The F1 thread

sinbaadi

So weird.  Teams and drivers not on the same page about who's driving for who next year?

Next we'll have old retired drivers posting jokingly that they will not be driving for current f1 teams in '23.

Cols

sinbaadi said:

So weird.  Teams and drivers not on the same page about who's driving for who next year?

Next we'll have old retired drivers posting jokingly that they will not be driving for current f1 teams in '23.

I keep seeing Damon Hill, Mark Webber, Johnny Herbert and Nico Rosberg nosing about the paddock.  More for Ricciardo to worry about…

stickyfiddle

Dieter Rencken says Piastri's Mclaren deal is done and they're just waiting to parachute DR into another seat before announcing. 

So where does DR go? Alpine, Haas, Williams and Sauber all have open spots. I could see either of Alpine or Haas working well tbh

https://racingnews365.com/opinion-how-alpine-lost-piastri

chillidoggy

There’s the possibility that he goes off with Seb into retirement.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

I bet there's a large part of Danny Ric that wishes he'd never left Renault/Alpine, so I can see him going back there. I can imagine Alpine being happy to have him too, as a way to save face and get some positive press after embarrassment of the past week!

goldtop

He's not a Kimi "can't be bothered" Raikonnen type. So I expect he definitely will want a drive next year, rather than sit it out with a big pay check for doing SFA.

Cols

stickyfiddle said:

Dieter Rencken says Piastri's Mclaren deal is done and they're just waiting to parachute DR into another seat before announcing. 

So where does DR go? Alpine, Haas, Williams and Sauber all have open spots. I could see either of Alpine or Haas working well tbh

https://racingnews365.com/opinion-how-alpine-lost-piastri

Well, he seems extremely sure of his sources.

It'll be Alpine or a year on the bench.  Considering the circumstances of the schism - effectively McLaren are breaking a solid contract - DR will be seeking his salary in full.  In the meantime, he is going to want to get paid if he's driving elsewhere - for pride's sake if nothing else - and Alpine are the only one out of those four who would really pay a salary.

On top of that, driving for Alpine has got the most likely chance to succeed and build his reputation.  There's not much glory to be had for a driver of Ricciardo's calibre by grinding the likes of Magnussen, Bottas or Albon into the dust.  Ocon, on the other hand, is highly rated.

Alpine has already indicated willingness to welcome Ricciardo back (although the CEO is still pissed off at him).

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/szafnauer-no-issue-in-bringing-ricciardo-back-to-alpine-f1-team/10348007/ ;

stickyfiddle

Yeah, Dieter is a class act - seems to be well regarded by virtually everyone and basically never talks shit, so he's trusted with a lot of info. I would be very surprised if he's wrong, and let's be honest it's the simplest explanation for the situation as it currently stands. 

I agree a return to Enstone could be great for DR. They're at least as competitive as they were when he was last there and beat Ocon easily. Granted I think Ocon's got better since then, but it's an environment he knows and will be able to have a frank discussion about the car's characteristics vs his old Renault and the struggles he's had with the tricky McLaren. 

I reckon Zak is probably trying to get Alpine to pay half the break costs and have that sorted over the summer so everyone can move on from Spa onwards. 

The one fear I have for Piastri is what if he struggles to match Lando as well...? 

fretmeister

So in summary...

fretmeister

stickyfiddle said:

The one fear I have for Piastri is what if he struggles to match Lando as well...? 

This is the one thing we don't yet know.

Maybe Ric just hasn't been able to find out how to drive the McLaren. But also maybe Riccardo has shown that the McLaren is a genuine lower midfield car, and that Lando is a Lewis / Max level driver who is performing beyond it.

Cols

stickyfiddle said:

I reckon Zak is probably trying to get Alpine to pay half the break costs and have that sorted over the summer so everyone can move on from Spa onwards. 

That really would be taking the piss. 

It would be like someone hitting on your girlfriend at the bar, jumping into a taxi with her at the end of the night and shouting through the taxi window "Oh, hey dude!  I forget to pay my bar bill; take care of it for me, will you?"

stickyfiddle

fretmeister said:

stickyfiddle said:

The one fear I have for Piastri is what if he struggles to match Lando as well...? 

This is the one thing we don't yet know.

Maybe Ric just hasn't been able to find out how to drive the McLaren. But also maybe Riccardo has shown that the McLaren is a genuine lower midfield car, and that Lando is a Lewis / Max level driver who is performing beyond it.

Yep - that’s what I wonder. Lando was spectacular when he and Fernando did the Rolex 24 at Daytona - by far ether quickest driver in the dark and super consistent with it (the key to endurance racing). They got screwed by reliability issues but he was super cool at just 20, in his first sports car race, never mind his first 24-hour race. Super adaptable and instantly goes quick in everything he’s ever driven

I honestly wonder if he’s just that frickin good at adapting in a tricky car like all the greats, while Ricciardo hasn’t lost anything; he’s still really good but can’t adapt to anything instantly like the really too guys can

Boromedic

fretmeister said:

stickyfiddle said:

The one fear I have for Piastri is what if he struggles to match Lando as well...? 

This is the one thing we don't yet know.

Maybe Ric just hasn't been able to find out how to drive the McLaren. But also maybe Riccardo has shown that the McLaren is a genuine lower midfield car, and that Lando is a Lewis / Max level driver who is performing beyond it.

One hundred percent agreed, Lando is at that level and that's why. Any driver will struggle with him as a teammate, I rate him more than Russell.

stickyfiddle

Good stat from Alex Jacques:

Only five drivers have scored more wins than Daniel Ricciardo in the last decade:

• Hamilton

• Vettel 

• Verstappen 

• Rosberg

• Bottas.  

 Arguably none of his eight wins were achieved with the fastest car on the day. It's a brutal game sometimes.

chillidoggy

Rumours circulating that Piastri will replace Danny Ric.

edit - I may be behind the curve on this one.

fretmeister

Well!

It seems the "Alpine let the option run out" thing wasn't true.

but... it seems that both McLaren and Alpine have valid contracts with Piastri and it might be heading for court

https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-piastri-two-valid-alpine-mclaren-contracts/

stickyfiddle

chillidoggy said:

Rumours circulating that Piastri will replace Danny Ric.

edit - I may be behind the curve on this one.

Did you hear Mika Hakkinen is taking a sabbatical?!

goldtop

Can't be as entertaining as the Button-BAR-McLaren saga. All worked out well for him in the end.

(But I wouldn't trust the bloke's signature on a postcard!)

sinbaadi

fretmeister said:

Well!

It seems the "Alpine let the option run out" thing wasn't true.

but... it seems that both McLaren and Alpine have valid contracts with Piastri and it might be heading for court

https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-piastri-two-valid-alpine-mclaren-contracts/

If true he needs to ditch Webber and co. as they are, clearly, woefully incompetent.

euan

This is very much Flávio chaos.