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Thread: Formula 1 2019

  1. #901
    As I said a few posts above I thought that Kvyat would get the nod, all be it a close call between the Russian and Albon.

    Good on the Thai though, let's hope he gets the support he'll require now that he's in the hot seat.

  2. #902
    I hope Kyvat doesn’t crumble as a result.

  3. #903
    Quote Originally Posted by CardShark View Post
    As I said a few posts above I thought that Kvyat would get the nod, all be it a close call between the Russian and Albon.

    Good on the Thai though, let's hope he gets the support he'll require now that he's in the hot seat.
    I do have to wonder, has a Mercedes contract hurt Ocon and Russell, especially considering that the championship that Albon came second in, Russel won.

  4. #904
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    Quote Originally Posted by CardShark View Post
    As I said a few posts above I thought that Kvyat would get the nod, all be it a close call between the Russian and Albon.

    Good on the Thai though, let's hope he gets the support he'll require now that he's in the hot seat.
    Taking nothing away from Albon but I wonder why he got the nod over Kvyat when he (Albon) is lower in the standings? Just need a few other over rated drivers bumped and it'll make for a good grid. By over rated IMHO
    Stroll
    Grosjean
    Giovinazzi needs to pull his socks up but its always going to hard against Kimi

  5. #905
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrianw View Post
    I do have to wonder, has a Mercedes contract hurt Ocon and Russell, especially considering that the championship that Albon came second in, Russel won.
    I'm wondering if Mercedes are holding on to them to feed into the team as and when Hamilton and Bottas move / retire. Obviously Russell is more a work in progress and Ocon is a massive waste of talent this year.

  6. #906
    Quote Originally Posted by subseastu View Post
    Taking nothing away from Albon but I wonder why he got the nod over Kvyat when he (Albon) is lower in the standings? Just need a few other over rated drivers bumped and it'll make for a good grid. By over rated IMHO
    Stroll
    Grosjean
    Giovinazzi needs to pull his socks up but its always going to hard against Kimi
    Being kind using over rated as a description of Stroll! I know he’s won stuff in the past but he’s pretty terrible for f1.

  7. #907
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    Quote Originally Posted by subseastu View Post
    Taking nothing away from Albon but I wonder why he got the nod over Kvyat when he (Albon) is lower in the standings? Just need a few other over rated drivers bumped and it'll make for a good grid. By over rated IMHO
    Stroll
    Grosjean
    Giovinazzi needs to pull his socks up but its always going to hard against Kimi
    Kvyat’s 3rd place in Germany is flattering his performance. Prior to that podium he was only two points up on Albon (I think). Considering it’s Albon’s rookie year, I think he’s proving to be the better driver.
    I also mentioned waaay back in the thread that LeClerc will give Vettel headaches. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Charles beats Seb next year.

  8. #908
    Quote Originally Posted by adrianw View Post
    I do have to wonder, has a Mercedes contract hurt Ocon and Russell, especially considering that the championship that Albon came second in, Russel won.
    Probably more Ocon than Russell, though I certainly see where you're coming from. Mercedes not having "B" team like Red Bull means that they have to try to find seats elsewhere for their drivers, hence Ocon in Merc PU Force India last season and Russell in Merc powered Williams for '19. Of the two Russell has the greater chance of a seat in 2020, most probably still in a Williams (it won't be at Merc), whereas Ocon could still be locked out of a Mercedes drive if they stick with Bottas (and IMO they should). That leaves Ocon either taking Kubica's seat (there's zero chance the Pole will stay) or maybe even Stroll's.

    Toto Wolff has made it clear that he stands by Ocon, if the Frenchman is without a drive next year they'll sound like hollow words. It's fair to say that both Russell and Ocon are being groomed for Merc seats eventually, will Ocon hang on with them if he's not racing in '20?

  9. #909
    I wonder why they’ve not put Ocon in to gp2 to keep him sharp

  10. #910
    Just to conclude my point about Albon, absolutely no offence to the guy however it could be considered that he lucked into the RB seat due to the fact that Gasly was so poor that he's out at the mid-way point. This exaggerates the "gap" between Albon and Russell and explains why one is now in a top team and the other not, though I've a feeling that Russell will find his own top team sooner rather than later.

