The Official F1 2019 silly season *contains speculation*

[anonymous-user]

There's a decent probability that Danny's getting out of Red Bull at the right time - there's two factors that come into play internally:

• He's not the favoured driver within the team. Despite him often being the bread winner and scoring more points than Max, he's not their favourite. It was similar back in the Vettel / Webber era. IMO he's as complete a package as you could hope for - up there with Hamilton for strength in all aspects of driving.
• The switch to Honda power units next year, while being sold as a great move by Red Bull PR - in reality the Honda engine is a few years away from being a front runner, so there's a chance Red Bull drop down the pecking order next season. On a long enough timeline, the Honda might well prove to be the most potent PU available. However, Red Bull have made noise about a tie up with Aston in 2021, and they've ended up with Honda power because they pissed off Renault and weren't offered an option by Merc or Ferrari, so had nowhere else to go.

With that in mind, Honda might have been hoping for a long term deal with Red Bull, but RBR just need a bedfellow to get them through the next few years through to 2021. Does that leave Honda management feeling like they're just an intermediate step, and they might not want to plough a lot more R&D into it if Red Bull are only going to offload them to make the sponsorship tie-up with Aston a more solid entity.

I just hope Red Bull management have learnt from their mistakes when it comes to handling the media when asked about the performance of their power unit. Honda took a lot of flak courtesy of McLaren, and it's now apparent the fault didn't lay fully at their doorstep. If a team wants to improve, they need to work collaboratively with their engine supplier, and I just don't know if Red Bull are of that mindset.

[Sam993]

NFC 85 Vette said:

I just hope Red Bull management have learnt from their mistakes when it comes to handling the media when asked about the performance of their power unit.

I doubt Horner will change. He will moan... unless specifically ordered not to by either Marko or the guy who owns Red Bull.

[anonymous-user]

Sam993 said:

And I hope that Max (if he doesn't do the Kvyat before then ) does the same in a couple of years, I can't see him saying no to Ferrari or Mercedes.

Mercedes IMO will be looking for a replacement at the end of 2020 for Lewis.

Doubt he would want to enter a new regulation era and take the chance.

MV if he shows more consistency for a whole season could well move there.

This also depends if Vettel is still at Ferrari.

Honda are improving so it could be the engine to have in 2021 which would really stick a knife in Alonso

[Stan the Bat]

Sam993 said:

rdjohn said:

the next Jaime Alguersuari?

fking heck, that was a trip down memory lane, I remember Lee McKenzie visiting him in his music studio on BBC before Valencia GP like it was yesterday... and that must have been 2010/11! He disappeared pretty quickly after that!

I seem to remember him doing some punditry for TV as well.

[cuprabob]

Stan the Bat said:

Sam993 said:

rdjohn said:

the next Jaime Alguersuari?

fking heck, that was a trip down memory lane, I remember Lee McKenzie visiting him in his music studio on BBC before Valencia GP like it was yesterday... and that must have been 2010/11! He disappeared pretty quickly after that!

I seem to remember him doing some punditry for TV as well.

Didn't he do Formula E a few years ago?

[shirt]

Dr Z said:

Hulk is massively under rated by everyone. A lot of fans are going to be surprised next season, if they expect Ricciardo to have him covered. Basically, you put him next to Max in the RB of this year and he'd be fighting for this Championship.

Thats a very bold last sentence and one i struggle to agree with. 147 starts and not a single podium, not one in spite of having gained a pole position at williams before their death spiral. Even stroll’s had one at less than 1/4 of the GP’s contested. He’s a solid performer (just what you’d want in an endurance car ) but not a star and definitely not a champion.

On another topic, why is marko so exalted at RB? On paper he doesn’t appear to have the credentials.

[Vaud]

cuprabob said:

Didn't he do Formula E a few years ago?

Yes, then quit after finishing 13th (?) IIRC

[CocoUK]

shirt said:

Dr Z said:

Hulk is massively under rated by everyone. A lot of fans are going to be surprised next season, if they expect Ricciardo to have him covered. Basically, you put him next to Max in the RB of this year and he'd be fighting for this Championship.

Thats a very bold last sentence and one i struggle to agree with. 147 starts and not a single podium, not one in spite of having gained a pole position at williams before their death spiral. Even stroll’s had one at less than 1/4 of the GP’s contested. He’s a solid performer (just what you’d want in an endurance car ) but not a star and definitely not a champion.

