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

[Racer X]

Was Sergio Perez not supposed to have a media event at 10:30 this morning?

That was last week they didn't say anything it was basically a meet & great with the Latin Media to talk about the strange COVID year and they touched on a few topic but nothing special was mentioned that we did not already know.

[Scorpaguy]

...one thing I have yet to hear mentioned about the Checo/RB rumors is that of the RB car. Max is happy to drive anything with enough motor, a bit loose/tight and he simply adapts. However Checo is a bit Vet-ish in that he likes a fairly planted rear (which he has in the Pink Merc). Does Checo really want to drive the untamable RB beast?

[El Scorchio]

...one thing I have yet to hear mentioned about the Checo/RB rumors is that of the RB car. Max is happy to drive anything with enough motor, a bit loose/tight and he simply adapts. However Checo is a bit Vet-ish in that he likes a fairly planted rear (which he has in the Pink Merc). Does Checo really want to drive the untamable RB beast?

It's a decision for Red Bull to make. Do they want to keep developing cars as dictated by how Max wants them to handle for his personal liking or driving style, or do they want to develop them in a more all rounded fashion to help the team overall? They've missed the goal of making him the youngest World champion, so maybe it's time to change the approach.

Essentially do they want to keep putting their eggs in one basket and accept they'll only have one driver getting their best effort out of it, or do they want to risk taking a tenth or so off Max and tell him he needs to be adaptable and give equal footing to whoever his team mate is, in order to get more out of the #2 car?

Or just try and find whoever the best available driver is who likes a car with the same characteristics and hope for the best.

[Scorpaguy]

...as for Rus, I have a win-win situation for all:

Rus goes to Merc to drive with Bot (beating the pants off him just like Ham did). Ham goes to America to race in NASCAR. Rus finally gets his top tier seat that is his gawd-given right and Ham gets to go to America to stick it to all of those racists red necks.

While most of the above is tongue-in-cheek, I actually would love to see HAM in a top tier NASCAR team trading paint at the front of the pack.

The chances that this happens??? Less than Vet staying at Ferrari under Bino

[Manoah2u]

Strange things have happened before:

• Newly crowned WDC was left without a seat for 1997 until Arrows took pity on him

• 7xWDC retired to make room for new talent

• Highly regarded driver was paid to sit out the remainder of his contract in 2010

And none of those were really the drivers choice

Yep! "Williams Racing is proud to announce Valterri Bottas driver for the 2021 season." "Mercedes GP Petronas is proud to annouce George Russell as driver for the 2021 season."

One can only hope. [-o<

Toto has fended off suggestions we could see a swap between the two, though that is still to be taken with a grain of salt. He mentioned Bottas (And Lewis, "oddly" enough) has a contract with Mercedes for 2021, and Russell with Williams.

However, it's now being suggested that Marko and Horner are poaching Russell to put next to Max, after keeping an eye on him for a while, dealing out a 'blow' to Mercedes by claiming they leave him to 'rot' at the 'slums' at the back of the field.

I can't imagine RBR will be able to 'buy' Russell for the 2021 from Mercedes though, so i don't really see anything change, BUT it's an interesting thought experiment to concider how RBR could put a nice steak on table for George.
I don't think george would bite as I think his chances with Merc are better than with RBR for 2022 onwards anyway.

That said, if RBR lure George with a fat juicy steak, it MIGHT force Mercedes' hand to put a bigger slab of Beef on the table, which i guess can only be a race seat with Merc for 2021.

Hell, it could be smart even by RBR to 'provoke' this, sign Perez, and see the competition between Hamilton and Russell take points away from Lewis and give the RBR drivers a chance for the WDC, and with that, the WCC.

[nzjrs]

And none of those were really the drivers choice

Yep! "Williams Racing is proud to announce Valterri Bottas driver for the 2021 season." "Mercedes GP Petronas is proud to annouce George Russell as driver for the 2021 season."

One can only hope. [-o<

Toto has fended off suggestions we could see a swap between the two, though that is still to be taken with a grain of salt. He mentioned Bottas (And Lewis, "oddly" enough) has a contract with Mercedes for 2021, and Russell with Williams.

However, it's now being suggested that Marko and Horner are poaching Russell to put next to Max, after keeping an eye on him for a while, dealing out a 'blow' to Mercedes by claiming they leave him to 'rot' at the 'slums' at the back of the field.

I can't imagine RBR will be able to 'buy' Russell for the 2021 from Mercedes though, so i don't really see anything change, BUT it's an interesting thought experiment to concider how RBR could put a nice steak on table for George.
I don't think george would bite as I think his chances with Merc are better than with RBR for 2022 onwards anyway.

That said, if RBR lure George with a fat juicy steak, it MIGHT force Mercedes' hand to put a bigger slab of Beef on the table, which i guess can only be a race seat with Merc for 2021.

Hell, it could be smart even by RBR to 'provoke' this, sign Perez, and see the competition between Hamilton and Russell take points away from Lewis and give the RBR drivers a chance for the WDC, and with that, the WCC.

Bottas seat swap to RBR 2021 confirmed....

[PlatinumZealot]

I dont understand why persons are pushing for George to go to Mercedes in 2021 when he is pretty much guaranteed tobe there in 2022.

