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

[AJI]

Just to throw a spanner in the works, Alonso has publicly stated he wants back in for 2021...

[Manoah2u]

Just to throw a spanner in the works, Alonso has publicly stated he wants back in for 2021...

That's nice, but i honestly doubt that'll happen.
Not that i wouldn't want to.....well, scratch that. no. i don't want to anymore.
As unfortunate as his career went, i believe his time should be done in F1 by now. Leave it for the guns in now.

[Capharol]

Just to throw a spanner in the works, Alonso has publicly stated he wants back in for 2021...

yeah maybe Williams has a spot free next year

[Scorpaguy]

Fred will come back to F1 when Ham goes to Ferrari...so never.

[Jambier]

Now Bottas can be replaced by... Stroll.

With rumors:

- That Wolff and Stroll will buy Mercedes and rebrand it Aston Martin
- That Hamilton will sign 2 years with Brackley only if he has Wolff with him.

It's been several month that we speak about Mercedes wanting to quit F1. Let it be renamed Aston martin with Mercedes engine and Wolff still onboard is a great way out

[raymondu999]

Is Stroll’s Aston acquisition finalised yet? I read something a while back about him readying a 200million gbp buyout.

Doesn’t Wolff already have a shareholding? He should surely have a small stock option vested?

[Jambier]

Is Stroll’s Aston acquisition finalised yet? I read something a while back about him readying a 200million gbp buyout.

Doesn’t Wolff already have a shareholding? He should surely have a small stock option vested?

No

Aston acquisition is just still a rumor
Racing point becoming "Aston martin F1" as well
And Wolff + Stroll buying Mercedes to do "Aston martin F1" as well

This last rumour comes from good old Bernie

[Manoah2u]

Bernie got it from me i guess

[izzy]

Aston acquisition is just still a rumor
Racing point becoming "Aston martin F1" as well
And Wolff + Stroll buying Mercedes to do "Aston martin F1" as well

This last rumour comes from good old Bernie

lol, Bernie thinks F1 is costing Mercedes a lot of money, when in fact it hardly costs them a thing atm, shows how out of touch he is! Obviously they're threatening to leave as part of the negotiations over the redistribution, but since F1 is worth about $3.5 BILLION to them in advertising equivalence i seriously doubt they're going anywhere, even if Toto's playing along with that story. The best way to use F1 is to become synonymous, like Ferrari and McLaren, not win for a few years then quit

Niki Lauda's 10% shareholding is a thing now, but apparently at the end of this year Mercedes have the right to buy it back and Toto's 30% too. Forbes think the team is worth $1Bn so it's probably a bit expensive even for Laurence

Tho who actually knows of course. If Toto sells his 30% then that's another $300m or whatever he has waiting to be spent on something... Williams, would be best, from our point of view, and he has links, perhaps Frank would finally sell, to him?

[Manoah2u]

Though Williams clearly improved when Toto was involved, i'm sure it would do Williams good if Toto would indeed be put fully in charge.
That said, i doubt Toto is interested in going back to where he came from, a definate step back with a lot of headache and no certaincy for success.
It could even hurt his name and fame.

Especially with the suggestions and rumours of which i do believe there is some truth to it, that he would replace Chase Carey,
i really doubt he'd concider Williams over such a thing.

[Phil]

It won't work like that in F1. Please have a look at 2007. If you keep two alpha even with race winning car you will share point between two drivers and the 3rd place driver can win championship. It happened in 2007 with Mclaren.

Simply math sais otherwise:

1st = 25 points.
2nd = 18 points.
3rd = 15 points.

Two alphas in a fast car are more likely to cost a driver in the other team more points. Sure, if the two alphas crash, then that is very costly, but that can be solved with strong management / rules of engagement.

[Just_a_fan]

Sure, if the two alphas crash, then that is very costly, but that can be solved with strong management / rules of engagement.

History suggests that it is not so simple.

[Phil]

Does it? Because of 2007? Lewis never lost that because of Alonso. He lost it due to bad management and luck? The tire fiasco? Pit limiter issue at the last race?

[Just_a_fan]

Senna / Prost. Vettel / Leclerc. Hamilton / Rosberg. All double alpha pairings. All had/having problems that resulted in coming together of both cars.

In 2007, Hamilton was a rookie, albeit a rather good one, rather than an alpha. He just turned up and drove quickly and he played the team game (albeit with gritted teeth) at Monaco, for example. So I don't actually see 2007 as a double alpha situation in the way the above three are.

[Capharol]

i am completly with @Just_a_fan on this part

even back in the days (before Senna/Prost) teams tried it with 2 alphas ..... result: mostly catastophic