Silly season

Why am I always surprised when silly season rumours start circulating this early in the year? Fact is that there's plenty of talk of who's going where in F1, MotoGP and Superbike. The phenomenon doesn't necessarily translate to the world of sportscar racing which tends to be a in a permanent state of silly season.

The big deal in F1 apparently seems to surround Michael Schumacher. Nick Damon was talking on Midweek Motorsport about how his future plans basically unlock a bunch of other moves for the rest of the paddock. If he retires, it's likely Kimi Raikkonen will replace him. If he doesn't, then Raikkonen will most likely take the other potential top slot, the seat at Renault. That leaves an empty seat over at McLaren, and a number of drivers without '07 contracts (most notably Mark Webber).

Over in the bike world, most discussion surrounds Carl Fogarty, Ducati, Max Biaggi and Neil Hodgson. It's unclear if Foggy's going to move to MotoGP or switch manufacturers in World Superbike. What is clear is that the Ducati team in AMA is living with an axe over its head. Ducati want Hodgson back in World Superbike, and there's talk of a "B" factory Ducati team run by Foggy. It's also mooted that the Foggy / Hodgson combo will be a satellite Ducati team in MotoGP, possibly with Max Biaggi coming on board. It's all very tantalizing...