Formula 1 2014: General Discussion Thread

vectra

I said it weeks ago and I got slated on here.
Alonso is going and Kimi is staying.

Zcott

Kimi will stay - he's contracted, and Vettel is his best friend in F1 apparently.

vectra

Zcott wrote: »

Kimi will stay - he's contracted, and Vettel is his best friend in F1 apparently.

So was Alonso.
Contracts mean nothing.

Going Strong

christy c wrote: »

Time will judge Vettel's stock, if he goes to Ferrari and has success, this year will be forgotten about- similar to Alonso in 2007.

Personally I would be disappointed if he left, I want to see how himself and Dan shape up next year

Well, Ferrari have said that they'll be out of championship contention for the next two seasons at least as they continue to restructure.

Zcott

vectra wrote: »

So was Alonso.
Contracts mean nothing.

True, but Kimi shows no signs of wanting to go elsewhere. He's said publicly Ferrari will be his last team and he'll probably see out his contract and leave.

Anyway, if rumours are to be believed they'd replace him with Jules Bianchi, and I think they'd rather have Kimi there.

vectra

Zcott wrote: »

True, but Kimi shows no signs of wanting to go elsewhere. He's said publicly Ferrari will be his last team and he'll probably see out his contract and leave.

Anyway, if rumours are to be believed they'd replace him with Jules Bianchi, and I think they'd rather have Kimi there.

I am sure Alonso said something like that at one point.

However.

I can see the sense in Ferrari wanting to have Vettel with Kimi as their drivers as they both apparently share a similar driving style.
Would make it easier for the team to provide a car to suit them both.

Going Strong

Felipe Massa tries his hand at stand up comedy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPQkYxxftfU&feature=youtu.be

Sterling Archer

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/29487911

Interesting

GarIT

Does anyone else think JEV was much more suited to the Red Bull even if it was just for a season or two until Kvyat is ready?

There's also Alonso, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Possibly Hamilton, Button/Magnusson, Grosjean.

Myrddin

GarIT wrote: »

Does anyone else think JEV was much more suited to the Red Bull even if it was just for a season or two until Kvyat is ready?

There's also Alonso, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Possibly Hamilton, Button/Magnusson, Grosjean.

Vergne maybe, but the others no because it invalidates what the Torro Rosso team is really there for (young driver promotion).

GarIT

Myrddin wrote: »

Vergne maybe, but the others no because it invalidates what the Torro Rosso team is really there for (young driver promotion).

Just because they have a young driver program it doesn't mean they have to use it.

KarlFitz01

JEV should have gotten the Red Bull Racing seat and not Kvyat as another year at Toro Roso would have been better for his development without the pressure of Red Bull Racing wanting results.

_rebelkid

GarIT wrote: »

Does anyone else think JEV was much more suited to the Red Bull even if it was just for a season or two until Kvyat is ready?

There's also Alonso, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Possibly Hamilton, Button/Magnusson, Grosjean.

Red Bull and STR have a bit of a tradition of skipping people. If they did what people expected, Da Costa would have been in Kvyat's place this year. Kvyat, not unlike Vettel, seems to be one of Helmut Marko's "special ones".

_rebelkid

GarIT wrote: »

Just because they have a young driver program it doesn't mean they have to use it.

If Marko and Mateschitz want you to use a Young Driver program, you bloody well use a young driver program.

mickdw

_rebelkid wrote: »

If Marko and Mateschitz want you to use a Young Driver program, you bloody well use a young driver program.

If alonso is going to mclaren and If they dump button, they should dump magnussen too as you couldn't say he is standing out against button.
Why not sign jev to mclaren beside alonso. He deserves a seat.
Must be a right pain to work your way to f1, do pretty well. Show that you are good enough to be there then be dumped out for no real reason.

_rebelkid

mickdw wrote: »

If alonso is going to mclaren and If they dump button, they should dump magnussen too as you couldn't say he is standing out against button.
Why not sign jev to mclaren beside alonso. He deserves a seat.
Must be a right pain to work your way to f1, do pretty well. Show that you are good enough to be there then be dumped out for no real reason.

If Honda had any sense, they would make sure McLaren keep Button: for their brand, and for their status in Japan. He's essentially a Japanese driver to them.

I think the only place for Jev, if he's replaced by Sainz Jr, is Sauber or Force India. Sutil has under performed like it's a contest this year, and Gutierrez, though quick, has been patchy on form. Force India look like they're going to keep Perez an Hulkenberg, so Jev might be out of a seat altogether.

Gillespy

Did EJ say Hulkenberg could join Porsche?

