Formula One: A speculation on 2015 driver lineup

It will be interesting to see team combinations for the 2015 season

Teams and Drivers

F1 just got out of its summer break and is headed next to Monza. While the race in Belgium turned out to be a terrific one with Lewis and Rosberg clash early in the race resulting in a twist everyone knew could happen, but nobody expected. The clash ended all the hopes for another Bahrain-esce battle it was Magnussen, Alonso and Button that put up a wheel to wheel to battle to fulfill the expectations of the fans.

The end of summer break also results in rumors and news regarding next year’s driver lineup. So far news regarding Maldonado’s seat next year and Vergne’s ousting from Toro Rosso has been confirmed, but rumors are rife that McLaren are looking for long term deal with its drivers as well as their next year engine supplier Honda wants a big name to mark their return to the sport. All this could mean the 2009 champion Jenson Button could be forced to retire.

So if Button does retire what would that mean for the lineup that has seen new faces coming in faster than old faces going out.

If Button retires and a seat in McLaren becomes available, who will fill up the vacant spot? Another new face is unlikely to happen as McLaren will definitely pair the rookie Magnusson with an experienced driver so Vandoorne’s debut next year seems unlikely. And rumors are hot that Honda who’s not only supplying the engines for next year but also investing a huge amount of funds into the team is adamant about having a big name as the number 1 driver for the team next year. And this leads to 3 contenders for the vacant seat at McLaren: Alonso, Vettel and Hamilton.

Fernando Alonso

The Spaniard is speculated to be on top of McLaren’s list. His consistency and the capability to outperform the car are just the skills that McLaren and Honda may want in its lead driver. But the path to Alonso won’t be an easy one for the British team. The infamous 2007 campaign which resulted in a dramatic fallout between Alonso and Ron Dennis is the biggest deterrent between the two pairing together. And the fact that Alonso is contracted to Ferrari to the end of the 2016 season doesn’t help either. It is estimated that it may cost the team £40 million alone for Alonso to be bought out of the remaining two years of his deal with Ferrari and that is before negotiations could start with him on a return to McLaren. Ferrari aren’t expected to let go of their star driver so easily too. But after continuous campaigns behind uncompetitive machinery, chances are strong too that the Spaniard may grab an opportunity whenever and wherever it arises in pursuit of that third world championship title.

So if Alonso does part ways with Ferrari, leading to Raikkonen assuming the no. 1 driver title within the team, the vacant seat may be filled by Nico Hulkenberg or Jules Bianchi. Arguments in favour of the German hold that his move to Ferrari was almost certain this season but was only dropped due to pressure from Alonso who saw in him a threat to his dominance in the team because of their similar driving styles. So if Alonso departs the team may definitely fill up the gap with a driver having similar skill set to Alonso i.e. Hulkenberg. But the fact that Bianchi is a member of Ferrari’s driver academy and was chosen by the team to step in for the injured Kimi during Silverstone in-season testing speaks for how strong his ties with Ferrari are. But with Kimi expressing his desire to retire

after 2015 presents with a good amount of chance for both the drivers to make it to the Italian camp one day.

And if Hülkenberg does make it to Ferrari next season, chances are for force India test driver Daniel Juncadella will have to compete with JE Vergne for Hulkenberg’s vacant seat.

Sebastian Vettel

Sebastion Vettel is another top driver on McLaren wanted list. The defending champion’s talent and competitiveness is unquestionable and given good machinery his talent to give top notch performance race after race makes him a perfect candidate for the job. While his contract with Red Bull is till 2015 season which may act as a hindrance, it’s actually his image as a top driver which has taken a beating this season may eventually act as the biggest deterrent. After being outperformed by his team mate all the season so far, his numero uno status is currently under threat. But to the German’s defence it has been him who has faced the lion share of bad luck of red bull.

Despite all the odds, if McLaren does decide to put faith on him, his move to Woking based team is very much possible. The fact that Red Bull is due to use engines by Renault next season too and Ricciardo’s increasing dominance within the team may prompt him to make the move if an offer is made to him.

So if vettel does decides to bite the bullet and move to McLaren, this could very well prove to be a blessing in disguise for Vergne. Having found a star performer in Ricciardo, red bull may not be prompted to replace Vettel with a big name and hence Vergne may very well find a place in the team therefore in one swift move he will no longer remain job less for the next season as well as get a due promotion from Toro Rosso to Red Bull.

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton may be a long shot for the team but never the less remains a distant viable 3rd option. People will think that Hamilton would never leave Mercedes and more so when the German team is enjoying a dominant lead over all of its rivals. He is also contracted to Mercedes till the end of 2015. And Mercedes will surely not let go it's star performer so easily. But whispers have originated given the news that Hamilton has postponed the talks for his contract extension till the time the championship battle cools down. And following his spat with Nico Rosberg for the title as well as facing reliability issues all the season, if he looses out to Nico the sentimental Briton may move out of Mercedes towards his ex employer McLaren.

If Hamilton does makes the move, it would result in a big tremor both in the team as well as amongst drivers. Following his departure Mercedes would scramble to replace him with a top driver while Alonso and Vettel will do everything in their power to claim that seat.

So It all depends on whether Button would retire or not at the end of this season which in turn depends on whether McLaren will be able to find a star driver to replace him or not.

Edited by Staff Editor