[101FlyingDutchman]

A point of correction. Verstappen also doesn’t like an unstable rear. Don’t think any driver does. However, like airplanes, you build in a certain instability as inherently it becomes more agile. The problem is, you need drivers who consistently can live with being at or close to the knife edge. If you cast your mind back to testing, VER was spinning more often then a professional ice skater. It needed to be reigned in as it clearly was destroying driver confidence plus difficult to drive.

[Moore77]

I dont understand why persons are pushing for George to go to Mercedes in 2021 when he is pretty much guaranteed tobe there in 2022.

Everyone wants to see him go against Hamilton ASAP, challenge him hard and create interesting season for watching which Bottas has failed for four long years. The boring procession of poles and wins for Hamilton for another year is a nauseating. Hamilton might prevail, but it would be atleast fascinating battle to witness.

[holeindalip]

I dont understand why persons are pushing for George to go to Mercedes in 2021 when he is pretty much guaranteed tobe there in 2022.

Everyone wants to see him go against Hamilton ASAP, challenge him hard and create interesting season for watching which Bottas has failed for four long years. The boring procession of poles and wins for Hamilton for another year is a nauseating. Hamilton might prevail, but it would be atleast fascinating battle to witness.

There’s no direct evidence that he could even compete with Hamilton though, just because he outpaced a badly broken down Bottas, Alonso thought he could walk all over the rookie Hamilton in ‘07 , he beat out jenson, nico and now all of a sudden Russell is the answer. And don’t think I’m downplaying Russell’s ability in any way, he looked great kept his nose clean handled Bottas easily, but everytime Bottas steps up Hamilton reaches farther, you want to see Hamilton be really special put someone who can challenge and push him and he will some how go farther and faster. How many careers has be ended?

[Moore77]

I dont understand why persons are pushing for George to go to Mercedes in 2021 when he is pretty much guaranteed tobe there in 2022.

Everyone wants to see him go against Hamilton ASAP, challenge him hard and create interesting season for watching which Bottas has failed for four long years. The boring procession of poles and wins for Hamilton for another year is a nauseating. Hamilton might prevail, but it would be atleast fascinating battle to witness.

There’s no direct evidence that he could even compete with Hamilton though, just because he outpaced a badly broken down Bottas, Alonso thought he could walk all over the rookie Hamilton in ‘07 , he beat out jenson, nico and now all of a sudden Russell is the answer. And don’t think I’m downplaying Russell’s ability in any way, he looked great kept his nose clean handled Bottas easily, but everytime Bottas steps up Hamilton reaches farther, you want to see Hamilton be really special put someone who can challenge and push him and he will some how go farther and faster. How many careers has be ended?

While all that is great, Hamilton is 35 and would be 36 next year. No athlete retains the speed and reflexes like they had in 20s. All that people are hoping is, like you said, "put someone who can challenge him" and we will see how farther he can go still or does he have it in him to go. Not putting anyone is not going to answer that. Besides, Hamilton himself has said, he doesn't mind who his team mate is. So why not ask Mercedes to put a new talent beside him.

[Big Tea]

I really doubt Russell would go to Red Bull anyway, but apart from that he is quite friendly with Albon, who would give him an honest opinion of life in Red Bull, which he can compare to life in the Mercedes family. Probably with the heartfelt advice, " don't do it George"

[Tommy Cookers]

A point of correction
.....airplanes, you build in a certain instability as inherently it becomes more agile ....

correcting the above correction .....
no airplanes are unstable ....
some airplanes are 'naturally' ie aerodynamically unstable - but these all have .....
active control systems that supervene the aerodynamic instability via an overall artificial stability

and ....
stability isn't necessarily the enemy of manoeuvrability (in planes or cars)

[Phil]

Redbull poaching Russel is interesting - if i were RedBull, i would. The question to consider:

- Russels contract with Williams and possibly exit/penalty clauses ($$$)
- Mercedes rights/claim on Russel as part of the young driver program ($$$)
- Bottas contract ($$$)
- Would Russel rather miss out on a guaranteed drive for 2022 in a Mercedes over drivinhg a year early alongside Max in what could be a 1 driver team?

All seems unlikely to me that Russel has a realistic chance of joining Mercedes 2021 UNLESS for whatever reason, they cant retain Hamilton.

It’s just too quick, too early. And Russels performance, no offence, wasnt spectacular. I’d argue it wasnt even a straight/fair fight to either. And in the end, Bottas isnt the benchmark Mercedes driver. It’s Hamilton.

[101FlyingDutchman]

A point of correction
.....airplanes, you build in a certain instability as inherently it becomes more agile ....

correcting the above correction .....
no airplanes are unstable ....
some airplanes are 'naturally' ie aerodynamically unstable - but these all have .....
active control systems that supervene the aerodynamic instability via an overall artificial stability

and ....
stability isn't necessarily the enemy of manoeuvrability (in planes or cars)

Not sure what you are trying to correct. Of course they are stable after computer control laws make them so but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t naturally unstable craft. (I should know, I fly them)

ALL modern FIGHTER jets are aerodynamically unstable and without computers they are pretty much unflyable. And it is done for manoeuvrability and agility.

Commercial craft are indeed build with inherent natural stability characteristics

I think we are singing of the same hymn sheet