2020 Formula 1 Silly Season

Something tells me Alonso isn't truly done with F1 yet. There's a lot of shuffling and contracts up at the same time. There are potential one year chances to infill, non committal on both sides if the likes of Lewis or Vettel do retire.

I think Lewis is going to stay and equal Schumacher and retire on 7. Vettel likely sooner if Leclerc is fast. That's when it all gets mental.

 

Something tells me Alonso isn't truly done with F1 yet. There's a lot of shuffling and contracts up at the same time. There are potential one year chances to infill, non committal on both sides if the likes of Lewis or Vettel do retire.

I think Lewis is going to stay and equal Schumacher and retire on 7. Vettel likely sooner if Leclerc is fast. That's when it all gets mental.

He is done with F1. No one needs him

People underrate Bottas. He is very solid if largely unspectacular. He's sort of a grey and white version of Barrichello.

We are rating his season versus possibly Hamilton's greatest, and one of THE greatest seasons for a champion. That's a hard deal.

Vettel made repeated mistakes, Bottas just wasn't great. Of the two, Bottas is doing a better job, which is to be the No.2 and bring the points.

Just a steady points picker not a regular race winner. Merc need better.

If Russell performs i think Mercedes should do what Ferrari did to Leclerc or RB with Gasly unlike Ocon who has never outscored a teammate in his career Russell has way more potential and is a possible WDC.

People underrate Bottas. He is very solid if largely unspectacular. He's sort of a grey and white version of Barrichello.

We are rating his season versus possibly Hamilton's greatest, and one of THE greatest seasons for a champion. That's a hard deal.

Vettel made repeated mistakes, Bottas just wasn't great. Of the two, Bottas is doing a better job, which is to be the No.2 and bring the points.

I think he is much better than Rubens used to be.

 

Ferrari even tried to get him 2015-2016 but Williams somehow vetoed it.

 

Bottas in 2018 although in the end of the season was bit of a crap, was very very unlucky in the 1st 4 races in 2018. He should have won 3 races (Bahrain, China and Baku). It would have been a completely different season...

Who I hope to see dissapear:
- Grosjean, had enough time now and not enough imho to stay. He won’t break into a topteam anymore.
- Perez, he is good but honestly he isn’t waiting for his break at topteams, it is time to move on. He will probably beat Stroll so he has to go then...
- Kvyat if Albon wins teambattle, this should fullfill the needed prophecy for Verstappen to win the WDC

These are 3 spots opening, 1 for STR should most likely go to Ticktum and others to top of F2 competition.

For the rest I wait to see how it goes in 2019 anyway. Looking forward to interresting teambattles.

Magnussen is on contract through 2020.

Edited by Montie, 12 December 2018 - 20:40.

- Perez, he is good but honestly he isn’t waiting for his break at topteams, it is time to move on. He will probably beat Stroll so he has to go then...
 

 

  Surely if he beats Stroll then the latter should go, or both?

 

Personally I don't see why Perez should go. He's still performing up to F1 standard.

Surely if he beats Stroll then the latter should go, or both?

Personally I don't see why Perez should go. He's still performing up to F1 standard.

Perez only function imho is as a great benchmark. He is a very good solid driver imho but the odds of him processing to a top team are close to zero. I don’t see it happening. And that can be said for multiple drivers though. It is in no way a complaint about Perez. But in no way is staying at his team going to help his carreer much.
- He wins his teambattle by much: Big deal, its against Stroll.
- He wins his teambattle by a little: OMG Perez isn’t as good as we thought he be.
- He loses his teambattle: OMG Daddy Stroll is sabotaging Perez.

Either way unless the Force India of next year becomes an amazing car compared to last year (which imho I doubt) and Perez gets equal treatment (which imho I doubt also, not saying Sabotage but expect upgrades to go on Strolls car first). I just don’t see him progress. If he performs better than precious years people would point at the car if performs worse or stroll is too close to him it is him.

