[ 2020 ] Racing Point F1 Team - Mercedes

[shotzski]

However I do have 1 question:
Does anyone know which special clauses exist in Sergio Perez's contract?

Im aware of the one about Sergio can leave the team if he wants
to leave the team early if he gets an offer from one of the big teams.

But does the team have (in a way) the same inverse response clause where say like:
"Yeah okey Sergio but if we(Racing Point) can sign a 'World Champion Driver' then we too can terminate you early"

kinda deal?

im just wondering here.

I've read that the team would need to buyout the current contract. But i think it's not as simple as that, since Perez brings substantial backing to the team. And I doubt his backers would give in that easy. Unless Stroll Sr. would be willing to pay more for Perez's immediate exit.

[kptaylor]

With AM coming into the picture how much does Stroll Sr now own? Could he be forced to let his underperforming son go in order to sign VET to the seat?

[shotzski]

With AM coming into the picture how much does Stroll Sr now own? Could he be forced to let his underperforming son go in order to sign VET to the seat?

Highly unlikely. The main reason he bought his own F1 team, is for son to have a drive, progress with his career.

As for AM ownership, majority by way of consortium.

EDIT:
Well, that was fast
https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio-pe ... ttel-deal/

The other option is that it isn’t Perez who leaves Racing Point, soon to be Aston Martin, but rather Lance Stroll.

Although he is the son of the team’s owner, ESPN says Stroll is a ‘competitive businessman and Sergio Perez is not only a faster and more experienced driver, he has a sponsorship package with him that is helpful to the team’s finances’.

[Big Tea]

Hay son, do you fancy going into team management, There is a vacancy coming up. (yours, but we will find you a job)

[dans79]

Hay son, do you fancy going into team management, There is a vacancy coming up. (yours, but we will find you a job)

autosport mentioned in one of their videos yesterday that senior is a businessman first and foremost.

So while he bought the team to further his son's ambitions in F1, he still needs to make money and he has partners and shareholders that he's accountable to.

[Big Tea]

Hay son, do you fancy going into team management, There is a vacancy coming up. (yours, but we will find you a job)

autosport mentioned in one of their videos yesterday that senior is a businessman first and foremost.

So while he bought the team to further his son's ambitions in F1, he still needs to make money and he has partners and shareholders that he's accountable to.

Oh yes, he is no-ones fool. He will do what is best for 'the company' and I am sure Lance understands that.
The thing is, how satisfied is Lance with what he has done in F1? He may feel he has achieved his goal and can move into the family business and race for pleasure as a side line. He is his fathers son as the saying goes

[Morteza]

[Wynters]

I did a brief dive into the pace of Verstappen-Bottas-Albon-Perez from Styria and came across something interesting. The main post is in the Red Bull Racing Team thread but I've reproduced the Racing Point relevant parts here.

- Up until lap 50, the car behind Albon has been doing 1:08.4s and Albon has been cruising around matching that. Perez has just passed Ricciardo though. Interestingly, while chasing Ricciardo down, Perez was doing 1:08.2s. He passes Ricciardo and starts doing 1:07.8s for the 5 laps it takes to catch Albon*.

- Albon has clearly seen him coming and upped his own pace. He's now doing 1:08.2s. From lap 57 onwards, it's obvious that Perez has pace enough to pass despite the dirty air. Albon (or Honda) realise this is a real problem and he begins to accelerate, his lap times dropping into 1:07.5s where he and Perez stay until the contact. This is interesting because it's a pace Verstappen doesn't reach until his fastest lap attempts at the very end. Verstappen only had six laps below 1:08.0 total (other than these last two). Albon has 13 pretty much back-to-back.

- Looking at the relative pace between Albon and Verstappen, it's clear that Albon is pushing pretty hard as he's lapping faster than his team mate at this point (even accounting for damage and more worn tyres). I suspect Albon's car has been turned up to 11, although there's only the lap time differential to support that. This leads me to suspect that the Racing Point is properly fast in race trim at this circuit.

*Perez pitted 4 laps later than Bottas. But this is almost Bottas-chasing-Verstappen pace. From laps 40-65 (which includes Bottas slow 6 laps (likely traffic) but also Perez being behind Ricciardo), Perez is nearly 1/10th of a second faster, lap-by-lap, on average, than Bottas. Bottas sets his fastest lap of the race on lap 62 (1:07.534). We know Perez's tyres are a little younger but from lap 62 until the contact with Albon on lap 69, Perez is only slower than that fastest lap once and sets his own fastest lap on lap 68 (1:07.188).

I don't think this is truly indicative of the pace differential between Mercedes and Racing Point. Hamilton did a 1:06.719 on the same lap on 11 lap older tyres. But it highlights the pace of the Racing Point. It does also seem reasonable to conclude that Bottas had more in the pace if he needed it though.

[bosyber]

OT a bit: Mercedes have said Bottas picked up a noticeable aero issue, if I am not mistaken, while trying to overtake the backmarkers that first slowed Verstappen, and then Bottas, so that's one reason he wasn't faster.

