2015 Silly Season Thread

More_Blue_Flags · Post by **More_Blue_Flags** » 12 Oct 2014, 06:01

Conventional wisdom appears to be that if Alonso goes to McLaren in 2015 it will be at the expense of Button, with Magnussen staying on as the rising new talent - and, to be honest, that's what I think is going to happen. Does Button's previous relationship with Honda and Alonso's new Honda contract have the potential to leave K-Mag out in the cold, however? Would Honda be likely to push McLaren for a Button-Alonso partnership and if so, what options would be open to Magnussen? If Hulkenberg goes to the WEC does Magnussen take his seat and Force India forge a new reputation as a home for rejected McLaren drivers?

Zergon · Post by **Zergon** » 12 Oct 2014, 06:53

It´s interesting to see how quickly things can change.

Take the Alonso´s case for example, earlier this year McLaren was quite openly chasing Alonso (alongside Hamilton and Vettel) and at least to me, it looked like they had no change to actually land him or any other targets they had. Now Alonso is actually available and suddenly no-one seems to be sure that he´s actually going to McLaren even when they suddenly look like the best option for him. I wonder if this is just the case of McLaren trying to get Alonso´s prize down now that they actually look like the top option for him or is there some real issues with contract lenght, prize etc.? To be honest, after seeing how less those contracts lenghts really mean (though I´m obviously not sure what kind of stipulations either Alonso or Vettel had that could allow them to cut their contracts short), I have hard time believing that McLaren would pass signing Alonso just because he wants one year deal but I guess it´s possible.

Rumours of Hulkenberg possibly leaving F1 are another interesting case and I wonder who would be likely replament. I guess that if Alonso does end up with McLaren then either Button or Magnussen (depending which one stays as Alonso´s partner) could work well for Force India but who else could be available? Grosjean? Vergne? Some rookie?

On any case, I was expecting a boring silly season with no changes on top teams and boy was I proven wrong. :lol:

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 12 Oct 2014, 14:15

Alonso reveals "obvious plans" for 2015: http://www1.skysports.com/f1/report/241 ... finalised-

So... McLaren?

solarcold · Post by **solarcold** » 12 Oct 2014, 15:45

Simtek wrote:Alonso reveals "obvious plans" for 2015: http://www1.skysports.com/f1/report/241 ... finalised-

So... McLaren?

I assume.

Post by **mario** » 12 Oct 2014, 21:00

More_Blue_Flags wrote:Conventional wisdom appears to be that if Alonso goes to McLaren in 2015 it will be at the expense of Button, with Magnussen staying on as the rising new talent - and, to be honest, that's what I think is going to happen. Does Button's previous relationship with Honda and Alonso's new Honda contract have the potential to leave K-Mag out in the cold, however? Would Honda be likely to push McLaren for a Button-Alonso partnership and if so, what options would be open to Magnussen? If Hulkenberg goes to the WEC does Magnussen take his seat and Force India forge a new reputation as a home for rejected McLaren drivers?

Button is the more marketable driver for Honda back in Japan, and perhaps the more marketable driver in general given that he is a WDC and an established and popular driver figure. Equally, as others have pointed out, his former relationship with Honda probably will make any transition period from Mercedes to Honda easier to smooth out.

Still, the impression that has been coming from the team is that, even though Button has the much higher points total, Magnussen is considered the better long term prospect given that Magnussen's performances are likely to improve with experience and, being a younger driver, the team can build around him for the long term.

More_Blue_Flags · Post by **More_Blue_Flags** » 13 Oct 2014, 02:54

mario wrote:
More_Blue_Flags wrote:Conventional wisdom appears to be that if Alonso goes to McLaren in 2015 it will be at the expense of Button, with Magnussen staying on as the rising new talent - and, to be honest, that's what I think is going to happen. Does Button's previous relationship with Honda and Alonso's new Honda contract have the potential to leave K-Mag out in the cold, however? Would Honda be likely to push McLaren for a Button-Alonso partnership and if so, what options would be open to Magnussen? If Hulkenberg goes to the WEC does Magnussen take his seat and Force India forge a new reputation as a home for rejected McLaren drivers?

Button is the more marketable driver for Honda back in Japan, and perhaps the more marketable driver in general given that he is a WDC and an established and popular driver figure. Equally, as others have pointed out, his former relationship with Honda probably will make any transition period from Mercedes to Honda easier to smooth out.

Still, the impression that has been coming from the team is that, even though Button has the much higher points total, Magnussen is considered the better long term prospect given that Magnussen's performances are likely to improve with experience and, being a younger driver, the team can build around him for the long term.

