2020 Silly Season

Ruslan

Podium Finisher
Well, the rumors are in full gear.....so lets see where we are at:

Mercedes: Hamilton (for life), Bottas or Ocon
Ferrari: Vettel, Leclerc
Red Bull: Verstappen, Gasly or Kvyat or ?
Renault (the other factory team): Ricciardo, Hulkenburg
McLaren: Sainz, Norris (he is doing well)
Haas: Grosjean?, Magnussen
Racing Point: Perez, Stroll
Alfa: Raikkonen, Giovanizzi?
Toro Rosso: Kvyat (unless promoted), Albon (he is doing well)
Williams: Russell, Kubica or Latifi or ?

It does not seem like much is happening. At issue appear to be who is going to be the #2 driver at Mercedes and Red Bull, whether Haas will continue with Grosjean, what to do with the underperforming Giovanizzi and who can buy the second Williams seat. It does not look like there is going to be much other movement for 2020.

If Mercedes keeps Bottas, then where does Ocon go for 2020. There is not a lot of open seats further down the order.
 
I think it's a little too early yet for decisions to be made but then again it does start earlier and earlier each season. We don't know yet who will retire or whatever, according to what I read Hamilton doesn't plan to for several years yet.
 
i dont see much change, i think latifi could be in at Williams

gasly could stay as there no one banging down the door. same at Toro Rosso both could stay as both doing a great job & no one banging down the door

Ocon has been stuffed by bottas surprising upturn in form.

Grosjean i can see going. as hes been below average

Racing Point,McLaren & renault both doing well

Giovinazzi may go if their is a replacement available
 
gasly could stay as there no one banging down the door. same at Toro Rosso both could stay as both doing a great job & no one banging down the door

Well, I think it will either be Gasly staying or Kvyat will move up to his seat. We shall see how the rest of the season breaks out. Gasley was still noticeably slower than Verstappen, except they got him out on soft rubber before Verstappen, so he got his lap in.

Grosjean i can see going. as hes been below average

When he is on....he is clearly faster than Magnussen. Rarely do they dump the faster driver.
 
I think it's a little too early yet for decisions to be made but then again it does start earlier and earlier each season. We don't know yet who will retire or whatever, according to what I read Hamilton doesn't plan to for several years yet.
It usually is at this time of year....but right now, it looks like a lot of teams are already set (Ferrari, Renault, etc.) and a lot of drivers are well ensconced (Hamilton, Verstappen, Stroll)....so.....it looks like there are only a few seats open, and who fills them has a lot to do with how well the drive over the next 6 to 8 races. At this point, this is what I am looking at....as it is really the only drama in this season.
 
Marko on Verstappen: http://www.gptoday.com/full_story/view/682361/Marko_worried_Red_Bull_could_lose_Verstappen/

This has been reported before but worth noting "...Verstappen...is under contract until the end of 2020 but Marko has admitted the deal includes a performance clause."

Wonder what the performance clause says. The bigger question is if he left, where would he go to in 2020:

1. Mercedes to share the team with Hamilton...this does not seem likely.
2. Ferrari to replace Vettel or Leclerc...this does not seem likely.
3. Renault? Is this a step up? Would they be interested as they have two good drivers already?
4. McLaren?
5. Can't think of anyone else he would even consider.

I am kind of the impression that Verstappen really has no place to go, even if he wanted to.
 
1. Mercedes to share the team with

as great as bottas as is. huge praise from me how he come back competitive. like Schumacher & hamilton in their peak. if you have to sign the current best p4p driver on that grid. you snap him up
 
Hulkenberg is vulnerable. His contract runs out (although there is an option for 2020). Right now, he is the second fastest driver on the team, which is not a comfortable place to be.
 
I'm fairly certain that Dan Ticktum will be in one of those Toro Rosso seats next year as they have been trying to get him in the field for about two years now and this season he'll finally get his super licence points. That means one of Gasly, Kvyat and Albon will have to give way.

You also have Juri Vips in the Red Bull junior system who is a quick and a lot of fun to watch in F3. One to watch but next year might be a bit too soon even if he fights back for the title.
 