Anyway that I would like some drivers to move on in many cases isn’t a complaint about a driver it is just that I rather see a talented new driver or even Ocon to freshen it up a bit more

From the drivers outside the top 3 teams with much experience I can only see drivers like Hulkenberg and/or Ricciardo move up. Sainz as as slight maybe but he needs an impressive year at Mclaren first. Others like Grosjean, Magnussen don’t have that prospect. Kimi is also on his way out but he is on his farewell run with the team that started it all and he is a former WDC. I wouldn’t be surprised if something happened at Ferrari with either driver that he would do a temporal return.

Surely if he beats Stroll then the latter should go, or both?

Personally I don't see why Perez should go. He's still performing up to F1 standard.

And yes i meant that if Stroll gets trashed he should just call it quits.

And yes i meant that if Stroll gets trashed he should just call it quits.

I doubt that from ever happening. As long as there is money to spend, Stroll Jr. will Always have a place on the grid. But to be honest, I can see him staying on the grid on merit of his own skills. Albeit that sounds funny after seeing him struggle two seasons, I am dead serious about my opinion on Stroll. I really think the guy can race properly. He could be a second Pedro Diniz. A good racer who came into F1 with his money, but who can go on for some seasons and fetch some good results during his career.

I doubt that from ever happening. As long as there is money to spend, Stroll Jr. will Always have a place on the grid. But to be honest, I can see him staying on the grid on merit of his own skills. Albeit that sounds funny after seeing him struggle two seasons, I am dead serious about my opinion on Stroll. I really think the guy can race properly. He could be a second Pedro Diniz. A good racer who came into F1 with his money, but who can go on for some seasons and fetch some good results during his career.

I honestly hope you would be right, but honestly hope that if he gets solidly beaten and can’t make the extra step he like some others just come to conclusion to just give up.

For the rest, there have been plenty of paydrivers who where mocked but on their day showed promise, so far Stroll only impressed me once and that was in Monza qualifying in the rain. (And no I didn’t forget his podium, I just wasn’t impressed by it).

Stroll has had some races past season. And beating Sirotkin in the way he did was impressive. But there lies the issue; these days we as fans dont bother looking at the backmarkers. Which in turn is logical, but there were some amazing fights at the end of the field this season. Stroll vs Sirotkin was such a fight which Stroll won with a landslide. I am very curious on what he can show against Perez.

He is done with F1. No one needs him

I wouldn't be totally surprised by his comeback as he is still one of F1's best, but I'd bet against it - none of the top teams want him and he wasn't interested in continue of being mid-grid (or back of the grid, recently) with Mclaren. But maybe, if a season outside is going to make him miss F1... still, I doubt it.

Stroll has had some races past season. And beating Sirotkin in the way he did was impressive. But there lies the issue; these days we as fans dont bother looking at the backmarkers. Which in turn is logical, but there were some amazing fights at the end of the field this season. Stroll vs Sirotkin was such a fight which Stroll won with a landslide. I am very curious on what he can show against Perez.

Massa made him look like a track day amateur, if he can run with Perez it will have been quite a turnaround for him.

In the grand scheme of things he is not wrong. Vettel's job was to win the championship or at least bring the fight until the last race, he failed. Botta's job was to help the team and Hamilton to win both titles, he succeed.

In the big picture...

... he should not be, at least, behind Verstappen in the standings.

Edited by coppilcus, 14 December 2018 - 08:46.

Massa made him look like a track day amateur, if he can run with Perez it will have been quite a turnaround for him.

Indeed...

... but crazy ‘journalists’ and fans are going to under value his performance and blame it all on Perez, ‘perennial paydriver’, or conspiracy theories of Stroll Sr favouring Stroll Jr with a better car.

Everything is worth it if Ocon’s ‘shine’ is preserved and do not gets tarnished even more than it got by loosing two consecutive seasons against Sergio Perez. I don’t think that Stroll is going to be a match for Perez, as Ocon was, but if he competes occasionally, it’s going to be delightful reading and hearing all the rethoric construction of Ocon’s value and why oh why he’s not in F1.

Massa made him look like a track day amateur, if he can run with Perez it will have been quite a turnaround for him.

