The F1 thread

sweepy

Formula E has to be the most processional racing it has ever been my misfortune to watch, if that's the future of motorsport I'll go and watch Rallycross and contract pneumonia 

hotpot

Rossi's been spotted trying out the Ferrari again.

rolls1392

Brilliant
Hotpot have a Wis!!

fretmeister

Fretwired

So Bottas to Mercedes and Lowe to Williams. Allison  joining Mercedes.

Garthy

Fretwired said:

So Bottas to Mercedes and Lowe to Williams. Allison  joining Mercedes.

Is this not speculation? People have wondered about Allison's destination for months, nobody mentioned Mercedes until this week when it suddenly hit the media the Lowe never renewed his contract with Merc.

Merc have offered Williams $10m off their engines for Bottas and they still said no, it seems that the T&Cs surrounding Martini's sponsorship and Stroll's contract which between them bring the majority of the team's income state that Bottas or someone similar (at least 25, consistent podium finisher, solid performer) occupies the other seat. When Rosberg announced his retirement I thought Bottas would get the drive immediately, these T&Cs change that considerably. Werhlien it seems is their only straightforward option.

rlw

Williams says piss off.

FX_Munkee

FX_Munkee said:

My money is on: Bottas to Mercedes, Wherlein to Williams and a discount on Merc engines for Williams.
Woolf manages Bottas

I still say it's happening. Williams can afford to play hardball they're in a good position.

HAL9000

rlw said:

Williams says piss off.

First stage in negotiations - I reckon Williams will let Botas go, just not for Mercs's first offer.

Fretwired

Sergio Perez is in the frame as a possible 'makeweight' - Botas to Mercedes, Perez to Williams with Williams and Force India getting engine discounts and maybe some cash.

Fretwired

God noooooo!!

Former Williams and Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado, renowned for being involved in numerous crashes, has said he is "talking to some teams" about a return to F1.

Is he replacing Bottas at Williams?

Heartfeltdawn

Fretwired said:

God noooooo!!

Former Williams and Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado, renowned for being involved in numerous crashes, has said he is "talking to some teams" about a return to F1.

Is he replacing Bottas at Williams?

Hopefully he's replacing Bernd Maylander. 

Nitefly

@chillidoggy used to call him Malfunctionado, LOL

Fretwired

Heartfeltdawn said:

Fretwired said:

God noooooo!!

Former Williams and Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado, renowned for being involved in numerous crashes, has said he is "talking to some teams" about a return to F1.

Is he replacing Bottas at Williams?

Hopefully he's replacing Bernd Maylander. 

I've always wondered why F1 doesn't switch to something like a McLaren P1. The latest Mercedes is pretty slow whereas a P1 can achieve well over 200 mph but crucially it can corner like an F1 car so tyres and breaks can be kept up to temp.

stickyfiddle

Fretwired said:

Heartfeltdawn said:

Fretwired said:

God noooooo!!

Former Williams and Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado, renowned for being involved in numerous crashes, has said he is "talking to some teams" about a return to F1.

Is he replacing Bottas at Williams?

Hopefully he's replacing Bernd Maylander. 

I've always wondered why F1 doesn't switch to something like a McLaren P1. The latest Mercedes is pretty slow whereas a P1 can achieve well over 200 mph but crucially it can corner like an F1 car so tyres and breaks can be kept up to temp.

I'm guessing there's a long-term commercial deal with Merc to use their cars for safety & doctor's cars. I can't remember them ever being anything else

Fretwired

stickyfiddle said:

Fretwired said:

Heartfeltdawn said:

Fretwired said:

God noooooo!!

Former Williams and Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado, renowned for being involved in numerous crashes, has said he is "talking to some teams" about a return to F1.

Is he replacing Bottas at Williams?

Hopefully he's replacing Bernd Maylander. 

I've always wondered why F1 doesn't switch to something like a McLaren P1. The latest Mercedes is pretty slow whereas a P1 can achieve well over 200 mph but crucially it can corner like an F1 car so tyres and breaks can be kept up to temp.

I'm guessing there's a long-term commercial deal with Merc to use their cars for safety & doctor's cars. I can't remember them ever being anything else

I'm sure you're right - the drivers just moan that the car is slow.

Heartfeltdawn

Fretwired said:

I've always wondered why F1 doesn't switch to something like a McLaren P1. The latest Mercedes is pretty slow whereas a P1 can achieve well over 200 mph but crucially it can corner like an F1 car so tyres and breaks can be kept up to temp.

Marketing. Mercedes have a deal to supply the safety car. Different tracks and championships use different cars. For instance the British GT Championship had a McLaren for the Rockingham race this year. The V8 Supercars have a Lexus. Google chucks up an image I remembered from Monza and the Blancpain GT...

http://www.dailysportscar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/monza_bes_11.jpg

With reports of the 2017 cars having a cornering performance of some 5.5G, then even that P1 will be looking like a fridge on walls by comparison. For tyres and brakes to be kept up to temperature, the F1 car has to operating fairly close to capacity. In a yellow flag SC situation with marshalls on the track, that can't be allowed to happen and it's more important to keep those people safe. Having a quicker safety car would help the F1 cars but it puts people who aren't in carbon monocoques and protective gear in more danger. It'll be interesting seeing what does happen regarding the SC with the new reg cars. 

Fretwired

Bottas to Mercedes, Lowe from Mercedes to Williams plus £14 million in cash for car development and it looks like Massa could be back.

TimmyO

Fuck Massa, we want Button 

bobblehat

Fretwired said:

Bottas to Mercedes, Lowe from Mercedes to Williams plus £14 million in cash for car development and it looks like Massa could be back.

I thought we'd got rid of Massa for good  
He's F*****g hopeless.