I had been thinking in terms of Honda pushing an Alonso-Button lineup onto an unwilling McLaren - I wonder how hard Honda would be willing to push? Even if it is too late to look for another team to partner in 2015, does Honda need to be in F1 next year? McLaren will certainly need an engine...

Aerond · Post by **Aerond** » 13 Oct 2014, 05:41

Alonso yesterday

Journo: Will you have a Mercedes engine at your disposal next season?
F.A.: Most probably, no.

-----------

So ... Mercedes and Lotus it isn't. On the other hand, McLaren will hardly let the chance pass to hire Alonso. It's also known that this weekend Movistar (Telefónica brand) want to sponsor Alonso next season wherever he goes, McLaren will probably have a hard time letting the chance to have a big sponsor pass. I think it's just Dennis trying to force Alonso into: a) less money and b) sign for a few years without a car performance clause.
I think that it's just a matter of time before Alonso signs for McLaren, a McLaren - Honda car sells and Alonso will want to be part of that if only for business. On the other hand, I don't think Alonso has any pressure regarding signing with McLaren as others here put it. He can perfectly force Ferrari to give him a drive next season under his current contract and wait yet another year to choose a destination to end his career, in which case I think Kimi would be dropped for Vettel and McLaren would have to keep their current line up.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong but... aside from Alain Prost, isn't it the first time in history a driver returns to McLaren, if it finally happens?
Also, here's a possibility nobody is talking about: Alonso already signs with Mercedes for 2016 and stays another year at Ferrari ...

AustralianStig · Post by **AustralianStig** » 13 Oct 2014, 05:56

Aerond wrote:Also, here's a possibility nobody is talking about: Alonso already signs with Mercedes for 2016 and stays another year at Ferrari ...

Yeah I've always wondered why everyone assumes it's Fernando leaving and not Kimi. I know Kimi has the longer contract, but he really doesn't seem to be enjoying his return to Ferrari lately.

tristan1117 · Post by **tristan1117** » 13 Oct 2014, 14:18

Aerond wrote:Alonso yesterday

Journo: Will you have a Mercedes engine at your disposal next season?
F.A.: Most probably, no.

So he's returning with a his own new team that runs Cosworths then? If Alonso were to actually go full Emerson Fittipaldi we'd have to root for him. Realistically, I don't really get the logic of going back to McLaren from a competitive and personal standpoint. McLaren aren't exactly better off than Ferrari at the moment in terms of pace, a trend that has been persisting since 2009. Also his acrimonious year alongside Hamilton may be ancient history now, but I would think Alonso wants a teammate that he can consistently beat at McLaren, which is probably against the team's interests because I think Jenson is still very competent.

Sublime_FA11C · Post by **Sublime_FA11C** » 13 Oct 2014, 14:51

So Fernando replied "Most probably, no." and "I don't think so." when asked if he'd be driving a Mercedes engine next year. Neither is a complete denial, but i don't suppose it makes any difference since Di Montezemolo was 100% flat out denying leaving Ferrari pretty much minutes until the announcement.

The Lotus story was the one that kinda made sense given the comments by Alonso and Dennis that the decision will seem like it was all part of a plan and that it was so obvious to do that. Alonso could return to Enstone where he has no bad blood but (mostly) good history, brings in a load of sponsorship and possibly looks forward to retiring and investing his money into what then becomes his team. Let us also not forget that in 2016 one other team will be supplied by a Honda engine, and if he can't get himself into a Mercedes, Alonso will for sure aim to be in a Honda powered car in '16.

But the denial of driving a Mercedes powered car in 2015 kinda puts the above story in the fanciful "what-if" bin. At the same time i don't understand what's so obvious about a McLaren Honda drive that would require any need for secrecy or patience if that's what Fernando already had his mind made up about for several months.

I don't think Cosworth are what Alonso wants, though they do actually have a turbo engine, just no customers. A Mercedes engine rebadged as some other brand also seems unlikely, though a Benetton - Something with Alonso in the car would certainly steal the thunder back from Vettel's announcement.

Finally, Red Bull is 100% out of the question because they are very keen on using their young driver program and have already announced their two drivers.
But that's only relevant if Red Bull run 2 cars next year. If they run 3...
I don't think it's likely though, the 3 car idea has legs but requires a major points and costs overhaul to work.

