The Official F1 2023 silly season *contains speculation*

[liner33]

Fundoreen said:

Should have been humble and smiley for a longer F1 career.

"Humble" he was an F! driver ,its not in their DNA

[llewop]

TDK-C60 said:

Otmar pretty annoyed then -


https://racingnews365.com/szafnauer-criticises-pia...

His lawyers seem to think this is not over perhaps, but you'd think the FIA would have read his existing contract carefully before saying the Mac one was pukka.

So a week on, other than Otmar's hissy fit about what wasn't necessarily in a contract and grumbling about 'lack of loyalty' (compare and contrast with 'spirit of the regulations...'), we've got no further actual news. Just lots of speculation 'it appears that...', 'rumour has it...' and enough hot air to have a balloon fest.

Meantime, McLaren are still posting happy snaps of DR doing team stuff, which seems odd if they have sent him a 'dear John...'.

Not convinced this is going to play out as many are speculating.

[Smollet]

llewop said:

So a week on, other than Otmar's hissy fit about what wasn't necessarily in a contract and grumbling about 'lack of loyalty' (compare and contrast with 'spirit of the regulations...'), we've got no further actual news. Just lots of speculation 'it appears that...', 'rumour has it...' and enough hot air to have a balloon fest.

Meantime, McLaren are still posting happy snaps of DR doing team stuff, which seems odd if they have sent him a 'dear John...'.

Not convinced this is going to play out as many are speculating.

Indeed. The worst kept secret might end up being the best kept secret if DR stays

[vaud]

Smollet said:

Indeed. The worst kept secret might end up being the best kept secret if DR stays

There will be termination clauses for DR that McLaren can exercise, it will just cost them a lot of money.

[Mark-C]

vaud said:

Smollet said:

Indeed. The worst kept secret might end up being the best kept secret if DR stays

There will be termination clauses for DR that McLaren can exercise, it will just cost them a lot of money.

It's going to be interesting to see if DR can up his game after the long break ...

[vaud]

Mark-C said:

It's going to be interesting to see if DR can up his game after the long break ...

I suspect the deals will be done by Spa.

My guess is there is a few weeks of negotiations from the comfort of yachts, etc

There might be more moves to come.

[Fundoreen]

Smollet said:

Likes Fast Cars said:

I give it a year until Alonso falls out with Stroll Sr because Stroll Jr is getting all the shiny new toys and upgrades. It's going to be Macca 2007 all over again except this time he doesn't have a very fast and highly talented team mate.

Why teams sign this clown Alonso is beyond me....

Sponsors want a name. Alonso fits the bill, I doubt he’s that expensive and he can still pedal a car better than most.

I dont think that will happen as such as its not just stroll jr/sr but also the consortium of investors and Alonso is the best chance of success. But if in a year or so the results are not there he will probably spectacularly eject Alonso as this is how billionaires show the power they have over mere employees.

[Adrian W]

llewop said:

TDK-C60 said:

Otmar pretty annoyed then -


https://racingnews365.com/szafnauer-criticises-pia...

His lawyers seem to think this is not over perhaps, but you'd think the FIA would have read his existing contract carefully before saying the Mac one was pukka.

So a week on, other than Otmar's hissy fit about what wasn't necessarily in a contract and grumbling about 'lack of loyalty' (compare and contrast with 'spirit of the regulations...'), we've got no further actual news. Just lots of speculation 'it appears that...', 'rumour has it...' and enough hot air to have a balloon fest.

Meantime, McLaren are still posting happy snaps of DR doing team stuff, which seems odd if they have sent him a 'dear John...'.

Not convinced this is going to play out as many are speculating.

Isn't it the summer break?

[Big Nanas]

llewop said:

Meantime, McLaren are still posting happy snaps of DR doing team stuff, which seems odd if they have sent him a 'dear John...'.

Not convinced this is going to play out as many are speculating.

I wouldn't put much stock into that. McLaren's social team would be well down on the 'information pecking order' and will have an existing plan of PR Social media posts to focus on.
Plus, as with any big company, it's 'Business as usual' until a formal announcement is made.

[llewop]

Adrian W said:

Isn't it the summer break?

That did cross my mind, but then Otmar having his grumble got me thinking that some activities that were not technical might not be covered by the shutdown, for instance it would be bonkers to shut down their accounts and stop paying the staff or suppliers.

Just looked at the sporting regulations and the shutdown seems very much focused on factory and/or design. Even then repair of damage is allowed and prep for the next event, so as with most things, never quite a complete 'lights out, lock the door'.

But it could just be that with most having found somewhere quiet to take a break that getting something to move forward right now isn't a priority or even possible. Will probably ramp up a few days before Spa. In the vacuum after the gasp at the Apline message and it's followup from Piastri there was an expection of something more... that hasn't happened.

[samoht]

llewop said:

In the vacuum after the gasp at the Alpine message and it's followup from Piastri there was an expectation of something more... that hasn't happened.

As I see it
McLaren would be ready to announce a 2023 lineup of Norris/Piastri, except that that would also be an announcement of sacking Ricciardo, and they'd rather give him the chance to arrange his next move than publicly label him unemployed.
Piastri mustn't pre-empt McLaren given the above; his public statement denying he'll drive for Alpine is already as far as he can go.
Alpine still hope that some combination of legal threats and emotional blackmail will bring Piastri back to them, so they will neither repeat nor resile from their previous driver announcement until the behind the scenes battle is resolved.
Ricciardo needs to make up his mind, from somewhat of a standing start, whether and where he'd like to drive next year, and then negotiate that with his new team while getting as much money as he can out of McLaren as a divorce settlement. So he won't say anything until he has a future to announce.

