The 2019 Silly Season thread

You-Gee-Eee-Day · Post by **You-Gee-Eee-Day** » 11 Sep 2018, 09:50

I'm seriously excited to see Leclerc in a Ferrari. We've got a brand new team :deletraz:

and a brand new fast red car driver to look forward to in 2019 now.

Pacific Edge · Post by **Pacific Edge** » 11 Sep 2018, 10:03

So things have gone full circle for Raikonnen, will be interesting to see how he goes now that he doesn't have to worry about constructor's title or playing a team game, where he can just go full throttle and see what happens.

Good for Leclerc too, he's shown good pace and deserves this chance, just hope Ferrari give him the time and space he needs to get used to top flight F1 and become the driver he is promising to be.

good_Ralf · Post by **good_Ralf** » 11 Sep 2018, 14:09

YESSSSS!!! :dance:

Really pleased that Ferrari have taken a chance on Leclerc. Now there might be a reduced chance of 2019 being another Hamilton-Vettel duopoly.
I'm also glad Kimi's staying in the sport at Sauber and hopefully it'll satisfy the Kimi fanboys who have been quite vocal about the possibility of Raikkonen leaving Ferrari or retiring altogether. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them also complain about how the top teams keep hiring the same drivers and don't give younger midfield men a chance :facepalm:

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 11 Sep 2018, 15:04

Oh wow. I mean, I heard this news five hours ago, but still wow. That will take a while to process.

Waris · Post by **Waris** » 11 Sep 2018, 15:50

IceG wrote:So Leclerc swaps with Raikkonen:

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/raik ... t/3174755/

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ferr ... n/3174725/

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/raik ... 36/?nrt=54

Guess that means if Leclerc burns out early Kimi is on a short elastic string straight back.

Good for Leclerc, he looks the real deal.

Good for Ferrari going for new blood for a change.

Good for Kimi staying on because its fun.

And good for Sauber - WCC 2019?

I have good hope that Sauber can finish 4th again, like they did last time Kimi drove for them. Especially if Giovinazzi gets the second seat.

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 11 Sep 2018, 17:18

I didn't see the Kimi to Sauber bit coming, though Leclerc moving the other way isn't a massive surprise.

Once I've been to the Ferrari museums in a week's time I'll report back on whether Kimi is being wiped from history and / or whether any Leclerc stuff is visible.

Paul Hayes · Post by **Paul Hayes** » 11 Sep 2018, 18:18

I'm not massively surprised to see Kimi leave Ferrari, but I *am* surprised to see him go back to Sauber! Seems a funny way to finish his career, but I suppose he'll have a bit of fun, and it might liven up the midfield! I can only imagine that it's Ferrari money paying his doubtless hefty wages there!

sswishbone · Post by **sswishbone** » 11 Sep 2018, 18:49

I thought this was a faaaaaake at first, but wow... Silliest season ever?

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 11 Sep 2018, 19:33

But this doesn't fit into my narrative that Kimi is a money-hungry, apathetic git! What am I going to do with the rest of my life, who am I going to complain about for the rest of the season? :shock:

But seriously, Kimi is the last person I'd expect to have a sentimental final chapter to his F1 career. Shows that people can always surprise you.

CarloSpace · Post by **CarloSpace** » 11 Sep 2018, 19:57

For me the move shows that Kimi just loves racing. No matter the machinery the machinery or the level he's competing whether it's motocross in his backyard or F1 in a midfield team. Of course he has and will always look for the most competitive option but apparently he's happy even if the best option is something like Sauber.

I've never regarded him as a tintop racer so curios to see what he'll do when he eventually retires. Will he keep racing and on what level? I'm pretty sure he could just pick whatever series he wants if he wants to keep his career going in to the 40's.

UncreativeUsername37 · Post by **UncreativeUsername37** » 11 Sep 2018, 20:27

Ferrari hiring someone after 14 races... did I step into another dimension again?

Post by **Ataxia** » 11 Sep 2018, 20:59

This is the best outcome for all parties. In Leclerc, Ferrari gets someone hungry, committed and with time on his side to grow with the team, rather than come in as a big dog. In Raikkonen, Sauber gets one of the best development drivers of his time, someone who'll make things happen and provides a strong benchmark for whomever occupies the second car.

