Formula 1
Ä
2006 Chart

2006 Driver/Team Silly Season Chart

White = Confirmed
Green = Confirmed, New For 2006
Yellow = Probable
Red = Possible, Not Likely

SCUDERIA FERRARI
Number
Driver (End of Contract)
Engine
Tire
Seat 1
Michael Schumacher (2006)
Ferrari
Bridgestone
Seat 2
Filipe Massa (2006)
Ferrari
Bridgestone
TEST
Luca Badoer
Marc Gene
Ferrari
Bridgestone
Schumacher and Barrichello are both signed to drive for Ferrari's Big Red Machine through 2006.  After 2006, Schumacher should retire unless he gets a raise as part of a contract extension.  In early August, Barrichello announced that he would be moving to the BAR-Honda team for 2006 and 2007.  This is believed to have been prompted by having to play second-fiddle to Schumacher.  Former Ferrari tester and current Sauber driver Filipe Massa will take Barrichello's place in the car.  There are rumours that MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi will drive the car starting in 2007 if Massa's performance isn't what is expected.

HONDA
Seat 1
Jenson Button (2005)
Honda
Michelin
Bridgestone
Seat 2
Rubens Barrichello (2007)
Honda
Michelin
Bridgestone
TEST
Takuma Sato (2005)
Anthony Davidson
Enrique Bernoldi
Honda
Michelin
Bridgestone
The Williams and BAR saga is one part of a very intriguing F1 silly season.  Jenson Button wanted to go to Williams-BMW starting in 2005.  BAR went to contract court to keep him for his option year in 2005.  Button's contract with BAR for 2006 is based on him getting 70% of the champion's points by mid-August which didn't happen due to reliability problems, a DQ in Imola, and a two-race ban.  Nonetheless, Button has changed his mind and wants to stay with BAR.  Williams wants Button and have a two-year contract with him.  Despite a couple of offers to change their mind, Williams is hell-bent on getting Button.  This is made more interesting by BAR signing Rubens Barrichello to a contract for two-years.  BAR looks like they are expecting the worst by signing a high-caliber driver like Barrichello.  If Button goes, Sato may stay as second driver until they get Button back.  Davidson was offered in an exchange to keep Button with BAR which makes him look expendable so if Button stays he could be on the way out.  It should be noted that Button has a contract offer on the table from BAR for five years totaling $88 million while is scheduled to make $16 million in two years with Williams.  Current Williams driver, Nick Heidfeld, is said to have been signed to a pre-contract and will get a seat if his option is not picked up by Williams for 2006.  If this occurs, Sato should drive the third car for the team on Fridays.  Davidson has been given the freedom to pursue other options for 2006 without having to wait for the conclusion of ButtonGate 2.  Conclusion Of ButtonGate 2:  Jenson Buttone will pay Williams in order to keep his seat with BAR-Honda.  It is believed that Button will pay $18 million to Williams to halt legal proceddings against him.  Next year's confirmed driver lineup at BAR is Button and Barrichello.

RENAULT
Seat 1
Fernando Alonso (2006)
Renault
Michelin
Seat 2
Giancarlo Fisichella (2006)
Mark Webber
Renault
Michelin
TEST
Franck Montagny
Renault
Michelin
Both Alonso and Fisichella are signed through the 2006 season.  Alonso won't be allowed to leave the team anytime soon.  There are rumours that Fisichella may be on the way out for GP2 driver Hekiki Kovalainen but those don't seem to be running rampant like other rumours.  A new rumour has Williams and Renault swapping drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Mark Webber in a straight deal with no money changing hands.

WILLIAMS
Seat 1
Mark Webber (2005)
Giancarlo Fisichella
Cosworth
Bridgestone
Michelin
Seat 2
Antonio Pizzonia
Cosworth
Bridgestone
Michelin
TEST
Nico Rosberg
Cosworth
Bridgestone
Michelin
Mark Webber and Nick Heidfeld's contracts are up at the end of 2005.  Although he is the better performing of the two drivers, Nick Heidfeld appears to be on his way out, more specifically, to BMW.  Mark Webber appears to be back with the British team for 2006.  From here it gets sketchy.  Webber will get the first seat if Button stays with BAR-Honda and the second if he comes.  Anthony Davidson has been offered, with his salary paid and $9 million, by BAR-Honda in exchange for Button.  Button himself has offered to pay $16 million (his salary with Williams) to stay with BAR.  In 2007, Williams is expected to switch to Toyota/Lexus power.  Adding to all the uncertainty around the team, they are being heavily courted by Bridgestone to switch tires.  Heidfeld is confiremd off to BMW.  Button will stay at BAR-Honda for a reported price tag of $18 million dollars of his own money.

