La Gazzetta Dello Sport wrote:ARWS Automercato 19: Where will everyone land when the music stops?
As we reach the business end of the season, deals are often wrapped up just before the championships are decided, and we get a clearer picture of who will be driving where in the coming year. With some assistance from former Scuderia Alitalia COO Antonio Della Valle, we run through who may end up where come 2019.
Key: Confirmed / Rookie / Confirmed rookie
Victrix-Infiniti
Terry Hawkin / Tomo Kazama
The team currently known as Fusion has secured its stand-out driver from this year, Terry Hawkin, to lead the team into next season. Former junior prodigy Tomo Kazama gets her second, or third, or fourth second chance in ARWS (it's hard to keep count).
Antonio Della Valle: "It was crucial for them to retain Hawkin, so securing that renewal is a big win for them. Doing it now rather than waiting for him to win the championship and see his stock rise even further was wise. Kazama is a huge gamble on the other hand - she has a short temper, lacks focus, and has generally lost the plot with the pressure of being a driver in the highest echelon of the sport. I think this will be a one-man team next year."
Melrose Racing Team BMW
Alberto Cara / Dave Cassidy
Alberto Cara's breakout season has already won him a renewal for next season, having comfortably been a match for his far more experienced team-mate Phillippe Nicolas. The Frenchman was supposed to spearhead the team's title efforts, but has instead folded under pressure, ending up in front of the stewards having to explain himself on numerous occasions. They are courting current Precision F1 driver Dave Cassidy aggressively at present, the American driver having appeared in the ARWS paddock in Norway.
ADV: "Cara has surprised me. He was utterly useless in the junior categories regarding racecraft. He was stupidly fast in qualifying, then just plain stupid in the races. He has turned himself around and earned that renewal fair and square. As for the other seat, they want to get rid of Nicolas, but won't if a better alternative is not forthcoming. Dave Cassidy is a fast driver but has been erratic of late, I think he will find himself locked out of the top F1 seats next year, and a change of scenery might refocus his mind and see him back to his best."
DScity Voeckler Renault
Dan Greenlaw / Phillippe Nicolas
Voeckler have not made any announcements regarding their lineup so far, but look almost certain to retain their rookie driver Dan Greenlaw, having easily measured up to his reigning world champion team-mate Thomas De Bock. The latter has been nothing short of a disaster, a myriad of mistakes ruining his title defence and ultimately costing him his drive with the team for next year. Voeckler have always valued experience in their line-up, and with a desire to keep Renault happy with a Francophone driver, they will likely turn to MRT outcast Nicolas to partner Greenlaw.
ADV: "Greenlaw has been overshadowed by Hawkin, despite beating him in the feeder series last year, but it's not really his fault. The car has not been as good as previous years, both in terms of outright performance and also, crucially, reliability. De Bock on the other hand has made too many stupid mistakes for a driver of his standing. If I were in their position, I'd have gone for another driver from the next generation, one which looks more talented than the last, and so I feel Nicolas, while the likely choice, is also a poor choice. I think he'll be a stop-gap until Aimée Gauthier has accrued more experience in junior formulae and gets promoted to ARWS."
Kjellerup by Écurie Prenois
Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen / Mark Dagnall
The standout team of the year; no debutant in the sport has been so successful straight out of the blocks. This is mostly thanks to their mid-season signing Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen, who has racked up two race wins since arriving from Gauthier. Having penned a renewal during the Belgian GP weekend, he is the second confirmed driver for the Danish-French team, along with Mark Dagnall, who has acrimoniously defected from the Jones team.
ADV: "In theory I understand their approach, but this has the potential to go badly wrong. They have made an excellent signing in Bastiaan van Nieuwenhuijzen - he has been the only driver to have the measure of Hawkin this year. If this car-driver combination had been in place for all of 2018, suddenly Hawkin wouldn't be strolling to the title. What worries me is Dagnall - he is falling to pieces mentally, and is a bit of a diva. He is a potentially destabilising force within the team - he will demand extra attention, and won't deserve a minute of it. He has been completely out of control for three years now, and hopefully the young lad van Nieuwenhuijzen makes Dagnall look completely irrelevant."
