2014/15 Silly Season

[SectorOne]

He´s the best right now so obviously he´s the most sought after driver.

[Pierce89]

they married in hawaii, why and how would that be blocked?

anyway happy for Jenson and Jessica [now i understand the J and J lol], and thats a very nice 1970 Pontiac GTO

Classic American Muscle still pulls the chicks obviously!

[Manoah2u]

they married in hawaii, why and how would that be blocked?

anyway happy for Jenson and Jessica [now i understand the J and J lol], and thats a very nice 1970 Pontiac GTO

Classic American Muscle still pulls the chicks obviously!

Rightly so

[lebesset]

He´s the best right now so obviously he´s the most sought after driver.

second most sought after driver I presume you mean

[Racer X]

Can you guys talking about Button take that to the McLaren Honda Team thread. We are talking about silly season stuff that Toto Wolf sparked and your ruining it with your Jensons wedding gossip. What does that have to do with silly season transfers..

[FW17]

Tobias Grüner AMuS @tgruener
#F1 Manor press release. Team want to start season in Melbourne. Will Stevens will be an official 2015 Manor race driver

So this Will Stevens is like Max Chilton Part 2 right.............. So who is the rich daddy?

[PlatinumZealot]

Chilton will be back in the other seat if reports are true.

[SilverArrow10]

Very pleased with this news, people may not agree with me but I loved what Will Stevens did to Alonso in Abu Dhabi, he has got a lot to learn, but he had the right attitude. =D>

[PlatinumZealot]

OK, so Kimi is languishing a bit. Steadily turning into the #2 for the season. Maybe Ferrari is OK with this for now? I am not sure but if he does not pick his game up his seat will be once more in the store front. I like the prospect of Ham Vs VET at the red team but not sure if Ferrari would want it.

[Glyn]

OK, so Kimi is languishing a bit. Steadily turning into the #2 for the season. Maybe Ferrari is OK with this for now? I am not sure but if he does not pick his game up his seat will be once more in the store front. I like the prospect of Ham Vs VET at the red team but not sure if Ferrari would want it.

Pretty obvious Hamilton wants to challenge Vettel at Ferrari. And he has says he wanted to team with Ferrari before too!

Probably why his contract is taking ages...

[Manoah2u]

OK, so Kimi is languishing a bit. Steadily turning into the #2 for the season. Maybe Ferrari is OK with this for now? I am not sure but if he does not pick his game up his seat will be once more in the store front. I like the prospect of Ham Vs VET at the red team but not sure if Ferrari would want it.

Pretty obvious Hamilton wants to challenge Vettel at Ferrari. And he has says he wanted to team with Ferrari before too!

Probably why his contract is taking ages...

Hamilton @ Ferrari? Yes. in 2016 already? perhaps. Probable? nah.
I think Hamilton will sit out another year or 2 @ Mercedes, then go to Ferrari.

I read he wants 50 mil a year, and i've read about Rosberg stating Lewis ain't worth 200 mil.
Apart from the haterism fueled by envy, there's 2 things to take from this; Mercedes wants Hamilton for 4 more years.
And that it's unlikely 200 mil would be worth it as to looking at what more can be achieved coming 4 years. Hamilton's title hunger @ Merc will last this season through no doubt, but after that? doubtfull.

Bottas on the contrary would have a appetite to become WDC so putting him in the Merc would guarantee a 'focused' driver. Would Bottas have what it takes? Dunno. He doesn't cost 50 mil a year tho, and if he does manage to be WDC/WCC driver, then that would be a 'cheap' solution for Merc. Either way, i think Bottas will replace Rosberg in 2016. Who will replace Hamilton @ Mercedes in 2017? good question.

In any case, in 2 years, i can only see Hamilton lose focus within Mercedes. The only 'healthy' thing to do for him then would, indeed, be Ferrari. It would definately be a meaningfull end to his career, and would give him an objective that would make him 'hungry' and thus valuable for the team;

1 - Beat Vettel in a fair fight. 2 - See if he can do with Ferrari which Alonso couldn't. 3 - Drive in red.

Which is again why i am sure we'll see Hamilton @ Ferrari in the future. I just doubt that it would be in 2016. And therefore, doubt that contract talks are held back because of Ferrari.

[Gaz.]

Going by what Kimi said last year it sounds like there is an option on both sides for 2016 so perhaps Ferrari is not an option for Hamilton?

[PlatinumZealot]

[

I read he wants 50 mil a year, and i've read about Rosberg stating Lewis ain't worth 200 mil.
Apart from the haterism fueled by envy, there's 2 things to take from this; Mercedes wants Hamilton for 4 more years.
And that it's unlikely 200 mil would be worth it as to looking at what more can be achieved coming 4 years. Hamilton's title hunger @ Merc will last this season through no doubt, but after that? doubtfull.

