2021 Silly Season

[rufus_mcdufus]

Possibly they're anticipating the budget caps with loss of staff, and maybe looking to rent out parts of MTC? This could also be partly for finance/tax/asset reasons. I can imagine all the teams will be looking to re-jig things if they have to shed a lot of staff.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Someone suggested Vettel should go and sign for Aston Martin but that is a massive gamble at his stage of his career

is it gamble if he has no other options. other than leave. I think that team could be good because now they have funding they could be fantastic.

interesting listening to f1 nation (podcast featuring everyone from the F1 streaming services) he thinks that vettel might want to go into management abit like niki lauda did after racing they said Alfa Romeo with a view to going upstairs. which I think is unlikely

 

[FB]

Oh joy, the team destroyer could be back in 2021 thanks to Liberty Media throwing Renault a wedge - Renault Close to Signing Fernando Alonso With a Major Assist From Liberty Media - Reports

 

[Andyoak]

If they could pour Schumacher into a car they would; even if it was Ralph.

What a soul sapping lack of imagination.

I thought their job was to sell F1.
Not past heroes.
Today's heroes.
Tomorrow's heroes.

 

[F1Brits_90]

i can see realistically how but just don't see why alonso 11months ago. told aItalian magazine 'Man In Town' that the F1 door remains open.

"If F1 becomes an attractive option again, there is no doubt that I would go back. If I decide to return to F1 it is only if there is a real chance of winning the world championship. I am not interested in projects that start from scratch. I want a winning car right away."

Fernando Alonso: I would return to F1 if given a championship-level car

Fernando Alonso has opened the door to a possible return to Formula One after leaving the sport at the end of the 2018 season. The Spaniard is a two-time world champion in the spor

amp.marca.com

so going to a team that is likely 6th best team on grid best case scenario. is the complete opposite to his ambitions. id be surprised if he won the B race never mind overall win. alot of talk about the new 2022 regulations. at the end of that (normal) season he would be 41

 

[cider_and_toast]

It's all about the money, money, money

 

[F1Brits_90]

surely alonso doesnt need the money. hes been at 4 big teams. 3 front runners & big contract at McLaren. if vettel fine then Alonso certainly should be. & Renault is wrong place to go after Riccardo just raided them for 50m

if alonso wants to win go to indycar. his ego would be massaged they would make him special like he wants. they fawned over Barrichello & Ericsson imagine Alonso. could win a race/championship. instead of finishing 5th 40secs behind the leader on a great day

 

[cider_and_toast]

Money for everyone.

Money for Alonso, sponsorship for Renault, a bankable name for Liberty.

 

[Johnny Carwash]

Does it mean that if Alonso goes to Renault he will be bringing his 0.6 of a second lap time with him as well?

 

[F1Brits_90]

for me if liberty media want this. publicity, they want a rivalry, viewing figures more than anything, they want buzz people excited. they want a Hunt/Lauda, Mansell/Piquet, Prost/Senna, Hakkinen/Schumacher. things people still talk about today. thats the reason for the new cars

they need to have conversation. this purely what i would do.
bottas goes to Renault - nice guy & great for Mercedes but terrible for liberty but he looked a championship challenger but since aug 2017 hasnt looked close since & he will have had 4 yrs at Mercedes bar some Leicester city miracle i dont see him challenging

then you place Vettel or Alonso at Mercedes. your getting a cracking partnership. that would lead to excitement & viewing figures. Alonso to Renault i dont understand it. hypothetically senna survives imola 94 but retires after concerned about the danger & safety following ratsenberger. then he comes out of retirement in the new safer F1 in 97/98. to drive for arrows. i see attraction of the big name but im sure the sheen would go when he has qualified 13th at opening race

 

[FB]

F1Brits_90 Bernie tried to bring James Hunt back in 1982, when Lauda made his comeback and then James test drove a Williams in 1989. It is easier for the marketing men to sell a hero past his sell by date than to create a new one.

 

[F1Brits_90]

agree on that FB its the reason why kimi was signed so many times as i said last week

but this is the team that not that long ago in 2014. had the choice of promising 24yr perez & Bianchi, 27yr hulkenberg or 26yr grosjean. & they went for 35? yr old Kimi. the safe option

but also looking into to them comebacks or failed comebacks. they were teams racing at the front. brabham were reigning world champions. McLaren won 4 races finishing 2nd in constructors & 1989 williams was the best car outside of the dominant McLaren's

this is more 2012 Schumacher, a disappointment with a poor car

 

[Johnny Carwash]

It’s the year 2040 and a 60 year old Fernando Alonso says that he is ready to return to f1, and feels he can clinch his 3rd World Championship if he’s given a front running car.

 

[Titch]

He’s got nice eyes though.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Hmmm.

 

[Il_leone]

There are a couple of reasons for Alonso to be on the grid next season

Renault perspective

- Their most successful driver in their own factory team excluding Renault powered teams like Williams and Red Bull and Enstone seems to respond to him

- They have not made enough progress since their return and if someone like Ricciardo felt they were not making the gains as expected then how do they attract world class drivers given their brand

- Carlos Ghosn scandals - It is bound to impact Team Enstone if the top is not prioritising them and there are leadership issues so getting Alonso again will show intention to take F1 seriously


Liberty Media

Now there is a possibility that 2021 there will only be one world champion on the grid if Hamilton romps to another title and people start losing even more interest because lack of competition
- Kimi you would think will not be on the grid
- Vettel seems to only want the Mercedes drive but they should be thinking about the future given Ferrari and Red Bull have already for life after Hamilton

Spanish GP

- Its a lousy race always and the only reason to keep it on the calendar is because of Alonso otherwise no one is sorry that it would disappear for good

 

[Titch]

rufus_mcdufus Not in the same eye league.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Daimler reportedly 'pushing hard' for Sebastian Vettel | PlanetF1

Daimler, parent company of Mercedes, are reportedly "pushing hard" to bring Sebastian Vettel to the team in 2021.

www.planetf1.com

this goes with what ive understood through history. Hamilton & Bottas is the only non German partnership in Mercedes racing. they will want a german its the reason why they hired Rosberg as best available German at the time.

i fully expect that wolff will not be happy a he will want harmony. but Wolff doesnt pay the bills

 

[FB]

I so want to see Hamilton and Vettel in the same team. I have no doubt Hamilton is the faster driver but Vettel might be able to get the team on his side.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Not sure I could put up with the fall out everytime something went wrong.