The Official F1 2020 silly season *contains speculation*

[Teddy Lop]

thegreenhell said:

Teddy Lop said:

doesn't really work with alfa being a ferrari feeder team though, unless ferrari see something they like in kvyat.

He was their reserve driver last year, and spent a lot of time in their simulator, so they should know whether he's up to it or not.

Doesn't mean for a second they see him driving for them...

[Deesee]

One for 2021 but a great scoop by race fans.com

11 teams hmmm!!!

https://www.racefans.net/2019/08/23/new-f1-team-pa...

[patmahe]

thegreenhell said:

Teddy Lop said:

doesn't really work with alfa being a ferrari feeder team though, unless ferrari see something they like in kvyat.

He was their reserve driver last year, and spent a lot of time in their simulator, so they should know whether he's up to it or not.

That's an interesting call, I've always thought Red Bull were tough on Kvyat when they dropped him, he was doing fine but it just so happened that they had a once in a generation on their hands so he lost out. Why not put Kvyat in the Sauber, Vettel looks a bit fed up at Ferrari so why not spend 2020 evaluating Kvyat as a potential replacement? I think in a top car he'd shock a few people.

[patmahe]

HustleRussell said:

thegreenhell said:

HustleRussell said:

I hope Hulk gets in at HAAS, great fit IMO

Hulk and Mag have history. It could cause more fighting than Mag and Gro.

“Suck my balls”gate? They are grown men, I’m sure they’ll get over it.

(I’m also happy to assume it is Grosjean who’d be going and not Magnussen in this scenario)

I wouldn't assume Magnussen would retain his seat either, he's faster than Grosjean yes, but occasional flashes of brilliance aside Grosjean has never looked all that fast. Ocon and a promising rookie?

[HustleRussell]

patmahe said:

I wouldn't assume Magnussen would retain his seat either, he's faster than Grosjean yes, but occasional flashes of brilliance aside Grosjean has never looked all that fast. Ocon and a promising rookie?

I dunno, I tend to take the opposite view with their drivers- Grosjean is a mercurial driver who is really fast at times but he’s all at sea at others, and makes far too many mistakes for a driver of his experience. Magnussen is a solid driver who is more dependable but it is only reacently that he’s started to look particularly quick and it’s hard to know whether he is just briefly getting the tyres in the window.

Magnussen would be a better benchmark for an incoming promising driver IMO.

[MartG]

Marko said:

"Until this season, Pierre had good racing and qualifying pace, and no problems with overtaking. But this year, he showed none of those qualities".

Obviously no thought given as to why his performance has fallen off since being slotted into a car alongside Max and under Marko's direct scrutiny

[HustleRussell]

MartG said:

Marko said:

"Until this season, Pierre had good racing and qualifying pace, and no problems with overtaking. But this year, he showed none of those qualities".

Obviously no thought given as to why his performance has fallen off since being slotted into a car alongside Max and under Marko's direct scrutiny

He manages to explicitly depreciate Kvyat for no good reason too. The tactless bd.

[TheDeuce]

thegreenhell said:

Maybe they should just run three Toro Rossos and one Red Bull?

Joking aside, they pretty much have so far this year. Quite astonishing that a team with effectively one car and driver is firmly sat in 3rd in the WCC.

Next year they will have a second top driver, they will most likely beat Ferrari and take second place in WCC.

However well Albon does, I expect their 2020 number 2 driver will be decided and signed up long before they've had time to truly evaluate his efforts. Harsh sport F1..

Anyway, next year I'm certain red bull will have two cars 'racing' again and will really upset the folk in marenello.

[Norfolkit]

sparta6 said:

HustleRussell said:

sparta6 said:

KevinCamaroSS said:

sparta6 said:

Alonso could already be on 8 x WDC's if Lewis had stayed loyal to McLaren.

How do you come up with that idea?

If instead Alonso had gone to Mercedes in 2013, and I don't see Nico being able to outgun Fernando.

But Mercedes made the right strategy call with Lewis especially as they also wanted to reposition its street car marketing.

Let’s not overlook the fact that Hamilton also happened to be every bit the driver Alonso is but without the baggage. Hence the driver than Lauda, Brawn, Toto head hunted.

Witness Alonso out in the cold...

I don't disagree.
But we all know how well Alonso can hustle a subpar car, and the 2013 Merc was second in the WCC.
Vettel would likely have had a much tougher year.

He's also a complete gobste, look at his "GP2 engine" comments, yes the engine may has been crap that year but Honda were pouring money into Mclaren, you don't rubbish your main "sponsor" live on air. He's toxic, I can't see any top team throwing away their bargepoles until he off the radar.