On topic, yes, in the right circumstances the car in Perez hands looks seriously quick, as long as they get the set up (weather!?) right. Spa and Silverstone look like tracks where they might genuinely be able to fight for a podium. I do wonder though whether their relative lack of pace last Saturday is an issue of setup or of having a too stiff suspension, which might hamper them if the weather there is not dry.

[Wynters]

OT a bit: Mercedes have said Bottas picked up a noticeable aero issue, if I am not mistaken, while trying to overtake the backmarkers that first slowed Verstappen, and then Bottas, so that's one reason he wasn't faster.

Excellent shout. Shovlin mentions it as being a 1-2 tenths loss of performance.

[Racer X]

I did a brief dive into the pace of Verstappen-Bottas-Albon-Perez from Styria and...

Wow i mean we have to take into account more factors then just raw data. But to be faster then THIS years Mercedes with a car that is copying the aerodynamic philosophy of the last years Merc' slightly suggests that he could potentially be at least better then they give Sergio credit for if he can be faster then a Factory Mercedes. To make Redbull hold nothing back and push to the limit and still be at around the same pace as Redbull.

I really hope Sergio Perez stays in Formula 1.

[Big Tea]

I did a brief dive into the pace of Verstappen-Bottas-Albon-Perez from Styria and came across something interesting. The main post is in the Red Bull Racing Team thread but I've reproduced the Racing Point relevant parts here.

- Up until lap 50, the car behind Albon has been doing 1:08.4s and Albon has been cruising around matching that. Perez has just passed Ricciardo though. Interestingly, while chasing Ricciardo down, Perez was doing 1:08.2s. He passes Ricciardo and starts doing 1:07.8s for the 5 laps it takes to catch Albon*.

- Albon has clearly seen him coming and upped his own pace. He's now doing 1:08.2s. From lap 57 onwards, it's obvious that Perez has pace enough to pass despite the dirty air. Albon (or Honda) realise this is a real problem and he begins to accelerate, his lap times dropping into 1:07.5s where he and Perez stay until the contact. This is interesting because it's a pace Verstappen doesn't reach until his fastest lap attempts at the very end. Verstappen only had six laps below 1:08.0 total (other than these last two). Albon has 13 pretty much back-to-back.

- Looking at the relative pace between Albon and Verstappen, it's clear that Albon is pushing pretty hard as he's lapping faster than his team mate at this point (even accounting for damage and more worn tyres). I suspect Albon's car has been turned up to 11, although there's only the lap time differential to support that. This leads me to suspect that the Racing Point is properly fast in race trim at this circuit.

*Perez pitted 4 laps later than Bottas. But this is almost Bottas-chasing-Verstappen pace. From laps 40-65 (which includes Bottas slow 6 laps (likely traffic) but also Perez being behind Ricciardo), Perez is nearly 1/10th of a second faster, lap-by-lap, on average, than Bottas. Bottas sets his fastest lap of the race on lap 62 (1:07.534). We know Perez's tyres are a little younger but from lap 62 until the contact with Albon on lap 69, Perez is only slower than that fastest lap once and sets his own fastest lap on lap 68 (1:07.188).

I don't think this is truly indicative of the pace differential between Mercedes and Racing Point. Hamilton did a 1:06.719 on the same lap on 11 lap older tyres. But it highlights the pace of the Racing Point. It does also seem reasonable to conclude that Bottas had more in the pace if he needed it though.

This is interesting for those who are wondering where Albon's pace has gone. Is he driving to a plan respective of what he can do? Could he either be regulated by Honda as they would not like both engines to fail, or by the team and left as a 'tail gunner' to assess the true pace of catching cars?

If his job is just to finish a place behind max, he does not have to pace him

[NAPI10]

I did a brief dive into the pace of Verstappen-Bottas-Albon-Perez from Styria and...

Wow i mean we have to take into account more factors then just raw data. But to be faster then THIS years Mercedes with a car that is copying the aerodynamic philosophy of the last years Merc' slightly suggests that he could potentially be at least better then they give Sergio credit for if he can be faster then a Factory Mercedes. To make Redbull hold nothing back and push to the limit and still be at around the same pace as Redbull.

I really hope Sergio Perez stays in Formula 1.

He should have been driving for Top 3 but lucky RP

[dans79]

This is interesting for those who are wondering where Albon's pace has gone. Is he driving to a plan respective of what he can do? Could he either be regulated by Honda as they would not like both engines to fail, or by the team and left as a 'tail gunner' to assess the true pace of catching cars?

If his job is just to finish a place behind max, he does not have to pace him

WE are getting pretty off topic, but it was reported by horner I believe, that Albon was not happy at all with the balance of the car when loaded down with fuel.

[Big Tea]

This is interesting for those who are wondering where Albon's pace has gone. Is he driving to a plan respective of what he can do? Could he either be regulated by Honda as they would not like both engines to fail, or by the team and left as a 'tail gunner' to assess the true pace of catching cars?

If his job is just to finish a place behind max, he does not have to pace him

WE are getting pretty off topic, but it was reported by horner I believe, that Albon was not happy at all with the balance of the car when loaded down with fuel.

AH! sorry about that

but thanks