    It's a relatively small gamble for RB to take for this year though Albon still needs to prove himself for '20.

  11. #911
    Quote Originally Posted by Lukea View Post
    I wonder why they’ve not put Ocon in to gp2 to keep him sharp
    Would never happen. He's much better off where he is as Merc's reserve driver plus doing a lot of the sim milage as part of the development work, this also keeps him working with Merc personnel. Much better that than spend time and energy racing in a different category outside of the Merc family.

  12. #912
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    Quote Originally Posted by CardShark View Post
    Just to conclude my point about Albon, absolutely no offence to the guy however it could be considered that he lucked into the RB seat due to the fact that Gasly was so poor that he's out at the mid-way point.
    I don’t agree with this, sorry. Gasly being poor helped him lose the seat, but Albon still had to show his worth and be deemed the better choice than his teammate. Last time Kyvat was put in the RB he imploded, maybe the RB management don’t want to risk a repeat of that.

  13. #913
    Quote Originally Posted by jaytip View Post
    I don’t agree with this, sorry. Gasly being poor helped him lose the seat, but Albon still had to show his worth and be deemed the better choice than his teammate. Last time Kyvat was put in the RB he imploded, maybe the RB management don’t want to risk a repeat of that.
    I wrote that within the context of Albon vs Russell as per adrianw's point about Russell's Merc contract holding him back when it was the Brit winning last year's F2 Championship beating Albon into 2nd. Yes, Albon does have a seat at RB ahead of Kvyat however to say that reflects on Russell's situation would be unfair, the Thai was in the right place at the right time with a degree of luck (in that Gasly was rubbish) that Russell wasn't able to take advantage of himself despite being the reigning F2 Champion.

    I hope that makes sense, I'm quickly tapping this all out on my mobile when I should be working!

  14. #914
    Pulling the rug from under a driver mid-season appears to be Red Bull's modus operandi.

    This time last year Pierre Gasly's star was in the ascendancy, with a top-10 performance at Bahrain in only his second Grand Prix, and in a Toro Rosso powered by a Honda engine of the type previously seen distributing oil and smoke from the back of a McLaren. Gasly isn't without talent, but with Danny Ricciardo jumping ship to further his career at Renault, a move which isn't exactly going to plan at the moment, the Red Bull management had to make a decision, and make it fast, so Gasly found himself partnering the latest shooting star in the F1 firmament, with all of the publicity and performance micro-analysis that involves.

    He's not matching Max Verstappen in the same machinery, so he's being demoted back from whence he came, and the next inexperienced hopeful is being fed to the lions instead. Albon, with half a season's worth of Grands Prix behind him, mostly on unfamiliar circuits, is therefore thrust into the white-hot spotlight and has to fulfil the task of pushing Verstappen, or at least appearing to do so, and therefore propelling Red Bull to second place in the Constructors' Championship. I can only wish him the best of luck. A drive with a Red Bull team can only go one of two ways. Ask Jaime Alguersuari, Jean-Eric Vergne, Scott Speed, Sebastian Buemi, Sebastian Bourdais, or any of the other talented drivers currently spending more time with their families by courtesy of Red Bull senior management.

    I'm rather ambivalent about Ocon. He appeared to be rather accident prone during his time with Force India, and several of those accidents involved his own team-mate, while his rather oafish incident with Max Verstappen in Brazil (when Verstappen was leading the race and lapping Ocon) was indefensible. All of which points to a driver who may be fast, but lacks awareness and racecraft. I'm not convinced that he has a long-term future as a Grand Prix driver, but stranger things have happened.

    The 2019/2020 silly season is off to a flying start.

