2020 Silly Season

[RasputinLives]

Like Kyvat and Stroll?

Ermmm I look pretty silly with that comment after Germany!

 

[Il_leone]

Now Pascal Wehrlein is linked with replacing Grosjean?

 

[Ruslan]

Now Pascal Wehrlein is linked with replacing Grosjean?

Well, that is the challenge...who would you pick to replace Geosjean. The candidates that have been mentioned, like Hulkenberg and Perez, are already part of teams that are as good. Why would they leave? Ocon is a possibility, but if he is not available, then who do you pick? Someone who has already dropped out of F1? Someone new? Would any of those be better options?

 

[RasputinLives]

So Ocon one week and Wehrlein the next? Same management company. Were the articles exactly the same just with the names swapped?

 

[Il_leone]

Not sure as Skysports.com was where I first read it and I thought Wehrlein is no longer part of Mercedes / Toto?

It seems like Toto is having second thoughts about Bottas and I think based on Sunday's race he is right to

 

[F1Brits_90]

Lewis Hamilton would relish Max Verstappen 'fight' for championship

 

[Angel]

It's a shame, Bottas really looked like he meant business at the start of the season, the new beard, the new outlook, winning a couple of races. Now he looks a lot like he did in 2018 again sadly. Maybe he's lost confidence because he knows his days are numbered there anyway?

 

[F1Brits_90]

i have sympathy for bottas & gasly. because they are unfortunately teammates to the best 2 drivers on the current grid & 2 drivers that have very few off days & produce something 'special' 16/17 times out of 21 in a season. whereas more bottas than gasly would look better in other teams that have more ebb & flow

like in every sport every great sportsman has a fantastic B game. you can bring your A game every week but if B is as good as majority A your sorted. Bottas has got to top form every weekend to beat lewis. Rosberg retiring shows the mental toll it could to defeat lewis

 

[Angel]

Bottas looked good at Williams when he had Massa as his team mate. Up against Hamilton he's been mostly all at sea, which actually shows how good Nico Rosberg was in some ways.

Gasly, I'm not so sure about, he's not got to grips with the Red Bull that's for certain, would he do better elsewhere? Maybe. After all HH Frentzen struggled at Williams in 1998 as I recall, then he went to Jordan and things improved for him. Some teams and some cars just don't suit some drivers, but these days they often fail in one car and it's the end of their career sadly.

 

[F1Brits_90]

i know this sounds very harsh. but it wouldnt surprise me if verstappen stays. gasly gome completely from Red bull family. because how long does it take to get used to a car & i know im comparing him maybe harshly against 2 stars of the future (russell & ocon maybe Norris i would include but not yet) but verstappen 1st race at red bull won. Leclerc 3rd race at ferrari shouldve won. we are at the summer break & he's still battling with the Toro Rosso at times getting beaten by them. Kyvat got dumped unfairly for far less than this

 

[Ruslan]

Bottas looked good at Williams when he had Massa as his team mate. Up against Hamilton he's been mostly all at sea, which actually shows how good Nico Rosberg was in some ways.

Gasly, I'm not so sure about, he's not got to grips with the Red Bull that's for certain, would he do better elsewhere? Maybe. After all HH Frentzen struggled at Williams in 1998 as I recall, then he went to Jordan and things improved for him. Some teams and some cars just don't suit some drivers, but these days they often fail in one car and it's the end of their career sadly.

Well, Hungary is kind of the track for Gasly to perform. He says this is his kind of track. Lots of slow corners with run-off areas. If he can't match his teammate's pace here....where can he?

Rosberg was good. He regularly beat Schumacher.

 

[Ruslan]

With Red Bull in contention for second in the constructors championship (they are 44 points behind Ferrari)....how could they continue with Gasly? I find it hard to believe they won't swap Kvyat for Gasly over the break. Are they willing to give up a chance for second in the constructors championship? What is the payout difference?

 

[vintly]

Ruslan it looks like about $20M.

https://www.racefans.net/2019/03/03/formula-1-teams-prize-money-payments-for-2019-revealed/

I think Gasly will have a good race for Red Bull this weekend. He likes the Hungaroring. If so it wouldn't necessarily save him - he could well be on the way out anyway. If he has a bad race then he's likely to be in serious trouble to keep his seat.

 

[Ruslan]

Ruslan it looks like about $20M..

That is a lot of money to stake on the performance on a 23-year old kid....when you have a good safer option available.

 

[Il_leone]

i have heard the BBC radio 5 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix. Jolyon predicts Gasly might have a good race because he was strong last year and the track suits Red Bull. However his points gap to LeClerc is embarrassing at the moment to make up and Red Bull could do with a decent 2nd driver . Now who's decision was it to not to go with Carlos Sainz then who is only 7pts behind Gasly is a slower car when they had an option on him

 

[Il_leone]

Only Jennie Gow was brave to say Mercedes are going to go for Ocon whilst Jolyon stuck with Bottas.. Toto's recent comments about Bottas certainly not as protective and endorsing. Apparently Bottas was not told that Hamilton had spun in turn 1 before his own trip as a subplot

As for Bottas at Mercedes - he's been fortunate to be given the opportunity to drive a championship winning car that was vacated by Rosberg who retired knowing full well he could never raise himself to an intensive level to beat Hamilton again. In some ways his career was revived as he was starting to look ordinary as the performance of the Williams was going backwards

Very few drivers can find a way to sustain and match Hamilton's level of consistency, intensity and commitment. Unfortunately when the level is constantly that high then you are always going to look average.

Unfortunately F1 is tough and Mercedes need to think about who will lead the team in the future against possibly Verstappen/ Red Bull and LeClerc/Ferrari combinations so it appears they might have swung back towards Ocon who has been many hours in the simulator. The Daily Mail suggested George Russell was an option which is a bit optimistic I must say

 

[F1Brits_90]

Unfortunately when the level is constantly that high then you are always going to look average.

that is Problem why i still have sympathy for bottas (what a change a yr makes ) because he has the impossible job but thats sport at the highest level its brutal. he has to up his game somehow or move to regain his reputation bit like barrichello had to post ferrari

but apparantly it will be ocon or bottas not russell thats from toto wolff. but russell impressed higher up the grud in 2020. he is well in for in it in future

 

[Il_leone]

Wolff has pretty much ruled Russell due to the pressure of expecting to be right on the pace for an inexperienced rookie. I do think Mercedes need to seriously say Ocon you're our man for the future and put him in the car if they are having doubts about Bottas. Wolf has said it is Bottas or Ocon

 

[Ruslan]

Wolff has pretty much ruled Russell due to the pressure of expecting to be right on the pace for an inexperienced rookie. I do think Mercedes need to seriously say Ocon you're our man for the future and put him in the car if they are having doubts about Bottas. Wolf has said it is Bottas or Ocon

If I was Wolff....I would replace Bottas with Ocon for next season and keep Russell on ice at Williams for another year. Maybe provide some technical support for Williams to help them out. Next year, Hamilton will probably surpass Schumacher's record of race wins. Would he be ready to retire in 2021 or 2022? Ocon and Russell might make for a good future pairing.

 

[F1Brits_90]

so it begins

https://www.planetf1.com/news/horner-tells-gasly-shouldnt-be-racing-mclaren-alfa/