Grand Prix Rejects

Salamander wrote:I'm still betting on Romain Grosjean!

I'm actually tipping Grosjean to win the championship next year.

Salamander wrote:I'm still betting on Romain Grosjean!

I've bet my avatar AGAINST him winning this year. I'm still confident!

dr-baker wrote:

Salamander wrote:I'm still betting on Romain Grosjean!

I've bet my avatar AGAINST him winning this year. I'm still confident!

I'm conflicted about your avatar challenge. I want to see Stramala suffer the indignity of having to wear that "Christian Horner in the nip" avatar. On the other hand, you're being so smug whenever Grosjean fails to win his first race, that I hope you lose the challenge.

Nico Rosberg, if he makes fundamental changes in character, right now he's way too nice guy to win a championship.

Gvozdenovic wrote:Nico Rosberg, if he makes fundamental changes in character, right now he's way too nice guy to win a championship.

Explain Jenson Button then.

Gvozdenovic wrote:Nico Rosberg, if he makes fundamental changes in character, right now he's way too nice guy to win a championship.

Interesting concept there.

I've never forgotten how in an interview in the 2007 official season review, Alexander Wurz (of all people) is joking around, and he literally just snaps extremely unnecessarily at him. Although I find him relatively likeable now, that always stuck with me...

Jenson is more of a gentlemen than a nice kidd like Nico, there's enough edge there to score a championship in right circumstances.

a 3ft 4 transgendered dwarf called Janice

East Londoner wrote:

dr-baker wrote:

Salamander wrote:I'm still betting on Romain Grosjean!

I've bet my avatar AGAINST him winning this year. I'm still confident!

I'm conflicted about your avatar challenge. I want to see Stramala suffer the indignity of having to wear that "Christian Horner in the nip" avatar. On the other hand, you're being so smug whenever Grosjean fails to win his first race, that I hope you lose the challenge.

I am a bit smug, aren't I? I'll try not to mention it again before the end of the season then...

What would we say now?

Rosberg - looks broken.

Hulkenberg - looks disillusioned.

Perez - looks parked.

Webber - looks like a WEC driver.

Grosjean - could just still do it.

Ricciardo, Kvyat, Verstappen - all need an engine.

Given the current state of affairs it is looking like Vettel-Hamilton straight fights for the next few years. If that Honda (and McLaren) becomes good then I will say Vandoorne might do it (and he is not even there). Or maybe one from Renault but I cannot see them winning the Championship unless they become utterly dominant. I am afraid a new WC won't come in the next few years to say the least.

Daniel Ricciardo, for Ferrari, in 2017.

Shut up, I can dream...

I think we're in a situation similar to the mid to late 1980s and early 90s where you had the quartet of Prost, Senna, Piquet and Mansell effectively above everyone else. It took three of them to retire and the other to tragically die before we saw a new world champion.

Had Alonso been able to manage his career a little bit more effectively and be in a competitive car now, you'd say the group of him, Vettel and Hamilton are that current "invincibles" group with Bottas/Ricciardo/Kvyat waiting their turn and the jaded bunch of Perez, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Massa, etc representing Berger, Patrese and the like - sometimes good, but overall fairly average. God knows where Raikkonen fits in, I guess it depends on how you view him. Button likewise.

2016 - Marcus Ericsson - Ferrari (Raikkonen gets dropped Arnoux style)
2017 - Max Chilton - Manor (they become that good with Merc Engines... and Max's Talent, of course)
2018 - André Lotterer - Audi (no explanation needed)

With the obvious out of the way... erm... Ricciardo looks the strongest candidate...

AndreaModa wrote:I think we're in a situation similar to the mid to late 1980s and early 90s where you had the quartet of Prost, Senna, Piquet and Mansell effectively above everyone else. It took three of them to retire and the other to tragically die before we saw a new world champion.