    Meanwhile, Honda should be praised for the improvements seen during the last season and a half. In the back of a Red Bull their power unit has propelled Max Verstappen to two victories, and appears to be almost the equal of the Mercedes and Ferrari units, with the Red Bull chassis and aero superiority making up for what now appears to be a minor power deficiency. Reliability has improved markedly, which probably says a lot about the state of their relationship with McLaren, who themselves have made major improvements using Renault power to outperform the Renault works team, as a result of which the midfield scrap has changed with McLaren now appearing to be favourites for fourth place in the Constructors' Championship, ahead of Mercedes powered Racing Point, who (so far) seem to be under-performing in comparison to their previous incarnation. As with previous seasons, the intrigue and proper racing is happening in the midfield, with the top three teams out on their own, and likely to remain so.
    Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.

  15. #915
    Nothing to add vs what has been said - dropping Albon is a huge risk. Oh and Lance Stroll still sucks.

  16. #916
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    Quote Originally Posted by CardShark View Post
    I wrote that within the context of Albon vs Russell as per adrianw's point about Russell's Merc contract holding him back when it was the Brit winning last year's F2 Championship beating Albon into 2nd. Yes, Albon does have a seat at RB ahead of Kvyat however to say that reflects on Russell's situation would be unfair, the Thai was in the right place at the right time with a degree of luck (in that Gasly was rubbish) that Russell wasn't able to take advantage of himself despite being the reigning F2 Champion.

    I hope that makes sense, I'm quickly tapping this all out on my mobile when I should be working!
    Apologies. I thought you meant he lucked into it as in getting picked ahead of Kvyat.

  17. #917
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    Tough environment at RB...


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  18. #918
    Quote Originally Posted by jaytip View Post
    Apologies. I thought you meant he lucked into it as in getting picked ahead of Kvyat.
    No worries. I could have been more concise, to be fair.

  19. #919
    Quote Originally Posted by Backward point View Post

    I'm rather ambivalent about Ocon.
    I may pick up on a few other points later as I have little time tonight, I will say though I'm pretty much with you with this one. I just don't get the hype or see him being a true contender for Bottas' seat.

  20. #920
    It's far too early for Albon to be going up against Verstappen in a top 3 team, but it just shows how Red Bull's ruthless attitude to driver development has back fired.

    They should have reassured Ricciardo last year that he would have had equal billing to Verstappen and then they would've still had 2 top drivers this year.

    Albon has promise but moving mid year to a top team with potentially one of the best drivers in F1 history as a teammate, all in his rookie season is far from ideal.
    Last edited by watchcollector1; 13th August 2019 at 01:45.

  21. #921
    Quote Originally Posted by watchcollector1 View Post

    Albon has promise but moving mid year to a top team with potentially one of the best drivers in F1 history as a teammate, all in his rookie season is far from ideal.
    Currently he is potentially no better than most of the others, it’s all hype, in fact Albon, Norris and Russel are more successful in other championships, Albon has already beaten him head to head, MV has been in F1 for five years, now look at Hamilton, Vettel or Schumacher’s first five years.
    Last edited by adrianw; 13th August 2019 at 09:39.

  22. #922
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    Quote Originally Posted by watchcollector1 View Post
    They should have reassured Ricciardo last year that he would have had equal billing to Verstappen and then they would've still had 2 top drivers this year.
    Agreed.

    But hey, the driver moves are resulting more exiting than most races so....

  23. #923
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    Last year around this time, the Honda - Red Bull deal was getting shape. At that time, Honda had a bad record: their 2018 engine wasn't really competitive. Lots of people thought that switching from a Renault to a Honda engine wasn't a step forward for RB! Combined with the fact that MV was in the spotlight all the time, Ricciardo's switch to another team was a very logic move. Sadly Renault can not deliver what Honda can this season.

  24. #924
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    Quote Originally Posted by Huertecilla View Post
    Agreed.

    But hey, the driver moves are resulting more exiting than most races so....
    The last 4 races say otherwise.

  25. #925
    Mercedes should be announcing their driver line-up for 2020 any time soon, we'll know by Spa if Bottas is to retain his place as Lewis Hamilton's teammate. I'm going to have a fun stab at guessing who's in what for each team next season, those marked with an asterisk are already signed up.