National Jones Ford Team
Alexey Buyvolov / Nathanael Cameron
Jones have suffered both their current drivers abandoning them for pastures new - Dagnall for newcomers Kjellerup, and Torrente defecting to Formula 1 with Precision. Having been at the forefront of the series in terms of competitiveness for the past few seasons, Jones suddenly find themselves struggling to keep up with the pace, and with it will struggle to attract top drivers. Team principal Sammy Jones is notoriously bullish, and so time wasted chasing big name drivers who have no interest in the rapidly declining British team will leave them short on options as the season comes to a close. They have shown interest in Alexey Buyvolov in the past, and with Simpson reputedly looking to offload one of their current duo, appears to be on the market. They will look to nab a front-runner in the feeder categories to partner him, with Nat Cameron looking the most likely choice.
ADV: "Ah yes, Jones. They're a stubborn lot. Sammy thinks his team is the best on the grid come rain or shine, and right now it's pouring outside. He had his head in the sand regarding Dagnall, refusing to believe his driver would leave the team and thus not preparing adequately. Just look at how bad the fall out between team and driver has been. The atmosphere is poisonous at present, and other drivers will have taken notice. They essentially get 'second round' picks, as it were, and end up with drivers a fair bit down on their list."
Simpson Motorsports
Jean-Luc Schiller / Gary Pacer
Simpson have gone from laughable backmarkers to respectable midfielders over the last few years, but seem to have stalled in their upward trajectory, unsure of how to progress further. The acquisition of Alexey Buyvolov was supposed to propel them up the field further still, but hasn't panned out and may see him depart. Simpson, much like other teams, are desperate for young talent and their fresh, crisp money. With Ardaoglu's management playing hardball with the entire grid, and Cameron gravitating towards Jones, that leaves the Aussie team to focus their attention on Gary Pacer, who looks likely to be runner up in 3.5 this year.
ADV: "They've come a long way from the days of Saeed Al Faisal being their team leader. Every team is desperate for cash up front, and the bonus money they get from signing top rookies means teams are now more than ever turning to the cream of the junior crop. Pacer has potential, but let's be frank, Simpson's main interest is in his cash. Schiller also has a dependable stream of income and has generally performed more consistently than Buyvolov, even if the Russian driver has better ultimate pace."
Venturi Formula
Andrej Kremnicky / Nick Nurmester
Based on their year so far, Venturi promise to be a yo-yo team of sorts. Their performance has been all over the place this season - rapid one week, nowhere the next. It's hard to tell going into any given weekend whether they'll be fighting to be on the podium, or barely avoiding a dreaded DNQ. Alessandro Lucarelli has shown what the team is capable of, with a third place at the Norisring, but the Italian is notoriously fussy, and will likely up sticks and leave for a team that shows a little more long-term potential and stability. Katayama meanwhile looks past it, having been overshadowed by Albertini before the Monegasque driver was cut in favour of Lucarelli, and again failing to measure up against the Italian. They are said to be fans of former Revolution frontman Andrej Kremnicky, and will replace Katayama with him as soon as the Japanese driver's contract allows. Kjellerup refugee Nick Nurmester will come in to replace Lucarelli and his lost income stream.
ADV: "Venturi had potential, but failure to deliver on it more often that not will hurt their long term health. I don't think they have the money or resources to build a good car on their own - remember their chassis this year is basically a rehashed Scuderia Alitalia design from three seasons ago! Kremnicky bottled his MRT audition and so will struggle to fiind a better seat than Venturi, while Nurmester appears to be there or there abouts on the same level as Lucarelli, thus offering a decent like-for-like replacement."
Kamaha Revolution Motorsports
Akira Yamamura / Kenan Ardaoglu
Having merged with Revolution mid-season, when the team ran out of money and folded, Kamaha suddenly found themselves with a technical package superior to their own, despite being financially far more healthy than their compatriots. They have turned their season around from disaster to potentially very good, and with Yamamura, have finally found a driver capable of unlocking the potential of the car at their disposal. Melville looked rapid in the first couple of outings the team had with their inherited Revo equipment, but has vanished into obscurity since Yamamura's arrival. He will likely be replaced by 3.5 champion elect Kenan Ardaoglu, whose management has close ties with the Kamaha team.
ADV: "Barii Mori is a short-sighted moron, and the stroke of genius of signing Yamamura was a complete accident on his part. Having been in the paddock and talked to several insiders about his future right after the Tassie furore, Mori had reservations about signing Akira! As long as the car is up to it, Yamamura can deliver. He has put the whole Tassie disaster behind him in emphatic style with the podium at Spa, and with Ardaoglu likely joining the team next year, this is potentially one of Kamaha's best lineups ever. Now watch as Mori undoes all his good work here with some stupid decisions."
