Silly Season 2018/2019

[Chuckjr]

Maybe we should add Webber to the let's remember list...a driver who through technical sporting changes and Jaguar/Red-Bull longevity, inherited a championship capable/winning car and was unable to acquire at least one of them over its 4yr reign.

True, and the honeymoon is over at Renault.

[PlatinumZealot]

Valterri contract is up.

OH RedBull wants Hamilton and Max as teammates is what i take from Horner's commenteary on Max being better. He wants to tempt HAM to come over and prove him wrong.

Doing this is als an easy way to overcome Mercedes.

[Big Tea]

Valterri contract is up.

OH RedBull wants Hamilton and Max as teammates is what i take from Horner's commenteary on Max being better. He wants to tempt HAM to come over and prove him wrong.

Doing this is als an easy way to overcome Mercedes.

While part of me would love to see them as team mates, most of me wants them as opponents.
Teams do the best for the team, opponents do what they have to

[Pyrone89]

Valterri contract is up.

OH RedBull wants Hamilton and Max as teammates is what i take from Horner's commenteary on Max being better. He wants to tempt HAM to come over and prove him wrong.

Doing this is als an easy way to overcome Mercedes.

While part of me would love to see them as team mates, most of me wants them as opponents.
Teams do the best for the team, opponents do what they have to

Lets just give Merc and RB the same car next year and we are in for a dream

[loner]

Wolff: Ocon must be driving in F1 next year

https://www.gptoday.net/en/news/f1/2498 ... -next-year

[Pyrone89]

Wolff: Ocon must be driving in F1 next year

https://www.gptoday.net/en/news/f1/2498 ... -next-year

Well, it is done then. He is gonna take Bottas’ seat. Or does Wolff mean someone else has to solve his problem?

Just notify all other drivers that there is now a risk again of someone unlapping themself like they have a psychosis.

[loner]

adios Bottas is my take.
Toto already said it post Hokenhiem if you read between lines.

[Schuttelberg]

Valterri contract is up.

OH RedBull wants Hamilton and Max as teammates is what i take from Horner's commenteary on Max being better. He wants to tempt HAM to come over and prove him wrong.

Doing this is als an easy way to overcome Mercedes.

While part of me would love to see them as team mates, most of me wants them as opponents.
Teams do the best for the team, opponents do what they have to

Lets just give Merc and RB the same car next year and we are in for a dream

I can say the same for Ferrari. When drivers have a car underneath them and don't overdrive, you tend to feel such things. Both Ferrari drivers are overdriving under the pressure of expectations. I am very impressed with Ferrari for last year's call on going for Leclerc although Raikkonen's performances this year seem to suggest that he's (Leclerc) an upgrade on quali pace but more or less the same strength on race day but willing to dance with the dragons in wheel to wheel duels.

It's easy to overlook Max's or Lewis' errors because they are exceeding expectations or matching them. It also helps that their team mates are massively underperforming. I mean, Gasly is 5 points ahead of Sainz after 11 races and that is basically another category of racing almost. Verstappen is only 7/8 points behind Bottas who is driving a car that's won more than 80% races with multiple 1-2's and not looking worse than a podium finish at any event.

Max was extremely lucky at Bahrain and Germany to not suffer any loss of points after his mistakes. It was quite an unnecessary fight with Sainz in Bahrain. I have followed Lewis' career for all of his races bar France this year and I still feel this car is not quite underneath him yet. I expect him to bury Bottas in the second half if that happens.

As I said, we have at the moment, 4 world class drivers in 3 great teams. If the field bunches up, it's going to be amazing. I don't know why Danny Ric is where he is. But surely, he should be in one of those 6 seats? And may be, that racing point operations team can be a direct swap for Ferrari's.

[Pyrone89]

While part of me would love to see them as team mates, most of me wants them as opponents.
Teams do the best for the team, opponents do what they have to

Lets just give Merc and RB the same car next year and we are in for a dream

I can say the same for Ferrari. When drivers have a car underneath them and don't overdrive, you tend to feel such things. Both Ferrari drivers are overdriving under the pressure of expectations. I am very impressed with Ferrari for last year's call on going for Leclerc although Raikkonen's performances this year seem to suggest that he's (Leclerc) an upgrade on quali pace but more or less the same strength on race day but willing to dance with the dragons in wheel to wheel duels.

It's easy to overlook Max's or Lewis' errors because they are exceeding expectations or matching them. It also helps that their team mates are massively underperforming. I mean, Gasly is 5 points ahead of Sainz after 11 races and that is basically another category of racing almost. Verstappen is only 7/8 points behind Bottas who is driving a car that's won more than 80% races with multiple 1-2's and not looking worse than a podium finish at any event.

Max was extremely lucky at Bahrain and Germany to not suffer any loss of points after his mistakes. It was quite an unnecessary fight with Sainz in Bahrain. I have followed Lewis' career for all of his races bar France this year and I still feel this car is not quite underneath him yet. I expect him to bury Bottas in the second half if that happens.

As I said, we have at the moment, 4 world class drivers in 3 great teams. If the field bunches up, it's going to be amazing. I don't know why Danny Ric is where he is. But surely, he should be in one of those 6 seats? And may be, that racing point operations team can be a direct swap for Ferrari's.

Germany was 50% skill of locking and unlocking brakes at the right time, 50% luck it was at a place of low speed and with the walls far away.