    Put the kettle on, this may be lengthy.

    Mercedes - Hamilton* and Bottas, the latter on yet another 1 year deal. I'm choosing the Finn over Ocon seeing as he's currently 2nd in the DC (which is as high as could be reasonably expected given Lewis' speed) compared to his 3rd and 5th place finishes in the last 2 years, he's also a perfect teammate for Hamilton in that a) it's not looking like he'll ever be as capable therefore in-team "balance" will remain and b) he's a known team player. What will be counting against him is his drop in form from Melbourne to Hungary, he's relatively weak and lacks aggression when fighting for overtakes and just how many 1 year deals can you give to a driver? Ocon didn't cover himself in glory at Force India last season and surely can't be expected to match Lewis so why risk giving him the seat instead? He's only 22 and may well have greater potential than Bottas who appears to have already peaked, Lewis is out of contract after '20 so will the (almost infinitesimally small) chance that he'll be off influence Toto into trying out Ocon next year as a potential lead driver replacement for the Brit in '20? Nah, I can't see it, I think Ocon will be placed elsewhere...

    Ferrari - Vettel* and Leclerc*. I can't see Vettel retiring just yet despite the rumour and gossip, he's under contract for '20 and he'll see that out. If Vettel was to go then I'd love to see what Ricciardo could do wearing red though he may have to be bought out of his Renault contract, and the French team paid $31m for his services... Leclerc's '19 season hasn't been incident free however his overall performance is ascending and he's been able to pressurise his 4-time World Champion teammate into making mistakes with Vettel showing the occasional sign of crumbling under the weight.

    Red Bull - Verstappen* and ??? If Albon does a better job than Gasly did (and that's a big ask even with the Frenchman's lack of form) then he'll stay on, if he doesn't then I'm not sure where Red Bull would, or even could, go. It won't be back to Gasly, it may well be Kvyat, however to do so could make the team look like they're desperate to fill the gap. I can't see them recruiting anyone from a junior race series and I don't know who'd be free to move in from another F1 team that they’d want. If Albon fails to impress, which I hope not to be the case, then there's the possibility that he doesn't have a seat even at Torro Rosso, which would be pretty cruel should that be the case. I'd put money on them wishing they still had Ricciardo and Sainz Jnr within the RB/TR ranks. Vertappen has a contract for 2020, I think that the chatter about performance clauses is nothing but that, he's not going anywhere else.

    McLaren - we know this already as both Sainz Jnr and Norris signed for 2020 in July this year. McLaren are the most improved team from last season to this, they're cementing their 4th place in the CC and I genuinely feel that part of their revival is down to the drivers. They get on well, can be trusted to race together on circuit, Lando is one of the finds of the season and the Woking outfit appear to be getting some of their mojo back. To be taking the challenge to the works Renault team and beat them is impressive given their relative performances in '18, to have driver stability from '19 to '20 can only be a plus IMO. Getting them signed so early was a sharp move as it will stop other teams sniffing around and potentially poaching them.

    Renault - Hulkenberg and Ricciardo*. The German holds the rather unfortunate title of "Most Experienced Driver In The History Of F1 To Have Never Stood On The Podium" however he's holding his own against the usually effervescent, and race winning, Aussie. His contract is up at the end of this season and there has been talk of performance clauses within said contract that may influence whether he stays put or not, I'm thinking he will. Ricciardo's move from RB to Renault on a 2 year deal was understandable and he acknowledged the gamble, it's a shame to see the team letting both drivers down, and to witness his levels of effervescence drop. The team need to up their game in the 2nd half, with key F1 supporter Carlos Ghosn's recent scandalous departure as the Renault/Nissan/Mitsubishi head honcho will his replacement, an ex-Michelin man, offer the same willingness to fund the programme in the future?