If he can, then it will indeed. But during his debut season we saw an immature driver who needed some humble pie to turn his woeful first season around. Something that actually has happened. As said, Im far away than being a Stroll fan. But I do value his second season as a very solid one.

Stroll has nowhere to hide anymore, protected in his father's stable and his 3rd year in F1 he must deliver. If very slightly behind Perez is ok, any worse is a failure and his stay as F1 driver will be questioned.

 

Bottas also is on the line as the top team driver. 5th this year is unacceptable.

 

Vettel equal to Leclerc would be a good bye from Ferrari, also not taking the fight to Hamilton would be a sign Ferrari needs Alonso type of guy to bring WDC.

 

I'm very interested to know what Marko/Horner will do if Kvyat is defeated by Albon ? In my mind that would make them look bad in their choices of drivers first and second Kvyat should look for a job in other series

I cant see Kvyat having made the same mistake. He wasnt a Red Bull member anymore if I recall correctly. This would mean that Kvyat has negotiated a new contract. And he would be stupid to have agreed upon a one year only contract. So, unless he still was a Red Bull member last year, I cant see him dropping out before the end of 2020.

Perez only function imho is as a great benchmark. He is a very good solid driver imho but the odds of him processing to a top team are close to zero. I don’t see it happening. And that can be said for multiple drivers though. It is in no way a complaint about Perez. But in no way is staying at his team going to help his carreer much.
- He wins his teambattle by much: Big deal, its against Stroll.
- He wins his teambattle by a little: OMG Perez isn’t as good as we thought he be.
- He loses his teambattle: OMG Daddy Stroll is sabotaging Perez.

Either way unless the Force India of next year becomes an amazing car compared to last year (which imho I doubt) and Perez gets equal treatment (which imho I doubt also, not saying Sabotage but expect upgrades to go on Strolls car first). I just don’t see him progress. If he performs better than precious years people would point at the car if performs worse or stroll is too close to him it is him.

Anyway that I would like some drivers to move on in many cases isn’t a complaint about a driver it is just that I rather see a talented new driver or even Ocon to freshen it up a bit more

From the drivers outside the top 3 teams with much experience I can only see drivers like Hulkenberg and/or Ricciardo move up. Sainz as as slight maybe but he needs an impressive year at Mclaren first. Others like Grosjean, Magnussen don’t have that prospect. Kimi is also on his way out but he is on his farewell run with the team that started it all and he is a former WDC. I wouldn’t be surprised if something happened at Ferrari with either driver that he would do a temporal return.

 

As long as Perez remains competitive and he keeps generating money/advertisement for Slim in Mexico he'll stay in F1

In defence of Stroll he's still 20 years old. That's the same age as for example Jenson Button got his debut. Button was lauded that year but in reality was quite a lot off from Ralf Schumacher, not that dissimilar from the gap between Stroll and Massa (although I think F1 has evolved so much gaps that large are no longer acceptable - everything's more fine-tuned and analysed through telemetry and simulations etc). The following year he got trounced by Trulli and everyone questioned whether he belonged in F1. Then he was given another chance and beat a world champ (JV) and would later go on to be a world champion himself.

So, I don't think he's gonna be a world champ like Button, but I think he's still well within a learning curve, both in terms of maturity (age) as well as experience (going into his 3rd year in F1). I find him a very difficult character to sympathize with at all, but he's more talented than people make him to be.

So, I don't think he's gonna be a world champ like Button, but I think he's still well within a learning curve, both in terms of maturity (age) as well as experience (going into his 3rd year in F1). I find him a very difficult character to sympathize with at all, but he's more talented than people make him to be.

I'm not sure how much more he can learn in terms of pure speed, he had many private sessions with personal F1 engineers in order to maximize his speed. In any case Perez will be his ultimate reference, we'll have a confirmation now what he is really worth.

