2008 Formula 1 Confirmed Drivers (UPDATE: Giancarlo Fisichella)

With the start of new contracts being signed, and the start of the transfer zone starting, I think it's about time to see who's where for the 2008 F1 season at the moment. Any news ofcontracts confirmed, can you please post here,and if there are spaces missing that should be filled (including those on 2nd or 3rd year of current contract that aren't named), please let me know so that I can update the list please :)

McLAREN-MERCEDES
Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen

RENAULT
Fernando Alonso, Nelson Piquet Jnr.

FERRARI
Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen

HONDA
Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello

BMW-SAUBER
Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica

TOYOTA
Jarno Trulli, Timo Glock

RED BULL RACING-RENAULT
David Coulthard, Mark Webber

WILLIAMS-TOYOTA
Nico Rosberg, Kazuki Nakajima

SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO-FERRARI
Sebastian Vettel, Sebastien Bourdais

FORCE 1NDIA
Adrian Sutil, Giancarlo Fisichella

SUPER AGURI-HONDA
(EXPECTED TO BE TAKUMA SATO & ANTHONY DAVIDSON)

(OUT: Ralf Schumacher [On Sabbatical], Alex Wurz [Retiring], Vitantonio Liuzzi [Looking for new F1 team], Scott Speed [Out of F1], Prodrive [Entering F1 at a later date])

*NOTE: Prodrive have pulled out of Formula 1 2008. See seperate story on page 2

Ok mate, lemme know when you do :)

And cjek, thanks for reminding me, I forgot about them! XD

UPDATE: Need to check sources, but it appears Vettel's appointment to Toro Rosso has come with a place in the team for 2008, but I'll check to confirm this.

It appears though that this, as well as Nick Heidfeld's improved performance, means we may very well still see "Quick Nick" in 2008. What are your opinions?

SEBASTIAN VETTEL CONFIRMED FOR '08:

Scuderia Toro Rosso's new driver Sebastian Vettel will race for the team throughout 2008, it was confirmed in Hungary on Thursday.

The 20-year-old has been brought in for the rest of this season to replace American Scott Speed who was sacked by the team last week.

Vettel made his debut earlier this season when he stood in for BMW's injured Robert Kubica at the US Grand Prix.

The German, who scored a point for BMW on his debut, has been released from his contract as third driver for the team.

News on his 2008 team-mate, rumoured to be triple Champ Car title-holder Sebastien Bourdais, is expected soon.

SOURCE: ITV-F1

I agree that there is a chance that Alonso will leave McLaren, but where would he go? I can't see Ferrari getting rid of either of their drivers and I also can't see Alonso being content at a team that wasn't capable of achieving race wins.wombat26

McLAREN-MERCEDES
Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton

Redders1989

Neither Fernando's or Lewis's contracts havebeen confirmed yet, According to an article in RACER Magazine and Speed TV (Same Article), Alonso may return to Renault in 2008. And nothing has been said about Lewis yet, although I am expecting him to stay McLaren for a while.

BMW RETAINS HEIDFELD AND KUBICA FOR 2008:

BMW Sauber has confirmed that it will contest the 2008 world championship with an unchanged driver line-up.

Citing the importance of continuity, the team will keep 30-year-old German Nick Heidfeld and 22-year-old Pole Robert Kubica in the two race seats.

The announcement ends speculation that Heidfeld might move elsewhere amid some delays in finalising a contract extension.

BMW motorsport director Mario Theissen said both drivers had proved their quality this season, Heidfeld as an ultra-dependable veteran and Kubica as a "rough diamond" with great potential.

"Both Nick and Robert have delivered very strong performances in the course of this season," he said.

"They have played a decisive role in enabling the BMW Sauber F1 team to firmly establish itself as the third best team in Formula 1.

"Forty-two world championship points plus two podium places says everything about Nick's achievements.

"Thanks to his extensive experience he is making a substantial contribution to the progress of the team.

"For Robert, 2007 is his first full season in the top echelon of motorsport.

"In his brief Formula 1 career so far he has established himself as equal to Nick.

"He is extremely fast and, for somebody so young, already has a very sound understanding of technical matters.

"Robert is a rough diamond we want to polish up into a winning driver.

"With this strong driver team we are in an excellent position."

Heidfeld said the negotiations to renew his contract had been a formality and he never wanted to change teams.

"For me it was always clear that I wanted to continue driving for BMW Sauber, and I never doubted that would be the case," he said.

"It is tremendous being able to help build up a new team and doing my bit for it.

"When I look at the progress we have made over the last two years, it's an incredible incentive for me.

