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

[Jolle]

Thats not basic wage though is it? 50mill a year is obviously pretty mucy a million pound a week. When you look at the wages for those players through google, they say numbers like 400k a week or 500k a week. I know Ronaldo is reported to be earning upwards of 100mill a year, but thats not their basic standard wage.

That’s their standard wage. On top of that they have their deals with shoe factories and stuff. Hamilton is the only F1 driver by the way who has any big income apart form his team salary (around 12 M, most other drivers are well under a million), what also shows his marketability.

The difference in football and F1 is that a driver is nothing without the equipment. He cannot have the same impact when moves to other teams that has slightly inferior equipment. Whereas a footballer has almost same impact in most teams. Besides, F1 teams have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to build the equipment that the driver drives. Hence, an F1 driver's skills from a remuneration perspective cannot be compared to that of footballers. A footballer is a star attraction in football. In F1, it's the car + driver.

I think the opposite. F1 drivers have much in common with the star strikers from the world of football. They are the ones that have the last kick to score a goal but are part of a big team which can only win if everybody is aligned properly. The real hero’s are the less know defenders and midfielders that get the ball to the striker. But with a good solid team without a star striker, let’s say a Bottas, you will still be playing for a podium and a team that faces degradation could invest all its resources to hire a star, only to be still kicked out the league because those few goals that works won’t offset the weak defence.

[ringo]

What if it's something we haven't considered, such as Lewis wanting Merc to commit to stopping the use of animal products across their range??

As a fan, I would consider him a fool if he gets too high off his own hype and makes demands like these.
He should have some humility and consider the whole team more so than his personal preferences to food or beliefs.
At most he should ask for more time to do these kinds of things, than to demand that the team emulate his ways.
Sometimes I feel I will wake up one morning to news that he doesn't have a seat for 2021 because of some silly detail he wont back down from. He needs to just chill, get the 8XWDC and then go else where if Mercedes aren't giving him what he wants.

[PlatinumZealot]

I find it hard to believe that Lewis' marketing value alone would come anywhere close to Ferrari's Philip Morris sponsorship.

What the value of his political activism or campaigning is to Merc, I dont know but I'd think that they are first and foremost looking to hire a driver, not an activist or potential future team manager/advisor.

Arguably it might be even better marketing for the team to prove that it's their superior machinery and technical dominance that's won them all these championships, rather than a driver they hired. They're in it to sell their cars after all.

He has more reach than Marlboro and has a wholesome message. Why not?

He is promoting Petronas oil, Mercedes cars and trucks, Tommy hilfiger apparel, Puma apparel, UBS services, and much more. 50 mil is reasonable.

[PlatinumZealot]

Since no one has any real information, I'll add my own speculation to this silly season thread.

A lot of Hamilton's activism in 2020 has been focused on the US. Perhaps he is negotiating with Mercedes to start an Indy Car team from 2022 onward.

The average person who watches Indycar is not the sort of person Hamilton appeals to his efforts are best served in the Hollywood sphere.

[Big Tea]

Since no one has any real information, I'll add my own speculation to this silly season thread.

A lot of Hamilton's activism in 2020 has been focused on the US. Perhaps he is negotiating with Mercedes to start an Indy Car team from 2022 onward.

The average person who watches Indycar is not the sort of person Hamilton appeals to his efforts are best served in the Hollywood sphere.

I dont know the 'rules' in USA, but is he eligible to go into politics there?

[DChemTech]

Since no one has any real information, I'll add my own speculation to this silly season thread.

A lot of Hamilton's activism in 2020 has been focused on the US. Perhaps he is negotiating with Mercedes to start an Indy Car team from 2022 onward.

The average person who watches Indycar is not the sort of person Hamilton appeals to his efforts are best served in the Hollywood sphere.

I dont know the 'rules' in USA, but is he eligible to go into politics there?

Schwarzenegger did, so as a foreigner you can at least make it to governor. You can't become president. No idea on other functions.

[PlatinumZealot]

Hamilton has little charisma and a soft voice he would fail miserably in politics. Lol. But I can see him doing a lot of modeling, marketing, movie cameos, activism.

[Zynerji]

Hamilton has little charisma and a soft voice he would fail miserably in politics. Lol. But I can see him doing a lot of modeling, marketing, movie cameos, activism.

I just wish he'd wait until after F1 to do the activism...

[Jolle]

Hamilton has little charisma and a soft voice he would fail miserably in politics. Lol. But I can see him doing a lot of modeling, marketing, movie cameos, activism.

I just wish he'd wait until after F1 to do the activism...

Why?

[PlatinumZealot]

Hamilton has little charisma and a soft voice he would fail miserably in politics. Lol. But I can see him doing a lot of modeling, marketing, movie cameos, activism.

I just wish he'd wait until after F1 to do the activism...

Why? I think its great. Shows F1 drivers are more than just that. F1 has been late to the party I you ask me.

[Big Tea]

Hamilton has little charisma and a soft voice he would fail miserably in politics. Lol. But I can see him doing a lot of modeling, marketing, movie cameos, activism.

I just wish he'd wait until after F1 to do the activism...

Why? I think its great. Shows F1 drivers are more than just that. F1 has been late to the party I you ask me.

He would not have the platform after F1. He would be 'just' another rap artist and rag seller (With a knight hood, but ...)

[nacho]

if a driver earns X million, does it mean they can use X less in car development with the budget cap?

[the EDGE]

if a driver earns X million, does it mean they can use X less in car development with the budget cap?

Not at present but there is talk of doing this

The idea is that the budget cap would be increase by x amount and if the teams wanted to spend more than that then this would have to come out of the original budget

The amount being banded around at present is $30 million for the combined driver salaries

[NathanOlder]

if a driver earns X million, does it mean they can use X less in car development with the budget cap?

Not at present but there is talk of doing this

The idea is that the budget cap would be increase by x amount and if the teams wanted to spend more than that then this would have to come out of the original budget

The amount being banded around at present is $30 million for the combined driver salaries

Yeah, and didn't I read somewhere that driver contracts signed before a certain date aren't affected by the driver salary cap. Not sure when the date was or is. Maybe Lewis signing a 4 year deal get round this problem? That will keep his big wage up until he is definitely ready to retire.

[raymondu999]

I honestly don’t know what negotiation tactics Lewis is employing if all this is true. Is he still under XIX management?

Surely they must see that Lewis has nowhere else to go barring shock retirement