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Yep, Hamo has said that while he's tempted by Ferrari he has no interest in being partnered with Vettel. I agree about Ricciardo to Mercedes, but it'd be mighty intetesting if he went to Ferrari, considering how comprehensively he beat Vettel in 2014!! 🙂
Another possibility is that Sainz (whose contract with Red Bull/Toro Rosso does not finish until the end of 2019, and is technically on a loan to Renault for 2018) might replace Ricciardo if he leaves..
Oooh, Ricky trouncing the finger pointer once again could be very entertaining. I've been disappointed at just how uninterested Kimi has been when he could have had a real go at winding Seb up.
bamboo - Member
JB didn’t really have a lot to lose at Monaco, he may as well give it a go instead of driving around at the back.
I dont know, he made a pretty good career out of doing just that.
I wonder what Hamilton would think about Riccardo at merc. I think Hamilton would consider him a bit feisty (talented) to fit into the team.
I'm struggling to find out whether Ocon will be available, [url= http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/11011665/formula-1-who-is-under-contract-and-until-when ]this[/url] article reckons he will but everything else I've read has said that Force India will only describe it as a 'multi year deal' which, considering he joined for 2017, could be a yes or a no. With Perez Force India have another top level driver, of course, and he doesn't have a contract for 2017 never mind 2018!
I wonder what Hamilton would think about Riccardo at merc. I think Hamilton would consider him a bit feisty (talented) to fit into the team
This is a good point! I'm guessing it may mean we see Ocon or possibly Perez (or even Wehrlein!) there instead. I guess it depends on how much say Hamilton has- I'm thinking it's probably quite a lot!
I dont know, he made a pretty good career out of doing just that
I'm always a little surprised when people have a pop at Button's driving ability considering he matched up so favourably against two all time great drivers as team mates and won a world championship
I'm always a little surprised when people have a pop at Button's driving ability considering he matched up so favourably against two all time great drivers as team mates and won a world championship
Quite. Is he of the Schumacher / Senna level? Probably not. But he was still one hell of a lot better than many of his peers.
I too have no idea of where this notion that he caused lots of accidents came from.
Chrismac have you actually got anything to contribute or would you like me to post up JB's contact details so you can sort your beef directly and spare us the tedium?
[quote=chrismac ]I dont know, he made a pretty good career out of doing just that.
Well apart from 2009, Canada 2011, Hungary 2006, etc.
You really are quite a bitter man - please do tell us who you're a fan of?
Button bashing seems to just be a chrismac thing. Button himself knows he isn't a Senna, but on his day when everything clicked he was unbeatable, even by world class teammates.
Button bashing seems to just be a chrismac thing. Button himself knows he isn't a Senna, but on his day when everything clicked he was unbeatable, even by world class teammates.
Probably worth saying that Button also managed to string enough of those days together to beat Hamilton over a whole season in 2011 and then did the same to Alonso in 2015
NSFW: Have we done the pterodactyl flying over the track yet?
No? Sweet...
Think they had one of those wire suspended cameras with a bird costume on. Was a wtf moment while wAtching tho.
@tomhoward I remember seeing that at the time!! There can be only one explanation:
[img] 
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Button is a good driver, but like Seb, can't wrestle a bad car to victory. Hamilton can, so can Alonso, so can Ricciardo, So (it appears) might Sainz.
Yeah I'm a bit of a the Sainz fan also. Massively talented and comes across as a really sound guy too...
On the other hand Daffy, in a decent car in dodgy conditions, particularly a drying track with wet bits and dry bits and damp bits, he was superb.
[quote=zokes ]Can't see Hamo going anywhere unless the red car both improves further, and loses its lead driver.
It sounds like he's incredibly happy where he is, and whilst there is the romance and history of Ferrari, I reckon it would also take Mercedes to stop being competitive for him to consider leaving right now. It seems most likely he'll finish his career there now.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/41717075
The end for Kyvat (in F1 for Red Bull at least)...
the-muffin-man - Member
The end for Kyvat (in F1 for Red Bull at least)...
Feel a bit sad for him, felt like he was promoted before he was ready and though he was reasonably quick, he never got his head in the right place.
None of tr's cast offs seem to get a seat so guess we won't be seeing him again (unless he can gather a sackful of Rubles !)
unsurpriseface
In other news, bear caught shitting in the woods and Pope revealed to have a secret penchant for Catholicism.
I'm tempted to think he's been treated a bit harshly, but ultimately RB are looking for drivers of at least the calibre of Webber* to drive for them, and Kvyat clearly wasn't quite that good. He's probably not the worst driver in F1 though so might pick up a drive somewhere (arguably he might still be better than Gasly and Hartley, but unlike them he's tried and failed to step up).
*not sure if I'm being harsh on Webber, was trying to think of the worst long term RB driver
[quote=retro83 ]None of tr's cast offs seem to get a seat so guess we won't be seeing him again (unless he can gather a sackful of Rubles !)
To be fair, Kvyat is probably a rather better driver than any of the other TR cast offs (who weren't ever good enough to get a try in a RB).
