Juan Pablo Montoya and Nelson Piquet Jr. at Prodrive Formula 1

A legendary driver who’s being pushed further into the rearview mirror every single day. I can't help but wonder—is there actually any chance he makes a comeback? He’s constantly weighing in on Formula 1 lately, and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if there are teams out there itching to bring him back into the fold.
Like, maybe stepping in for Ralf Schumacher instead?

So, go ahead... let me hear what you guys think...

Then you've got Nelson Piquet Jr. knocking on the door of Formula 1—specifically at General Motors! Who do we think he replaces? Is he going after the seat held by Physics or Heikki Kovalainen?

Or maybe he lands a spot at Prodrive Formula 1, since they're making their big move into the sport in 2008?

I guess Montoya's pretty settled in the States—probably won't be making a Formula 1 comeback anytime soon, though I'd love to see him back out there myself.
As for Renault, we'll probably just have to wait until Fernando Alonso decides where he's heading next.

Does anyone happen to know, since I haven't been keeping up lately, how Nelson Piquet Jr. actually fared
against Hamilton back in the IndyCar Series... you know, the specific stats, total points, wins, and all that sort of thing...

hollowhawk412 said:does anyone know how Nelson Piquet Jr. fared
against Hamilton in IndyCar... points, wins, whatever...

just check the Wikipedia season recap
mostly 5 wins for Heikki, 4 for Nelson Piquet Jr.
Piquet Hamilton
Piquet 102
anyway
☕ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_GP2_Series_season

Nancy Hall9 said:If you're looking for a decent breakdown of how the season went down, there’s a full recap waiting for you over on Wikipedia.
It mostly boils down to five wins for Hamilton and four for Nelson Piquet Jr.
Piquet Hamilton
Piquet Hamilton
Anyway, at the end of the day, it all comes down to this.
☕ The 2006 IndyCar season was quite a spectacle if you stop to actually consider the sheer weight of the talent on display that year, because honestly, looking back, the field was absolutely stacked with future legends who were just waiting for their moment to dominate the big stage. You had drivers like Lewis Hamilton, who essentially walked into the series and proved he belonged by winning the IndyCar championship at his first attempt, which is no small feat when you consider the level of competition he was facing every single weekend. It’s almost absurd how much momentum he built up, especially following his success in Indy Lights, proving once and for all that he wasn't just another driver passing through, but a generational talent. Then you have the rest of the grid, where guys like Nelson Piquet Jr. were fighting tooth and nail, trying to find that extra tenth of a second to stay relevant against the heavy hitters. It really makes you think about the trajectory of these careers; some people are born for this, while others spend years chasing a ghost of performance that might not even exist. Looking at the standings, those top tier drivers truly were the class of the field and reigning champions having taken the 2005 IndyCar title, setting a bar that most of the rookies couldn't even touch without breaking a sweat. It was a season defined by pure, unadulterated skill, though I suppose some would argue the politics behind the scenes always muddies the water, regardless of how fast the cars are moving down the straightaways.

It’s looking pretty neck and neck out there...

Thanks.

hollowhawk412 said:it was actually pretty close...

thanks

Just a little side note—that was only Piquet's second season...

shadowtinker29 said:Just a small side note there, that was actually only Piquet's second season...

And I managed to dig this up as well...


After Hamilton's success in Indy Lights, he was signed by ART Grand Prix for the 2006 IndyCar season. Like ASM in Indy Lights, ART were the class of the field and reigning champions having taken the 2005 IndyCar crown with Nico Rosberg. Hamilton won the IndyCar championship at his first attempt.
...

which serves as a decent little reminder...
Nico also secured the title during his only season...

Heikki is staying put with Renault, that's for sure.

And if Fernando Alonso makes a comeback, I suspect Nelson Piquet will end up somewhere just to get some experience under his belt.

hollowhawk412 said:I stumbled upon this as well...


Following Hamilton's success in Indy Lights, he was picked up by ART Grand Prix for the 2006 IndyCar season. Much like how ASM dominated in Indy Lights, ART were the class of the field as they were the reigning champions after taking the 2005 IndyCar title with Nico Rosberg. Hamilton went on to win the IndyCar championship at his first attempt.
...

this could also serve as a useful point of comparison...
Nico also managed to take the title during his only season...

given that there have only been two seasons of the IndyCar Series 😁

Morgan Murphy7 said:it’s just the IndyCar Series and there have only been two seasons 😁

I made it abundantly clear from the start that I don't know the first thing about the IndyCar Series
my main point was really just to emphasize what I put in bold...
what actually matters here is the caliber of the car he was driving

What can you even say about these kinds of massive shake-ups... anything is possible at this point, I suppose, but the absolute bottom line is that
Fernando Alonso is leaving...