I think RIC is kicking himself right now (the Dutch pundit spoke with him at Ibiza and he said he was really unhappy with ‘certain’ unmentioned things at Renault). I would not be suprised if he is already entertaining talks with RB to return as soon as he can. Taking the risk of getting hammered by Verstappen but at least being clear of the midfield.

[Schuttelberg]

Lets just give Merc and RB the same car next year and we are in for a dream

I can say the same for Ferrari. When drivers have a car underneath them and don't overdrive, you tend to feel such things. Both Ferrari drivers are overdriving under the pressure of expectations. I am very impressed with Ferrari for last year's call on going for Leclerc although Raikkonen's performances this year seem to suggest that he's (Leclerc) an upgrade on quali pace but more or less the same strength on race day but willing to dance with the dragons in wheel to wheel duels.

It's easy to overlook Max's or Lewis' errors because they are exceeding expectations or matching them. It also helps that their team mates are massively underperforming. I mean, Gasly is 5 points ahead of Sainz after 11 races and that is basically another category of racing almost. Verstappen is only 7/8 points behind Bottas who is driving a car that's won more than 80% races with multiple 1-2's and not looking worse than a podium finish at any event.

Max was extremely lucky at Bahrain and Germany to not suffer any loss of points after his mistakes. It was quite an unnecessary fight with Sainz in Bahrain. I have followed Lewis' career for all of his races bar France this year and I still feel this car is not quite underneath him yet. I expect him to bury Bottas in the second half if that happens.

As I said, we have at the moment, 4 world class drivers in 3 great teams. If the field bunches up, it's going to be amazing. I don't know why Danny Ric is where he is. But surely, he should be in one of those 6 seats? And may be, that racing point operations team can be a direct swap for Ferrari's.

Germany was 50% skill of locking and unlocking brakes at the right time, 50% luck it was at a place of low speed and with the walls far away.

I think RIC is kicking himself right now (the Dutch pundit spoke with him at Ibiza and he said he was really unhappy with ‘certain’ unmentioned things at Renault). I would not be suprised if he is already entertaining talks with RB to return as soon as he can. Taking the risk of getting hammered by Verstappen but at least being clear of the midfield.

I think he has no chance against Max, not for lack of ability but just the place he had put himself mentally against Max last year. A lot of comparisons were made about Daniel's move to Renault with Lewis' move to Mercedes and when I said last year that they couldn't be more different, it seems I was right. For starters, Renault need to get rid of Abiteboul. He has been full of promises but he's only delivered shite. Honda are now ahead of Renault and this seemed like a figment of imagination a year back. Lewis was backing people like Brawn, Lauda and co. to come good. All people part of winning teams with know-how of how to create one. I just don't see the talent in Renault. May be they need to just make Prost team boss.

[izzy]

Wolff: Ocon must be driving in F1 next year

https://www.gptoday.net/en/news/f1/2498 ... -next-year

If Toto can get Ocon in at Renault (he IS French after all and ze Renault Board will love that) I think he'll settle for that and keep Valtteri+Lewis which is such a harmonious and positive partnership. Today was mostly not Valtteri's fault after all and he was quick enough for the front row

Just if Toto can't get Esteban in anywhere else then Valtteri could be in trouble, is my guess

[Scorpaguy]

I believe all teams will hold serve with driver line-ups after the break...but Hungary put some things in perspective:

1. Merc...Bot relegated to wingman for the remainder of this year to secure Toto's 2 championships. Toto is shrewd...Ham does not last forever and he needs an up &comer. It would not surprise me to see GRus get the nod over Ocon...as of now he has the keener edge race-wise.

2. Ferrari...refocus on retaining 2nd in WCC. Next year....same thing but worse results with this crew (Bino).

3. RB...Max gets 2nd in WDC this year. Albon with Max next year.

4. MCL...no change this year or next

5. TR...wild card for this year and next, expect same trajectory regardless.

6. Ren...if they come back, same thing.

7. AR...is Kimi that good or Gio that bad? If Ocon gets jumped, be a good place for him (or Sergey).

8. Force Point...as long as that Father-Son mess remains...expect same crap until the money runs out (but Perez/Sergey) would be great.

9. Haas...Mag has guts, Rom has brains...neither has much of the either. Its a Yank team and we like guts...Mag stays and ??? (Ocon).

10. Wil...Kub, as much as we all hate it, is out. Maybe Sergey to replace his cash and ???(Ocon).

Another outlier is Formula E...do some of those guys get a shot? As a group they get lots of "overtaking" practice (by that I mean rogering one up the inside when there is no room)...but the speed differential may keep them from being competitive/considered.

[loner]

Valtteri Bottas has F1 2020 'Plan B' if Mercedes pick Esteban Ocon
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433 ... teban-ocon
i think Renault , Haas and Alfa romeo would be interested.

[FrukostScones]

I think BOT is out.

Maybe we see him at Renault.

[Jolle]

Valtteri Bottas has F1 2020 'Plan B' if Mercedes pick Esteban Ocon
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433 ... teban-ocon
i think Renault , Haas and Alfa romeo would be interested.

Alfa isn't possible, the seat next to Kimi belongs to Ferrari. I think Magnussen is already confirmed by HAAS? and although many people question Grosjean's race craft, he did work out the cars updates, which gives him value for the team.

Renault is a good bet indeed, if Ocon doesn't go there and I still see him perform well next to verstappen in a RedBull.

If he survives and has another year next to Hamilton I see him as a good candidate for a seat next to Leclerc in 2021.