Vettel's next team mate SPECULATIONOMETER

[KekeTheKing]

In all seriousness, this is a downright comical situation. Every single driver on the grid would jump at the opportunity to drive for Newey and Red Bull next year......except the one they would prefer to hand the car to. I still hold out hope that Kimi will come to his senses though.

My main concern about Ricciardo is that I've never got the feeling that he's even close to as ruthless enough to take on a guy like Seb, who we know is as ruthless as they come on a circuit. Raikkonen would be unfazed by Vettel.

 

[Mezzer]

I've never got the feeling that he's even close to as ruthless enough to take on a guy like Seb

What makes you think RB want a driver to take on Seb? IMO they want a decent second driver. Raikkonen without question has the level of skill (plus plus) for that, but I don't see him being open to playing second fiddle. Or even if he agrees to it contractually, executing on it. Its not as if he's racing just for the money ...

Engineer: Kimi, we need you to let Seb through.
Raikkonen: ...
Engineer: Kimi, we need you to let Seb through, please confirm.
Raikkonen: ...
Engineer: ...
Raikkonen: {Monotone}RadioisnotworkingIcan'thearyou
Engineer: Kimi, you just replied, of course you heard!
Raikkonen: ...
Engineer: ...
Raikkonen: {Monotone}NoIdidn't.

 

[Il_leone]

Mezzer agree especially what Marko said the other week about wanting hard working drivers not lazy slouchers

KekeTheKing

That would be the perfect plan for Helmut Marko he has been waiting for this moment to justify the purpose of Toro Rosso
- otherwise Helmut should be made redundant for only promoting one driver from his young driver programme

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I think we can say JEV is not going to get the seat now but interestingly Alonso is suggested to be considered

http://www.espn.co.uk/tororosso/motorsport/story/119265.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

 

[RasputinLives]

Flav says Alonso is not tempted by a move to Red Bull.

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1...lonso-is-not-angling-for-a-2014-red-bull-seat

Makes me even more convinced he is going

 

[Mephistopheles]

Well it wouldn't be the first time Alonso has jumped ship without telling his bosses would it? And look how that turned out, RD couldn't handle Alonso and Hamilton in the same team so what makes CH think he could do any better with Alonso and Vettel.....?

But then we all know that CH has no real say in what goes on at Red Bull, he's just there to bore the ass off people with his interview technique.....

Yes, no, drone on, yes, drone on some more. No, yes, drone on for a bit longer......

Edit

I don't think the comma's are necessary between yes no and no yes because he doesn't actually pause in between, but he does go aaeerrrrrmm before droning on....

 

[sushifiesta]

I wouldn't say that Ron Dennis couldn't handle Alonso and Hamilton together, more that Alonso couldn't handle not being given number one status over some pesky rookie.

 

[Il_leone]

What Alonso is doing is no different to what Senna tried to do to get himself in a Williams back when Mansell dominated the championshion

i wonder if Fernando will start mind games calling Vettel a coward

 

[RasputinLives]

I was thinking of Senna trying to get himself the Williams seat as well Il_leone. Best drivers want the best cars.

 

[snowy]

A number of notable driver's decisions (often prompted by circumstances) suggest that the best drivers have an innate desire to evolve the best car and with the best team.

I'm thinking Schumacher's move to Ferrari, Villeneuve's move to BAR, Hill's move to Jordan, Alonso's move to McLaren, Hamilton's move to Mercedes, Valentino Rossi's moves to Yamaha and Ducati.

Jumping into the best car/team against an established incumbent like Vettel is futile at best and in all probability suicidal. I am pretty sure Fernando doesn't have any genuine desire to race for Red Bull.

 

[Bushi]

Why would Alonso be tempted to go to Red Bull next year? I mean, there is no guartantee that Red Bull will be the quickest car, don't even think it's the quickest this year. Next year the rules are completely different, the new Ferrari is being designed by Rory Byrne and they just got James Allison.

 

[Quintessentially]

The Mercedes is running it close in quali but I think overall Redbull have the quickest car.

 

[Il_leone]

snowy Bushi RasputinLives

On paper the best car for the last 4 years since 2009 has been Red Bull. Agree nothing is certain in F1 but Alonso has spent 3 4 years battling against the superiority and there were only certain stages where the Ferrari was a match for Red Bull or Alonso at least made it look like so.

Ferrari can't make up the ground like they use with extra testing at their own track with their test drivers as well and they don't seem to have sorted out the windtunnel to track correlation

At the end of the day if you can't beat them you join them .. that is what Senna thought about Williams because the car superiority was too much to make up.