And that's what the talk will be about next. Rumours abound that Ericsson's not as secure as is traditionally made out, and some suggest that Raikkonen's bought a stake in the team which would dispense with the need for a paydriver in the second car. It's also unclear whether Raikkonen counts as the mandatory Ferrari driver in a Sauber seat and, if not, then Giovinazzi might still end up there...

...but trying to predict anything in this driver market is absolutely pointless, although I'm expecting a pale-faced, dishevelled Eddie Jordan to emerge from a darkened room, waving aloft his winning bingo card telling everyone that this is what he envisaged.

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 11 Sep 2018, 22:07

The crazy thing is that, of all the rumours I've heard this far, I never heard even the possibility of this happening!

razta · Post by **razta** » 12 Sep 2018, 05:22

As if calling Force india for P5 wasn't enough for my stupid predictions..

this happened..
a couple of days ago I again, jokingly predicted Helmut Marko will call Mick up after that performance at the Nurburgring..

and now... it's actually happened,

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnmJ4_7HDfR ... 06iv47cyok

https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/mick- ... o/3174971/

Post by **mario** » 12 Sep 2018, 20:37

Rob Dylan wrote:But this doesn't fit into my narrative that Kimi is a money-hungry, apathetic git! What am I going to do with the rest of my life, who am I going to complain about for the rest of the season?

But seriously, Kimi is the last person I'd expect to have a sentimental final chapter to his F1 career. Shows that people can always surprise you.

There might yet be a financial angle in Kimi's move given there have been a few reports that Kimi bought a stake in the team from Pascal Picci (the current head of Sauber). If Liberty Media do succeed in pushing through their budget cap proposal with the intention of making the teams more profitable in the future, having a stake in a team like Sauber might be reasonably lucrative in the longer term.

Whilst it might be good for Kimi, the question is what knock on impact his move to Sauber will have for some of the younger drivers who were hoping for a seat in the sport. There were meant to be a few drivers competing for a seat at Sauber, with Giovinazzi and Vandoorne both being mentioned - with Kimi taking Leclerc's seat, they now have to hope that they can push Ericsson out of his seat, otherwise that is two young drivers who could well be out of the sport now.

CaptainGetz12 · Post by **CaptainGetz12** » 13 Sep 2018, 03:10

mario wrote:
Rob Dylan wrote:But this doesn't fit into my narrative that Kimi is a money-hungry, apathetic git! What am I going to do with the rest of my life, who am I going to complain about for the rest of the season?

But seriously, Kimi is the last person I'd expect to have a sentimental final chapter to his F1 career. Shows that people can always surprise you.

There might yet be a financial angle in Kimi's move given there have been a few reports that Kimi bought a stake in the team from Pascal Picci (the current head of Sauber). If Liberty Media do succeed in pushing through their budget cap proposal with the intention of making the teams more profitable in the future, having a stake in a team like Sauber might be reasonably lucrative in the longer term.

Whilst it might be good for Kimi, the question is what knock on impact his move to Sauber will have for some of the younger drivers who were hoping for a seat in the sport. There were meant to be a few drivers competing for a seat at Sauber, with Giovinazzi and Vandoorne both being mentioned - with Kimi taking Leclerc's seat, they now have to hope that they can push Ericsson out of his seat, otherwise that is two young drivers who could well be out of the sport now.

On a side note, would these cost caps perhaps incentivize new teams to enter the sport? Adding a team or two would really help keep new drivers coming in, so long as the teams had a chance of scoring points on at least an uncommon basis (unlike the three teams that debuted in 2010, where only Manor scored and even then only twice in its entire existence).

Pacific Edge · Post by **Pacific Edge** » 13 Sep 2018, 08:53

Ocon on his future.

http://kwese.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/24651455/esteban-ocon-vows-keep-fighting-2019-race-seat

"I dream @f1, I train F1, I eat F1, I play F1, I think F1... I'm born to race"

I really want to see this guy on the grid next year, he deserves it.

