Rumoured/possible driver moves which did not happen?

Racing events, drivers, cars or anything else from the past.
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Everso Biggyballies
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#61

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Bottom post of the previous page:

He was linked, how seriously I dont recall, when Merc ultimately chose to bring Schumacher out of retirement..... but yes he name was mentioned in relation to a lot of teams, including I seem to recall a long shot at a return to McLaren. But there is a lot of disparity between actual fact and what we read online! :wink:
Actually Toyota was another team he was supposedly offered a seat at to replace Glock. but knocked it back as he wanted a car capable of winning! And the money wasnt right. Not to mention they threw the towel in at the end of 2009..

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#62

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Alonso was offered a drive at Red Bull in 2009 that he turned down. (From the Gospel of Horner :wink: )
Red Bull came "very close" to signing Fernando Alonso, with a two-year contract for 2009 and 2010 turned down, team boss Christian Horner has revealed.

According to Horner, Red Bull met with Alonso's management over the 2008 winter and offered a multi-year deal, only for the Spaniard to insist on a one-year contract.

Red Bull ultimately kept Mark Webber onboard, and promoted Sebastian Vettel in place of David Coulthard, with Alonso moving from Renault to Ferrari for 2010.

"We got very close to signing Alonso," Horner told Motor Sport Magazine in a wide-ranging interview.

"Helmut [Marko] and I went to see his management at the end of 2008 for the 2009 and 2010 season and we offered him a two-year contract.

"He would only sign up for one year and we said Red Bull's position was a two-year deal or nothing, and he wouldn't commit to that.

"We thought he'd had a Ferrari contract very clearly for 2009.

"What was weird about that was that Flavio [Briatore] was involved as well, but he was trying to get him for Renault, which he was managing at the time.

"Halfway through 2009, I had an approach to say, 'Could he join mid-season?', because they thought he could win the championship in the car.

"Then he had another conversation in the back of an Alfa Romeo at Spa airport several years later, in 2011 or 2012, and again it never really…

"The most serious discussion was the first one and then it missed its chance."
https://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/360 ... ng-alonso/

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#63

Post by DaleJuniorFan »

I picked up a few rumors from a Newspapers.com search:

* Mario Andretti joining Ferrari for 1978.
* Greg Moore and Dario Franchitti being closely looked at by McLaren for a drive in 1998. (Moore was also approached by Stewart at that time).
* Michael Andretti was highly touted for rides at Brabham in 1987, and at Ferrari, Williams, or March in 1989.
* Bobby Rahal was another name that popped up for the Brabham seat in '87.

One of the more interesting rumors I found: Alan Jones going to NASCAR in 1981. :wow:
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#64

Post by Matt »

The Greg Moore to F1 stuff definitely was around at the time. Mercedes were keen on funnelling him that way, but I seem to recall reading somewhere he was more keen on staying Stateside and most people reckon he would probably have ended up heading to NASCAR with Penske somewhere down the line.
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#65

Post by erwin greven »

Ultimately he landed somewhere different.
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#66

Post by futuretiger9 »

Hans-Joachim Stuck was apparently negotiating with the Williams team towards the end of 1978, but decided to join ATS instead!
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#67

Post by Antonov »

Kubica signed a contract to drive with Ferrari in 2002.
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#68

Post by futuretiger9 »

I've just been reminded of another one - Derek Warwick could have joined Williams for 1985, but opted to remain with Renault.
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#69

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Antonov wrote: 5 years ago Kubica signed a contract to drive with Ferrari in 2002.
I think you mean 2012.

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#70

Post by Antonov »

Everso Biggyballies wrote: 5 years ago
Antonov wrote: 5 years ago Kubica signed a contract to drive with Ferrari in 2002.
I think you mean 2012.
Yes! Thanks.

Another move that allegedly fell through was Raikkonen to Mercedes for 2010.
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#71

Post by Vassago »

John Watson was supposed to drive for Toleman in 1985 (he even tested for them) but when Michelin withdrew at the end of 1984, Toleman was left without a tyre deal and only Benetton money allowed them to sign with Pirelli again (which they ditched four races into the '84 season). Teo Fabi was hired as the driver to complete the Italian sweep and Benetton of course bought out the team proper before the 1986 season.

Watson testing at Silverstone with Avon (!) tires.

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The legendary Taki Inoue was supposed to drive for Minardi in 1996 before one of his sponsors pulled out at the last minute and Minardi went with some bloke called Giancarlo Fisichella instead.

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#72

Post by kals »

@Vassago I didn't know about Watson's link up with Toleman. Thanks for the information.
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#73

Post by Vassago »

Toleman's 1985 line-up was supposed to be Johansson/Watson albeit Johansson profited from Arnoux's firing from Ferrari. He drove for Tyrrell at Jacarepagua after Bellof had some sort of falling out with Ken T.



Stefan Johansson in the '85 Toleman

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#74

Post by Puhis »

From Vauhdin Maailma's 1984 F1 preview/guide:
...The story of Spirit is thought of as famous and quite hilarious. First, old geezer Emerson Fittipaldi was given an opportunity to wheel a turbo around Jacarepaguá* , only to find out that time had passed the old champion. No longer did he have the speed. Then, one Fulvio Ballabio made a lot of noise about himself in central Europe, bragging that he's driving a Spirit in the F1 carousel. Fulvio however forgot the fact that one does not simply drive an F1 without a superlicense.

Poor sod had already printed all sorts of stickers and posters about himself before Spirit finally came to their senses and hired Mauro Baldi, who already had a year of experience from turbo machinery under his belt. Ballabio's resume was bolstered (?) by a 15th place in some European minor formulae.**

*(written in original as "Jaqarepua")
**Fulvio Ballabio was 16th in 1983 European Formula 2 championship, driving for Merzario Team as well as Ecurie Armagnac Bigarre Nogaro.
Text, as usual, tries to stay true to the original wording and phrasing. Henceforth, opinions and observations in the quotes are those of the writer, not mine.

I actually had to look up the name Fulvio Ballabio. When I originally read that piece, I thought he was some local F3 driver who had tons of money. As it turned out, F2 was where he was in the previous season. It does seem quite harsh, therefore, to label that as "15th place in some European minor formulae", which would be the direct translation.

It seems that after the failed attempt to get a Spirit drive in 1984, his career never really recovered. 3 races in IMSA on the same year, followed by one-offs in Italian F3, European F3000, and a rather dismal effort with prototypes in 1986, where he had a grand total of 7 points in 6 races to show for himself. That does however include a 5th place at 24 hours of Le Mans, probably his career highlight.

And in case some from over the pond find the name oddly familiar, he drove 4 seasons of Indy from 1987 to 1990. With - you guessed it - 0 points to his name.

So: Fulvio. Journeyman driver who was never really top quality, or an unlucky chap who almost got a break and soldiered on in other series? If anyone has more information on this guy, it would be greatly appreciated. Because statistics only tell so much, and especially in motorsport are often an unfair way to judge a driver.
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#75

Post by Antonov »

I'd like to add an interesting one. Hakkinen to Williams in, was it, 2006?

I do also remember Sauber was an option for Michael Schumacher after being effectively ousted by Mercedes at the end of 2012. The German wisely decided against it and hung up his f1 helmet for good.
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#76

Post by Michael Ferner »

Antonov wrote: 5 years ago I'd like to add an interesting one. Hakkinen to Williams in, was it, 2006?
1993.
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