So I expect the next we'll hear will be a flurry of announcements of Piastri at McLaren and Ricciardo elsewhere, quite possibly Alpine.

[llewop]

samoht said:

So I expect the next we'll hear will be a flurry of announcements of Piastri at McLaren and Ricciardo elsewhere, quite possibly Alpine.

A curious twist someone came up with was that Gasly apparently has a 'if a higher placed team makes me an offer clause'... So Frenchman to French team could tick that box, give him a warm fraternal feeling and reset his ambitions that have somewhat stalled as 'not a good enough lacky to Max' (in HMs eyes). So make an openning at Alpha Tauri, which might be attractive (ish) to DR as it might be a car more to his taste (being Red Bull-ish) and probably still some faces that remember him.

I really should be less impatient about it as I generally hate the instant gratification obsession of news, 'breaking news' and scoops!

[thegreenhell]

I don't think DR's ego could fit in the AT, and I can only imagine the ribbing he would get from Horner and Helmut if he ended up back there after the way he quit Red Bull last time.

If Alpine really have lost Piastri to McLaren, I can only see DR going there. Alpine and Ricciardo really are the best options for each other. Otmar hinted at this last week when he said they would have no issues taking him back. In the circumstances, they'd both be equally motivated to beat McLaren next year.

[snotrag]

thegreenhell said:

If Alpine really have lost Piastri to McLaren, I can only see DR going there...

But wait, there's more!


A Mr Hulkenberg, who rarely posts on social media, has just this afternoon chosen to post some #hulkenback memories of him in a certain pink and blue car, getting an appreciative nod for a job well done from his his team manager at the time... Mr Szafnauer!

Cryptic? Trolling? Or just stirring the pot!

Place bets now!







And in other soshul meeja related gossip, Mclaren continue to post pics of DR on his hols and taking some serious, serious 'how dare you' flack.

There not exactly going to announce it, until they announce it, are they, duh!

[stemll]

llewop said:

A curious twist someone came up with was that Gasly apparently has a 'if a higher placed team makes me an offer clause'... So Frenchman to French team could tick that box, give him a warm fraternal feeling and reset his ambitions that have somewhat stalled as 'not a good enough lacky to Max' (in HMs eyes). So make an openning at Alpha Tauri, which might be attractive (ish) to DR as it might be a car more to his taste (being Red Bull-ish) and probably still some faces that remember him.

I really should be less impatient about it as I generally hate the instant gratification obsession of news, 'breaking news' and scoops!

Not going to happen. Ocon and Gasly do not get on and Ocon doesn't need any more excuses to drive into his teammates.

[Fundoreen]

Well 20 odd drivers have applied for the vacancy so why not Hunkleberg?
As for Mclaren why would they oust DR and have to pay him off 20millions??? Just to get some untried kid in a year early? In a car
that will be lucky to get a podium next year.
OP probably agreed to got there the year after as im sure the devious duo wouldnt have undermined a fellow aussie like that.

[Pflanzgarten]

stemll said:

llewop said:

A curious twist someone came up with was that Gasly apparently has a 'if a higher placed team makes me an offer clause'... So Frenchman to French team could tick that box, give him a warm fraternal feeling and reset his ambitions that have somewhat stalled as 'not a good enough lacky to Max' (in HMs eyes). So make an openning at Alpha Tauri, which might be attractive (ish) to DR as it might be a car more to his taste (being Red Bull-ish) and probably still some faces that remember him.

I really should be less impatient about it as I generally hate the instant gratification obsession of news, 'breaking news' and scoops!

Not going to happen. Ocon and Gasly do not get on and Ocon doesn't need any more excuses to drive into his teammates.

I don’t think Gasly would be going into it thinking Ocon would get anywhere near him.

[thegreenhell]

Pflanzgarten said:

I don’t think Gasly would be going into it thinking Ocon would get anywhere near him.

Then he'd be in for a rude awakening when he found he was just as mediocre as the other guy in the identical car.

[ch37]

llewop said:

So a week on, other than Otmar's hissy fit about what wasn't necessarily in a contract and grumbling about 'lack of loyalty' (compare and contrast with 'spirit of the regulations...'), we've got no further actual news. Just lots of speculation 'it appears that...',

Not convinced this is going to play out as many are speculating.

Indeed. Lots of 'facts' being posted here and on social media but even if some turn out to be correct, there are very, very few 'facts' right now, especially when it comes to the specifics of various contracts.

I would guess it's unlikely we ever to get to hear the full ins and outs, knowing F1 (and Alonso being part of the story!) it's murkier than even the wildest of guesses!

[Jake899]

thegreenhell said:

Then he'd be in for a rude awakening when he found he was just as mediocre as the other guy in the identical car.

Highly unfair comment.
While the Alpha Tauri this year seems to be off the pace, Gaslys previous seasons at AT have been very successful. If you removed Ferrari/RB/Mercedes, he would consistently be the next driver on the list, while his team mate would be languishing down the order.
I think Gasly is a really great driver and deserves a better chance. The environment at RB is pretty toxic and i think he had a terrible time there behind the scenes with the team actively working against him. He just seems to need a carrot rather than RBs stick.