Well, it's happened. Kevin's in.

[Paradise City]

Both dad and son have driven McLaren-Mercedes. Jan in the first year of the McLaren-Mercedes deal, Kevin in the last year of the McLaren-Mercedes deal. Nice that.

He's going to be useless in '14, McLaren will need to have patience with him and understand that if nurtured he'll bear fruit in time for when they strap a Honda onto the back of that car for Honda's first GP back.

[littleman]

Great news! - I've always been a huge fan of the "Young Guns", especially the really talented one's.

I'm sure the quite amazing performance by Marc Marquez in MotoGP this season has had some minor influence on promoting Magnussen & Kvyat.

A Rookie MotoGP World Champion - and just 20 years old!

[wnut]

Originally Posted by littleman

Great news! - I've always been a huge fan of the "Young Guns", especially the really talented one's.

I'm sure the quite amazing performance by Marc Marquez in MotoGP this season has had some minor influence on promoting Magnussen & Kvyat.

A Rookie MotoGP World Champion - and just 20 years old!

I am with you here! Great to see talent shine through!

Would be really nice if they could get an even break and a little practice time in F1 to get up to speed though!

[chunterer]

Magnussen is a cracking prospect, and this is potentially great for his career but it alsi seems that Perez has been royally shafted whatever is said about simulators!

[wnut]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Magnussen is a cracking prospect, and this is potentially great for his career but it alsi seems that Perez has been royally shafted whatever is said about simulators!

It may of course have been his sponsors who did the shafting though!

[Peter Mallett]

If this is confirmed then good for Magnussen, I look forward to seeing him succeed.

But, I have some sympathy with Perez. He has a duff car to drive and a team mate who knows just about every trick in the book; who may not be the out and out fastest; but, is a proven racer and who provides a good benchmark against which Perez can be judged. I think he knew this at the beginning of the season and thus was possibly a bit fazed.

Of the South American Drivers, excluding Felipe, I think Perez has done a solid job. Furthermore I'm sure he's better than Maldonado even if the latter has scored a fortunate win.

So, I hope he gets a seat somewhere where he can develop his talents.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Salamus

Wow. Two drivers that surprised everyone last year (Maldonado and Perez) don't have rides now. Maybe Perez will go back to Sauber?

I'm still struggling to work out how Maldonado 'surprised' everyone this year.......

[Peter Mallett]

He probably only deliberately drove two people of the track this year. One of which was his team mate! So, that was surprising.

[Aysedasi]

Ah yes, silly me. But was he 'mighty', 'massive', neither or both.....?

[Peter Mallett]

I'm possibly not the person to ask because I think he's massively over rated and mightily unimpressive.

Yes I know that doesn't quite work, but you get the picture.

[Dragger]

2014 is going to be a very interesting season for several different reasons. New turbo era, new star drivers, going to be a good year.

[bella]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Magnussen is a cracking prospect, and this is potentially great for his career but it alsi seems that Perez has been royally shafted whatever is said about simulators!

you've got a point, though if he couldn't see this coming then he was probably being a bit optimistic. i mean, we were all a bit underwhelmed when he was signed, and yet now he's duly being shown the door we're surprised? perhaps he was the only one daft enough to agree to the terms of a short term contract?

[Bononi]

Wow, that means that the promising Perez was a huge disappointment and now will have to find a seat somewhere else.

Certainly McLaren knows one thing or two that we don't but with everything changing next year, that's a bold move. Maybe Magnussen is the new Hamilton ??

[steve_r]

Will Perez be out on his ear, or will he be reserve / third driver?

Force India or Sauber could do worse than bring him in.

[CTD]

AGAIN!

It's not a signed deal or confirmed deal.
Rumour goes, that this might be an attempt to lure more money out of a certain Mexican.

[bella]

i would like to believe that it is an old school approach of a team giving an exclusive to a media organisation. you know, like it was before press releases and insta-media on the interwebs.

if autosport have gone with it then i'm happy to believe that it's just a matter of pen to paper and there's no dark subtext to it.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by bella

i would like to believe that it is an old school approach of a team giving an exclusive to a media organisation. you know, like it was before press releases and insta-media on the interwebs.

if autosport have gone with it then i'm happy to believe that it's just a matter of pen to paper and there's no dark subtext to it.

I really hope your right Bella! - I really do

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I'm still struggling to work out how Maldonado 'surprised' everyone this year.......

Salamus did say last year, which is when Maldonado won a race in a Williams. Quite surprising?
I agree that he hasn't surprised this year, but with this year's car being a total dog the fact that he hasn't surprised this year isn't much of a surprise.

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by Bononi

Wow, that means that the promising Perez was a huge disappointment and now will have to find a seat somewhere else.

Certainly McLaren knows one thing or two that we don't but with everything changing next year, that's a bold move. Maybe Magnussen is the new Hamilton ??

I think with everything changing it's less of a bold move.
The more that changes the less everyone else will 'know' the cars and therefore the less he will have to catch up.

Still a bold move no doubt, but it would be bolder to bring in a rookie when all the rules were static and all his competitors were set.

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I'm still struggling to work out how Maldonado 'surprised' everyone this year.......

I was referring to 2012.

Winning the Monaco GP in a Williams was a mighty performance and a massive accomplishment!

[Marbot]

I thought Maldonado won the Spanish GP in 2012?

[Knowlesy]

He did. And then the Williams garage combusted in shock.

[Salamus]

Originally Posted by Marbot

I thought Maldonado won the Spanish GP in 2012?

Yes he did. I don't know why I thought of the Monaco GP. Well, there goes my credibility out the window!

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by wnut

It may of course have been his sponsors who did the shafting though!

I'm pretty convinced there is more to this than is currently in the 'domain', yes. As you suggest it could be a result of the Telmex money not coming through as McLaren had expected so they aren't keeping him. There may be some inference towards this when he parted ways with Adrian Fernandez earlier this year...

Then we would have to ask why this is the case. Are Telmex dropping Perez because of he isn't cutting it, or because of McLaren not delivering?

There are an awful lot of drivers who've kept seats having done infinitely worse jobs in their first seasons for a team than Perez has this year. That includes a lot of guys who were rated and also were not considered pay drivers either.

I will be very interested to see what gets said in a few weeks time should Perez get ousted and has run our of time to get a new drive! Again he may no longer have the backing...

[Bononi]

Is just me ? Maldonado left Williams because they couldn't deliver a car that was on the same level of his talents and he's posing as widely known champion drivers of the past asking for heaven's sake a decent seat so he can continue his successful career, is that right ????

And... he (hopefully) might be left without a seat, specially if Lotus has the Quantum deal in place ?

F1 is very interesting these days.