Silly season 2024-2025

[chrisc90]

Really don’t think RB would be the team for Lewis. I think just the way RB operate and the things they do over a weekend/off track are lent really suited to Lewis.

Unless the driving style is the same as Max’s, then I could see how the car may end up being developed away from one or the other a little. For example one prefers understeer and the other oversteer. Who do you aim things like that towards? The we’ve seen Lewis criticising his team of many years about not listening - would it be the same walking into a new team and trying to change things?

[Just_a_fan]

Er, remember 2007 when Kimi took the title because the two fastest guys on the grid were fighting each other? That's the likely scenario here - someone would sneak through whilst Max and Lewis are fighting each other tooth and nail.

Yes but then there's 2014-2016 when Hamilton and Rosberg bludgeoned the field anyway because the car was so good.

The purpose of Hamilton going to RB would be because Mercedes cannot provide him with a competitive car. That would be why Hamilton would look outside, and what would create the conditions for the rumor I mentioned above.

Or the rumour is just an attempt to get Mercedes to take its eye off the ball. Mercedes are, realistically, the team that will compete with RB in the next 2 year years. Playing mind games to try to mess them up is par for the course.

[NL_Fer]

Lewis and Max fighting for the eachothers points. cheeky George takes the championship.

[mclaren111]

Mclaren will be RBR's biggest competition next year...

[AR3-GP]

Er, remember 2007 when Kimi took the title because the two fastest guys on the grid were fighting each other? That's the likely scenario here - someone would sneak through whilst Max and Lewis are fighting each other tooth and nail.

Yes but then there's 2014-2016 when Hamilton and Rosberg bludgeoned the field anyway because the car was so good.

The purpose of Hamilton going to RB would be because Mercedes cannot provide him with a competitive car. That would be why Hamilton would look outside, and what would create the conditions for the rumor I mentioned above.

Mercedes are, realistically, the team that will compete with RB in the next 2 year years.

We shall revisit this.

[Stu]

…

Mercedes are, realistically, the team that will compete with RB in the next 2 year years.

We shall revisit this.

It is the silly season thread, so quite reasonable to post

[Big Tea]

It would be an outside bet art best to chose either, or AM, over Merc.
OK so they have had a bad year and half, but look back over the life of the team , and just 'how crap' they are at the moment (not compared to RBR, but any other team)and I would not think it worth putting more than a small bet on it.

Having said that, I would like to see Mclaren right up there

[denyall]

It would be an outside bet art best to chose either, or AM, over Merc.
OK so they have had a bad year and half, but look back over the life of the team , and just 'how crap' they are at the moment (not compared to RBR, but any other team)and I would not think it worth putting more than a small bet on it.

Having said that, I would like to see Mclaren right up there

I would be truly amazed if LH went to RB. I think it would take a surprise MV retirement to make it happen.

[AR3-GP]

It would be an outside bet art best to chose either, or AM, over Merc.
OK so they have had a bad year and half, but look back over the life of the team , and just 'how crap' they are at the moment (not compared to RBR, but any other team)and I would not think it worth putting more than a small bet on it.

Having said that, I would like to see Mclaren right up there

Mclaren intrigues me because they have so much more windtunnel hours than RB and Mercedes and will very likely maintain this excess until June of 2024. They have the biggest opportunity of the current front runners to do incredible things next season if they use their windtunnel time correctly. They also have the advantage of running 2 competent drivers.

Likewise, Aston Martin might have gotten a bit screwed by a behind closed doors nerfing which made a lot of the kanal work they did useless. They can't go back in time and use those hours for something else. A lot of their outlook will depend on this Zandvoort upgrade and whether they can restore enough performance to the car to not leave them with too much to do over the winter with a severely reduced WT allowance. In any case, Lance will continue to be a performance limitation.

[Just_a_fan]

Mercedes are, realistically, the team that will compete with RB in the next 2 year years.

We shall revisit this.

It is the silly season thread, so quite reasonable to post

Please do indicate which team is most likely to compete, Mr Mod.

[Just_a_fan]

Yes but then there's 2014-2016 when Hamilton and Rosberg bludgeoned the field anyway because the car was so good.

