So, as I understand it, Renault had until midnight last Sunday to find a race seat for Piastri or he could look elsewhere. Apparently Mark Webber (along with Flavio B, who was Webber’s and Alonso’s manager) was pushing for McLaren to take him so I guess that they must have already signed a deal that McLaren would take him if Renault didn’t give him a contract by the deadline. Which would mean that McLaren would have to have decided to pay Ricciardo off so sending him to Chip Ganassi to drive Indycars in exchange for releasing Palou would seem logical, which would make Ricciardo teammates with Scott Dixon, the second most winning Indycar driver ever.

Posted 2 weeks ago

Announcement @ 15:00 BST 👀

— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) August 3, 2022

Posted 2 weeks ago

Alpine insisting they have legal right to Piastri…

Alpine adamant it has legal right to Piastri – so what next?

Posted 2 weeks ago

I’ve signed Piastri, and so has my wife!

Posted 2 weeks ago

I understand that, with my agreement, Williams Racing have put out a press release this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is right and I have signed a contract with Williams for 2023. I will be driving for Williams next year.

😂 let’s gooo @williamsracing 💪 pic.twitter.com/NNljcXOieE

— Alex Albon (@alex_albon) August 3, 2022

Posted 2 weeks ago

haha nice

Posted 2 weeks ago

I like Albon – and nice to see someone who had essentially given up on F1 now carving out a decent career.

Posted 2 weeks ago

the-muffin-man
Full Member

I like Albon – and nice to see someone who had essentially given up on F1 now carving out a decent career.

Same, I just hope Williams manage to build a decent car next year.

Posted 2 weeks ago

I like Albon

me to, in fact I think that many of the younger drivers seem to be both talented and [as far as they can be for F1 drivers] modest and likable. Russell, Albon, Schmacher, Norris, Zhou…all seem pretty rounded.

Posted 2 weeks ago

I agree, the current crop of young hot shots are very pleasingly free of the usual racing driver arrogance

Posted 2 weeks ago

I agree, the current crop of young hot shots are very pleasingly free of the usual racing driver arrogance

TBF it seems like Max Verstappen got the entirety of the current generations supply of arrogance… probably not enough to go around for all the rest 😉

Posted 2 weeks ago

Definitely! Lol

Posted 2 weeks ago

How come nothings happened in two whole days.

Posted 2 weeks ago

Enforced holidays?

Posted 2 weeks ago

How come nothings happened in two whole days

It’s weird that McLaren haven’t made an announcement…

Posted 2 weeks ago

Announcement looming if the rumours are correct…

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mclaren-end-ricciardo-deal-piastri-2023/10349014/

…to be honest I’d choose McLaren over Alpine. McLaren are building a huge racing company encompassing all areas of motorsport. Alpine (Renault) just seem to piss about at it, never quite committing.

Posted 2 weeks ago

McLaren have the advantage of being further down the road from the junction marked “hire Alonso and watch him set everything on fire and walk away” 🙂

Posted 2 weeks ago

to be honest I’d choose McLaren over Alpine.

Worth it just for the company car to be honest.

I can’t help feel sorry for Danny Ric though. Sure he’s not exactly covered himself in glory but nor has he engaged in any under the table shenanigans either.

Posted 2 weeks ago

Those poor performance release causes are a bit weird- I wonder if it ever comes down to ‘oo I hope he doesn’t do too well this weekend, we’re so close to being able to replace him’. Imagine hoping that one of your cars does badly!!

Posted 2 weeks ago

Those poor performance release causes are a bit weird- I wonder if it ever comes down to ‘oo I hope he doesn’t do too well this weekend, we’re so close to being able to replace him’. Imagine hoping that one of your cars does badly!!

Maybe you have stumbled upon the reasons for Ferrari strategy calls?

🙂

Posted 2 weeks ago

to be honest I’d choose McLaren over Alpine.

If I was Piastri, I would take the contract guaranteed to give a race seat next year. He’s a rookie so a year or two in an Alpine won’t hurt his career provided he can hold his own against Ocon. If he can’t beat Ocon, I can’t see him beating Norris.

Apparently, Ricciardo’s contract does not have any performance stipulation, they can’t sack him on those grounds. Seems strange but I don’t think anyone expected he would struggle so badly. He’s definitely trying his best but the car just doesn’t suit him. That means that McLaren have to pay him off. It would be ironic if McLaren end up having to pay Alpine to release Piasti, plus pay Ricciardo to not drive, then have Ricciardo move to Renault and get paid by them as well.

Posted 2 weeks ago

Apparently, Ricciardo’s contract does not have any performance stipulation, they can’t sack him on those grounds.

It does but its in Ricciardo’s favour, he has a break clause for poor performance from McLaren, not The other way round.

Posted 2 weeks ago

I do wonder where the motivation for someone like Ricciardo comes from from here on in. Unless he lucks in massively he has already driven the most competitive car he ever will drive in F1. He’s now driven for a couple more teams. Wiki says he has had 223 F1 race weekends already. He must have netted enough cash to see him through to his dotage comfortably. Do you search around to try to do more of the same, but probably in increasingly irrelevant cars (under the euphemism of experienced hand helping the team to move forward) or do you go have more adventures elsewhere. Go see what indy car is like, or touring cars. Or Dakar or Rallying. I think I’d be more content in my rocking chair on the veranda in my twilight years having experienced a bit more breadth rather than more of the same.

Posted 2 weeks ago

Announcement looming if the rumours are correct…

It used to be the case that a story on motorsport.com from a “source at mclaren” was effectively the same as a mclaren press release, because both were owned by Zak brown. He stepped away from the motorsport network a couple of years ago but I expect there are still some pretty close ties in there.

Posted 1 week ago

PlanetF1 (yeah I know) is reporting tha Ric has been told he’s being replaced by Piastri

Posted 1 week ago

Posted 1 week ago

I do wonder where the motivation for someone like Ricciardo comes from from here on in.

Maybe it’s just fun racing an F1 car🤷‍♂️

Posted 1 week ago

Those impressions are so good!!

Posted 1 week ago

Maybe it’s just fun racing an F1 car🤷‍♂️

Drive one of the 20 fastest cars in world, or something much slower. . .

Posted 1 week ago

Gasly to Alpine is the newest rumour?
He’s hit a stale mate with Ref Bull group and the Alpine is a better performing factory team.

Posted 1 week ago

He’s put in some amazing drives, he might flourish once he’s outside of the toxic Red Bull environment

Posted 1 week ago

How tight is his contract? If any have a getout clause I would expect Gasley’s.
Ricardo to AT?

Posted 1 week ago

It would amaze me if he went to AT – it would be like going back to primary school.

Posted 1 week ago

He’s only just signed a new one, hasn’t he?

Posted 1 week ago

Pictures of next year’s McLaren leaked.

Posted 1 week ago

Pictures of next year’s McLaren leaked.

Very good…

Posted 1 week ago

Bet he doesn’t even pay road tax.

Someone took an old GP2 car on a highway joyride in the Czech Republic.

Police have not been able to identify the driver and are looking for him.

📸: @MigueluVe pic.twitter.com/rNgr8j87H0

— Dan – EngineMode11 (@EngineMode11) August 14, 2022

Posted 4 days ago