2018 Williams F1 Racing - Mercedes

[rscsr]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/will ... ry-988860/

Which kind of game is Williams playing?

There's no such thing as bad publicity....this keeps the headlines going...

More like trying to squeeze every cent out of Sirotkin and Kubica by giving them time to find more sponsors.

[nokivasara]

And in january they'll announce Kvyat as their driver

This has a Sauberish feel to it, not liking it one bit.

[Manoah2u]

LOL now it's gonna be januari?!

they're milking this cow as much as they can, wowzers. Not liking this at all. Well, perhaps the contract has been signed already before abu dhabi with Kubica but because they feel they're taking a risk with him, they want to get something in return more than just his race craft and milk the hype cow around it by also introducing Sirotkin and onother bunch of drivers. Probably will go down between Kvyat and Sirotkin for who may do a Russian GP, which Sirotkin will want to do as Kvyat won't just do a one-race.

imagine that in januari both sirotkin nor kubica will make the cut and they again call Massa for his services.

If that happens i swear i'm gonna smack the living daylights out of both him and every brazilian that cheers waving a flag for the third time for that embarassing ego parade. It was great the first time around, it was unneccesary and embarassing the second time around. He never was a Senna, he wasn't even a Barrichello.

Another point of approach;

isn't Rosberg still contracted to Mercedes as the reigning world driver champion and team member that retired from racing to do some PR work and stuff? could his job as such, be hampered or contractually not making it possible if, as a manager of Kubica and potentially being 'forced' to do certain contractual obligations, Kubica is announced / contracted offcially before that mercedes contract fully and formally ends?

in other words, could Rosberg's Mercedes contract end December 31st,
and could that be the reason, as Kubica's manager, that he is occupied untill Januari 1st, and that announcing Kubica/contracting Kubica would demand activities to do before the 31st or bring contractual conflicts and does that then mean Kubica IS going to be the driver?

i know, far fetched but please people. this waiting is killing me.

[Manoah2u]

Massa gives his opinion-
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/13356 ... -financial

typical Massa cr*p coming out of his mouth.
Kicking around after getting dropped and not a renewed contract.
They didn't sign me, so it must be financial
No Felipe, you're just really not that good as you think you are. Matter of fact, this year's results
show that you weren't actually good at all.

"I was the Brazilian driver who came closest to do that (become a champion), from those who were not champions,"

Barrichello never existed according to Massa i guess?
Or is he comparing himself to Nasr?

Williams has their finances sorted already through Stroll and Martini.
that Financial path has already been taken.

[Mr Brooksy]

If Williams really are trying to decide on which driver performs best, I'm quite happy to see the decision wait till as late at Thursday before Melbourne. Test (obviously Stroll) Kubica and Sirotkin in pre session or the top two choices, crunch the data, see who adapts to the new car the best and sign that driver. A simulator is good, but the real world will be better.

It really was the media putting the "announcement dates" out into the public correct? Who was to say that any of this is actually going on at Williams. I find it strange that if the team really are swayed by the cash from Sirotkin, then it would have been announced already. But according to other sources, Kubica was back in the simulator last Thursday. And no mention of Kyvat... Yet the Motorsport network have said Kyvat is now number 2 choice... Strange if so, he hasn't been reported to even test the simulator.

In the back of my mind I'm wondering if it's a boardroom disagreement at the moment, Clair vs Paddy? Clair has proven to find the allure of finance to the team to overshadow everything else in the past, whereas Paddy has been big on working with the best as much as possible. It might be just me overthinking this, but I can't shake that feeling.

Take as long as you need Williams, we need to move forward up the grid lest we die!

[netoperek]

+1 Mr Brooksy!
In my opinion, Williams is keeping mouth so firmly shut, that most rumors are pure speculations. They saw how much press they get anyway, simply minding they're own business, thus there's no point in rushing the process at the moment.
Way I see it, Paddy has been hired to push the team forward, maybe even got some autonomy warranted in contract, so will probably try to force his vision. Claire vs Paddy surely seems plausible to me.
Maybe while collecting data, they got to the point, were getting rid of Stroll(s) became a viable option and now they need time to evaluate and prepare ground for such move?

