Silly Season 2016/2017

[GPR-A duplicate2]

Mercedes 'suspends' lewis for the first race - leaving Hamilton to point to his contractual clause and say 'scr*w you guys' and leaves Merc. he will be without a seat then for 2017.

McLaren or Ferrari would be more than happy to immediately rest one of their drivers (Vand/Kimi) and grab him into the fold. No doubt about that.

Mercedes 2017:

1) Nico Rosberg
2) Pascal Wehrlein

all-german wet dream of Zetche and co.

Who would they sacrifice like Hamilton in races for 2017? That's a big headache. Imagine if Wehrlein starts beating Nico.

What options does Lewis have RIGHT NOW?

Is there a possibility Ferrari would replace either driver with Lewis? []/quote]Why not? Nico had talks with Ferrari as a backup option.

Is there a possibility Mclaren would replace either driver with Lewis?

Certainly yes.

Is there a possibility Renault would replace either driver with Lewis?

I don't think he would consider that.

Is there a possibility RedBull would replace either driver with Lewis?

For sure RB doesn't want to let go Max, could they let go Ric? Possible, because there are a few races this year where he was pale in comparison to Max.

I think Renault would be the 'easiest' entry.

The situation for Renault is no different than it was for Merc in 2012. But do they have enough appetite in them to make a Merc?

Ferrari probably would be the most desireable option, but Vettel and Raikkonen's contracts probably make it difficult, but Ferrari has shown they just slam money around and done.

Vettel has been miserable this year. So anything is possible.

RedBull would be incredible, but Verstappen is safe, and Daniel surely doesnt want to go right now, so unlikely.
Mclaren would be the last interesting solution, they can dump Vandoorne just as easy i think, he's been there before, Ron is 'gone', and Honda MIGHT be in good shape next year, and perhaps lewis would have interest in the legendary Mclaren-Honda combo?

I would love either option.

[Manoah2u]

here we go, i know it's the Guardian and Motorsport.com and thus sensationalism is part of their 'portfolio' so it's not all certain, but in the sense of a dutch saying 'where's smoke, there's fire'......

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/ ... grand-prix

Mercedes may suspend Lewis Hamilton for flouting team instructions

Mercedes are considering disciplinary action – which could mean a fine or even suspension – against Lewis Hamilton after the three‑times world champion twice flouted instructions

Mercedes were angered by Hamilton’s refusal to respond to team orders to drive faster as he backed Rosberg into the drivers behind him, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen; fourth place for Rosberg would have made Hamilton champion for the third year in a row.

Toto Wolff, the Mercedes head of motorsport, said: “Undermining a structure in public means you are putting yourself before the team. It is very simple. Anarchy does not work in any team and in any company.”

When pressed again about what he would be doing about Hamilton, he thought for a while before adding: “We need to look at the overall situation and ask what does it mean. Everything is possible from ‘let’s change the rules next year because it does not work in those critical races and maybe we want to give them more freedom.’ Or we could have the more harsh side, that we feel the values were not respected. I am not sure yet where my finger is going to point or the needle is going to go.”

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/merce ... nk-854829/

Mercedes says that Lewis Hamilton’s defiance of team orders in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix may force a total rethink on its approach to racing next year – or even sanctions against the British driver.

Hamilton chose to ignore the team’s requests, leaving team management clearly frustrated at the end.
we could go to the more harsh side that we feel the values were not respected. This is 180 degrees, and I’m not sure yet where the needle is going to go.”

he felt that a public act of defiance against a team order was incorrect.

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/wolff ... in-854598/

Hamilton’s race engineer and technical chief Paddy Lowe both radioed Hamilton in the race, instructing him to raise his pace – but Hamilton defied this by attempting to back up teammate Nico Rosberg in an attempt to claim the world title for himself.

When asked why Mercedes felt compelled to interfere with Hamilton’s tactics, Wolff replied: “We could let them off the leash completely and have less rules, but the consequence would be we would win less races and we would be losing championships, because there are some other clever blokes on the pitwall.

“And there’s one philosophy we’ve followed all through the years, which is: we will not interfere, as long as we can guarantee the race win. And there was a situation here where we calculated we would lose the race, because [Lewis] was getting slower and slower.

“This was where we decided to intervene, he decided to ignore it. There’s just one thing: does this set a precedent for the future?

