Silly Season 2020/2021 (starting with silliness in 2019)

[Capharol]

I am not seeing any equalty at the start of 2021, because the big teams gonna invest heavily in 2020 to get the car for 2021 and i don't see Haas, Williams, Racing Point, Alfa Romeo, Toro Rosso investing so mach as Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull will do (last one first needs to get the Honda deal to be extended)
in 2022 i think the smaller teams can start to close the gap and by 2023/2024 maybe we will have a 4th team able to contest with the top 3 teams......

Supposedly the key is the wind tunnel and CFD restrictions, some teams will use 2020 resources towards 2021, while the big 3 will probably use more towards a 2020 championship(depending on how well they start 2020 season). This could lead to a closer 2021 field, or a dominant situation if someone finds a magic trick.

With aero being by for the dominant performance differentiator, the extra money spent by the big teams is supposedly not as effective due to the wind tunnel and cfd restrictions.

how can the "smaller" teams be able to do research earlier then the big 3 who has almost no limit of resources and loads of Money to focus on 2 things.
the "smaller" teams can barely keep up with the top 3 teams, the only one that could really benefit is McLaren but i don't see them close the gap that easily

[oT v1]

All depends on your margins. A midfield team car can do two seasons without problem, but top teams, half a season max.

Didn’t JB use the same chassis all year in 2009? Maybe was Barrichello. I just remember there were only 3 total chassis, between the 2

Button used one chassis the whole season indeed.

Aguri Suzuki’s team used one year used Arrows chassis their first year.

What you do have to do is reassess the fixtures every few races, like the front wishbone points.

But in case of a team like Williams, production of a few new tubs isn’t the issue, it’s the design where you can make the difference. With limited time available (because of the rules), they could use the time they have for 2020 for 2021, what they did I think in 2013/2014. In contrast, McLaren came as only team with a whole new concept for 2013 where almost all other teams shifted they ressources at 2014. RedBull made the same call, making them unbeatable late 2013 but trailing in 2014.

I’m not sure Merc completely bailed, they worked their asses off to fix the tyre problems (not sure if that is the private Pirelli test though lol). Incredibly fast car in quali but went backwards in races with rear problems. They evolved a lot over the season. Maybe it’s just their resources that they aced 2014 too.

[raymondu999]

With the collision between Vet - Lec in Brazil, and obvious tensions/anger on team radio, I wonder - would it lead to any changes? Shock driver departure? Sudden added clauses in contracts?

Mind you, some said Webber would storm out of RBR too after Turkey but that never materialised

[izzy]

With the collision between Vet - Lec in Brazil, and obvious tensions/anger on team radio, I wonder - would it lead to any changes? Shock driver departure? Sudden added clauses in contracts?

Mind you, some said Webber would storm out of RBR too after Turkey but that never materialised

It's a question, but i don't think Seb is finished yet. He's got his speed back now the car is more stable again. Charles can't go anywhere. Ferrari can't replace Seb while Charles is so young, but Charles is the future

So they're all stuck with each other! But they get on better than it seems apparently, so far anyway, and Mattia has a good approach i think

[PlatinumZealot]

Clear rules one who is to lead will be enforced starting next year. It will be a race by race basis up until the sixth race or so, when it will be the number 1 only who will finish in front in normal circumstances. I think what we saw in Brazil was the fact that the number 1 clause in Vettel's contract is not bulletproof.

[Lotus102]

Aguri Suzuki’s team used one year used Arrows chassis their first year.

To memory, FIndia’s first year also used the previous year’s chassis. I forgot if that team was Midland or Spyker just before the FIndia takeover

Isn’t this year’s RP using the same chassis as last year’s RP/FI? Probably new tubs but the same design. I thought I read that they established the basic design when they still weren’t sure what the team’s future would be, so went for a conservative evolution using the same chassis design, then initiated a more comprehensive ‘B’ spec for later in the season when the buyout happened. I imagine if the rules are stable, it’s no great hardship to save a bit of design time on the tub, and even if you’re building new ones, you can still save a bit of time and money by re-using the existing moulds/plugs.

[loner]

while Bottas is a very good wing man he is an errors prone he crash and throw away wins like he did in Monza lap 51,something gets on Toto's nerve.
i think Mercs will try to get RIC on board.. but if it happens will RIC accept ? i do think its a good possibility.

