2021 Formula One Random Discussion Thread

Omega · PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2021 1:42 pm

EAS wrote:

Why would one want to have balls to kick the best driver of the grid out of its own team?

Budget? If Hamilton overplays his hand and starts demanding too much, aided by the fact that he is 36. That´s old, rumours about his retirement are getting louder, and he is no longer a long term option.

LucasWheldon · PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2021 4:41 pm

rumours are getting quite solid. Hamilton claiming he's not willing to race until his 40's, Mercedes possibly reaching for Gasly as their next number 2

plus there was some cases when the best driver was "fired" but disguised as retirement. As did Schumacher in 2006, but that was because Kimi was hired in a huge deal

I also dunno if Hamilton will even visit the F1 grid once he retires, his other ventures might take him away

micha · PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2021 5:24 pm

Omega wrote:

Hulkenberg is done. He could be asked again for a one off emergency, but no team will attract him for multiple year deals anymore. I see Ocon or Vandoorne getting a fulltime seat at Mercedes before Hulkenberg.

thats the point. Are they're willing to risk it until januari again to know what Lewis wants to do? Russell aint waiting until then. Ocon wont wait that long. And iirc he has a deal for 2022 but I can be wrong. Gasly is technically still signed until 2023.

If they wait until januari and a deal falls tru their options are paying a shit ton of money to get Russell, Ocon or Gasly, pay a fortune and a half to get Verstappen, LeClerc or Norris, or go for free agents like Vandoorne or Hulkenberg.

Karan · PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2021 5:26 pm

Well, seeing as how water tight (not) contracts are in F1, Mercedes could always negotiate an option on the side with a driver (and I'm sure they're already reaching out), while continuing to do one-year deals with Hamilton. Hamilton himself has earned the luxury to do that and call it quits on his terms, and I'm sure the relationship with Mercedes is strong enough that he would give them enough notice to allow them to trigger that option. That's how I see this playing out anyway.

EAS · PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2021 9:57 pm

Omega wrote:

EAS wrote:

Why would one want to have balls to kick the best driver of the grid out of its own team?

Budget? If Hamilton overplays his hand and starts demanding too much, aided by the fact that he is 36. That´s old, rumours about his retirement are getting louder, and he is no longer a long term option.

And then you kick Lewis because he is not negotiating the deal that easily and you lose all the leverage you have and your best options available are a bunch of drivers who never proved themselves at the level he did.

Obviously, I'm assuming here Bottas is done and Russell will replace him. And in that scenario, if I were Toto (eew), I would try to do everything to close a new deal with Hamilton. Better pay a fair price on Hamilton than trying to save with Ocon, Vandoorne, Gasly, or even Perez. And naturally, Lewis has quite a leverage here if you think guys like Verstappen, Leclerc, Ricciardo and Norris aren't on the market right now.

And as some pointed out here, Lewis took too long to close the deal this year, but it's hard to imagine he would leave Mercedes in a hard position giving up to sign too late.

Karan · PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 3:45 pm

So further to what LucasWheldon said above, potentially 2 new drivers at Mercedes maybe?

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george-ru ... s-futures/

Quote:

According to reports, Toto Wolff has informed George Russell’s management that the Brit will replace Valtteri Bottas next season. There has been speculation about the Brit replacing Bottas ever since he impressed when standing in for Lewis Hamilton at last season’s Sakhir Grand Prix. That speculation has only ramped up this season as the Mercedes driver has failed to impress, trailing his team-mate and the Red Bull pair in the Driver’s Championship. Now, both F1 Insider and Sky Italia have suggested that the decision has been made and an announcement is imminent. “Information from F1-Insider.com coincides with that of Sky Italia,” said the German site. “According to this, Mercedes junior George Russell is to replace the Finn Valtteri Bottas in 2022. “Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is said to have already told the rest of Russell’s management that he should be ready.”

LucasWheldon · PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2021 4:19 pm

that could be also be a Toto play to get a decision from Hamilton, so he doesn't pull out a Rosberg with no drivers left to sign

trout · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 6:39 am

pretty sure hamilton already indicated he wanted to race a couple more years. the contract is just business

webbsy · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 8:31 am

So Pirelli have released their statement on the tyre blow outs...and it confuses me.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... QIvY5.html

Quote:

The causes of the two left-rear tyre failures on the Aston Martin and Red Bull cars have been clearly identified. In each case, this was down to a circumferential break on the inner sidewall, which can be related to the running conditions of the tyre, in spite of the prescribed starting parameters (minimum pressure and maximum blanket temperature) having been followed.

So they saying that the tyres blew because of the way the teams ran them?. Even though they were prepared in accordance to Pirelli's guidelines? That they somehow out on track have managed them in such a way that they overstressed the tyre to failure? (Would NOT surprise me in the slightest, to then heap blame on Pirelli).

Or are they trying in a round about way to say these were just two identical freak blow outs?

mclaren2008 · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:07 am

So basically they were spontaneous. Oh dear.

cookie · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 11:14 am

They just ran them too long, for some reason all teams just want to do one stop races and then drive slow enough to manage the tires. Surprise, this huge straight on the Baku track is too long to nurse the tires. Same as we saw in Silverstone last year, tire failures at the end of a long stint on hards. Silverstone also has long straights like Baku. Is it so hard just to do 2 stops? They can drive faster then, so I think the difference between 1 or 2 stopping would be almost nothing.

micha · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 11:54 am

cookie wrote:

They just ran them too long, for some reason all teams just want to do one stop races and then drive slow enough to manage the tires. Surprise, this huge straight on the Baku track is too long to nurse the tires. Same as we saw in Silverstone last year, tire failures at the end of a long stint on hards. Silverstone also has long straights like Baku. Is it so hard just to do 2 stops? They can drive faster then, so I think the difference between 1 or 2 stopping would be almost nothing.

Max was pushing for that fastest lap. After he got it, he bettered it a few times. I still feel that might have had influence on it.

Gaara · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 12:04 pm

Yeah, Pirelli said they were good for a certain number of laps and the teams went beyond that.

LucasWheldon · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 12:05 pm

that wouldn't had happened if they ditched tire blankets for good

Coldtyre · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 2:41 pm

Gaara wrote:

Yeah, Pirelli said they were good for a certain number of laps and the teams went beyond that.

Should there be a mandated max number of laps for each tyre compound, defined by Pirelli and FIA-sanctioned? You'd be penalized for running longer. Similar to the mandatory pit window in some forms of GT racing.

I don't like the idea, but since this is a safety issue that affects teams and others around them, it could make sense. From a competition point of view, they could even use this to force more stops, eventually benefiting racing or strategies. Tough call, since it would negate the advantage for drivers/teams who can save tyres.

LucasWheldon · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 3:13 pm

or give them tire compounds that could last the whole race and softer for those who'll want to make stops

but if you opt for the harder tires, you're unable to stop and if you opt for soft tires you cannot put hard tires

although we all know all teams will go to the same strategy given how race pace goes today

Karan · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:01 pm

Looks like Ocon has earned himself a decent contract extension, good for the kid.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/OconEsteban/status/1405177911481704456[/tweet]

https://twitter.com/OconEsteban/status/ ... 1481704456

Coldtyre · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:54 pm

Silly F1 meme, so click at your own risk :lol:

Spoiler:

EAS · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 6:20 pm

Grosjean test with Mercedes has been postponed

Karan · PostPosted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 7:11 pm

EAS wrote:

Grosjean test with Mercedes has been postponed

Was he going to do the test and the demo run before the GP, on the same weekend as Road America? Not sure how that would've worked.

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