Formula 1 2021 - General Discussion Thread (Read 1st post rules)

Joeface

If they were to change driver , The immediate choice wouldn't really be Russell . This car is different from last year (slightly) and they risk time adjusting if their priority was to Get back ahead of Redbull . Vandoorne is the reserve driver . Familiar with everything . They could easily say Bottas needs some personal time and Vandoorne is going to cover some races and I believe he has already driven the car.

Less messing with drivers changing teams .

what's worse is we are discussing this based on a tweet from someone with less that 200 followers ..........HOW F_IN bored are we . HA

El_Duderino 09

Joeface wrote: »

If they were to change driver , The immediate choice wouldn't really be Russell . This car is different from last year (slightly) and they risk time adjusting if their priority was to Get back ahead of Redbull . Vandoorne is the reserve driver . Familiar with everything . They could easily say Bottas needs some personal time and Vandoorne is going to cover some races and I believe he has already driven the car.

Less messing with drivers changing teams .

what's worse is we are discussing this based on a tweet from someone with less that 200 followers ..........HOW F_IN bored are we . HA

George is the simulation driver for Mercedes so he's probably not far behind Vandoorne in that regard. And the fact that we think George is good adn currently drives an actual f1 car for another team means I'd say he's miles ahead of Vandoorne in the pecking order (if Hamilton or Botas got injured or got Covid)

flazio

Besides, who'd stand in for Vandorne in the Formula E car.

I'd go as bold as to say I believe that the three pointed star will play no further role in Estaban Ocon's career.

pjohnson

flazio wrote: »

Besides, who'd stand in for Vandorne in the Formula E car.

I'd go as bold as to say I believe that the three pointed star will play no further role in Estaban Ocon's career.

Esteban Gutierrez and Gary Paffett are the teams Formula E test/reserve drivers.

El_Duderino 09

flazio wrote: »

Besides, who'd stand in for Vandorne in the Formula E car.

I'd go as bold as to say I believe that the three pointed star will play no further role in Estaban Ocon's career.

Matt Carter said he's pretty sure the plan is to have Ocon and Russell in the Mercedes in 2022 or 2023.

Carter also suggested that Mercedes might be backing out of the sport in the next couple of the years. They currently own a third of the team and Ineos and Wolff own the other two-thirds. They have recently bought into FE and are looking at the future of the motoring industry being electric so they aren't as interested in F1 as they were in the past.

Not my opinions. I don't have a clue.

Burkie1203

Joeface wrote: »

If they were to change driver , The immediate choice wouldn't really be Russell . This car is different from last year (slightly) and they risk time adjusting if their priority was to Get back ahead of Redbull . Vandoorne is the reserve driver . Familiar with everything . They could easily say Bottas needs some personal time and Vandoorne is going to cover some races and I believe he has already driven the car.

Less messing with drivers changing teams .

what's worse is we are discussing this based on a tweet from someone with less that 200 followers ..........HOW F_IN bored are we . HA

Sky sports italia reporting this is happening next season. Russell will take Bottas seat for 2022

Pen Rua

Well Ocon has gone and signed a three year deal at Alpine.

https://twitter.com/LukeSmithF1/status/1405174732601823232

El_Duderino 09

Pen Rua wrote: »

Well Ocon has gone and signed a three year deal at Alpine.

https://twitter.com/LukeSmithF1/status/1405174732601823232

That's interesting. I wonder if that means severing the ties with Mercedes or is he still under a Mercedes contract.

pjohnson

He hasnt been contracted to the Brackley team in anyway since he joined Renault/Alpine.

The only link is through Toto Wolff being his agent (which is obviously a pretty strong "link" to Mercedes but no contracted tie)

El_Duderino 09

pjohnson wrote: »

He hasnt been contracted to the Brackley team in anyway since he joined Renault/Alpine.

The only link is through Toto Wolff being his agent (which is obviously a pretty strong "link" to Mercedes but no contracted tie)

Matt Carter was talking about it as a fact that he's still explicitly under contract to Mercedes. Hard to know what the truth is. All we can do is wait and see what happens.

Charlie-Bravo

Maybe the classic summer break might find Russell moving teams. Maybe something being engineered to have Bottas go to something else outside of F1 by then? I just can't see Bottas hanging around for the rest of the season.

Frank Bullitt

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Matt Carter was talking about it as a fact that he's still explicitly under contract to Mercedes. Hard to know what the truth is. All we can do is wait and see what happens.

I can't see how he is under contract to Merc but has just signed for 3 years for Renault/Alpine though.

While Ocon, who spent 2019 as Mercedes' official reserve driver, rescinded his official ties to the Silver Arrows when he joined Renault – now Alpine – at the start of 2020, Wolff remains in place as the Frenchman’s manager.

This tells me the only contact now is through Wolff.

