Silly Season 2016/2017

[poolboy67]

perez is an excellent driver but the time for him to be moving to ferrari is not right atm. the cars are so radically different next year, that ferrari most likely wants a very experienced driver and a very fast one as well as drivers who know how ferrari operates.
ferrari will most likely sign kimi for next year, BUT only for that year. they may even just put perez to be their reserve driver, just so they can hold onto him.

and let's not forget, that even if kimi has still been underperforming this season, alot of it has had to do with the car or bad strategy like in this race (they took him in waaayy too early, he was matchin vettel in pace) and above all, he is still fourth in the championship behind vettel and the merc drivers!

edit. and yes, kimi has been just as much at fault as ferrari and the car have been:
australia: engine failure
bahrein: second, clean drive.
china: fifth, was crashed onto by vettel at the start
russia: third, clean drive. started fouth.
spain: second, clean drive. started fifth
monaco: rubbish in every way, took the blame.
canada: sixth, started sixth. bad conditions for ferrari. bad strategy by ferrari. spun because of the same --- fault as in previous two races at canada, at the same hairpin.
baku: fourth, started fourth. could have gotten third even with 5sec penalty, if he hadn't been taken in too soon.

those are all pretty solid final results, even if there was potential for more. it's only the last 3 races that have gotten away from kimi. otherwise he's been decent and in my books worthy of his seat next season.

kimi is kimi. he's the unluckiest race driver i know, and kinda prone to faults. but he is still very fast.


but even if force india sign perez for multiple seasons, ferrari has enough money to buy him if they want.

[Jolle]

perez is an excellent driver but the time for him to be moving to ferrari is not right atm. the cars are so radically different next year, that ferrari most likely wants a very experienced driver and a very fast one as well as drivers who know how ferrari operates.
ferrari will most likely sign kimi for next year, BUT only for that year. they may even just put perez to be their reserve driver, just so they can hold onto him.

and let's not forget, that even if kimi has still been underperforming this season, alot of it has had to do with the car or bad strategy like in this race (they took him in waaayy too early, he was matchin vettel in pace) and above all, he is still fourth in the championship behind vettel and the merc drivers!

edit. and yes, kimi has been just as much at fault as ferrari and the car have been:
australia: engine failure
bahrein: second, clean drive.
china: fifth, was crashed onto by vettel at the start
russia: third, clean drive. started fouth.
spain: second, clean drive. started fifth
monaco: rubbish in every way, took the blame.
canada: sixth, started sixth. bad conditions for ferrari. bad strategy by ferrari. spun because of the same --- fault as in previous two races at canada, at the same hairpin.
baku: fourth, started fourth. could have gotten third even with 5sec penalty, if he hadn't been taken in too soon.

those are all pretty solid final results, even if there was potential for more. it's only the last 3 races that have gotten away from kimi. otherwise he's been decent and in my books worthy of his seat next season.

kimi is kimi. he's the unluckiest race driver i know, and kinda prone to faults. but he is still very fast.


but even if force india sign perez for multiple seasons, ferrari has enough money to buy him if they want.

Yes, I also don't think that Kimi is underperforming as such, today again, one place behind his teammate, what would be expected. But what's missing is the sparkle. He never gives you the feeling that is is outperforming the car at any moment (I know, it's technally impossible, but it's that feeling) like Vettel and Hamilton can do so beautifully. A driver like Perez would bring a bit more fire in the car, but as for real points or places, prob won't do any better then kimi, or for Ferrari in general.

[Racer X]

Ferrari doesn't need two drivers to continue the work on the car they need to develop the car for Vettel and the second driver is lucky to be there and all his job is to try to be as good as the top driver and help win the championship.

So Kimi isn't as crucial as some make him out to be what you do need is results for the championship.

There is a list of drivers who can get you better results.

Drivers who will do it for less money and who even bring money.

Bottas
Perez

To mention just 2.

Kimi is not pushing Vettel and not bringing in results A Force India took him fair and square how must that have felt. I'm sure people took notice since last year Vettel isn't worried one bit about Kimi.
So bring him some one better to help him and Ferrari.