BASF Nurminen Grand Prix
Marko Jantscher / Tommi Hämäläinen
While both drivers have qualified well at Nurminen, neither have done particularly well on raceday. Jantscher scored the team's only points in the season opener, and the team has gone backwards since, but of the three drivers to pilot the Finnish cars this year, Jantscher has been the handiest. He is all but confirmed to remain where he is for next season. The other car is less certain, with Martin McFry already having been released, and his replacement Danny van Rijkens not offering much better since arriving. They may be tempted to take a gamble on a rookie, and Tommi Hämäläinen's position in the 3.5 feeder series will bring the team some much needed bonus cash.
ADV: "A boring team with a boring driver to lead them. Jantscher is a robot, and so he lacks ambition and drive. He has the CV of a driver who should be aiming for a seat with a top team, yet is happy to commit with a team that represents a career dead-end. He has enough talent to get them a good result every once in a while though, so the second seat needs to be a cash cow that allows them to develop the car. They'd probably have stuck with Van Rijkens, if Hämäläinen didn't come with even more cash than the former's Sasol backing."
Union Saver Developments
Naoki Shinjo / Fredo Mestolio
A renewal for Shinjo is a mere formality, having been the team's shining light in what has been a disappointing year overall. Having originally hired Jari Kekkonen for his experience, his hiring was a complete disaster, and while Marco Bizzarri brings much needed cash, he has struggled to match Shinjo. They will still need cash influx to fund improvements to their car, but with plenty of decent pay-drivers around, they can afford to be a little more ambitious. Fredo Mestolio has cycled through all the top teams in the sport now, and will have to lower his ambitions going forward, and represents a perfect driver for USD's requirements.
ADV: "Shinjo has surprised me a bit. I expected him to be sacked before the half-way point, and I guess he was helped out a bit by Kekkonen being utterly dreadful. He has done really well on occasion, and just needs to find some consistency with unlocking those types of performances. Mestolio is no world beater, but for a team of USD's stature, and the budget he brings with him, it would be a good hire for USD, certainly an improvement on Bizzarri."
Peak Aeroracing Enginering
Daniel Martins / Gregor Pascal
From championship protagonists to backmarkers. It has been a tumultuous 12 months for PAE since the New Zealand-led takeover. Their entire line-up is different now than at the start of the year, and further changes are likely going into next season. Daniel Martins has been the only driver to offer PAE a shred of hope of securing a decent result, with two unscheduled stops the only thing stopping him from securing a miraculous point at Spa-Francorchamps. The other trio of drivers - Jiménez, Watkinson and Shioya, have failed to do anything of note, and all three are unlikely to reappear in ARWS at all, never mind with PAE. Martins has no money however, and they will likely turn to Gregor Pascal and his bottomless Swiss bank account to fund the team's day-to-day running next year.
ADV: "A once great team turned to rubble. PAE have no future, and this will be reflected in their line-up. A washed-up has-been leading the team, with a blank cheque driving the other car. Pascal really has no worth other than his bank account - as soon as it's empty, he'll vanish from the grid. But for as long as crap teams with no finance exist, and his bank balance is healthy, Pascal will always have a drive."
RUF Blokkmonsta Grand Prix Team
Wouter Lamberigts / Martin McFry
Blokkmonsta were the first team to confirm it's full line-up for 2019, having renewed the contract of it's Belgian rookie Wouter Lamberigts, and pairing him with the recently sacked Nurminen driver Martin McFry. They are both known as qualifying specialists, but leave much to be desired when the lights go out on Sunday.
ADV: "I see what they're trying to achieve with this line-up, but it won't do them much good in the long term. They seem so focused on simply qualifying for races, they haven't mapped out their strategic goals effectively. Quali specialists are supposed to be a means to and end, but I don't see what Blokkmonsta's gameplan beyond simply being on the grid come Sunday is. McFry will probably cost them more in repair bills than he earns them in sponsorship. I don't know what happened to him - back when we ran him for a single race in 2016, he looked a talented lad, but it's all gone wrong for him since then."
