Silly Season 2013/14

[WhiteBlue]

Its all back to square one, which means Kimi is controlling the driver market apparently, but in reality it all hinges on what Fernando is going to do next year. If Ferrari is going to be as bad as they are rumoured to be next year Fernando would be very badly advised to continue wasting his prime there.

If he takes off to Red Bull Kimi would be in a nice spot to finish his career as a Ferrari lead driver irrespective of what the teams performance is going to be. If Fernando stays put Red Bull might be even better in terms of getting results.

[djos]

If I were maclaren I snap up Kimi and replace checo, I'd also make Kimi #1 driver as button is useless unless the car is 100% to his liking and seems unable to develop a car to improve it!

Amazingly, I read elsewhere that McLaren want Kimi, and Ferrari want Jenson. Some tabloid in Spain I think.

Bonkers and probably not much truth to it, but I can see why at Jenson's age why he would shop around if he is losing faith in McLaren.

I can understand that, jenson would make an ideal number 2 to nando, that way nando can setup and develop the car while jenson just helps collect wcc points for the team. He's certainly no threat to nando in equal machinery!

[donskar]

Its all back to square one, which means Kimi is controlling the driver market apparently, but in reality it all hinges on what Fernando is going to do next year. If Ferrari is going to be as bad as they are rumoured to be next year Fernando would be very badly advised to continue wasting his prime there.

If he takes off to Red Bull Kimi would be in a nice spot to finish his career as a Ferrari lead driver irrespective of what the teams performance is going to be. If Fernando stays put Red Bull might be even better in terms of getting results.

Would appreciate some links to articles outlining how "bad . . . Ferrari . . . are rumoured to be."

[WhiteBlue]

Its all back to square one, which means Kimi is controlling the driver market apparently, but in reality it all hinges on what Fernando is going to do next year. If Ferrari is going to be as bad as they are rumoured to be next year Fernando would be very badly advised to continue wasting his prime there.

If he takes off to Red Bull Kimi would be in a nice spot to finish his career as a Ferrari lead driver irrespective of what the teams performance is going to be. If Fernando stays put Red Bull might be even better in terms of getting results.

Would appreciate some links to articles outlining how "bad . . . Ferrari . . . are rumoured to be."

No links at this time really. Just silly opinion by myself. You have to have good aero nowadays in F1, which to me Ferrari haven't really excelled in for about a decade. And next year it may help to have a strong power unit which again totally unofficially Ferrari do not seem to be doing much bragging about. In the times of the old man It would have been unthinkable that Merc would be outdoing Ferrari in the power stakes, but today everything seems to be possible.

[dren]

I'm gonna say that Ferrari will be just fine next year. The big three engine manufacturers (I'm throwing Red Bull in that) will be more than fine. I expect Lotus and Mclaren to struggle next year.

It's interesting to see Button saying he doesn't have a contract signed as of yet, and it seems he hasn't been contacted by any of the other two teams. Maybe he's throwing that out so they know? He'd be an excellent fit at Ferrari along Alonso. I hope Mclaren retain him though. I hope he stays long enough for a Button Honda partnership again.

[gary123]

http://translate.google.it/translate?hl ... el-2014%2F
Jenson wants to stay in Mclaren for next year.

[munudeges]

I know people want to put this out as Red Bull being clever and unsettling their rivals, but in reality this is a powerplay about who runs Red Bull between Helmut Marko on the one hand and Newey and Horner on the other. Horner and Newey both know Ricciardo isn't good enough and for Marko he's the last roll of the dice for his much vaunted driver programme.

Ricciardo would be thrown into a completely new car and team, expected to perform from lap one and will have to get used to a completely new engine and all that entails. Red Bull cannot afford to have an unproven driver with the teams and drivers around them. He's the most illogical choice Red Bull can make with the drivers on offer to them.

[djos]

Ricciardo would be thrown into a completely new car and team, expected to perform from lap one and will have to get used to a completely new engine and all that entails. Red Bull cannot afford to have an unproven driver with the teams and drivers around them. He's the most illogical choice Red Bull can make with the drivers on offer to them.

What rubbish, Ricciardo has been performing since the day he was strapped into the POS HRT F1 car.

