The Official F1 2020 silly season *contains speculation*
Discussion
slipstream 1985 said:
Mercs only concern of not taking ocon now is that their main competitor teams new up and coming drivers will be 6 seasons and at least 3 seasons in max and leclerc before they get a potential young up and commer in.
He could easily drive for Mercedes later, Both lewis and Valtteri aren't getting any younger.MissChief said:
slipstream 1985 said:
Mercs only concern of not taking ocon now is that their main competitor teams new up and coming drivers will be 6 seasons and at least 3 seasons in max and leclerc before they get a potential young up and commer in.
He could easily drive for Mercedes later, Both lewis and Valtteri aren't getting any younger.slipstream 1985 said:
MissChief said:
slipstream 1985 said:
Mercs only concern of not taking ocon now is that their main competitor teams new up and coming drivers will be 6 seasons and at least 3 seasons in max and leclerc before they get a potential young up and commer in.
He could easily drive for Mercedes later, Both lewis and Valtteri aren't getting any younger.Mercedes do like incremental change and evolution, but they have also got the resources to easily sign up any driver on the grid post 2020. With the incoming budget cap one of the few unregulated areas of spending is going to be driver pay - and lets just say that they will be saving at lease £200,000,000 on their current F1 budget so they can afford whoever they want, whenever - assuming they stay in F1 at all of course.
I can see Max at Mercedes if they do remain in the sport and want to continue their performance. I can't put my finger on why he fit's exactly, but somehow I can very easily picture him at Mercedes and also I can imagine him taking the next/final stage in his development there. He's not as complete as LH but he's certainly as natural of talent when it comes to getting pace. I can't think of anyone else as close to LH in terms of natural ability. Maybe DR... but somehow between the two I think Max would work out best. That's a close call indeed though.
Mark Hughes today put forward three possible scenarios that could explain the Bottas decision, beyond mere fear of change:
1 - They believe that George Russell has the most potential, so they are just in a holding pattern for another year while he gets more experience in F1;
2 - They have signed Max for 2021, by which time Lewis will almost certainly have matched Schumacher's 7 WDC record, and will then have one final showdown with the best of the new generation before he retires; or
3 - Mercedes will quit the sport at the end of next year.
1 - They believe that George Russell has the most potential, so they are just in a holding pattern for another year while he gets more experience in F1;
2 - They have signed Max for 2021, by which time Lewis will almost certainly have matched Schumacher's 7 WDC record, and will then have one final showdown with the best of the new generation before he retires; or
3 - Mercedes will quit the sport at the end of next year.
thegreenhell said:
Mark Hughes today put forward three possible scenarios that could explain the Bottas decision, beyond mere fear of change:
1 - They believe that George Russell has the most potential, so they are just in a holding pattern for another year while he gets more experience in F1;
2 - They have signed Max for 2021, by which time Lewis will almost certainly have matched Schumacher's 7 WDC record, and will then have one final showdown with the best of the new generation before he retires; or
3 - Mercedes will quit the sport at the end of next year.
Yes I thought of number 3 as well. if the they are in it for the short term then the bottas decesion makes sense.1 - They believe that George Russell has the most potential, so they are just in a holding pattern for another year while he gets more experience in F1;
2 - They have signed Max for 2021, by which time Lewis will almost certainly have matched Schumacher's 7 WDC record, and will then have one final showdown with the best of the new generation before he retires; or
3 - Mercedes will quit the sport at the end of next year.
slipstream 1985 said:
thegreenhell said:
Mark Hughes today put forward three possible scenarios that could explain the Bottas decision, beyond mere fear of change:
1 - They believe that George Russell has the most potential, so they are just in a holding pattern for another year while he gets more experience in F1;
2 - They have signed Max for 2021, by which time Lewis will almost certainly have matched Schumacher's 7 WDC record, and will then have one final showdown with the best of the new generation before he retires; or
3 - Mercedes will quit the sport at the end of next year.
Yes I thought of number 3 as well. if the they are in it for the short term then the bottas decesion makes sense.1 - They believe that George Russell has the most potential, so they are just in a holding pattern for another year while he gets more experience in F1;
2 - They have signed Max for 2021, by which time Lewis will almost certainly have matched Schumacher's 7 WDC record, and will then have one final showdown with the best of the new generation before he retires; or
3 - Mercedes will quit the sport at the end of next year.
The reason I find it all vaguely believable that they may quit the sport is that it's the best possible time for them to quit - they can't sustain this winning streak forever and in the end the only way is down. Why wait for that day to come? Especially with the 2021 shake up on the horizon, which could make life very difficult for a team as huge as they are today.
I'm not saying I can't see them continue, they may well do. But if they were to quit then for several reasons it would make sense to me.
TheDeuce said:
The reason I find it all vaguely believable that they may quit the sport is that it's the best possible time for them to quit - they can't sustain this winning streak forever and in the end the only way is down. Why wait for that day to come?
Because until it does, they're on quite the winning streak?I'm not sure finishing second would be a good reason to quit either and I actually think it would reflect quite poorly on them if they did just walk away. It would show a lack of competitive spirit, give uncertainty to all those families and presumably the reason they entered F1 doesn't just go away, if they were to ever want to get back whatever they joined F1 for in the first place it would be from a more difficult position, again.
Just switch the brand name to Smart if it starts to go badly.
TheDeuce said:
slipstream 1985 said:
thegreenhell said:
Mark Hughes today put forward three possible scenarios that could explain the Bottas decision, beyond mere fear of change:
1 - They believe that George Russell has the most potential, so they are just in a holding pattern for another year while he gets more experience in F1;
2 - They have signed Max for 2021, by which time Lewis will almost certainly have matched Schumacher's 7 WDC record, and will then have one final showdown with the best of the new generation before he retires; or
3 - Mercedes will quit the sport at the end of next year.
