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

[Moore77]

Even tho I still don't think RedBull has the ball to get rid of Albon just because of Albons Nationality. Even if it turns out he's not actually good enough for the job.

Both Albon and Gasly are highly talented drivers and have struggled in RB15 and RB16. They very well know they need to fix the car and make it smoother and then either Albon or Gasly can deliver. Besides, a Thai driver in Red Bull is a good marketing aid.

[PlatinumZealot]

Even tho I still don't think RedBull has the ball to get rid of Albon just because of Albons Nationality. Even if it turns out he's not actually good enough for the job.

Both Albon and Gasly are highly talented drivers and have struggled in RB15 and RB16. They very well know they need to fix the car and make it smoother and then either Albon or Gasly can deliver. Besides, a Thai driver in Red Bull is a good marketing aid.

Explain...

[Scorpaguy]

Drivers that should be in F1:
Ham, Max, Lec, Ric

Drivers that should not be given the ax:
Rus, Checo, Gas, Sainz, (Alo)

Drivers on the bubble:
Vet, Bot, Kimi, Alb, Stroll, Lando, Kyv, Ocon, Mag, (Hulk)

Drivers that should be given the ax:
Lat, Gio, Gros

[PlatinumZealot]

Gio is good. He's matching kimi on pace at least. He deserves his seat.

I will not miss Latifi, Kvyat, Ocon, Gro, Mag.

[TechAddict]

Drivers that should be in F1:
Ham, Max, Lec, Ric

Drivers that should not be given the ax:
Rus, Checo, Gas, Sainz, (Alo)

Drivers on the bubble:
Vet, Bot, Kimi, Alb, Stroll, Lando, Kyv, Ocon, Mag, (Hulk)

Drivers that should be given the ax:
Lat, Gio, Gros

Mostly agree, except maybe GAS. He is to fare up.

I do not see GIO better than any on the bubble list. I have no idea why Alfa would keep him instead of one Ferrari junior next to Kimi!!

[Moore77]

Drivers that should be in F1:
Ham, Max, Lec, Ric

Drivers that should not be given the ax:
Rus, Checo, Gas, Sainz, (Alo)

Drivers on the bubble:
Vet, Bot, Kimi, Alb, Stroll, Lando, Kyv, Ocon, Mag, (Hulk)

Drivers that should be given the ax:
Lat, Gio, Gros

Mostly agree, except maybe GAS. He is to fare up.

I do not see GIO better than any on the bubble list. I have no idea why Alfa would keep him instead of one Ferrari junior next to Kimi!!

Keeping GIO is a bad idea really. Taking Leclerc into Ferrari after a splendid season in Alfa wasn't an easy decision and it was forced by Marchionne. With that as a reference, there is no point in keeping GIO with two complete lacklustre seasons to his credit. He isn't an outstanding talent like Leclerc and he wouldn't ever make it to Ferrari. So it would be better to put another young talent in Alfa and measure him, instead of giving a 3rd season to GIO. Besides, he is competing against Kimi, who is 41 currently and obviously, way past his prime. He isn't a good reference of speed for any young talent.

I wonder if it wasn't for his Italian background, would he have even got a second season!

[Manoah2u]

Keeping Gio makes sense. 2022 will see total change in cars, why bother potentially botching up somebody's career start by replacing somebody that has experience with current gen F1, by somebody that has zero experience, then to see his gained experience over 2021 be worthless when 2022 will see a total overhaul.

As for why they promote Mick to a seat has to do with the far bigger guarantee that Mick will provide certain promotional value, and as such is worthwile whatever the case.

A guy like Mazepin brings giant wealth, but also brings a contract where daddy wants power, and most teams really don't want that at all, which is why people like that will be passed upon.

POTENTIAL talents, however would do best to wait for 2022, and in general will take the patience for a decent start.
After all, 2021 will certainly not bring much difference to the current pecking order, and will also put you in a situation where your talent is measured to your by now vastly experienced teammate. If you enter in 2022 however, there is a good chance that the pecking order will be different, and you will have more opportunity.
Not just that, but since your teammate will also be in a new situation and will have to adapt, let's say 'start from scratch' in an extreme,
your chances of being in a fair battle and to beat him are vastly improved.

[Moore77]

Keeping Gio makes sense. 2022 will see total change in cars, why bother potentially botching up somebody's career start by replacing somebody that has experience with current gen F1, by somebody that has zero experience, then to see his gained experience over 2021 be worthless when 2022 will see a total overhaul.

As for why they promote Mick to a seat has to do with the far bigger guarantee that Mick will provide certain promotional value, and as such is worthwile whatever the case.

A guy like Mazepin brings giant wealth, but also brings a contract where daddy wants power, and most teams really don't want that at all, which is why people like that will be passed upon.

