2019 Driver Speculation

[Chrill]

How about Lucas di Grassi, Scott Speed, Nelson Piquet Jr, and Bruno Senna? Maybe Vitaly Petrov and Pastor Maldonado can knock on the door too. I think Karun Chandhok and Timo Glock still have what it takes.

[Penfold]

How dare you not even consider Anthony Davidson!

[Chrill]

He spun during a warm-up lap at Silverstone.

[Penfold]

Talk about high standards.

[Chrill]

Esteban Ocon is ruled out of contention for a Toro Rosso seat, owing to his Mercedes ties:

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/toro-rosso-ocon-horner-mercedes/3172433/?nrt=54

[Chrill]

Wow. This is not even fake. I promise. This is real:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnlCYA-hWBD/?taken-by=kimimatiasraikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen confirms on Instagram that he has signed a two-year contract with SAUBER, securing his return to the team. That paves the way for Leclerc to join Ferrari.

[Chrill]

And the obvious followup, Ferrari confirms Leclerc alongside Vettel for 2019:

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ferrari-announces-leclerc-replacing-raikkonen/3174725/

[Chrill]

Look at this fashionable table with Kimi at Sauber and Charlie at Ferrari:


Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport:
44. Lewis Hamilton (link)
77. Valtteri Bottas (link)

Scuderia Ferrari:
5. Sebastian Vettel (link)
16. Charlec Leclerc (link)

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Honda:
33. Max Verstappen (link)
10. Pierre Gasly (link)

Renault Sport Formula One Team:
3. Daniel Ricciardo (link)
27. Nico Hulkenberg (link)

Haas F1 Team:
20. Kevin Magnussen (link)
?. Pietro Fittipaldi (link)
?. Robert Kubica (link)

McLaren F1 Team:
55. Carlos Sainz (link)
?. Lando Norris (link)

Racing Point Force India F1 Team:
11. Sergio Perez (link)
18. Lance Stroll (link)
31. Esteban Ocon (link)
?. Nicholas Latifi (link)

Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda:
25. Jean-Eric Vergne (link)
26. Daniil Kvyat (link)
94. Pascal Wehrlein (link)
?. Alexander Albon (link)
?. Antonio Giovinazzi (link)
?. Dan Ticktum (link)
?. Robert Kubica (link)
?. Sebastien Buemi (link)
31. Esteban Ocon (link)

Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team:
7. Kimi Raikkonen (link)
9. Marcus Ericsson (link)
?. Antonio Giovinazzi (link)
2. Stoffel Vandoorne (link)

Williams Martini Racing:
18. Lance Stroll (link)
35. Sergey Sirotkin (link)
?. Artem Markelov (link)
?. Nikita Mazepin (link)
?. Oliver Rowland (link)
?. Robert Kubica (link)

[Penfold]

That man Kimi is obviously still loving F1.  So, Eric's son or Giovinazzi as his sidekick?  I'm kind of hoping it's the latter (sorry!).

[Chrill]

I'm obviously hoping for Ericsson, but that has nothing to do with his talent.

Then again, Giovinazzi hasn't been a superstar whenever he's driven a car in free practice.

Word has it Ferrari "owns" one seat at Sauber. Is that occupied by Kimi now, or is Kimi replacing Ericsson's seat? We'll find out in due time, I'm sure. I'd say Ericsson has a 50% chance at taking a Sauber seat, if that fails I'd assume he's perfect for Williams. Has money, is mediocre. That's all they require at Williams.

[Chrill]

Even though Red Bull have since moved to deny these rumours, I want to post it because of the name.

https://www.essentiallysports.com/mick-schumacher-targeted-toro-rosso/

Mick Schumacher connected with a 2019 Toro Rosso drive.

[Matt]

Is the German publication Auto Motor und Sport (AMuS) a good source? From what I can tell, it is, but Europeans probably have a better idea.

[Penfold]

I think it is, but Chrill might have a better idea than me.

As mentioned by someone (perhaps Eddie Jordan) during yesterday's GP coverage, George Russell is moving closer to a Williams seat for 2019: https://www.wheels24.co.za/FormulaOne/george-russell-on-pole-for-williams-seat-20180917

Also in that piece, Giovinazzi to Sauber is said to be a done deal.

[Chrill]

Kvyat is a done deal for a shock Toro Rosso return, but who is joining him? Wehrlein, that's who. Which we speculated about in a Swedish F1 group last week after a fan spotted Helmut Marko and Pascal Wehrlein dining together after the Italian GP. And now, media is reporting a Kvyat-Wehrlein duo at Toro Rosso for 2019:

https://www.planetf1.com/news/wehrlein-poised-for-return-with-toro-rosso/

As mentioned by someone (perhaps Eddie Jordan) during yesterday's GP coverage, George Russell is moving closer to a Williams seat for 2019: https://www.wheels24.co.za/FormulaOne/george-russell-on-pole-for-williams-seat-20180917

Also in that piece, Giovinazzi to Sauber is said to be a done deal.

George Russell to Williams seems a bit less likely to me than, for example, any rich driver ever. If Mercedes can't fit Ocon in a car, why bother fighting for another young one?

Giovinazzi to Sauber and Vandoorne to a third driver/simulator driver role at Ferrari is what I've heard. Similar to what Giovinazzi and Kvyat has been doing for Ferrari lately.

[Penfold]

Kvyat and Wehrlein... talk about an underwhelming line-up.

Merc. would surely have to gift Williams all engine components (value of about $15 million per annum) to have a hope of getting a seat for Georgie Porgie, but then wouldn't they do that for Ocon first?  I don't know, perhaps Russell has some other backers of which we are unaware.