Silly Season 2016/2017

[PlatinumZealot]

I don't recall him being dismissive though. He is actually a very well mannered man. I think impatient is what he was.

[Cold Fussion]

You can fault Maldonado for many things but to fault him for talking about joining a better/competitive team when he signed for Lotus from Williams in 2013 is frankly ridiculous.

[skoop]

You can fault Maldonado for many things but to fault him for talking about joining a better/competitive team when he signed for Lotus from Williams in 2013 is frankly ridiculous.

Didn't he say that Williams sabotaged him? I think that's what people are talking about

[Manoah2u]

I believe there is a combination of things, and where the truth lays, only these parties will know.

I recall Pastor saying these things, yes. I also recall Williams (though im rather sure it actually was Bottas) as stating the 'atmosphere' cleared much more relaxed
when pastor left.

Maldonado has sailed, just like Kobayashi sailed. I think Kamui was an extremely interesting driver. I'd have Kamui back over any driver in the field at this point.
His spectacular 'maiden' race in the what was it? Williams? in i think it was Brazil 2009, overtaking already champion(?) Jenson Button like a effing boss (unlapping).

I personally feel a lot more resentfullness towards absolutely trash drivers like Ericsson. Id take Maldonado or Kobayashi over that guy any time of the week.
I am curious still about Nasr but expected more, think he'll fade away in due time though his 'Banco do Brazil' is offcourse a valuable 'asset'.
Magnussen imho is too grey a driver too, same as palmer. They remind me of guys like Di Resta. not really bad, but boring and rather 'underwhelming'.

Drivers i would like to see in F1?

Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Verstappen, Sainz, Alonso, Button, Perez, Kobayashi, Grosjean, Raikkonen (but not at Ferrari), Wehrlein, Antonio Fuoco, Ricciardo, VanDoorne, Ocon, Gasly, Nasr, Stroll, Matsushita,

in the "short" future:

Adios Rosberg, Button, Alonso, Raikkonen,
welcome Mick Schumacher, Sergey Sirotkin, Charles Leclerc, Santino Ferrucci, Alfonso Celis Jr, Alex Lynn, Louis Deletraz, Nyck de Vries. Giuliano Alesi, and Pedro Piquet.

preferably as following:

Ferrari : Hamilton & Grosjean (Ferrari powered)
Mercedes : Wehrlein & Ricciardo (Mercedes powered)
Renault : Perez & Sainz (Renault powered)
RedBull : Verstappen & Gasly ( Aston Martin powered )
Haas : Ferrucci & Fuoco (Ferrari powered)
Force India : Celis Jr & Sirotkin (Renault powered)
Mclaren : Vandoorne & Vettel (Honda powered)
Sauber : Leclerc & Matsushita (Honda powered)
Manor : Piquet & Deletraz (Mercedes powered)
Williams : Stroll & Ocon (Ferrari powered)
Toro Rosso : Schumacher & Alesi (BMW powered)

yes one may dream lol.

I still think F1 needs atleast 3 more new teams (prefarably following the example of HAAS),
and needs to have a 2nd team powered by Honda, a team powered by BMW, and a team powered by Audi/Porsche.
RedBull might 'develop' their TAG engine into a Aston Martin one, but that's a long shot and probably will stay Renault, though id like a RedBull - Porsche.
Or a Mclaren - Porsche with a RedBull - Honda.
Then , Ford would be interesting too, not?

Haas - Ford ?
Ford is making magnificient engines recently, and is an established and 'historic' brand for F1.

let's hope the new F1 owner will make things interesting again, we're on a good route with the wheels and aero.

[PlatinumZealot]

Hand in your kobayashi fan card this instant. Kobayashi never drove in a Williams!

[7ka]

And dont forget Petrov

[holeindalip]

I believe there is a combination of things, and where the truth lays, only these parties will know.

I recall Pastor saying these things, yes. I also recall Williams (though im rather sure it actually was Bottas) as stating the 'atmosphere' cleared much more relaxed
when pastor left.

