I have never thought of him as a great driver, however he is fairly experienced, he has won races, and is still relatively young. So what are your thoughts on where he should end up?

I expect him to get a seat somewhere unless he just didn't want too. Any new team could get him relatively cheap. I would be cool with USF1 to even shell out a few mil to pick him up as their experienced driver. Nothing more than 5 mil though.

Keke thinks he might end up at Renault:


http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/f1/uutiset.shtml/arkistot/f1/2009/11/999524

- I believe Heikki has something in his back pocket, because he seems to be quite satisfied. He said at some point that the small teams are not interesting. With the small teams he probably means the new teams. Apparently there is only Renault left of the old teams, so the signs are pointing at that direction.

- They've won a Championship some time ago so why it would not be a good choice. A factory team, and Robert Kubica, who is thought to be one of the best drivers of the new generation, as team-mate.

DaFoose - 18 November 2009 01:40 PM

I have never thought of him as a great driver, however he is fairly experienced, he has won races, and is still relatively young. So what are your thoughts on where he should end up?

I expect him to get a seat somewhere unless he just didn't want too. Any new team could get him relatively cheap. I would be cool with USF1 to even shell out a few mil to pick him up as their experienced driver. Nothing more than 5 mil though.

slight correction: he has won A race (not races)
In a year where his teammate won the WDC (2008) he finished in 7th! --behind both Ferraris (ok), BOTH BMWs, and a RENAULT!!!
I don't want to hear about the team favoring Hamilton, he finished 7th!!!!!

Definitely seems to be a bit overrated. That being said, he is a GP winner, and deserves a place somewhere on the grid, just not with a top team. He's still young, maybe he will mature to a point where he could be a solid #2 in the future...

Would he want back at Renault though? Didn't they treat him like crap over there? I'm looking for Heikki to end up at one of the newer teams.

Hitokiri2 - 18 November 2009 02:06 PM

Would he want back at Renault though? Didn't they treat him like crap over there? I'm looking for Heikki to end up at one of the newer teams.

I imagine things are different now that Flavio is gone.

Excellent point, but I don't see why he wouldn't want to actually be the #1 for a team even if it is a brand new team. Unless he thinks that Kubs isn't as quick as lewie or alonso.

I can't see Renault willing to pay him more than 5 mil, I would actually expect something like a 2 or 3 year deal between 3-5 mil a year.

Hitokiri2 - 18 November 2009 02:06 PM

Would he want back at Renault though? Didn't they treat him like crap over there? I'm looking for Heikki to end up at one of the newer teams.

I believe that as 2007 went on Renault started to treat him better.

Flavio was all over Heikki in early 2007 but as his performances improved as 2007 went on & he started to match & then outperform Fisichella I recall Flavio's attitude towards him changing.

Heikki's got a lot of friends at Renault & they apparently rate him highly, He may not be there now but Pat Symonds often spoke very highly of Heikki.

Should Heikki go back to Renault I think he will show a lot better performance than he did at Mclaren because I think the Renault enviroment will suit him better.

McLaren rescued him from the dumpster, but it really didn't seem to be a good fit. Renault may be a good fit (no Flav) as long as they don't end up in the dumpster this time.

Why anyone would 'choose' a new team over an existing team I dont know.... and other than USF1 who dont seem to know Arthur from Martha at the moment many of the paid positions in new teams seem to be drying up (Glock / Manor and likely Trulli / Lotus).... With Senna locked in at Campos and many of the #2 new team drives heading the way of pay drivers options are limited. Perhaps Sauber Qadak might be his only option?

A return to Renault might be his best option if availabl otherwise we could belooking at a Finn-free year in F1.

To me Heikki was over-rated.... yes he won a GP but it was only courtesy of other DNF's and he showed an ability to not match any teamate other than a lacklustre Fisi for part of the year at Renault when he was there.

