Silly Season 2016/2017

[PlatinumZealot]

Kimi is Ferrari's last champion so they will honour him until he decides to leave. Sad but its true. kimi can't be fired. But the papers say he has to leave at the age of forty. So he has two years more at the most.

[GPR-A duplicate2]

So, it's confimred, Nico is going to hold station at Mercedes, for two more years.

LAUDA: WE HAVE AGREED A NEW TWO-YEAR CONTRACT WITH ROSBERG

[Phil]

Sounds like a compromise, between going with a 1 year (Merceds?) and a 3 year (Rosberg) deal. This would mean that both Nico and Lewis contract expire at the same time now... (by end of 2018)?

[Manoah2u]

I see Lewis moving to Ferrari next year due to contract clauses and the 'reliability' of his vehicle this year.

[iotar__]

Sounds like a compromise, between going with a 1 year (Merceds?) and a 3 year (Rosberg) deal. This would mean that both Nico and Lewis contract expire at the same time now... (by end of 2018)?

1 year deal would be outright silly and insulting so I don't see any compromise. I also doubt the assumption that it was Rosberg seeking long term deal and not Mercedes.

Ferrari's world of marketing fiction continues: http://en.f1i.com/news/60658-kimi-not-i ... abene.html If you had any doubts:

"Kimi is giving his contribution to the constructors' championship, and in the first part of the 2016 season he has done well. When the car is there for him, I do not think that he is inferior to anybody."

Well??? It was below basic competence in every aspect, mistakes, Q, pace, craft. Not inferior? He was losing to slower cars all the time. Add to the list posted earlier penalty and lost podium in Baku. "When the car is there" which means practically never if you pick and choose. He was failing with car being "there" all the time too: Bahrain, China, Russia, Baku, Spain.

[GPR-A duplicate2]

I also doubt the assumption that it was Rosberg seeking long term deal and not Mercedes.

Based on?

[dren]

It's obviously what both Mercedes and Nico wanted because they signed a deal. That's sort of what deals are... Nico was most certainly shopping around to get a better deal from Mercedes.

[Vasconia]

It's obviously what both Mercedes and Nico wanted because they signed a deal. That's sort of what deals are... Nico was most certainly shopping around to get a better deal from Mercedes.

The team wanted 1 year, Nico 3, so 2 has been the logic solution hahaha. It was only a matter of time.

Now the only interesting change could happen in Ferrari because it seems that Ricciardo will continue with RB.

[Nickel]

I also doubt the assumption that it was Rosberg seeking long term deal and not Mercedes.

Based on?

I don't want to speak for someone else, but me? I doubt it too.
He's proven more than capable of hauling in his fair share of points for the team. He hasn't beaten Hamilton over a season but he's definitely not made a fool of himself in that rocket ship he's been given. He's also shown himself to be willing to defer to the teams interests when necessary.

If I were Mercedes I wouldn't bother with a one year contract. They have a very strong driver pairing.

It also won't do Nico any harm to feel out how his team adapt to 2017 regs.

[Vasconia]

It also won't do Nico any harm to feel out how his team adapt to 2017 regs.

Well, he has adapted very well to the radio ban so he can be optimistic for the future.

[PlatinumZealot]

Dr. Z is a big Nico fan so I doubt that it was Mercedes that wanted a 1 year deal for Rosberg. I believe it was always 2 years and the talks were mostly about the minutiae.

[Vasconia]

Dr. Z is a big Nico fan so I doubt that it was Mercedes that wanted a 1 year deal for Rosberg. I believe it was always 2 years and the talks were mostly about the minutiae.

I have no official information but rumours said that Nico wanted a 3 years deal.

[GPR-A duplicate2]

It seems here that, those who like Nico a lot, want to believe it was Mercedes who wanted longer and it was Nico holding the aces, which is so much contrary to the reports that were making rounds. Other than "I believe", "I think", no one is offering a credible report that proves that Nico indeed was holding the aces, which to me, it is so much self deceiving.

Link - BERGER: ROSBERG CONTRACT STALEMATE IS NOT ABOUT MONEY

Bild newspaper claims the uncertainty about a new deal for Rosberg is indeed less about money and more to do with whether Mercedes wants to promote its young charger Pascal Wehrlein from Manor.

The team might therefore be happy with a mere one-year deal for Rosberg next year, but Berger and the 30-year-old is pushing for a full three-year extension.

Berger said: “We need to agree with the strategy that they (Mercedes) want to go with for the future. If they agree, then we can negotiate.”

If Dr. Z is a Nico fan, why would he say this?
Link - ZETSCHE: PASCAL WEHRLEIN IS OUR FUTURE

[Jolle]

So, the top spots you aim for as a driver, only Kimi's and Button's are still undecided.
For any driver without an obvious connection to either Ferrari or McLaren (VanDoorne will prob take Buttons seat if he leaves), so it's "keep your seat" for the midfielders.

[NL_Fer]

If Gasly (Torro Rosso) and VanDoorne (McLaren) are comming in and Kimi stay's another year. Who will have to go? Button, Massa, Guitierrez?