Remember Senna made sure he knew everything about Prost before joining him at Mclaren into finding ways to beat him so it is not futile or suicidal if you are fired up to do it same with Button joining Mclaren where it was suppose to be the lions den with Hamilton
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snowy
The drivers always want the best teams now you've highlighted instances of those mentioned

Villeneuve to BAR
Hill to Jordan

Both had no other top drives around available so chose the next best option although money did come into it as well because Hill was insulted by Mclaren's offer and I;m sure $10m is not peanuts to JV
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Schumacher was able to name his price and Ferrari had shown they had a car that can win races but not consistently enough
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Alonso might as well make an enquiry because its the summer break so if Helmut Marko says its true then Ricciardo will get the nod unless Kimi's team do some wrangling

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The Red Bull situation also reminds me a lot of Kimi wrangling about money from Mclaren for 2010 and Button came in and stole the seat and said I;ll drive for less

Senna tried the same tactic at Williams but Prost played hard ball to stop him

So if Vettel has influence on who his teammate is that is interesting given he said he is quite friendly with Kimi BUT Red Bull may have an issue with Kimi's approach and salary and Ricciardo is suppose to be Helmut's next favourite

The plot thickens if Alonso said I;ll drive for less than what Kimi wants

 

[KekeTheKing]

What makes you think RB want a driver to take on Seb? IMO they want a decent second driver.

They want Kimi. Whether it's driver status issues or PR concerns that are holding up the deal, we just don't know. Ricciardo is a fall back plan.

 

[cider_and_toast]

I would imagine it's more likely to be financial discussions on how much they are going to pay him and in what form (bonus's etc). He's not under contract next year and I imagine he would be a Red Bull marketing dream with his maverick image.

 

[Il_leone]

KekeTheKing

Everyone maybe except Helmut Marko judging by his comments a few weeks ago about a driver doing the hard graft including PR work

If Kimi gets promoted instead of Ricciardo.. I think he needs to move to another team because does he really want to sit in Toro Rosso for another year and hope Vettel leaves

 

[Mezzer]

I think they want someone with Raikkonen's speed but without what they may consider as being his baggage. If there are any issues I don't see Raikkonen keeping his mouth comparatively shut as Webber did. I'm a big fan of Raikkonen, I just don't see him as being as easy a fit at RB as others, apparently. My only request is that regardless of where he is he's got a competitive car.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Having got everything I had to do done today and since she was out I watched the BBC highlights show.

The after race interviews were interesting. Alonso said that he had not spoken to RBR and that to the best of his know;edge neither had his manager. Vettel said that he would rather have Raikkonen in the team than Alonso.

Does Vettel have the final say?

 

[Fenderman]

It occurred to me whilst thinking about how to make sarcastic comments about peeps without being misunderstood, that I have been struggling with commenting on this whole "Vettel's next team mate" question for far too long. I had thought of several smart arse responses for the sake of humour. However, I failed miserably to come up with anything that would not elicit serious flak to which I would be defenseless.

You see, whilst I am a fan of no fast bloke in particular, since most of them* have to be seriously good to be in F1, I can't help but find one of them slightly annoying. Maybe it's just the fear of not ever seeing anyone else win the WDC and WCC again before I die. Or it could just be the dreaded finger. Anyway, I can't quite put my finger on it.

So, it occurred to me that the same problem might afflict anyone considering being Vettel's team mate. I mean, one has to worry where else young Sebastian might want to put that finger, especially if one happens to out perform the bloke. Kevlar underwear might be required, methinks.**

*Fenderman's note: I had to qualify that statement in the light of the recent trend for F1 teams to sign up new talent who seem to me to have sub-standard feeder series career records.***

**Fenderman's explanatory note: That was the punchline, by the way.

***Fenderman's defensive note: My note above is not meant to cast aspersions upon the inherently decent young people who have grabbed their opportunities with both hands, as they should. I have no such reservations on casting aspersions on the recruiters whose priority is "recruiting the money" ahead of "recruiting the talent".

 

[cider_and_toast]

Bill Boddy, I would imagine that Vettel would have some say as to who his next team mate will be. I would imagine that he would be looking to position himself as the un-disputed number one driver and that what would best suit his needs is not someone like Alonso who would want equal status. While I don't imagine he would see Kimi as the perfect team mate I would say he would be far easier to work with in Vettel's mind than Alonso.

 

[Jen]

Kimi would ignore Vettel's bleating and Nando would lose his temper - neither would accept number 2 status.