?

[facco]

The next show I'm waiting for is the Renault launch... on Jan. 27.

[f1manoz]

The sooner Button is out of Renault and out of F1 the better. He does not deserve to be there. One good season (Wow! He outraced Ralf a couple of times. Whoopedee-do!) doesn't make a champion.

Alonso should be in the Renault seat for 2002. His brilliant performances at Minardi have somehow gone completely un-noticed by nearly everyone here in both qualifying and race trim.

Button will be lucky to be anywhere in 2003. Certainly not at Williams though.

[paulzinho]

How about Flav to replace Bernie, they share the same interests!!!!!

[Wiki]

Originally posted by paulzinho
How about Flav to replace Bernie, they share the same interests!!!!!

At least Bernie knows how to change a spark-plug ... I'd rather see someone with a bit of racing nounce take over, rather than a straight profiteer

[Glen]

At least Bernie knows how to change a spark-plug ... I'd rather see someone with a bit of racing nounce take over, rather than a straight profiteer.

Can't agree with that I'm afraid - a minor point, but significant nonetheless... I do not agree that the big boss needs to know very much about technical side at all. Look at Prost; one of the all time great drivers and tacticians, and a flop as a team owner. Managers manage, drivers drive, engineers ... well, you get the picture.

[JPBeltoise]

Originally posted by nicholaswhite
Ummm...A certain Flavio Briatore, maybe No wonder.

I'd expect Button to stay in F1, although I don't know where.
Roll on 2003 predictions!

Button replaces fed-up Villeneuve?
replaces McNish? Massa? (if they turn out to be rubbish) Oh I give up, it's too early to say

I may be going out on a limb here, but *if* Jenson has a good
year in 2002, and *if* Ralf does too much complaining (and gets left in the dust by Juan Pablo), maybe we could still see Jenson return to Williams in 2003.

[ljakse]

Originally posted by JPBeltoise

I may be going out on a limb here, but *if* Jenson has a good
year in 2002, and *if* Ralf does too much complaining (and gets left in the dust by Juan Pablo), maybe we could still see Jenson return to Williams in 2003.

First, dobrodosao or dobrodosla (it means welcome)
Must say I'd like to see that, but I think we're waking up a sleeping beast somewhere around here.

RG are you ok? I mean, you've been rather quit lately on Ralf-bashing stuff.

[I Ate Yoko Ono]

Originally posted by f1manoz
The sooner Button is out of Renault and out of F1 the better. He does not deserve to be there. One good season (Wow! He outraced Ralf a couple of times. Whoopedee-do!) doesn't make a champion.

Alonso should be in the Renault seat for 2002. His brilliant performances at Minardi have somehow gone completely un-noticed by nearly everyone here in both qualifying and race trim.

Button will be lucky to be anywhere in 2003. Certainly not at Williams though.

This posting is not worthy of the term "triple digit IQ".

A more intelligent posting, by far was that of Wiki. It is quite clearly the case that if you have worked with the same engineers/mechanics/designers for several years, and you are not hated by the team boss you stand a good chance of outpacing your team mate.

Add to that the fact that Fisichella is probably the most underrated driver of the last ten years and truthfully belongs in a McLaren or Ferrari (or perhaps a Renault when they become competitive as they surely will within a couple of years), and it is criminal he has been passed up so often in the past. Perhaps he made himself too expensive.

Button is in big career **** - but only because Flavio doesn't like his face - not due to lack of talent.

To be honest, f1manoz, your posting is a desperately predictable quote in regard to the part of the world it comes from. Still smarting over your humiliation in rugby union and league last weekend and looking for an English sportsman to whinge about? Me thinks so.

At least Button is where he is on merit, unlike Mark Webber who, whilst reasonable by F1 standards, is essentially where he is because Bernie wants an Aussie driver in F1 at all costs irrespective of actual talent.

Talking of talent in F1, I don't see Paul Stoddart rushing to move Minardi from Italy to Australia to take advantage of its vast technical and engineering expertise. Perhaps he could rename Minardi the Bonzo Ripper Holden Commodore V8 Drongo F1 team and we can all stand back in amazement as the likes of the Cavallino, TGF, JPM, McLaren and Williams not to mention the others simply fold over in the face of Australian F1 might. Change the record please.

Oh, and good luck in next year's rugby union match against England for the Cook Cup. Third time lucky as they say. Only 51 weeks more of me reminding you that you lost to England again before you get another go.

[Tristan]

Where did this stupid rumour come from anyway??

MAnoz, your point about how Button beat Ralfie "whoop de doo". He bit TGF, JPM and the whole REST of the field three times this year. And Button is better than he, no doubt.

So your point is?? "Whoop dee doo" what??

[RT]

I think the problem with Jenson is that the development process of Promising then Good then Famous was short-circuited and he got famous before getting good.

Giancarlo (as team mate) and Fernando (in the Minardi) made comparisons easy and painful. Jenson should have been more focused, Jarno won't make things any easier (ask Heinz-Harald).

Fernando has every justification for a top drive...he earned it on the track, race after race, in the moving chicanes.