Toyota F1 Team - Who will partner Salo ??

[Wrex]

Mika Salo will be driving with Toyota in 2002, and different names have come up as to who will partner him (McNish etc). All the drivers I have heard so far are 2nd rate nobodies or has-beens.

I'm guessing that a current top line driver will go to Toyota next year (they have the money) as current experience will be important.

Who will be available (contract wise) and would take the chance of a rough start with a new (but serious) F1 team.

Any ideas?

[Marshal]

Allan McNish (NOT a second rate nobody IMO) will show Mika up with his speed this year and lead Toyota into F1 in 2002.

[TimD]

I'll second that. Allan McNish is one of the fastest drivers in the world.

He's got nothing more he needs to prove in Endurance racing, and there is unfinished business to attend to from the days when he was the class of Formula 3000.

If Allan McNish is hired, Mika Salo has a right to be a very nervous young man indeed.

[Orange]

Well, say what you will about McNish, I'd bet big money that Toyota is going to want someone established on board. I would hazard JV (If BAR doesnt meet his standards), but there is no way he would throw away more of his career on a "start up" team. as for other guesses...
Button? if he's not too desperate to get that WDC.
Coulthard? well, he may be going cheap in a few years.
JPM? Iff he does well, but not as well as button, he may need a ride when the wonder boy comes back to Williams in 2 years.
Anyway, a little idle speculation never did anyone any harm!

[laura]

I would guess it would be someone like fisi or alex wurz. Someone who showed a lot of potential but did not deliver.
None of yhe 'top' drivers would risk going to a new team noe. They will all know it is too much of a gamble after seeing JV and Eddie make that mistake.

Mika Salo - Young???????

[Valve Bounce]

A big welcome to Laura to our friendly insult and abuse free gathering.
I can see the silly season has already started and the racing season hasn't even begun. Well, here goes my predictions: it all hinges on JPM's performance-if he is as good as many here ay, he will stay with Frank for a longer period than two years, after which Ralf might move on. Bunsen is still tied to Williams, and it will be interesting where he goes next year. There are some very good drivers sitting around this year in testing mode, like PDLR, that fellow who used to be Jacques team mate ( Ricardo whatshisname ), Webber, Wurtz, (he started off very well in Benneton but faded), and of course Alonso is not really tied to the Minardi Eurowhatever, and a host of other hot shots waiting in the wings like the Williams nearly man Junqueira. On top of that some drivers like Rubens and DC might change, not to mention agent 0057, Fisi, and Trulli who both would love a drive in the red car.
So the permutations are endless, and somewhere along the line, one of them might try to make a dash for Toyota. However, I think that Toyota will stick by McNish if he does well in testing.

[R]

Yes. I really think Allan McNish deserves to get his chance in F1 now. He and Salo will make a strong pairing if that happens.