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

[NathanOlder]

Just out of interest, does anyone know the details of Senna's Williams contract? Length, salary, bonus ect? His Mclaren 93 deal is widely spoke about, but you don't hear much about his Williams contract

[Sevach]

Just out of interest, does anyone know the details of Senna's Williams contract? Length, salary, bonus ect? His Mclaren 93 deal is widely spoke about, but you don't hear much about his Williams contract

I think it was 2+1 (don't quite remember who held the option), and despite Senna's "i'll drive for free" plea the previous year he was to be well compensated.

No influence on who his team mate was (Prost could've kept going if he chose to do so), at least not offically.

Senna allowed to keep "Banco Nacional" as a personal sponsor.
Plus other business, in 94 Senna was involved in some form in bringing the first Audis to Brazil.

[Manoah2u]

So the word on the street now is that Vettel has recieved offers from both Mclaren and Renault, in regards to the 2021 season onwards.

I don't neccesarily see why he wouldn't also have the option to simply stay with Ferrari, but it might not be so simple really.
After all, It's not like Vettel has been proving - as a 4 time WDC no less - nor achieving in getting Ferrari another title.
So if Ferrari starts to wonder whether Vettel has more potential to get that championship than LeClerc, or perhaps actually he doesn't,
then it may end up being a case of Vettel not having much of a choice. Both can get wins, but Ferrari wants a WDC title.
You might argue that LeClerc seems more driven to get that title compared to Vettel.

So, if Ferrari wants to 'get rid of' Vettel, then who would they get instead?

Though it's been argued Ferrari wants a WDC in the seat, it's not like that always has been the case. Think of Berger/Alesi. No, that wasn't
really a success either, but let's face it, neither was Alonso nor Vettel, or even Raikkonen for that matter, whom actually brought Ferrari their
last title. Ferrari might be concidering having two non-WDC drivers aboard, so who would they then want to replace Vettel with?

Ricciardo or Hamilton would be the most obvious choices here. Hamilton has been linked with Ferrari before, and does make sense in certain ways.
Then again, concidering Vettel already had 4 titles, perhaps having a bunch of titles would risk being less motivated to go all the way for a title with them.
And concidering Hamilton is going for his 7th, perhaps Lewis wouldn't be the right choice after all, even though he is definately a more complete driver
than Vettel. So, if not Hamilton, then Ricciardo?

That could make sense too, as Ricciardo is blazingly fast, a great guy and not the type of guy to clinch/fued with teammates, something Vettel and Leclerc
imho are far more capable of. Ricciardo also beat Vettel in his maiden year with RedBull, so might actually even be a better driver, and i think Ricciardo does
have the hunger to drive for a WDC title all the way.

Ricciardo to Ferrari opens a spot at Renault, and would return Vettel with Renault power. Vettel would be a wise decision for the team, even though i sincerly
wonder whether the combination Vettel and Ocon wouldn't be one of explosive potential.......

[jumpingfish]

i sincerly
wonder whether the combination Vettel and Ocon wouldn't be one of explosive potential.......

Why don't you think the same (explosive potential) about Leclerc and Ricciardo? Both of them want to be a champion, both of them don't want to work as a butler. Leclerc has longterm contract, that means Ferrari needs someone who will be a bit slower and thats why be agree to work as Rubens Barrichello. Vettel doesn't want this role, will Ricciardo want it? No. He left RB because that team wants Verstappen as "youngest champion ever". I don't like when there are "driver №1, driver №2", but today Ferrari can't compete against Mercedes with two №1 drivers. I don't think that Vettel is slower than Charles and Seb will not be a wingman. If Sainz slower than Lec, it would be good choice. Or Hulkenberg. But not Ricciardo/Alonso/Hamilton etc vs Lec.

[selvam_e2002]

1st Point: Ric to Ferrari no way. He could stayed in RedBul with Max. Ric try to win WCC not for Wing man for Lecrec.
2nd Point: Sainz to Ferrari I doubt it. Both are young and I don't think it will work for them. If they do they need to forgot WDC and WCC for next 5 years.
3rd point: In recent past Ferrari had WCC and one Non WCC driver line up. I think they will stick with it for "Ferrari Brand"
4th Point: the article says, Sainz to Ferrari, yes it is possible but with Alfa Romeo replacing Kimi.(if Vetell come to Mclaren)
5th Point: Vettel never going to be in Renault. He either stay in Ferrari, move to Mclaren or retire. not sure about moving to RB. as they already have Max.

We will come to know in few weeks.

