Silly season 2016

[mikeerfol]

So, that's it I guess...
https://twitter.com/thebuxtonblog/statu ... 0005609472

[iotar__]

"Grosjean exit takes Lotus by surprise" http://en.f1i.com/news/26717-grosjean-e ... prise.html

It's cover your bottom time by team principals, don't blame us and pay us Renault. You had four seasons of doing nothing to keep him and everything not to: like forcing to sit out dozen of FP for sold out seat. How is it "surprising" that when you didn't offer him a big contract for '16 and beyond he can leave? Unless you don't know the contract situation of your drivers? It wouldn't be the first thing that took them by "surprise", future driver decision is not yours, losing top 3 driver to bottom 3 team is not your fault so what exactly are you doing there? "Developing" Palmer that won't drive for you at the cost of '15 results?

Renault's side is even worse because:
- either it's some weird politics and they knew or they let Lotus brains handle it with predictable consequences
- they'll be bankrolling such incompetence and will pay the price. Forget about Spa and a dozen of similar performances without proper preparation (FP).
- You can have Palmer or Vergne who was at best sixth in line for two Red Bull teams seats: behind Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Kvyat, Verstappen and Sainz. Figure out an opinion about their driving yourself as a comparison. Good luck with Palmer/Vergne and Maldo as a competition for Alonso or Ham/Rosb etc.

[wickedz50]

Does anyone know who is getting hired to do the job of team principal at Renault Lotus Mercedes?

[FrukostScones]

Does anyone know who is getting hired to do the job of team principal at Renault Lotus Mercedes?

the Wizard of Oz?

[ME4ME]

Does anyone know who is getting hired to do the job of team principal at Renault Lotus Mercedes?

Right now i doubt there will be any Renault Lotus Mercedes, or even Lotus Mercedes for that matter if they don't find investors fast. Next week they'll be in court again, and things don't look that bright atm.

[ChrisF1]

Well if Lotus go, Red Bull and Toro Rosso quit at least I would get my weekends back

Bernie'll save them.

[zeph]

According to Saward Renault buying back Lotus is as good as done:
https://joesaward.wordpress.com/2015/09 ... s-f1-team/

[kptaylor]

I still wonder if they couldn't get a better deal by letting it go to receivership at this point.

[Nathanael F1]

So Romain is going to Haas? http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/american- ... 1733029635

[ESPImperium]

Ill reiterate that i do think that Toro Rosso will end up with a Honda power plant next year as Red Bull seems determined to cut all ties to Renault, even to its sister team. However the Toro Rosso engine will be announced after Austin i think when they evaluate the Renault upgrades on at least one car. I have heard that Toro Rosso have plans for both Renault and Honda power unit architecture to go to their chassis builders. However time will be tight for them as the lead time for each chassis is about 14 to 16 weeks. That will only leave the team 4 weeks lee-way if there is crash test issues to get it ready for the first test, unless they plan to miss it.

I think the Manor-Mercedes thing is done and dusted, the team have seemingly developed the MR04 that many have seen the tunnel model of, however it will be renamed the MNR01 or a potential for it being called the JB17-1. I have a feeling this car will be a good motor out of the box, up in the mid pack sometimes but mostly tail-end/lower-mid pack. Driven by Wherlien and Rossi i would suggest.

I doubt the Lotus team will be gone, but it will be bought by Renault with an announcement soon as the deal is going through and past the necessary regulatory boards/offices at the moment. I suggest the £2.7m owed by Lotus to HMRC from PAYE receipts from June, July & August (£900,000 per month) will be paid in full on Monday at the High Court in London.

I feel that the whole Red Bull/Ferrari/Renault thing and Lotus situation are an embarrassment to F1. I just hope that for all at Red Bull, Lotus and Manor this weekend at Suzuka have a good result, with a fast Ferrari somewhere just to make the show good as i don't want a Mercedes dominant silver-wash. Oh and a good news story somewhere for Mclaren-Honda.

[Racer X]

Haas is presenting their drivers right now on YOUTUBE..

[dodds_turbo]

Haas is presenting their drivers right now on YOUTUBE..

Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ngz9k9JACQ

[lebesset]

as baldrick would say , I have a cunning plan [ apologies to non uk TV watchers ]

Haas is , in effect , going to be the ferrari junior team , using all possible components from them ; even the chassis will be italian
Kimi will be retiring at the end of next season and Grosjean would then look like a shoe in to me , being already in the Ferrari camp

am I the only person who detects the hand of Ferrai behind this move by Romain ?

[ME4ME]

I think it's rather Romain who's simply tired of playing 2nd fiddle to Maldonado and sit out FP1 more often then not. Also he might be thinking ahead and make himself more attractive to Ferrari, but surely he'll be aware he is risking his F1 career as well.

[iotar__]

as baldrick would say , I have a cunning plan [ apologies to non uk TV watchers ]
Haas is , in effect , going to be the ferrari junior team , using all possible components from them ; even the chassis will be italian
Kimi will be retiring at the end of next season and Grosjean would then look like a shoe in to me , being already in the Ferrari camp

I said it before: unless there's a bulletproof contract attached driving for Haas means absolutely nothing, they have all the on track data for 4 years and a bunch of Lotus people, they kept Raikkonen instead and got stuck on Bottas god knows why - they didn't need any Haas data for that, did they? No Sauber data helped Perez and Hulk and I doubt Bianchi declarations were honest.

Career dead end and apart from money and driving any slow F1 car rather pointless. From Lotus' side judging by Permane's description finding replacement should not be too difficult http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/121066:

"He would be an asset to any team with his experience - and he's quick. So yeah, he will be a loss. "He fits in very well, he's been here a long time so that has made things an awful lot easier"

Quick and with some experience - sounds like a dozen of drivers given half a season (the fit part). Same can be said about Maldo and if you stretch it about Button, Vergne or anyone really, no problem for Renault then .