Had Alonso been able to manage his career a little bit more effectively and be in a competitive car now, you'd say the group of him, Vettel and Hamilton are that current "invincibles" group with Bottas/Ricciardo/Kvyat waiting their turn and the jaded bunch of Perez, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Massa, etc representing Berger, Patrese and the like - sometimes good, but overall fairly average. God knows where Raikkonen fits in, I guess it depends on how you view him. Button likewise.

The only driver that I could think of comparing Kimi to from that era would be Alboreto - a driver whose competitiveness flourished at the start of his career, followed by a protracted period where, despite flashes of brilliance, he could never quite regain the peak in performance that he achieved at the time of his championship challenge.

As you say, right now we are in a situation where Hamilton and Vettel have placed themselves in the best strategic positions - being in the two strongest teams and having established a dominant position within those teams by outperforming their team mates - and are therefore best placed to compete for the title for the next few years.

The only thing that I can see coming up in the next few years which could potentially significantly alter that dynamic would be the proposal to overhaul the regulations for 2017 - if the changes are as significant as planned, then that could potentially bring Red Bull back into play.

Salamander wrote:Daniel Ricciardo, for Ferrari, in 2017.

Shut up, I can dream...

Pascal Wehrlein, for Mercedes, in 2017

My dreams are better.

Klon wrote:

Salamander wrote:Daniel Ricciardo, for Ferrari, in 2017.

Shut up, I can dream...

Pascal Wehrlein, for Mercedes, in 2017

My dreams are better.

HWNSNBM, for Minardi, in 2017 (Giancarlo buys backs his former team over the next 12 months).

My dreams are best...

Max Verstappen, Ferrari, 2017 or 2018.

Romain Grosjean, Haas F1, 2016.

#BelieveInFauxFerrari

Biscione wrote:Romain Grosjean, Haas F1, 2016.

#BelieveInFauxFerrari

#GrosjezWeCan!

Stirling Moss, Cooper-BRM, 2020

More seriously, i hope for Ricciardo.

But i'd love to see a championship battle between Verstappen and Vandoorne.

Maldonado...(in a para-lol Universe)

I'd prefer Hulkenberg, Perez or Ricciardo far more than Grosjean or Kvyat. The former all seem like they've "earned" a shot at the title more than the latter, in my mind. Especially Perez after you consider the slap in the face he got after moving to the "championship contender" that was the 2013 McLaren. Just keeping awareness while I write that article, guys

My bet is Bottas, but it's hard to see a new one soon - Nico is that bit worse than Lewis, and Ferrari look the most likely to close the gap.

If it isn't Hamilton next year, probably Vettel.

Fetzie wrote:If it isn't Hamilton next year, probably Vettel.

Key word in the thread title is 'new', dude.

WeirdKerr wrote:a 3ft 4 transgendered dwarf called Janice

Think of the weight savings!

After 2016, Mercedes decide they don't like Rosberg and take Ricciardo, as he's crushed Kvyat. The attempted reset of 2017 just makes Mercedes unbeatable again, and he beats Hamilton. I guess that also involves Red Bull staying. It's the best I can come up with.

Backmarker wrote:

WeirdKerr wrote:a 3ft 4 transgendered dwarf called Janice

Think of the weight savings!

I believe Adrian Newey is already thinking about how a new born could pilot an F1 car.

Well it took 7 years between Alonso and Hakkinen (I think that's the record), and now that Vettel and Hamilton have won 2011-2015, with the added prospect of a Hamilton-Vettel battle for next year, are we going to have at least the same gap before we get another new champion?

Rob Dylan wrote:Well it took 7 years between Alonso and Hakkinen (I think that's the record), and now that Vettel and Hamilton have won 2011-2015, with the added prospect of a Hamilton-Vettel battle for next year, are we going to have at least the same gap before we get another new champion?

Yep, 2011-2016 would equal 1999-2004 as the record. Seriously, Rosberg, get on it....

Will Stevens

UgncreativeUsergname wrote:

Rob Dylan wrote:Well it took 7 years between Alonso and Hakkinen (I think that's the record), and now that Vettel and Hamilton have won 2011-2015, with the added prospect of a Hamilton-Vettel battle for next year, are we going to have at least the same gap before we get another new champion?

