Time to reunite the KR/NH partnership @ McLaren?

[Raven]

If I understand correctly,, NH is on a 3 year deal with Sauber- 01-3, but long term with McLaren Mercedes. Usually the 3rd year has a lower buy-out clause, so could we see McLaren take up their option and bring in NH for 2003? IMO they would be foolish not to. The guy is obviously developing into one of the best out there. Other teams are becoming interested (Toyota) and if McLaren don't take him soon they will continue to lose ground and lose their prodigy to someone else.

I really can't understand why Dennis and co. have kept Coulthard this long. Williams had enough of him after 1.5 years. I know his fans will say he is improving all the time and is good at development, but so is NH. They were dominating when he was their test driver in 98 and 99. You gotta be fair to DC though, he isn't bad by a long shot, thats not what I'm saying. I just feel a team of NH and KR would be much better for McLaren at this point in time.
Watching NH guided successfully through F3000 by Mclaren, I always felt they should've brought him in immediately alongside MH for 2000 and not bothered with the Prost experience. The MH/DC partnership ran it’s course, brought in two WDC’s and one WCC, but then it got stale and is, in my opinion, one of the reasons why the team haven't kept up their form from the past years and have little by little, slipped backwards. They should also get a better test driver - Pat Symonds described Wurz as a 'grab on and cope' driver in 2000, is he really doing as good a job as Heidfeld and Panis did as testdriver? They should go for another Heidfeld in F3 or something. Bjorn Wirdheim looks good in f3000, why not give him a call. Wurz is a good and has experience, but he’s a racer, not a technical guy.

I know some people will think this won't answer Mclaren's prayers, it won't give the engine more HP, but could it? A talented German in the seat could be more incentive for Mercedes to up the ante, take a look at Ilmor and whats going on. Every team NH has properly driven for (Prost doesn’t count!) has moved forward.

But to come back to the main point - Ron Dennis: sack DC and get NH before its too late.