Palmer out?

[Mastodon2]

They should cut him now and get someone else in mid-season, it should be clear to the management that Palmer isn't going to turn into anything so they're wasting time and money on him letting him in the car.

[cuprabob]

williamp said:

I find him a very hard chap to like, and I will always champion British Drivers...

I'm exactly the same, can't warm to him at all. I was exactly the same with his father...

[vonuber]

He could go to IndyCar.

[Crafty_]

Aside from Palmer I think we could see quite a few moves next year.

Assuming Kimi packs it in, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo, Perez, Grosjean, Sainz could be in the frame.

I can see Ricciardo going there, Sainz taking his seat and Gasly getting the STR seat.

Haas have just announced they are going to give Giovanazzi some seat time in FP1 sessions this year. This is no doubt as a favour to Ferrari, but could he be in the car next year if he shows himself well ? Would they ditch Grosjean given his rather temperamental nature? or do they know he's a shoe-in for the Ferrari seat ? or is KMag not living up to their expectations ?

Assuming Palmer is out at Renault - does Alonso go there knowing they can't win ? Would they pay the money? Are they going to support him in his Indy / LeMans ambitions ? My guess is they won't and he's going to stay at McLaren.

Wolff hinted that they may re-sign Bottas for next year. I can see that happening, it'll give Ocon another year to mature, for whatever reason they don't seem to be too bothered about getting Wehrlein in the team, maybe their loyalty to him is based on previous success in DTM ?

If Bottas doesn't get re-signed I'm sure Williams would welcome him back to replace Massa. If not they could target Sainz ? maybe they'd even take Wehrlein ? My guess though is that they will make an approach to Kvyat.

If Perez leaves Force India might they take Wehrlein ? it was a close run thing between him and Ocon for this year, maybe they'd take him to lower the engine bill further and look attractive to potential buyers ?

As far as I know these are the only confirmed or under contract drives:

Ferrari - Vettel
Mercedes - Hamilton
Red Bull - Verstappen
Williams - Stroll
Renault - Hulkenberg
Sauber - Ericsson

[anonymous-user]

Crafty_ said:

Aside from Palmer I think we could see quite a few moves next year.

Assuming Kimi packs it in, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo, Perez, Grosjean, Sainz could be in the frame.

I can see Ricciardo going there, Sainz taking his seat and Gasly getting the STR seat.

Haas have just announced they are going to give Giovanazzi some seat time in FP1 sessions this year. This is no doubt as a favour to Ferrari, but could he be in the car next year if he shows himself well ? Would they ditch Grosjean given his rather temperamental nature? or do they know he's a shoe-in for the Ferrari seat ? or is KMag not living up to their expectations ?

Assuming Palmer is out at Renault - does Alonso go there knowing they can't win ? Would they pay the money? Are they going to support him in his Indy / LeMans ambitions ? My guess is they won't and he's going to stay at McLaren.

Wolff hinted that they may re-sign Bottas for next year. I can see that happening, it'll give Ocon another year to mature, for whatever reason they don't seem to be too bothered about getting Wehrlein in the team, maybe their loyalty to him is based on previous success in DTM ?

If Bottas doesn't get re-signed I'm sure Williams would welcome him back to replace Massa. If not they could target Sainz ? maybe they'd even take Wehrlein ? My guess though is that they will make an approach to Kvyat.

If Perez leaves Force India might they take Wehrlein ? it was a close run thing between him and Ocon for this year, maybe they'd take him to lower the engine bill further and look attractive to potential buyers ?

As far as I know these are the only confirmed or under contract drives:

Ferrari - Vettel
Mercedes - Hamilton
Red Bull - Verstappen
Williams - Stroll
Renault - Hulkenberg
Sauber - Ericsson

Do you think Williams would be interested in Kyvat? I am amazed he is still in F1. As for Williams Stroll might still have a contract for 2018 but if he carries on like he has been he will not last that long.

I can see Massa still being at Williams in 2018.

Grosjean is a very decent driver. Haas would be loopy to let him go. KMag will be lucky to keep his drive in 2018.

