Silly season for 2013 has had more twists and turns than the start of the current Formula One season and this year the three main players are Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa. They are all out of contract for next year and talk surrounding their future has been aplenty. Eddie Jordan riled everyone up when he announced that Hamilton was off to Mercedes in 2013, with Bernie Ecclestone supposedly letting Schumacher’s plans to retire slip earlier in the season. And then there is Massa who has been under pressure all season to retain his seat for 2013, with talk of many people in line to replace him – from Sergio Perez to Paul di Resta to Heikki Kovalainen, and even rumours of Schumacher making a sensational return to the team he dominated with from 2000 – 2004. But is there any substance in any of this, and what of other teams and drivers?
Firstly, let’s look at Hamilton. He’s been with McLaren since his Formula One debut in 2007 and they supported him through the junior ranks, but rumour has it the relationship is not what it once used to be. With every new day, comes a new story about Hamilton – one day he will definitely be leaving for Mercedes, the next he will be close to re-signing for McLaren. But of course there are no definite conclusions yet, or none that have been announced. Mercedes were said to be offering Hamilton more money, but recent reports suggest McLaren have matched this. And so the saga rolls on.
Will Schumacher retire for the second time at the end of this season? If he remains with Mercedes for 2013 then there would not be a place for Hamilton, with Nico Rosberg reiterating his intentions to continue driving for the team. However, if Schumacher does retire for a second time then they may opt for someone other than Hamilton. Di Resta has strong Mercedes links after his DTM days, while Nico Hulkenberg also drives a Mercedes powered car as he partners di Resta at Force India. Schumacher has shown well in 2012, but some silly mistakes and car failures have let him down, meaning he lags behind Rosberg in the championship.
Many expect Massa to be out of a drive with Ferrari come the end of the season. He has not been on the podium since 2010, although he has had opportunities this season. He struggled particularly at the start of the year, but has improved and got stronger as the season has progressed, but whether it is too little too late is another story. Ferrari would need a strong number two driver, as Fernando Alonso is undoubtedly the number one, and Massa performs well in that role. Luca di Montezemolo does not seem keen in bringing Perez in to drive for the team, claiming he is not ready, while di Resta and Kovalainen are two other names who are said to have been touted for the seat. Of course, there are also the rumours that Sebastian Vettel has signed for the team for 2014, so Ferrari may just be looking for an interim driver for 2013.
Elsewhere on the grid, Jaime Alguersuari recently confirmed he would reveal where he would be driving for 2013, but is that in Formula One? Max Chilton was promoted to reserve driver for Marussia, while Valtteri Bottas has always impressed on his runs for Williams – could they both be about to be promoted to race seats? But what then for the likes of Charles Pic and Bruno Senna who seem to be most under pressure. GP2 Champion Davide Valsecchi believes he is ready for Formula One while Vitaly Petrov’s manager has revealed talks have stopped due to lack of funds. Kimi Räikkönen is contracted for Lotus in 2013 but after his experiences with Ferrari in 2009 he is refusing to be drawn on that, but could we expect Lotus to run an identical line-up to this year? Both Sauber drivers are out of contract come the end of the season as well. But with the Formula One world focused on Hamilton, Schumacher and Massa and their futures, could this turn into the silliest silly season of all? Because afterall, it is quite possible none of them will move and things will continue as they are, for the top teams at least. Further down the grid, well who knows…
by
Hannah Hough