[MissChief]

Norfolkit said:

sparta6 said:

HustleRussell said:

sparta6 said:

KevinCamaroSS said:

sparta6 said:

Alonso could already be on 8 x WDC's if Lewis had stayed loyal to McLaren.

How do you come up with that idea?

If instead Alonso had gone to Mercedes in 2013, and I don't see Nico being able to outgun Fernando.

But Mercedes made the right strategy call with Lewis especially as they also wanted to reposition its street car marketing.

Let’s not overlook the fact that Hamilton also happened to be every bit the driver Alonso is but without the baggage. Hence the driver than Lauda, Brawn, Toto head hunted.

Witness Alonso out in the cold...

I don't disagree.
But we all know how well Alonso can hustle a subpar car, and the 2013 Merc was second in the WCC.
Vettel would likely have had a much tougher year.

He's also a complete gobste, look at his "GP2 engine" comments, yes the engine may has been crap that year but Honda were pouring money into Mclaren, you don't rubbish your main "sponsor" live on air. He's toxic, I can't see any top team throwing away their bargepoles until he off the radar.

Others would say demanding of perfection or has high expectations and expects others to match it.

[The Vambo]

MissChief said:

Others would say demanding of perfection or has high expectations and expects others to match it.

They may but they would appear to be on the opposite side of opinion from every single F1 team principal on the grid.

That would likely make them wrong.

[CustardOnChips]

MissChief said:

Others would say demanding of perfection or has high expectations and expects others to match it.

One could do that without being a tt!

[shirt]

768 said:

If I were running Renault I'm not sure I'd want Ocon over Hulk. Even more so a year on from when they presumably had the same choice and went the other way. Seems an odd way to go to me.

Ocon is french, Hulk has had one of the most mediocre f1 careers there has ever been. In PR terms it’s an easy choice for the regie

[anonymous-user]

Norfolkit said:

He's also a complete gobste, look at his "GP2 engine" comments, yes the engine may has been crap that year but Honda were pouring money into Mclaren, you don't rubbish your main "sponsor" live on air. He's toxic, I can't see any top team throwing away their bargepoles until he off the radar.

I very much doubt any of the top drivers in F1 would be happy stuck in that McLaren which was so far off the pace.

What he said at the time was the truth and the truth can hurt.

[Vaud]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Norfolkit said:

He's also a complete gobste, look at his "GP2 engine" comments, yes the engine may has been crap that year but Honda were pouring money into Mclaren, you don't rubbish your main "sponsor" live on air. He's toxic, I can't see any top team throwing away their bargepoles until he off the radar.

I very much doubt any of the top drivers in F1 would be happy stuck in that McLaren which was so far off the pace.

What he said at the time was the truth and the truth can hurt.

It may have been the truth, but you say it in private.... especially when your sponsor is paying for so much (80m?) and your salary...

[C Lee Farquar]

TheDeuce said:

Next year they will have a second top driver, they will most likely beat Ferrari and take second place in WCC.

However well Albon does, I expect their 2020 number 2 driver will be decided and signed up long before they've had time to truly evaluate his efforts. Harsh sport F1..

Anyway, next year I'm certain red bull will have two cars 'racing' again and will really upset the folk in marenello.

I can't see how they can get a top driver unless Vettel returns. Hamilton won't go there, Ricciardo seems unlikely, Bottas and Raikkonen aren't top drivers (anymore in kimi's case), pretty much leaves Alonso or an unproven, younger talent, unless I've missed someone?

[kambites]

I think they'd jump at the chance to get Bottas for much the same reason that Mercedes are likely to not let him go.

[C Lee Farquar]

That is a point. Although arguably not a 'top' driver, he is probably the best available to Red Bull. So if Mercedes keep him, he's not available to them, double win for them.

In which case they wouldn't seem to have any top drivers available to them?

[LaurasOtherHalf]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

I very much doubt any of the top drivers in F1 would be happy stuck in that McLaren which was so far off the pace.

What he said at the time was the truth and the truth can hurt.

How many times did you hear Button rubbishing the manufacturer who was poring in $100M+ into your team every year?

[Poppiecock]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

How many times did you hear Button rubbishing the manufacturer who was poring in $100M+ into your team every year?

Whilst I really rate Button - and, on his day, he could beat anyone. Including Alonso and Hamilton.

However... one of the reasons Button didn't achieve so much is that he doesn't have that edge you get with a truly successful and top line racing driver.

He was far too 'nice' to do that in public.