Nessafox · Post by **Nessafox** » 13 Oct 2014, 17:58

Another what-if is that perhaps Alonso is willing to take the gamble to be team leader at Haas in 2016, and takes a year off, helping develop the team in the meanwhile.

This also explains the 'most probably no' and 'i don't think so' answers, as it's simply not 100% clear what engines they'll have.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 13 Oct 2014, 18:00

This wrote:Another what-if is that perhaps Alonso is willing to take the gamble to be team leader at Haas in 2016, and takes a year off, helping develop the team in the meanwhile.

This also explains the 'most probably no' and 'i don't think so' answers, as it's simply not 100% clear what engines they'll have.

I thought it was confirmed that they were running Ferrari engines?

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 13 Oct 2014, 18:01

This is the silliest silly season for some time. At this point all we know for a fact is that Vettel has quit RBR, everything else is pure conjecture. Madness.

takagi_for_the_win · Post by **takagi_for_the_win** » 13 Oct 2014, 19:05

CoopsII wrote:This is the silliest silly season for some time. At this point all we know for a fact is that Vettel has quit RBR, everything else is pure conjecture. Madness.

I probably shouldn't be telling you this but I'll be driving for McLaren next year. Allegedly.

Post by **mario** » 13 Oct 2014, 19:28

Salamander wrote:
This wrote:Another what-if is that perhaps Alonso is willing to take the gamble to be team leader at Haas in 2016, and takes a year off, helping develop the team in the meanwhile.

This also explains the 'most probably no' and 'i don't think so' answers, as it's simply not 100% clear what engines they'll have.

I thought it was confirmed that they were running Ferrari engines?

Haas officially signed a contract with Ferrari in early September that should see them using Ferrari engines and gearboxes, as well as forming a technical partnership. Luca was always keen to forge links with the US racing scene to publicise Ferrari in the US market, and Mattiacci seems equally keen to develop ties with a prominent team like Haas in order to promote Ferrari (Haas has already become a minor sponsor for Ferrari, and Ferrari in turn seem to be considering a much more integrated technical partnership than they have had in the past even with customer teams like Sauber). http://www.f1technical.net/news/19598

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 13 Oct 2014, 19:31

takagi_for_the_win wrote:
CoopsII wrote:This is the silliest silly season foroutside time. At this point all we know for a fact is that Vettel has quit RBR, everything else is pure conjecture. Madness.

I probably shouldn't be telling you this but I'll be driving for McLaren next year. Allegedly.

Nice try but Im not falling for that one. You've been seen lurking in the bushes outside Maranello.

I think we both know why...

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 13 Oct 2014, 20:03

CoopsII wrote:
takagi_for_the_win wrote:
CoopsII wrote:This is the silliest silly season foroutside time. At this point all we know for a fact is that Vettel has quit RBR, everything else is pure conjecture. Madness.

I probably shouldn't be telling you this but I'll be driving for McLaren next year. Allegedly.

Nice try but Im not falling for that one. You've been seen lurking in the bushes outside Maranello.

I think we both know why...

Is it because he's replacing Hamilton at Mercedes?

andrew · Post by **andrew** » 13 Oct 2014, 20:37

We are all assuming that Vettel is going to Ferrari, how about Vettel wants Mercedes engines to win so is going to lotus??

You heard it here first.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 13 Oct 2014, 22:30

It probably won't happen, but wouldn't it be great to see Button be partnered by Takuma Sato at McLaren-Honda. After all, both drivers have Japan and Honda links...

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 13 Oct 2014, 23:53

Salamander wrote:
CoopsII wrote:
takagi_for_the_win wrote:
I probably shouldn't be telling you this but I'll be driving for McLaren next year. Allegedly.

Nice try but Im not falling for that one. You've been seen lurking in the bushes outside Maranello.

I think we both know why...

Is it because he's replacing Hamilton at Mercedes?

Am I the only one who was seen in the bushes outside Leafield? By the way, I swear I wasn't doing anything wrong...

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 14 Oct 2014, 03:03

I've seen a police report that suggests otherwise ...

watka · Post by **watka** » 14 Oct 2014, 12:46

Just thinking where does this leaves Stoffel Vandoorne? Not only does it seem like a battle for a seat between Button & Magnussen for 2015, but probably Magnussen & Vandoorne in 2016. This assumes that Alonso is going to McLaren (and signing for more than a year) - I can't see Fernando taking a sabbatical as he's too much of a racer. My thinking goes that if McLaren keep Magnussen, that's a big vote of confidence and they will invest in him for a number of years, which closes the door for Vandoorne in 2016. On the other hand, if they keep Button, they're rejecting Magnussen, and despite how good he is Button is not the future for McLaren so Vandoorne gets a big chance at the seat in 2016. Vandoorne can't be ignored given that he is the first driver for a long time who's more or less lived up to expectations in their first year of GP2.