Pacific Edge · Post by **Pacific Edge** » 13 Sep 2018, 08:58

mario wrote: There were meant to be a few drivers competing for a seat at Sauber, with Giovinazzi and Vandoorne both being mentioned - with Kimi taking Leclerc's seat, they now have to hope that they can push Ericsson out of his seat, otherwise that is two young drivers who could well be out of the sport now.

Hopefully so. I really don't think Ericsson is going to move much further forward, so I'd like to see Giovinazzi get a proper chance, or Vandoorne move away from the stifling atmosphere of McLaren.

IceG · Post by **IceG** » 13 Sep 2018, 10:02

Fingers crossed for an Ocon/Kubica line-up at Williams with a transformed car (a la the 2009 Brawn)...

Collieafc · Post by **Collieafc** » 13 Sep 2018, 11:55

razta wrote:As if calling Force india for P5 wasn't enough for my stupid predictions..

this happened..
a couple of days ago I again, jokingly predicted Helmut Marko will call Mick up after that performance at the Nurburgring..

and now... it's actually happened,

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnmJ4_7HDfR ... 06iv47cyok

https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/mick- ... o/3174971/

Any wonder? With the new superlicence requirements, Helmut is running out of meat to throw in the Red Bull grinder - anyone who remotely qualifies under the age of 21 is probably fair game now

As for Ocon, I think he may be back in 2020 and replace Bottas - Would anyone want to step down to a Williams right now?

Pacific Edge · Post by **Pacific Edge** » 13 Sep 2018, 13:50

Collieafc wrote:As for Ocon, I think he may be back in 2020 and replace Bottas - Would anyone want to step down to a Williams right now?

Well, would be easier to stay in the sport, even in the back, that it would be to try get back in after a year out.

IceG · Post by **IceG** » 13 Sep 2018, 14:15

Am I missing something here?

Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Renault and McLaren have two confirmed drivers each for next year.

Raikkonen is confirmed at Sauber, Stroll is surely guaranteed a RPFI seat and Haas wouldn't drop Magnussen based on his performance this year.

So that's 13 seats out of 20, leaving seven vacancies, one at Haas, two at Toro Rosso, two at Williams, one at Sauber and one at RPFI.

And we have seven currently active F1 drivers Ocon, Perez, Grosjean, Vandoorne, Ericsson, Hartley and Sirotkin (in approximate descending order of quality) looking for seats...

How could Ocon or even Vandoorne not get a drive?

Collieafc · Post by **Collieafc** » 13 Sep 2018, 15:01

Actually its 6 - Perez is all but guaranteed a seat at the team formerly known as Force India.

5 if you think Sirotkins seat is secure on account of his, well, bank account

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 13 Sep 2018, 16:45

It has been a while since we have had quite such an unusual, unpredictable silly season. Wonder how many surprises are in store?

IceG · Post by **IceG** » 13 Sep 2018, 17:05

Collieafc wrote:Actually its 6 - Perez is all but guaranteed a seat at the team formerly known as Force India.

5 if you think Sirotkins seat is secure on account of his, well, bank account

So RPFI => TTFKAFI I like it!

And I agree re Perez but, with this silly season, who knows?

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 13 Sep 2018, 17:17

IceG wrote:Am I missing something here?

Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Renault and McLaren have two confirmed drivers each for next year.

Raikkonen is confirmed at Sauber, Stroll is surely guaranteed a RPFI seat and Haas wouldn't drop Magnussen based on his performance this year.

So that's 13 seats out of 20, leaving seven vacancies, one at Haas, two at Toro Rosso, two at Williams, one at Sauber and one at RPFI.

And we have seven currently active F1 drivers Ocon, Perez, Grosjean, Vandoorne, Ericsson, Hartley and Sirotkin (in approximate descending order of quality) looking for seats...

How could Ocon or even Vandoorne not get a drive?

It's been stated numerous times that the reason teams have passed up on Ocon is due to his Mercedes connections. Those aren't a problem for a Mercedes customer like Force India, but why would Renault or McLaren, who I believe were interested in him, ultimately commit to a driver who in a couple seasons may be called up to Mercedes anyway?