The purpose of Hamilton going to RB would be because Mercedes cannot provide him with a competitive car. That would be why Hamilton would look outside, and what would create the conditions for the rumor I mentioned above.

Mercedes are, realistically, the team that will compete with RB in the next 2 year years.

We shall revisit this.

A tenner to our preferred charity?

[Chuckjr]

Good points here everyone. Great thread.

IMO, RB will never take Lewis. Ever. No chance. They’ve got a good deal going with Max and there are plenty, plenty of willling #2’s at 1/10th the price with no whining, entitlement baggage, or public washing of complaints to worry about. A Danny, a Hulk, a Bottas 4.0, would bring in the results and be happy to bag a win a few times a year to pad the record book while pocketing millions to assure second place in a car that should win. Not a bad deal.

Horner would never walk into a bonfire like a Lewis and Max pairing. Lol. Please. RB do not need Lewis and they will keep winning just fine without him. In fact, at this rate, by 2025 after Max pockets his 5th, he likely will continue on to try and meet the 7 title marker. He’s certainly young enough, and his earning potential will only continue to rise. I think he rides the gravy train to 7 just like Lewis did.

Yes, Lewis wants another title just like the next punter, but it’s becoming clear there’s not much chance of getting that title before 2026 outside RB. It’s simply how things have shaped up with the regs and how good a job Newey did. RB got it right and they will keep it up for years.

Heck, teams still don’t know how RB has such a magical DRS advantage, and those same teams are now designing their 2024 offering while bewildered by RB’s pace. Every floor on every team but RB looks romper room by comparison. We’ve all seen them. Nobody is going to catch RB this or next year imo.

I’m sure this doesn’t bode well for Lewis’ confidence and the last 1.5 years don’t help Merc’s case. Lewis is really stuck. Certainly he doesn’t want to give this another 3 years before another serious chance arises for a title, and at the same time he knows more than any of us that he’s not getting any younger. The luster just isn’t what it was when he was in his twenties and early thirties, and with 40 now just around the corner, the tarnish will be harder and harder to polish.

Fred got caught out when he was in his prime. Lewis is now caught out in his twilight. It’s just the way the cookie crumbled, and likely with it any chance for an 8th. It is what it is.

[Big Tea]

RBR know they have things stitched up for a couple of seasons, so I would not be surprised if they ran a 'celebrity' driver (if they can find one with a licence) to aid their main reason for being in sport, that is, publicity.

With the upcoming new venues an American or Asian driver as an attraction, knowing just Max is doing enough to keep the points coming in would be an economical use of the seat while attracting lots more fans and media attention in USA or Asia.

Are there any female drivers with enough points?

[djos]

Are there any female drivers with enough points?

The bigger question is, are there any female drivers with enough talent.

And no, I'm not trying to be sexist or controversial - I simply have not seen any evidence that there are any F1 quality female drivers in any of the F1 feeder series. An F1 version of Michelle Mouton would be incredible for the sport, and great fun to see battling against Max, Charles, Lando etc (it would be enough to get my 12 year old daughter to watch F1 with me again).

[Big Tea]

Are there any female drivers with enough points?

The bigger question is, are there any female drivers with enough talent.

And no, I'm not trying to be sexist or controversial - I simply have not seen any evidence that there are any F1 quality female drivers in any of the F1 feeder series. An F1 version of Michelle Mouton would be incredible for the sport, and great fun to see battling against Max, Charles, Lando etc (it would be enough to get my 12 year old daughter to watch F1 with me again).

I understand what you are saying. I was not either and would like to see 'the girls' (yes that's sexist) involved, but just being there would do their case a lot of good by showing it is possible, and would bring lots of attention to Red Bull and maybe other teams would look and think 'Hmm, maybe there is a good reason to work on this' and the more there are in the sport the more chance of the better drivers getting through. The balance of risking a female driver not getting as many points as a male driver could well be offset by the interest brought in until a path is established.

As the saying goes, you have to be in it to win it


Edit
Sorry, I don't want to derail this thread down the female driver siding.