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/opini ... im-854793/

Might Lewis Hamilton’s defiance of his Mercedes team’s instructions during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix put him on the back foot going into F1 2017? Charles Bradley thinks we've not heard that last of this...

With five laps remaining – as Lewis was performing his slow, slow, quick, quick, slow routine – a thought crossed my mind: “What would Senna or Schumacher do in this position?”

For a start, I am certain that they would have ignored and defied the instructions coming over the radio to quicken their pace, just like Lewis, and that the team’s best interest would be the last thing on their mind. Might they have even ‘parked’ the car on the apex of a slow corner on the final lap, to try and dislodge Rosberg’s front wing? Yeah, probably!

But that wasn’t Lewis’s style. Instead, he got moody on the radio: “I'm not bothered if I win or lose this race.” Now that was a red rag to a Wolff

Following their ‘Barcelonaggedon’ crash, both Mercedes drivers were well and truly read the riot act (repeated after Austria). It’s understood that all sorts of threats were made if it happened again – from both sides – and I thought it was telling that Hamilton did not give a straight “no” to Martin Brundle’s post-race question on Sunday if he’d actually threatened to quit the sport in the aftermath of the Spanish GP incident.

We were back in ‘read my future book’ territory. Plenty of smoke there…

Sadly for Lewis, it was the smoke signals that ended his Malaysian Grand Prix are what truly cost him this world title. But, going back to Sunday night, could his obstinate response to a direct order be seen as almost a contractual breach? Or will the management take into account the extenuating circumstances of the situation?

probably the most sensationalism tabloid after TMZ, the mirror reports this:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1 ... ck-9349583

Lewis Hamilton facing Mercedes sack after twice ignoring orders in Abu Dhabi decider

Hamilton’s contract runs out in 2018 but that would not stop the German car giant ending it early or suspending him from races next season as a punishment.

the last one for now

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formul ... -Prix.html

Lewis Hamilton risks losing £30m deal as Mercedes driver defies team orders at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton risks having his £30million Mercedes contract ripped up after he repeatedly defied his team in a controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
After the Briton lost his world title to Nico Rosberg, he was accused by team principal Toto Wolff of causing 'anarchy' with his defiance in the cockpit.
Asked if Hamilton could be suspended, Wolff said: 'Everything is possible.'

Hamilton's tactics angered rival drivers, with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel saying: 'It was tricky at the end because Lewis played some dirty tricks.'

The ploy infuriated Mercedes during the race, prompting them to issue two clear instructions to Hamilton to increase his pace. They feared his tactics could cost them the win, with Vettel closing in. Mercedes have a strict hierarchy for pit-wall-to-cockpit exchanges.

The highest authority is Paddy Lowe, the technical director. But when he told Hamilton to put his foot down, Hamilton retorted that he was 'comfortable' doing what he was doing.

Wolff spoke out strongly after the previous Hamilton-Rosberg argument in Austria in July, saying that he would not be scared to suspend or dismiss a driver who failed to follow the team's directives.
'Undermining a structure in public means you are putting yourself before the team. It is very simple.

it'll probably blow over but, felt the need to share it. after all, silly season thread!

[alexx_88]

It will certainly not come to kicking Lewis of the team. The last thing Mercedes need is more noise. They'll probably make a plan to sort it out over the next few years. Either by getting rid of Hamilton or by getting rid of Rosberg. Any team that battles at the front, with two drivers as closely matched as Hamilton and Rosberg will run into this problem. Just imagine RB with Max and Ricci if Mercedes wouldn't be around. Nuclear meltdown every race.

As to which team would snatch Lewis. Definitely not RB. They are smarter than pairing Max with anyone as disruptive as Hamilton. Ferrari, maybe, they seem to be tired of Vettel and Kimi doesn't give a ---. So no additional drama with arguably better driver quality. Hamilton's lifestyle works better with Ferrari than it does with Mercedes. Mclaren would definitely kick Vandoorne out for Lewis. They desperately need the attention to get more sponsorship going.

[Manoah2u]

@ GPR-A,

agree on all terms.

Renault would be an option because it's technically most certainly the easiest team to get a 2017 drive , though finances might be a breaking point.
they'd kick palmer out with a smile to replace him with Lewis, not a single doubt, not even a atom of a doubt. I think Hamilton-Hulkenberg would work, actually.
Funny enough it would be another brit-german combo where lewis is competing against another 'nico' that oddly has had similar driving history as rosberg.