I imagine that the battle is (or was - they may have already decided behind closed doors) that Honda want Button for consistency, familiarity and marketability, and McLaren want Magnussen as he is their man and wouldn't want to admit to being wrong about chucking out Perez. I speculate though that Honda would be more than happy to have Alonso lead the team if they can sign him, and let Button go.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 14 Oct 2014, 13:03

watka wrote:I imagine that the battle is (or was - they may have already decided behind closed doors) that Honda want Button for consistency, familiarity and marketability, and McLaren want Magnussen as he is their man and wouldn't want to admit to being wrong about chucking out Perez. I speculate though that Honda would be more than happy to have Alonso lead the team if they can sign him, and let Button go.

If Honda wanted that, I don't see why they wanted McLaren to go after Alonso/Vettel/Hamilton.

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 14 Oct 2014, 14:08

Salamander wrote:
watka wrote:I imagine that the battle is (or was - they may have already decided behind closed doors) that Honda want Button for consistency, familiarity and marketability, and McLaren want Magnussen as he is their man and wouldn't want to admit to being wrong about chucking out Perez. I speculate though that Honda would be more than happy to have Alonso lead the team if they can sign him, and let Button go.

If Honda wanted that, I don't see why they wanted McLaren to go after Alonso/Vettel/Hamilton.

Honda might want Button. He was their driver for most of Brackley years and he was a champion in what was an Honda chassis efectively. There is a chance that Honda might not want Magnussen instead and prefer to have the strongest pair it can (which currently is still Alonso-Button).

solarcold · Post by **solarcold** » 14 Oct 2014, 14:18

Button in his interview hinted he wants McLaren to pick Kevin.

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 14 Oct 2014, 14:32

solarcold wrote:Button in his interview hinted he wants McLaren to pick Kevin.

He wasn't particularly happy after the race in spite of it being McLaren's second best of the season. He could be feeling this way because of what happened to Bianchi and perhaps he really wants to retire now.

takagi_for_the_win · Post by **takagi_for_the_win** » 14 Oct 2014, 15:54

Salamander wrote:
CoopsII wrote:
takagi_for_the_win wrote:
I probably shouldn't be telling you this but I'll be driving for McLaren next year. Allegedly.

Nice try but Im not falling for that one. You've been seen lurking in the bushes outside Maranello.

I think we both know why...

Is it because he's replacing Hamilton at Mercedes?

DanielPT wrote:Am I the only one who was seen in the bushes outside Leafield? By the way, I swear I wasn't doing anything wrong...

Captain Hammer wrote:I've seen a police report that suggests otherwise ...

Yeah, those binoculars and tub of baby cream were fairly incriminating

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 14 Oct 2014, 16:04

takagi_for_the_win wrote:
DanielPT wrote:Am I the only one who was seen in the bushes outside Leafield? By the way, I swear I wasn't doing anything wrong...

Captain Hammer wrote:I've seen a police report that suggests otherwise ...

Yeah, those binoculars and tub of baby cream were fairly incriminating

And what is wrong with that? I was just trying to spot a Caterham CT05. The baby cream tub was to help in case of being given a seat-fitting session. Dirty minds... :twisted:

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 14 Oct 2014, 16:23

solarcold wrote:Button in his interview hinted he wants McLaren to pick Kevin.

What? Instead of him? Excellent negotiation skills there Jens!

Dj_bereta · Post by **Dj_bereta** » 14 Oct 2014, 16:47

Simtek wrote:
solarcold wrote:Button in his interview hinted he wants McLaren to pick Kevin.

He wasn't particularly happy after the race in spite of it being McLaren's second best of the season. He could be feeling this way because of what happened to Bianchi and perhaps he really wants to retire now.

Like what happened after the death of Dan Wheldon.

Also, I don't think the experience with Honda engines (aspirated, not turbo) is going to save his seat.

solarcold · Post by **solarcold** » 14 Oct 2014, 20:11

CoopsII wrote:
solarcold wrote:Button in his interview hinted he wants McLaren to pick Kevin.

What? Instead of him? Excellent negotiation skills there Jens!

Yes, exactly.

"You shouldn't worry about me," he is quoted by the BBC. "I am in a great place in my life right now and whatever happens next year I am happy.

"It's tougher for my teammate," said Button.

