The Official F1 2021 silly season *contains speculation*
Discussion
liner33 said:
So whats the general thought on the silly season rumour of Bottas to Aston Martin and Stroll to Mercedes ?
This isn't even a rumour.It's an idea that Jacques Villeneuve created on the basis that Lawrence Stroll is 'friends' with Toto Wolff. As if Toto is going to put a driver in his car because "his mate" asked.
Utter hogwash.
Swampy1982 said:
What's everyone's thoughts about Danny Ric?
Clearly under performing and with Russell chomping at the bit for a better car would there be logic in GR going to Mclaren next season?
Keeps the status quo at Merc for potentially the last 2 seasons of Hamiltons contract, GR gets an improved seat with a merc engine, then it's a shoot out with the ever improving Norris for the Merc seat when Bottas leaves or LH and VB leave
Riccardo just needs more time.Clearly under performing and with Russell chomping at the bit for a better car would there be logic in GR going to Mclaren next season?
Keeps the status quo at Merc for potentially the last 2 seasons of Hamiltons contract, GR gets an improved seat with a merc engine, then it's a shoot out with the ever improving Norris for the Merc seat when Bottas leaves or LH and VB leave
His first season at Renault was a bit so-so. Then he rocked it in the second year. I expect the same at McLaren.
GR is in at Mercedes next year. It's as done-a-deal as you can get without it being announced.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Ocon’s hit top form this season? C’mon!
Let’s not let one fluke win cloud any judgement-he’s had a terrible year so far with some incredibly poor performances.
As for Ricciardo, he’s never been anything more than a competent tier two driver- people always seem to forget he was beaten by Kvyat in 2015.
You've missed my point by enough distance to earn a whoosh parrot.Let’s not let one fluke win cloud any judgement-he’s had a terrible year so far with some incredibly poor performances.
As for Ricciardo, he’s never been anything more than a competent tier two driver- people always seem to forget he was beaten by Kvyat in 2015.
Ocon's had some good performances this season and is getting a lot of publicity and praise particularly for how he's been doing against Alonso. That was before he won. I've seen a lot of posts this year saying how well lots of people think he's doing, yet before this he hasn't set the world alight since some signs of promise in his early days at Force India.
And Ricciardo kicked Verstappen's butt. Don't forget that either while remembering back to Kvyat
Unless you think Verstappen's crap too because he was beaten twice by someone you rank as nothing more than a competent tier two driver.Swampy1982 said:
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Oh and why are we still discussing this in the 2021 thread when there’s a silly season 2022 thread?!
GPWMIs there a 2022 thread? Did I miss it?
Summer break seems like an appropriate time to start one if it doesn't exist...
kambites said:
Yup, there's definitely a difficult line between standing up to abhorrent behaviour and trying to impose modern morals onto things people did decades ago when they were perfectly normal. I'm sure in fifty years time people will look back at something we're doing now with abject horror.
What like having an opinion? 
Smollet said:
kambites said:
Yup, there's definitely a difficult line between standing up to abhorrent behaviour and trying to impose modern morals onto things people did decades ago when they were perfectly normal. I'm sure in fifty years time people will look back at something we're doing now with abject horror.
What like having an opinion? 
We've seen some pretty big fallouts dropping on famous people because they shared an unpopular or controversial opinion. Sometimes it wasn't about anything to do with what they're famous for. Often it's something that if we'd had social media 40 years ago and they said it then, noone would have cared.The problem with social media is a) everybody is now getting judged. And with millions of people on social media there's always going to be enough negative judgement to be unavoidable. That even happens just here on Pistonheads. It's impossible to say anything, anything at all, that everyone agrees with. If I told you all my name someone would say I'm lying or I spelt it wrong. And then b) everyone is getting judged not necessarily on what they do, but on what they think. It's hard to change how you feel about something, but most people can recognise when they have an unpopular opinion and refrain from acting on it so they don't have any victims beyond someone maybe getting offended by a tweet. But then the reverse kicks in and what was a stupid but pretty harmless comment ends up with the reciprocal where the offender gets bullied relentlessly. Personally I think so many tweeters and facebookers and whatever are corrupted by the power of having a voice that can reach anywhere, and the ease with which they can incite a virtual mob. I find it a little bit alarming.
Anyway, now seriously off topic
kiseca said:
Ocon's had some good performances this season and is getting a lot of publicity and praise particularly for how he's been doing against Alonso. That was before he won. I've seen a lot of posts this year saying how well lots of people think he's doing, yet before this he hasn't set the world alight since some signs of promise in his early days at Force India.
