The F1 Thread…

He’s overqualified then

do you think if the positions (both on the track and the standings) were reversed between Vettel and Riccardo that Riccardo would have been allowed to run in front of Seb ?

I don’t think it’s a matter of permission
Vettel has made it clear more than once this year that he wont move aside if they’re both on a similar strategy.
He’s not in fear of his job these days so – to a great extent – can do as he pleases when it comes to the race.
I’m not a fan of team orders at all so welcome team mates making it hard for each other.

zzzzzzzzz

looks to me like mercedes are nobbling the british german driver because they are based around a german british base…

Argh man. Bad news for Caterham.
http://thesheriffsoffice.com/articles/breaking-news-impending-sale-of-a-formula-one-vehicle-and-equipment

By Admin on 1st October 2014

Older

By order of The Sheriffs Office, authorised High Court Enforcement Officers, we hereby announce the impending sale of goods seized and removed from a Formula One team.

The goods include but are not limited to:

Caterham F1 test car (2013)
Caterham F1 car parts (due for Japan 2014)
Full size 6 DOF motion platform F1 simulator
Caterham F1 steering wheels
F1 wheels with tyres
High quality drilling & machining equipment
Caterham & Lotus F1 memorabilia
Various pit lane equipment including jacks, pumps and starters
TVs, monitors and other goods and equipment

There’s something very dodgy about the whole Caterham thing – why would a group of ‘investors’ buy the team a few months ago and then just watch it fall apart?

Anyone could see Caterham were in trouble years ago, so any new owner would have had to have deep pockets.

Then again a lot of F1 deals seem to make no sense!

Vettel’s gone then! Obviously can’t cope with ricciardo comprehensively beating him.
Unless he goes to McLaren I can’t see him getting another WDC

Well he’s off to Ferrari. I wonder if Fandango will go back to McLaren?

I would want to go to Williams if I were him.

I don’t think Williams could afford the buy out costs of his Ferrari contract

Would they need to buy out his contract if he asks to leave?

Don’t think so, he’s rumoured to have a performance clause (highly likely) that gives him a get out if the team don’t meet targets.

I woke up to all this this morning as I couldn’t be bothered getting up early. I think the Vettel to Ferrari and Alonso to Mclaren thing has been coming for a while. Brave move from Red Bull to bring Danil Kvyat in to replace him though, hopefully he’ll do as well as Ricciardo has.

I don’t think bringing in Kvyat is that much of a risk given how Ricciardo has performed.

I now reckon Button and Raikkonen will shuffled out, with Bianchi taking the second Ferrari seat.

Where is Button going to go then ?

Yes but Ricciardo had two (and a bit at HRT) seasons behind him, Kvyat is still in his first season although he has done well against Vergne.

Where is Button going to go then ?

I guess that’ll depend on whether or not he’s prepared to go down the grid or take a drive with the pretence of going there to help develop a car.
He could retire altogether or go off to something like WEC.

McLaren are also keen to find a seat for Vandoorne so there’s going to be a few without drives next year I think

Yes but Ricciardo had two (and a bit at HRT) seasons behind him, Kvyat is still in his first season although he has done well against Vergne.

Yeah but he’s shown impressive maturity and is as fearless and fast as ****
RBR will also be concerned that they’d lose him if they kept him dangling too long.

Button could bring a lot of experience to a team; especially if the other seat is filled by a toddler.

I can’t see where he could go though; Sauber and Caterham are likely not to be there next year too.

There’s far too many drivers around

Grosjean is superb these days but it now looks like he’ll be stuck at Lotus

Button could bring a lot of experience to a team; especially if the other seat is filled by a toddler

I think most of the slower teams aren’t really that fussed about experience, all they care about is how much sponsorship/money he’ll bring to the team.

He could retire altogether or go off to something like WEC.

I think he’s said in the past it’s either F1 or nothing. He has no desire to race in other series.

My interest is who ends up in the other Toro Rosso seat – with Verstappen already confirmed, they are going to have 2 drivers new to F1.

Could be a F1 lifeline for Carlos Sainz Jnr who was looking like he was on a career path straight to WEC.