    Alfa Romeo - Raikkonen* and ??? Giovinazzi could well retain his place within the team should he improve after the summer break, I’m not so sure that’ll happen though. Reigning European F3 Champion Mick Schumacher is now part of Ferrari’s junior programme though he’s having a torrid time in F2, I wouldn’t rule him out completely though as he has earned the required superlicence points. Ex-Sauber pilot Marcus Ericsson is the reserve driver even though he’s competing in Indycar this season, that may or may not influence whether he’s back at the rebranded team for ’20. Sauber have a junior programme running with Charouz Racing though there’s no-one close enough to the top to make the jump to F1. Bottas would be possiblity should he be let go by Mercedes, if he doesn’t have a race seat there next season then there’s no reason why he wouldn’t leave the Mercedes family completely, and with Kimi’s contract expiring after ’20 and the potential for his retirement Bottas would be a great fit.

    Haas – Magnussen* and Grosjean. Both drivers have been giving Haas Principal Guenther Steiner reason to cuss this season, and cuss he has, however the team’s biggest struggle is understanding their car. They had a promising start to the season yet despite relatively strong qualifying positions the race pace just isn’t there anymore and they’ve fallen, with the exception of Williams, to the back of the pack. When Grosjean started his F1 career he had a reputation for carelessness and lack of awareness, after shaking that off he has all the hallmarks of someone who has lapsed back to where he once was. Will Haas replace him though? I think not on the basis that a) the car is the bigger problem and b) would you want someone new to F1 or to the team coming in when they may lack the development and feedback skills that Grosjean’s experience brings? The team won’t look too attractive to any top driver ousted from their current role, Bottas for example, so who would Haas turn to? Their reserve driver, Pietro Fittipaldi, doesn’t come with the strongest of backgrounds, so I won’t include him even as a long shot.

    Torro Rosso – Kvyat and ??? The 2nd half of this season could be make or break for the Russian, Gasly and Albon with the potential for any of the 3 to be sitting in a TR shaped seat for ’20, it’s also possible for any one of them to be dropped by the RB programme completely, the only issue being who would they promote to fill the TR/RB gap? Honda would be keen to have a Japanese driver and Super Formula’s ’18 Champion and current ’19 points leader Naoki Yamamoto would be the prime contender. He’s only a formality away from being able to apply for his superlicence and he should be getting at least one FP1 session in a TR later this year, he’s 31 though and in F1 terms he’d be coming into the sport late in the day.

    Racing Point – Perez and Stroll. The Mexican is pretty much a dead cert, he’s been with the team for a few years now, brings in a good few $$$ in sponsorship and has enough pace to earn his place. Lance Stroll on the other hand… I’ve left him in for a couple of reasons, the first being that I think he’ll be given one more season to sort himself out and, secondly, the team are rebuilding after the strenuous ’18 will-they-won’t-they survive and he may well be positively swept up in the revival Racing Point are promoting. We all know his father is responsible for keeping the team alive though he’s not the only financial investor, others will want to see their cash injections turning into results and that’s where the pressure on Lance will be coming from, if he can find a tenth or three in qualifying that’ll improve his situation no end. I can't see Ocon there given how the '18 season unfolded.

    Williams – Russell and Ocon. We know George won’t be at Mercedes and we can be sure that Kubica will depart, if Ocon doesn’t succeed Bottas then Mercedes will find him a berth at Williams so they can observe Russell vs Ocon in a straight fight with 2021 and beyond in mind. I see it as simple as that, really. But what if Ocon is favoured by Mercedes? Reserve driver Nicholas Latifi, currently holding 2nd in F2, would be the most likely answer.

    I’m going to conclude this post by saying that performance clauses could well throw a bomb or two into my predictions. Ricciardo, Verstappen and even Vettel have all been rumoured to have get-outs based on their teams performance rather than their own. There’s been talk of Vettel wanting to reacquaint himself with Red Bull and if either Mercedes or Ferrari come knocking at Ricciardo’s door he’d be free to leave Renault. Regardless, money talks, and whatever is written on paper could always be reworked given the necessary motivation to do so.