"I have been in the sport for a long time. I have won a world title and 15 races but Kevin is in his first season and there is more pressure on him to get a drive. I just hope they (McLaren) make the right decision," he added.

I see no other way to enterprete this phrase. And I have to say, this only gains a ton of respect for him.

Sublime_FA11C · Post by **Sublime_FA11C** » 15 Oct 2014, 12:41

I think this silly season is going to last forever. Toto said in an interview that Mercedes wants to delay negotiations with Hamilton until the driver's title is decided, and though i've not seen anyone specifically confirm nor deny it, 2015 is part of the negotiations. In my own opinion both Mercedes and Hamilton want to continue together, the only question is how the details are to be arranged, how long will the contract be, and what escape clauses they can agree on. This is annoying because it seems the "Alonso/Vettel/McLaren/Everyone/This is getting really silly now" story is on hold partly because of Hamilton's seat at Mercedes, which is all but a formality anyway.

Meanwhile i have some thoughts on Hulkenberg. He signed a 2 year contract with Force India but is ultimatley looking for a top seat. He isn't a pay driver and expects to earn money so if there's no top seat in F1 for him, an offer for a top seat elsewhere is a good option for him. That said, i'm not sure the rumors are to be belived, because Force India would not sign him unless it was for 2 years (that was the condition). There may be some escape clause, but otherwise you wouldn't approach a driver who is not available.

His F1 destinations? Red Bull is out of the question. McLaren have passed him twice. Mercedes is locked for the foreseeable future. Williams have Bottas and Massa's position is far more secure than some seem to think. Past it or not, he's not moving. He retires at the end of 2016 unless his form hits new peaks, or at the end of 2015 at the earliest if his performances slump badly.

Ferrari still have Kimi for 2015, so a seat there opens up in 2016 which is exactly when Hulkenberg is free again. Will he bet his career on a Ferrari drive in '16? Do Ferrari even want him at that time? A rear gunner for Vettel sounds like a job the Hulk could do, possibly even too well. And so Lotus are the only option left available. With Maldonando paying the bills and Hulkenberg gathering the points. Hmm... doesn't sound like a step forward, kinda sounds familiar too. At any rate, he'd never break his Force India deal to drive for Lotus next year. Right?

Hulkenberg, JEV and Grosjean are a trio of proven quality drivers that no top team seemingly wants to sign?! I can't fault teams for giving seats to young talent, and the older crop is not exactly underperforming. But Ricciardo, Bottas and to a lesser extent Magnussen and Kvyat, have shown that if you give a younger or less acomplished driver a top drive, they can deliver the goods and you can build a team around them. So where does that put the aforementioned trio? They have no titles and aren't exactly teenagers, so obviously there's no place for them in F1.[/sarcasm]

Perez narrowly avoided dropping out of F1. Though his backing helped, he has shown guts and quality this year while FI was still competitive. DiResta i have little love for, but he too could have delivered a decent points haul. Sutil is mostly written off by everybody but his 2014 performances are similar to Kobayashi's and equally restrained by the car. If these names are being overlooked or dropped you can say they had their chance already (except maybe Kobayashi), but JEV and Grosjean hardly got a proper shot at it. While the Hulk has been touted for years now as someone who could do what Ricciardo eventually did, if only a team would give him a seat. And the main objection in 2014 was his weight of all things...

Formula 1 is wasting an opportunity here, it's not often that there's so much talent to choose from. But instead there's a razor sharp divide between top teams and broke strugglers with only Force India in no man's land. Of the bottom teams, Caterham have bitten the dust and F1 lost nothing. Marussia still might brave next year to try and improve but if they are still stuck to the bottom, they will probably fold as well. Sauber wish they could stop running pay drivers and leap into 3rd in the WCC, but that team looks like it's on it's way out. Lotus have had a few good years before their '14 disaster, and with a Merc engine should join Force India in what is left of Formula 1's midfield, but they have the poster boy for pay drivers in one of their seats.

Formula 1's loss is F1 Rejects gain, but this lack of a proper midfield could hurt F1 very badly in the coming years.

And just because this post wasn't long enough... Yes i know Caterham are still in F1 but that isn't really the same thing. Fernandez pulled the plug, it was finished. Someone bought the assets and the cars are still hitting the track, but we have no idea what the goals are anymore. Probably they are looking to sell on or make some kind of return on the investment, but that sounds like bussiness and not racing. The Caterham that tried to "close the gap" and score some points in F1 is finished.