[TAG]

1st Point: Ric to Ferrari no way. He could stayed in RedBul with Max. Ric try to win WCC not for Wing man for Lecrec.

Riccardo himself has said he left RB because they were 100% behind Max and there was no way for him to push through with them. Doubt he'd ever go to a team that didn't give him a fair shot at a title.

[Jolle]

Though it's been argued Ferrari wants a WDC in the seat, it's not like that always has been the case. Think of Berger/Alesi. No, that wasn't
really a success either, but let's face it, neither was Alonso nor Vettel, or even Raikkonen for that matter, whom actually brought Ferrari their
last title. Ferrari might be concidering having two non-WDC drivers aboard, so who would they then want to replace Vettel with?

I think it's more the Philip Morris influence. If you look at the four big teams they had such an tight alliance with over the past decades, you can see they worked themselves in some awkward bends to get a WC connected to them. They are also not afraid to go the their biggest competitor if they get beaten.

Their first big project in this way was of course the McLaren overtake with project 4 and getting Lauda out of retirement. When Senna left at the end of 93, 94 was their first year without a WC, No active WC in F1 besides Senna. then they got Mansell... And pretty soon after they abandoned McLaren to sign Ferrari. In 2007 it should have been Schumacher next to Raikkonen but he refused and Alonso was already signed long before that to McLaren.

In the 500cc they had the same kind of things. First they had the connection with team Agostini. With a WC in Roberts. When Lawson left them for the 89 season for Honda, they brought Spenser out of retirement. That went so badly that they switched to Team Roberts, signing WC Lawson....

So stakes are high, also for Ferrari. Don't F this up, else PM could walk.

[Schuttelberg]

Vettel has decided to part ways with Ferrari. To say I am heart broken will be an understatement.

My gut feel is he will go to Aston Martin. My mind says McLaren.

[Scorpaguy]

Vettel has decided to part ways with Ferrari. To say I am heart broken will be an understatement.

My gut feel is he will go to Aston Martin. My mind says McLaren.

...and Toto has just purchased a load of Aston stock. Lots of conspiracies to ponder. I do not know how much Seb still talks to Kimi, as that would be an interesting perspective. Kimi seemed to have fun at Alfa while his fresh Ferrari hone made up for substandard equipment...then it all went south (I will never forget that tire fiasco). By seasons end, Alfa looked as they had digressed and Kimi looked ready to exit.

If Aston has lots of cash, Toto and Omar might just want their own Kimi...and Seb certainly seems to want to have fun for a bit sans the pressure.

[Schuttelberg]

Vettel has decided to part ways with Ferrari. To say I am heart broken will be an understatement.

My gut feel is he will go to Aston Martin. My mind says McLaren.

...and Toto has just purchased a load of Aston stock. Lots of conspiracies to ponder. I do not know how much Seb still talks to Kimi, as that would be an interesting perspective. Kimi seemed to have fun at Alfa while his fresh Ferrari hone made up for substandard equipment...then it all went south (I will never forget that tire fiasco). By seasons end, Alfa looked as they had digressed and Kimi looked ready to exit.

If Aston has lots of cash, Toto and Omar might just want their own Kimi...and Seb certainly seems to want to have fun for a bit sans the pressure.

The only reason Vettel is probably leaving Ferrari is because he feels a lack of support or simply lack of personal growth or team growth. He is young enough to go any try to build something new and he won't go to Aston to play second fiddle. He is probably looking to position himself in a way that he can have one final assault on a world title.

I'd love to see Hamilton go to Ferrari making Mercedes a viable option, but I don't see Hamilton leaving.

[Scorpaguy]

Vettel has decided to part ways with Ferrari. To say I am heart broken will be an understatement.

My gut feel is he will go to Aston Martin. My mind says McLaren.

...and Toto has just purchased a load of Aston stock. Lots of conspiracies to ponder. I do not know how much Seb still talks to Kimi, as that would be an interesting perspective. Kimi seemed to have fun at Alfa while his fresh Ferrari hone made up for substandard equipment...then it all went south (I will never forget that tire fiasco). By seasons end, Alfa looked as they had digressed and Kimi looked ready to exit.

If Aston has lots of cash, Toto and Omar might just want their own Kimi...and Seb certainly seems to want to have fun for a bit sans the pressure.

The only reason Vettel is probably leaving Ferrari is because he feels a lack of support or simply lack of personal growth or team growth. He is young enough to go any try to build something new and he won't go to Aston to play second fiddle. He is probably looking to position himself in a way that he can have one final assault on a world title.

I'd love to see Hamilton go to Ferrari making Mercedes a viable option, but I don't see Hamilton leaving.