  26. #926
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    ^^^^ interesting thoughts Cardshark, I don't think you will be too far off with those predictions
    Looking forward to the next race and hopefully the announcements that may come and kickstart the 'possible' driver shuffle
    Don't think it will be too long before the 2020 provisional calendar will be doing the rounds, I'll be interested to see how that pans out

  27. #927
    Interesting indeed, CS, and I suspect that there won't be too many moves before the 2020 season kicks off.

    With the likes of Mick Schumacher and Nicolas Latifi waiting in the wings, and it will be a question of "when" rather than "if" for both of them, and at the other end of the food chain Grosjean and Kubica not giving any indication that they'll be around for much longer, as they both appear to be excess baggage, there are plenty of permutations to play with.

    Bottas is the key to the driver-go-round, and if he stays, then not much else will happen. The Red Bull ladder of talent seems to have come crashing to the ground, with few (if any) promising drivers coming through. Dan Ticktum doesn't count, and should never get an F1 drive under any circumstances.
    Is Sainz still contracted to Red Bull, or did he gain his freedom when he left Renault for McLaren?

    Apart from Schumacher, Ferrari also have Callum Ilott under contract. Kimi might succumb to the opportunity to spend more time with his family, and Giovinazzi has fulfilled all expectations so far at Alfa, and as a result his driving career has probably peaked. And so Fred Vasseur might have two seats to fill before long, along with one at Haas. Then there's current F2 Championship leader Nyck de Vries, who must be on the radar of more than a couple of Team Principals.

    Due to the early pronouncements from a couple of teams, and the news that Mercedes will decide the fate of Valtteri Bottas during the current summer break, the silly season is up and running, and generating lots of publicity for the sport in the absence of any on-track action.
    Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.

  28. #928
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    ^^^^^ Excellent write up Cardshark.

    I would be interesting in knowing LH views on his current/Future stable mate. I wonder if Toto has asked him who he would he prefer.

    A known commodity, i.e a safe pair of hands who would be very much a number 2, or a young thrusting driver, who LH could help mound into his future replacement.

    All depends on whether Toto is taking a long term view to secure his legacy.

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
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  29. #929
    An informed insight into the travails of Renault:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYtp3Mwikas

    With Ghosn out of the way, and the French taxpayer likely (and entitled) to start asking embarrassing questions, does the team even have a future?
    Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.

  30. #930
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    This evening's postings are exactly the reason why I return to this thread on a regular basis! Excellent write-up and a great link to the Renault video. Thanks!

    Menno

  31. #931
    Quote Originally Posted by Tuna1138 View Post
    Don't think it will be too long before the 2020 provisional calendar will be doing the rounds,
    I'm sure that the following season's calendar is confirmed during the summer break of the preceding year so yes, we should know soon

    Quote Originally Posted by Andyg View Post
    ^^^^^ Excellent write up Cardshark.

    I would be interesting in knowing LH views on his current/Future stable mate. I wonder if Toto has asked him who he would he prefer.

    A known commodity, i.e a safe pair of hands who would be very much a number 2, or a young thrusting driver, who LH could help mound into his future replacement.

    All depends on whether Toto is taking a long term view to secure his legacy.
    Hamilton has gone on record, publicly at least, that he doesn't care who is teammate is, he'd still have an opinion on the topic however he can't veto the decision. You've pretty much nailed the dilemma with regards to Bottas or Ocon, the former is the short-term safe bet with the latter a gamble with long term potential. I've posted my thoughts above however they're only based on what I can see, Toto & Co. will have much greater visibility.

    Quote Originally Posted by Backward point View Post
    Interesting indeed, CS, and I suspect that there won't be too many moves before the 2020 season kicks off.

    ..and at the other end of the food chain Grosjean and Kubica not giving any indication that they'll be around for much longer, as they both appear to be excess baggage...

    Bottas is the key to the driver-go-round, and if he stays, then not much else will happen. The Red Bull ladder of talent seems to have come crashing to the ground, with few (if any) promising drivers coming through. Dan Ticktum doesn't count, and should never get an F1 drive under any circumstances.
    Is Sainz still contracted to Red Bull, or did he gain his freedom when he left Renault for McLaren?