"Personally I have high sporting ambitions and I am certain I can achieve them with BMW Sauber."

Kubica, who already had a 2008 contract in his pocket, added: "I have now been in Formula 1 for just over one year and have gathered a great deal of experience.

"Even so, I am learning new things every day and making steady progress.

"We now have to concentrate on achieving our ambitious common goals, and I'm confident that the team will be able to give me all the necessary tools that I need to reward them for their renewed trust."

The team said it would announce its test and reserve driver for 2008 "at a later stage".

GP2 Series points leader Timo Glock currently fills that role, following the release of Sebastian Vettel to Toro Rosso prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix.

SOURCE: ITV-F1

About Mclaren,there might be some changes due to the drivers rivalryatlessky

Yes, I know, but until official news is confirmed, they are both officially contracted for 2008.

Maby they will improve so mutch that they can win Championship?????

With Nick as world champion??

:D

Maby they will improve so mutch that they can win Championship?????

With Nick as world champion??

:D

Rusje

Yeah that's better. Nowhere else seems to have a place where I can quickly look to see driver changes, so this will help to prepare our heads for the new season hopefully. The first 2007 Grand Prix was a nightmare for my eyes with Alonso in a McLaren and Raikkonen in a Ferarri.cjek

Wait till the first race of next season your eyes might think you've missed a year if you see Alonso back in a Renault :)

LIUZZI & KLIEN TO TEST FOR FORCE 1NDIA:

Former Red Bull protégés Tonio Liuzzi and Christian Klien will test for the newly-renamed Force India team at Barcelona next week.

Both are searching for a race seat next seasonand will run on Wednesday and Thursday in the Silverstone-based squad's 2007 F8-VII car alongside regularracer Adrian Sutil.

Sutil is the only driver confirmed in the team's 2008 line-up so far, so the two-day test run will give both Liuzzi and Klien a chance to stake a claim to partner the young German.

Force India will begin its preparations for its first season with its contracted test drivers Roldan Rodriguez and Giedo van der Garde at the wheel of the two chassis on Tuesday.

The F8-VIIs, fitted with the new-for-2008 standard FIA electronic package, will run in new burgundy red and white interim livery, replacing previous owner Spyker's distinctive orange colour scheme.

The test will reunite Liuzzi and Klien after the pairshared a seat at Red Bull Racing in 2005 after they had each beenbacked on the road toto Formula 1 by the energy drinkfirm.

Both remained in the Red Bull family into 2006, with Klien given the nod to keep the drive full-time at RBRwhile Liuzzi was farmed out to junior outfit Toro Rosso.

However Klien split with RBR three races before the end of that seasonafter finding out that his old Jaguar team-mate Mark Webber would be replacing himfor 2007and then turning down the energy drink firm's offer to drive for its Champ Car team.

He resurfaced as Honda's third driver for 2007 and had hoped to land a race seat at the Brackley squad for 2008 - but it opted to retain its current line-up.

The Austrian was also in the frame to replace Christijan Albers at Spyker mid-way through last season after completing a test for the team, but the then Dutch-owned outfit opted for Sakon Yamamoto.

Liuzzi meanwhile left Toro Rosso following last month's Brazilian Grand Prix and was linked with the second drive at Williams until Kazuki Nakajima was handed the seat earlier this week.

Toyota exile Ralf Schumacher has also been linked with the second drive at the Vijay Mallya co-owned Force India team.

SOURCE: ITV-F1

TOYOTA CONFIRMS GLOCK SIGNING:

GP2 champion Timo Glock will race for Toyota in 2008, the team confirmed on Monday.

Last week's ruling by Formula 1's Contract Recognition Board that Glock was free to leave his role as BMW Sauber's reserve driver paved the way for the announcement.

Toyota said it had signed a "multi-year contract" with the 25-year-old German, and added that it "hopes an agreement can be reached with BMW Sauber to allow him to test at Jerez on December 4-6".

Glock, who competed in four grands prix for Jordan in 2004, said: "It's a great feeling to be a Formula 1 race driver again and I am really looking forward to this new challenge.

"I have worked hard over the past few years to get this opportunity and I must say I am grateful to Panasonic Toyota Racing for having faith in me.

"From what I have seen of the team at the track I am confident we will be able to work well together to move forward.

"Even though I have not raced in Formula 1 since 2004, I have tested quite regularly so I expect it will take very little time for me to get back in the groove."

After his brief foray into F1 in '04 Glock raced in Champ Cars in 2005, earning rookie-of-the-year honours, before returning to Europe to prove his credentials in front of the F1 team bosses in the GP2 series.