I'm not saying I think I know who will replace him. But I am saying I think Kimi is at the end of the road at Ferrari.


What I do know is The Carlos Slim money is already at Ferrari and they can get more of it if they take Perez.

Not to mention he's a good driver so in this case I think he's a full package. He brings in money and he's fast.

[charly0418]

No doubt Slim will put pressure on Marchionne to sign Perez. Lets also not forget Arrivabene was the one that got Perez in the Ferrari Academy in 2011. There's plenty of connections there and I'm sure there have been exploratory talks with Checo

Ted interviews Marchionne today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3juoKlhPa5I

To me its very clear, Ferrari either retain Kimi or sign Checo. Im guessing the deadline with Kimi is on Monza

[Vasconia]

The rumor, as heard on Sky, is that Nico has signed a 2 year deal with Mercedes !

That would make a total of 9 years at Mercedes, impressive!

He has always delivered, it would be a totally logic movement by the team.

So Rosberg in Mercedes, Perez in Ferrari and Button in Williams for 2017.

[iotar__]

No doubt Slim will put pressure on Marchionne to sign Perez. Lets also not forget Arrivabene was the one that got Perez in the Ferrari Academy in 2011. There's plenty of connections there and I'm sure there have been exploratory talks with Checo

Ted interviews Marchionne today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3juoKlhPa5I

To me its very clear, Ferrari either retain Kimi or sign Checo. Im guessing the deadline with Kimi is on Monza

- "No doubt Slim will put pressure on Marchionne to sign Perez" he won't and it wouldn't matter anyway. Why didn't he pressure him last season or season before, why didn't he pressure McL to keep him?
- "Arrivabene was the one that got Perez in the Ferrari Academy in 2011" I didn't know that but I doubt it. Who fired him (kept Bianchi)? Why didn't they hire him last season? Arrivabene, Slim, Perez and Raikkonen were in the same places.. Both those connections seem a bit forced.
- what deadline? Will Raikkonen's previous failures disappear?

I'm all for Ferrari hiring anyone with a pulse but I think there are reasons why they kept Raikkonen. One of them is that he's not very good and it makes "exceptional" Vettel look better. Both drivers are Marchionne's idea, their failure is his failure. It's all about the poor car (quote earlier). Sporting results mater less but let's hope accumulated critical mass of bad driving will change this situation.

Isn't it curious how Bottas disappeared from Ferrari candidates list and consequently from fake hype? Media people are now I think contractually obliged to mention Wehrlein (Wolff/Merc) in some forced positive context instead. No place for two in sponsored promotion .

[GPR-A duplicate2]

"No doubt Slim will put pressure on Marchionne to sign Perez" he won't and it wouldn't matter anyway. Why didn't he pressure him last season or season before, why didn't he pressure McL to keep him?

It was Martin Whitmarsh's decision to get Perez to replace Hamilton. Once Ron took over the struggling McLaren back, it was his decision to bring in his protege Magnussen. It wasn't really a performance based decision.

- "Arrivabene was the one that got Perez in the Ferrari Academy in 2011" I didn't know that but I doubt it. Who fired him (kept Bianchi)? Why didn't they hire him last season? Arrivabene, Slim, Perez and Raikkonen were in the same places.. Both those connections seem a bit forced.

It was Ferrari who placed Perez in Sauber. As we know, Sauber is also a Ferrari breeding ground. As Perez got an offer from McLaren and at the end of 2012, there was no opportunity to get into Ferrari, he moved to McLaren. It was a logical decision. Just like Perez's abilities got noticed in a better performing Sauber in 2012, it took another better performing car of Force India for him to make an impression again. Very practical you know.

I'm all for Ferrari hiring anyone with a pulse but I think there are reasons why they kept Raikkonen. One of them is that he's not very good and it makes "exceptional" Vettel look better. Both drivers are Marchionne's idea, their failure is his failure. It's all about the poor car (quote earlier). Sporting results mater less but let's hope accumulated critical mass of bad driving will change this situation.

This one I completely agree.