I do agree that Bottas will no doubt be at Mercedes next year. Perfect number two.

Vettel obviously will be at Ferrari but I am sure with the Ferrari performing as it is, Alonso would be extremely interested in getting the second seat. Very much doubt Vettel would allow this but stranger things have happened. Everyone said Kimi would not return to Ferrari and also that Alonso would never be welcomed back to McLaren.

But again I doubt either Hamilton at Mercedes or Vettel at Ferrari would want Alonso as a teammate.

[DanielSan]

I think Vettel would possibly want the challenge of Alonso as a team mate and vice versa, Alonso seems to be a completely different person to his last time at Mclaren, BUT if he intends to have another crack at Indy or Le Mans I think Mcl would be the more flexible team when it came to him missing races.

Orrrrr, maybe Alonso will do something completely different and do a part Indycar/part WEC campaign to get himself the necessary seat time and the best chance of cracking the 2 big races. Unlikely I know but stranger things have happened.

[thegreenhell]

If Alonso is in even a half-competitive F1 car next year then there's no way he'll be able to skip races to go off to do Indy/Le Mans/whatever. When this year's Indy deal was announced, they already knew that they'd be into engine-change penalties by the time of Monaco, on top of their lack of competitiveness, so they really had nothing to lose. They also had another world champion to plug in as a backup, which they likely won't have in the future. If they'd started this year as regular points-scorers then it wouldn't have happened at all.

[HustleRussell]

thegreenhell said:

If Alonso is in even a half-competitive F1 car next year

That's a big 'if' though isn't it. Neither McLaren nor Renault are going to build a winning car for 2018. Red Bull aren't interested. So unless Nando gets into Ferrari or Mercedes he's likely to have another season where he has to look for his victories elsewhere.

[groomi]

Williams were contractually bound to have an experienced driver alongside Stroll this season. I don't think that extends into next season, so they could well be interested in replacing Massa with someone like Sainz. However, no matter how desperate Sainz is to move up from STR, I'm not convinced Williams is much of a step forwards - they seem to be in a slow decline again.

By far and away the biggest issue that Williams have to deal with is how to extricate themselves from the Stroll contract - he's just not up to the job.

[Supersam83]

It's a well known rumour that Hamilton wants to drive for Ferrari at some point in his career.

Here's my guess (based on rumours and a bit of fantasy)

Mercedes: Alonso / Bottas
Ferrari: Vettel / Hamilton
Red Bull: Riccardo / Max
Renault: Hulk / Sainz Jr
McLaren: Norris / Vandoorne
Force India: Perez / Ocon
Toro Rosso: Gasly / Leclerc
Williams: Massa / Stroll
Sauber: Ericsson / Matsusta
Haas: Grosjean / Giovinazzi

[groomi]

There's no way Vettel is going to have Hamilton as a teammate.

[thegreenhell]

groomi said:

Williams were contractually bound to have an experienced driver alongside Stroll this season. I don't think that extends into next season, so they could well be interested in replacing Massa with someone like Sainz. However, no matter how desperate Sainz is to move up from STR, I'm not convinced Williams is much of a step forwards - they seem to be in a slow decline again.

By far and away the biggest issue that Williams have to deal with is how to extricate themselves from the Stroll contract - he's just not up to the job.

As well as Stroll stipulating an experienced teammate, don't sponsor Martini require at least one of the drivers to be over the age of 25 for the responsible advertising of alcoholic beverages? That would rule out Sainz going there to replace Massa, if there were no other changes at the team.

[groomi]

thegreenhell said:

groomi said:

Williams were contractually bound to have an experienced driver alongside Stroll this season. I don't think that extends into next season, so they could well be interested in replacing Massa with someone like Sainz. However, no matter how desperate Sainz is to move up from STR, I'm not convinced Williams is much of a step forwards - they seem to be in a slow decline again.

By far and away the biggest issue that Williams have to deal with is how to extricate themselves from the Stroll contract - he's just not up to the job.

