2015 Formula 1 silly season thread.

[TheNo1F1Fan]

André Lotterer will finally debut at Spa.

[chillibowl]

'weight' might be the crucial variable here. adults put on weight too easily where as children dont have that problem.

im sure he has tremendous skill and an even greater potential but there is a reason i dont follow the junior categories...i dont want to watch children compete and have even less desire to see children compete against adults....and i appreciate that is just a personal choice of mine.

obviously i dont wish the kid ill, but for me if i see someone so young succeed in F1 it diminishes what i consider a physical and athletic challenge that F1 is supposed to represent.

at the end of the day though its only one seat in a midfield team but if this is a sign of a new trend then i think i feel kind of strongly against this idea and would support a minimum age for F1.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

'weight' might be the crucial variable here. adults put on weight too easily where as children dont have that problem.

im sure he has tremendous skill and an even greater potential but there is a reason i dont follow the junior categories...i dont want to watch children compete and have even less desire to see children compete against adults....and i appreciate that is just a personal choice of mine.

obviously i dont wish the kid ill, but for me if i see someone so young succeed in F1 it diminishes what i consider a physical and athletic challenge that F1 is supposed to represent.

at the end of the day though its only one seat in a midfield team but if this is a sign of a new trend then i think i feel kind of strongly against this idea and would support a minimum age for F1.

Biologically he's an adult and more than capable of driving a modern F1 car. In comparison to proper sports, F1 2014 is not extremely demanding physically. If 15 year olds can break world records at far more physically demanding sport such as swimming, biological maturity isn't a problem here.

[VIVA GT]

I'm beginning to think driving a modern F1 car with all of the electronic aids and buttons to twiddle on the steering is going to appeal more to the Play-Station generation as opposed to what I call 'Real Drivers'.
That's not a derogatory comment, I don't want to make out that they're any less skilful, (or less athletic etc.), I just believe that the skills required are changing.
(The fact that thankfully, they also appear to be able to walk away un-scathed for what appear to be horrendous accidents would be another parallel I'd draw).

[OZ_HCR32]

Originally Posted by bella

though i see your initial point, to be entirely fair to him being "on it every second" was how he scored bigger points than saint daniel of perth whilst they were teammates. he's a god in the wet

Granted he scored more points. But on two occassions Saint Dan had car problems that meant he gave his points to Jev (one where he retired, the other a broken swaybar or something meant he lost 4 seconds a lap and Jev got him with a few laps to go as Dan was going backwards)

But point taken...though the other measure of number of points finishes was comfortably in Dan's favour.

Regardign the wet, it is peculiar that he can feel out the grip so "epicl" in slippery conditions but cant feel out the grip leves on fresh slicks for quali. I cant help but think that like Webber hates some of the Pirelli tyres, Kimi seems to struggle with the front end and lack of feel from the tyres...I wonder if in the days of tyre wars Jev woudl have been able to better get a feel for the car udner him , inc tyre compound etc and perform more conistantly.

For me it cant be discounted that simply the current type oif F1 car or car & tyre just limits him a tad as when he gets the car in the window. And reliability, sure doesnt help. ie Monaco. But he needs to continue to turn ion those performances and hope that sooner or later the car wont fail and he bags a 5th etc.

Otherwise...he is off doing Formula E

[Michael24]

Lotterer in at Caterham (though now, not next year .... yet)

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

personally I have no idea how anyone can possibly think of using Ricciardo's car reliability as the main reason for Jean-Éric Vergne outscoring him. This is Jean-Éric Vergne, the man with the worst luck/reliability in Formula 1 for the last few years.

Whilst Ricciardo is clearly very good, Vergne's performances at Hungary this season and Canada last season far surpassed anything Ricciardo did in a Toro Rosso during a race. If he leaves, F1 is the highest loser. There's no way Sutil and Chilton are near Vergne's quality.

[naca]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

personally I have no idea how anyone can possibly think of using Ricciardo's car reliability as the main reason for Jean-Éric Vergne outscoring him. This is Jean-Éric Vergne, the man with the worst luck/reliability in Formula 1 for the last few years.

Whilst Ricciardo is clearly very good, Vergne's performances at Hungary this season and Canada last season far surpassed anything Ricciardo did in a Toro Rosso during a race. If he leaves, F1 is the highest loser. There's no way Sutil and Chilton are near Vergne's quality.

He'll probably either end up in DTM or FIA WEC, with a bit of Formula E on the side. Unfortunately for him it seems Bianchi and Grosjean and the favoured frenchmen at the moment so I don't see him getting much 'local' backing. I reckon he could make a very good career out of being a star in the WEC. He has the pace and is pretty good over long runs. I'd say a team would be crazy not to consider him if they where looking for someone new.

[bella]

bleh, it seems really problematic that we say a lot now that x or y driver is better off in wec or sportscars. f1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of racing your nuts off, the seriously quick thing that everyone wants to do... and now these one off great racers are being diluted into a team of 3 or 4 drivers. seems a bit of a shame so early in their careers.

(but i'd like to see a red bull-backed lmp1 superteam. jev, webber and someone else...)

[JoestForEver]

Originally Posted by bella

bleh, it seems really problematic that we say a lot now that x or y driver is better off in wec or sportscars. f1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of racing your nuts off, the seriously quick thing that everyone wants to do... and now these one off great racers are being diluted into a team of 3 or 4 drivers. seems a bit of a shame so early in their careers.