Besides, Perez is all but confirmed for the other Racing Point seat, Toro Rosso are committed to the Red Bull driver programme to the point that they're asking Kvyat to come back, so I would imagine a Kvyat/Hartley lineup for them in all honesty, Williams desperately need some money with the Strolls leaving, Martini gone, and a loss in WCC money because they're stuck at the back now - hence why they're considering a Sirotkin/Markelov partnership I believe. I'm not sure about Sauber or Haas, but Sauber may want to keep Ericsson for monetary reasons, or Ferrari may want them to run Giovinazzi. That leaves Haas, who I've not really heard anything about. I suppose it's possible they want to keep Grosjean, but if they wanted to get rid of him I would think Vandoorne might be a good fit.

Post by **Londoner** » 13 Sep 2018, 17:59

If I see any more members wanting Ericsson to be replaced, I may have to break out the banhammer.

Remember, this is GP Rejects ffs. :pantano:

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 13 Sep 2018, 19:19

East Londoner wrote:If I see any more members wanting Ericsson to be replaced, I may have to break out the banhammer.

Remember, this is GP Rejects ffs.

I WANT TO SEE ERICSSON REPLACED!!!

By Yuji ide, or HWNSNBM, or Will Stevens, or Alex Rossi, or...

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 13 Sep 2018, 20:45

East Londoner wrote:If I see any more members wanting Ericsson to be replaced, I may have to break out the banhammer.

Remember, this is GP Rejects ffs.

For the record I want Ericsson to return... just so everyone else can be infuriated by him inexplicably lapping within a couple tenths or so of Raikkonen.

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 13 Sep 2018, 20:45

dr-baker wrote:
East Londoner wrote:If I see any more members wanting Ericsson to be replaced, I may have to break out the banhammer.

Remember, this is GP Rejects ffs.

I WANT TO SEE ERICSSON REPLACED!!!

By Yuji ide, or HWNSNBM, or Will Stevens, or Alex Rossi, or...

Soon we will have a new reject: one far younger and more powerful

girry · Post by **girry** » 13 Sep 2018, 23:18

Salamander wrote:
East Londoner wrote:If I see any more members wanting Ericsson to be replaced, I may have to break out the banhammer.

Remember, this is GP Rejects ffs.

For the record I want Ericsson to return... just so everyone else can be infuriated by him inexplicably lapping within a couple tenths or so of Raikkonen.

Are you seriously even suggesting that Marcus may be going to have inexplicable weak patches where he will allow Kimi to lap within mere tenths of his divine pace? :chilton:

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 14 Sep 2018, 12:49

https://twitter.com/adamcooperF1/status/1040580217281032193

So Pascal Wehrlein is leaving Mercedes. I can't tell if this makes him more or less likely to be getting an F1 seat for next year, but I hope it's a step in the right direction for his career. As many folks have said, Formula E is probably not his next step.

Pacific Edge · Post by **Pacific Edge** » 14 Sep 2018, 15:42

Yeah, it's a bit worrying for Ocon, if Merc are willing to part ways with talent like Werhlein. both are good drivers. Though if Ocon andMerc were to split, it could actually open doors for him.

Post by **mario** » 14 Sep 2018, 16:26

Salamander wrote:
IceG wrote:Am I missing something here?

Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Renault and McLaren have two confirmed drivers each for next year.

Raikkonen is confirmed at Sauber, Stroll is surely guaranteed a RPFI seat and Haas wouldn't drop Magnussen based on his performance this year.

So that's 13 seats out of 20, leaving seven vacancies, one at Haas, two at Toro Rosso, two at Williams, one at Sauber and one at RPFI.

And we have seven currently active F1 drivers Ocon, Perez, Grosjean, Vandoorne, Ericsson, Hartley and Sirotkin (in approximate descending order of quality) looking for seats...

How could Ocon or even Vandoorne not get a drive?

It's been stated numerous times that the reason teams have passed up on Ocon is due to his Mercedes connections. Those aren't a problem for a Mercedes customer like Force India, but why would Renault or McLaren, who I believe were interested in him, ultimately commit to a driver who in a couple seasons may be called up to Mercedes anyway?