He believes the wide-ranging experience he has accumulated will stand him in good stead next season.

"I have been lucky enough to race and succeed in several different championships in my career but my goal has always been to become a full-time Formula 1 race driver," he said.

"I believe this experience has made me stronger as a driver and as a person.

"Of course, to return to Formula 1 racing as GP2 Series champion is a real honour and we've all seen how well Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have performed as champions so that is very encouraging.

"I hope I can also make a strong impression next season.

"Now I have achieved my goal of returning to Formula 1, my next target is to work towards making 2008 a successful season for myself and Toyota."

Team principal Tadashi Yamashina is confident Glock has the right qualities to shine in F1.

"It is with great pleasure that we confirm Timo Glock will race for Panasonic Toyota Racing in 2008," he said.

"I am convinced Timo has the potential to help this team move forward and achieve its aims.

"Timo has great experience of motorsport in several different categories and he reinforced his reputation by winning the highly competitive GP2 Series, which we have already seen is fantastic preparation for Formula 1.

"He has demonstrated a fighting spirit and good race craft in GP2 so we believe he is the right man for the job."

SOURCE: ITV-F1

BRIATORE UPBEAT ON ALONSO RETURN:

Renault chief Flavio Briatore says there is a "60% chance" of Fernando returning to the team for next season.

Briatore said he expected a decision within 48 hours from Alonso who won the 2005 and 2006 world titles with Renault before one unhappy year with McLaren.

Speaking on Italian radio, he also suggested current drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen will not be retained by Renault for 2008.

"We'll definitely have different drivers next year," Briatore said.

Finnish rookie Kovalainen, 26, and Italian veteran Fisichella, 34, finished seventh and eighth in this year's F1 drivers' championship.

Previously, Briatore had told Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport he was to keen to work again with Alonso on a long-term project.

"If his desires coincide with ours, it can happen," he said.

"I know how much he can still give Renault. But an agreement for one year would have no sense with an outlook projected for a period of time."

Alonso joined McLaren last summer but had a troubled year with the British team, largely down to tensions between him and team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

The Spaniard was often outgunned on the track by his rookie rival and accused team boss Ron Dennis of favouring his protege.

SOURCE: ITV-F1

PRODRIVE RULES OUT 2008 F1 ENTRY:

Prodrive has dropped its plans to enter the Formula 1 world championship next season due to a legal challenge and continued uncertainty over the eligibility of customer cars.

Former Benetton and BAR team principal David Richards had intended to join F1 in 2008 with his own Banbury-based company by taking advantage of new rules designed to make the sport more affordable for independent teams.

But the FIA's plans to allow teams to buy complete cars now seem to be holed below the waterline due to concerns about the implications for manufacturer teams and, especially, independent constructors such as Williams.

The Grove outfit has threatened to take legal action over Prodrive's plans to race customer McLaren-Mercedes next year, while F1's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone recently appeared to suggest that the whole concept had been misconceived.

Against that uncertain backdrop, and the fact that a new Concorde Agreement to govern the sport has still not been agreed, Prodrive has decided to put its F1 ambitions on hold.

"Prodrive has always been committed to competing in Formula 1 with what has become known as a 'customer car'," the company said in a statement.

"It has been well known that our entry was made on this basis and that our entire business model was built upon this premise.

"Over the past 18 months we have put considerable effort into securing an agreement for the supply of cars and engines from McLaren and Mercedes, as well as financial backing from a partner new to the sport.

"It was therefore particularly disappointing to face a last minute legal challenge to our entry, when our plans have been public knowledge for over a year.

"This legal challenge and continuing delays to the new 'Concorde Agreement' represent a fundamental change in circumstances.

"Therefore we must now realistically rule out the possibility of Prodrive being on the grid in 2008."

Prodrive says it has not abandoned its hopes of entering F1 at a later date, once the sport's regulatory framework is clearer.

"It is, however, still our ambition to compete in Formula 1 and we are hopeful that a new 'Concorde Agreement' between the FIA, FOA and the teams will provide clarity as to the terms on which this might be possible," the statement said.

"When this new agreement is reached, we will be in a position to consider the extent to which we can adapt our plans for participation in the future."

SOURCE: ITV-F1

ALONSO MAKES RENAULT RETURN:

Fernando Alonso has rejoined Renault and will partner Nelson Piquet Jr at the team in 2008.

The 26-year-old double world championreturns tothe team he raced forin 2003-2006,winning 15 races andback-to-back world titles.

Renaultwas thought to be the most likely destination for Alonso to resurface after he ended his McLaren contract two years earlylast monthafter a turbulent single season at Woking.

