2016-17 Silly Season. Drivers Market

[gethinceri]

I would love to know the source of the "disobeyed team orders multiple times" information about Wehrlein Rutherford.

 

[Incubus]

I think he was ordered several times to go five seconds per lap quicker at every lap he drove and he didn't comply. Or something.

 

[Il_leone]

Mercedes want Williams' Valtteri Bottas as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate

Mercedes have their first offer rejected .. its a matter of how many $$$$ they will offer for Bottas for Williams eventually to release him

Thats another blow to Wehrlein

 

[cider_and_toast]

If Williams opt to not take Wehrlein, there's something of a shortage of suitably experienced drivers with enough quality to fit the bill.

 

[FB]

There is a "lovely boy" available...

 

[cider_and_toast]

Do you think Sir Frank has forgiven him by now?

 

[Il_leone]

cider_and_toast I don't see Williams taking Wehrlein

 

[cider_and_toast]

No, I don't either. This is the team that turned down Senna because they prefer not to run rookies. Now I know that stance has softened but I don't see them wanting two young, inexperienced drivers. As I said though, if Bottas goes, who else is available?

Looks like Button picked the wrong season to quit.

 

[Incubus]

No, I don't either. This is the team that turned down Senna because they prefer not to run rookies..

--------------------------------------

No they didn't! Unless of course you meab Ayrton?

and where did the lovely boy tm begin his F1 career again?

 

[cider_and_toast]

Yes I meant Ayrton and the lovely boy may have been given a great opportunity to start at Williams but then he did the contract fandango and spent the next few years in a mixed bag of cars that nearly wrecked his career.

As I said, Williams softened their stance on rookies a long time ago (they chose DC over Mansell for 95 for example) but the only other time they've ran with two inexperienced drivers (apart from Damon and David in 94) was Nakajima and Rosberg in 08. Even then Rosberg had completed 2 seasons.

Of course, Williams will end up doing whatever is financially best for the team and I, as usual, am probably talking total hogwash.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Mercedes want Williams' Valtteri Bottas as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate

Mercedes have their first offer rejected .. its a matter of how many $$$$ they will offer for Bottas for Williams eventually to release him

Thats another blow to Wehrlein

i said on week & half ago, Wolff Managed Bottas just seems the perfect fit

 

[Il_leone]

F1Brits_90 I overlooked the other Finn saying if he was free Raikkonen would be the ideal partner for Hamilton at Mercedes

It makes sense to pick Bottas for Mercedes but in the past Williams have had drivers on serious watertight contracts and they did with Bottas to prevent them leaving without paying megabucks

So lets watch this space

cider_and_toast Not really because Williams did not convince him they made steps forward with the car so he was tired of just driving around with very little recognition

Williams will play hard ball to keep Bottas no doubt

 

[Greenlantern101]

If they are blocked from Bottas then I would go after The Hulk.

 

[FB]

Renault have already told Mercedes Hulk isn't available. I suspect Williams will end up with free engines for next season, the offer on the table at the moment covers half their power unit costs.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Perez would be an interesting choice.

 

[Incubus]

Why does everyone keep banging on about Hulkenberg? Decent driver though he is I've yet to see any indication of greatness in him and he's been around for a while. Everybody seems to think he deserves a top-seat and his record of team-mate comparisons have never supported that view. And everybody seems to keep banging on about that pole in Brazil nearly 7 years ago when he happened to be the only driver on the right tyre at the right time?...

 

[cider_and_toast]

I like Perez and he's had a great year. I think he was hard done by at McLaren and maybe the expectations were too high on both sides.

I'd love it if he got the 2nd Ferrari seat in 2018. Following in the footsteps of Pedro Rodriguez.

 

[Incubus]

The fact that Perez scored all of Force India's podiums in the last 3 years would tend to suggest he does have more of an ability to raise his game when the stakes get higher.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Hulkenberg won Lemans with some help from his team mates. He was also widely regarded as an excellent driver when he first joined F1, but years of being over looked in midfield teams have hurt his reputation. I see him as a Jenson Button / Damon Hill type character who could deliver in a top team yet there are others who you might say have more x factor.

 

[vintly]

Hulkenberg is just over six foot tall, which is known in technical terms as a big ol' lump. Surely hasn't endeared him to the teams' technical bosses.