The Official F1 2023 silly season *contains speculation*

[DanielSan]

Gtom said:

Wasn’t Pascal Wehrlein highly rated as well?

I never understood why anyone rated him that highly to be honest? Or know if anyone ever actually did and it wasn't just something planted into the media.

[cgt2]

DanielSan said:

I never understood why anyone rated him that highly to be honest? Or know if anyone ever actually did and it wasn't just something planted into the media.

I don't think Piastri and Wehrlein are at all comparable

[andburg]

Merc have made a lot of noise around their junior and reserve drivers but Wehrlein/De Vries/Van Doorne are not going to be the elite of f1. What they really want is somebody to take them off their hands so they have some space for the next George Russell

[Another project car]

andburg said:

Merc have made a lot of noise around their junior and reserve drivers but Wehrlein/De Vries/Van Doorne are not going to be the elite of f1. What they really want is somebody to take them off their hands so they have some space for the next George Russell

Maybe de vries to Williams?

[carl_w]

andburg said:

Merc have made a lot of noise around their junior and reserve drivers but Wehrlein/De Vries/Van Doorne are not going to be the elite of f1. What they really want is somebody to take them off their hands so they have some space for the next George Russell

They've been bitten in the past by the sudden retirement of Nico Rosberg. I wonder what contingency plans they have in place for Lewis's retirement? Is George a team leader? He's had plenty of experience in the Williams. No-one expected Damon to step up to team leader but he did a sterling job.

[Deesee]

Stoff and princess were both at the upper echelons of ‘quick’.

20 yrs ago they would have had more than a decent stint in F1.

Not enough anymore.. rough diamonds are so 2000’s.

[Deesee]

jsf said:

landing on his head with a car strapped to his back didn't help.

Ok

[Deesee]

carl_w said:

andburg said:

Merc have made a lot of noise around their junior and reserve drivers but Wehrlein/De Vries/Van Doorne are not going to be the elite of f1. What they really want is somebody to take them off their hands so they have some space for the next George Russell

They've been bitten in the past by the sudden retirement of Nico Rosberg. I wonder what contingency plans they have in place for Lewis's retirement? Is George a team leader? He's had plenty of experience in the Williams. No-one expected Damon to step up to team leader but he did a sterling job.

Rosberg was a pleasant result.. it could have been the other driver..

Lewis can not be covered, perhaps they bring in max, or look for a longer term solution..

George, will be gone year after next, not the full package for what Merc need, I hope I’m proved wrong.

Damon did a stellar job, after Williams ‘lost’ Prost and Senna, can I say that the talent pool is not as deep as today, should have signed Jean Alesi who would have bagged a few or more championships.

[vaud]

Deesee said:

George, will be gone year after next, not the full package for what Merc need, I hope I’m proved wrong.

On what evidence?

[paulguitar]

vaud said:

Deesee said:

George, will be gone year after next, not the full package for what Merc need, I hope I’m proved wrong.

On what evidence?

Seems to me George has done a mighty job this season.

[vaud]

paulguitar said:

Seems to me George has done a mighty job this season.

Quite. I know Lewis was doing more extreme dev setup but we are at the summer break and 158 points is pretty respectable...

[Deesee]

jsf said:

I don't agree with most of that.

Alesi in particular, he was rubbish.

Better than Damon & JV. (Imo)

[Deesee]

vaud said:

Deesee said:

George, will be gone year after next, not the full package for what Merc need, I hope I’m proved wrong.

On what evidence?

Eh, I’m hope I’m proved wrong?

[Deesee]

Oh and let’s be fair..

I had bucket loads of grief a couple of months ago for suggesting that PH fav Alonso was not in favour at Alpine, and Dani Ricc for not doing the numbers at Mc Merc..

This is the silly season discussion thread.. btw..

[glazbagun]

Milkyway said:

Don’t rule out Gasly, apparently he has a get out clause too... as long as the team is above Alpha Tauri in the standings.
https://apple.news/AYDe-EoEcS4CjnidVWfbt0A

NB: Liam Lawson tipped to replace Tsunoda

So... in theory & stranger things have happened.
Piastri : Mclaren
Gasly: Alpine
Lawson: Alpha Tauri.
DR... #1 @ Alpha Tauri.

I can't imagine DR's pride allowing that after his RB departure.

[Smollet]

jsf said:

I don't agree with most of that.

Alesi in particular, he was rubbish.

Yup. Alesi wasn’t the be all end all. One GP win doth not a superstar make.

[stemll]

Deesee said:

Oh and let’s be fair..

I had bucket loads of grief a couple of months ago for suggesting that PH fav Alonso was not in favour at Alpine, and Dani Ricc for not doing the numbers at Mc Merc..

This is the silly season discussion thread.. btw..

Except that Alonso was offered a new contract at Alpine, he just chose to go to AM instead but I'd wager he wasn't doing that until SV retired.

Doesn't mean he "wasn't in favour"

[cgt2]

Deesee said:

Rosberg was a pleasant result.. it could have been the other driver..

Lewis can not be covered, perhaps they bring in max, or look for a longer term solution..

George, will be gone year after next, not the full package for what Merc need, I hope I’m proved wrong.

Damon did a stellar job, after Williams ‘lost’ Prost and Senna, can I say that the talent pool is not as deep as today, should have signed Jean Alesi who would have bagged a few or more championships.

Williams DID sign Alesi for 1991 from Tyrrell on the strength of his performances at Monaco and Phoenix 1990. At that stage Mansell was retired which he announced at Silverstone 1990. Alesi then completely screwed himself by also signing with Ferrari too, choosing heart over head. The resulting legal battle is how Williams acquired a Ferrari 640 as part of the settlement. In the meantime Mansell unretired himself and joined Williams for 1991, the rest is history.

If Alesi hadn't screwed himself up so badly he would have been in the 1992 Williams and quite feasibly have a championship or two.

I don't agree he was crap but he was extremely temperamental. Halfway through the 1995 season he was still within shouting distance of the championship lead but much as with CLC today when he didn't make a mistake he was guaranteed to have the most unreliable Ferrari this side of a 1982 Mondial.

[cgt2]

Smollet said:

Yup. Alesi wasn’t the be all end all. One GP win doth not a superstar make.

Disagree, as above. He lost at least half a dozen wins due to unreliability. In the Schumacher/Hill era that was pretty good going. Easy to say that now but if you watch the races from 1994-5 in particular he had his moments. He didn't have the machinery in 1991/2/3.

[Smollet]

cgt2 said:

Smollet said:

Yup. Alesi wasn’t the be all end all. One GP win doth not a superstar make.

Disagree, as above. He lost at least half a dozen wins due to unreliability. In the Schumacher/Hill era that was pretty good going. Easy to say that now but if you watch the races from 1994-5 in particular he had his moments. He didn't have the machinery in 1991/2/3.

I guess we’ll have to disagree. Talented yes but that was all. He certainly shone in the early days but a bit of a show pony imgo