[marmer]

+1 Mr Brooksy!
In my opinion, Williams is keeping mouth so firmly shut, that most rumors are pure speculations. They saw how much press they get anyway, simply minding they're own business, thus there's no point in rushing the process at the moment.
Way I see it, Paddy has been hired to push the team forward, maybe even got some autonomy warranted in contract, so will probably try to force his vision. Claire vs Paddy surely seems plausible to me.
Maybe while collecting data, they got to the point, were getting rid of Stroll(s) became a viable option and now they need time to evaluate and prepare ground for such move?

They need papa strolls Canadian dollars far too much. Unless the drivers coming in are bringing huge amounts of money so i doubt it very much as kubica has money but not money to throw away same for Paul only the two Russians can afford that and by all accounts kyvat doesn't have amazing backing

[wesley123]

Massa gives his opinion-
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/13356 ... -financial

Kicking around after getting dropped and not a renewed contract.
They didn't sign me, so it must be financial

Sure, except it was always the plan to retire. Massa only stuck around for 2017 because they suddenly lost Bottas and there wasn't any time anymore to sign another, experienced, driver to pair up with Stroll.

No Felipe, you're just really not that good as you think you are. Matter of fact, this year's results
show that you weren't actually good at all.

Really? How so? I thought Massa was doing fairly decent, especially at the end of the season.

"I was the Brazilian driver who came closest to do that (become a champion), from those who were not champions,"

Barrichello never existed according to Massa i guess?
Or is he comparing himself to Nasr?

Sure, except Barrichello wasn't actually a WDC at any point, whereas Massa was for a few seconds before Hamilton overtook Glock in the last corner. So yes, he was closest to winning the WDC.

Williams has their finances sorted already through Stroll and Martini.
that Financial path has already been taken.

Like every team ever does; They rely on finances from an outside source. The Autosport article was incredibly exaggerated.

[jjn9128]

It seems to me Kubica's return is dead in the water. He's been passed over by Renault and seemingly now Williams, I don't know if it's on pure pace, long run pace, money, or that he can't pass the driver evacuation time with his arm limitations. Without seeing the data it's impossible to say for sure.

I reckon the delay is related to Martini and their over 25 policy. Williams didn't have the best of years this season so what I imagine is that there is some wrangling from them to reduce the age, but Martini in turn want to reduce their contribution - already quite small for a title sponsorship - to befit Williams' championship position. Just a guess.

I believe a Russian will be in the car next year, either Sirotkin or Kvyat. I think Mercedes have cooled on Wehrlein after his fairly poor showing against Eriksson so won't be willing to pay for the seat. On Sirotkin I don't think GP/F2 is necessarily an indicator of how his F1 form will be - that said he finished 3rd in both his full seasons which is the right end of the field; perhaps his second year in an ART could/should have been better. Lots of drivers have only won that series after 3-5 years - e.g. Palmer/Maldonado/Grosjean or graduated to F1 with worse records e.g. Chilton/Chandhok/Eriksson/Haryanto.

[Fulcrum]

And in a stunning move, Rosberg secures the contract - for himself. Wouldn't that be a bombshell?

#Joking

[7ka]

And in january they'll announce Kvyat as their driver

This has a Sauberish feel to it, not liking it one bit.

Or........ Maldonado

[Manoah2u]

Massa gives his opinion-
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/13356 ... -financial

Kicking around after getting dropped and not a renewed contract.
They didn't sign me, so it must be financial

Sure, except it was always the plan to retire. Massa only stuck around for 2017 because they suddenly lost Bottas and there wasn't any time anymore to sign another, experienced, driver to pair up with Stroll.

not true by any means.
please, speak facts and not untruths or just plain lies.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/di-r ... =1&q=massa

"I am quite keen to do another season. I think I can do it in a great way, I think I can give a lot to the team like I did already.

"But I don't decide, the team decides. I have given a lot to the team, and F1 as well, and if people are happy I will stay."