I'm fairly certain that Dan Ticktum will be in one of those Toro Rosso seats next year as they have been trying to get him in the field for about two years now and this season he'll finally get his super licence points. That means one of Gasly, Kvyat and Albon will have to give way.

You also have Juri Vips in the Red Bull junior system who is a quick and a lot of fun to watch in F3. One to watch but next year might be a bit too soon even if he fights back for the title.

That is an interesting challenge. Right now Kvyat is performing very well and clearly the strongest of the three. Albon is looking good. Gasly is kind of a disaster so far this season, but I remember he did pretty damn well last season and Brendon Hartley was kind of a disaster. So....1) Kvyat and Gasly swapping seats is one option, 2) I gather we could also be looking at Ticktum replacing Gasly at Red Bull (leaving Kvyat stranded at Toro Rosso) or 3) Kvyat moving up to Red Bull and Ticktum to Toro Rosso? What will Helmut Marko do?
 
yeah that's a interesting one because I believe gasly is done & I worry he will be dumped entirely, as his results haven't been good enough. albon has proven he's good enough in F2 more than matching both Norris & Russell last year we know how talented they are. but I feel its too soon for him & would flop like gasly. id like him to get another few seasons on under his belt bit like sainz.

kyvat has the experience also he's been there at the senior team. also that would be 1 incredible story to go from dumped by red bull set up 3 times, in tears nearly post qualifying to get back into F1 & earn his place at the senior team again

but I remember he did pretty damn well last season

no he didn't, he got the drive because of 2 good results in a season 4th In Bahrain & 6th in hungary
 
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That would be some story if Kvyat did go back to Red Bull again but somehow I can't see that happening. I got the feeling they only put Kvyat back in the Toro Rosso because they had no better option available to them, or at least no one they wanted to take. I mean Ocon was available, but clearly they didn't want him for whatever reason.

Gasly is lucky to still be in the Red Bull this far into the season when he's driving the way he is. Dr. Marko is probably sharpening the knife for him as we speak. Will he still be there by Spa? I seriously doubt it unless his form changes dramatically and very quickly.
 
That would be some story if Kvyat did go back to Red Bull again but somehow I can't see that happening. I got the feeling they only put Kvyat back in the Toro Rosso because they had no better option available to them, or at least no one they wanted to take.

I do think a person or two at Red Bull have an attitude about Kvyat. So, I would not rule out that he gets stiffed in all this, even though he appears to be logical choice. We have seen some irrational driver decisions before from team managers.

I mean Ocon was available, but clearly they didn't want him for whatever reason.

They still have not hired outside of their Helmet Marko-run Red Bull junior driver system. Mark Webber was the last guy they had from outside the system (although I gather Brendon Hartley was not a Red Bull junior driver).

Gasly is lucky to still be in the Red Bull this far into the season when he's driving the way he is. Dr. Marko is probably sharpening the knife for him as we speak. Will he still be there by Spa? I seriously doubt it unless his form changes dramatically and very quickly.

Dr. Marko has been very un-Marko-like about this. I am also waiting for the ax to drop.
 
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no he didn't, he got the drive because of 2 good results in a season 4th In Bahrain & 6th in hungary

Well, Brendon Hartley arrived with a real resume (WEC champ and LeMans winner) and some F1 experience, but was outperformed by Gasly......So the decision seemed natural at the time. But for whatever reason, he has not performed at Red Bull.
 
Whoever replaces him, Gasly's days at Red Bull are numbered. It's not if he goes anymore but when by the seem of it.
 
Ruslan I'm afraid politics is always a factor at Red Bull. Gasly has been let off the hook so much because he is the last of their 'pure breds' when it comes to their youth system. Kvyat, Hartley and Albon were all dropped from the scheme and only rehired because Red Bull had no other option to do so. Hence why they've been desperate to get Ticktum in a seat and spent so long doing so last year in order to avoid rehiring someone.

Personally I think Gasly will get another year. Max is excelling with the team how it is and o don't think they'll rock the boat.

As for Kvyat getting short end of the stick. If we cast our minds back, he got a promotion to Red Bull in the same season he got soundly beat by Jean-Eric Vergne. Given that Vergne had very much been on a par with Ricciardo it was a political decision even back then.
 
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