2020 Silly Season

[F1Brits_90]

Mercedes: Hamilton (for life),

im still not confident he finishes his career at Mercedes. still think he fancies ferrari drive

 

[Il_leone]

Well the silly season is sorting itself

Bottas at Mercedes - Poor choice in my opinion and it could have been a statement to say to both Ferrari and Red Bull we have our man for the future in Ocon like they profess he is strangely they said the same thing about Wehrlein.

This selection or choice can only mean one thing Mercedes are open to signing Verstappen or Vettel for 2021 if Hamilton leaves or hangs up his helmet next year.

Ocon to Renault. I am thrilled for him but it means he has to prove himself again vs the Honey Badger which would be a good test to see where he is at and compared against his old nemesis Verstappen by using Ricciardo as the benchmark. Hulkenberg has been saying he's been ditched because Ocon is French which Renault deny was the deciding factor

Hulkenberg - you have to feel for the guy who's only chance left is at Haas where he could replace his old GP2 rival Grosjean which seems to be the case given Romain's response after the race on Sunday like a man who has given up

Incidentally there is a bit of needle between Magnussen and Hulkenberg

Perez and Stroll form team Racing Point or should I say Racing Pointless. The team apparently is getting better but at Spa it might have down to the engine

Another 3 years with Stroll as your teammate



Sunday was a reminder why Perez is not in a top team with the way he forced Albon on the grass. So Sergio would have stayed at Force India/ Racing Point for 9 years possibly if he carries on ? I still don;t see how they will be world champions nor expecting him to last that long without upsetting Stroll

 

[Ruslan]

im still not confident he finishes his career at Mercedes. still think he fancies ferrari drive

Yea, I don’t see that happening unless Mercedes withdraws from F1. Three reasons 1) Leclerc will still be there and established, 2) I am not sure that Hamilton and Ferrari are a natural fit, 3) His legacy is Mercedes....he is THE Mercedes driver.

I think he will finish out his career at Mercedes. The question is when: 1) at the end of 2020?, 2) at the end of 2022?, 3) later?

 

[F1Brits_90]

Yea, I don’t see that happening unless Mercedes withdraws from F1. Three reasons 1) Leclerc will still be there and established, 2) I am not sure that Hamilton and Ferrari are a natural fit, 3) His legacy is Mercedes....he is THE Mercedes driver.

I think he will finish out his career at Mercedes. The question is when.

what about if in 2020 is constantly outshone by Leclerc & leaves as he doesn't want to play the kimi role.

 

[Ruslan]

what about if in 2020 is constantly outshone by Leclerc & leaves as he doesn't want to play the kimi role.

I assume you mean if Vettel is outshone by Leclerc in 2020. If so (and it is certainly a possibility) I would not expect Hamilton would want to go to Ferrari in 2021. Is he really relishing that type of drama anymore?

Now if that happens, I would not be surprised if Vettel retires at the end of 2020 (also?). Not sure in that scenario what Ferrari would do.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Now if that happens, I would not be surprised if Vettel retires at the end of 2020 (also?). Not sure in that scenario what Ferrari would do.

Panic & bring kimi back

but seriously I could see vettel retiring he would be nearly 34 come march 2021. how much would he be interested, his kids would be 7? & 6? maybe he would want to spend more time with young family

 

[Ruslan]

Panic & bring kimi back

Alonso

but seriously I could see vettel retiring he would be nearly 34 come march 2021. how much would he be interested, his kids would be 7? & 6? maybe he would want to spend more time with young family

We could well see both Hamilton and Vettel gone for 2021. Sort of a changing of the guard. Although....I gather from recent comments, that Hamilton is actually planning on sticking around for a while.

On the other hand......one cannot rule out a Verstappen-Vettel switch for 2021, especially if Red Bull is not quite yet in consistent race winning form.

Maybe we should already start our "2021 Silly Season" thread. After all, we already know who will be at Racing Point.

 

[Il_leone]

F1Brits_90 Ferrari would probably consider Riccardo if he has a good season at Renault in 2020 for 2021 if they cannot get Verstappen or Hamilton

Giovinazzi at the moment has disappointed and unlikely to get his chance in a Ferrari

 

[Ruslan]

F1Brits_90 Ferrari would probably consider Riccardo if he has a good season at Renault in 2020 for 2021 if they cannot get Verstappen or Hamilton

Giovinazzi at the moment has disappointed and unlikely to get his chance in a Ferrari

Yea, there are not a lot of options if Vettel retires for 2021. They are:

1. Verstappen: if they really want to mix Leclerc and Verstappen on the same time. I would not.
2. Hamilton: But I don't think he'll go and they probably don't want to mix Leclerc and Hamilton
3. Ricciardo: Probably the best driver not in a top team, a free agent, and not a lot of drama.
4. Norris (as I don't think he will be under contract)

Probably not on their shopping list or not available:

Alonso, Kimi, Perez (unless he has an escape clause), Kvyat (unless they have a recall clause), Gasly, Albon, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Magnussen, Giovianazzi, Russell (unless Mercedes releases him), Kubica, Sainz, Ocon (I assume at least a two year contract), Stroll, Bottas

Never thought we would see a situation where there is a lack of choices for Ferrari.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Verstappen & Leclerc would be recipe for TV gold but team disaster, I still remember Hamilton wants to driven for Ferrari before his career is finished & I can see Riccardio leaving Renault as its been a bit of failure as much as like paint a optimistic front like McLaren did with Honda. only 4 times in the points, only 1 in the last 6. I thought it was telling that Hulkenburg didn't seem bothered about losing a manufacture drive.