[LM10]

while Bottas is a very good wing man he is an errors prone he crash and throw away wins like he did in Monza lap 51,something gets on Toto's nerve.
i think Mercs will try to get RIC on board.. but if it happens will RIC accept ? i do think its a good possibility.

Ricciardio went to Renault because he wanted to flee from RBR purely focusing on their golden boy. He wants to win and a team which backs him up.
There is no motivation for Mercedes to change Bottas as long as Hamilton is on the level he is and Ricciardio would not accept going to another team which already has it's untouchable driver anyway.

[gshevlin]

I am not sure about Ricciardo now that he has had to suffer through a season in a car that is clearly nowhere close to the front. He might have changed his mind.

[izzy]

I am not sure about Ricciardo now that he has had to suffer through a season in a car that is clearly nowhere close to the front. He might have changed his mind.

Danny would go to Mercedes in a heartbeat, surely. He's said he thinks he can beat Lewis and it's obvious now that Renault aren't going to catch up like they thought, at least not soon. Mercedes are very fair with their drivers, Valtteri's only been made wingman after he's become wingman on his own.

And Mercedes have only signed VB for 1 year, again.

[Big Tea]

It would take a huge investment, but Red Bull have the money, so how do you fancy STR (or whatever thy will be named ) with Vettel and Gasly?

They have the Honda engine and for a comparatively low cost could be in with the top 4.

(Do not see RBR accepting it as it would cost them points )

[Fulcrum]

With the collision between Vet - Lec in Brazil, and obvious tensions/anger on team radio, I wonder - would it lead to any changes? Shock driver departure? Sudden added clauses in contracts?

Mind you, some said Webber would storm out of RBR too after Turkey but that never materialised

It's a question, but i don't think Seb is finished yet. He's got his speed back now the car is more stable again. Charles can't go anywhere. Ferrari can't replace Seb while Charles is so young, but Charles is the future

So they're all stuck with each other! But they get on better than it seems apparently, so far anyway, and Mattia has a good approach i think

Vettel may not be finished, but Leclerc is only getting started. More wins, more poles, more points, and this in his first year against a quadruple World Champion who was well embedded within the Ferrari ecosystem.

Realistically speaking, Vettel's value to Ferrari must have diminished significantly since the beginning of the year. He will be on notice going into 2020 that his services, while appreciated, are no longer indispensable.

How Vettel reacts to the pressure will be interesting to watch, and while it is not impossible he rebounds, I expect Leclerc to take ownership of #1 status in the team as 2020 unfolds.

[Capharol]

Leclerc will be #1 at Ferrari ... thanks to the Todt-Connection even when he drives shyte and crashes the car in the first 5 races ..... Todt-Connection will help

[izzy]

With the collision between Vet - Lec in Brazil, and obvious tensions/anger on team radio, I wonder - would it lead to any changes? Shock driver departure? Sudden added clauses in contracts?

Mind you, some said Webber would storm out of RBR too after Turkey but that never materialised

It's a question, but i don't think Seb is finished yet. He's got his speed back now the car is more stable again. Charles can't go anywhere. Ferrari can't replace Seb while Charles is so young, but Charles is the future

So they're all stuck with each other! But they get on better than it seems apparently, so far anyway, and Mattia has a good approach i think

Vettel may not be finished, but Leclerc is only getting started. More wins, more poles, more points, and this in his first year against a quadruple World Champion who was well embedded within the Ferrari ecosystem.

Realistically speaking, Vettel's value to Ferrari must have diminished significantly since the beginning of the year. He will be on notice going into 2020 that his services, while appreciated, are no longer indispensable.

How Vettel reacts to the pressure will be interesting to watch, and while it is not impossible he rebounds, I expect Leclerc to take ownership of #1 status in the team as 2020 unfolds.

yes good points. Ferrari are between a rock and a hard place really, with Seb having lost 80 points 2 years in a row with errors, and Charles being only 22 and so he's obviously quite error prone as well. but i don't think they can fix it with swapping either of them can they? They have to hang in there with them and do the best they can

[NathanOlder]

Just put Hulk in the number 2 car, have some team harmony and get in with it.

He will happily sign up as number 2 to Charles. problem solved. Vettel can't win the title in a good Ferrari and Kimi as support for 2 years running, what makes anyone think he can do it while having to fight his own team mate. The only slim possibility of that happening would be if ferrari were totally dominant, and if thats the case, they dont need seb.