Rumoured/possible driver moves which did not happen?

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Jonathan Palmer tried to launch the Touring 1 Series for 2005.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Audi intended to replace the R8 with the R9 but that gave way to the R10 TDi

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Alex Criville planned to join the factory Aprilia team for the 2002 MotoGP season and also spoke to Pramac d'Antin Yamaha before announcing his retirement.

[Vassago]

Jeff Gordon for BAR. Craig Pollock wanted him to spend two seasons with Team Green (sponsored by another BAT brand) in ChampCar first. Obviously Gordon shot the idea down.

[DaleJuniorFan]

I recall it was either 1995 or '96 that Robby Gordon almost got a ride at Ligier.

[Vassago]

Some digging reveals it was for 1996 but Gordon had a tyre testing crash at Indianapolis and the Ligier test at Estoril was called off.

https://www.grandprix.com/news/ligier-t ... ordon.html

https://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns00376.html

Some names for '96 Ligier seat in that article (outside of Panis who was retained): Herbert, Sospiri, Verstappen, Boullion, Collard, Lagorce (plus two Elf-related French drivers from F3000 - Clerico & Gomez).

Tom Walkinshaw (who bought a share of Ligier before 1995) didn't want to take Pedro Diniz's money but he bought Arrows in March 1996 and actually still took Diniz's money come 1997

[DaleJuniorFan]

Jenson Button almost went to CART in a swap with Williams in exchange for Montoya.

Jenson Button/Montoya swap 6/14/00 - According to ITV, Chip Ganassi has stated that he wants Jenson Button in a swap for Montoya, if Williams wants Montoya. Chip reminded everyone that he has a 3-year contract with Juan, and has not yet agreed to any sort of release. In fact, he has not spoken to Williams as of yet. 6/9/00 - Speculation at Milwaukee, and confirmed by Robin Miller on RPM2Night, is that as they did with Zanardi and Montoya, Chip Ganassi and Frank Williams may ultimately agree to sway Montoya and Button. Montoya has one more year on his contract with Ganassi, so speculation is that Chip will use that as a bargaining tool with Frank to get a 2 or 3 year deal with British sensation Button. With CART supposedly going to England in 2001, having a British star in the field is sure to help attendance. Several F-1 teams also want Button, but Williams holds his contract, and he may decide to give him to Ganassi if he wants Montoya bad enough.

Keke Rosberg and Carlos Reutemann were rumored to make jumps to CART around 1980-81. Reutemann would've drove for Patrick Racing, while Rosberg drove for Bobby Hillin's Longhorn Racing.

[acerogers58]

Scott Speed, Kasey Kahne, Travis Pastrana, Kimi Raikkonen, Alex Zanardi, and Joey Hand were all supposed to fill Dan Wheldon's seat at Las Vegas in 2011, but all withdrew due to various reasons.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Jos Verstappen tried to get into Champ Car for 2005, 2006 and 2007 after his F1 career ended.

[Michael Ferner]

Reutemann to Patrick? What is this, trying to come up with the wildest, unfounded nonsense? Then I can one better: Lewis Hamilton was rumoured to sign with Bobby Allen's Shark Racing.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Keke Rosberg and Carlos Reutemann were rumored to make jumps to CART around 1980-81. Reutemann would've drove for Patrick Racing, while Rosberg drove for Bobby Hillin's Longhorn Racing.

Im not so sure Reutemann would have been thinking of quitting F1 for CART in 1980/81. He was quite busy winning races and getting podiums in the WDC with Williams in 1980/81. (3rd in 1980 WDC, 2nd in 1981 having led for much of the year, eventually losing the title by 1 point.) 1982 he turned his back on motorsport to take up politics back home in Argentina.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Well, here's one rumour that definitely isn't nonsense, the Chip Ganassi seat in 1996 that went to Alessandro Zanardi could have gone to Norberto Fontana had the Argentine not stuck with his F1 testing role at Sauber.

[Nononsensecapeesh]

The Porsche LMP2000

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Some digging reveals it was for 1996 but Gordon had a tyre testing crash at Indianapolis and the Ligier test at Estoril was called off.

https://www.grandprix.com/news/ligier-t ... ordon.html

https://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns00376.html

Some names for '96 Ligier seat in that article (outside of Panis who was retained): Herbert, Sospiri, Verstappen, Boullion, Collard, Lagorce (plus two Elf-related French drivers from F3000 - Clerico & Gomez).

Tom Walkinshaw (who bought a share of Ligier before 1995) didn't want to take Pedro Diniz's money but he bought Arrows in March 1996 and actually still took Diniz's money come 1997

Emmanuel Collard was the other possible stand-in for Olivier Panis at Prost in 1997.

[erwin greven]

The Porsche LMP2000

Add more info please.
It now starts to look like a slow chat topic.

[Michkov]

Mulsanne Mike has a good summary of the LMP2000 project on his site