[ME4ME]

I'm all for Ferrari hiring anyone with a pulse but I think there are reasons why they kept Raikkonen. One of them is that he's not very good and it makes "exceptional" Vettel look better. Both drivers are Marchionne's idea, their failure is his failure. It's all about the poor car (quote earlier). Sporting results mater less but let's hope accumulated critical mass of bad driving will change this situation.

What failure? Vettel arrived at the team, injected some positivity, got 3 wins and i dont know how many podiums and pretty much made the most of what he had in 2015. So far 2016 has been rough on both Vettel and Kimi, but it doesn't mean they suddenly lost it.

I do agree that Kimi's performance is questionable, but that has been the case ever since his return to F1.

[efuloni]

Updated crazy guesses.

Merc: ROS/HAM
Fer: VET/PER
RBR: RIC/VES
Williams: BUT/BOT
STR: SAI/GAS
Ren: GRO/MAS
McL: ALO/VAN
FI: HUL/NAS
Sauber: KVY/MAL
Haas: GUT/ROSsi
Manor: MAG/??? (lynn? Syrotkin? Palmer?)

[Schuttelberg]

I think this silly season is ultimately going to be a bit bland. Red Bull have basically killed the rumor mill and in my opinion they have the most potential in terms of driver pairing.

I'm just listing out a combination of my prediction and wishlist, keeping in mind what's already done and dusted.

Mercedes - Hamilton, Rosberg. (I don't see Mercedes/Rosberg willing to change)
Ferrari - Vettel, Button/Grosjean/Sainz. (As Ferrari boss, I'd look to hire one of these chaps, but I think Raikkonen will stay)
Red Bull - Ricciardo, Verstappen.
Williams - Bottas, Button/Wehrlein/Massa. (Button I don't think will rejoin or hang around just to be in F1. Massa will. Wehrlein and Mercedes seems to be in love, so may be a move up to the second Mercedes backed team.
Force India - Perez, Hulkenberg.
Toro Rosso - Sainz and I have no idea.
McLaren - Alonso, Vandoorne.
Renault - Magnussen, Ocon.

Can't care about the rest.

[Vasconia]

The one I would like to see:

Mercedes Lewis and Nico/Alonso
Ferrari Vettel and Perez/Sainz
Williams Bottas and Wehrlein
Red Bull Ricciardo and Verstappen
McLaren Alonso/Vandoorme /Button
Renault Sainz and Magnussen
Sauber Ericsson and Nasr
Toro Rosso Kvyat and a new one(but I think Sainz will stay)

[iotar__]

The one I would like to see:

Just for fun? OK:
- Mercedes - Alonso - Wehrlein - their own two candidates
- Red Bull - Rosberg - Perez - complementary combination, slightly unreliable but better than current
- Ferrari - Grosjean - Bottas
- McLaren - Vettel - Vandoorne - their own candidates
- Force India - Hulkenberg - Maldonado - Maldonado is evil pay-driver just like Perez
- Williams - Button - Magnussen - their own candidate: "Button comes back to Williams", copying McLaren
- Renault - Hamilton - Ricciardo - give them a chance to make a difference in mid-field and elevate a team like Grosjean/Perez
- Toro Rosso - Massa - Sainz - experienced and younger
- Haas - Verstappen - Gutierrez - see Renault
- Sauber - Giovinazzi, I haven't watched GP2 '16 to be honest random , current driver with more money or better one if proved
- Manor - Sirotkin - Ocon

[7ka]

Just for fun?

Manor : Hamilton with Vettel

[NL_Fer]

Just some reasoning.

Mercedes: Hamilton Rosberg
Ferrari: Vettel Raikkonen/Perez
Redbull: Riciardo Verstappen
Torro Rosso: Sainz Gasly
McLaren: Alonso VanDoorne
Renault: Magnussen Kvyat/Sirotkin
Williams: Bottas Button (Nasr)
Force India: Hulkenberg Perez/Wehrlein/Massa
Haas: Grosjean Guttierez (Perez)
Sauber: Erickson Nasr/Sirotkin
Manor: Rossi Ocon (Wehrlein)

[Vasconia]

The one I would like to see:

Just for fun? OK:

Holy sh*t. You know how to have fun.