Renault could do with a star driver the likes of Hamilton. As much as one would want to say, Renault is not the team Lewis would be interested in, the fact is,
if he would get sacked, he would be open to suggestions, and if Renault is able to give him an immediately fast or a WDC competitor in 2018, then I don't think
he'd deny himself that possibility just because it's Renault. After all, it's the same team Alonso got his WDC in - twice. And again, Renault are hungry, and they'd
feel in heaven with a driver the calibre of Lewis. I do think investors would be willing to slam quite the funds into Renault if they could snatch up Lewis.

Perhaps they'd even push and help lewis publish his book, just to mess with Mercedes and unbalancing the field, who knows.

So I would not rule out Renault at all.

And yes, i think Ferrari would immediately go for Lewis. They're desperate and under loads of pressure. Vettel has shown he cracks under pressure and isn't able
to create the base 'der Micheal' did. One might compare Lewis building a schumacher-esque environment at Mercedes like Micheal did at Ferrari, though Lewis
undoubtly gets not the 'number 1' treatment like Schumi did.

Theres perhaps a bigger thought to concider on Lewis' seat in 2017:

Does LEWIS feel desired to race for Mercedes still in 2017, knowing Rosberg got the 'number 1 treatment', with suspicious actions before the season, during the season,
and now a German champion @ a german team, being the defending WDC in 2017, and Mercedes publically talking about 'sanctions' regarding Lewis, where there was never
public aim at Rosberg for earlier infractions from his side - they talked about the drivers, not one specifically, where in this case, they very much do.

I personally feel that if Mercedes inflicts a penalty to Lewis, any form of it, Lewis will up and leave immediately. not a single doubt or hesitation.

[GPR-A duplicate2]

Theres perhaps a bigger thought to concider on Lewis' seat in 2017:

Does LEWIS feel desired to race for Mercedes still in 2017, knowing Rosberg got the 'number 1 treatment', with suspicious actions before the season, during the season,
and now a German champion @ a german team, being the defending WDC in 2017, and Mercedes publically talking about 'sanctions' regarding Lewis, where there was never
public aim at Rosberg for earlier infractions from his side - they talked about the drivers, not one specifically, where in this case, they very much do.

I personally feel that if Mercedes inflicts a penalty to Lewis, any form of it, Lewis will up and leave immediately. not a single doubt or hesitation.

That is how Monty brought the downfall of Ferrari, when he undermined the importance of key individuals and made them leave in 2006. Karma is a bitch.

Success and dominance changes hands frequently. Red bull is rising and the upcoming changes are purely aerodynamic in nature and they are an organization with great depth in aero. If the Renault's improvement, by virtue of having Mario Illien, is anything to go by from this year, they are going to be close to Mercs on power, if not equal. As made news of, the aero changes have the potential of anywhere between 3 to 5 seconds rise in performance. Red Bull would be doing everything in their powers to reach the optimum and try to figure out dark areas of the regulations.

McLaren did the hardest work for the new regulations bargain and 2 years of suffering should be good enough for a Japanese giant to get it right. They have made significant progress on the power numbers this year and they already have a seperate, dedicated team working on 2017 PU. If the McLaren manages to make best out of the bargain, they are going to be another contender.

IF, a big IF (most likely), there are 2 or more teams competing with Merc, they should forget winning titles with the likes of Nico. If the margin of performance between multiple team is a couple of tenths, then Red Bull will thump the other teams with their driver pair and development rate. They have shown an incredible development rate this year.

Nico is a beneficiary of having someone like Michael and Lewis as his team mates. While Michael helped them develop the car (refer to Brawn's statements), Lewis helped show the limits of the car. If you imagine that Nico himself has to be a benchmark, Merc would be in no man's land. The more the wet races, the more Merc have to forget winning those races, more so when the competition becomes tougher. A podium would be a distant dream in such conditions.

I am sure when sanity prevails and they do their math, they would realize it would be foolish to hamper their premier driver with a sanction. He can only go to another team and strengthen them. Although I wish him to leave, but I don't see Merc letting him go. Things would get settled over the winter and there will be renewed enthusiasm between all parties.

[Vasconia]

Lewis is not going to leave Mercedes in 2017 and he is not going to receive any penalty. I think this is just another classic round of bullshit coming from the British media, just to put Mercedes under great pressure and change the status of equality between both drivers.

