McLaren should take Heidfeld for next year

Yoong Montoya · 2 Jun 2002, 20:59 (Ref:302971)

Isn't he on a long term McLaren contract? Plus if they took a good German driver, it could inspire Mercedes to put more effort into their engine work. If McLaren don't take him next year, they will lose him to a rival team such as Toyota. Come on Ron, you need to take Heidfeld and make him Raikkonen's partner at McLaren in 2003. They did brillantly together at Sauber last year.

Speedworx · 2 Jun 2002, 21:40 (Ref:303002)

It would be good to see him in a McLaren.

f1manoz · 3 Jun 2002, 00:51 (Ref:303083)

Yoong, you are now my new best friend!

They should have taken him THIS year if Ron Dennis could get over his fetish for Finnish drivers

DNQ · 3 Jun 2002, 07:11 (Ref:303179)

Yep, I am in the same boat as Yoong Montoya and F1Manoz. Kimi's fast, but I've always rated Heidfeld over Kimi. Simple fact: Nick outperformed Raikkonen last year. End of story. Need I say any more?

Gt_R · 3 Jun 2002, 08:34 (Ref:303198)

Both are young and hugely talented... but somehow i rate Nick better... not by a great margin...but somehow, Nick with that Sauber can still haunt baby Kimi...

**Adam43** · 3 Jun 2002, 08:47 (Ref:303200)

Kimi has only just got there and is doing generally a good job. DC has just won Monaco and has a two year contract that runs out at the end of 2003.

f1manoz · 3 Jun 2002, 09:02 (Ref:303213)

He may have a 'contract' but it's been proven over the past year that contracts mean nothing.

**Adam43** · 3 Jun 2002, 09:34 (Ref:303264)

Too true, contracts can be broken (or perhaps it is better to say that contracts almost always have get out clauses - money?). However in a discussion about who is driving at McLaren next year it is clearly an important point.

It is one of the few real points we have to go on, the rest is just opinion and conjecture. So I like to start from this premise. I think it is a very strong indication that DC will be at McLaren next year. In which case we are considering who is in the other seat.

This is not based on whether DC is IMO the best choice for McClaren, but rather based on what is most likely to happen.

So, for the second (or other) seat. IMO it will probably be Kimi. He has driven well this year (apart from Monaco) and was a match for Heidfeld in the Sauber, despite much less F1 experience (testing and racing. I don't think that it is such a simple fact, there are indications that Kimi is better than Heidfeld even though Heidfeld was better over the entire 2001 season).

Sorry but I think it'll stay the same! I know that's dull and I know that stops some of our favoured drivers getting the seats we think they deserve, but IMO it does make sense.

However, there is always Mika...

Tristan · 3 Jun 2002, 13:58 (Ref:303513)

Mika Schmika. Heidfeld deserves the drive and would be doing a better job than Kimi, for all his merits.

Just my views.

Raven · 3 Jun 2002, 16:09 (Ref:303577)

I'd like to see NH at McLaren next year, but in DC's place. Lets not forget Kimi has been quicker than DC more times than not this year, just bad luck has kept him from scoring points.

Coulthard drove a great race in Monaco, but he does that every year - puts in one or two blinding races somewhere along the lines, keeps his seat for the next year and returns to mediocre form.

Bibendum · 3 Jun 2002, 17:07 (Ref:303612)

I am actually a fan of Heidfeld, and want to see him in a good car. I'm not, however, persuaded that dumping DC would be a good thing for McLaren. I have read in another thread the opinion that Alex Yoong could have held up Michael and won the Monaco GP if he'd happened to be in the lead after the first turn. I think this really undestimates the skill with which DC drove the race, and the difficulty confronting someone under constant pressure in those difficult streets. I'm not sure where the bad feeling about Coulthard has come from, but there seems to be a lot of it about; I think his qualities as a driver and a competitor are fairly evident, nevertheless, and if I were to bet on the line-up at McLaren next year, I would wager that Ron Dennis will be happy to preserve the status quo. For one thing, Ron has quite explicitly said that Mika Hakkinen cannot simply expect a seat to be open for him should he decide to return. I take this to mean that he plans to dispense with neither Kimi nor DC, all else being equal.

Mr V · 3 Jun 2002, 18:04 (Ref:303642)

Quote:

Originally posted by Tristan
Heidfeld deserves the drive and would be doing a better job than Kimi, for all his merits.

Just my views.

as you say, your entitled to your views, but i disagree! Kimi, dispite out-qualifying his more experienced team-mate 4-3 must be the most unlucky driver out there at the moment! 1 finish at Australia (on the podium) and a catalogue of disasters in the other 6 races, Maylasia/engine, Brazil/wheel hub, Imola/safety, Spain/front wing failure, Austria/engine, Monaco/mauled by Rubens! however, i do think that Heidfeld and Kimi are the future of McLaren.

Tom Fuller · 3 Jun 2002, 18:53 (Ref:303656)

I can't see Coulthard moving. Where would he move to exactly? Jaguar to replace Irvine?

Mr V · 3 Jun 2002, 19:27 (Ref:303686)

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom Fuller
I can't see Coulthard moving. Where would he move to exactly? Jaguar to replace Irvine?

the decision won't be DC's to make ulitmatley! if McLaren see Heidfeld as the way to go theres not alot DC can do about it!

Baby Spice · 3 Jun 2002, 19:31 (Ref:303691)

I always thought that Nick is better than Kimi, and I don't believe things like Kimi outqualified DC or NH. He is young and can't beat DC or Nick in car-setup. IMHO, Nick will be the future champion coz I see he had the same character like Mika Hakkinen, I met him once, it is just like seeing a younger Mika, quiet and calm. I always tell my friend, he is Nicka Heifeldnen, haha.

Mr V · 3 Jun 2002, 19:42 (Ref:303704)

Quote:

Originally posted by Baby Spice
He is young and can't beat DC or Nick in car-setup.

why does he need to beat DC in car set up when he can out-qualify him? he's only in his second season, car set-up will come, but the speed will always be there!

Tom Fuller · 3 Jun 2002, 19:43 (Ref:303706)

Where WOULD DC go?

Baby Spice · 3 Jun 2002, 21:44 (Ref:303862)

Mr. V, that is what I mean, he will need at least a season to familiar with everything, so DC will stay at Mclaren, Ron Dennis is a clever businessman, he grab every chance that seems promising, that is why he has 5 drivers under his belt now. If DC's bad, he won't get his seat, Kimi will need a few year to be mature, DC is needed now. Kimi still lacks of experience in attacking top drivers like TGF or Montoya, you can see it clearly in Australia. Oh, one more thing , I remembered Kimi said his dream is get into Ferrari one day.

Mekola · 4 Jun 2002, 23:36 (Ref:304866)

Quote:

Originally posted by Tom Fuller
Where WOULD DC go?

He could go to Jaguar next year.

Mekola · 4 Jun 2002, 23:39 (Ref:304869)

About Heidfeld, I think it will be good if he finally be bring up into McLaren. He was linked with McLaren-Mercedes since his F3 days (1997) and it will be a shame if they dropped him after spending much money in him (also they made around him its F3000 team in 1998-99!). He really deserves to go to McLaren immediatelly when it they need fill a vacant seat.

Guy Goddard2 · 9 Jun 2002, 09:48 (Ref:308528)

Quote:

Originally posted by Mekola

He could go to Jaguar next year.

Do Jaguar really need to add to there problems and would any rated driver want the Jaguar seat...(not implying that DC is a rated driver)

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