"We don't have a deadline," said Massa. "Definitely I think it will be good for the team, and also for myself, if we know what is going to happen before the race in Brazil.

"We'll see if that is possible, but we hope so."

"Williams know 100 percent what I can give for the team "

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mass ... =1&q=massa

Felipe Massa believes that Williams would find itself heading in a “much worse” direction if it doesn’t retain him alongside Lance Stroll next season.

“I think it’s frustrating that the team is trying to go for a direction that can really be much worse for the team than keeping the same [drivers],” said Massa.

“ I’m really doing a great job with my driving, so I think the team has a direction that it can just be positive to keep it the way it is. If the team changes something, they can pay more than it costs to keep me!

"I’m totally motivated to carry on, I feel like I’m taking the best out of the car, working really well with the team, and that’s what I believe."

so no. Massa wanted to go on, not stop.

No Felipe, you're just really not that good as you think you are. Matter of fact, this year's results
show that you weren't actually good at all.

Really? How so? I thought Massa was doing fairly decent, especially at the end of the season.

how did you come to that conclusion, in the start of the season there was some flair, at the end he was completely lost.

"I was the Brazilian driver who came closest to do that (become a champion), from those who were not champions,"

Barrichello never existed according to Massa i guess?
Or is he comparing himself to Nasr?

Sure, except Barrichello wasn't actually a WDC at any point, whereas Massa was for a few seconds before Hamilton overtook Glock in the last corner. So yes, he was closest to winning the WDC.

ehm no. Massa was not a few seconds WDC, you are WDC when your competitor has finished in a position where his points do not outscore yours, he finished ahead in points because of a last corner overtake. Massa never was WDC.
he finished 2nd in the standings, guess who did that way before him - right, Barrichello. and 2 times at that.

there is no closer than 2nd. it's not that Massa came 1 1/2, he came second. like some movie quote states "it doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile, winning is winning". he didn't win, he came second.

Williams has their finances sorted already through Stroll and Martini.
that Financial path has already been taken.

Like every team ever does; They rely on finances from an outside source. The Autosport article was incredibly exaggerated.

And yet in the above links you will find Massa said exactly that way before already.

[wesley123]

how did you come to that conclusion, in the start of the season there was some flair, at the end he was completely lost.

Obviously, as he scored points in a car that significantly fell back on the grid.

"I was the Brazilian driver who came closest to do that (become a champion), from those who were not champions,"

Barrichello never existed according to Massa i guess?
Or is he comparing himself to Nasr?

Sure, except Barrichello wasn't actually a WDC at any point, whereas Massa was for a few seconds before Hamilton overtook Glock in the last corner. So yes, he was closest to winning the WDC.

ehm no. Massa was not a few seconds WDC, you are WDC when your competitor has finished in a position where his points do not outscore yours, he finished ahead in points because of a last corner overtake. Massa never was WDC.
he finished 2nd in the standings, guess who did that way before him - right, Barrichello. and 2 times at that.

there is no closer than 2nd. it's not that Massa came 1 1/2, he came second. like some movie quote states "it doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile, winning is winning". he didn't win, he came second.

Oh, we are at this point again.

It was very clear what I meant. And yes, being in the championship winning position when you cross the line in the last race of the season and then losing the championship because your opponent overtook someone in the last corner of the race is significantly closer to winning the WDC than having a 30-40 point gap to the WDC.

It wasn't really a good counter argument to begin with, considering how I replied to your quote saying "Or is he comparing himself to Nasr?" After which saying "there is no closer than 2nd." doesn't really work.


Now, let's wait on another downvote!

[NathanOlder]

I thought wesley was right. I was under the impression Felipe wanted to retire in 2016. And only came back because of Rosberg/Bottas move.

Then when he was enjoying 2017 , he wanted to stay for 2018 but was dropped.

[FW17]

I thought wesley was right. I was under the impression Felipe wanted to retire in 2016. And only came back because of Rosberg/Bottas move.

Then when he was enjoying 2017 , he wanted to stay for 2018 but was dropped.

He did not want to retire in 2016, he had to make way for Stroll