The Official F1 2019 silly season *contains speculation*
Discussion
Clockwork Cupcake said:
Having a minor heart attack a couple of years ago probably hasn't motivated him to push his physical fitness.
He looks in pretty good condition for his age, tbh.
Edit: And just a few weeks after that heart attack in 2016, he put a Le Mans car on Pole Position. Not bad for someone who was 57 at the time.
Still nowhere near fit enough for F1, well before his heart attack. He wouldn't argue he was either, he isn't daft.He looks in pretty good condition for his age, tbh.
Edit: And just a few weeks after that heart attack in 2016, he put a Le Mans car on Pole Position. Not bad for someone who was 57 at the time.
Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Saturday 22 September 15:57
The Dale Coyne Indycar team are interested in Vandoorne and Ocon https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/138879/coyn...
Vaud said:
Better than kicking your heels for 2 years, I’m not sure how many seats become free in 2020 given this silly season...
its not. Any top line driver needs to think seriously about the dangers there, the circuits are not safe for the cars performance. If you were an Ocon with Mercedes backing you would have to be a fool to take that risk.
jsf said:
Indycar is too dangerous to let a future star drive there.
Yes compared to F1 anything is dangerous. Driving to work.If the drivers want to race in Indycar then is it too dangerous?
They are doing what they want to do.
F1 is extremely safe now but the grid is extremely limited.
Ocon or Vandoorne know that because they have been in F1 many Indy Car teams would love to give them a drive.
Look at Alonso. Can't get a top drive in F1 but in any other series, a team would love to have him.
Mercedes are pulling out of DTM at the end of the season, so they won't be placing anyone there. That was one of the reasons given by them for releasing Wehrlein. The sad thing for Russel is that if he wins the F2 title this year he won't be able to race there next year if he can't get into F1, so he'll be forced to take a step sideways or backwards.
It's ironic that Mercedes have a surfeit of young drivers who they can't find F1 drives for, and yet Red Bull have two cars they are struggling to find drivers for. It's just more anti-competitive behaviour by the big businesses ruining the sporting side of F1.
It's ironic that Mercedes have a surfeit of young drivers who they can't find F1 drives for, and yet Red Bull have two cars they are struggling to find drivers for. It's just more anti-competitive behaviour by the big businesses ruining the sporting side of F1.
thegreenhell said:
Mercedes are pulling out of DTM at the end of the season, so they won't be placing anyone there. That was one of the reasons given by them for releasing Wehrlein. The sad thing for Russel is that if he wins the F2 title this year he won't be able to race there next year if he can't get into F1, so he'll be forced to take a step sideways or backwards.
It's ironic that Mercedes have a surfeit of young drivers who they can't find F1 drives for, and yet Red Bull have two cars they are struggling to find drivers for. It's just more anti-competitive behaviour by the big businesses ruining the sporting side of F1.
To some extent RB were unlucky - they have invested a lot in young drivers, I think DR's exit really surprised them. It's ironic that Mercedes have a surfeit of young drivers who they can't find F1 drives for, and yet Red Bull have two cars they are struggling to find drivers for. It's just more anti-competitive behaviour by the big businesses ruining the sporting side of F1.
I don't see it as anti-competitive - they are investing heavily in talent. The alternative is more "pay drivers".
Vaud said:
True, but even the likes of Joe Saward (who is no fan of nanny state and accepts that motor racing is dangerous) caution that Indy may be a bit too dangerous at the moment. Few deaths, but many injuries.
Most of the tracks they go to are similar to those used by F1 - only the ovals are seen as more dangerous, and there's one less of them on next years calendar. Out of 17 races in 2019 only 5 are on ovalsthegreenhell said:
Mercedes are pulling out of DTM at the end of the season, so they won't be placing anyone there. That was one of the reasons given by them for releasing Wehrlein. The sad thing for Russel is that if he wins the F2 title this year he won't be able to race there next year if he can't get into F1, so he'll be forced to take a step sideways or backwards.
