posted October 9, 2009 at 11:30 EST in F1 Racing Articles
This Week in the Formula One
by Charles Jay
BetUS Sportsbook Formula One Odds
To Win Drivers Championship
Jenson Button -1400
Sebastian Vettel +1000
Rubens Barrichello +1600
Whether or not you believe Felipe Massa should really be racing in a Formula One vehicle, the fact is that not only does he have every intention of returning to the track, he is already going to be in a car. His Ferrari team, which plans to team him with Fernando Alonso next year, has petitioned for him to be allowed a special test of its vehicle, and he'll get it, if he can pass a medical check-up that will be administered to him under the supervision of the FIA next Monday. As you remember, Massa got hit with debris and suffered a fractured skull during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The test would not be in a car that is being used in the current season. It can't, as per Formula One rules. Instead, it will happen in a 2007 model that is "on loan" to the Ferrari team, not unlike what happened when Michael Schumacher was flirting with the possibility of replacing Massa earlier in the season. Regardless, it should offer an idea as to how well Massa can handle an F1 car at this point in time.
Knowing that there will be two new drivers in place for 2010 has basically brought to a halt the development of the current Ferrari car, which makes it an extremely credible feat that in a sport where the envelope is pushed at virtually all times, Kimi Raikkonen was able to manage a fourth place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The drivers' shuffle is ongoing. Robert Kubica is going to be moving over to the Reanult team to take the place of Alonso, who as mentioned will be in a Ferrari next year. Renault will continue after washing its hands of team principal Flavio Briatore, and they may be looking to fill that other driver's seat because what Romain Grosjean has been able to accomplish has not been awe-inspiring.
Raikkonen is of course the odd man out at Ferrari, but he could place himself in any of three or four different situations, if he so chooses. Maybe he could replace Heikki Kovalainen at McLaren, which would constitute a tremendous 1-2 punch with Lewis Hamilton.
There is no indication that youngsters Jaime Alguersuari or Sebastian Buemi will be dropped by Toro Rosso, and that may make some sense, since that is a driver development program for Red Bull. There rumors are stronger that Rubens Barrichello, who is second in the drivers' standings and +1600 to win that title in the BetUS Formula One betting odds, could be the guy who replaces Nico Rosberg with the Williams team.
One driver who one would think would have a harder time getting into an F1 car next year (though stranger things have happened) is Nelson Piquet Jr., who was at the center of the CrashGate scandal that led to the expulsion of Briatore from Formula One. Piquet, however, could be moving into closer proximity to the headquarters of the new US-F1 team in Charlotte, because he is set to test drive for a team in the NASCAR Truck Series.
Is that a step down? You bet, but there is a wild card here, because not only is Piquet reportedly being considered for a spot with the new Campos GP team that will take to the F1 grid in 2010, but his father, F1 legend Nelson Piquet Sr. may actually invest in a Formula One team if it means securing another opportunity for his son to drive.
Jarno Trulli, fresh off a second place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix, will be testing with the Michael Waltrip Racing team in a NASCAR vehicle next month. On the surface, it would seem that Trulli was weighing his options, since Toyota may not be involved in Formula One for very long. Even if it is, Trulli may not be a member of the team but he says switching over to NASCAR, as Juan Pablo Montoya has recently done, is not a realistic possibility. The Waltrip team races under the Toyota banner.
The aforementioned Flavio Briatore is going to find out soon whether his ban from Formula One will mandate that his majority ownership stake in the Queens Park Rangers soccer team, of which he is listed as chairman, will have to be sold. That particular decision is in the hands of the English Football League, which wants to be very careful in deciding the matter, which would appear to be required by their rules, but fearful of a lawsuit, they have chosen to think long and hard about it pending advice from counsel. Maybe it's a good thing Formula One isn't the one making that decision, because F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone is a minority owner in that club and therefore a business partner of Briatore.
Beyonce and Aerosmith, among others, are going to be performing live on-site as part of the buildup for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The race will be contested on a track built on a man-made island and part of it will run through a hotel lobby.
So who needs the Super Bowl?