Which team is so stupid to spend millions in a driver just to harm his performance ON PURPOSE? seriously.

If Mercedes continues to be the top team it should happen something big to see Lewis leaving them before 2018 or 2019.

[Just_a_fan]

Hamilton won't go anywhere unless he feels there is a real chance of winning. He's not an "in it to make up the field" kind of driver. I think he just wants to beat Senna's pole positions total and world champ total. After that he'll have done all he wants to do. Indeed, if he'd already got 66 poles by now I could see him walking away already.

If Mercedes drop him then he'll retire unless he can get in the RedBull. Anywhere else will just be a waste of time. Ferrari won't help him to another title, neither will McLaren and certainly not Renault.

I don't think Mercedes will do anything silly anyway. You don't pay a guy $30+m a year and leave him in the garage. He'll either race or be dropped. If they drop him it'll cost them $60m to keep him out of another car. That's what his next two years of contract are worth. Would you pay him $60m to retire or would you make sure you don't get in the same situation again? Just don't get all "this is an instruction" in the last race and all will be fine.

[PlatinumZealot]

Mercedes maybe will take a few million out of his salary, maybe give him a few duff engines next year, but they wont fire him right away. It's just too easy to fire Lewis. Toto hasn't had his pound of flesh yet.

[hemichromis]

I'm not a big Lewis fan but i don't see what he did wrong! He defied team orders but he has to race his race. His selfish ambition is what they pay for, it's part of the reason he is so formidable.

In my mind he should not have been ordered to speed up the second time, his position was not at risk only Rosberg's.

In my mind this also gives Rosberg options should this happen to him next year.

[notsofast]

Wolff replied: “...we will not interfere, as long as we can guarantee the race win”

That's the same thing as saying that Hamilton is not allowed to fight for the WDC. The whole thing reeks.

[WaikeCU]

Mercedes maybe will take a few million out of his salary, maybe give him a few duff engines next year, but they wont fire him right away. It's just too easy to fire Lewis. Toto hasn't had his pound of flesh yet.

It's panning out just as they like it. Nico is world champion now, so he's first driver next season if you think logically. After yesterday, Toto has said they maybe have to change the rules of engagement or simply shred it for next season. This can be read like both drivers will not be treated equally. There will be a first and second driver instead. This could happen if Merc turns out to still have a dominating car next season.

If they manage to pull another similar season like in 2016 and Nico makes it two titles in a row, I can imagine Toto starts yelling Nico is equally as good as Lewis, because Nico also won two championships in that Merc. By then Lewis is already closing the door behind and call it quits.

[Manoah2u]

Lewis won't let the betrayal go that far, i have no doubt about it.
exactly because of that this is an interesting 'development'. I personally have seen Lewis long enough at Merc now, I want to see him at Ferrari or perhaps Renault, so i'm welcome to him moving.

[WaikeCU]

Lewis won't let the betrayal go that far, i have no doubt about it.
exactly because of that this is an interesting 'development'. I personally have seen Lewis long enough at Merc now, I want to see him at Ferrari or perhaps Renault, so i'm welcome to him moving.

I remember this interview with Charlie Rose where he spoke about the love he has for Ferrari. @32:15 onwards.



So who knows, if he still has the raw pace compared to others and if he still has the will to drive F1 by then. We might see Lewis in the Ferrari. Lewis and Seb in 2018 sounds too good to be true.

[Vasconia]

Mercedes maybe will take a few million out of his salary, maybe give him a few duff engines next year, but they wont fire him right away. It's just too easy to fire Lewis. Toto hasn't had his pound of flesh yet.

In which universe is easy to fire a 3 times world champion? 99% of the people how follow F1 wouldnt understand it.

I have only once seen this, and if I am not wrong it happened with Prost and Ferrari.

[bauc]

Mercedes maybe will take a few million out of his salary, maybe give him a few duff engines next year, but they wont fire him right away. It's just too easy to fire Lewis. Toto hasn't had his pound of flesh yet.

In which universe is easy to fire a 3 times world champion? 99% of the people how follow F1 wouldnt understand it.

I have only once seen this, and if I am not wrong it happened with Prost and Ferrari.

I'm sure they will hit his pocket only, as a yellow card. Next time it something like this happens it might be suspension from one race or something like that but to fire your best driver? NO way