The Official F1 2023 silly season *contains speculation*

[nordboy]

Mark-C said:

My Google phone kept sending me links for stories on this site - I read 3 or 4 and then blocked it! I guess part of the increasing audience for F1 that Liberty is driving for is an increase in clickbait sites repeating each others nonsense.

It is indeed possible that Sainz won't in a Red Bull this year but throwing lots of guesses out there doesn't make you a prophet when one of them comes true!

I think it's pretty sure that Sainz will be staying at Ferrari?

[Mark-C]

nordboy said:

Mark-C said:

My Google phone kept sending me links for stories on this site - I read 3 or 4 and then blocked it! I guess part of the increasing audience for F1 that Liberty is driving for is an increase in clickbait sites repeating each others nonsense.

It is indeed possible that Sainz won't in a Red Bull this year but throwing lots of guesses out there doesn't make you a prophet when one of them comes true!

I think it's pretty sure that Sainz will be staying at Ferrari?

This is a very good point and I am off to sit in the corner and reflect upon my madness!!

[Deesee]

[Teddy Lop]

forsure said:

Joe Saward's view:

'Things should now be quiet on the driver front until Fernando Alonso falls out with Aston Martin early next year'

I mentioned to the Mrs yet again we have an F2 winner with no F1 drive, but drugovitch may come sooner than some think..

The "when will the Alonso melt down happen" would be a good poll thread but not sure how one does that on this forum

In fact, we've got a healthy number of great potential fallouts next year:

Alonso in "my team are favouring the boss son can you believe it" shocker.

C'est la guerre, Pierre v Oscar.

Mad max part 3, the Mexican revenge.

And if the teams field cars that challenge, I think both Ferrari and Mercedes driver pairings are prone to boil over if not kept in check

Whose gonner be first??

[JonChalk]

Teddy Lop said:

I mentioned to the Mrs yet again we have an F2 winner with no F1 drive, but drugovitch may come sooner than some think..

Drugovich is no Piastri though - F1 could quite happily exist without Drugovich - he's one of those "default" F2 champions who nobody is that excited about. Competent and quick enough, but I never really got that excited about his wins.

Piastri is something special though.

All my HO, obviously.

[PhilAsia]

JonChalk said:

Teddy Lop said:

I mentioned to the Mrs yet again we have an F2 winner with no F1 drive, but drugovitch may come sooner than some think..

Drugovich is no Piastri though - F1 could quite happily exist without Drugovich - he's one of those "default" F2 champions who nobody is that excited about. Competent and quick enough, but I never really got that excited about his wins.

Piastri is something special though.

All my HO, obviously.

A N Other HO here...

[Teddy Lop]

JonChalk said:

Teddy Lop said:

I mentioned to the Mrs yet again we have an F2 winner with no F1 drive, but drugovitch may come sooner than some think..

Drugovich is no Piastri though - F1 could quite happily exist without Drugovich - he's one of those "default" F2 champions who nobody is that excited about. Competent and quick enough, but I never really got that excited about his wins.

Piastri is something special though.

All my HO, obviously.

Yeah I'm not flying the flag for him so much as pointing out it keeps happening including as you point out to the better drivers too!

It's been said but we could use a couple more teams really

[JonChalk]

Teddy Lop said:

JonChalk said:

Teddy Lop said:

I mentioned to the Mrs yet again we have an F2 winner with no F1 drive, but drugovitch may come sooner than some think..

Drugovich is no Piastri though - F1 could quite happily exist without Drugovich - he's one of those "default" F2 champions who nobody is that excited about. Competent and quick enough, but I never really got that excited about his wins.

Piastri is something special though.

All my HO, obviously.

Yeah I'm not flying the flag for him so much as pointing out it keeps happening including as you point out to the better drivers too!

It's been said but we could use a couple more teams really

Ah, but the money-grubbing, self-interested teams don't want to share, either money or risk of not getting points. There is nothing less true than "it's show", or "it's entertainment" - couldn't be further from the truth - it's a money-making racket for all concerned, and fans who want to see more cars and more drivers can fk off....

I agree - could easily cope with a 24 car grid populated with drivers deserving a place, or at least the opportunity.

[vulture1]

JonChalk said:

Teddy Lop said:

I mentioned to the Mrs yet again we have an F2 winner with no F1 drive, but drugovitch may come sooner than some think..

Drugovich is no Piastri though - F1 could quite happily exist without Drugovich - he's one of those "default" F2 champions who nobody is that excited about. Competent and quick enough, but I never really got that excited about his wins.

Piastri is something special though.

All my HO, obviously.

Drugovich won it in at his 3rd attempt against an arguably pretty weak f2 field. He's nothing special (in the context of the top end of single seaters)

[Fundoreen]

Teddy Lop said:

forsure said:

Joe Saward's view:

'Things should now be quiet on the driver front until Fernando Alonso falls out with Aston Martin early next year'

I mentioned to the Mrs yet again we have an F2 winner with no F1 drive, but drugovitch may come sooner than some think..

