Silly season update: Rubens Barrichello is now ...

Published on 28 July 1998 by Verstappen Info Page

Silly season update: Rubens Barrichello is now linked with Williams. Barrichello has admitted that he has spoken with the team but that nothing is signed or final. Montoya, Hill, Herbert and Trulli are also linked to the team and Heinz-Harald Frentzen can only stay if he accepts a pay-cut. Alessandro Zanardi still seems to be Williams' first choice but he has also had a very lucrative offer from his current Ganassi Champ Car team.

David Coulthard in the mean time seems to be staying with McLaren next year after having been named as BAR's first choice as second driver. Team boss Ron Dennis has said that the future of both his current drivers is decided upon at the end of this month. On David's performance in Austria he commented: "Austria was probably David's best race. It was the ability to control yourself in those conditions, not overdrive and choose your moment to overtake. David's chances of staying are as good as they ever were. The drivers are everything we want them to be. They are team players. Before the end of the month we shall sit down and the decision will not be emotional."

Jean Alesi will propably see out his two year contract with Sauber after having been linked to Prost last week as the only French alternative for Olivier Panis if Prost want to keep it's Peugeot power source. Sauber has signed a deal with Ferrari to continue using their V10s for the third consecutive year. Sauber seems to have considered switching to Mecachrome.