Yep, 2011-2016 would equal 1999-2004 as the record. Seriously, Rosberg, get on it....

And yet between those two periods, we had 5 new world champions in 6 years (2005 to 2010: Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Button, Vettel) and for 5 different teams. An exciting, golden period of F1, I reckon.

Valtteri Bottas. F1 Champ 2016.

Williams are doing the whole good one year, shite the next, so as they've got a bit more cash and development this year, I expect them to do well next year before returning to form & doing a Mclaren in 2017.

I can see it happening.. esp with Lewis and Nico tripping over one another more next season.

dr-baker wrote:

UgncreativeUsergname wrote:

Rob Dylan wrote:Well it took 7 years between Alonso and Hakkinen (I think that's the record), and now that Vettel and Hamilton have won 2011-2015, with the added prospect of a Hamilton-Vettel battle for next year, are we going to have at least the same gap before we get another new champion?

Yep, 2011-2016 would equal 1999-2004 as the record. Seriously, Rosberg, get on it....

And yet between those two periods, we had 5 new world champions in 6 years (2005 to 2010: Alonso, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Button, Vettel) and for 5 different teams. An exciting, golden period of F1, I reckon.

I agree Baker. We'll look back on that period very fondly in ten years time.

It's hard to predcit because there's several drivers out there who could do the job but only in competitive machinery. Which at the moment is either Mercedes or Ferrari. Considering Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel aren't leaving their teams anytime soon, that leaves Raikkonen's seat to potentially be up for grabs within the next two years...

So who could take the seat? Perez is a candidate. Ricciardo too, if RedBull finally stop threatening to leave and actually do so. Verstappen is an outside shot, as is Bottas and even Grosjean. As for up-and-coming drivers, Vandoorne seems tied-in at the fail machine that is McLaren, Palmer won't ever score a podium (oh my heart hurts) let alone a Championship and nobody else screams out at me.

Unless the teams are brought back to a near-even playing field with the top 3 or 4 teams (2010 is a case in point), you'll be lucky to even see a Williams, McLaren or RedBull at the very front again. What doesn't help is the near total dominance by Mercedes and the fact that Vettel is also a bloody good driver.

If I look at the current drivers, a Rosberg fluke aside, I'd say Ricciardo, Grosjean and Verstappen are the only ones who could make a championship. Hulk is too long at mediocre teams right now and Bottas is not good enough I think. The other ones, just, no.

Looking at what's not in F1, Vandoorne looks the only likely choice.

GerhardTalger wrote:If I look at the current drivers, a Rosberg fluke aside, I'd say Ricciardo, Grosjean and Verstappen are the only ones who could make a championship. Hulk is too long at mediocre teams right now and Bottas is not good enough I think. The other ones, just, no.

Looking at what's not in F1, Vandoorne looks the only likely choice.

I would narrow it down to Vandoorne and maybe Verstappen. I can't see anybody winning in the near future aside from Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, and perhaps Rosberg if the conditions are right.

Ricciardo will smile the field to death if he gets a title-capable car. Never count him out.

GerhardTalger wrote:If I look at the current drivers, a Rosberg fluke aside, I'd say Ricciardo, Grosjean and Verstappen are the only ones who could make a championship. Hulk is too long at mediocre teams right now and Bottas is not good enough I think. The other ones, just, no.

Looking at what's not in F1, Vandoorne looks the only likely choice.

Grosjean's title chances depend on getting the Ferrari seat in 2017. And even then, as much as I like him, I don't see him beating Vettel to a championship. Ricciardo's chance will depend on getting a competitive car. And it's not looking good for Red Bull for the immediate future. Then again, there's a Ferrari seat becoming available in 2017. And Ricciardo has shown that he can compete with Vettel.

For Verstappen and Vandoorne, it's too early to make a prediction. They have the talent to win a championship given the right car, but with McLaren's and Red Bull's issues, both aren't short-term prospects.

If I had to select one driver as the most likely next new champion, I'd say Ricciardo.