Team Mecha Racing
Jesús Plaza / Hansuke Shioya
The Indonesian team have bigger problems than who is driving - they need to build a car that can actually finish a race distance first. Jesús Plaza has become their go-to leader, who will enter his third season with the team. The other seat has been a merry go-round of obscure pay-drivers, and with their completely unpredictable choices in years past, it's hard to predict who might end up partnering the ever present Plaza. Our best guess is Hansuke Shioya - Mecha's management tends to favour Japanese drivers, and Shioya is at least a recognisable name in the sport, if not a particularly capable one. They are also a notoriously thrifty team - scraping by on next to no money, and yet always avoiding resorting to pay-drivers.
ADV: "Not much to say here. Plaza is decent enough, but the team has no money and no ambition, so it doesn't really matter who drives. Bean was useless, and Shioya would be a step-up, but again, it makes little difference. They will still fail to do anything meaningful next year."
Gillet Ecurie Nationale Belge
Thomas De Bock / Aurelien Moll
Gillet are quickly becoming nothing more than a museum piece - a fascinating mummified specimen from an era long past us. Yet this throwback to yesteryear is somehow still running, despite managing to be worse than the perpetually terrible Mecha team. Speaking of throwbacks, De Bock is losing his mind, and is quickly becoming so much of a liability, the only team that would have him back are his old pals at Gillet. Walsh has looked faster than Moll on the few occasions they've had to drive in anger, but has been far more error prone. Not a surprise given the duo's relative levels of experience, but you just know they'll be nationalistic to a fault and retain Moll over the more promising Walsh.
ADV: "Dignes enfants de la Belgique qu’un beau délire a soulevé, À votre élan patriotique de grand défaillances sont réservés! Gillet are making the case for a Belgian branch of Dignitas to open. Someone needs to put them out of their misery, given they have no idea when to quit."
Rob Lomas Racing
Quentin Reatherson / Miko Fäkkinen
RLR are another team struggling to make ends meet. They will need at least one pay-driver, and it'll need to be one that doesn't care they've no chance of success while there. This means the likes of Lucarelli, Nurmester and Van Rijkens are out of the question, and instead will have to make do with renewing Miko Fäkkinen's deal. RLR will probably want to at least look semi-ambitious, and pick up Quentin Reatherson, who is at least semi-talented, if not a star in the making.
ADV: "RLR seem to draw their drivers out of a hat. It's hard to tell what they'll do in any given year. Kekkonen is the worst driver in ARWS today - he's as bad as the worst pay-driver, but doesn't have any sponsors. They'd do well to pick up Reatherson off Kingfisher, who might at least be able to capitalise on one of those crazy days we sometimes get in ARWS."
Kingfisher Racing
David Neuberg / Danny van Rijkens
Kingfisher have spent 2018 in financial crisis management mode, using the dirt cheap and gutless Great Wall engines to keep the company ticking over. They have so little money, they can't afford to replace their three year old car, whether they stay with Great Wall or not. They need a cash injection in a hurry, and so two pay drivers are the only way to go. There's a chance that having both Neuberg and van Rijkens would allow them to get a brand new design up and running mid-way through 2019, coupled to a cheap but not completely awful engine like a Holden or Gillet.
ADV: "David Neuberg is the ultimate example of loyalty in racing. No matter how dire the situation gets at Kingfisher, he sticks with them through thick and thin. They can't afford to keep Reatherson - he doesn't bring any money, which they are in desperate need of. I think despite their troubles, Van Rijkens would be more partial to Kingfisher than the other back of the grid options open to him."
Lotto Racing
Alessandro Lucarelli / Jordan Davies
Lotto are the only new team coming in to ARWS next season, despite several folding during the course of this season. They have shelled out for a technical partnership with championship protagonists Fusion, and will need money to help pay the bills. The fact they're using what is essentially a Fusion car will help them attract decent enough drivers, so Alessandro Lucarelli, currently looking to be one of the best pay-drivers on the grid, will be tempted in. They'll probably fancy a talented youngster who would bring some extra cash on top as well - Nathanael Cameron, who is a driver well connected to Fusion has been repeatedly linked with them, but with a Jones drive in the offing, will probably pass and lead the Belgian team to his compatriot Jordan Davies instead.
ADV: "A complete unknown as new boys to the grid. What they will need to start with is money, and so Lucarelli, who has proven he can bring in results when the car is up to it, is a good enough starting point for them. The question then becomes whether to bring in another pay-driver to pay for a rapid development plan, or try and gamble a little on a promising youngster. The bonus money might be enough to convince them to go with one of the trio of Pacer, Cameron or Davies, and of that trio I think they'll probably end up with Davies, given the status of the teams looking at the other two."
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