2016-17 Silly Season. Drivers Market

[Bill Boddy]

That was before Xmas Greenlantern101 but it seems to be very difficult to actually carry out. Maybe once they find out where Hamilton is they will be able to get him to give Bottas his blessing.

 

[Greenlantern101]

#blessed

 

[Greenlantern101]

Bottas to Mercedes and Massa at Williams was made official yesterday.

In other news, fish like water and stars are far away.

 

[FB]

Wehrlein was confirmed at Sauber yesterday as well and the report I read said "this completes our driver line up" so I presume Marcus Ericsson will have another season.

Pascal Wehrlein joins Sauber for 2017 season - Sauber

 

[RasputinLives]

Wasn't Ericsson announced months ago?

Yes the Bottas news was hardly a shocker was it? Mercedes have this corporate way of sucking the fun out of everything Don't they? I'm just bitter though coz I put that stupid Ocon bet on!

So driver line ups complete - apart from Manor who aren't likely to be around anyways.

 

[Road of Bones]

Don't Ericsson's backers basically own Sauber anyway?

And on a related note - how do all these frankly rather mediocre drivers seem to garner such huge amounts of sponsorship year after year? Is it a case of doing well enough to win sponsorship one year in a junior category, before spinning it out thereafter in the hope that the sponsors will stick with him rather than admit that they've been wasting their money all this time?

 

[RasputinLives]

Road of Bones it's usually to do with national pride I think. Sometimes to do with thinking they've invested tons so far so they have to keep going and hope for the pay off. Most often though I think it's to do with having a relative in the business.

 

[FB]

Ericsson's "partners" get their own page on his website - Partners › Marcus Ericsson

And a bit of background on the new owners of Sauber courtesy of Forbes.

Revealed: The $30 Billion Formula One Backers From Sweden

I must have missed the Ericsson announcement. Either that or I didn't really care.

 

[Greenlantern101]

F1 2017 calendar and schedule, driver line-ups and test dates

FINAL 2017 DRIVER LINE-UPS

MERCEDES
Race drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas
Engines: Mercedes

RED BULL
Race drivers: Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen
Reserve driver: Pierre Gasly
Engines: TAG Heuer-badged Renault

FERRARI
Race drivers: Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen
Third driver: Antonio Giovinazzi
Engines: Ferrari

FORCE INDIA
Race drivers: Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon
Engines: Mercedes

WILLIAMS
Race drivers: Felipe Massa and Lance Stroll
Engines: Mercedes

MCLAREN
Race drivers: Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne
Engines: Honda

TORO ROSSO
Race drivers: Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat
Reserve driver: Pierre Gasly
Engines: Renault

HAAS
Race drivers: Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen
Engines: Ferrari

RENAULT
Race drivers: Nico Hulkenberg and Jolyon Palmer
Engines: Renault

SAUBER
Race drivers: Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein
Engines: Ferrari (2016 spec)

MANOR (Team currently in administration)
Race drivers: TBC and TBC
Engines: Mercedes

 

[Il_leone]

You know Bottas/ Massa to Mercedes/ Williams - probably F1 worst kept secret for a while now

What is interesting is Werhlein to Sauber which comes with Mercedes backing to their former partners ... I don't think Ferrari have much sway with Sauber having given them an old Ferrari engine. Now that Manor are in administration , I am thinking could Sauber - Mercedes return in 2018 with the team ironically running junior drivers for Merc

Bottas is only on a 1 year contract with options so the whole silly season for 2018 might be the most silliest yet given I think all the top drivers are out of contract except Verstappen so there maybe plenty of jostling for drives going on and the emergence of the next generation will make it interesting which of the old guard is being dispensed as well

 

[RasputinLives]

Sauber are apparently negotiating an engine deal with Honda for 2018.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives I remember that was being touted with Matsushita as one of the drivers but I would not rule out Sauber - Mercedes

 

[vintly]

£500 for a V-Tec

 

[Greenlantern101]

they could do the whole season on one engine with a V-tec and never have any failures. The 107% rule may be an issue though

 

[Il_leone]

I said Sauber Mercedes could be on in the future - Mercedes just signed George Russell as part of their young driver programme so a feeder team in F1 would help developing the driver

 

[olegg]

Massa's comeback is silly action

 

[Greenlantern101]

It's a new record. The 2018 silly season has started already.

Alonso to decide on F1 future after summer break

 

[Andyoak]

Oh dear, has he just driven the 2017 McHonda?

 

[teabagyokel]

Nah, he's got well ahead of the game and applied pressure to McLaren ready for contract negotiations.

 

[FB]

He admitted he talked with Mercedes as well and you have to assume they didn't want him.