Yes I thought of number 3 as well. if the they are in it for the short term then the bottas decesion makes sense.1 - They believe that George Russell has the most potential, so they are just in a holding pattern for another year while he gets more experience in F1;
2 - They have signed Max for 2021, by which time Lewis will almost certainly have matched Schumacher's 7 WDC record, and will then have one final showdown with the best of the new generation before he retires; or
3 - Mercedes will quit the sport at the end of next year.
The reason I find it all vaguely believable that they may quit the sport is that it's the best possible time for them to quit - they can't sustain this winning streak forever and in the end the only way is down. Why wait for that day to come? Especially with the 2021 shake up on the horizon, which could make life very difficult for a team as huge as they are today.
I'm not saying I can't see them continue, they may well do. But if they were to quit then for several reasons it would make sense to me.
https://www.mercedesamgf1.com/en/mercedes-amg-f1/a...
bobbo89 said:
This talk of Mercedes potentially quitting F1. I find it unlikely myself but if they were to just quit, would they be able to find a buyer for the team or would they just wind everything up? It'd be a good team for someone to buy but it certainly wouldn't come cheap!
I can't see them quitting before 2021, I don't see Lewis going before then either. New rules, new cars, engines.... it's a new challenge.HighwayStar said:
I can't see them quitting before 2021, I don't see Lewis going before then either. New rules, new cars, engines.... it's a new challenge.
Completely agree, they'll already be working on the 2021 car and I'm sure they'll be hoping to dominate again as they did at the start of the hybrid era. bobbo89 said:
HighwayStar said:
I can't see them quitting before 2021, I don't see Lewis going before then either. New rules, new cars, engines.... it's a new challenge.
Completely agree, they'll already be working on the 2021 car and I'm sure they'll be hoping to dominate again as they did at the start of the hybrid era. HighwayStar said:
TheDeuce said:
slipstream 1985 said:
thegreenhell said:
Mark Hughes today put forward three possible scenarios that could explain the Bottas decision, beyond mere fear of change:
1 - They believe that George Russell has the most potential, so they are just in a holding pattern for another year while he gets more experience in F1;
2 - They have signed Max for 2021, by which time Lewis will almost certainly have matched Schumacher's 7 WDC record, and will then have one final showdown with the best of the new generation before he retires; or
3 - Mercedes will quit the sport at the end of next year.
Yes I thought of number 3 as well. if the they are in it for the short term then the bottas decesion makes sense.1 - They believe that George Russell has the most potential, so they are just in a holding pattern for another year while he gets more experience in F1;
2 - They have signed Max for 2021, by which time Lewis will almost certainly have matched Schumacher's 7 WDC record, and will then have one final showdown with the best of the new generation before he retires; or
3 - Mercedes will quit the sport at the end of next year.
The reason I find it all vaguely believable that they may quit the sport is that it's the best possible time for them to quit - they can't sustain this winning streak forever and in the end the only way is down. Why wait for that day to come? Especially with the 2021 shake up on the horizon, which could make life very difficult for a team as huge as they are today.
I'm not saying I can't see them continue, they may well do. But if they were to quit then for several reasons it would make sense to me.
https://www.mercedesamgf1.com/en/mercedes-amg-f1/a...
Russell, right now, is still too much of an unknown and I don't think he had much chance of unseating Bottas this season.
TheDeuce said:
Turns out Albon hasn't wasted any time showing up Gasly's efforts in that red bull..
It's only practice but that was a very good start. Hopefully, he remains that close before taking his grid penalty.At the back, it must be soul-destroying for Kubica to be outpaced by Latifi depending on if he had any issues.
Again practice but not a good sign.
Latifi and Russell at Willaims in 2020?
Kvyat ahead of Gasly as well.
kiseca said:
Do you think, for instance, if Max could be convinced to swap to Mercedes, and the finances of having two top drivers added up, they wouldn't put him alongside Lewis?
I know many think Lewis will throw his toys out of the cot, but fact is he hasn't in the past shown any intent to block any driver from being his team mate, and frankly I think most are confusing Lewis with Senna or Schumacher with this particular trait.
I can't believe for 1 minute that Mercedes would rather have Max beating Lewis in a Red Bull than in a Mercedes, even with the management complications it brings.
Same goes for any other driver, but Max as an example seems most likely to give Lewis a headache. Maybe Ricciardo, and he may well actually be an easier target that Mercedes have passed on.
Lewis has never expressed any concern over who his team mate is. So I don't agree it's quite likely at all.
There is no chance in hell that Hamilton would allow Verstappen, Ricciardo or Alonso in the 2nd Mercedes.I know many think Lewis will throw his toys out of the cot, but fact is he hasn't in the past shown any intent to block any driver from being his team mate, and frankly I think most are confusing Lewis with Senna or Schumacher with this particular trait.
I can't believe for 1 minute that Mercedes would rather have Max beating Lewis in a Red Bull than in a Mercedes, even with the management complications it brings.
Same goes for any other driver, but Max as an example seems most likely to give Lewis a headache. Maybe Ricciardo, and he may well actually be an easier target that Mercedes have passed on.
Lewis has never expressed any concern over who his team mate is. So I don't agree it's quite likely at all.
Hamilton knows he can state he doesn't care about his teammate as he knows Mercedes will never have another situation like Rosberg again.
This is why Bottas is perfect. He is not going to bother Hamilton over a full season and is fast enough to get the extra points.
Only once Hamilton retires will another top driver have a chance at Mercedes if the team continues.
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