That's the culture at Red Bull/Toro Rosso. They're not afraid to apply pressure within the teams upon drivers and jettison those who would probably do okay in a more supportive environment.
I feel a bit sorry for Kvyat, but he's been a marked man since he was demoted from RB last year.
not sure if I'm being harsh on Webber, was trying to think of the worst long term RB driver
He gave Vettel more than a run for his money so yes, probably a bit harsh to use him as a yardstick of crappiness. But there have only been four RB drivers to do two full seasons so depending on your definition of "long term" you have limited options 😉
RB drivers - 5 I think did one or more seasons.
DC
Vettel
Webber
Ricky
Verstappen
DC just did the set up season as I recall.
aracer - MemberTo be fair, Kvyat is probably a rather better driver than any of the other TR cast offs (who weren't ever good enough to get a try in a RB).
I think he was there or thereabouts with Vergne. Certainly not a stand out talent like Sainz or Verstappen. But anyway I don't think there are many openings left in the lower teams for next year are there?
Verstappen? Hasn't even done one full season at RB yet…
[quote=Bez ]But there have only been four RB drivers to do two full seasons so depending on your definition of "long term" you have limited options
That was kind of my point - those drivers are the calibre they're looking for. Could be an interesting debate to be had about who was the worst - my ranking is:
Ricciardo > Vettel > DC > Webber 😈
DC did 4 seasons with them!
You are correct. For some reason I thought the first 3 were as Jaguar.
Mexico gp - speed bumps
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/fia-imposes-new-track-limit-rules-for-mexican-gp-970758/
[img] https://www.twitter.com/ForceIndiaF1/status/923574639359508480/photo/1 [/img]
Pffft everyone knows that a stack of watermelons, two guys carrying a huge pane of glass and a pile of crates containing chickens is the answer
london_lad_liam - Member
Mexico gp - speed bumpshttps://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/fia-imposes-new-track-limit-rules-for-mexican-gp-970758/
Vastly preferable to referring things to the stewards all the time.
I've just put a fiver on Daniel Ricciardo to win lol #highroller
Vastly preferable to referring things to the stewards all the time.
Most definitely, Although ocons already moaning about them....
Saying “I think if someone hits that they will have to make a chassis change.”
Dont hit them then and or make sure you do your over taking before it.
i mean how much run off do these guys want may as well be an airfield
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mexico-speed-bumps-dangerous-says-ocon-971121/
Stay on the track then^^^
Ocon must hate Monaco
It sounds as though the issue is not kerbs but speed bumps designed to make you take a slow route to rejoin. That sounds like a sticking plaster solution. There needs to be a way of making it undesirable for drivers to leave the track limits. Like barriers or a harbour perhaps?
Surely making it definitively significantly slower makes it undesirable to leave track limits? For example what they've done with the run off at the first chicane at Monza, or even just the runoff at Copse corner at Silverstone - was it last year when a lot of drivers went wide there in the wet, but lost time doing so?
Of course land mines might increase the motivation to stay on track 😈
or a harbour perhaps?
Filled with sharks with lasers on their heads.
Vastly preferable to referring things to the stewards all the time.
I agree also! Better because it's instant and consistant
Albeit it's 'only' free practice, but it's good to see ALO posting a vaguely competitive lap and finishing FP2 7th. McLaren must be heartened to see the Red Bull pace too, especially as they seem to say that their chassis is up there with the other top running teams.
I for one, will be glad to see Alonso back at or mixing it with the sharp end of the grid next year.
Unless any of you more informed peeps know otherwise?
I guess even though Kvyat did better he’s a known quantity (and on the way out), whilst Hartley is a potential future prospect
Potential future prospect = has a bigger chequebook than Kvyat 😉
Going back to the track limits argument I think Trump has missed a trick there. Instead of the orange speedbumps he could have taken some bricks and concrete to the Mexico circuit and done a bit of work on some of the corners then given them an invoice.
Probably his only chance of building a wall and making Mexico pay for it.
Vettel and Verstappen side by side with Hamilton behind? I am so looking forward to turn 1.
Potential future prospect = has a bigger chequebook than Kvyat
I don't think Hartley has ever come with a big chequebook.
Vettel and Verstappen side by side with Hamilton behind? I am so looking forward to turn 1.
This race is Verstappens - Vettel can't afford to run into anyone so will have to be really careful. And Hamilton can play the waiting game and pick them off if his pace allows.
Disagree.
No point in Vettel coming second now. He needs to win and Hamilton fail or he loses the championship. And if he loses the championship only wins matter from here on in.
Vettel cannot afford anything but the win.
[quote=the-muffin-man ]I don't think Hartley has ever come with a big chequebook.
Such things are meaningless with RB/TR - money isn't an issue for them at all, I don't think they've ever had a pay driver. All they're interested in is performance and potential - Hartley has far more of the latter than Kvyat, even if that's only because he's more of an unknown.