    ...F2 Championship leader Nyck de Vries, who must be on the radar of more than a couple of Team Principals.
    I suspect you're right in that there won't be that many changes from this year to next, certainly not as many as last year to this one! That'll partly be down to the fact that Norris, Russell and Albon are looking good for next year leaving less space for anyone else new, and partly because there shouldn't be any retirements either. Much of it does depend on whether Bottas is in or out of Merc, we'll know in a week or two.

    Kubica has got to be out, not just because of Williams noting the kicking he's getting but also because his sponsors aren't getting VFM, and Grosjean can't be too far away from the firing line either. If Grosjean is out then Hulkenberg may be free to join, not that he's best buddies with Magnussen... Seeing as there is no talk whatsoever about Sainz Jnr being a future TR/RB possibility then I'd be sure that Red Bull are no longer giving him wings, and Dan Ticktum was dropped by RB in June after a poor showing in Japan's Super Formula series.

    I left Nyck de Vries out as he was, up to very recently, part of the McLaren junior programme however he left (apparently voluntarily) to concentrate on his Audi Sport racing academy duties, he's also entered a few endurance races including this year's LM 24h. As you say though he can't not be on a radar or two, maybe him leaving the McLaren programme was a "come and get me" move opening himself up to other teams.
    Last edited by CardShark; 16th August 2019 at 04:54.

  32. #932
    So Hulkenberg may be out and Ocon in according to this article, though I'm curious as to why the German describes Thursday as being "exciting". That leads me to think that maybe he's off to another team himself, or maybe even the WEC seeing as he's a Le Mans winner. The chances of him ever landing in a top team diminish with every season that passes so maybe he's calling it a day. We'll know shortly.

    https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...ottas/4521625/

    As I've already said, I wouldn't be surprised if Bottas stays put, though despite Ocon nearly grabbing a Renault seat for this season I didn't see him not being powered by Mercedes next year. Still, no announcement just yet.

  33. #933
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    I can't see Mercedes losing Bottas and will likely let Ocon go to allow him to race for a non-Merc team (I think Renault). Rumours are that Seb wants back at Red Bull and has a performance clause in his contract, rumours are that the Honey Badger has a release clause if the Ferrari seat comes up etc so it could be an interesting end to the season.

    Either way, Spa this weekend, one of the true race tracks and will be interesting to see how/if Ferrari's low downforce approach fairs vs that of Mercedes and their ability to heat the tyres...

  34. #934
    To whom it may concern...

    https://www.mercedesamgf1.com/en/mer...ttas-for-2020/

    That reads like another single year deal, no surprise there really.

  35. #935
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    so a couple of announcements this morning

    Bottas confirmed as staying with Mercedes for next year
    and the provisional calendar with 22 races revealed

    more to be revealed this race weekend? looking forward to the race and to see how it all pans out

  36. #936
    Quote Originally Posted by CardShark View Post
    So Hulkenberg may be out and Ocon in according to this article, though I'm curious as to why the German describes Thursday as being "exciting". That leads me to think that maybe he's off to another team himself, or maybe even the WEC seeing as he's a Le Mans winner. The chances of him ever landing in a top team diminish with every season that passes so maybe he's calling it a day. We'll know shortly.

    https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...ottas/4521625/

    As I've already said, I wouldn't be surprised if Bottas stays put, though despite Ocon nearly grabbing a Renault seat for this season I didn't see him not being powered by Mercedes next year. Still, no announcement just yet.
    I think that Nico Hulkenberg is one of the wasted talents in Formula 1. He has an almost Amon-esque ability to get himself into the wrong car/team at the wrong time. Current rumours have him lined up for Grosjean's seat at Haas, which would create an interesting team dynamic by pairing him with Kevin Magnussen, and the two of them don't get on. At all. Gunther Steiner's management talents would be stretched to their limits in trying to manage that particular combination, but at least he wouldn't have Grosjean to cope with. There's also the possibility of Giovinazzi being invited to pursue his career elsewhere following an uninspiring season at Alfa Romeo, who appear to have called Marcus Ericsson up for Spa, as a possible sub for Kimi, although this appears to be shrouded in mystery. Perhaps the Kimster has over-enjoyed himself on holiday, or something.

