Silly Season 2020/2021 (starting with silliness in 2019)

[FrukostScones]

All I can say is that my gut tells me HUL is not getting the Red Bull seat.

[DChemTech]

Well if Max wants Hulkenberg, then I expect Hulkenberg to be the number 2 driver.
I guess that means Perez goes to Haas or leaves F1 for a season at least.

How about Perez to AlphaTauri?

Gasly + Perez would be a superb points collecting machine.

Max argued that Hulkenberg would be a good team mate because they are friends and he speaks Dutch.

Mr Helmut Marko said that speaking Dutch is not relevant because English is the official team language.

So I don't think that matters at the same time.
Hulkenberg said he expects Sergio Perez to be in a very lucky seat next year.

It isn't relevant??? We'll, there goes robbert doornbos's shot at the seat

[El Scorchio]

If Marko has said that, then I fully expect it to be Hulk.

[MtthsMlw]

Tsunoda is pretty much confirmed for the second AT seat as per Marko.

[JordanMugen]

If Marko has said that, then I fully expect it to be Hulk.

I think Hulkenberg is the better pick for Red Bull on a one-year-deal to start with. He can handle a car with an unstable rear, and can be their new Mark Webber IMO.

Mark Webber was also prone to gaffs, 'bad luck', and losing points after all!

Tsunoda is pretty much confirmed for the second AT seat as per Marko.

Would not Perez be the better signing for AlphaTauri!? A solid points collector on a one-year-deal to see how things go?

Is Tsunoda truly a future WDC as RB juniors are required to be? Perhaps Illot or Shwartzman would fit the bill better for that, and be worth poaching from Ferrari given's Ferrari's (bizarre) interest in retaining Giovanazzi and only making one junior F1 position available.

[El Scorchio]

If Marko has said that, then I fully expect it to be Hulk.

I think Hulkenberg is the better pick for Red Bull on a one-year-deal to start with. He can handle a car with an unstable rear, and can be their new Mark Webber IMO.

Mark Webber was also prone to gaffs, 'bad luck', and losing points after all!

Tsunoda is pretty much confirmed for the second AT seat as per Marko.

Would not Perez be the better signing for AlphaTauri!? A solid points collector on a one-year-deal to see how things go?

Is Tsunoda truly a future WDC as RB juniors are required to be? Perhaps Illot or Shwartzman would fit the bill better for that, and be worth poaching from Ferrari given's Ferrari's (bizarre) interest in retaining Giovanazzi and only making one junior F1 position available.

I’d pick him too. Perez is probably the better driver at this point, but Hulkenberg will do a better job for the team and a better job of supporting Verstappen which, let’s be honest, is the job they want the other driver to do.

[nokivasara]

In today's completely incomprehensible news, it seems Alfa/Ferrari is maintaining tank-slapper Gio for next year, thus reducing the number of seats available for actually talented Ferrari juniors...

I think GIO has been OK this year, his first laps are often very good. He can work on the remaining laps
No really, I think he is a good choice for Alfa Romeo for 2021.

This has nothing to do with Alfa or Gio but is on topic, how come there is suggestions of mid-season driver swaps between teams in these silly season threads? Has that ever happened outside of RB/AT? I've followed F1 since 94 (bad year to start) but can't recall that happening.

[raymondu999]

Sainz Renault?

[JordanMugen]

This has nothing to do with Alfa or Gio but is on topic, how come there is suggestions of mid-season driver swaps between teams in these silly season threads? Has that ever happened outside of RB/AT? I've followed F1 since 94 (bad year to start) but can't recall that happening.

Alesi went from Prost to Jordan.

[Big Tea]

It depends on what they want to do. If they want two good teams, to me , Gasly and Albon at a re-vamped AT is the ideal. They wil lbe an upper middle team at worst, and possibly surprise everyone and gar some wins.