Maldonado has sailed, just like Kobayashi sailed. I think Kamui was an extremely interesting driver. I'd have Kamui back over any driver in the field at this point.
His spectacular 'maiden' race in the what was it? Williams? in i think it was Brazil 2009, overtaking already champion(?) Jenson Button like a effing boss (unlapping).

I personally feel a lot more resentfullness towards absolutely trash drivers like Ericsson. Id take Maldonado or Kobayashi over that guy any time of the week.
I am curious still about Nasr but expected more, think he'll fade away in due time though his 'Banco do Brazil' is offcourse a valuable 'asset'.
Magnussen imho is too grey a driver too, same as palmer. They remind me of guys like Di Resta. not really bad, but boring and rather 'underwhelming'.

Drivers i would like to see in F1?

Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Verstappen, Sainz, Alonso, Button, Perez, Kobayashi, Grosjean, Raikkonen (but not at Ferrari), Wehrlein, Antonio Fuoco, Ricciardo, VanDoorne, Ocon, Gasly, Nasr, Stroll, Matsushita,

in the "short" future:

Adios Rosberg, Button, Alonso, Raikkonen,
welcome Mick Schumacher, Sergey Sirotkin, Charles Leclerc, Santino Ferrucci, Alfonso Celis Jr, Alex Lynn, Louis Deletraz, Nyck de Vries. Giuliano Alesi, and Pedro Piquet.

preferably as following:

Ferrari : Hamilton & Grosjean (Ferrari powered)
Mercedes : Wehrlein & Ricciardo (Mercedes powered)
Renault : Perez & Sainz (Renault powered)
RedBull : Verstappen & Gasly ( Aston Martin powered )
Haas : Ferrucci & Fuoco (Ferrari powered)
Force India : Celis Jr & Sirotkin (Renault powered)
Mclaren : Vandoorne & Vettel (Honda powered)
Sauber : Leclerc & Matsushita (Honda powered)
Manor : Piquet & Deletraz (Mercedes powered)
Williams : Stroll & Ocon (Ferrari powered)
Toro Rosso : Schumacher & Alesi (BMW powered)

yes one may dream lol.

I still think F1 needs atleast 3 more new teams (prefarably following the example of HAAS),
and needs to have a 2nd team powered by Honda, a team powered by BMW, and a team powered by Audi/Porsche.
RedBull might 'develop' their TAG engine into a Aston Martin one, but that's a long shot and probably will stay Renault, though id like a RedBull - Porsche.
Or a Mclaren - Porsche with a RedBull - Honda.
Then , Ford would be interesting too, not?

Haas - Ford ?
Ford is making magnificient engines recently, and is an established and 'historic' brand for F1.

let's hope the new F1 owner will make things interesting again, we're on a good route with the wheels and aero.

I'm a big Ford fan,and would like to see them enter and develop the Ecoboost for fuel efficiency. In saying that Haas NASCAR team is switching from Chevrolet to Ford for next season. Idk if that's a tell-tell Sign that Ford is coming, maybe-maybe not thoughts??

[ChrisDanger]

How reliable is speedweek? They're reporting that a mysterious "Formula 1 team boss" told them Stroll is pretty much guaranteed at Williams.

A Formula 1 team boss told us in the paddock at Monza: "It's a done deal - provided that the young Lance Stroll gets the super license from the car body FIA, he drives next year a Williams, on the side of Valtteri Bottas."

[Manoah2u]

It's rather what to expect, knowing Williams stated they have a 'exciting' line up next year, the party alongside bottas must be something interesting. doesnt mean neccesarily promising, but something interesting. any current driver to be honest still available doesnt really fit that, except for Nasr in my opinion, though i hardly qualify Nasr as exciting except for the money he will bring to a team.

it was suggested stroll is the one to get that seat, so it only makes sense if it happens.
probably would be down to him and Brit (alex) lynn.

Stroll is canadian, right? wouldn't that make him the first canadian since Jaques Villeneuve?
Dont know the guy though, so have no indication of his capabilities.