Look at any driver rankings for the first half of this year and he’s behind Alonso in all of them. A man who has been out of F1, hasn’t driven anything approaching a competitive hybrid F1 car until the end of last year and is let’s put it bluntly, old.Any decent journalist that isn’t doing a puff piece on him has been extremely critical of his race weekends.
There had even been strong rumours of Alpine trying to get Gasly to replace him.
Personally I’m glad he got his victory. His family story is one to warm the heart. But he got lucky and anyone who disagrees is being disingenuous.
Sometimes you need a bit of luck. I suspect without it (and Alonso’s help) his management team might have been having some very difficult discussions this summer break.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
kiseca said:
Ocon's had some good performances this season and is getting a lot of publicity and praise particularly for how he's been doing against Alonso. That was before he won. I've seen a lot of posts this year saying how well lots of people think he's doing, yet before this he hasn't set the world alight since some signs of promise in his early days at Force India.
Look at any driver rankings for the first half of this year and he’s behind Alonso in all of them. A man who has been out of F1, hasn’t driven anything approaching a competitive hybrid F1 car until the end of last year and is let’s put it bluntly, old.Any decent journalist that isn’t doing a puff piece on him has been extremely critical of his race weekends.
There had even been strong rumours of Alpine trying to get Gasly to replace him.
Personally I’m glad he got his victory. His family story is one to warm the heart. But he got lucky and anyone who disagrees is being disingenuous.
Sometimes you need a bit of luck. I suspect without it (and Alonso’s help) his management team might have been having some very difficult discussions this summer break.
Like I said already, my point was it only takes a few good results and a driver is a big thing and everyone should hire him, a couple of bad results and he's being written off. I used Ocon as an example, because some have said, and I agree, he's having a good season. You disagree. I got that the first time, you don't need to repeat it for me.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Look at any driver rankings for the first half of this year and he’s behind Alonso in all of them. A man who has been out of F1, hasn’t driven anything approaching a competitive hybrid F1 car until the end of last year and is let’s put it bluntly, old.
Any decent journalist that isn’t doing a puff piece on him has been extremely critical of his race weekends.
There had even been strong rumours of Alpine trying to get Gasly to replace him.
Personally I’m glad he got his victory. His family story is one to warm the heart. But he got lucky and anyone who disagrees is being disingenuous.
Sometimes you need a bit of luck. I suspect without it (and Alonso’s help) his management team might have been having some very difficult discussions this summer break.
Ocon had already been given a new long term contract with Alpine before his win, no difficult discussions were incoming, they very recently did the oposite. Any decent journalist that isn’t doing a puff piece on him has been extremely critical of his race weekends.
There had even been strong rumours of Alpine trying to get Gasly to replace him.
Personally I’m glad he got his victory. His family story is one to warm the heart. But he got lucky and anyone who disagrees is being disingenuous.
Sometimes you need a bit of luck. I suspect without it (and Alonso’s help) his management team might have been having some very difficult discussions this summer break.
paulguitar said:
kiseca said:
And Ricciardo kicked Verstappen's butt.
Did he? I'm not a Max fan, but I don't remember it that way. I remember them being pretty evenly matched in races with Max usually better in quali?If going by the results tables you have to consider that Daniel suffered remarkably persistent unreliability that cost him enormous points, that didn't seem to affect max.
M1C said:
Im chuffed with Ocons win - but up until that, he has not had a good season! He signed the contract earlier on, which is great for him and a sign of confidence from the team, but up until his win, he hasn't had a good season! I hope that'll change going forward though
Ocon has struggled with a problem in the build of his chassis somewhere in the front suspension. Alpine gave him a new chassis for Silverstone…paulguitar said:
kiseca said:
And Ricciardo kicked Verstappen's butt.
Did he? I'm not a Max fan, but I don't remember it that way. I remember them being pretty evenly matched in races with Max usually better in quali?
Qatar could be a replacement race for Australia in November https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/qatar-closing-on...
Ok, who had 'Martin Whitmarsh joins Aston Martin' on their 2021 bingo card? https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/former-mclaren-b...
ajprice said:
Ok, who had 'Martin Whitmarsh joins Aston Martin' on their 2021 bingo card? https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/former-mclaren-b...
Certainly not moi.ajprice said:
Qatar could be a replacement race for Australia in November https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/qatar-closing-on...
"Could"?Its the worst kept secret in f1 for a little while now is my understanding.
I was more concerned with what's going to happen with the 3 America's given they're all having a time of it, the state of Texas alone is reporting worse numbers than the whole of the UK, but the motoGP boys are there in a week so I guess it's full steam ahead?
Or maybe liberty's got contingencies ready in their back pocket? I guess they wouldn't say if they did.
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