In defence of Stroll he's still 20 years old. That's the same age as for example Jenson Button got his debut. Button was lauded that year but in reality was quite a lot off from Ralf Schumacher, not that dissimilar from the gap between Stroll and Massa (although I think F1 has evolved so much gaps that large are no longer acceptable - everything's more fine-tuned and analysed through telemetry and simulations etc). The following year he got trounced by Trulli and everyone questioned whether he belonged in F1. Then he was given another chance and beat a world champ (JV) and would later go on to be a world champion himself.

So, I don't think he's gonna be a world champ like Button, but I think he's still well within a learning curve, both in terms of maturity (age) as well as experience (going into his 3rd year in F1). I find him a very difficult character to sympathize with at all, but he's more talented than people make him to be.

 

  With confidence I predict that Stroll will never be a race winner in F1 let alone a WDC. Out of his depth totally. Rent boy seat.

  With confidence I predict that Stroll will never be a race winner in F1 let alone a WDC. Out of his depth totally. Rent boy seat.

 

I think he could get a win in a Maldonado-type situation. Though that's possibly a bad example because I do see Lance as a safe pair of hands. Just depends on how competitive F1 is over his career. I don't think there are any current drivers who I'd totally discount in a chaotic race situation.

Stroll has talent but they just launched him too soon. They saw Verstappen and figured it was fine. But drivers like Verstappen, Raikkonen, Alonso who can handle the very steep learning curve are rare. And you need to come in a team that can guide talent. Williams should have had the balls to say: race GP2 and be our testdriver. Stroll wasn’t ready yet and he showed it. Maybe now with 2 years experience and extra simulator time over the winter he will be fine. But imho just fine isn’t what people want.

I think he is much better than Rubens used to be.
 
Ferrari even tried to get him 2015-2016 but Williams somehow vetoed it.
 
Bottas in 2018 although in the end of the season was bit of a crap, was very very unlucky in the 1st 4 races in 2018. He should have won 3 races (Bahrain, China and Baku). It would have been a completely different season...

He has the speed, couldn’t figure out tire management in the 2nd half of the season.

Stroll was outqualified by rookie Sirotkin. He is just not that talented, irrespective of experience.

 

Stroll reminds me of Matthew Wilson from WRC. Dad put his son to drive the WRC car for 5 seasons, starting at the age of 18. But he never amounted to much, finishing 5 minutes behind the winner at best.

I think he could get a win in a Maldonado-type situation. Though that's possibly a bad example because I do see Lance as a safe pair of hands. Just depends on how competitive F1 is over his career. I don't think there are any current drivers who I'd totally discount in a chaotic race situation.

If the rest of the grid retired he'd still finish 2nd. He's rubbish.

Wolff: Bottas has to justify Mercedes seat

If Honda don't deliver , Ferrari & Merc  will be chasing Max for 2020

I think Mercedes could be interested in such move. Surely they would be interested in taking Vettel over Bottas, and the marketing benefits would be great too. Two multiple champions and they would again have their own German driver. Hamilton-Vettel seems like a managable enough driver pairing too, no worse than Hamilton-Rosberg IMHO.

I think even Hamilton could be prepared for such change, because I assume by now he has got the confidence he can beat Vettel in the same car.

Vettel? Unsure about the motivation for the change though. Maybe if he gets beaten by Leclerc, he fancies that getting beaten by Hamilton would be less humiliating?

As much as the stars have aligned for Hamilton these past few years I don’t think he’d get that lucky to have Vettel as a team mate too.

If Honda don't deliver , Ferrari & Merc  will be chasing Max for 2020

I think they will be chasing Max anyway. His contract ending at the end of 2021, as Hamiltons is. It would be wise to close Verstappen down early for any party involved. Just to prevent any other team walking away with him.

Article here is speculating about a possible Verstappen move to Mercedes next year, he has an opting out clause. Marko claims that Wolff is regulary calling Jos well, they are friends

Apparently though, Max's opting out clause is way more stricter than the one Vettel had in 2014 (I guess it's not being in top 3 of the WDC this time)

https://www.autobild...n-14748683.html

Probably nothing special, but this thread needs life 

Wasn't that known already when signing the extention in 2017? He has exit clauses in case the RB-Honda adventure falls through.

