Silly Season 2018/2019

[raymondu999]

What about the rumors a while back that Ferrari and Mercedes could be looking at seat swaps for Vettel - Hamilton? Has that been discussed here yet?

[Jolle]

What about the rumors a while back that Ferrari and Mercedes could be looking at seat swaps for Vettel - Hamilton? Has that been discussed here yet?

I never heard those rumors.

[NathanOlder]

Mercedes would be mad!?

[Just_a_fan]

What about the rumors a while back that Ferrari and Mercedes could be looking at seat swaps for Vettel - Hamilton? Has that been discussed here yet?

Why would Mercedes want to do that? Other than the "German driver in a German car" line, what else would they gain?

[marvin78]

It was discusses for the possibility that both drivers would want to go for something new. It was always hyperthetical.

[Enstone]

Now that Paddy is out of Williams, where did you see him for next ?

I think it would be great to see him at Enstone

[raymondu999]

What about the rumors a while back that Ferrari and Mercedes could be looking at seat swaps for Vettel - Hamilton? Has that been discussed here yet?

Why would Mercedes want to do that? Other than the "German driver in a German car" line, what else would they gain?

It kinda started that one time when toto was saying how it would be great to have a german driver in mercedes; and that they kept close ties with the Vettel family. That sparked some discussion on Vettel Hamilton possible seat swapping.

Mercedes would be mad!?

It may be mad, it may be calculated... by which i mean; (noting that I am not a fan of Hamilton in the slightest, but am a Vettel fan) - I believe Hamilton is a better driver than Vettel, but I do believe Vettel in a 2019 Mercedes would beat Hamilton in a 2019 Ferrari. It would be “enough” - for Merc to still win comfortably (title and races)

Now that Paddy is out of Williams, where did you see him for next ?

I think it would be great to see him at Enstone

Paddy at enstone could be interesting. Who is TD at enstone nowadays anyway? Isn’t it Bob Bell?

[GPR-A]

Now that Paddy is out of Williams, where did you see him for next ?

I think it would be great to see him at Enstone

Every successful engineer in F1 wants to be a Ross Brawn, without doing a thorough self retrospect to see if they can fit in such a role. Paddy wanted bigger role, he left McLaren. He then wanted bigger control and stakes in Mercedes, he left Mercedes. He then failed miserably. Mattia Binnotto seems to be smoking the same weed. He has got the role, but is struggling to manage the entire organization.

In the past, technical directors remained TDs (Colin Chapman, John Bernard and Newey now), and the organization management was managed well by the likes of Enzo, Bernie, Ron Dennis, Flavio Briatore, Jean Todt and now Christian Horner and Toto Wolff. The crazy desire for a TD to become the leading figure of a team, is just too much as full blown management is not their fundamental strength.

Modern F1 team is a complex organization and requires specialized skills in managing the technical, operational and strategic sides. An individual who has grown up being an engineer and moves upward in the growth curve, would be a mis-fit for organizational management, unless he is exceptional like Brawn.

[Just_a_fan]

Now that Paddy is out of Williams, where did you see him for next ?

He'll retire, I'd have thought.

[raymondu999]

Now that Paddy is out of Williams, where did you see him for next ?

He'll retire, I'd have thought.

Why so? I would think there would be a few teams who would still like to have him.

[Just_a_fan]

I thought Paddy had said that he was going to Williams to finish his career where he started it. He'll have plenty of money in the bank so he won't need to work elsewhere if he doesn't want to.

[garygph]

Interesting one, I could understand him wanting to retire but also would you not want to retire off a better ending than the one he has at the moment? I would and that would rule out retiring just yet

[JordanMugen]

https://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/for ... -mercedes/

AMuS reports...

Verstappen to Mercedes (can activate exit clause from RBR due to being outside WDC Top 3)
Vettel to Red Bull

I presume also:
Alonso also to Red Bull (you can't really rely on Vettel as a number 1 driver, and Alonso is clearly better than Gasly or Kvyat)

For the second Ferrari? Who knows -- maybe Perez or Sainz?

[roon]

VER HAM might give Merc their first perfect season. All P1 and P2. What else do they have left to achieve in this sport? They've won the engineering/team competition for six years. They've had the turbo formula right since 2013 or maybe earlier--its been quali mode ever since.

Does Raikonnen have a chance of moving to whatever team VER is at? Be that RB, Merc, or a third return to Ferrari.

[NL_Fer]

Who knows, if Ferrari keeps Leclerc next to Vettel or maybe Alonso, there is little chance a 3rd driver would take away points of a fighting Verstappen/Hamilton.