Lets be realistic, Red Bull boss team is about Max. one option is let Max do his thing and put Tsanoda in the second car for experience.
This would probably break him as a F1 driver, unless he understands the reason hi is there is that they have a car they are not using.

The alternative is to bring in a number two driver who will 'do his own thing' while not interfering with max. Shame it is a team mis match, because Stroll would be the ideal candidate here.
I really cannot see anyone short of Alonso being more than 'the other car'

As long as things stay as they are , Mercedes is going to be in a class by them selves, and Max is going to be next.

2 years down the line, there will be a perfect Red Bull team waiting to move up, but they will not want to let Max go. It is one of those dead end games.

I see the only change being if Max decides he is banging his head against a wall and move on to someone like Aston, if they full fill the promise, or someone who is an established non Red Bul driver joining him.

Not his fault, but he is an in-betweener. Not a Merc driver, but better than every one else.


Of course, Hamilton could pull the rug out by walking.

[AMG.Tzan]

Gasly just 3 tenths off mama Red Bull with an Alpha Tauri!

2020 shows a lot for Gasly and RB's 2nd car! Both drivers (Gasly & Albon) are super quick and consistent when given the right tools. I'm just sad that Albon might end up without a drive at all...just put him with Gasly in the AT and then AT will become an upper midfield team.

No need to drag Perez or Hulkenberg in there! They have nothing to prove and i truly believe they might end up even worse than Albon or Gasly and that would their careers for good! Alonso in the Red Bull instead of the Renault would have been epic for F1 but...

[El Scorchio]

Gasly just 3 tenths off mama Red Bull with an Alpha Tauri!

2020 shows a lot for Gasly and RB's 2nd car! Both drivers (Gasly & Albon) are super quick and consistent when given the right tools. I'm just sad that Albon might end up without a drive at all...just put him with Gasly in the AT and then AT will become an upper midfield team.

No need to drag Perez or Hulkenberg in there! They have nothing to prove and i truly believe they might end up even worse than Albon or Gasly and that would their careers for good! Alonso in the Red Bull instead of the Renault would have been epic for F1 but...

Aside from obviously not going to happen, Alonso would be incredibly messy. Both drivers would be fighting for the development of the car and the team to be based around solely them. They’d have to choose to back only one or the other of them.

This is why Hulk is the logical choice. He will be happy to be in the car regardless and deliver solid if unspectacular performances without fuss or complaint. He won’t demand anything as he knows he’s lucky to be there.

Basically they need someone with only limited/realistic aspirations. None of the other available options fit that bill.

[Manoah2u]

Right, so Gasly & Tsunoda @ Alpha Tauri.

Albon still not fully confirmed, but with Perez mentioning he's not gonna wait i wonder.
Despite Albon not being the material neccesary alongside Max (for example, DannyRic WAS), it remains to be seen whether he now is going to be left out in the cold.
I really expected a RBR & AT confirmation together, not like this.

Now i'm really starting to wonder though what will happen with Albon.
I guess it's going to be the final word this race for his judgement.
Since he's been dumped by RedBull before, and so have many other RB drivers,
i'm inclined to say that he's going to end up without a seat for 2021.

So.....Perez @ RedBull.......Mick & Nikita @ Haas.......
or......Albon @ RedBull......Mick & Perez @ Haas.........
OR.....Hulk @ RedBull.......Mick & Perez @ Haas..........

We'll know tomorrow i guess.

[PlatinumZealot]

The purpose of Toro Roso was to fill RedBull seats. Albon has filled the seat but it is disputed if he is RedBull material and so he may be let go. Only ways he stays is because the car is really hard to drive or because of his Nationality.

[Jolle]

The purpose of Toro Roso was to fill RedBull seats. Albon has filled the seat but it is disputed if he is RedBull material and so he may be let go. Only ways he stays is because the car is really hard to drive or because of his Nationality.

The current toro Rosso/Alpha Tauri drivers arent really the examples of this progress of talent at the moment...