Aston was just waxing poetic. However, Seb is leaving the one of 2 or 3 teams in which a WDC is possible. Unless something weird is about to happen at RB...or even weirder at Merc, I fear his assault on such will be a bit Quixotic.

[ENGINE TUNER]

Vettel has decided to part ways with Ferrari. To say I am heart broken will be an understatement.

My gut feel is he will go to Aston Martin. My mind says McLaren.

...and Toto has just purchased a load of Aston stock. Lots of conspiracies to ponder. I do not know how much Seb still talks to Kimi, as that would be an interesting perspective. Kimi seemed to have fun at Alfa while his fresh Ferrari hone made up for substandard equipment...then it all went south (I will never forget that tire fiasco). By seasons end, Alfa looked as they had digressed and Kimi looked ready to exit.

If Aston has lots of cash, Toto and Omar might just want their own Kimi...and Seb certainly seems to want to have fun for a bit sans the pressure.

The only reason Vettel is probably leaving Ferrari is because he feels a lack of support or simply lack of personal growth or team growth. He is young enough to go any try to build something new and he won't go to Aston to play second fiddle. He is probably looking to position himself in a way that he can have one final assault on a world title.

I'd love to see Hamilton go to Ferrari making Mercedes a viable option, but I don't see Hamilton leaving.

Vettel is not leaving Ferrari, Ferrari is dumping him. His performance has been atrocious since 2017. They would have been foolish to keep him on after he crashed into his teammate in brazil.

The fraudulent tale of Vettel is over, hopefully he's placed near the back of the grid so he doesn't have many other cars to crash into. As a fan of racing I'm tired of watching him wreck other drivers.

[jumpingfish]

Is Vettel so guilty of the lack of titles with Ferrari? Since 2008, neither Massa (almost a champion), nor champion Kimi, nor two-time beast Alonso, nor four-time Vettel, nor the “new messiah” Leclerc - none of them could become a champion in 12 years. If these drivers have not become champions for so many years, is it their personal fault or was the team applying for the titles still not good enough? Is it possible to call the team “champion”, which slapped the moment in qualifying in Monaco with Charles?
If Vettel decides to continue his career in F1 without Ferrari, it will be interesting to see what he will achieve and what success Ferrari will achieve without him with another pilot next to Leclerc.

[DChemTech]

Is Vettel so guilty of the lack of titles with Ferrari? Since 2008, neither Massa (almost a champion), nor champion Kimi, nor two-time beast Alonso, nor four-time Vettel, nor the “new messiah” Leclerc - none of them could become a champion in 12 years. If these drivers have not become champions for so many years, is it their personal fault or was the team applying for the titles still not good enough? Is it possible to call the team “champion”, which slapped the moment in qualifying in Monaco with Charles?
If Vettel decides to continue his career in F1 without Ferrari, it will be interesting to see what he will achieve and what success Ferrari will achieve without him with another pilot next to Leclerc.

I agree with you. The only thing Vettel is 'guilty' of, is not being able to really adapt to the driving style required for the current generation of cars. He never was able to fully extract the performance that way, and made more mistakes than was necessary, but even if he had been perfect personally, I don't reckon that would have been enough to become champion in these cars.

[Just_a_fan]

Vettel has decided to part ways with Ferrari. To say I am heart broken will be an understatement.

My gut feel is he will go to Aston Martin. My mind says McLaren.

...and Toto has just purchased a load of Aston stock. Lots of conspiracies to ponder. I do not know how much Seb still talks to Kimi, as that would be an interesting perspective. Kimi seemed to have fun at Alfa while his fresh Ferrari hone made up for substandard equipment...then it all went south (I will never forget that tire fiasco). By seasons end, Alfa looked as they had digressed and Kimi looked ready to exit.

If Aston has lots of cash, Toto and Omar might just want their own Kimi...and Seb certainly seems to want to have fun for a bit sans the pressure.

The only reason Vettel is probably leaving Ferrari is because he feels a lack of support or simply lack of personal growth or team growth. He is young enough to go any try to build something new and he won't go to Aston to play second fiddle. He is probably looking to position himself in a way that he can have one final assault on a world title.

I'd love to see Hamilton go to Ferrari making Mercedes a viable option, but I don't see Hamilton leaving.

Vettel isn't leaving. Ferrari have effectively dumped him. They've said "you're only worth a fraction of the salary you want and have been on" knowing that he won't stay with them on less money and no Number 1 status. He's been beaten by his younger team mate and been made to look average by him.

Ferrari don't want to pay winners money to drivers that don't win.