Alonso himself confirmed his return to Enstone on his personal website before Renault issued an official statement on Monday afternoonannouncing its new pairing.

"Fernando and Nelsinho will form one of the most exciting driver line-ups of 2008,"said team bossFlavio Briatore.

"We are delighted to be welcoming Fernando back home to the team where he enjoyed his greatest success.

"His abilities as a driver and a team leader are well known, and we look forward to forging another strong partnership.

"What's more, he knows the team well and how we operate; he will feel comfortable straight away in this environment."

Piquet Jr's promotion from test driver to a race seat means he will be following in his three-time world champion father Nelson Sr's footsteps.

Briatore says the 22-year-old, runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in the GP2 Series in 2006, is now ready to make the step up to a race role after a year of testing duties.

"Nelsinho is one of the most promising young talents in motorsport," he said.

"After his success in GP2, he has spent a year learning the ropes as our test driver and getting to know the team ; he is now ready to step up to the next level."

After successive double title triumphs, Renault scored just a single podium finish in 2007 and ended the year a distant third in the constructors' championship.

But its president Bernard Rey is confident the team, aided by its new line-up, can bounce back to the front in 2008.

"The entire team has been working flat out over the past months to return to the front of the field, and a top-line driver line-up is essential to achieving our targets.," he said.

"Our recent technology investments, the return of Fernando Alonso to the team, and the promotion of Nelsinho Piquet, all signal our intent to return to winning ways next year."

Renault has also announced that 2007 F3 Euroseries champion Romain Grosjean will be take over from Piquet as chief test driver.

The announcement ends both Giancarlo Fisichella and Heikki Kovalainen's relationship with the team, with both now on the lookout for a seat for 2008.

Fisichella is in contention for a spot at Force India, while Kovalainen is believed to be one of the favourites to replace Alonso at McLaren.

SOURCE: ITV-F1

With the seat next to Lewis finally being confirmed, and Super Aguri's drivers, from belief, still being the same (just need confirmation), the only seat left in 2008 is the 2nd seat at Force 1ndia next to Adrian Sutil.Redders1989

Hopefully it's Fisichella; it would be a shame to see him out of a race seat

I'd like to see Fisichella get a race seat next season. His experience could be very good for a new team like Force India.

I'd say that will be the end of Ralf in F1 altogether. I really can't see anyone signing him on in 2009.wombat26

Unless he does some serious testing for Prodrive after the 2008 season (on the basis that they will enter in 2009, which isn't a definite yes), then I think you're right

FISICHELLA SECURES SECOND FORCE INDIA SEAT:

Giancarlo Fisichella has signed a deal to race for Force India in 2008, while Tonio Liuzzihas landedthe test driver role at the team.

Renault exile Fisichella had been the firm favourite to take the one remaining seat on this season's grid following a test shootout in which the renamed team tried out a host of experienced drivers.

Team co-ownerVijayMallya confirmedhis decision to plump for the Italian via a live webcast from a glitzy ceremony in Indiaon its official website, with Liuzzialso announcedas its test and reserve driver following his split with Toro Rosso.

Fisichella will partner young German star Adrian Sutil in what will be his third separate stint with the Silverstone-based squad, having raced for it in its previous guise of Jordan.

"Obviously it's nice to be back again under the same roof as in 1997, 2002 and 2003," he said during a press conference.

"The most important thing is to see some of the same mechanics as in 1997, and the atmosphere is still fantastic. It's really familiar.

"It was like coming back home - I felt comfortable straight away as soon as I went to the factory to fix the seat.

"I'm happy about that and I'm sure we can achieve success."

Despite Force India appearing to be his only option for 2008 following his departure from Renault, Fisichella says he did have other options.

But he believes he has picked the right one and is looking forward to the new challenge.

"At the test in Jerez, I was very impressed with the team's professionalism and commitment to move forward and I hope that my experience will help them achieve these goals," he said.

"Contrary to what people may think, this was not my only opportunity, it was the best one: with new owners and a competitive budget, I really think we can shake things up next year.

"I feel motivated and ready to help Force India get points on a regular basis."

Liuzzi meanwhile is confident his test driver role willallow him to progress his F1 career, despite losing out toFisichella in the race to take the second race seat.

"I am very pleased to be able to help Force India in their testing and development programme this year," Liuzzi said.

"With increased resources there will be much more input and emphasis into the team's testing, and the test driver's role will be crucial to helping progress.

"I know I can play a big part in the team as it grows, which is a good opportunity for me going forward."

SOURCE: ITV-F1