Latest on Wirdheim

[Anglo/Swede]

Björn has become "The number one driver" in a project started by "The swedish autosport federation" designed to help a driver towards a place in F1 and "The world Rally Championship in 2006. In the short term it enables Björn to complete the season for "Arden" in F300.

[CleanTone]

Why would he have been unable to complete the season? It is suicide to put out a winning driver because he doesn't have the money anyway, but I'm sure he isn't a pay-driver, even in F3k

[BSchneiderFan]

So will Wirdheim AT LAST get an F1 test? The guy does seem to be really good.

[Morcilman]

Lets hope he remembers to complete the laps from start line to start line...

[MichaelH]

*wild prediction alert*

I predict the guy will have an F1 race contract for 2004, with a team like Sauber or Jordan. He's not only a great driver, he's Scandanavian, and so can get a drive on the back of the Raikkonen success.

[BSchneiderFan]

Wirdheim may be in F1 next year, but I don't think the success of Raikkonen (Finnish) will have much to do with the chances of Wirdheim (Swedish). He's more likely to get a drive by winning the F3000 title - though, of course, that hasn't propelled everyone into F1 straight away, has it? (Bourdais, Wilson, Junqueira, Montoya, Zonta, Muller...)

[Anglo/Swede]

I will fill in a bit more as i was tired when i wrote the topic last night.

In a article that was published in connection with the press meeting about the deal a swedish morning paper said: "This should meen that Björn will get some sort of a drive in F1 next season." It was also confirmed that he is going to the States to open talks with a few CART teams to keep his options open. Use that as a "last resort"(if he can´t get a drive in F1).

Björn was quoted in a smaller article the day before yesterday saying that "This deal will enable me to definitly complete the season for Arden". So there must have been some doubts about money.

I hope my brain hasn´t let me down but i´m sure i read it. I agree it seems strange but we can only speculate as to why that was the case?

[DanFlag]

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
Wirdheim may be in F1 next year, but I don't think the success of Raikkonen (Finnish) will have much to do with the chances of Wirdheim (Swedish). He's more likely to get a drive by winning the F3000 title - though, of course, that hasn't propelled everyone into F1 straight away, has it? (Bourdais, Wilson, Junqueira, Montoya, Zonta, Muller...)

I agree with you on the fact that winning the FIA F3000 Championship will help him get to F1.

But I have to add that being propelled from F3000 to F1, many things got to be right, most importantly...an empty seat in F1 as they tend to be taken 2-3 years ahead.

[bella]

to be honest i'd expect him to drop straight into the sws just like everyone else has... f3000 has no links with f1 that are worth shouting about now. it doesn't even gurantee you a f1 test if you win...

[Russfeld]

it does garuntee you a CART win

[Anglo/Swede]

Well he is very consistent and that´s what you need to win in CART. I´m going to stick my neck out and sugest that he will win the Championship within two seasons, if he does end up there!

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
Wirdheim may be in F1 next year, but I don't think the success of Raikkonen (Finnish) will have much to do with the chances of Wirdheim (Swedish). He's more likely to get a drive by winning the F3000 title - though, of course, that hasn't propelled everyone into F1 straight away, has it? (Bourdais, Wilson, Junqueira, Montoya, Zonta, Muller...)

I agree but Wilson didnt get a ride because he coudnt fit into the car safely meeting the regulations, so he had to compete in the SWS until Minardi could adapt the seating postion of the car so he could meet the regulations. Otherwise hed have been in F1 last year..

[BootsOntheSide]

Not from the start of the year though, which is unfair enough considering what a brilliant talent he is. Once given their F1 chances, Montoya has impressed, althoguh what he learnt in CART (especially about putting up with equipment failures, which cost him numerous wins in 2000, damn Toyota), and Zonta didn't come in to an ideal situation unfortuantely with JV calling the team shots.