450SEL6.9

I'll be away for a few days, but I read some silly season rumors. What do you guys think?

Rumor - Hamilton has allegedly demanded a pay raise or huge bonus from Mclaren.

- Alonso has allegedly "talked" with Mario Thiessen, who obviously calls it an unrelated chat.

- ChampCar driver Bourdais got into a spat, is allegedly going to STR

- Vettel allegedly going to STR for a full-time drive

- Heidfeld allegedly nabbed a long-term deal

- Ross Brawn allegedly taking over as team principal or sporting director at Ferrari, Schumacher being tipped to take Brawn's technical director gig

I would love to see Vettel go to STR. The bloke is 19, too young to be in a top car, in my opinion. I don't care how good he is or how good the simulators are. I think that teenagers getting into F1 full-time with a top team makes it look to easy.

As an occasional BMW fan, I would also like to see tester/developer extraordinaire Alonso join the team. I am somewhat surprised that BMW is not up there with Ferrari and Mclaren this year or Ferrari and Renault last year.

I can't resist about Hamilton. If he has already asked for a raise, surely he knows that he can make a lot more from endorsements. Will he ask the team to allow him to make millions/billions by endorsing a gaggle of products?

Centurion

I can't blame Hamilton for not demanding a raise. From what I know his annual sallary is 700 000 euro which is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar less than the other top performing drivers. So I can't blame him for getting a little jealous of Alonso. After all being a F1 driver is a job and it is completely natural for Hamilton to demand more money for his outstanding job.

Vettel is a high potential driver but I feel myself that he isn't ready for a top team. I wasn't too impressed with his performance at USA GP. He did too many mistakes and drove off track a few times. Maybe in 1-2 years he will capability to properly take full advantage of a top car.

Matt530i

Bourdais is almost a lock to go to STR. Scott Speed has done nothing with his seat.

I think it will be interesting to see what happens to Ralf. At the beginning of the season he was quoted as saying [I'm as good as my brother, he just had the better car]. I'm doubtful that he'll have a seat next year if he keeps on driving the way he is.

chonkoa

I would rather see Scott keep his seat and Luizi go.
Hamilton isn't out of order for asking for pay raise.
Schumi & Ross Brawn team will be great.

BMW_Dude

I hope Alonso doesn't come to BMW, that would mean we would loose Kubica, if Heidfeld has a long term deal!

siko

Ralf will accept $17m pay-cut
German wants to stay at Toyota

Jul.4 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher has agreed to slash his annual salary if it means he can keep his seat at Toyota in 2008.

The embattled German, who has conspicuously failed to live up to his reportedly (US) $22m retainer this year, has offered to drive for under $5m for the coming season, the newspaper Munich TZ claimed.

Supplementing his income would be a whopping bonus of $340,000 per point in 2008, should Toyota officials accept the offer made in recent days by 32-year-old Schumacher's manager Hans Mahr.

Meanwhile, the German gossip magazine Bunte reports that Ralf's wife Cora is pregnant and expecting their second child in early 2008.

She also defended her husband, saying: "Ralf can only do as much as his car will allow. With a competitive machine he is one of the world's best drivers, as he proved regularly with BMW."

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siko

Heidfeld signs new BMW contract
Report in German press

Jul.3 (GMM) Nick Heidfeld has finally signed a two-year extension to his contract to race for BMW-Sauber in formula one, according to reports.

The German newspaper Bild-Zeitung said Heidfeld, who is 30, will again line up alongside Poland's Robert Kubica in 2008, with reserve and test driver Sebastian Vettel probably loaned to Toro Rosso for two years.

Heidfeld's new deal runs from the conclusion of the current season until the end of December in 2009, Bild claimed.

The newspaper also said he had been "right at the top of the list" for a possible switch to Honda.

BMW team principal Mario Theissen is quoted as saying: "Sebastian's disadvantage compared to Heidfeld and Kubica is obviously his missing race experience."

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The Artist

PLEASE leave instead.. you dont deserve it.. even if you PAY to drive

siko

Coulthard new deal for '08
DC carries on at RB

Jul.4 (GMM) David Coulthard has agreed terms to remain at Red Bull Racing for a fourth consecutive season in 2008, it has emerged.

It was reported in Austria last month that both the Scottish veteran and his current teammate Mark Webber had "done enough to secure the blessing" of team owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

Relevant contracts were due to be signed, and according to the specialist publication Auto Motor und Sport, this has now been done.

If 36-year-old Coulthard does go on to complete the entire 2008 season, he would rank only behind Riccardo Patrese and Michael Schumacher in terms of the most experienced F1 drivers ever.

He explained this week: "I still love racing. I do a good job, I deliver value. I wake up on a Sunday and still look forward to going racing.

"I love it here at Red Bull. I still have the pace but I'm now armed with more experience. I'm not scared of hard work and we're building the foundations of future success here.

"I am not sensitive about being 36-years-old and people ask about how long I will go on.

"I only think about age when some idiot asks about it, which is fair enough because I am closer to the end of my career than the beginning."


[Source: F1update.com]

Mikael

No, not another season for the square head!!!


Ralf should leave too, F1 needs more new young talents like Hamilton.