Silly Season 2011 Thread

[WhiteBlue]

Brawn clarifes stance on Mercedes engine supply

June 16, 2010

Ross Brawn claims he was mistranslated in suggesting Mercedes should not supply engines to Red Bull next year.

The Italian magazine Autosprint quoted Brawn, Mercedes GP's team principal, as saying the German marque should think "long and hard" before adding another customer team to its 2011 stable. The comments were interpreted as Brawn not wanting the best engine in the field to be mated to Red Bull's chassis.

"I was asked by an Italian journalist whether Mercedes could cope with a fourth team," Brawn explained to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "I replied that Cosworth should supply any vacancies, because that's the way it was planned by the FIA - that they [Cosworth] should be in business so that in an emergency there is not the reliance on the manufacturers. In the translation from Italian into English someone has added one and one together and come up with Red Bull."

However, competition director Norbert Haug told German reporters in Turkey that it would be "definitely very difficult" for Mercedes to supply a fourth team with engines in 2011.

It looks like Merc are taking a firm stance regarding the supply of engines. They are currently prohibited to supply a fourth team by FiA regulation and it looks like they intend to keep the status quo.

[ISLAMATRON]

Does McL still have a veto/vote on whether they can supply RBR?

[andrew]

Don't think so and I would doubt it as McLaren bought back Merc's share in the team.

[ESPImperium]

Does McL still have a veto/vote on whether they can supply RBR?

Answer, no.

Reason, because they are a customer like Force India now. Altho a customer that dosnt pay for engines as they provide Mercedes advertising space on their car, and is part of the aggreement for Mercedes to pull out of McLaren uu untill 2016 or 2017.

One rumor i have seen for next year is that Renault are eying either Kimi or Sutil for replacing Petrov next year as they are more likley to be able to afford to have 2 class drivers next year with the probable retention of Kubica for 2011 & 2012.

I think it would ideally be Sutil they would go for. I think Kimi will stay at WRC for the rest of his motorsport career.

On this i can see the grid being this:

Red Bull-Renault = Webber/Vettel TD: Ricardo
McLaren-Mercedes = Button/Hamilton TD: Pafett
Ferarri: Alonso/Massa TD: Fisichella/Badoer/Gene
Mercedes: Schumacher/Rosberg TD: TBA
Renault: Kubica/Sutil TD: Charouz
Force India-Mercedes = Heidfeld/Di Resta
STR-Ferarri = Buemi/Alguersauri TD: TBA
Williams-Cosworth = Barrichello/Hulkenberg TD: Bottas
Sauber-Ferarri: Kobiyashai/Bianchi TD: Zampieri
Lotus-Cosworth = Trulli/Kovalinenn TD: Fauzy
Hispania-Cosworth: Klien/Chandhok TD: De la Rosa
Virgin-Cosworth = Glock/Di Grassi TD: Souchek/Razia
Epsilion-Renault = Hartley/Clos TD: TBA

[ISLAMATRON]

You have HArtley & Clos in with Epsilon when Perez is clearly the most talented driver in GP2... are they bringing in loads of money from somewhere... more than Petrov could to grab that seat? Just interested in your reasoning/sources.

Sauber should get rid of Pedro right now and pick up Heidfeld or Klien for the rest of the season... makes no matter the car is complete garbage... and theengines keep blowing up... except in the STR.

Kobay & di Resta are definite talents to look at for the future... Kobay will take more time though. Senna & Chandokmay be close behind but digrassi is junk and should be gone now.

We've heard 15Mil for petrov but how much is Pedro & di Grassi being reported to have brought in? clearly not enough to cover all their mistakes.

[ESPImperium]

Reasoning for Hartley & Clos, basically because both were former EE drivers. I aggree about Perez, but feel that because EE know those two from World Series By renault that could be the edge for them.

I aggree with Sauber, get rid of DLR ASAP, but i can see him lasting for the season. Heidfeld and Klien are contracted to other teams, leaving only one option to me, whitch could still come true for the last 4-5GPs in Bianchi

Kimui, Di resta and Chandhok are definates for the future, Senna is a posibility, but hasnt shown much to me so far, he is getting there, but a second season with Hispania with Chandhok may be what both need to advance, as long as Kolles, Willis and the more experienced F1 guys can bring for their new car for Hispania for next year.

As for Di Grassi, i think he is like a Kimui, a long term developer, id give him a contract for 2011 at Virgin, but tell him that his contract will be reviewed after every 4 GPs.

Petrov is too eratic for my liking, bings alot of money yes, but too eratic. He may be one for a smaller team, but only if he has good strong performances till the end of the season tho.

One thing is for sure, Sauber are gonna be used as a Ferarri driver development bed again, like what happened in 2004-2005 with Massa. This way they get to rid their Test & Reserve driver tallent of Luca Badoer (Who was the Reserve for Canada since Fisi and Gene were at Le Mans).

[WhiteBlue]

http://www.tomorrownewsf1.com/f1-la-log ... fota-14133?

This sounds like Sutil/Heidfeld for FIF1 in 2011

[mangesh]

Renault eying on Kimi
http://www.f1sa.com/index.php?option=co ... Itemid=157

kubica and kimi may be one of the best drivers line up in F1.

[ISLAMATRON]

It will take a couple races but Kimi would wax him, on then off

[ESPImperium]

Heres some new silliness;

Lotus trying to source Renault power alongside Williams. Link: http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2010/06/ ... s-in-2011/
Tyre Joke/New Team News/Mexican Flavour for F1??? Link: http://willthef1journo.wordpress.com/20 ... -going-on/

[WhiteBlue]

Old news, besides I doubt that Renault will get an extra license to supply four teams. Why should Jean Todt do that and expose himself to criticism? And according to other sources the Cosworth upgrade is already done and dusted. That should stabilize the demand for the lowest cost engine in F1.

[raymondu999]

Rumor has it the Kube has been offered a Merc move http://www.planet-f1.com/news/3213/6228 ... year-deal-

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Rumor has it the Kube has been offered a Merc move http://www.planet-f1.com/news/3213/6228 ... year-deal-

Hmmmm interesting

[raymondu999]

I don't see Brawn letting go of Mike though. But hey, that's just me.

[WhiteBlue]

Brawn has denied that they have talked to Kubica.

In other news about Merc drivers a french web site http://www.tomorrownewsf1.com/f1-merced ... tion-13936 reported that Merc offers a reduction of € 4 mil for engines to Force India if they employ an all German line up. Presumably this is to benefit Heidfeld. The same place also said that Merc will cut their F1 budget by € 6 mil or 10% in 2011 and 2012. I must say that I find that hard to believe.