Silly Season 2017/2018

[FrukostScones]

The McLaren problem will be solved this week;

* McLaren will sever with Honda as early as Monday, or as late as Tuesday
* Toro Rosso will take Honda and €100m a year, however the team will have 2 new drivers in Pierre Gasly and Nobuharu Matsushita.Sean Gelael will be announced as FP1/Test/Reserve driver for a even larger budget.
* Sainz will be loaned to Renault for a year to finally replace Palmer, as Red Bull would like him as a replacement option for Red Bull if Riccardo and or Verstappen jump ship to Mercedes and or Ferrari.
* Renault, McLaren and Red Bull will all push the engine development
* Alonso will sign on for two more years, however this could mean he takes a pay cut.
* McLaren will be free to get more sponsorship to negate the €100m loss of Honda and pay Alonso.
* McLaren to have their Renault engine rebranded/rebadged as a Nissan
* FIA will announce a new Engine Manufacturers Championship - New penalty system announced as well.

sounds good, apart from McLaren-Nissan

[Zynerji]

McLaren-Infinity?

[littlebigcat]

McLaren-Nismo wouldn't be too bad.

Given how McLaren has been struggling for sponsors can't really see how they can make up the Honda shortfall.

[7ka]

Mclaren Alpine =D>

[Zynerji]

McLaren Nismo with the RB27 engine?

[ESPImperium]

Its pretty much looking like more rebranding/rebadging is going to happen in the future, Sauber will rebadge their Ferrari PU as a Alfa Romeo next year with Ericsson and Leclerc in their cars.

Leaving Pascal Wehrlein without a seat, as the Massa seat needs to be someone over the age of 25 and had 3 years of experience to satisfy the Martini and Stroll contracts. That seat will either be Paul Di Resta or someone with good experience, i could suggest a return to F1 from Felipe Nasr. Wehrlein will probably end up as the Mercedes Full Time Reserve after the Massa debacle at Hungary. Antonio Giovinazzi will stay at Haas and be their TD/RD.

The final team to talk about is Force India, i think they will keep Perez and Ocon.

I can see many teams employing a TD/RD to cover off the Massa/Wehrlein debacles at Hungary and Australia this year, in fact, i can see the FIA regulating that those guys will take one day in the car in pre season and do a day in the Test Programme for 2018, maybe even extending one of the In Season tests so that all teams can place their nominated RD in the car.

So, my usual guess/prediction:

Mercedes AMG: 44] Hamilton / 77] Bottas - RD: Wehrlein
Scuderia Ferrari: 05] Vettel / 07] Raikkonen - RD: Giovinazzi
Red Bull-Tag Heuer (Renault): 03] Riccardo / 33] Verstappen - RD: Gasly
Force One-Mercedes: 11] Perez / 31] Ocon - RD: Celis Jr
Williams-Mercedes: XX] Di Resta / 18] Stroll - RD: Ghiotto
Haas-Ferrari: 08] Grosjean / 20] Magnussen - RD: Giovinazzi
Renault Sport F1: 27] Hulkenberg / 55] Sainz - RD: Kubica (Incase Sainz is taken back by Red Bull in 2019)
Toro Rosso-Honda: XX] Gasly / XX] Matsushita - RD: Gelael
McLaren-Nissan/Nismo (Renault): 14] Alonso / 02] Vandoorne - RD: XX] TBA / 22] Button?
Sauber-Alfa Romeo (Ferrari): 09] Ericsson / XX] Leclerc - RD: Fuco

Some new blood, some old returning blood. A good mix i think. Some Res will do double duty for some teams, some may even race for another.

Id also like to think the FIA and FOM are readying another 2 teams to be supplied with a HondaPU with either a McLaren or Red Bull rear end for 2019 as well.

[ringo]

What does toro toso benefit from honda though? Just the money?

[NL_Fer]

Save money for running Torro Rosso and #beready if the Honda has matured enough for RBR.

[PlatinumZealot]

The designers will do two chassis.. One for Honda engine and One for Renault. The stipulation is that Honda has to cover the bills for the extra chassis work, and that they have McLaren's commitment if Honda can deliver on Spec 5 engine which must be introduced in Mexico. So it is hard negotiations with Honda. It is not over yet for them.

[zeph]

To me, Alonso at Mercedes still makes sense. Reports of him poisoning team atmosphere are grossly exagerated. James Allison practically begged him to stay at Ferrari, and now he is at Mercedes.

Both Alonso and Hamilton have matured and I don't think s--t would blow up the way it did ten years ago.

I doubt it will happen, but man, wouldn't that make for a great championship?

[Vasconia]

The designers will do two chassis.. One for Honda engine and One for Renault. The stipulation is that Honda has to cover the bills for the extra chassis work, and that they have McLaren's commitment if Honda can deliver on Spec 5 engine which must be introduced in Mexico. So it is hard negotiations with Honda. It is not over yet for them.

I doubt it. You can pay the materials but no money will solve the problem of dividing the working time in two groups to design two chasis. All the engineers need to focus on only one project.

[PlatinumZealot]

It has been done many times before. It is a compromise. But McLaren know they aren't winning the Constructors championship in 2018 anyway. It is silly season, but if I were McLaren that's what I would do. If I go with Renault I lose my works engine status. Stay with Honda and there is a chance that they could be stronger than Renault next year.

[Vasconia]

It has been done many times before. It is a compromise. But McLaren know they aren't winning the Constructors championship in 2018 anyway. It is silly season, but if I were McLaren that's what I would do. If I go with Renault I lose my works engine status. Stay with Honda and there is a chance that they could be stronger than Renault next year.

I know but how much time they can wait until they decide which engine will they use?. I would see it as a risky move, I am sure that Honda or Renault woud demand an answer from McLaren ASAP. No supplier wants to give information about its new PU to a team which can use a PU from the competence.

[CBeck113]

If I were McLaren I woul dbe running th erest of the season as pure test sessions. Slap on new components, even if they will receive penalties, or be disqualified after the race (just don't let the info leak before the start of the race! ), and collect miles for engine, chassis and aero. If points would actually be collected, even nicer, but they need to stretch the rules as far as possible. All with focus on 2018 (and beyond?), to get a better start to the season. Sauber should be doing the same. If they need to calculate the prize money into their budget they're doing it wrong anyway - that should be a bonus for the team members and for in-season testing for the following year, but they should never plan on this money.

[GM7]

According to the latest news :

Mercedes : Hamilton / Bottas
Ferrari : Vettel / Raikkonen
Red Bull (Renault) : Ricciardo / Verstappen
Mclaren (Renault) : Alonso / Vandoorne
Renault : Hulkenberg / Sainz
Force One (Mercedes) : Ocon / Perez
Williams (Mercedes) : Kubica / Stroll
Haas (Ferrari) : Grosjean / Magnussen
Toro Rosso (Honda) : Kvyat / Gasly
Sauber (Ferrari) : Ericsson / Leclerc