2012, a transition season for Adrian Sutil

Now officially announced as a full-time driver for the Williams team in 2012, Bruno Senna sidelines Rubens Barrichello and Adrian Sutil from Formula One, unless the two drivers are willing to try their luck with HRT alongside Pedro de la Rosa. While the former Grove team member might consider enjoying a well-deserved retirement with his family without any regrets, Adrian Sutil, who was long considered the favorite for the last available seat in the British team, might have more regrets.

Ousted from Force India in mid-December, Adrian Sutil quickly saw his prospects of being on the starting grids in 2012 dim, as his agent, Manfred Zimmermann, told Motor-Total.com: « The announcement of Bruno Senna as a Williams driver did not surprise us. For us, the issue had been settled for two weeks. Negotiations with Williams ended in mid-December due to differences of opinion. » For his part, Mark Gillan, chief operations engineer at Williams, admits that Adrian « was part of [their] plans, but based on what was on the table, Bruno was the best choice. »

The 29-year-old driver had indeed not put all the odds in his favor, notably as he was subject to legal proceedings following a heated altercation with Eric Lux, co-founder of Genii Capital and co-shareholder of the Lotus F1 Team, in a Shanghai nightclub last April. As Sutil is expected to appear before the Munich court by the end of January, the possibility of a sentence of up to one year in prison still hangs like a sword of Damocles over the German driver’s future in Formula One, despite the confidence expressed by his manager, who recently stated: “I believe there is enough evidence and witnesses for the court to recognize that Adrian did not intend to assault anyone. We expect the truth to come to light during the hearing.”

The German might also have to face, according to the Swiss newspaper Blick, a potential travel ban by Chinese authorities, which would force any potential employer to find him a replacement for the Chinese Grand Prix. Thus, according to Tom Cary, a correspondent for the Telegraph, « it seems that the charges against him have ended his chances of taking the available seat at Williams. »

Undoubtedly linked to his judicial situation, some sources indicate that Adrian Sutil has also suffered from a substantial reduction in financial support from Médion, his historical sponsor, which would now amount to only 4 million euros according to *Autosprint*, less than the five million euros raised by Rubens Barrichello and especially significantly less than the 14 million euros that would accompany Bruno Senna’s signing.

Despite everything, Adrian Sutil’s manager strives to remain optimistic about his driver’s chances of continuing the adventure in Formula One: « We still believe that we will be in Formula One in 2012. It will be a transitional year for us, as we look for a long-term commitment. [But], for the moment, we will focus on the trial that will take place on January 30 and 31. »

To the German press agency DPA, Manfred Zimmermann did not rule out a possible surprise: « Either there will be a surprise, or we will have to consider a plan B. » However, the last vacant seat is with HRT, which would demand 6 million euros, while Jarno Trulli’s place at Caterham is still subject to speculation, even though Vitaly Petrov seems better positioned than Adrian Sutil today. The German could then settle for a reserve position—similar to Sebastien Buemi at Red Bull or Nico Hülkenberg last year at Force India—in order to bounce back in 2013, perhaps with Ferrari, which some sources recently indicated an interest from.

One thing is certain, however, Adrian Sutil will not join the Lotus F1 Team, as evidenced by Eric Lux’s recent statements: « That would be a joke, right? »