McLaren want Nico Rosberg to replace Fernando Alonso
October 4, 2007

Word on the street is that McLaren has already set their sights on Nico Rosberg to take over Fernando Alonso's seat next season.

The Spaniard is almost certain to depart the team at the end of the current campaign after his relationship with the Woking-based outfit completely fell apart.

Since McLaren is now left hunting for a new teammate for Lewis Hamilton, The Daily Mail is reporting that Williams Racing's star prospect, Rosberg, is actually Ron Dennis's number one choice.

'He checks all the boxes: being German makes him an ideal fit for McLaren's engine partners at Mercedes-Benz. Plus, since his peers call him 'Britney Spears', he’s got massive marketability potential.'

That said, the paper notes there might be a snag involving his father, Keke, who may not be thrilled about his son—currently killing it in his second Formula One season—teaming up with Lewis Hamilton, the guy who famously had the measure of him in karting. There is also the matter of his contract with Williams Racing; the team principal, Sir Frank Williams, recently called Rosberg a "fixture for next year" and made it clear they intend to keep the 22-year-old.

'Then there is the alternative: Renault's Heikki Kovalainen, who finished right behind Hamilton in last weekend's Japanese GP. The Hamilton camp would welcome the 26-year-old Finn and he could yet form part of Fernando Alonso's severance deal,' according to The Daily Mail.

If the rumor mill is to be believed, we could see Fernando Alonso heading back to Renault while Kovalainen makes the switch to McLaren, which would leave Nelson Piquet Jr. to step in as Fernando Alonso's new teammate.

hollowhawk412 said:What can you even say about these kinds of meltdowns... anything is possible at this point... but the main thing is that
Fernando Alonso is out...

McLaren want Rosberg to replace Fernando Alonso
October 4, 2007

Reports are swirling that McLaren have set their sights on Nico Rosberg to step into Fernando Alonso's seat next season.

The Spaniard is almost certain to depart the team at the end of the current campaign after his relationship with the Woking-based outfit collapsed.

Since McLaren needs someone to ride alongside Lewis Hamilton, The New York Daily News is claiming that Williams' rising star, Rosberg, is Ron Dennis' number one choice.

'He’s the ideal candidate: being German makes him a seamless fit for McLaren's engine partners, Mercedes-Benz. Plus, the other drivers call him 'Britney', which means he's got huge marketing potential.'

That said, the paper suggests there might be a snag: his dad, Keke, might not be thrilled about seeing his son—currently navigating his second year in Formula One—team up with Lewis Hamilton, who famously had the measure of him in karting. There's also the issue of his contract with Williams. Their boss, Sir Frank Williams, recently called Rosberg a "fixture for next year" and made it clear they want to keep the 22-year-old.

'There's also Heikki Kovalainen from Renault, who finished right behind Hamilton in last weekend's Japanese GP. The Hamilton camp would welcome the 26-year-old Finn and he could yet form part of Alonso's severance deal,' according to the report.

The rumor mill suggests a massive reshuffle where Fernando Alonso heads back to Renault, while Kovalainen moves to McLaren instead. That would leave Nelson Piquet Jr. to take over as Fernando Alonso's teammate.

This is just another one of those media rumors that litters every F1 website you stumble upon.
Only time will tell where everyone actually ends up.

I had a dream that Heikki Kovalainen was leaving Renault. And honestly, it’s not quite as ridiculous as it might seem at first glance.😢

hollowhawk412 said:And what can you even say about this kind of mess... anything goes at this point... but the main thing is
Fernando Alonso is out...

McLaren want Rosberg to replace Alonso`
October 4, 2007

Word on the street is McLaren have already set their sights on Nico Rosberg to take over from Fernando Alonso next season.

The Spaniard is almost certain to depart the team at the end of the current campaign after his relationship with the Woking-based outfit collapsed.

Since McLaren needs someone to partner Lewis Hamilton, The Daily Mail is claiming that Williams' own golden boy, Rosberg, is Ron Dennis' number one choice.

