Sasha says...

                                                        Motoring memoirs: Blog 26

The smart money says that Nico Rosberg and Nick Heidfeld will be the team’s drivers in 2010. Pretty damn quick line-up but none of these two drivers have won a race yet, and for a team and marque like Mercedes-Benz, I don’t believe that this is exactly perfect for a new team starting out.

Rosberg, we have seen, can be devastatingly quick and perhaps his machinery has let him down at times. His slight Achilles heel at present is temperament. He sometimes makes silly mistakes when the pressure is on. Personally, I’m delighted for Heidfeld (still to be confirmed though). He better get confirmed else I will look like a real tosser writing this article. Let us assume Heidfeld gets the nod. I think at present he is listed in the top five drivers who started the most races without a win. Heidfeld must be rated because if you recall, a few years ago he was nearly out of F1 but managed to squeeze his way through and revived his career with BMW. If anything, he has been as quick – perhaps even quicker – than Kubica overall. Heidfeld might be one of the quieter paddock drivers and sometimes quite German with his interviewing technique, but he is damn quick and very consistent. He deserves a shot at Mercedes, considering he should have been with McLaren years ago but got pipped by a one Kimi Raikkonen. Speaking of Kimi, sadly he will not be in F1 in 2010. Very disappointing in my opinion.

So, Heidfeld vs Rosberg? I give the edge to Nico in qualifying, but over race pace I would back Heidfeld in 2010. Still, I am astonished that Mercedes-Benz GP has had to find drivers as opposed to keeping the WC of 2009. I am quite shocked by Button’s decision. I could write tons about Jenson Button and his career and the Williams/Honda management mess, but I won’t. I like Jenson and am chuffed he is WC. I don’t think this decision by him to leave the Brawn/Merc team and join Mclaren is that positive for his career though.

I think that Lewis will outshine Jenson in quite a dominant fashion next year. Not because Lewis is that brilliant or that Jenson is that slow, but purely because Lewis understands the McLaren ethos and the car. Button drove a completely different car in 2009 to the one he will drive in 2010. Just look how he struggled to drive the F60 as opposed to the Force India. With limited testing allowed and the fact that Button really needs everything to be going right for him, I seriously predict that Jenson will struggle. Reminds me of a previous British WC…

I might be completely wrong but I think I am pretty close to it. The wonderful thing is that the rivalry between England and Germany will be as intense as ever with the Italians and the Austrians perhaps shaking things a little too. And we might even have the Americans involved. Sounds like WW2 all over again....