Nico to go to Macca?

[Andy B]

So the rumours are getting stronger that Rosberg will take the second seat at McLaren unfortunately Kovi has not performed to the standard required and to win championships  two drivers are needed who can deliver the points. The McLaren seems to be getting on the pace so would it be a good move for Nico, Haig seems to think so although he is being very non-committal.
I think Lewis and Nico in the same team would be good for us.

[mrkjf]

I dont think Nico will go to Mclaren,if anywhere he will head off and replace Alonso if he moves to Ferrari.If thats the case then i dont think Flavio will be dishing out team orders or should i say no1 and no2 drivers.

[david1275]

Don't think that would be a particularly good move on Nico's part. He is to good a driver to  move to a team where he is going to be over shadowed by their golden boy. He would be like Kovi straight away and although not publicized would be an automatic number two driver with little chance of ever winning a WDC (e.g. David Coultard - A very good driver but always over shadowed by a star driver and rarely given a true chance to shine). I really rate Nico as a driver and would like to see him in a team where he would get the chance to shine and be the number one driver. As I said before, if only Williams were in a position to produce a championship winning car then it would be great to see him stay where he is. He sort of suit the team and the car, don't you think??

[Jericoke]

Don't think that would be a particularly good move on Nico's part. He is to good a driver to  move to a team where he is going to be over shadowed by their golden boy.

McLaren is infamous for not having number one drivers unless things are already clearly decided.  Nico will probably have a better chance to win in a McLaren than most other teams.

Plus, Mercedes is on record saying they want a German driver.  They might pay a premium, and might even encourage putting the German ahead of the Brit.

[david1275]

Don't think that would be a particularly good move on Nico's part. He is to good a driver to  move to a team where he is going to be over shadowed by their golden boy.

McLaren is infamous for not having number one drivers unless things are already clearly decided.  Nico will probably have a better chance to win in a McLaren than most other teams.

I think McLaren have just handled the politics of their no1, no2 driver situation better than some other teams, especially my own team who have had a bad way of showing their preference for one driver over another. I don't think David Coultard would agree that they don't have number one drivers, and Kovi would confirm that this is the case too.

[Jericoke]

I think McLaren have just handled the politics of their no1, no2 driver situation better than some other teams, especially my own team who have had a bad way of showing their preference for one driver over another. I don't think David Coultard would agree that they don't have number one drivers, and Kovi would confirm that this is the case too.

I remember Australia 1998... David Coulthard pulled over on track to let Mika Hakkinen through.  They had agreed that whoever had the lead in the first corner would win the race.  Hakkinen became the number one driver on virture of more points.

Look at 2006.  Everyone said that McLaren should get behind Hamilton or Alonso to keep Kimi from running up the middle.  They didn't, and Kimi won.

Where is Rosberg going to be #1?  Not at Brawn, not at Ferrari.  Maybe Renault, but who knows what Alonso is doing, or whether Renault is committed to the sport.  Hamilton's team mate next year will be given a fair chance to win on the track.

[Scott]

Maybe he should just stay where he is.  Chances are good that Williams will be at the sharp end by next year or the year after if they keep it up with the present rule freeze.  He is certainly #1 at Williams.

I believe in Williams...until Frank and Patrick hand company over to someone else, I think that they will only improve in the cost cutting rule package that is going to be F1 over the next few years. 

[Jericoke]

Maybe he should just stay where he is.  Chances are good that Williams will be at the sharp end by next year or the year after if they keep it up with the present rule freeze.  He is certainly #1 at Williams.

I believe in Williams...until Frank and Patrick hand company over to someone else, I think that they will only improve in the cost cutting rule package that is going to be F1 over the next few years. 

I'd love to see Williams back on the podium!  I wouldn't blame a driver for leaving them now, but based on the performance of the various teams this year, the delay in rules, and the testing bans, Williams does have as good a shot as anyone at doing well next year.

[FW14B]

To be honest Williams need Rosberg.  We need him badly.  If he leaves we will struggle to get a driver of a similar level to replace him, and then even if we have a great car next year, better than the FW31 in terms of competitiveness, we will not show it.  The one thing that is promising for Williams is that as a team we're actually outperforming many in the development race over the season, and that might make Rosberg think it is just worth hanging on for another year to see what can happen.  Although recently we have one good year, then a shocker...

[Jericoke]

To be honest Williams need Rosberg.  We need him badly.  If he leaves we will struggle to get a driver of a similar level to replace him, and then even if we have a great car next year, better than the FW31 in terms of competitiveness, we will not show it.  The one thing that is promising for Williams is that as a team we're actually outperforming many in the development race over the season, and that might make Rosberg think it is just worth hanging on for another year to see what can happen.  Although recently we have one good year, then a shocker...

I wouldn't worry too much about attracting top talent to an F1 team.  Brawn, RBR, Renault, Ferrari and McLaren have shown that the current rules make the cars more important than the drivers.  Hamilton, Massa, Alonso didn't just forget how to drive, while Button figured it out.

Certainly a top driver gives you an edge (Rubens vs Button), but it's the driver, not the car, that is going to make the difference next season.

With that in mind, I figure there's maybe 5 'top' drivers in the world, and then probably another 20 who are 'really really good'.  I suspect that Williams will easily get one of the 20, even if it's not Rosberg.

[Andy B]

After Kovi's drive yesterday I think his seat is in danger more than ever and Nico would want a winning car to drive.

[Scott]

I still don't get it.  Nico has had only two non-point-scoring finishes in the Williams this year, and some (like me) could say that the only reason he didn't score more points was a result of his driving, not the car he was given to drive.  Mclaren has had a dismal year with a couple of highlights.  First of all why would Mclaren WANT him, and secondly, why would he jump to Mclaren where is would certainly be looked at as the #2 after Hamilton (regardless of what is said)?  He's not the next big thing, as he was originally headlined as, but a good driver who still has more to learn.  He should stick with the team that has stuck with him.  He will be pretty miserable to watch Nakajima pass him next year if the Mclaren turns out to be a dog again.  They won't have KERS to help them shine next year, so nobody can say what Mclaren will come up with - especially not Nico or his management.  My bet is that Williams will be at the front more than not next year, so he should stick with them.