Button had a great career. McLaren need to follow Red Bull and back their young driver rather than pick up their castoffs. He has shown plenty for his first season. Out qualifying Button 9-6, has lost a chuck of points with penalties which would have him closer. It started off like a dream for him, matching Hamilton's debut, that is where the comparison ends. Car is no where near good enough to maintain that but he hasn't disgraced himself.

Oblomov

We're delighted to announce a new partnership with #HugoBoss! Find out more here -> mercedesamgf1.com/en/news/2014/2…

1 more year for Button at McLaren probably isn't gonna let him achieve much to be honest.

JEV is getting overlooked unfortunately and the hype around Hulk all seems to have petered out.

Stoolbend

JEV to sauber or force india doesn't seem very likely unfortunately as he doesn't bring big money with him.

It's a shame though. I really think he should've at least been given one season at red bull.

Interesting stuff from Massa regarding Alonso's move:

"Felipe Massa is a straightforward kind of guy, and he helped cut through some of the fog surrounding Fernando Alonso's situation on Saturday. The Brazilian said his former team-mate had wanted to go to Mercedes, but that this was not an option because Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were unlikely to move. 'In my opinion, nothing will happen with Mercedes,' Massa said. 'To go to Mercedes is what Fernando wanted definitely. He will try everything he can to go there but I don't think he will have a chance to go to Mercedes next year. So in my opinion the only place is McLaren.
"But honestly McLaren is not on the best moment and these cars are so complicated so I don't believe Honda will arrive and have the best engine straight away. It will not be easy for them. so Fernando is going to a team he has no idea where it is going to be. He is thinking forward to the possibility to win the championship or maybe there will be another change at the end of next year.'"
"Could Alonso take a sabbatical, Massa was asked? 'To stay one year out is not nice and it is not nice for F1 either to lose him for one year. He is a top driver, very famous, very important for F1. It can happen, because I know Fernando very well but I don't know if it would be positive for F1 or him.'"

AMKC

I think McClaren should keep Button at least for another year or two and hire Alonso as well. I think keeping Button would be great for the team and Honda as has been said above he is seen by the Japanese fans as a Japanese drive and it would not look good if Honda were to fire a Japanese driver on there deput. I alo think Alonso hd McClaren would be great too. Then all they need is a good car. They could let Magnussen go for a couple of years maybe to racecars or some other formula get some other experience and then bring him back then when either Button or Alonso decide to either leave the team or retire.

_rebelkid

Andrea De Cesaris has died in a motorbike accident in Italy. RIP

Infoanon

_rebelkid wrote: »

Andrea De Cesaris has died in a motorbike accident in Italy. RIP

Very sad news, Andrea was Jordans first driver in Formula 1.

Andrea De Cesaris RIP

Mike Litoris

WTF? One of those nasty days in motorsport.

Jordan 199

Infoanon wrote: »

Very sad news, Andrea was Jordans first driver in Formula 1.

He did a brilliant job driving for Jordan in 1991, scoring 9 of the teams 13 points.

Drove two races for Jordan in 1994 while Eddie Irvine was banned and finished 4th at San Marino.

Pushed his car across the start/finish line at the 1991 Mexican GP to finish 4th :cool:



RIP Andrea.

losthorizon

Really sad news. Remember him way back in the 80s with Alfa Romeo.

Terrible day for motorsport.

_rebelkid

Honda have released a preview of their 2015 V6 Power Unit

SnowDrifts

OSI wrote: »

So it's a 1 unit turbo. Why Honda, WHY!?!?!

Do you mean in relation to the Mercedes clever system of splitting the turbo to either end of the block?

I presumed this will be one of the first changes Renault and Ferrari make to their power units for next year so if Honda are not doing the same... surely they are missing a beat?

GarIT

OSI wrote: »

Yeah, that's what I was referring to. But looking at the video again, I can only see the turbine and not the comprosser so maybe they are doing something sneaky. And mercedes played tricks with their images last year making it look like they had a 1 piece turbo.

I highly doubt what we have seen is anything like the actual engine, that's just for marketing. They wouldn't risk anything being seen.

_rebelkid

Proposed layout for the European GP in Baku, Azerbaijan. Circuit is clockwise, so yes, they will be crossing the start finish line over 200mph.

SnowDrifts

_rebelkid wrote: »

Proposed layout for the European GP in Baku, Azerbaijan. Circuit is clockwise, so yes, they will be crossing the start finish line over 200mph.

Gotta laugh at the "European GP" taking place in a country further east than Iraq. Also... I presume it's anti-clockwise if the cars are crossing the start/finish at then end of that long straight?

_rebelkid

SnowDrifts wrote: »

Gotta laugh at the "European GP" taking place in a country further east than Iraq. Also... I presume it's anti-clockwise if the cars are crossing the start/finish at then end of that long straight?