Potential future prospect = has a bigger chequebook than Kvyat
They have the same chequebook (the Red Bull marketing budget). Hartley had access to it 10 years back but pissed them off so they switched it to Kvyat. Now he's fallen from favor and Hartley seems to have matured and gets the chequebook back. Whether he keeps it or not will depend on results. Red Bull are pretty ruthless in their driver selections, but they do seem to be fairly meritocratic.
Now we have a race on!
Vettel hit Max and then Hamilton, just as bad as Kvyat 😆
Hamilton asking the team if he hit him on purpose
Incidents have been "noted" no investigation necessary
Brundle dismissed the idea that Vetel would deliberately hit Hamilton, assuming that it could only be a calculated manoeuvre.
Or did Hamilton try to damage Vettels car on the basis that if neither finished then the WC was still his?
Vettel had already damaged his front wing hitting max so was going to have to pit, decided to ram some broken carbon fibre into Hamiltons rear tyre to force him to pit as well
Not saying that he did it on purpose, but it is feasible
You’d have to be an absolutely superb driver to pull that trick off with minimal damage to your own car.
This 'podium' is all a bit odd!
You’d have to be an absolutely superb driver to pull that trick off with minimal damage to your own car.
or a hothead with a track record of making rash decisions in the heat of battle.
It seems that Hamilton thinks Vettel tagged him on purpose.
Hamilton, as well as being an excellent driver, is a bit of a whinger.
Pity the season kind of fizzled out over the last few races - typified by today where the guy in 9th beat the guy in 4th to the championship.
It was looking like a vintage year earlier in the season - sad that it couldn’t go to the wire.
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It seems that Hamilton thinks Vettel tagged him on purpose.
I feel that he did that as well. He had already broken his wing on VES car so he had literally nothing to lose. He didn't get a penalty as the FIA wanted to take the show to the last race IMHO.
I disagree. Max came across Lewis forcing him to lift and Vettel didn't react in time, which is hardly surprising.
You don't tend to try to tag others with your fragile wing.
And Lewis just asked the question.
His wing was already broken though.
Klunk’s frame grab might look incriminating but if you watch the video in slow motion you’ll see the context, which is that Vettel is sawing at the wheel all the way from turn 1 through turn 3, and the overhead shot makes it clear that at the point shown he’s correcting for oversteer. A misjudgement of his right foot, most likely—no doubt frustrated to see himself slipping into third when he needed the win—but I think there’s nothing in there to suggest it was deliberate contact.
No way was that deliberate- even though it worked out to be slightly in Vettel's favour, he wouldn't have known that and it could have just as easily have taken him out and not Hamilton. Just a racing incident.
Just a racing incident.
Exactly, and who cares anyway now that the title is wrapped up?
Simply simply loveleh.
Looks like Max uses whatsapp 😆
not deliberate, IMO, but certainly clumsy and ruined a potentially good race (on a poor track).
Vettel is brittle in high pressure situations. Something he has shown in a number of races this year.
Some people here certainly think Vettel's reasoning powers and reaction time are superhuman.
shit driving then.
no holds barred for the next races though, Lewis will either cruise or go for it, vettel will be out to prove something and Max is 110% always anyway. should be great
Here’s hoping it rains again in Brazil and we get a Hamilton vs Verstappen battle up front 🙂
no holds barred for the next races though, Lewis will either cruise or go for it, vettel will be out to prove something and Max is 110% always anyway. should be great
...and the Force India drivers are free to crash into one another! 😀
Yep, the last two races should be really exciting! No more Ferrari team orders, Red Bull very much in ascendence and everyone with something to prove and nothing to lose!! 🙂
Bottas still in the running for second in the championship and Hamilton to potentially help him out....
But that would just show that Hammy only won cos he had the best car...
rOcKeTdOg - Member
Lewis will either cruise or go for it
Do you remember Hammy cruised for the last few races of 2015 and Rosberg won the last 3? 4? races. He (Rosberg) then won the first 3? in 2016. That head of steam Hammy gifted to Rosberg I think had an awful lot to do with Rosberg winning the F1 WDC last year.
Let's hope Hammy doesn't descend into party mode this year...
So what do we think of the proposed engine regs then?
If the driver has control of when to deploy MGU-K power, perhaps we can get rid of DRS and have overtaking in different places.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/41820129
But please give them more engines so we don't get stupid grid penalties!
I can't see grid penalties staying beyond this season in their current form: I don't think there's anyone who doesn't think they're totally inappropriate as a response to mechanical issues. I'm not sure more engines is the right answer, and it goes against the objectives of cutting costs and levelling the playing field, but something like constructor points penalties might be.
As for the engine regs, dropping the MGU-H should help reliability, but I'm a little ambivalent about the bigger MGU-K. It still feels a little Wacky Races to have what is effectively an overtake button, even if the use of it becomes part of the driving skill. But I suppose DRS hasn't killed off wheel-to-wheel action, so it'll probably be fine; and the MGU-K seems like useful technology to develop for road cars, which the MGU-H doesn't.
Mind you, 2018 looks like my last season of watching F1 anyway, as I'm not going to pay Rupert Murdoch for the privilege. Hey ho.
Cautiously optimistic over the new regs. Seems like Ross is on it.