'He fits the bill: his German nationality makes him the perfect replacement for McLaren's engine suppliers Mercedes. Nicknamed 'Britney' by fellow drivers, he is also highly marketable.'

That said, the paper mentions one snag: his dad, Keke, might not be too thrilled about his son—who’s still finding his feet in his second Formula One season—teaming up with Lewis Hamilton, who had the measure of him in karting. There's also the whole contract situation with Williams to deal with. Their boss, Sir Frank Williams, recently called Rosberg a "fixture for next year" and made it clear he wants to keep the 22-year-old.

'Another option is Renault's Heikki Kovalainen, who finished behind Hamilton in last weekend's Japanese GP. The Hamilton camp would welcome the 26-year-old Finn and he could yet form part of Alonso's severance deal,' according to the Mail.

The rumor mill suggests that if this happens, Alonso would head back to Renault while Kovalainen moves in the opposite direction. That would leave Nelson Piquet junior to step in as Alonso's teammate.

Sorry for the copy-paste, but...
Formula 1 big shot Bernie Ecclestone has suggested that if Fernando Alonso actually decides to "drop anchor"—as everyone's been speculating lately—and leaves the team after just two years, Ron Dennis should go with the German-descended Nico Rosberg for the McLaren Mercedes seat next season.

If that doesn't happen, we might be looking at the end of 2008 when the Spaniard's current contract finally runs out.

"When and if Alonso leaves, McLaren won't have much to debate. Nico is the right choice for them. He's perfect in every way. Kovalainen wouldn't be bad either, but Nico's huge advantage is that he speaks German," a German news agency reported, quoting Ecclestone.

Rosberg (22), the talented son of former Formula 1 ace Keke, is apparently very keen on the move. Having German citizenship would definitely be a major plus for Mercedes.

"Of course, I would love to drive for McLaren one day. However, I still have a contract with Williams for one more season," Rosberg admitted.

The interesting part? Unlike the friction with Alonso, Rosberg could probably actually get along with Lewis Hamilton, who's currently leading the charge for the world title. Rosberg and Hamilton actually get along pretty well since they were club buddies back in their karting days.

Could be an interesting shake-up...

Morgan Murphy7 said:I had this dream that Heikki Kovalainen is leaving Renault. And honestly, it might not be as crazy as it sounds at first glance.😢

I’ve been getting the feeling lately that you really don't care for Kovalainen—though, personally, I’m a bit more of a fan of Fizico...
But what’s your take on a potential Kovalainen - Fernando Alonso swap?

Is there even a chance here? I mean, we all know how much Ron loves the Finns, and you can bet Mika Hakkinen might be pulling some strings behind the scenes to make it happen.

Hmm, wouldn't that actually be a pretty decent move, right?

Mark Ruiz8 said:I bet Montoya is loving life in the States and has zero interest in ever coming back to Formula 1—though, man, I’d love to see him pull one more season.
As for Renault, we won't know anything until Fernando Alonso decides where he's heading.

I don't know, I really think he still cares about watching Formula 1 races, especially when he sees all that crazy overtaking or hears some commentator drop his name.

Or just imagine how it feels for him when they announce the "fastest lap" honors right before a race starts...

Personally, I'd love to have him back. In my book, he's easily one of the top 24 drivers to ever sit in a cockpit.

I'm not giving up on Heikki 😢

Regarding Prodrive F1, I just caught wind that there's some serious doubt hanging over whether they'll even show up next year... 😢

Honestly, I can't help but wonder what a grid of 24 cars is actually going to look like out on the track—and if they’re going to mess with the points system too...

I was actually sitting here analyzing the old scoring system earlier today, and somehow, it still feels better to me. If they gave a four-point gap between first and second place, it might actually make the racing worth watching...

Benjamin Hernandez2 said:Regarding Prodrive F1, I just caught wind that there’s some serious doubt about whether they’ll even show up next season... 😢

Anyway, I’m genuinely curious to see how a grid of 24 cars is actually going to look out on the track—and if they’re going to mess with the points system too...

I was actually sitting here digging through the old scoring system today, and honestly, it felt more solid. Maybe if there were a four-point gap between first and second, things wouldn't feel so stale during the race...

Do you think widening the point gaps across the board would actually spark more fighting on track?
Does anyone know if there’s been any actual talk behind closed doors about changing how they award points?