2016-17 Silly Season. Drivers Market

[RasputinLives]

cider_and_toast apparently there going to show the qualifying and the Roborace warm up. Although nothing is confirmed.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives Interestingly the BBC are thinking there could be some serious rivalry brewing in the future between Ocon, Verstappen and Wehrlein and then you've got Vandoorne and Sainz to add to the mix

Now lets hope they can get the regulations right so we can see proper racing and watch these guys go at it

 

[FB]

Toto Wolff bigging up the next pot of drivers lined up for F1. Perhaps Mercedes will give them all a seat to see some really close racing...

Toto Wolff: New generation of F1 drivers set to be “exceptional”

BTW - read all the way to the bottom to see BE's comments on Toto's qualifications for running F1. Classic Bernie, yougottalovehim!

 

[cider_and_toast]

As often said before, another example how big teams define success. Note no mention of the drivers championship.

with Lewis and Nico we have the perfect driver pairing – so far we have won two constructors championships and it is looking good again – so there was the logical thing, to stay with those two.

 

[Il_leone]

Read that Marcus Ericsson is out of contract at Sauber and is talking to both Williams and Renault Seriously he is not going to be anything more than a pay driver and it would be sad if either teams hires him

 

[RasputinLives]

Haven't Ericsson's investors just bought the Sauber team?

 

[Il_leone]

Marcus Ericsson in talks with multiple F1 teams for 2017 seat RasputinLives

I will lose respect for both Williams and Renault if either go with Ericsson they can do better than that

 

[Spinodontosaurus]

Ericsson is a pay driver sure, but he is hardly incompetent and there are probably several drivers on the grid driving worse than he is right now. That said I doubt there is anything really happening here, Ericsson's backer's have bought into Sauber and while he may not be the worst driver on offer for Williams or Renault, he isn't the best either.

 

[Il_leone]

It seems the Renault situation has gone orbital this weekend suggestions neither driver will be retained and the 3 main targets are

Sainz, Bottas and Hulkenberg whilst Perez could end up at Haas and Wehrlein could find himself promoted to Force India


Renault hält Fahrermarkt auf: Franzosen wollen Hülkenberg, Bottas und Sainz

 

[RasputinLives]

All of those drivers other than Wherlein have contracts for next year.

 

[Bill Boddy]

The way Ocon is handling Wehrlein now he could be a better target.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives It appears Williams are waiting to sort out Stroll's contract and Bottas will be confirmed

Hulkenberg I don't think his contract is expensive to buy out plus if its the fact that Force India are behind paying their wages then I don't think he wants to stick around

BUT he got beaten by Perez again in the race

Sainz - Red Bull keep saying hands off but it is not deterring Renault at the moment and would he not take some Spanish sponsors with him to Renault as well


Magnussen I think is on his way out seeing his relations appear to be detoriating with the team out of Renault

 

[RasputinLives]

So they do all have contracts then.

 

[Il_leone]

They all have contract you'd think Sainz will get some Spanish sponsors to help him and Renault buy out of his, Hulkenberg will use behind salary payments as his reason if this is true. Bottas is a favourite of Vasseur's but is it still $15m buy out ?

 

[RasputinLives]

I think none of them would have signed the contracts and gone through all the hassle of sorting out which sponsor goes where and when if they Weren't going to drive there in 2017. Now maybe if Merc were interested but Renault no.

I think the people that write these online articles know that too but need to attract readers.

Maybe for 2018.

 

[Il_leone]

If Renault had faith in their current drivers they would have re-signed them by now and the fact they want a leader just shows they don't think either pair have these qualities

The one driver who's making noises about his future direction despite supposedly under contract is Perez who if it were not for sponsors probably would have ended up like Di Resta now out of F1

Hulkenberg to me at this point really you have to ask if he is ever going to get a top drive after so many near misses and does not seem to have a PR machine to help him get attention

Bottas after the hoo-hah about moving to Ferrari last year has kept a lower profile this year although Finnish sources did say there were talks with Renault

Sainz off course on the face of it won't want to upset Red Bull who have supported his career but he always seems to come off 2nd best when its him and Max Verstappen. His dad knows that and will probably advise him to think about elsewhere. The fact Red Bull were 1-2 with possibly the strongest driver line up next season bar Mercedes is only going to add that Sainz needs to move

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives So the stories begin for 2018

Marc Webber has worrying prediction for Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel

 

[Il_leone]

06:56


Sky Sports understands that Valtteri Bottas will remain at Williamsafter rejecting an offer to join Renault.

The Finn is expected to be partnered by Lance Stroll in 2017 following the announcement that Felipe Massa will retire at the end of the year.

 

[Il_leone]

Well after making noises Perez has decided to stay with Force India after all citing stability

Don't think he will stay with the team in2018 if he seriously has ambitions to be world champion

 

[Wombcat]

RasputinLives So the stories begin for 2018

Marc Webber has worrying prediction for Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel

Vettel to Mercedes in 2018? That would be something.