On another topic, why is marko so exalted at RB? On paper he doesn’t appear to have the credentials.

Hulk - agreed and I'd find it unlikely he would have delivered way beyond DannyRic or Max in an RB this season.

Marko - his credentials are reasonably solid, although I've wondered if there's also some Austrian background with Dietrich?

[HustleRussell]

Vaud said:

cuprabob said:

Didn't he do Formula E a few years ago?

Yes, then quit after finishing 13th (?) IIRC

He did a lot of test driving for Pirelli.

I always thought Jean Eric Vergne was the guy who deserved more of a Red Bull shot.

[rdjohn]

CocoUK said:

Marko - his credentials are reasonably solid, although I've wondered if there's also some Austrian background with Dietrich?

Another good listen is the Christian Horner interview on the Beyond the Grid podcast.

It is pretty clear that Marko was Red Bull Racing long before the MK enterprise took shape. He is very much DM’s eyes and ears.

I don’t think that Alex Ferguson was a spectacular footballer, but he made a pretty good manager.

[Vaud]

44. Lewis Hamilton (2020)
77. Valtteri Bottas (2019 + option for 2020)

33. Max Verstappen (2020)
- TBC

5. Sebastian Vettel (2020)
7. Kimi Raikkonen (out of contract)

11. Sergio Perez (out of contract)
31. Esteban Ocon (2019)

35. Sergey Olegovich Sirotkin (2019)
18. Lance Stroll (2018?)

55. Carlos Sainz Jnr (2020 probably)
2. Stoffel Vandoorne (out of contract?)

10. Pierre Gasly (?)
28. Brendon Hartley (?)

8. Romain Grosjean (out of contract)
20. Kevin Magnussen (out of contract)

3. Daniel Ricciardo (2020?)
27. Nico Hulkenberg (option for 2019) but unconfirmed

9 Marcus Ericsson (?)
16 Charles Leclerc (?)

Updated
And edited for Sainz.

Edited by Vaud on Saturday 18th August 10:38

[kambites]

The BBC say Sainz's new contract is "multi-year" so presumably at least to 2020.

[Vaud]

kambites said:

The BBC say Sainz's new contract is "multi-year" so presumably at least to 2020.

Thanks, edited.

[carl_w]

The Renault press statement says that Danny Ric "will team up with current driver Nico Hülkenberg" -- so presumably Hulk has a contract for at least 2019

https://www.renaultsport.com/daniel-ricciardo-join...

[FourWheelDrift]

HustleRussell said:

I always thought Jean Eric Vergne was the guy who deserved more of a Red Bull shot.

Someone has - https://www.crash.net/f1/news/903485/1/vergne-appr...

[Vaud]

Maybe Sauber to replace Leclerc if he goes to Haas?

[hairyben]

FourWheelDrift said:

HustleRussell said:

I always thought Jean Eric Vergne was the guy who deserved more of a Red Bull shot.

Someone has - https://www.crash.net/f1/news/903485/1/vergne-appr...

he's not got that much $$$ behind him has he, so that rules out several teams. I wonder if one of the bigger teams would see a reliable number 2 in him, he's proven he can points build.

[HustleRussell]

hairyben said:

FourWheelDrift said:

HustleRussell said:

I always thought Jean Eric Vergne was the guy who deserved more of a Red Bull shot.

Someone has - https://www.crash.net/f1/news/903485/1/vergne-appr...

he's not got that much $$$ behind him has he, so that rules out several teams. I wonder if one of the bigger teams would see a reliable number 2 in him, he's proven he can points build.

Wow I didn’t know that. I’d like it if drivers were circulating between F1 and FE rather than all going one way.

Toro Rosso to replace Hartley?

[thegreenhell]

I can only see him going to STR, assuming Gasly goes to RBR. With Ricciardo and Sainz both coming off the Red Bull books, they are suddenly looking a bit short of quality drivers to fill their four seats.

[hairyben]

thegreenhell said:

I can only see him going to STR, assuming Gasly goes to RBR. With Ricciardo and Sainz both coming off the Red Bull books, they are suddenly looking a bit short of quality drivers to fill their four seats.

it's a bit late in the day for him to be getting back into a TR isn't it? I mean he has to be thinking of more than making up the numbers at the back if he's to return to F1, particularly as a champ of a series. And yes I'm aware of brendon Hartley... I guess the fast track to RB is always there but it just doesn't seem to gel to me, particularly after he was over looked the first time around.