--- IF he'd get announced this weekend, that would mean the following ---

Mercedes : Hamilton & Rosberg
RedBull : Ricciardo & Verstappen
Ferrari : Vettel & Raikkonen
Williams : Bottas & Stroll
Force India : Perez & Hulkenberg
Mclaren : Alonso & Vandoorne
Toro Rosso : Sainz Jr. & [ Gasly?? / Kvyat?? ]
Haas : Grosjean & [ Guiterrez ?? ]
Sauber : ?? & ??
Renault : ?? & ??
Manor : ?? & ??

If i'm correct, there are 8 seats still vacant [9 if stroll isnt done, 10 if romain isnt done]

Drivers 'available' in the current field :

Gasly, Ocon, Kvyat, Guiterrez, Nasr, Ericsson, Wehrlein,

drivers 'available' from outside the current F1 field :

Charles Leclerc, Lance Stroll, Alex Lynn, Alfonso Celis Jr, Santino Ferrucci, Antonio Fuoco, Sergey Sirotkin, and?????

is there any knowledge around about 'superlicense' capable drivers for next year?

[NL_Fer]

Don't forget Palmer and Magnussen. If Gasly and Stroll come in, one of the current has to go. I think Palmer and Ericsson are the weakest, but they got money/connections. Kvyat and Magnussen maybe not the next world champion, but to early to write off yet. Ocon and Wherlein are talents and deserve another year. Leaves Nasr, great debut, lousy second season.

Btw, if another F3 talent comes in, what is the point of GP2? Why not replace it with pre 2009 cars, lightweight, high grip good to battle and put the old guys like Alonso and Kimi in?

[Manoah2u]

I am all in for 'potential' drivers to get a chance in F1. I also believe they should get a fair chance, even if F1 is a harsh world.
That however also means that if one doesnt 'make the cut', then it's simply not your place to be, and then it should be thanks for your effort, goodbye.

There is a lingering 'problem' though, and that is that nowadays, most F1 drivers come out of these 'talent pools' and have an expectancy, and if they dont 'live up to it',
then theyre replaced just as fast with another near carbon-copy of supposed 'talent' that neither makes the cut. on and on, with the exceptions talentless drivers that
simply have enough money to sit it out unless someone with more money or someone with just as much money comes around the corner.

for all the 'magnussen, ericssons, palmers, haryantos, etcetera....'..having them NOT in the field next year will open up several spots for new talents. but then, its rather
so that most of these 'talents' - if not all - turn out to be just as 'inferior' as the ones they replaced. With all due respect to Di Resta, Joylon Palmer imho is rather just as
'bad' / 'good' if you may. Ericsson vs vanderGarde, same.

as i mentioned before, i really dislike how real talents like Kobayashi are dumped for talentless fat wallet bearers like ericsson.

i dont have a solution for that problem unfortunately. it just bugs me.

[Racer X]

The rumors with Force India are that Telmex might buy them. So we might see Force India Change ownership to Escuderia Telmex.

This all due to the Financial situation we have seen the team in.

[edu2703]

Leaves Nasr, great debut, lousy second season.

I think you can not blame Nasr because he does not have good results driving the worst car of the grid. Did you expect what?

[holeindalip]

I'd rather see Rossi in the second Haas car than Esteban

[edu2703]

I'm not a fan of Felipe Nasr, but honestly, I think he is underrated. I saw him driving very well in GP2 and if you look at his career on Jr categories, you can see Nasr isn't just a man with cash. Despite Sauber be the worst car of the grid, he still managed to do some "small miracles" this year as your overtake over Valteri Bottas in the British GP, P12 in Baku, P1 for a moment in wet Hungarian Q1 (Finished P9 in Q1). I think he deserves a seat in a better team to seeing your real potential, what we can not see with him driving a shitbox.

I like to use Alonso as an example. What Alonso did of special when he debut in F1 by Minardi? Nothing. Their results were a little better than the results of his teammate Tarso Marques, which is clearly a bad driver. If I said in 2001 that he could become one of the best F1 drivers, people would laugh at me.

Of course I'm not trying to compare Nasr with Alonso. I'm showing that you should not use driver results to measure his talent without taking into account the performance of the car that he drives.