As well as Stroll stipulating an experienced teammate, don't sponsor Martini require at least one of the drivers to be over the age of 25 for the responsible advertising of alcoholic beverages? That would rule out Sainz going there to replace Massa, if there were no other changes at the team.

Ah yes, forgot about that one.

[HustleRussell]

Supersam83 said:

Mercedes: Alonso / Bottas
Ferrari: Vettel / Hamilton
Red Bull: Riccardo / Max
Renault: Hulk / Sainz Jr
McLaren: Norris / Vandoorne
Force India: Perez / Ocon
Toro Rosso: Gasly / Leclerc
Williams: Massa / Stroll
Sauber: Ericsson / Matsusta
Haas: Grosjean / Giovinazzi

Perhaps Massa will have to make way for Wehrlein? Can't see Mercedes leaving him out of a drive. No room for Magnussen or Kvyat either.

Supersam83 said:

Matsusta

[IforB]

Has Vettel confirmed that he's staying at Ferrari next year? I thought was still up in the air or have I missed something?

[c6r]

groomi said:

There's no way Vettel is going to have Hamilton as a teammate.

Tend to agree in general. But he's already got 4 WC and if he wins this year with Ferrari, then surely the obvious next step as a challenge is to match himself up against Hamilton in the same machinery. They seem to get on fairly well together, albeit as non-teammates. Would be great to watch if it happened, but yes, probably not likely just because it's not the way Ferrari usually do things.

[Dermot O'Logical]

Ferrari need to have a competitive (winning) car to retain Vettel, which on the evidence of this season to date they have. I wouldn't be surprised to see Grosjean on their shopping list. His stock has risen over the last couple of years, he looks like the real deal, and would surely jump at a chance in a competitive car which doesn't try to kill him every time he brakes.

That said, however, I'd like to see Carlos Sainz alongside Vettel next year.

[Crafty_]

Supersam83 said:

It's a well known rumour that Hamilton wants to drive for Ferrari at some point in his career.

Here's my guess (based on rumours and a bit of fantasy)

Mercedes: Alonso / Bottas
Ferrari: Vettel / Hamilton
Red Bull: Riccardo / Max
Renault: Hulk / Sainz Jr
McLaren: Norris / Vandoorne
Force India: Perez / Ocon
Toro Rosso: Gasly / Leclerc
Williams: Massa / Stroll
Sauber: Ericsson / Matsusta
Haas: Grosjean / Giovinazzi

Hamilton has a year left on his contract, I can't see Ferrari buying him out of it to put him next to Vettel. Ferrari always run a #1 and #2 driver. Hamilton knows this and even if it wanted out and Ferrari would pay he'd have contractual stipulations to ensure he doesn't become #2.. I think its very unlikely.

Someone raltted Marko's cage a while ago and he intimated that Sainz is locked in to the RB family, hence me suggesting he'd go to RBR. Given the crap he talks who knows how true that is...

Matsusta would need to finish 4th or better in F2 this year to qualify for a super licence. he is 5th so far, so quite possible but lets see..

[anonymous-user]

thegreenhell said:

As well as Stroll stipulating an experienced teammate, don't sponsor Martini require at least one of the drivers to be over the age of 25 for the responsible advertising of alcoholic beverages? That would rule out Sainz going there to replace Massa, if there were no other changes at the team.

Honestly never knew about Martini and the 25 year old requirement.

Thanks for pointing that one out.

[HustleRussell]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

thegreenhell said:

As well as Stroll stipulating an experienced teammate, don't sponsor Martini require at least one of the drivers to be over the age of 25 for the responsible advertising of alcoholic beverages? That would rule out Sainz going there to replace Massa, if there were no other changes at the team.

Honestly never knew about Martini and the 25 year old requirement.

Thanks for pointing that one out.

I believe that's why Mercedes couldn't put Wehrlein there. Old man Stroll didn't want his boy to be shown up by a similarly young driver. That said I'm not sure Massa outscoring him 20 points to none is doing him any favours either.

Edited by HustleRussell on Thursday 1st June 20:43