Kubica back in an F1 car

[r11co]

HustleRussell said:

I’ve wanted Ferrari to replace Räikkönen for years now as although he’s great for team radio soundbytes he isn’t fast enough to push Vettel. However Kimi is not going to volunteer to retire and I can’t imagine Kubica being a significantly better bet?

Kimi is on a one-year contract, so I don't think it is his decision to make.

[thegreenhell]

REALIST123 said:

MissChief said:

If, as is rumoured, Vettel is at least consulted on the driver in the second seat, and some say an actual Veto (which personally I doubt) then Ricciardo won't be going to Maranello. I think he'd suit Mercedes very well. He's fast, mature, great to be around and (just about) everyone in F1 loves him. And he can drive.

....and for those reasons Hamilton wouldn’t want him in a Mercedes. I doubt Ricciardo would be able to beat Hamilton given the situation but he’d probably be better than Bottas. Why risk it?

Hamilton has said publicly that he'd be happy with Ricciardo as a teammate, and likewise Ricciardo says he'd love to be Hamilton's teammate. What they say privately to their team bosses could be another matter.

Ricciardo -> Mercedes
Sainz -> Red Bull
Bottas -> Renault?
Kubica -> Ferrari
Kimi -> retirement

[Vaud]

thegreenhell said:

Hamilton has said publicly that he'd be happy with Ricciardo as a teammate, and likewise Ricciardo says he'd love to be Hamilton's teammate. What they say privately to their team bosses could be another matter.

Ricciardo -> Mercedes
Sainz -> Red Bull
Bottas -> Renault?
Kubica -> Ferrari
Kimi -> retirement

Kubica to Ferrari? No chance. It will be LeClerc or a seasoned racer like Perez.

Mercedes will be Ocon or ( with Verhlein then taking Ocons seat) or Ricciardo in my view.

[anonymous-user]

If they have a good season and Honda works out well, it could be Hartley or Gasley to Red Bull with Red Bull as the number 1 Honda works team, Torro Rosso as number 2 Honda team.

[CardShark]

As much as I'd like to see DR at Ferrari (because it would pitch him up against Vettel again) a move to Mercedes is more likely. The drivers have said, in public at least, that they wouldn't say no, Ferrari clearly have a No.1 status which DR wouldn't settle for, Ferrari can't handle the internal pressure of two fast drivers and Merc could provide the ideal environment for the Australian. I also happen to think he's mighty fast, has the best left foot on the grid and would provide the sternest test that Lewis has ever faced.

Next year will see a number of seat changes, no doubt about that, and much of it will revolve around how a number of drivers perform this season.

[Vaud]

CardShark said:

Next year will see a number of seat changes, no doubt about that, and much of it will revolve around how a number of drivers perform this season.

Which is why Leclerc is in the Sauber.
They probably have "options" on a couple of drivers.

[anonymous-user]

thegreenhell said:

Hamilton has said publicly that he'd be happy with Ricciardo as a teammate, and likewise Ricciardo says he'd love to be Hamilton's teammate. What they say privately to their team bosses could be another matter.

Ricciardo -> Mercedes
Sainz -> Red Bull
Bottas -> Renault?
Kubica -> Ferrari
Kimi -> retirement

Unfortunately I don't see any of the above happening.

Lewis will not want Ricciardo anywhere near the Mercedes. He will want Bottas to stay put.

I would not be surprised to see Kimi also stay on at Ferrari. Again Vettel will not want someone decent alongside him.

One big name who will be free is Alonso. I doubt he will hang about McLaren going into 2019 if things are not progressing further. But where could he go?

Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 10th March 13:09

[wolfie1978]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Unfortunately I don't see any of the above happening.

Lewis will not want Ricciardo anywhere near the Mercedes. He will want Bottas to stay put.

I would not be surprised to see Kimi also stay on at Ferrari. Again Vettel will not want someone decent alongside him.

One big name who will be free is Alonso. I doubt he will hang about McLaren going into 2019 if things are not progressing further. But where could he go?

Edited by ELUSIVEJIM on Saturday 10th March 13:09

The only place i could see him going in F1 is Renault, but that will depend on how they fare this year

[MissChief]

wolfie1978 said:

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Unfortunately I don't see any of the above happening.

Lewis will not want Ricciardo anywhere near the Mercedes. He will want Bottas to stay put.

