What now for Tonio?

cds_uk · 12 Aug 2007, 20:14 (Ref:1986925)

I hope he can stay in F1, what are his options though? i would like to see him in a Spyker, a proper Gascoyne car with a Ferrari engine, not a lot of expectation and it could easily be a surprise package, could be worse.

Knowlesy · 12 Aug 2007, 20:17 (Ref:1986932)

Serving burgers in McDonalds.

Nah, I think he'll go to Champcar now to be honest. And why not? It could be just what he needs.

BootsOntheSide · 12 Aug 2007, 20:42 (Ref:1986971)

Is there any basis to the recent links to testing for Ferrari? That might be his best option. Otherwise, a good ChampCar drive would probably be a better bet than Spyker; he's a known quantity among the team owners and hasn't really shone at STR.

Super Hans · 12 Aug 2007, 20:44 (Ref:1986977)

I've heard he's leaving to present his own TV make-over show.

johntt · 12 Aug 2007, 20:47 (Ref:1986982)

I wouldn't rule out somwhere like toyota - they need someone who isn't in the twilight of their career ie. trulli, ralf. They have also said they are nowq going to start doing one/two year contracts rather than multi year deals.

Super Hans · 12 Aug 2007, 20:55 (Ref:1987004)

Quote:

Originally Posted by johntt

I wouldn't rule out somwhere like toyota - they need someone who isn't in the twilight of their career ie. trulli, ralf. They have also said they are nowq going to start doing one/two year contracts rather than multi year deals.

Liuzzi may be young, but he doesn't seem very hungry, nor is he particularly quick. A team with Toyota's budget should be setting their sights a bit higher.

davyboy · 12 Aug 2007, 20:48 (Ref:1986988)

It'll be a test position in F1 or ChampCar.

agosling · 12 Aug 2007, 21:52 (Ref:1987087)

Just another in a never ending line of pay drivers... Time to move on to the next one, I'm sure Tonio have long and undistinguished career in Champcar, IRL, DTM, BTCC, etc

Super Hans · 13 Aug 2007, 07:52 (Ref:1987299)

Quote:

Originally Posted by agosling

Just another in a never ending line of pay drivers..

The only team running pay drivers this year are Spyker.

MrTTraces · 13 Aug 2007, 08:14 (Ref:1987316)

Maybe he'll go and do Japanese GT's.. More likely thou I reckon he'll go to a midfield champ car team.

Ralf's Girl · 13 Aug 2007, 08:54 (Ref:1987342)

I agree, ChampCar seems like his most likely destination - he hasn't really done anything to prove that he deserves an F1 drive. Perhaps there might be a test role somewhere for him, but if he's not considered good enough to race it all comes down to whether he'd rather race elsewhere or be stuck in the testing wilderness for years.

Mr V · 13 Aug 2007, 09:15 (Ref:1987361)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Hans

The only team running pay drivers this year are Spyker.

There may be a place for him when Sutil moves up the grid

JeremySmith · 12 Aug 2007, 22:29 (Ref:1987115)

I agree with davyboy and Knowlesy...

He may be driving a McDonalds liveried car even..

rocketracer · 12 Aug 2007, 23:40 (Ref:1987157)

I dont see a test role as being anything like what we have previously seen as a path to resurrection ala massa, wurz etc, as they just dont get enough time in the car these days - and especially little track time on race weekends...

so i think testing would be a dead end role for tonio. Even still, a ferrari test might be tempting if it's around...

i can see him at williams, although it increasingly appears as though the williams drive is much sought after for next year: fisi & piquet seem quite keen to take it, and also of course, wurz. I have a feeling williams might leave the decision on their second seat right up to the last minute and have a shootout similar to 05... If tonio is still in the mix then, i would think he's got a fair chance of outgunning the aforementioned drivers.

FPV GTHO · 13 Aug 2007, 12:02 (Ref:1987473)

Do people think he'll get a better deal than Christian Klien?

rallycrosscraig · 13 Aug 2007, 12:50 (Ref:1987517)

dont see any results that suggest he should do anything better than Klien

fraggs · 13 Aug 2007, 12:57 (Ref:1987521)

if pro drive are still on the grid next season... don't they need two drivers??

Mathias · 13 Aug 2007, 16:55 (Ref:1987637)

A decent haircut and a shave wouldn't go amiss.

BootsOntheSide · 13 Aug 2007, 18:08 (Ref:1987699)

Sadly Mathias may be right - from a public perspective F1 needs characters, but the teams want solid 'suits' who never say or do anything interesting. I'm not sure if the Williams links are with a view to race or test; he doesn't really deserve to move up the grid with what he's done so far. And I don't think he has any major sponsorship other than Red Bull themselves.

Super Hans · 13 Aug 2007, 18:44 (Ref:1987749)

Quote:

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Sadly Mathias may be right - from a public perspective F1 needs characters, but the teams want solid 'suits' who never say or do anything interesting.

Liuzzi may have an unusual haircut and beard combo, but he still never says or does anything interesting.

Knowlesy · 13 Aug 2007, 18:49 (Ref:1987754)

He wears interesting hats.

We will never know if Tonio is interesting really because as soon as the race is over he sprints to his private jet so he can get home to take delivery of a new mattress.

fraggs · 13 Aug 2007, 22:57 (Ref:1988004)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

He wears interesting hats.

We will never know if Tonio is interesting really because as soon as the race is over he sprints to his private jet so he can get home to take delivery of a new mattress.

???

am abit surprised to see luizzi being shown the door but then when the 07 season started luizzi's and speed's seats never looked to have been that safe with the pair of them being announced last minute as str's drivers...

tbh.. he'll either end up at one of the other teams or racing in a different series..

**Born Racer** · 13 Aug 2007, 23:03 (Ref:1988010)

It's a reference to an occasion where I think Liuzzi missed a test while he was waiting for a mattress to be delivered.

davyboy · 13 Aug 2007, 23:24 (Ref:1988024)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Born Racer

It's a reference to an occasion where I think Liuzzi missed a test while he was waiting for a mattress to be delivered.

Wasn't that when he was the Red Bull tester living in the Red Bull 'party house' in that center of all that is hip, Northampton ! To be fair to Tonio... Red Bull were trying to encourage a sort of wild-child 'fun' image at the time... so missing a test while waiting for a mattress I don't believe was frowned upon at the time.

fraggs · 14 Aug 2007, 13:19 (Ref:1988384)

northampton.. so luizzi lives 40 mins up the road from me?? blimey..

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