Why would anyone give him 5 million when the likes of Button are only getting a little more?

stefmeister - 18 November 2009 10:04 PM

Hitokiri2 - 18 November 2009 02:06 PM

Would he want back at Renault though? Didn't they treat him like crap over there? I'm looking for Heikki to end up at one of the newer teams.

I believe that as 2007 went on Renault started to treat him better.

Flavio was all over Heikki in early 2007 but as his performances improved as 2007 went on & he started to match & then outperform Fisichella I recall Flavio's attitude towards him changing.

Briatore was a total jerk in Melbourne 2007. He was telling people great things about the expectations. I think he thought they had as good a car as they had had in 2005 & 2006. But oh he was so wrong. It was totally wrong to attack Heikki like he did. Both Heikki and Giancarlo were saying the car has problems with aero stability (unpredictable rear) and Flavio sounded like he had no idea.

During 2007 & 2008 I saw many comments at message boards suggesting Heikki's 2007 season was really poor - that's in my opinion complete bollocks. He was driving the car to the finish line with great consistency, with only 1 retirement at the end of the year, beat his team-mate, and then some people were saying Nelson Jr and Heikki had equally bad rookie seasons! Umm why not take a look at it again... I think I had good reason to say to that "What the hell are you saying!"

Should Heikki go back to Renault I think he will show a lot better performance than he did at Mclaren because I think the Renault enviroment will suit him better.

I agree. I think the timing of when he went to McLaren was extremely unfortunate for him. I've understood he was forced out of Renault after 2007 by Alonso coming in and Briatore had already promised Piquet the other seat, so there was no room for him in that team. Heikki then had an offer from Toyota, which in my opinion was smart to turn it down. Then took the offer from McLaren, but I think that was pretty much the only choice he had left after Toyota. So I think he didn't have much of a choice but to go to McLaren. I think compared to going to Toyota we can say Heikki got his first F1 GP win and I don't think he would have ever won anything in the Toyota team so I guess that can justify that move over going to Toyota.

This time around at Renault there indeed would not be Briatore around to harass him. So in that respect things should be much better. Although signing for Renault is a bit of a question mark as we don't even know yet for sure that Renault will continue in F1 next year - I have understood they will have an additional board meeting later this year to decide whether they will stay. So also Kubica's place in F1 is in danger.

Seems to me not so very long ago the talk was how Jenson Button was 'over rated', I mean it took him 7 years to win his first & only race in 9 years of Formula 1 , until getting the remarkable 'break' with Brawn this season. During that time he raced with Williams, Renault, BAR.. hardly back end charlies.

I actually think quite highly of Heikki. His ability & potential got him on the RDDP for a number of years, which saw him advance to the Renault drive. Steep rookie season no doubt, as it is with a majority of rookies to be fair, although he did finish all but 1 race in his first season to secure 7th in the DC ahead of his veteran team mate. Hardly shoddy. Renault finished 3rd in the WCC.

Personally I was never happy with his move to Woking, & was disappointed with his results. Saying that, any one who goes there as 'team mate' to Hamilton would always be the #2, just like Shumacher at Ferrari, or Alonso at Renault. Heikki, like Piquet jr & Barrichello for ex, are all competent, capable drivers, but stick them alongside the 'golden children' of their respective teams & something happens. Confidence seems to be dented, results seems to flail. Now of course the golden kids will shine through, the likes of Hamilton, Schumacher & Alonso are/were in a class of their own, judging their team mates against them is bound to diminish the perception of the other guys abilities.

Rubens has livened up since emerging from the shadow of MS, I don't doubt Heikki would get his mo-jo back in another team where he is an equal standing driver, or even the experienced #1 to a rookie, likewise in some ways Piquet jr, had things been different surrounding his torrid time at Enstone, I don't doubt he would have 'grown' in a different environment.

Anyhooo, here's hoping HK can find a drive for next season, he really shouldn't be written off, imho he still has a lot to give.