Mercedes wanting Hamilton for 4 years makes me wonder if they really want him to stay because of the difference he can make as a driver, especially when things get tighter with their rivals, or if they want him to stay as some sort of repayment. You could say he walked in on a competitive car and only had to wait a year to challenge for the title, on the backs of Rosberg and MSC trudging it out in the early days to be ultimately unrewarded.So yeah, possibly, Mercedes wants him to pay his dues regardless of their cars being competitive in the future or not. Not what really I would like since the team situation at Mercedes is already boring to me now.

I sort of want Nico to get his chance to battle Hamilton in a different car. Nico at Merc on top of their game and Ham in another top team (more likely Ferrari). I have to admit any driver would have won in the Merc in 2014 so it seems Mercedes will not let Hamilton go without paying his dues.

Bottas on the contrary would have a appetite to become WDC so putting him in the Merc would guarantee a 'focused' driver. Would Bottas have what it takes? Dunno. He doesn't cost 50 mil a year tho, and if he does manage to be WDC/WCC driver, then that would be a 'cheap' solution for Merc. Either way, i think Bottas will replace Rosberg in 2016. Who will replace Hamilton @ Mercedes in 2017? good question.

Bottas and Rosberg as teammates would be pretty cool. I am not really convinced of Bottas yet. He is proving to be about the same level as Massa (who I think is not what he used to be) and by extent Kimi. He is a solid racer but yeah, might be a good rear gunner for Rosberg at Mercedes.

In any case, in 2 years, i can only see Hamilton lose focus within Mercedes. The only 'healthy' thing to do for him then would, indeed, be Ferrari. It would definately be a meaningfull end to his career, and would give him an objective that would make him 'hungry' and thus valuable for the team;

1 - Beat Vettel in a fair fight. 2 - See if he can do with Ferrari which Alonso couldn't. 3 - Drive in red.

Which is again why i am sure we'll see Hamilton @ Ferrari in the future. I just doubt that it would be in 2016. And therefore, doubt that contract talks are held back because of Ferrari.

I agree, I think Vettel is the last head to be hunted to put it i the words of Lewis himself. The environment at Mercedes is starting to show signs of the routine... not much of a relish..

Raikkonen to Force India
Hulk to Williams again
Bottas to Mercedes,
Hamilton To Ferrari

I would watch that.

[Jonnycraig]

No chance of Hamilton going to Ferrari. Vettel is there for the medium haul and Ferrari will either bring Marciello through as his long term teammate or snap up someone like Nasr.

Vettel has repeatedly said he will likely retire young from F1, so by the time Hamilton's next Merc contract is up, Vettel will be on his way out of the sport.

[Manoah2u]

No chance of Hamilton going to Ferrari. Vettel is there for the medium haul and Ferrari will either bring Marciello through as his long term teammate or snap up someone like Nasr.

Vettel has repeatedly said he will likely retire young from F1, so by the time Hamilton's next Merc contract is up, Vettel will be on his way out of the sport.

Nah, Vettel has 4 titles, he wants to be better than Schumacher, that means 4 more.
Unlikely that this season will provide him another title already, yet not impossible.

Counting from 2015; if he does another magic trick, he'll beat schumacher in 2019 in the most positive possibility in life.
From what it looks like Ham might be having a 4-season contract - obviously with performance clauses - so by 2019 his next Merc contract might be finished.

That would imply 2020 could see Vettel leave, and Hamilton to Ferrari.

I don't think so though because i don't believe by any chance Vettel is gonna repeat his RB-strike, but i'm fairly confident Seb will want that 8-title trophy. So count Vettel in F1 untill 2022. Hamilton is 30, by 2022 he's 37. I don't see him in F1 that long without a regular chance for the title. I think Hamilton would like 4 titles in total, more than his hero Senna.

I dont think Hamilton would replace Vettel @ Ferrari becuase by then Hamilton will be 'too old'.

Felipe Nasr would be an interesting replacement for Raikkonen though, mainly due to the possible conflict with 'Banco do Brasil' vs 'Banco Santander'.

Big party crasher would be Max Verstappen. Really, he is able to go anywhere soon. RedBull 2016 no doubt. With the option of Mclaren, Mercedes, Williams and Ferrari. I can see Max Verstappen replacing Kimi, actually.

Still, i'd rather see Verstappen @ RedBull with a good Renault engine fighting for the win against Hamilton, Vettel and Alonso.