It is. There's a tiny arrow just after the start line.

And yes, it is ridiculous. I hear the 2017 European GP is in Mongolia...

Zcott

I don't doubt they'll have made him an offer but I doubt he accepted.

zombieHanalei

Jesus Christ..... A rather distasteful edit of the 2014 F1 season wikipedia article up at present....

Edit; Has been restored to normal now thankfully.



Lewis to McLaren is something I eventually see happening but it really makes no sense right now, Merc will surely be the front runners again next year. McLaren haven't delivered a good car since 2012 and Honda's previous foray into the sport does not inspire confidence. McLaren-Honda 2015 is as unproven as it gets.

I suppose it would mean Alonso to Mercedes; to be fair, we've had no announcement on his 2015 situation so you never know....

Zcott

Niki Lauda has said on record that Hamilton is staying. And apparently they're near the end of negotiations to extend the contract to the end of 2017.

vectra

Zcott wrote: »

Niki Lauda has said on record that Hamilton is staying. And apparently they're near the end of negotiations to extend the contract to the end of 2017.

Did Marco Matiacci say the same about Alonso and Kimi recently that they would be their 2015 drivers?

Going Strong

Meh. just more clickbait from no-marks on the internet.

mickdw

It would be impressive for mclaren to bring Lewis back for next year considering where he is sitting now. It would be a massive vote of confidence in the mclaren Honda package though.
I was just thinking. Seldom does a move into what is seen as the best car one year result in success the next.
Almost in all cases, people have gone to teams that were rebuilding and then achieved success.
Maybe a Williams in the 90s was a near certainty but apart from that, rarely has a driver moved Into whatwasthe best car and won a titĺe

zombieHanalei

Is it true that di Montezemolo set the wheels in motion on releasing Alonso from his contract as a bit of an up yours to Ferrari for moving him on?

_rebelkid

zombieHanalei wrote: »

Is it true that di Montezemolo set the wheels in motion on releasing Alonso from his contract as a bit of an up yours to Ferrari for moving him on?

Not directly, but Alonso's two biggest allies left Ferrari, LDM and Domenicali, so it wasn't going to be long until Alonso wanted out.

Going Strong

mickdw wrote: »

It would be impressive for mclaren to bring Lewis back for next year considering where he is sitting now. It would be a massive vote of confidence in the mclaren Honda package though.
I was just thinking. Seldom does a move into what is seen as the best car one year result in success the next.
Almost in all cases, people have gone to teams that were rebuilding and then achieved success.
Maybe a Williams in the 90s was a near certainty but apart from that, rarely has a driver moved Into whatwasthe best car and won a titĺe

Carlos Reuteman being the poster boy for moves to top teams that didn't pay off. Ferrari in 1977 only for his team mate Lauda to win the title. Then Ferrari team leader in 1978 only for Lotus to run away with the season. Then to Lotus in 1979 only for the team's ground effect advantage getting superseded by Williams and Ligier. So it's off to Williams itself in 1980 only to see his team mate take the title yet again.

Infoanon

Going Strong wrote: »

Carlos Reuteman being the poster boy for moves to top teams that didn't pay off. Ferrari in 1977 only for his team mate Lauda to win the title. Then Ferrari team leader in 1978 only for Lotus to run away with the season. Then to Lotus in 1979 only for the team's ground effect advantage getting superseded by Williams and Ligier. So it's off to Williams itself in 1980 only to see his team mate take the title yet again.

Your forgetting that Lole should have won the championship in 1981,his performance at Las Vegas is still a mystery to most.

Zcott

This article by Mark Hughes gives a great insight into how the discussions went and what led to this happening at Ferrari.

vectra

Zcott wrote: »

This article by Mark Hughes gives a great insight into how the discussions went and what led to this happening at Ferrari.

I read that the other day and if it is true it is about time Alonso learned the truth and realized that Formula 1 is not all about him.

Jordan 199

_rebelkid wrote: »

Proposed layout for the European GP in Baku, Azerbaijan. Circuit is clockwise, so yes, they will be crossing the start finish line over 200mph.

The corners of the circuit on the right side of the pic remind me of the street circuit that were used in Phoenix:

Frank Bullitt

zombieHanalei wrote: »

Is it true that di Montezemolo set the wheels in motion on releasing Alonso from his contract as a bit of an up yours to Ferrari for moving him on?

Apparently Luca asked Alonso is there one last thing he could do for him, and he asked to be released from his contract.

_rebelkid

This... is... amazing.

Frank Bullitt

This has to be one of the greatest things ever created.

PopePalpatine

This song seems appropriate:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0