Vettel replaced coulthard for the last test due to david having a tweak in his neck, i know this is a one off, but it could be a sign of things to come
They both should have retired years ago. All coulthard does these days is complain that the cars are to fast and the tracks are to unsafe. Barichello is just using up a seat that a fresh face could fill. Although i doubt anyone wants the Honda seat.
I think while Coulthard and Barrichello are keeping pace with their teammates they'll have a seat. I remember Berger stayed around for longer than I expected because he was a smart development driver with a good racing pedigree - Barrichello and Coulthard offer similar skills.
Doesn't surprise me; Vettel seems like the real deal. He came into Toro Rosso last year and promptly blew away Liuzzi and scored STR's best-ever finish.
Coulthard might retire at the end of this year if the RB4 is reliable and Mark Webber can string together some good results. If he does, Vettel will probably fill his seat.
Rosberg has put on record that he is going to stick by Williams.
I don't think Massa will disappear anytime soon. He is arguably the best #2 driver on the F1 grid. He's fast, can push a team-mate to the limit without taking both of them out, and score good constructor's points as a result.
My gut feeling is that Vettel will eventually replace either Heidfeld or Kubica at BMW, probably Heidfeld.
I think he meant years from now, when both Rosberg's (end of 2009) and Massa's (end of 2010) contracts will have expired.
Well the way things are going currently it'll be Kubica. Heidfeld usually outperformed his teammate in 2007. Nick's really quite underrated, IMO. I think he's sort of overlooked because he's quiet and unobjectionable. He just does his job without complaining or stirring up trouble.
That said, I hope Kubica steps it up this year because I want him to do well too.
Nick is certainly underrated. I think he just hasn't had the kind of opportunity that Kimi and Lewis has enjoyed so far. Perhaps not the fastest driver on the grid, but definitely among the top quarter, and maybe the most consistent.
Kubica still has a lot of room for development. He's only had two full seasons, so it isn't really fair to compare him with Heidfeld just yet, IMHO. In terms of potential, I'd rate him equal to Alonso. He may be a better long-term investment than Heidfeld.
Getting somewhat back on topic:
What are the chances of Mark Webber keeping his Red Bull drive beyond the next two seasons? He seems to be an Anti-Heidfeld: very quick but inconsistent. He has had six seasons in F1 and never placed above 10th in the WDC table. Is it time to consider retirement?
If for some reason Coulthard and Webber both leave RBR, who should replace them?
I'm in favour of Robert Doornbos returning to RBR.