El_Duderino 09

Frank Bullitt wrote: »

I can't see how he is under contract to Merc but has just signed for 3 years for Renault/Alpine though.



This tells me the only contact now is through Wolff.

Things are never as simple as they sound in f1. Maybe he's just betting that Hamilton will sign a 3 year deal and he will be a Mercedes option for 2025.

pjohnson

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Matt Carter was talking about it as a fact that he's still explicitly under contract to Mercedes. Hard to know what the truth is. All we can do is wait and see what happens.

Maybe Matt should tell Mercedes. They dont seem aware they have Ocon contracted to the company. And Renault believed that he had no links to Mercedes when they signed him. So possible fraud afoot.

El_Duderino 09

pjohnson wrote: »

Maybe Matt should tell Mercedes. They dont seem aware they have Ocon contracted to the company.

I'll leave them to it. We have conflicting information so all we can do is wait and see what happens.

pjohnson

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I'll leave them to it. We have conflicting information so all we can do is wait and see what happens.

It seems you and Matt are the only two claiming theres a secret contract. Everything else says ties severed when he joined Renault.

Harika

I think it's hilarious that Russell, who hasn't even scored a single point in F1 in his third! season, is seen as the saviour that will threaten Lewis more than Bottas.

Frank Bullitt

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I'll leave them to it. We have conflicting information so all we can do is wait and see what happens.

We don't really, Ocon signed for 3 years with Alpine. That to me means no ties to Merc...at all.

duploelabs

Harika wrote: »

I think it's hilarious that Russell, who hasn't even scored a single point in F1 in his third! season, is seen as the saviour that will threaten Lewis more than Bottas.

I guess then you need to refine what you define as talent in a driver

Captain_Crash

Frank Bullitt wrote: »

We don't really, Ocon signed for 3 years with Alpine. That to me means no ties to Merc...at all.

Someone mentioned in this forum quote some time ago, last season maybe, that Ocon’s ties are with Toto and not Merc. Basically Toto is his managing his career and his drive is a separate deal! I’m guessing negotiated by Toto! This was alluded to in an episode of D2S last season when he was telling him he’s working on a seat for him so I’d imagine that’s the relationship!

Frank Bullitt

Captain_Crash wrote: »

Someone mentioned in this forum quote some time ago, last season maybe, that Ocon’s ties are with Toto and not Merc. Basically Toto is his managing his career and his drive is a separate deal! I’m guessing negotiated by Toto! This was alluded to in an episode of D2S last season when he was telling him he’s working on a seat for him so I’d imagine that’s the relationship!

Exactly, he parted ways with Merc once he signed with Renault. If he was in the running for a seat at Merc, he was going to be the second choice to Russell anyway.

This move makes a lot of sense for him and Alpine. French driver signs a long deal with a French team coming up to the French GP. No brainer.

flazio

Harika wrote: »

I think it's hilarious that Russell, who hasn't even scored a single point in F1 in his third! season, is seen as the saviour that will threaten Lewis more than Bottas.

He's scored 3. 2 points for 9th and 1 point for fastest lap in the Sakhir Grand Prix.

duploelabs

Captain_Crash wrote: »

Someone mentioned in this forum quote some time ago, last season maybe, that Ocon’s ties are with Toto and not Merc. Basically Toto is his managing his career and his drive is a separate deal! I’m guessing negotiated by Toto! This was alluded to in an episode of D2S last season when he was telling him he’s working on a seat for him so I’d imagine that’s the relationship!

I would say Toto (the agent) negotiated a clause in Ocon's contract for a reduce release from his Alpine contract should Merc come calling

Harika

flazio wrote: »

He's scored 3. 2 points for 9th and 1 point for fastest lap in the Sakhir Grand Prix.

My bad, that was in the all conjuring Mercedes?

duploelabs

Harika wrote: »

My bad, that was in the all conjuring Mercedes?

It's certainly a magic car

Well he certainly pulled a rabbit out of the hat.

pjohnson

duploelabs wrote: »

I would say Toto (the agent) negotiated a clause in Ocon's contract for a reduce release from his Alpine contract should Merc come calling

This is 90% the most likely scenario.

duploelabs

pjohnson wrote: »

This is 90% the most likely scenario.

Like a buy back clause in football contracts

muckwarrior

Harika wrote: »

My bad, that was in the all conjuring Mercedes?

Yes. When he would have won, beating his experienced team mate in the process, but for the team f*ck up. Something you seem to be conveniently forgetting when judging him.

El_Duderino 09

pjohnson wrote: »

It seems you and Matt are the only two claiming theres a secret contract. Everything else says ties severed when he joined Renault.

I'm claiming that Matt Carter (and Joe Saward) say he's a Mercedes man. I'm pretty sure I've said I don't have a clue. All I have is conflicting information. You seem pretty certain so you must have more information than I have....