I would not be surprised to see Kimi also stay on at Ferrari. Again Vettel will not want someone decent alongside him.

One big name who will be free is Alonso. I doubt he will hang about McLaren going into 2019 if things are not progressing further. But where could he go?

Edited by ELUSIVEJIM on Saturday 10th March 13:09

The only place i could see him going in F1 is Renault, but that will depend on how they fare this year

Kimi needs to retire to set everything in motion. If he says for (yet) another year then not a lot will happen. If he retires then I'm not so sure Ferrari will take Leclerc so quickly after just a single year at Sauber. Once Ferrari take a driver then things will start moving.

[Angpozzuto]

I think Mercedes would be reluctant to put two championship contenders in their cars after the tensions between Hamilton and rosberg

[8V085]

All of you claiming that this year's Williams line up is the way it is because of money not because of skills are deluded, and need to listen to this.

https://youtu.be/XBpRlW_F8bY?t=1m47s

I mean Claire and Paddy claim it has nothing to do with it so it must be true, right?

[kambites]

Angpozzuto said:

I think Mercedes would be reluctant to put two championship contenders in their cars after the tensions between Hamilton and rosberg

Whether that's true or not, as performance gaps close as the cars mature under the current rule-set, they do need a driver who's going to consistently come second when they have the fastest car and Bottas did not achieve that last year.

[Vaud]

kambites said:

Whether that's true or not, as performance gaps close as the cars mature under the current rule-set, they do need a driver who's going to consistently come second when they have the fastest car and Bottas did not achieve that last year.

And who can take p1 when Lewis has an off day...

[Car-Matt]

Testing is testing.......Sirotkin murdered Kubica when it counted in Abu Dhabi.........and now Kubica is the number 3.........he obviously thinks there is still some headroom to his top performance level or he wouldnt be hanging around trying to get a drive......but at this point Sirotkin is better over a lap and on race pace.....all the info from the Abu Dhabi test is out there.

[tight fart]

I can't see any team saying there driver is not very quick but he has got lots of money.

Not in F1 anyway.

[anonymous-user]

Car-Matt said:

Testing is testing.......Sirotkin murdered Kubica when it counted in Abu Dhabi.........and now Kubica is the number 3.........he obviously thinks there is still some headroom to his top performance level or he wouldnt be hanging around trying to get a drive......but at this point Sirotkin is better over a lap and on race pace.....all the info from the Abu Dhabi test is out there.

So why is Kubica murdering both Stroll and Sirotkin in testing??

I have strong doubts about what timing system Williams were using that day.

Clearly money makes you faster.

[Vaud]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

So why is Kubica murdering both Stroll and Sirotkin in testing??

I have strong doubts about what timing system Williams were using that day.

Clearly money makes you faster.

What testing plan were they each following? Times mean nothing in testing without context.

[anonymous-user]

Vaud said:

What testing plan were they each following? Times mean nothing in testing without context.

Paddy Lowe was asked at a press meeting the following

What happens if Kubica is faster than your two race drivers??

After 13 seconds of silence he stated "I don't know"

If Williams were so confident that their two race drivers are faster than Kubica why would he not just state this?

[Vaud]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Paddy Lowe was asked at a press meeting the following

What happens if Kubica is faster than your two race drivers??

After 13 seconds of silence he stated "I don't know"

If Williams were so confident that their two race drivers are faster than Kubica why would he not just state this?

No idea. Press statements aren’t delivered under oath and it’s not unheard of for team leads to wind up journalists...

[Car-Matt]

ELUSIVEJISM said:

Car-Matt said:

Testing is testing.......Sirotkin murdered Kubica when it counted in Abu Dhabi.........and now Kubica is the number 3.........he obviously thinks there is still some headroom to his top performance level or he wouldnt be hanging around trying to get a drive......but at this point Sirotkin is better over a lap and on race pace.....all the info from the Abu Dhabi test is out there.

So why is Kubica murdering both Stroll and Sirotkin in testing??

I have strong doubts about what timing system Williams were using that day.

They would be using the same timing they always use......

They also had all the data to hand and were able to make the comparisons that you are only able to guess at

Barcelona testing hasn’t been out and out pace tests with both drivers doing the same thing under the same conditions so please explain how Kubica has been faster than Sirotkin and under what circumstances and quote the sources of data......

Clearly money makes you faster.