[munudeges]

Ricciardo has only piped up once the Red Bull drive came into his field of vision and teams absolutely hate drivers who seem to do that. Versus Vergne it has been yin and yang between qualifying and the race all season. Nothing has stood out, and no, I'm afraid he hasn't been performing versus the hype he was given and no, the painted on smile isn't going to sway anyone.

If the guy was good enough this would have been sorted out weeks ago. As simple as that.

[aussiegman]

What rubbish, Ricciardo has been performing since the day he was strapped into the POS HRT F1 car.

+1.

Munudeges what a load of anti-antipodean crap. Ricciardo has consistently out performed His Toro Rosso team mate and even qualified and run way into the top 10. While young he is more seasoned than other F1 drivers running around out there.

As for "just sticking his hand up now" again what a load of crap x 2. He is in the RB driver program same as someone else who is currently sitting in a RBR seat, namely Vettel. Ricciardo is likely doing what he is told by the RBR/TR media machine. Why would he mention a seat prior to Webber retiring? When he did, he has said (as be always has) he would want the drive and hope he has shown he is worth the seat.

You simply seem to have an objection to Ricciardo for some reason. I have no idea why when drivers like Grosjean who is simply dangerous, unseasoned and plainly not worth a seat are still circulating out there.

Next year every driver will have to get used to a new engine package and a new aero package so your argument is poorly formed anti-Ricciardo sentiment and a moot point.

If anything it's not a power play between Horner/Newey vs Marko, its my guess Vettel is having a hissy fit that they were thinking of putting Kimi in the seat who is a certain danger to him and not someone that would tow the RBR line.

Think about it, who would Vettel rather have as a team mate? Certainly not Kimi.

[munudeges]

Mundugeses what a load of anti-antipodean crap.

Downright bizarre..... But then I expected the reaction because people know it's true. The championship doesn't lie and it doesn't paint the picture Ricciardo advocates want to paint. Given the changes next year experience is going to count.

Think about it, who would Vettel rather have as a team mate? Certainly not Kimi.

I think you answered the question right there. Unfortunately Red Bull cannot afford to have that in the face of the competition they'll likely face.

[aussiegman]

Sorry I don't know it's true and I do not think it bizarre at all. So please so not assume to speak for others.

It seems your argument is so fragile you have to use what is tantamount to the "liar liar pants on fire" defense as well as the "because i said so" reasoning.

Your argument is simply sentiment not based in fact but one dimensional reasoning that you perceive points as the only measure of a driver in a 2nd tier car regardless of other factors.

i suggest you need to look harder and with more insight at the issue.

So who do you think should get the drive???

[Kiril Varbanov]

Sirotkin is Sauber driver in 2014, according to himself - http://en.rian.ru/sports/20130823/18292 ... -2014.html

[iotar__]

I know people want to put this out as Red Bull being clever and unsettling their rivals, but in reality this is a powerplay about who runs Red Bull between Helmut Marko on the one hand and Newey and Horner on the other. Horner and Newey both know Ricciardo isn't good enough and for Marko he's the last roll of the dice for his much vaunted driver programme.

Ricciardo would be thrown into a completely new car and team, expected to perform from lap one and will have to get used to a completely new engine and all that entails. Red Bull cannot afford to have an unproven driver with the teams and drivers around them. He's the most illogical choice Red Bull can make with the drivers on offer to them.

No it's not. Already mentioned several times but I'll repeat it. Mateschitz is the one making driver decisions. He was the one that mentioned Raikkonen for the first time in the context of RB seat after Malaysia. It's also HIS and Red Bull's young driver program not some private Marko affair. There's no power struggle in that respect, as for power struggles in other areas twist of policies and public humiliation of Malaysia is enough to show who's running this team, more Vettel/Marko than Horner.

About the second part, I have no clue why this circus continues on the RB's part. From Horner saying that it's between KR and DR to 180 degrees turn couple days ago: we consider many drivers. It only proves one thing, what RB/Horner say mean nothing and they can't be trusted .

[SectorOne]

Ricciardo has consistently out performed His Toro Rosso team mate and even qualified and run way into the top 10. While young he is more seasoned than other F1 drivers running around out there.

This is not true. He´s outperformed Vergne in practice. Yes Qualifying is practice.
In races, where stuff matters, Vergne has outperformed Ricciardo since day 1.
That´s a fact.