    As for Ocon, he needs to race something next season, and although Toto Wolff wants to keep him, if he has another season without any meaningful seat time he won't be much use as a replacement for Bottas in 2021, and you can understand why Renault might want him next year, what with Ocon being French, etc.

    Anyway, Spa, in my view, along with Monza and Suzuka, are the reward for the drivers at the end of a long season during which they've had to endure too many products of Hermann Tilke's lack of imagination when it comes to circuit design, and should hopefully produce some decent racing. Massive levels of downforce might make the likes of Eau Rouge less intimidating these days, but there's always Pouhon and Blanchimont.

    Has anybody seen a weather forecast for the weekend?
    Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.

  37. #937
    Ocon now confirmed as Nico Hulkenberg's replacement, so the German to Haas then? As you've said BP, Magnussen and Hulkenberg aren't exactly on each others Christmas card lists.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Ocon now confirmed as Nico Hulkenberg's replacement, so the German to Haas then? As you've said BP, Magnussen and Hulkenberg aren't exactly on each others Christmas card lists.

  38. #938
    Hulk to Haas works I think. He's a good driver but seems to have regressed slightly but still better than either driver the US team has right now.

  39. #939
    Kimi has spoken about why Marcus was called up, apparently the Iceman has a pulled muscle. Quoted from motorsports.com -

    Raikkonen did not elaborate on how he had sustained the injury: "Sport. It is dangerous. I always said it is more dangerous – drinking is probably safer. Usually you don't get injured, you just get a hangover."

  40. #940
    Quote Originally Posted by Geoff W View Post
    Hulk to Haas works I think. He's a good driver but seems to have regressed slightly but still better than either driver the US team has right now.
    He certainly has the experience that Haas need right now, and he's a safe pair of hands. Grosjean has been around for ages, but doesn't seem to have learned much, he's right up there with Pastor Maldonado when it comes to self-inflicted retirements and turning expensively-developed carbon fibre components into shards.
    Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.

  41. #941
    Grand Master Andyg's Avatar
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    Spa - simply the best. Better than all the rest

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
    Friedrich Nietzsche


  42. #942
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    Poor bit of parking by LH . Hopefully they can get the car fixed before qualification.

    Ferrari are looking racy, which should lead to a good race.

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
    Friedrich Nietzsche


  43. #943
    https://www.motorsport.com/fia-f2/ne...crash/4526124/

    Such terrible news. I'm yet to watch quali, probably won't bother now.

  44. #944
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    Such sad news. With safety regs these days would have hoped these days were behind us but of course always will be a high risk sport.

    Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

  45. #945
    Grand Master Andyg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CardShark View Post
    https://www.motorsport.com/fia-f2/ne...crash/4526124/

    Such terrible news. I'm yet to watch quali, probably won't bother now.
    i didn't bother. Very sad indeed.

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
    Friedrich Nietzsche


  46. #946
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    Quote Originally Posted by CardShark View Post
    https://www.motorsport.com/fia-f2/ne...crash/4526124/

    Such terrible news. I'm yet to watch quali, probably won't bother now.
    How dreadful - a sad day.

  47. #947
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    Very sad news indeed. Thoughts go out to his family.

  48. #948
    Race day, the Ferrari’s are obviously much faster on the long straights

  49. #949
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrianw View Post
    Race day, the Ferrari’s are obviously much faster on the long straights
    Bar accidents, mechanical failure or pit goof ups, the first 5 are known.
    And that for the, despite sanitising, most awesome racing track.

    Hope to be proven wrong for the rest of the fans but not bothering myself. Looked after the farm animals, my son is keeping an eye on the farm so going to the coast in a moment and will see the best moments later.

  50. #950
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    Quote Originally Posted by CardShark View Post
    https://www.motorsport.com/fia-f2/ne...crash/4526124/

    Such terrible news. I'm yet to watch quali, probably won't bother now.
    Horrible, horrible news.

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