Grosjean has achieved podiums and isn't likely to be dropped out of F1, but he was desperatly trying to jump ship and drive for anything other than Lotus. But he's in the same boat as Hulkenberg when it comes to landing a top drive.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 15 Oct 2014, 13:00

Sublime_FA11C wrote:Sutil is mostly written off by everybody but his 2014 performances are similar to Kobayashi's and equally restrained by the car.

Except for that part where he has been routinely embarrassed by his paydriver teammate. Gutierrez is the one who has been threatening points for Sauber, not Sutil. Sutil's also had more silly errors.

Post by **Miguel98** » 15 Oct 2014, 19:54

Meanwhile, Luca di Montezemolo has just confirmed Alonso is leaving Ferrari.

https://twitter.com/andrewbensonf1/status/522472096979763200

good_Ralf · Post by **good_Ralf** » 15 Oct 2014, 22:28

Miguel98 wrote:Meanwhile, Luca di Montezemolo has just confirmed Alonso is leaving Ferrari.

https://twitter.com/andrewbensonf1/status/522472096979763200

A couple of years ago Alonso vowed seemingly to the grave that "I have said this before: Ferrari will be my last team". And now he is leaving! :lol:

If Alonso has kept his word, he is either retiring or planning a possible return (?) but the latter seems very unlikely, even if it were a spell in sportcars. To be honest I think he will probably leave for McLaren in '15.

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 16 Oct 2014, 00:13

"This will be my last team," said every sportsperson, ever. It's nothing more than a worthless platitude. True one club/one team men don't even bring this up.

So Alonso isn't going to pull a fast one on the lot of us and stay put. There must surely be a twist in the story somewhere. The best guess is that Mercedes are going to throw Rosberg under the bus completely and offload him a year early from his contract. Like Luca says, Alonso no longer has the time to commit to a long term project and wait for success to materialise. Which is likely what McLaren-Honda will turn out to be, unless the Honda is a trump card out of nowhere that blitzes the Merc engine.

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 16 Oct 2014, 00:29

Except that he said it "probably won't be" a Mercedes-powered team that he joins. And Mercedes already have Rosberg under contract for 2015, and following Spa, they made a point to acknowledge that they had addressed Rosberg's issue within the team (which wasn't picked up by the British media).

Also, you can jump on the "Alonso is a hypocrite" bandwagon, but ask yourself: what did Ferrari promise him? In five years, they have given him two shots at the title, and even then, those results came in a sub-standard car. Can anyone really fault Alonso for going back on his word when Ferrari have clearly failed him?

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 16 Oct 2014, 00:42

Captain Hammer wrote:Except that he said it "probably won't be" a Mercedes-powered team that he joins. And Mercedes already have Rosberg under contract for 2015, and following Spa, they made a point to acknowledge that they had addressed Rosberg's issue within the team (which wasn't picked up by the British media).

Also, you can jump on the "Alonso is a hypocrite" bandwagon, but ask yourself: what did Ferrari promise him? In five years, they have given him two shots at the title, and even then, those results came in a sub-standard car. Can anyone really fault Alonso for going back on his word when Ferrari have clearly failed him?

Not interested in bandwagon jumping. It's just lack of foresight. He just made remarks he didn't really think about the consequences of at the time. When you're in love, you never think it could possibly end badly, and then the messy divorce hits you. People sometimes don't see these things coming.

Also, I always take public comments on contracts and transfer rumours and so on with a truckload of salt. In sport, at least half of the time, public comments can be nothing more than positioning ones self into a certain position negotiation-wise. The Mercedes thing may be little more than posturing for a certain purpose, never discount that possibility.

solarcold · Post by **solarcold** » 16 Oct 2014, 06:03

Sublime_FA11C wrote:[/sarcasm]

I won't be able to eat or sleep until I know where was the starting point of that sarcasm!

Sublime_FA11C · Post by **Sublime_FA11C** » 16 Oct 2014, 13:11

solarcold wrote:
Sublime_FA11C wrote:[/sarcasm]
I won't be able to eat or sleep until I know where was the starting point of that sarcasm!

Well i wrote that Hulkenberg, JEV and Grosjean obviously have no place in F1 because they are neither teenagers nor title contenders, merely good drivers with potential. That would be the sarcasm.

When Red Bull took a gamble on Ricciardo questions were raised about his abilities and he was predicted to be Seb's bitch. It turned out that Red Bull were right to give him a chance. Grosjean at least has some podiums but it's still sad that he's in a group of drivers who deserve a career in F1 but can't land a good seat.