The "when will the Alonso melt down happen" would be a good poll thread but not sure how one does that on this forum

In fact, we've got a healthy number of great potential fallouts next year:

Alonso in "my team are favouring the boss son can you believe it" shocker.

C'est la guerre, Pierre v Oscar.

Mad max part 3, the Mexican revenge.

And if the teams field cars that challenge, I think both Ferrari and Mercedes driver pairings are prone to boil over if not kept in check

Whose gonner be first??

Code for when a driver doesnt speak to a journo is he feels its ok to snipe at the driver.
Why the hell would AM pay a driver $$$ and then sabotage him? I would think the big LS wants success and to keep his fellow investors happy. Otherwise he may be the one on the way out.
I doubt FA will be frustrated like this year as they may be more likely to bolt together a reliable car at AM.
Easy to guess press were waiting for FA to be let go by Alpine so they could print the snidy stories.
It must burn the twits up that he outmaneuvered them and signed another deal in F1.

[MissChief]

Fundoreen said:

Teddy Lop said:

forsure said:

Joe Saward's view:

'Things should now be quiet on the driver front until Fernando Alonso falls out with Aston Martin early next year'

I mentioned to the Mrs yet again we have an F2 winner with no F1 drive, but drugovitch may come sooner than some think..

The "when will the Alonso melt down happen" would be a good poll thread but not sure how one does that on this forum

In fact, we've got a healthy number of great potential fallouts next year:

Alonso in "my team are favouring the boss son can you believe it" shocker.

C'est la guerre, Pierre v Oscar.

Mad max part 3, the Mexican revenge.

And if the teams field cars that challenge, I think both Ferrari and Mercedes driver pairings are prone to boil over if not kept in check

Whose gonner be first??

Code for when a driver doesnt speak to a journo is he feels its ok to snipe at the driver.
Why the hell would AM pay a driver $$$ and then sabotage him? I would think the big LS wants success and to keep his fellow investors happy. Otherwise he may be the one on the way out.
I doubt FA will be frustrated like this year as they may be more likely to bolt together a reliable car at AM.
Easy to guess press were waiting for FA to be let go by Alpine so they could print the snidy stories.
It must burn the twits up that he outmaneuvered them and signed another deal in F1.

Alonso wanted two years guaranteed, Alpine were offering a one year with their option for year two. As soon as Vettel announced his retirement its believed Alonso called, or some say even went to see Papa Stroll actually at the circuit that weekend and offered his services as long as it was a two year guaranteed deal. Papa Stroll bit his hand off almost. A multiple WDC to replace their retiring multiple WDC without having to chase anyone, no long drawn out negotiations or gentle feelers to other drivers in other teams? Much preferred and now AM can put all their heads together on their new car.

[Europa Jon]

JonChalk said:

Ah, but the money-grubbing, self-interested teams don't want to share, either money or risk of not getting points. There is nothing less true than "it's show", or "it's entertainment" - couldn't be further from the truth - it's a money-making racket for all concerned, and fans who want to see more cars and more drivers can fk off....

I agree - could easily cope with a 24 car grid populated with drivers deserving a place, or at least the opportunity.

OK then, I'll try to start a new thread for this very matter!

[glazbagun]

Horners smugness must have been visible from space when he agreed to take Ricciardo back as a third driver.

[Defcon5]

glazbagun said:

Horners smugness must have been visible from space when he agreed to take Ricciardo back as a third driver.

I would expect he simply printed off the contract offer Ricciardo declined last time, but put a line through the salary and wrote a number 1/3 of the size above it in red biro

[HustleRussell]

I find it really interesting that F1 teams are appearing to choose experience over youth at the moment. I have been watching for 15+ years and it has always felt like there has been an inexorable trend towards ever younger drivers. Maybe we reached peak youngness in about 2019 with Norris, Leclerc and Russell having graduated.

[douglasgdmw]

Defcon5 said:

I would expect he simply printed off the contract offer Ricciardo declined last time, but put a line through the salary and wrote a number 1/3 of the size above it in red biro

Thought I read somewhere that Riciardo's McLaren exit contract meant that any deficit of earnings would be picked up by McLaren. Wonder how close to the nominal £1 fee Christian got to so that McLaren would be penalised

[andburg]

HustleRussell said:

I find it really interesting that F1 teams are appearing to choose experience over youth at the moment. I have been watching for 15+ years and it has always felt like there has been an inexorable trend towards ever younger drivers. Maybe we reached peak youngness in about 2019 with Norris, Leclerc and Russell having graduated.

It’s more that all the talent that would have hit f1 over the next year or 2 from f3 came at once. This why Drugovich won F2, I expect we will have no f2 graduations for 2023 silly season

[Pflanzgarten]

Binotto out, tendered his resignation and leaves Ferrari December 31st 2022.

[HTP99]

Pflanzgarten said:

Binotto out, tendered his resignation and leaves Ferrari December 31st 2022.

But, but, but.......wasn't this all denied a few weeks back when the rumours started circulating?!!

[thegreenhell]

HTP99 said:

But, but, but.......wasn't this all denied a few weeks back when the rumours started circulating?!!

They denied they were going to fire him, but now he has quit anyway.