Wasn't that known already when signing the extention in 2017? He has exit clauses in case the RB-Honda adventure falls through.

Yeah, but definite "failing"

Article here is speculating about a possible Verstappen move to Mercedes next year, he has an opting out clause. Marko claims that Wolff is regulary calling Jos well, they are friends

Apparently though, Max's opting out clause is way more stricter than the one Vettel had in 2014 (I guess it's not being in top 3 of the WDC this time)

https://www.autobild...n-14748683.html

Probably nothing special, but this thread needs life 

 

Would ensure some intra-team fireworks, and close to complete meltdown in the Mercedes team employee thread.......

 

Were Max to mover, think of the domino effect that potentially have....

 

• Lewis to another team (in red?)
• Vettel back to Red Bull
• Ocon to Mercedes
• Bottas to Williams

It will be fun to watch Lewis and Max as a team-mate, but i doubt it will happen. Considering how Rosberg-Hamilton pairing made the Merc garage 'toxic', situation should be worse with someone who is definitely better than Rosberg in term of abilities.

Article here is speculating about a possible Verstappen move to Mercedes next year, he has an opting out clause. Marko claims that Wolff is regulary calling Jos well, they are friends

Apparently though, Max's opting out clause is way more stricter than the one Vettel had in 2014 (I guess it's not being in top 3 of the WDC this time)

https://www.autobild...n-14748683.html

Probably nothing special, but this thread needs life 

 

I can't see Verstappen  versus Hamilton at Mercedes. I could see Verstappen in place of Verstappen, then Hamilton could move to Ferrari, Vettel back to Red Bull.

Would ensure some intra-team fireworks, and close to complete meltdown in the Mercedes team employee thread.......

 

Were Max to mover, think of the domino effect that potentially have....

 

• Lewis to another team (in red?)
• Vettel back to Red Bull
• Ocon to Mercedes
• Bottas to Williams

 

So basically Lewis runs away from Max or Merc dtich Lewis for Max? 

Edited by Sunnny, 05 April 2019 - 16:13.

Would ensure some intra-team fireworks, and close to complete meltdown in the Mercedes team employee thread.......

 

Were Max to mover, think of the domino effect that potentially have....

 

• Lewis to another team (in red?)
• Vettel back to Red Bull
• Ocon to Mercedes
• Bottas to Williams

 

Verstappen-Ocon as Mercedes team-mates? I think not...

Article here is speculating about a possible Verstappen move to Mercedes next year, he has an opting out clause. Marko claims that Wolff is regulary calling Jos well, they are friends

Apparently though, Max's opting out clause is way more stricter than the one Vettel had in 2014 (I guess it's not being in top 3 of the WDC this time)

https://www.autobild...n-14748683.html

Probably nothing special, but this thread needs life 

 

So basically Lewis runs away from Max or Merc dtich Lewis for Max? 

 

Not really no.... Lewis decided to leave, Mercedes panic and sign Max, paying the blood money to Red Bull...

 

If Max has an inkling of an opportunity to go to Mercedes, I suspect he will dump Red Bull and Honda.  At the end of the day, the Red Bull Honda tie up feels piecemeal.  I know Red Bull have newey and what they did from 2011 with Vettel was amazing, but the weight of Mercedes is awfully alluring.

 

Max's only allegience is to the team that can deliver him titles. Jos and Max play the game very well just like any other driver would in the market. If there is a way out of the RB contract, I doubt we will see any "loyalty".  If his on track demeanor is anything to go by.

Edited by ARTGP, 05 April 2019 - 17:43.

Not really no.... Lewis decided to leave, Mercedes panic and sign Max, paying the blood money to Red Bull...

 

 

Ah okay - I was wandering what you meant  guess it should had been 'Lewis deciding to move and the domino effects' he is the one that is going to shake the drivers market if he leave Merc. But I see no single reason why he would leave Merc. 

