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November 08, 2011
Published on tags: Superleague
Joe Consiglio’s future at Nordsjoen Racing has been thrown into question after a recent interview in which the 2011 Champion stated that although he would be “happy” to stay on at Nordsjoen, nothing had been signed and he is currently “open to offers” from other teams. When asked if he had been approached by any other teams Consiglio smiled “I’ve talked to quite a few team principals recently but not necessarily about a 2012 drive!”


It’s difficult to believe Consiglio would want to leave the team that has delivered him two World Championships but with the rumours surrounding Nordsjoen’s 2012 driver line-up adding a degree of uncertainty, Consiglio might be thinking the smart thing to do is to keep his options open. Nordsjoen manager Will Ponissi was unavailable for comment but by all accounts has been approached by multiple top drivers looking for a 2012 deal. It has been suggested that Consiglio could be feeling threatened by Ponissi’s silence on the matter and wants a backup plan should he find himself out in the cold.


Charging the speculation is the fact Consiglio was seen in deep discussion with Mal McKee at the GPVWC Awards evening. It must be noted that back in January 2011 the Synergetic manager tried to sign the Maltese ace in a last minute deal before pre-season testing. In the end the negotiations fell through but McKee has made no secret of his respect for Consiglio's skills behind the wheel and his desire to one day sign the Maltese driver. On paper McKee’s technical flair and Synergetic’s long standing reputation in the league would be a good fit for Consiglio but could the midfield team afford the services of such a top driver?


It’s reported Nordsjoen Racing spent millions over the course of 2011 developing the slow burning NR004 chassis. In the end it probably paid off for the Italian team but at what cost? Some experts believe that lack of funds is now a real problem at Nordsjoen and Consiglio could be pricing himself out of the running with some non-negotiable salary demands. Perhaps Ponissi knows full well he can’t afford the Maltese ace and that’s why he has been looking around at other drivers. Conversely, Consiglio could be all too aware of Nordsjoen’s financial plight and this could be the reason he’s interested to see what other teams have to offer.


Finally it can’t be ruled out that Consiglio is quite simply seeking a new challenge in his life and winning a world title with another team is an appealing prospect. One thing is for sure, wherever Consiglio settles will have a massive affect on the driver market. It could be a very interesting off-season indeed.