What about Bernoldi?


Enrique Job Hunting?

By Phil Giles
September 25 2002

It's no secret that there's a seat going spare at Toyota for 2003 and it would appear that the management want to fill it quite quickly. Rumours abound on the internet and I'm going to start another! Let's see if there's anyone listening. The Japanese marque are looking to fill seat two and have at the moment concentrated on two drivers.  Christiano Da Matta and Helio Castroneves.  At this time in Formula One, Brazilian drivers are in abundance.  Rubens at Ferrari, Felipe Massa at Sauber and one Enrique Bernoldi at Arrows.

 
Looking logically at the situation.  It's doubtful that Toyota, despite testing Helio and Christiano will pick either up.  Neither have practical F1 experience and as Alex Zanardi showed a few years back, not everyone can get into F1 and become an instant success. 
 
Rubens is well ensconced at Ferrari and probably won't move from the seat until somebody finds the superglue remover.  Felipe is young, but relatively inexperienced.  This years Sauber hasn't exactly been kind to him, however neither has his driving style been kind to the Sauber.
 
My prediction (and I may be proved wrong here Martin) is that the second seat at Toyota won't be announced until the end of the season and possibly well into the New Year.  My bold and some would say foolish prediction is that Arrows driver Enrique Bernoldi will partner Olivier Panis at Toyota for 2003.
 
Why?  Well I shall try to explain.  Enrique has the level of F1 experience that Toyota reall should be looking for.  I can't forsee Arrows surviving the winter.  The factory is all but closed now.  How can they make money without racing?  I doubt that we'll see them back.  EB is therefore a free agent.  He's done his best with a struggling team.  He's undertaken the majority of testing work over the last two seasons and has shown good race craft when the car has been up to it.
 
Watch this spot.  It may be Da Matta but I'd like a fiver on EB.
 
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