Silly Season 2013/14

[WhiteBlue]

..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 .

The very simple explanation is that Didi is still on holidays somewhere on a Pacific island and he is not actively looking at the driver issue. So don't expect anything to happen until he is back in Austria. Same is true for Ferrari. They do not benefit from upsetting their current driver pairing by announcing any 2014 decisions yet. They want to keep the boat with Fernando to make good progress in the races as long as possible and not rock it by making their plans public too early.

[Richard]

Eddie Jordon on BBC reflecting on a conversation with Horner today (from my memory, not a verbatim transcription)

Horner's upset - he wanted the fastest diver pair because that is best for the team, but he been told he has to take Riccardo. So now he has to try to get him up to speed for the start of next season.

[munudeges]

This is not true. He´s outperformed Vergne in practice.

Of course it's not true. The championship tells you that. The people here know it which is why they have to make up laughable 'other factors' and the people at Red Bull know it, but unfortunately there are other political factors at play. If Marko doesn't get one of his drivers into Red Bull soon after all the money spent and the driver merry-go-round at Torro Rosso the driver programme will inevitably be shut down. Unfortunately next year is the worst time to be trying to shoe-horn someone into that seat and Horner knows that because they cannot afford a driver who is going to need to be manhandled.

It's pretty clear that Newey, Horner and Red Bull are extremely ambivalent and they don't believe in him before he's (probably) even started. Horner was asked today whether he thought Ricciardo was ready and he fudged the question.

This is a power-play within Red Bull. No question about it......and there you have it:

Horner's upset - he wanted the fastest diver pair because that is best for the team, but he been told he has to take Riccardo. So now he has to try to get him up to speed for the start of next season.

[munudeges]

A juxtaposition I find interesting is that of the view of Adrian Newey. He absolutely detests politics like this and he has a long history of leaving teams when he feels things have become untenable.

[munudeges]

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

Oh. My. God.

Anyway, when Ricciardo is confirmed in the Red Bull seat the other teams that have been trying to prise Raikkonen away will feel that three quarters of their work has been done.

[stefan_]

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

[iotar__]

..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 .

The very simple explanation is that Didi is still on holidays somewhere on a Pacific island and he is not actively looking at the driver issue. So don't expect anything to happen until he is back in Austria. Same is true for Ferrari. They do not benefit from upsetting their current driver pairing by announcing any 2014 decisions yet. They want to keep the boat with Fernando to make good progress in the races as long as possible and not rock it by making their plans public too early.

I doubt it's Mateschitz's absence. He doesn't have to be in Europe to make a decision, he doesn't have to take part in contract negotiations. Horner's change of verbal direction seemed to be a response to KR's management announcement about ending contacts and gossips about hiring Ricciardo. As for unsettling, there was no need to do anything on RB's part, it's already unsettled enough. I don't understand it unless they still want Raikkonen.

Ferrari is a different story altogether, they really don't have to hurry. Going back to Finnish paper rumours at least we learned the supposed source: drinking buddies

[ESPImperium]

Now looks that all cars will have a old face on them as well in the Michelin man. Pirelli out - Michelin in. Change to sporting regs as well on tyres would be my guess as well. 8 sets of slicks, no tyre warmers as well would be my dream and ideal in F1.

[djos]

Mark Webber has basically confirmed to James Allen that Dan has got the RBR drive for next year - he said that his replacement has now been contracted and all of Australia will be happy with his replacement!

[munudeges]

Yer, well we knew that. It's just a pity that Ricciardo is on a hiding to nothing and is part of a political game. I mean, I know we've already established he isn't good enough but that doesn't mean I don't feel sorry for him.

The deal has obviously been negotiated between Markko and Mateschitz and Horner and Newey don't want him. When he falls flat on his face, as he inevitably will in the face of the competition and the drivers they have, Horner and Newey will use him to bury Markko and his 'driver development programme'.

[Richard]

My brief summary of Riccardo/JEV...

If JEV ....

xxx is the more complete driver if you squint when the moon in Aires.

yyy is an ace qualifier when the Mars is ascendant.

My tea leaves tell me that zzz was last seen moving trees at Birnam wood.

Driver comparisons are deemed to be meaningless on this forum, they're prone to excuses and selective statistics. Its all gone.

[munudeges]

Well, I look at how good a driver is, and all the teams do, by looking at their results over an extended period of time because it eliminates the excuses. Two seasons is certainly enough. I see an awful lot of talk about how fast Grosjean is and how he was going to beat Raikkonen but over two season he's been heavily outscored and it's Raikkonen with the two victories.

I'm just not seeing it in this case unfortunately.

[sennafan24]

Driver comparisons are deemed to be meaningless on this forum, they're prone to excuses and selective statistics. Its all gone.

Fair enough. I get what you mean, my post could have been a bear baiting exercise for the posts you dislike.

Anyhow, despite Webber/Jordan and others saying Riccardo is a done deal, Horner must have said in at least 3 interviews that "we are weighing up our options still" and "you would not believe who has been interested" I take it that it is grandstanding on his part, surely Webber and Jordan are not wrong.

[munudeges]

No, I don't believe that they're wrong but Horner doesn't exactly look enthusiastic.

[djos]

Mods, why was my post about RIC's drive to 10th removed?

I wasn't baiting folks, IMO it went to proving my earlier claim that RIC usually only gets beaten by JEV when the latter gets the new tire starting advantage.

Spa IMO proves that RIC can race at least as well as JEV and his race (just) into the points proves this.