　

 

paparazzi from Bahrain:

 

 

 

Gasly informed by Marko that he will be replaced by either better performing one between Kvyat and Albon or Ticktum for 2020

 

 

 

 

 

upon the decision to drop Gasly, the Gasly side of RBR garage is completely demotivated, and Horner is already totally indifferent to Gasly

 

 

 

 

 

 

Verstappen quarreling with Marko, insisting that if the car continue to be s*** like this he would leave and go to Mercedes AMG Petronas defo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sebastian having secret meeting with Horner over possible 2020 RBR deal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures are real (all from Bahrain 2019, source below) but captions are totally my creation meant to be joke

https://www.as-web.jp/f1/468977?all

 

 

　

 

paparazzi from Bahrain:

 

That's the good stuff, proper silly season kick-off.

 

 

Man, Verstappen leaving RBR would be a massive blow for them. They would find themselves in a pretty desperate position, likely forced to get someone from outside of their program for the first time in ages. 

Ah okay - I was wandering what you meant  guess it should had been 'Lewis deciding to move and the domino effects' he is the one that is going to shake the drivers market if he leave Merc. But I see no single reason why he would leave Merc. 

 

Neither do I, as I said potentially.... I highly doubt Verstappen will join a team Lewis is also in.

 

 

Edited by HeadFirst, 05 April 2019 - 19:48.

 

Personally I don't see much happening. Kubica, and Sirotkin are likely gone. Gasly, Magnussen, and Grosjean are in need of strong seasons to hold their current drives.

 

Mercedes: Hamilton/Bottas
Ferrari: Leclerc/Vettel
Red Bull: Gasly/Verstappen
Renault: Ricciardo/Hulkenberg
McLaren: Norris/Sainz
Williams: Russell/Ocon
Racing Point: Stroll/Perez
Haas: Newgarden/Magnussen or Grosjean
Sauber: Raikkonen/Giovinazzi
Toro Rosso: Albon/ Ghiotto

 

 

Bottas replaced by Ocon, he'll have to look to replace Magnussen/Gros if one of them flops, otherwise he is in trouble. Another possibility is to take Kubica's place at Williams if Kubica is to replace Vettel. Some will laugh at this but Kubica will surprise at the end of the season. Vettel 90% is done at Ferrari, he'll meet Verstappen there and gets another a.. beating. Giovinazzi with very good season could see a promotion to Ferrari, in theory, but I honestly don't see it myself.

 

Mercedes: Hamilton/Ocon
Ferrari: Leclerc/Giovinazzi/Kubica
Red Bull: Vettel/Verstappen/Albon
Renault: Ricciardo/Hulkenberg
McLaren: Norris/Sainz
Williams: Russell/Kubica/Bottas
Racing Point: Stroll/Perez
Haas: Magnussen/Grosjean/Bottas
Sauber: Raikkonen/Giovinazzi/Schumacher
Toro Rosso: Albon/Kvyat/Ghiotto/Gasly

 

If Max finds a place at Merc, Ocon and Bottas in trouble, and Albon with strong season promoted to RBR

Edited by tghik, 06 April 2019 - 02:15.

If the people who do contract negotiations over at Red Bull (Horner? Marko? Mateschitz?) aren’t completely off their collective rockers, the break-up clause in Verstappen’s contract only activates with a WDC finish outside of the Top 6 or something equally ridiculous, given the current landscape of F1. I don’t think they would have agreed to anything more outrageous.

That being said, I do believe there’s a good chance we will see Max in a non-RBR car at some point, but also that that point is quite far away yet. With new regulations looming, it’s quite likely that the top teams would want to secure their drivers as early as possible, and that should play into Red Bull’s hands more than their competitors’. They once again enjoy the status of a works outfit, and if Newey can be lured in by said regulations, I don’t see why RBR shouldn’t be able to a) build a competitive car, and b) convince the Verstappens that they can. If that doesn’t work out either, then yes, I don’t think Max will agree to spend what should be his prime with an outfit that will have arguably underperformed for nearly a decade by that point.

You can see I am playing the long game here.

EDITed for a minor grammar error.

Edited by Silberpfeil, 05 April 2019 - 21:06.