Good news for Gary Paffett

[robsinfield]

But bad news for the DTM ? Looks like Gary may well be on his way to an F1 race seat now he has the McLaren test deal. Hopefully anyway !

www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/48757

Rob

www.grandprixdiary.com

[pulsatingstar]

How many drivers to McLaren want!?

Is wonder if theres a chance of them running more cars in 2007 (cant remember the rules anymore the rate they keep changing)? They seem to be accumlating way too many drivers at the moment.

[robbo1]

Does this mean Alex Wurz has signed with someone else (BMW?)?
It does make you wonder whether they are gearing up to run two teams (or three cars).

[rubystone]

I think it confirms the fact that Wurz is off to BMW - but did they guarantee him a seat for 2007? That was the sticking point.

Good for Paffett - let's just hope he gets a shot at a race drive, which is remote at McLaren...Or does his acceptance of a test role confirm that JPM is staying?...you'd take the 3rd driver role in that situation wouldn't you? JPM is odds on to suffer another tennis injury next year...which may be why Wurz has taken thh BMW role - Heidfeld seems a bit injury prone too

[97BlackC5]

Alonso & Paffett 2007 race dirvers for 2007 ......not impossible!!!!

[Digital]

rubystone said:

I think it confirms the fact that Wurz is off to BMW - but did they guarantee him a seat for 2007? That was the sticking point.

The BBC website here claims that BMW have already signed a test driver, the Polish driver Robert Kubica. I'm assuming Wurz would be the number 1 tester though, given Kubica's lack of experience? The BBC article suggests that Kubica is to be the Friday driver for BMW, but I can't believe Wurz would take anything less than a guaranteed 3rd driver role

[anonymous-user]

97BlackC5 said:

Alonso & Paffett 2007 race dirvers for 2007 ......not impossible!!!!

with the money invested in Lewis Hamilton i cant see anyone but him joining alonso in 2007. I must agree though, McLaren are being linked with everyone, i am expecting a call form Ron any day now offering me a race seat....

actually, i wonder if McLaren are planning to "do a red bull" and field two teams. a junior team of Paffett and Hamilton and then a team with Alonso and Montoya/Wurz/De La Rosa/A.N.Other/me/my mum/nextdoors cat.....

>> Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 21st December 13:35

[stockhatcher]

i'd like to see raikkers and the fonz at mclaren, schumi and monty at ferrari, webber and kovalainen at reggie, hamilton and rosberger at williams, and paffet and fisico in a mclaren b team.

now *that* would be good.

[SPRITERACER]

Perhaps it's a straight swap with Wurtz going to DTM for a spell?

Is there still the "Team Dubai" plan on the table? that was supposed to be based at the old factory in Woking wasn't it? that would solve all the driver issues in one go, place for Hamilton to start his F1 career, race seat to offer Wurtz/Paffet and another third driver place available and another seat on the Board for Mercedes.

[richb]

Brilliant Christmas for the Parfett family then. Gary get an F1 drive and Rick gets the all-clear! Rich...

[flemke]

SPRITERACER said:

Perhaps it's a straight swap with Wurtz going to DTM for a spell? Is there still the "Team Dubai" plan on the table?

Can't see Wurz going to DTM when he's thought of as one of the very best testers in F1, and at least an average racer. DTM has tended to be the repository of youngsters on the way up (Ekstrom, Green, Paffett) and oldsters on the way down with names that still draw in the punters (Alesi, Frentzen, Mika).
In the latter part of this past season the mooted Dubai team was forgotten and replaced by a possible team fronted by Alesi and funded from Japan. Have seen nothing further in last two months; Ron has said that if it's not going to be profitable to McL. then he's not interested.

[rubystone]

Yes, Direxiv wasn't it? I thought it had a better chance than Suzuki.

[flemke]

rubystone said:

Yes, Direxiv wasn't it? I thought it had a better chance than Suzuki.

Yes, but insofar as these stories have a bullshit-to-reality ratio of about 10 to 1, who knows what the truth was or is?