2020 Silly Season
- Thread starter Ruslan
- Start date
Ruslan
Podium Finisher
It would be nice to think that he can understand and follow these things. I hope so.
Ruslan
Podium Finisher
Your heart is in the right place. It is sad what happens with a lot of these drivers.
Ruslan
Podium Finisher
Il_leone I assume you are referring to my post on Sunday about replacing Bottas with Ocon in 2020 and keeping George Russell at Williams with an option to pull him up to Mercedes in 2021 or 2022.
This does seem to me to be the plan. Clearly Ocon is very good and in his two seasons at Force India looked to be at least as good as Perez. While I know there are some Perez haters on this board (and he is not exactly the warmest of characters), based upon results and the teammates he has out-performed (including Hulkenberg) he was probably the 4th or 5th best driver in F1 until the current batch of newbees arrived. That does indicate that as Ocon develops, he is certainly good enough to lead a top team or at least serve as a very good support driver.
It is unknown how good Russell is, but so far he is looking very good. He certainly established himself in the lower formulas and Kubica was a race winner of some reputation. So Russell is probably good enough to be a good support driver and may be much better than that.
The rest of the top drivers are starting to age out. Hamilton is 34, Vettel is 32 and Alonso is a creaky old 38. In 2021/2022, how many of these three will still be around in F1? Verstappen is probably secure at Red Bull and Le Clerc is probably secure at Ferrari, so who does Mercedes run in 2021/2022, especially if Hamilton retires?
This does seem to me to be the plan. Clearly Ocon is very good and in his two seasons at Force India looked to be at least as good as Perez. While I know there are some Perez haters on this board (and he is not exactly the warmest of characters), based upon results and the teammates he has out-performed (including Hulkenberg) he was probably the 4th or 5th best driver in F1 until the current batch of newbees arrived. That does indicate that as Ocon develops, he is certainly good enough to lead a top team or at least serve as a very good support driver.
It is unknown how good Russell is, but so far he is looking very good. He certainly established himself in the lower formulas and Kubica was a race winner of some reputation. So Russell is probably good enough to be a good support driver and may be much better than that.
The rest of the top drivers are starting to age out. Hamilton is 34, Vettel is 32 and Alonso is a creaky old 38. In 2021/2022, how many of these three will still be around in F1? Verstappen is probably secure at Red Bull and Le Clerc is probably secure at Ferrari, so who does Mercedes run in 2021/2022, especially if Hamilton retires?
They needn't feel that their life is over. Even if they accomplish absolutely nothing in F1, they can always report on the sport for the BBC. There is precedent.
Ruslan
Podium Finisher
Cold.They needn't feel that their life is over. Even if they accomplish absolutely nothing in F1, they can always report on the sport for the BBC. There is precedent.
vintly May I say as the original poster of the ..worry.. comment, that I used the phrase “worry about”, very loosely, I am not sitting here worrying about any race driver, I suppose I should think more about what I write on here.The point that I was trying to make, obviously very badly, was that I wonder if anyone who has a parent or relative who has been successful in a sport, is subliminally brain washed from birth. I don’t actually care, I just wondered.
Has anyone suggested Vettel back to Red Bull yet? Motorsport Magazine
Ruslan
Podium Finisher
For 2020 or 2021? Is he under contract with Ferrari for 2020? Is he ready to be the support driver for Max? He did not have a stirling relationship with Mark Webber, and I think Verstappen is even more competition.
I don’t think Vettel will go there as long as Verstappen is there.
Vettel may have a contract at Ferrari for 2020 but it probably has a get out clause in it, like if he doesn't win a race all season or by a certain point in the year he can walk away. We all know he hasn't had a win yet this year, but whether he'd want to walk away from an unfinished job as he sees it, I don't know. Would he go to Red Bull with Verstappen there? Maybe, he went to Ferrari knowing that Kimi was no slouch as a team mate and he is still very comfortable and friendly with a lot of people at Red Bull. He can also no doubt see the writing on the wall with Leclerc at Ferrari. The Ferrari is getting to be slower/less competitive (or so it seems) and the Red Bull is getting faster/more competitive, plus the Red Bull strategy (apart from the last race) is usually much better.
I don't expect Vettel to go to Red Bull for 2020, but I wouldn't be shocked if he did.
F1Brits_90
World Champion
sort of Grizzly but more on vettel thread & more clever politics from Marko trying to get a plan B when verstappen was worried to be going
Il_leone
World Champion
For Vettel to rejoin Red Bull would be a complete circle given they rarely higher drivers over 30 years old and it is totally against Red Bull's image
Then again Red Bull have burned through all their drivers and there are not any decent ones coming up although Albon might just fill one of those seats.
Does Honda have a say then in desiring world champion drivers ?
Then again Red Bull have burned through all their drivers and there are not any decent ones coming up although Albon might just fill one of those seats.
Does Honda have a say then in desiring world champion drivers ?
Il_leone
World Champion
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/927045/1/racing-point-well-our-way-setting-2020-driver-lineup Big deal its not like they will be challenging for the front sooner with the two peddlers we think it is 
Il_leone
World Champion
From what was rumoured at Hungary
Ocon is the key player in the drivers market as if he goes to Mercedes or not
Scenario 1
Ocon to Mercedes - Bottas goes Williams or Renault as he said he has plan B and C unless he would consider Ferrari on the basis Vettel retires or moves on
Scenario 2
Bottas stays at Mercedes
Ocon to Renault - Hulkenberg out
Hulkenberg to Haas - Grosjean out most likely although Magnussen is still a possibility
Scenario 3
Bottas stays at Mercedes
Hulkenberg stays at Renault
Ocon to Haas
----------------------------
Red Bull its Verstappen plus 1 from Gasly/ Kyvat/ Albon for 2020 at least
Ocon is the key player in the drivers market as if he goes to Mercedes or not
Scenario 1
Ocon to Mercedes - Bottas goes Williams or Renault as he said he has plan B and C unless he would consider Ferrari on the basis Vettel retires or moves on
Scenario 2
Bottas stays at Mercedes
Ocon to Renault - Hulkenberg out
Hulkenberg to Haas - Grosjean out most likely although Magnussen is still a possibility
Scenario 3
Bottas stays at Mercedes
Hulkenberg stays at Renault
Ocon to Haas
----------------------------
Red Bull its Verstappen plus 1 from Gasly/ Kyvat/ Albon for 2020 at least
F1Brits_90
World Champion
i know they don't but really they should for now. sign a driver outside of academy a driver that is good now for 2020 like a hulkenburg or a Perez. Sainz if they hadn't messed him about would be perfect. i know keep being a cheerleader but id get buemi in main team to let these young drivers develop instead of thrusting them in spotlight too early.
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Perez is a perennial 2nd rater, I wouldn't put him in an F1 car any more, he's just a bank teller.
Ruslan
Podium Finisher
Don't know why you would say that....he has outperformed almost all of his teammates over the years, including Hulkenberg. If Perez is a second rater, then I assume you consider Hulkenberg 3rd rate and Sainz 4th rate.