(but i'd like to see a red bull-backed lmp1 superteam. jev, webber and someone else...)

Yeah Yeah Yeah same fantasy of "pinnacle" again. Monaco is only one of the triple crown, and so is Formula 1, it's only the pinnacle of single seater racing that's all. Racing for a new factory entry like Nissan in 2015 is a nice place to go on racing.
But, as rumour arises for Vettel going to Mclaren, JEV may get a Red Bull Racing seat after all!

[wnut]

Originally Posted by bella

bleh, it seems really problematic that we say a lot now that x or y driver is better off in wec or sportscars. f1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of racing your nuts off, the seriously quick thing that everyone wants to do... and now these one off great racers are being diluted into a team of 3 or 4 drivers. seems a bit of a shame so early in their careers.

(but i'd like to see a red bull-backed lmp1 superteam. jev, webber and someone else...)

"f1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of racing your nuts off "

We Wish!

It has all the best drivers and money, but does not deliver!

[bella]

on the basis that there's nowhere else for them to do that... yes, it is the pinnacle. was. for a while.

[Hawkwood]

Chilton 'steps aside' for Alexander Rossi. Haven't seen if it's for Spa only.
But things don't look good for Chilton for 2015, but a good race from Rossi won't do his future any harm at all.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Hawkwood

Chilton 'steps aside' for Alexander Rossi. Haven't seen if it's for Spa only.
But things don't look good for Chilton for 2015, but a good race from Rossi won't do his future any harm at all.

'Contractual issues' apparently. Money again I guess.

[EastonNeston]

Simple fact of the business, slow pay driver fails to make his contractually agreed payment on time, the team then signs a another driver who has money, and in this case is probably a better driver.

[p-matt]

I'm sure that Marussia won't like that Max's people felt the need to put out a statement saying that Chilton heroically stepped aside to let Marussia sell his seat to the highest bidder. There's always been that sense of insecurity from the Chilton camp, as though they have to continually justify that Max is there on merit.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by EastonNeston

Simple fact of the business, slow pay driver fails to make his contractually agreed payment on time, the team then signs a another driver who has money, and in this case is probably a better driver.

Grahame Chilton's obviously had enough of F1.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

From one farcical joker to another. Sorry if I'm blunt and harsh with my viewpoint but given both drivers' careers so far it is a conclusion that is certainly valid! Bianchi may as well replace Kimi for Spa so Rodolfo Gonzalez can join in the party! Maybe the British F3 grid really is full of Formula 1 prospects...

...anyway, expect nothing but raw, unbridled failure from Rossi, and if he finishes then god would have to be drunk for Bianchi to be beaten by him!

Max was certainly right when he recently said that cost cutting was F1's only valid option for the future! Rant over, I'm off to my own fantasy world where talent actually matters...

[davyboy]

I wouldn't get too upset about it. Half the grid is made up of people who've paid for their drives. There's nothing meritocratic about F1 today.

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

But when you look at the grid, at least Perez is a competent racer! Ericsson, Gutierrez, Sutil and Chilton are currently the only drivers who haven't shown any form of quality this season, and I'd expect to add Rossi to this list in 72 hours time!

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

But when you look at the grid, at least Perez is a competent racer! Ericsson, Gutierrez, Sutil and Chilton are currently the only drivers who haven't shown any form of quality this season, and I'd expect to add Rossi to this list in 72 hours time!

You and me both!

Having seen Rossi's efforts with a Lotus 49 at Circuit of the Americas (frankly the worst driving display that I have ever seen from a professional driver), I do not expect anything of him, if he can drive the car then I really have to question what we are watching on Grand Prix weekends!

[wolfhound]

It seems like the Chiltons have found their piggy bank again as Max now has the 'contact issue' sorted is now going to drive at Spa.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115479

[Teretonga]

Saward intimated a change may be coming at Ferrari.... although it was along the lines of the names will be there but things will be different...

So is Alonso moving to McLaren... I doubt it.

Autosport says McLaren is making a push for Alonso or Vettel so if Alonso moved could he be swapped for Button or would Button be swapped for Raikkonen? I can't see that at all...

But Hamilton?
Mercedes have agreed to stop negotiations with Hamilton until the title battle is sorted....
Now to me that means a lot more to Hamilton than to Mercedes. Do I think Mercedes combo is in meltdown? Yes.
Hamilton would want a deal equal to Rosberg's plus a premium to play second fiddle to him unless they get this team mate business sorted out....

So suspend the talks with Mercedes but keep another option open and don't get painted into a corner.
Hamilton back to McLaren would not surprise me at all....

[wolfhound]

I am sure but to the best of my memory neither Alonso or Vettel are out of contract at the end of this year. There might however be get out clauses for lack of performance.

Mind you Ferrari drivers can usually get sacked for being uncomplementry about the cars they have to drive so getting out of Maranello might not be too difficult.

[p-matt]

It's a strange silly season, because with Verstappen confirmed at STR, it seems most likely there will be no other changes in the top 8 teams.

But this is F1, and nothing is what it seems. There's already hints that Alonso or Vettel might leave for McLaren. Kimi could walk away or be sacked again. There's got to be question marks over whether Hamilton and Rosberg can work as teammates next year.

We typically see a move more unexpected than each if these on an annual basis...