MCLAREN
Seat 1
Kimi Räikkönen (2006)
Mercedes
Michelin
Seat 2
Juan Pablo Montoya (2006)
Mercedes
Michelin
TEST
Pedro de la Rosa
Alexander Wurz
Mercedes
Michelin
Räikkönen and Montoya are both signed through 2006.  de la Rosa and Wurz are wild cards in this equation.  Although the race seats aren't in dispute, the testing seats are.  de la Rosa proved himself capable of running with the big boys in Bahrain.  Wurz is unhappy with playing second fiddle as a tester.  Both men, along with Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve, are in contention for the BMW seats as both have shown blistering pace on Friday's and their one race each this season.

BMW
Seat 1
Nick Heidfeld
BMW
Michelin
Seat 2
Jacques Villeneuve (2006)
Pedro de la Rosa
Alexander Wurz
BMW
Michelin
TEST
??
BMW
Michelin
At the end of June, BMW confirmed that they are buying Sauber and taking it over as a factory operation in 2006.  BMW will be searching for a German driver to one of the team's seats.  This prompts rumours that Nick Heidfeld will get a seat with the team.  Heidfeld may stay with Williams, however, due to his performance and stability over the engine issues.  Regarding the situation it should be noted that BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen helped Heidfeld get his Williams ride for 2005.  If they can't get Heidfeld, Austrian Alexander Wurz would be almost as good as a home-country driver.  Pedro de la Rosa, former BMW-Williams tester, may get the ride based on his past work for the company.  World Champion Jacques Villeneuve may be lost in the shuffle but he claims BMW got the contracts with their purchase of Sauber cementing his seat with the team.  However, he could be bought out for a considerable sum by BMW.  With the increase in budget from factory backing, it is expected that BMW will have a Friday tester at the grand prix weekends.  Mario Theisenn, BMW Motorsports boss, is flirting with the idea of having a "driver shootout" in order to see who should be in the second race seat next season.

RED BULL RACING
Seat 1
David Coulthard (2005)
Ferrari
Michelin
Bridgestone
Seat 2
Christian Klien (2005)
Ferrari
Michelin
Bridgestone
TEST
Neel Jani
Ferrari
Michelin
Bridgestone
According to Red Bull owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, Klien and Liuzzi will be the drivers in 2006.  He also had to be talked out of running this inexperienced driver lineup this season.  This comes after team principal, Christian Horner, said DC was their most valuable resource.  Mateschitz's position has since changed to DC in the first seat but Klien and Liuzzi will compete for the second seat.  No matter the result, the driver lineup will remain the same only slightly rearranged.  Red Bull announced in Imola that Ferrari would supply them engines for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.  With their switch to Ferrari engines, Bridgestone may be the tire of choice for the RBR squad.  The loser of the Klien/Liuzzi battle is likely to end up with the former Minardi team.

TOYOTA
Seat 1
Jarno Trulli (2006)
Toyota
Michelin
Seat 2
Ralf Schumacher (2007)
Toyota
Michelin
TEST
Ricardo Zonta
Olivier Panis
Toyota
Michelin
Trulli and Schumacher are signed through next season.  Ralf's contract is through 2007 but is rumoured to have an option year(s) that would bring the contract's value to over $100 million.  Olivier Panis is expected to retire completely at the end of the year.  Not much happening here.

MIDLAND RACING
Seat 1
Anthony Davidson
Jacques Villeneuve
Takuma Sato
Toyota
Bridgestone
Seat 2
Tiago Monteiro
Narain Karthikeyan
Toyota
Bridgestone
TEST
??
Toyota
Bridgestone
The Midland Group is taking control of the Jordan team completely in 2006.  The Midland Group's multi-billion dollar value should allow it to produce a very competitive car despite the low-key Jordan operation that's being taken over.  No word on anything for next season except engines as Jordan signed a two-year engine deal with Toyota which ends at the end of 2006.  Midland's owner, Alex Schneider, is looking to get out of Formula One before he even starts and has put up a $110 million price tag for the team.  Part of the reason may be because Dallara pulled out of building a car for Jordan in 2006.  If Midland does intend to put their best foot forward, they may sign a Japanese driver, such as the possibly unemployed Takuma Sato, to appease Toyota.  Most recently, BAR tester Anthony Davidson has been linked to a seat with the team alongside either Monteiro or Karthikeyan.

SQUADRA TORO ROSSO
Seat 1
Christian Klien
Cosworth
Bridgestone
Seat 2
Scott Speed
Cosworth
Bridgestone
TEST
??
Cosworth
Bridgestone
Minardi has been purchased by the Red Bull Energy Drink corporation at Spa in September of 2005.  This move was made by Red Bull for them to put some of their development drivers into the F1 seats they are trying to get them.  The team will be a separate entity from the main squad but it looks like Red Bull is interested in making the two squads as close as possible to being on even footing.  These things include a possible tire deal with Michelin among other things.  Currently, Red Bull Jr. team member, Scott Speed is expected to take up one of the race seats along side the either Christian Klien or Vitantonio Liuzzi.  Another rumour has one of the seats going to the currently unemployed for 2006, Takuma Sato.  The team is expected to keep using the 2005-spec Cosworth engines.