It's ironic that Mercedes have a surfeit of young drivers who they can't find F1 drives for, and yet Red Bull have two cars they are struggling to find drivers for. It's just more anti-competitive behaviour by the big businesses ruining the sporting side of F1.
And yet the big teams keep asking for a 3rd car to "get more young drivers in". Which is bs for "we will use a young guy to hold back our competitors and ruin their race, aswell as killing off the midfield" as with all things racing, they're trying to find an advantage. It's ironic that Mercedes have a surfeit of young drivers who they can't find F1 drives for, and yet Red Bull have two cars they are struggling to find drivers for. It's just more anti-competitive behaviour by the big businesses ruining the sporting side of F1.
We need a Manor type team back, which isn't possible until they limit the spending.
Vaud said:
I don't see it as anti-competitive - they are investing heavily in talent. The alternative is more "pay drivers".
True, they are investing, but it's creating silos. There are Mercedes drivers, Ferrari drivers, Red Bull drivers, and then the rest, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for any driver to move from one to another. With their factory teams and sub-teams, the big three have 2/3 of the grid sewn up, which makes it near-impossible for any driver not supported by those young-driver programmes to get in unless they have $20m+ of independent backing, and even then there's only one or two teams where they might be able to buy a seat.I've said it before that F1 needs more independent teams, otherwise it's just going to become a complete manufacturer lockout.
thegreenhell said:
True, they are investing, but it's creating silos. There are Mercedes drivers, Ferrari drivers, Red Bull drivers, and then the rest, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for any driver to move from one to another. With their factory teams and sub-teams, the big three have 2/3 of the grid sewn up, which makes it near-impossible for any driver not supported by those young-driver programmes to get in unless they have $20m+ of independent backing, and even then there's only one or two teams where they might be able to buy a seat.
I've said it before that F1 needs more independent teams, otherwise it's just going to become a complete manufacturer lockout.
I don't disagree. They are silos, but the drivers are also assets. I think Daniel Ricciardo (I forget, it may not have been) wanted to leave RB a few years ago and was told "fine, you owe us £10M to recover the cost of our investment in you" I've said it before that F1 needs more independent teams, otherwise it's just going to become a complete manufacturer lockout.
At the cost level, it is going to be manufacturer only, I agree.
FourWheelDrift said:
tobinen said:
I thought this generation of cars are the fastest ever. They're pulling more Gs than ever before..
Today's drivers also have the benefit of the higher cockpit padded sides that limit movement by G force to the side. In Mansell's day they were exposed down to their shoulders so the neck took all the G.
Vaud said:
thegreenhell said:
Mercedes are pulling out of DTM at the end of the season, so they won't be placing anyone there. That was one of the reasons given by them for releasing Wehrlein. The sad thing for Russel is that if he wins the F2 title this year he won't be able to race there next year if he can't get into F1, so he'll be forced to take a step sideways or backwards.
It's ironic that Mercedes have a surfeit of young drivers who they can't find F1 drives for, and yet Red Bull have two cars they are struggling to find drivers for. It's just more anti-competitive behaviour by the big businesses ruining the sporting side of F1.
To some extent RB were unlucky - they have invested a lot in young drivers, I think DR's exit really surprised them. It's ironic that Mercedes have a surfeit of young drivers who they can't find F1 drives for, and yet Red Bull have two cars they are struggling to find drivers for. It's just more anti-competitive behaviour by the big businesses ruining the sporting side of F1.
I don't see it as anti-competitive - they are investing heavily in talent. The alternative is more "pay drivers".
It's an open secret that they will entertain to offers on Toro Rosso.
What does that say about Red Bull's long term commitment given that Mercedes and Ferrari are trying to build closer links to smaller teams.
In terms of drivers, IMO if a driver wins F2 and the manufacturer to which he is contracted can't fix a drive for him, that driver should be up for grabs with other teams should they want him on a one year basis. The driver should be protected from driving for the other team working against them. The whole thing should be more fluid.
Giovanazzi confirmed for Sauber alongside Raikonnen https://twitter.com/SauberF1Team/status/1044558332...
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