POTENTIAL talents, however would do best to wait for 2022, and in general will take the patience for a decent start.
After all, 2021 will certainly not bring much difference to the current pecking order, and will also put you in a situation where your talent is measured to your by now vastly experienced teammate. If you enter in 2022 however, there is a good chance that the pecking order will be different, and you will have more opportunity.
Not just that, but since your teammate will also be in a new situation and will have to adapt, let's say 'start from scratch' in an extreme,
your chances of being in a fair battle and to beat him are vastly improved.

If a driver can't make transition between two different regulations seamlessly, even it means just one year of career experience in the current regulations, he ain't deseve a drive for Ferrari. Ultimately, Ferrari invest in young talent to find the best for it's factory seats. They need another Max or Leclerc and any heir apparent for Ferrari has to be fluidic to drive different regulations.

[gibells]

Even tho I still don't think RedBull has the ball to get rid of Albon just because of Albons Nationality. Even if it turns out he's not actually good enough for the job.

Both Albon and Gasly are highly talented drivers and have struggled in RB15 and RB16. They very well know they need to fix the car and make it smoother and then either Albon or Gasly can deliver. Besides, a Thai driver in Red Bull is a good marketing aid.

Explain...

I think Red Bull originates in Thailand. As Red (water) Buffalo or something like that. I believe it is still half owned by the family that started it all.

[raymondu999]

the OG "Red Bull" was a thai caffeine drink known as Krating Daeng, yes. But I think Dietrich Mateschitz started Red Bull as a partner to Krating Daeng. The drinks are not the same and neither is it the same company, AFAIK.

[raymondu999]

Wiki is not always the most reliable of resources, but it's usually reliable enough. Here is an excerpt from RB's wiki page:

Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an existing energy drink named Krating Daeng, which was first introduced and sold in Thailand by Chaleo Yoovidhya. He took this idea, modified the ingredients to suit the tastes of Westerners,[11] and, in partnership with Chaleo, founded Red Bull GmbH in 1987 in Chakkapong, Thailand. In Thai, daeng means red, and a krating (known in English as a gaur or Indian bison) is a large species of wild bovine native to South Asia. Yoovidhya's heirs own majority stakes in both brands, and they both use the same red bull on yellow sun logo while continuing to market the separate drinks to the respective Thai and Western markets

And here is the counterpart excerpt on Red Bull, on Krating Daeng's page:

The Thai product is a different company from the global brand Red Bull as formulated by Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur.[6] Mateschitz was the international marketing director for Blendax, a German toothpaste company, when he visited Thailand in 1982 and discovered that Krating Daeng helped to cure his jet lag.[7] He worked in partnership with Chaleo's T.C. Pharmaceuticals to adapt the formula and composition to Western tastes.[8] Red Bull was launched in 1987. The two companies are often mistaken for each other, but they are separate entities focusing on different target markets running in conjunction with one another. Today, Red Bull GmbH is 51 percent controlled by the Yoovidhya family, who own the trademark for the drink in Europe and the United States of America.

[PlatinumZealot]

the OG "Red Bull" was a thai caffeine drink known as Krating Daeng, yes. But I think Dietrich Mateschitz started Red Bull as a partner to Krating Daeng. The drinks are not the same and neither is it the same company, AFAIK.

The thai family basically owns RedBull going by your posts. So good chance Albon who is a once in a lifetime Thai F1 driver will stay on.

[Raleigh]

Chances of Albon being dropped completely are low but there is a good case for putting him in the Alpha Tauri alongside Pierre Gasly to take pressure off Alex and see if he can recover his form.

Really depends on what happens with Yuki Tsunoda, if he gets the Alpha Tauri seat Albon will stay at Red Bull, otherwise Albon to Alpha Tauri and Perez or Hulkenberg in at Red Bull.

Either way Kvyat is gone, there is no future for him at Red Bull so keeping him in the Alpha Tauri is pointless.

[PlatinumZealot]

That sounds like a plan. If Yuki matures quickly and is quick. And if Gasly continues to mature. They could have Gas and Max. The leadership role in the big team needs to have a succession plan.
Theb Yuki and Albon can stay at AT till Max leaves.

[raymondu999]

the OG "Red Bull" was a thai caffeine drink known as Krating Daeng, yes. But I think Dietrich Mateschitz started Red Bull as a partner to Krating Daeng. The drinks are not the same and neither is it the same company, AFAIK.

The thai family basically owns RedBull going by your posts. So good chance Albon who is a once in a lifetime Thai F1 driver will stay on.

Yeah agree.

While on the subject of Yuki. If Schwartzmann or Ilott don’t get picked up into F1 I could see Helmut swooping in for them, much like he did to Max & Merc