Eddie Jordan has predicted Carlos Sainz Jr for Torro Rosso.

Button gave me the impression when interviewed a few weeks ago that if he isn’t with McLaren next season, then he won’t be in F1 at all.
I really like him, but he seems like a bit of an old relic at the moment in this field of aggressive youngsters.

Seems to have lost a bit of motivation since his Dad passed away, which is understandable given that he’d always been by his side.

so what happens if the grid has to run three cars.. could that not open the door to mercedes or red bull? I reckon alonso is keeping an eye on the lower teams.

Bernie already mentioned that some of the teams may not make it to then end of the season.
Vettel is cashing in on his option which has forced the driver market. JB will also be hoping for a three car setup with the Williams / RB seat in mind.

Would hate to see Alonso take a sabbatical and end up in a Hass car.

Are Honda not popping along next year, or am I wrong?. I always suspected JB would sit in one of their cars as a car developing season to see him out?. Shame I have always liked him.

Yeah, McLaren will be tying up with Honda. Dunno if that means Button would be more likely to stay.

Earlier in the season, Ron Dennis made some comment about Button needing to improve.

Heard mention that Ron might not be staying put at mclaren either, which seems odd given he’s just taken over. Jb with alonso next year I reckon. 3 car teams would really liven up the silly season but I think it’s very unlikely to happen.

I think they should run 3 cars in a relay race manner, that would liven things up. Oh and the first driver has to do a sprint to the car start . 😆

Ron seems to be in trouble at McLaren. Something to do with foreign investors who own a majority share in McLaren. His recent comments have also been odd, he seems quite pissed off with the engine they have and doesnt feel that the car/engine package they have is very good or attractive to drivers at the moment. I think he is waiting to see which top driver ends up without a drive after the shuffles so he can snap them up. I’m not sure how to take his comments about their current drivers too.

I thought they brought Eric Boullier in so that Alonso wouldn’t have to be dealing with Ron as team principal.

Button has ties with Honda from when he raced for them and BAR but I can’t see that doing him any good. He’s been a bit off the boil this season and Magnussen has had the better of him at most races. If the teams were forced to go to three cars due to teams leaving (probably Caterham, maybe Sauber, maybe maybe Lotus) then I think they’d be daft to let him go.

I like JB, but he only ever says the same two things.

‘Understeer’ and ‘front tyres’. Drives me mad, you can count to ten during practically any of his interviews before he reels one out.

Magnussen has had the better of him at most races

Have you checked the drivers standings? Buttons been out qualified but he’s got almost twice the points of magnussen

It will be interesting to see if Mclaren will be competitve next year vs Ferrari, I don’t follow the sport that closely but seems to me Ferrari will more likely have the better car next year.

Rosberg on pole after Hamilton locks up. It will be interesting tomorrow

I like JB, but he only ever says the same two things.

‘Understeer’ and ‘front tyres’. Drives me mad, you can count to ten during practically any of his interviews before he reels one out.

I thought they brought Eric Boullier in so that Alonso wouldn’t have to be dealing with Ron as team principal.

No
Martin Whitmarsh was McLaren team principal for four years before Boulier turned up

Ron Dennis replaced Whitmarsh as principal before Boullier came in.

Only for a couple of months in the off season as a stand in

Edit: just 2 or 3 weeks

Oh yeah, not long at all, but I assumed that period was what the comment you quoted was alluding to.

Overall I’m happy with the glut of drivers as it might mean more F1 drivers in WEC cars looking nothing special compared to guys like Dumas, Lotterer, Lapierre etc.

No
Martin Whitmarsh was McLaren team principal for four years before Boulier turned up

I am aware of that. It’s not like you could miss the friendly skeleton as he seemed to be attached to the BBC presenters at every race. What I was saying was that after getting rid of MW they brought EB in as Ron was standing in at the time and from what Alonso has said previously his problem with Mclaren was with Ron.

This Japanese GP looks like it’s going to be a bit of fail…

It certainly seems to be a fail

Hope Nico has enough grease on his steering wheel to keep it waterproof