The F1 thread

chillidoggy

Fretwired said:

Garthy said:

Fretwired said:

Garthy said:

Fretwired said:

sinbaadi said:

These teams should be fighting to get Charle Leclerc in their car, not worrying over which has-been to bring back.

There's going to be a massive shake out at the end of 2018. Lots of drivers contracts end and a lot of drivers, like Bottas, are on one year deals and aren't performing. I suspect Williams will be mid table again next year so giving Di Resta a one year deal makes sense - he has experience and can help develop the car. There are a lot of young hot shots waiting in the wings so I think we'll be saying goodbye to a number of drivers post 2018.

I'm not convinced Bottas is underperforming, 2 wins, 8 podiums and five top 5s is generally what you'd expect. 

He is seriously underperforming - Lauda has said it Wolff's face says it all and even Bottas has said it's not good enough. Hamilton is making him look average. I'd like to see Ricciardo in the other Merc. He'd keep Hamilton honest. It's clear he's leaving Red Bull as he and Max have a toxic relationship.

Here's what Bottas thinks: https://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/360201/

Wolff's view: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132188/mercedes-worried-about-bottas-slump

Everyone has a wobble in their careers. Vettel had one in the beginning of 2012 yet still won the WDC and in the same year Button was all at sea from Monaco to Germany, especially Canada where he got slaughtered by Hamilton.

Regarding the Max and Dan toxic relationship, did you not see their after race interviews recently (poss Malaysia)? They got on so well LH asked them if they share a room and MV said they share a bed, DR said it was a choice of a new front wing or their own beds... they appear to get on like a house on fire.

As for being clear DR is leaving RB- you haven't exactly been Mystic Meg for the driver market this year.

WTF ... fine .. Helmut Marko has said Ricciardo is on the market .. Ricciardo has said he'd like to partner Hamilton .. draw the dotted lines .. but hell Mystic Meg ..

I'm out ..

I guess this is why Fretwired bowed out. Come on, Fret, it’s your thread this one, FFS, lets not get as bad as some have been on here lately, with all the flouncing going on. This is one of the longest running threads, if not the longest. Get back in the saddle, man!

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

chillidoggy said:

Massa announces his retirement. Door is open for the rest of the gaggle now!

Just got a strange feeling of deja vu... 

chillidoggy

It's about time we got this going again..............

Looks like Kubica will be going to Williams after all.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

chillidoggy said:

It's about time we got this going again..............

Looks like Kubica will be going to Williams after all.

Bit premature to say that surely? A lot riding on the Abu Dhabi test for him and the team. Would be a great story to have him back though!

stickyfiddle

I reckon Paddy wants Kubica because he wants to have the best chance possible of good results, but the team & sponsors are understandably more cautious. Honestly, caution is what got them where they are today (i.e. 7th or whatever), so I'm all for taking the risk. 

In other news, it must be the Abu Dhabi race weekend, because this big-ass yacht just sailed past my window in the direction of the poshest hotel in town...

I also came through the airpot last night - walked past a bazillion meet & greets with F1 name-boards

chillidoggy

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

chillidoggy said:

It's about time we got this going again..............

Looks like Kubica will be going to Williams after all.

Bit premature to say that surely? A lot riding on the Abu Dhabi test for him and the team. Would be a great story to have him back though!

 I read reports that it's a done deal barring the paperwork. Of course Williams has denied it, and as we all know, in F1 a denial is always the truth, ergo it must be true!

Sticky, you attending the event, then?

stickyfiddle

Nah, not going this year. Its £250 for a 2-day ticket, which includes 2 concerts, but it's Mumfords & Pink so not spending that kinda wedge when the racing's meh and the title fight's done. Front row for The Who a couple of years back was good though.

It's actually lucky cos I've got a flu bug and I ain't going nowhere!

Fretwired

Boromedic said:

P.s. Where is @Fretwired ? Surely he wasn't scared off by the earlier craic? He usually has some wis on this topic, please say he hasn't flounced?!

No he wasn't. No flounce. Just stated my discussion on said item was over. That said .... :-)

Paddock gossip is saying the Honey Badger could be moving to Mercedes if Bottas doesn't up his game next year which is why he's sitting on the fence over a new Red Bull deal. Another poor practice session today for Bottas.

sweepy

I sincerely hope that Kubica doesn't go to Williams, Di Resta has earned that seat and can be relied on to get points

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Fretwired said:

Boromedic said:

P.s. Where is @Fretwired ? Surely he wasn't scared off by the earlier craic? He usually has some wis on this topic, please say he hasn't flounced?!

