2022 Silly season

[F1Brits_90]

Don't worry, there's always David.

he certainly takes after his dad, ralf

 

[The Artist.....]

So rename the team Benetton Renault then...wait that means bring back the snake Flavio Briatore as well

You are getting very close to me posting that photo...

 

[Dartman]

Flavio may be a snake, but hardly a racing one with that physique

 

[F1Brits_90]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1565698471444844544

https://twitter.com/x/status/1565697839673614336

https://twitter.com/x/status/1565698478289915904

 

[Tuscan1969]

Let’s hope he and Lando can revitalise McLaren

 

[Il_leone]

Alpine - they should rename themselves Decline after this farce

Mclaren could move forward or implode with two young chargers. One other thing what if a seat at Mercedes is available in 2024 then what?

 

[F1Brits_90]

Tuscan1969 theyve certainly got 2 brilliant drivers. lando Norris comfortably the best driver outside of the big 3 teams & Oscar Piastri, as my well worn fact goes, to best of my research only 5 drivers including piastri had won F2 & F3 in consecutive years. Hamilton Hulkenberg Leclerc & Russell. we all know how talented they are

no one has done what he did winning 2nd, 3rd & 4th tier championships in consecutive yrs.

 

[Il_leone]

I think the fact that Piastri signed on 4th July suggests they had no confidence in Alpine sorting out his future

 

[The Artist.....]

I think the fact that Piastri signed on 4th July suggests they had no confidence in Alpine sorting out his future

I suspect it also comes down to Alpine telling Piastri that Alonso was going to be driving for them in 2023.

 

[F1Brits_90]

I think the fact that Piastri signed on 4th July suggests they had no confidence in Alpine sorting out his future

yeah well thats how they lost both because from what i understand, they were using piastri against alonso by only offering him a 1 yr deal. & piastri because of ocon long term deal & the focus on resigning alonso. he obvious realised there was no room at the inn. so found a drive elsewhere. as he should do

but also alpine had got their way & piastri hadnt gone to mclaren, it wouldve been damning indictment of F1 if a guy who won the championships in 2019, 2020 & 2021 cant get on the grid we might as well all pack up & go home. because nothing any feeder driver did would be good enough

 

[F1Brits_90]

but also for reference & to see how wrong i would be in a few weeks these are my predictions for 2023

Red Bull
Verstappen Perez

Ferrari
Leclerc Sainz

Mercedes
Hamilton Russell

Alpine
Ocon Gasly

McLaren
Norris Piastri

Alfa Romeo
Bottas Zhou

Haas
Magnussen Drugovich

AlphaTauri
Lawson Tsunoda

Aston Martin
Alonso Stroll

Williams
Albon Sargent

 

[Il_leone]

No Schumacher so let's see the sales of Ferrari s plummet

 

[Dartman]

I wouldn't think Schumacher has any effect on Ferrari sales, buyers of new Ferrari's probably have never heard of him, far to busy diving on football pitches

 

[F1Brits_90]

No Schumacher so let's see the sales of Ferrari s plummet

he done ok, but hardly set the world alight this season & i dont see anyone else going to sign him, drugovich is a bit out there but im thinking F2 champion & Haas are 1 of the teams that could take punt with the brazilian funding he would bring

 

[Il_leone]

he done ok, but hardly set the world alight this season & i dont see anyone else going to sign him, drugovich is a bit out there but im thinking F2 champion & Haas are 1 of the teams that could take punt with the brazilian funding he would bring

He's not Russell, Leclerc or Hamilton and this season shows it. He is more like Bruno Senna - a marketing tool to be used and dumped. Really wished Illott had won F2 back in 2020 but obvious from top brass who they really wanted to win and promote

 

[Il_leone]

yeah well thats how they lost both because from what i understand, they were using piastri against alonso by only offering him a 1 yr deal. & piastri because of ocon long term deal & the focus on resigning alonso. he obvious realised there was no room at the inn. so found a drive elsewhere. as he should do

but also alpine had got their way & piastri hadnt gone to mclaren, it wouldve been damning indictment of F1 if a guy who won the championships in 2019, 2020 & 2021 cant get on the grid we might as well all pack up & go home. because nothing any feeder driver did would be good enough

Piastri now claims Otmar put him in a difficult position despite telling him he no longer wanted to drive for Alpine before the announcement was made after Budapest. That is why he issued that tweet

 

[Il_leone]

The noises are getting louder about Gasly joing Alpine despite Ocon preferring Schumacher. These guys may hate each other but it can't be as bad as Senna vs Prost rivalry or go down as bad as Villeneuve vs Pironi or Hamilton vs Alonso.

You need a worthy rival to push you further that is what Senna saw in Prost and Hamilton saw in Alonso- although Fernando could not take it

So if Alpine want to move forward they need Ocon to be pushed harder now

Strange to come to think it if Alpine did not have Alonso and had some inexperienced or less successful driver then that driver would have likely been given the boot which is one of the favoured tactics of Flavio when he ran the team. Between Otmar/ Laurent Rossi they have managed it poorly and you don't see Red Bull letting their young drivers go cheaply after investment like this

 

[F1Brits_90]

if i driver wanted someone, i would 99% of the time never hire them. because like Hamilton - Bottas & Vettel - Raikkonen. theres only 1 real reason why they wouldnt want them. its because they arent a threat & think they would easily have the beating of them. ie why vettel didnt want leclerc

& a driver in their comfort zone is a slow driver

 

[Il_leone]

if i driver wanted someone, i would 99% of the time never hire them. because like Hamilton - Bottas & Vettel - Raikkonen. theres only 1 real reason why they wouldnt want them. its because they arent a threat & think they would easily have the beating of them. ie why vettel didnt want leclerc

& a driver in their comfort zone is a slow driver

To be fair to Hamilton that was forced onto Merc by Rosberg's retirement and then they had Russell on 3 years at Williams

 

[Il_leone]

It looks like Colton Herta is a no go because he has not got enough superlicence points

I am happy that the FIA did not bend over backwards for Red Bull for a start so to let them sulk is good but there is something wrong with the system given someone like Lance Stroll got into F1 without doing F2 by clocking testing miles whilst Herta is racing in a competitive series than F2 but it awards licence points. Some have labelled it F1 elitist to prevent US based drivers entering F1

A sub plot has emerged that De Vries has spoken to Marko about replacing Gasly who will got to Alpine.

Really De Vries should go for thr Alpine seat unless Marko says he is racing to replace Perez