Grapevine: Drivers in danger despite contract

With the driver market pretty much on hold until Alonso sorts out where he will be driving in 2008, the availability of several young stars remains uncertain as no team wants to make firm commitments just yet.

That means drivers like Heikki Kovalainen, Nelson Piquet Jr, and Tonio Liuzzi, all remain on stand-by and could be left in limbo if Alonso's discussions drag on into the new year.

Autosport magazine reports that Toyota and Honda are both aware that there is the chance to snap up a young star later on this year, and this has cast some question marks over the futures of Trulli and Barrichello.

Trulli does have a contract for another two years, but Toyota team principal John Howett has refused to confirm that the Italian's place in the team is certain.

"Jarno has a contract for next year," Howett told Autosport. "Is his 2008 seat secure? That's a difficult question to answer. I guess if his performance is good enough he'll be in the car."

Honda insiders also revealed that the team are evaluating Barrichello's future, even though he signed a new one-year deal back in July.

It is suggested that Honda could cite performance related clauses in his contract to remove him if a better option becomes available.

Honda team principal Nick Fry has refused to be drawn on the speculation, however. He said: "It's clear that Rubens has a contract with us for next year, and it has been announced for some time."

This week's Autosport magazine offers a full analysis of the Formula One driver market for 2008.