No he wasn't. No flounce. Just stated my discussion on said item was over. That said .... :-)

Paddock gossip is saying the Honey Badger could be moving to Mercedes if Bottas doesn't up his game next year which is why he's sitting on the fence over a new Red Bull deal. Another poor practice session today for Bottas.

Bottas is a strange one. Seemed to start the season promisingly, and I assumed he would get stronger as the year went on and he settled into the team. Just seems to have gone off the boil massively second half of the season. 

Fretwired

sweepy said:

I sincerely hope that Kubica doesn't go to Williams, Di Resta has earned that seat and can be relied on to get points

Or Bottas goes back and the Honey Badger joins Merc ... (unlikely .. but hey).

chillidoggy

I think Bottas has one more year at Merc?

I personally rate Mad Max above Honey Badger, and I'm still surprised Alonso is remaining with McLaren. He's like a gambler putting his shirt on the outcome on the turn of a roulette wheel.

stickyfiddle

chillidoggy said:

I think Bottas has one more year at Merc?

I personally rate Mad Max above Honey Badger, and I'm still surprised Alonso is remaining with McLaren. He's like a gambler putting his shirt on the outcome on the turn of a roulette wheel.

Yeah,but with the number of teams he’s pissed off in the past, his only other option is to leave the casino...

Fretwired

chillidoggy said:

I think Bottas has one more year at Merc?

I personally rate Mad Max above Honey Badger, and I'm still surprised Alonso is remaining with McLaren. He's like a gambler putting his shirt on the outcome on the turn of a roulette wheel.

Alonso didn't get a serious offer from Merc, Red Bull or Ferrari so he didn't have much choice.

Fretwired

chillidoggy said:

I think Bottas has one more year at Merc?

He does, but Merc will be wondering whether he's up to the job. Ferrari imploded this year with a combination of poor driving from Vettel and some reliability issues. This won't happen next year.  Merc will find it tough and will need two drivers firing on all cylinders. Bottas is just too far off the pace at the moment. And when he got pole and was jumped at the start and never bothered Vettel whilst Hamilton charged like a man possessed from the back of the field. Toto Wolff didn't look too happy with Bottas in post race interviews.

Boromedic

Fretwired said:

Boromedic said:

P.s. Where is @Fretwired ? Surely he wasn't scared off by the earlier craic? He usually has some wis on this topic, please say he hasn't flounced?!

No he wasn't. No flounce. Just stated my discussion on said item was over. That said .... :-)

Paddock gossip is saying the Honey Badger could be moving to Mercedes if Bottas doesn't up his game next year which is why he's sitting on the fence over a new Red Bull deal. Another poor practice session today for Bottas.

Goodo! Glad to have you back.

Bottas has looked poor partly because Lewis has been so good, still think Ricciardo would be a better bet.... Although I bet Lewis wouldn't

Fretwired

Boromedic said:

Fretwired said:

Boromedic said:

P.s. Where is @Fretwired ? Surely he wasn't scared off by the earlier craic? He usually has some wis on this topic, please say he hasn't flounced?!

No he wasn't. No flounce. Just stated my discussion on said item was over. That said .... :-)

Paddock gossip is saying the Honey Badger could be moving to Mercedes if Bottas doesn't up his game next year which is why he's sitting on the fence over a new Red Bull deal. Another poor practice session today for Bottas.

Goodo! Glad to have you back.

Bottas has looked poor partly because Lewis has been so good, still think Ricciardo would be a better bet.... Although I bet Lewis wouldn't

Not sure. Lewis wouldn't want Max or Seb as, like Nico, they'd play mind games with him. Valtteri is a nice guy - maybe he doesn't have a killer instinct and plays safe - who is a good team player. Daniel is fast, but he wouldn't play games so maybe a better fit.

Boromedic

Yeah maybe, I'd agree he isn't a game player, definitely better than Bottas and would keep him honest if he needed it. 

Garthy

My money is on RBR next year. Ferrari shot their bolt on the suspension saga that nobbled Merc & RBR and both teams will have purpose built cars next year from day 1, not the bodged up things they had this year. The new Renault is likely to be on par with the Merc and as RBR cheat like fuck they'll snaffle the WCC from Merc, who will win the 'fair play award' again for the ninth time in nine seasons.

chillidoggy

And then Bottas goes and proves us all wrong by claiming pole!