Jensons future

[HTP99]

malks222 said:

so unless a very last minute offer/deal comes in from a team, it looks like this is the end for him.

I thought it always was the end, apart from the option that MacLaren have on him for next year, which lets face it, isn't going to happen?

[thegreenhell]

malks222 said:

so unless a very last minute offer/deal comes in from a team, it looks like this is the end for him.

Isn't he still contracted to McLaren as reserve driver for the next two years? He could be called up to race again if either SvD is not up to scratch (unlikely) or Nando quits next year (possibly more likely).

[El Guapo]

If the 2017 McLaren isn't a front runner out of the box I can't see Alonso staying long.

[VolvoT5]

El Guapo said:

If the 2017 McLaren isn't a front runner out of the box I can't see Alonso staying long.

Yeah but why would McLaren want Jenson back at that stage and why would Jenson want to return to a car he knows is uncompetitive as a 1 year stop gap?

Plus other younger drivers could be available by then..... Plenty of younger talent out there like Sainz or Bottas. Plus who knows what will happen with Vettel at Ferrari or even Hamilton or Rosberg at Mercedes... and if they really wanted to put another OAP in the car then Raikkonen could be available too. All those drivers would have a year of experience with the new cars.

I find it very hard to see a realistic scenario that has Jenson back racing in F1 come 2018. I guess maybe if the car is semi-competitive and Alonso stays but Vandoorne has a total shocker of a season so bad he gets the boot?

[Chrisgr31]

There has been speculation in some of the F1 media that a tweet by Alonso indicates that he is Porsche WEC bound in 2018, which may mean a seat for Jenson in 2018.

However all bound to depend on the 2017 car is like

[glazbagun]

VolvoT5 said:

Yeah but why would McLaren want Jenson back at that stage and why would Jenson want to return to a car he knows is uncompetitive as a 1 year stop gap?

Plus other younger drivers could be available by then..... Plenty of younger talent out there like Sainz or Bottas. Plus who knows what will happen with Vettel at Ferrari or even Hamilton or Rosberg at Mercedes... and if they really wanted to put another OAP in the car then Raikkonen could be available too. All those drivers would have a year of experience with the new cars.

I find it very hard to see a realistic scenario that has Jenson back racing in F1 come 2018. I guess maybe if the car is semi-competitive and Alonso stays but Vandoorne has a total shocker of a season so bad he gets the boot?

My thinking is that the gap year thing was a Ron Dennis idea- if Alonso leaves they'll be without a WCC for 20 years, without a without a title sponsor for five years and without a World Champion driver. If Alonso is there saying he has faith in the program, etc, then at least people are still talking about McLaren, and people still think of them ahead of Williams and Force India even if they don't have the results.

But if Alonso leaves and they end up with Sainz and Vandoorne, will they really be worth more to sponsors/Honda than Torro Rosso or anyone else? If you can attract top talent it makes you look good.

Ron Dennis is gone now, but I reckon he (and Honda) were banking on keeping the air of being a contender like Ferrari rather than an also ran like Williams.

[S0 What]

A few of the teams keeps ex drivers on after thier racing career is over, Fisi still turns up at GP in Ferrari uniform (i know he still drive for them in another catagry) he was reserve driver in 2010 after he swapped to them for a few races in 2009, Luca Badoer and Marc Gene where about for a while as well ?

[Vocal Minority]

Mr_Thyroid said:

Vocal Minority said:

Of course they are - 'only as good as your last....' is a nice simple cliché you can use to excuse you from having to go through the tiresome exercise of considering several factors

YES, perfect. I like it. Are they your own words?

Yep - thought JFK put it even more succinctly

'We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought'

[HardtopManual]

Vocal Minority said:

'We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought'

It may well be a cliche, but if you Google "In F1 you're only as good as your last race", you'll find it used by DC, Toto Wolff, Ron Dennis... I don't think they could be accused of being hard of thinking.

We don't see the impact of poor form in F1 quite as savagely as we used to, when rookies might get dropped after one race, but I can think of at least two drivers this season whose careers have been set on very different paths thanks to current form.

[S0 What]

HardtopManual said:

Vocal Minority said:

'We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought'

It may well be a cliche, but if you Google "In F1 you're only as good as your last race", you'll find it used by DC, Toto Wolff, Ron Dennis... I don't think they could be accused of being hard of thinking.

We don't see the impact of poor form in F1 quite as savagely as we used to, when rookies might get dropped after one race, but I can think of at least two drivers this season whose careers have been set on very different paths thanks to current form.

No they were certainly not but IF you had heard them say that phrase and taken it IN context they were refering to the fickle publics opinion and NOT thier own

[Vocal Minority]

I'd also say it's busy blokes, looking for a good, forward looking, easy throw away line for the journalists.

You can read way too much into press comments

[MartG]

VolvoT5 said:

I find it very hard to see a realistic scenario that has Jenson back racing in F1 come 2018.

Ron wants revenge on McLaren, gets together with Ross Brawn and buys Manor, hires Jenson as an experienced driver to help sort the car, Manor take World Championship in 2018

[G0ldfysh]

MartG said:

Ron wants revenge on McLaren, gets together with Ross Brawn and buys Manor, hires Jenson as an experienced driver to help sort the car, Manor take World Championship in 2018

I like what you got cooking

[belleair302]

Jensen will see out his contract and pocket the salary. he is busy currently working on some 'Ambassador' roles away from the F1 world and will race elsewhere in 2018. He may do some Rally X in the USA, maybe a GT race in Japan next year, but afterwards is free to race GT's. Will McLaren develop a GT3 factory team for JB and Alonso? Interesting. Zac Brown may push for this and find the money. I fear McLaren and F1 if the engines dont improve may slip away or be sold for their grid space alone. Sad but possible.

[HTP99]

MartG said:

VolvoT5 said:

I find it very hard to see a realistic scenario that has Jenson back racing in F1 come 2018.

Ron wants revenge on McLaren, gets together with Ross Brawn and buys Manor, hires Jenson as an experienced driver to help sort the car, Manor take World Championship in 2018

I've always got the distinct impression that Ron has never really liked, or at least rated, Jenson.

[ukaskew]

So it's pretty much official, Button is treating Abu Dhabi as his last ever F1 race.

[p1stonhead]

Yep - retiring this weekend! Sad to see him go but hes been in such a dog of a car for the last few years I dont blame him.

[Flooble]

He'll still be attending four GPs according to the report. Maybe Brazil, so he and Alonso can sunbathe together ...

[ClockworkCupcake]

ukaskew said:

So it's pretty much official, Button is treating Abu Dhabi as his last ever F1 race.

Jenson said that he is treating this as his last ever F1 race just in case it is. That doesn't mean he definitely won't return in 2018 after his sabbatical (although he's saying it is more likely not) but he would be silly to not treat it as his last race and then it later turn out to be. Which is slightly different to saying it is definitely his last F1 race ever (which is what the papers are reporting in their clickbait headlines).

[Vocal Minority]

He actually sounds pretty blydi fed up with it all!