 

[Ruslan]

Verstappen & Leclerc would be recipe for TV gold but team disaster, I still remember Hamilton wants to driven for Ferrari before his career is finished & I can see Riccardio leaving Renault as its been a bit of failure as much as like paint a optimistic front like McLaren did with Honda. only 4 times in the points, only 1 in the last 6. I thought it was telling that Hulkenburg didn't seem bothered about losing a manufacture drive.

I am sure Hulkenberg was bothered. Renault is still the top two teams among the best of the rest and is a manufacturer. But yes.....Verstappen and any top driver on the same team would probably be a disaster. They clearly have gold in Leclerc...but I am still not sure he is faster than an "motivated" Vettel.

Would Hamilton spend his last two years at Ferrari (2021 and 2022) after having made all kinds of records at Mercedes? Spend his last two years with the opponent, as opposed to staying with the team he has won so much with? Is a Hamilton-Leclerc combination any less explosive than a Verstappen-Leclerc one. I mean, Mercedes has clearly kept a second tier driver on the team for four years for the sake of keeping Hamilton happy.

 

[F1Brits_90]

it just gave me the impression that's promises that were given aren't even close to be being fulfilled, the ambtions might be 2021/2022 at very earliest to be in top 3.

Ferrari & Williams are unusual in F1 as like other sport LA lakers & New York knicks in basketball, Man Utd, Liverpool or Barcelona in football, New York Yankees in baseball or Dallas Cowboys in NFL. There are teams that have a prestige about them. looking at Alesi Barrichello Irvine have 20 wins between them but they will most known for being at Ferrari. it will always be the peak for any driver because there is something different about a Ferrari to a red bull win. espically at monza but Leclerc might be a stumbling block but Leclerc a lovely guy & Hamilton been fine with most teammates got on well with button even when he was beating him bar Alonso who was at fault & Rosberg who wasn't the squeezy clean guy he was portraying & I think he would be civil. he might want a new challenge cement a legacy.

 

[Ruslan]

Well, both Vettel and Hamilton were talking today like they would be in F1 and with their teams for a while. So, we may looking at Mercedes being Hamilton and #2 driver through 2023...and Ferrari being Vettel and Leclerc through 2023. That sort of means that Red Bull would be Verstappen and #2 driver through 2023 and probably Renault would be Ricciardo and ??? through 2023. It could be a long extended period of stability at the top.

 

[Il_leone]

Ruslan It is possible for Hamilton to be with Mercedes for a while given he has delivered them 4 and soon driver title No 5. I don't see Vettel staying put at Ferrari

Someone at Maranello is going to notice that Le Clerc has had 3 poles , put outqualified Vettel in the last 6 races and has come closest to winning races except Canada than Vettel.

Ferrari don't usually keep drivers that long without them delivering a championship

 

[Ruslan]

Ruslan It is possible for Hamilton to be with Mercedes for a while given he has delivered them 4 and soon driver title No 5. I don't see Vettel staying put at Ferrari

Someone at Maranello is going to notice that Le Clerc has had 3 poles , put outqualified Vettel in the last 6 races and has come closest to winning races except Canada than Vettel.

Ferrari don't usually keep drivers that long without them delivering a championship

Well, this is why I am watching Vettel with much interest. On the other hand, it does seem that Vettel does not perform at his best unless he is motivated. I suspect I am not the only one who has noticed this. I think the kicker will be the first half of next season. If he can get inspired/motivated, then we shall see how he really compares to Leclerc. Is Leclerc ahead of Vettel because he is outperforming him or is Vettel just underperforming? I did scroll through PF1 this morning, and Vettel looked kind of lost, exited the track twice, and so on.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Ruslan i think leclerc is driving brilliantly kept up the momentum from junior formula. leclerc doesnt not surprise me i fully expected he would have beating of vettel at end of season. he would do if they been allowed to race in Australia, pit stop farce in China, unreliability in bahrain. that last lap charge by max & his own mistakes in baku & germany

even those i (stupidly) put money on leclerc to win the title this yr. but vettel has been underperforming since Russia last yr. so much you could argue that kimi was the better driver by the end. vettel has to prove himself hes had 1 good race in 12 months. to use a boxing analogy has he gotten old overnight

 

[Ruslan]

Ruslan i think leclerc is driving brilliantly kept up the momentum from junior formula. leclerc doesnt not surprise me i fully expected he would have beating of vettel at end of season. he would do if they been allowed to race in Australia, pit stop farce in China, unreliability in bahrain. that last lap charge by max & his own mistakes in baku & germany

even those i (stupidly) put money on leclerc to win the title this yr. but vettel has been underperforming since Russia last yr. so much you could argue that kimi was the better driver by the end. vettel has to prove himself hes had 1 good race in 12 months. to use a boxing analogy has he gotten old overnight

Maybe. Vettel had kind of been one of the top three drivers in Formula One for the better part of a decade. A new guy coming in and beating a world champion the first year he is on the team is pretty rare. Either: 1) Vettel is currently underperforming, or 2) Vettel was never as good as his reputation or 3) Leclerc is just so good that he is clearly better than someone like Vettel (and therefore Hamilton/Alonso/Verstappen). I tend to go with the first argument. I think the 3rd argument is a bit of a stretch.

 

[siffert_fan]

Ruslan

For all any of us know, the Red Menace team may be tailoring the car for LaClerc, and THAT is part of the reason for Vettel's sub-par performances.

 

[Ruslan]

Ruslan

For all any of us know, the Red Menace team may be tailoring the car for LaClerc, and THAT is part of the reason for Vettel's sub-par performances.

He just arrived at the team. How and why would they do that?

 

[Dartman]

Perhaps the balnce just suits Le Clerc, also possible that if you are the chosen one in the team you appear better than you are, at Red Bull he was the chosen one until that was not enough with a less than dominant car