Besides, Perez is all but confirmed for the other Racing Point seat, Toro Rosso are committed to the Red Bull driver programme to the point that they're asking Kvyat to come back, so I would imagine a Kvyat/Hartley lineup for them in all honesty, Williams desperately need some money with the Strolls leaving, Martini gone, and a loss in WCC money because they're stuck at the back now - hence why they're considering a Sirotkin/Markelov partnership I believe. I'm not sure about Sauber or Haas, but Sauber may want to keep Ericsson for monetary reasons, or Ferrari may want them to run Giovinazzi. That leaves Haas, who I've not really heard anything about. I suppose it's possible they want to keep Grosjean, but if they wanted to get rid of him I would think Vandoorne might be a good fit.

In the case of Ocon, Mercedes did lend him to Renault back in 2016 as a reserve driver, where he took part in four free practise sessions before moving to Manor.

Now, there had been a rumour earlier this season that, thanks to the links they had developed at Renault during that stint, Mercedes were on the verge of signing a deal with Renault for Ocon to drive for them next year. Renault are known to have been interested in Ocon for a while, after all, and it seems that they thought that he would make for an ideal partner for Hulkenberg next year.

However, it seems that Ricciardo's decision to move to Renault next year rather screwed things up, as it seems even Renault hadn't expected Ricciardo to accept their offer. Ricciardo has effectively taken a seat that normally would have gone to somebody like Ocon, which creates a shortfall in the midfield given that seats at either Red Bull or Toro Rosso are locked out to anybody who wasn't already in Red Bull's programme.

Aguvazk · Post by **Aguvazk** » 14 Sep 2018, 16:36

I would like to see Hulkenberg and Hartley in Ferrari :glasses:

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 14 Sep 2018, 21:16

Aguvazk wrote:I would like to see Hulkenberg and Hartley in Ferrari

If twice-Reject-of-the-Year Esteban Gutiérrez is good enough for Ferrari, then those two absolutely are!

Aguvazk · Post by **Aguvazk** » 14 Sep 2018, 21:41

Aguvazk wrote:I would like to see 27 Hulkenberg and 28 Hartley in Ferrari

Fixed

Collieafc · Post by **Collieafc** » 15 Sep 2018, 10:30

We do all know who is to blame for this dont we? Max Verstappen.

Who got promoted ridiculously early into Toro Rosso and removed all veneer of patience from The Red Bull driver program? Max Verstappen.
Who got promoted after Kvyat had a bad few races, and maybe too eagerly? Max Verstappen.
Who forced Sainz Jr out of the Red Bull program due to lack of advancement, leaving him to find a seat outwith? Max Verstappen.
Who ended up making Riccardo move away from Red Bull due the increasing likelihood of favoritism (even when Riccardo broke RBs previous Golden Boy), resulting him in taking a midfield seat perfect for a driver like Ocon? Max Verstappen.
Who made McLaren think "Lets stick a very young driver in our second car as it worked for Red Bull" thereby blocking a possible seat for Ocon? (As if pushing Sainz there was bad enough). Max Verstappen.

In short, its Max Verstappens fault for this mess.
(Dont hate me)

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 15 Sep 2018, 13:01

I don't disagree with any of those points. Verstappen is a talented and fast driver, but even in his third season at Red Bull (wow, his third season), he is definitely not a complete driver yet. The question I ask is whether we've already hit peak Verstappen, in the way that some drivers have their best years in junior series or in their first few seasons at F1 level, and then fade away very quickly - Monteiro springs to mind as the first driver in my head.

Red Bull sure are throwing a lot of weight behind a kid who might end up letting them down big-time, whilst losing a very dependable, proven and mature driver like Ricciardo.

good_Ralf · Post by **good_Ralf** » 15 Sep 2018, 20:25

Rob Dylan wrote:I don't disagree with any of those points. Verstappen is a talented and fast driver, but even in his third season at Red Bull (wow, his third season), he is definitely not a complete driver yet. The question I ask is whether we've already hit peak Verstappen, in the way that some drivers have their best years in junior series or in their first few seasons at F1 level, and then fade away very quickly - Monteiro springs to mind as the first driver in my head.

That's a great theory! For me, the thing that is holding Verstappen back the most is his personality, as some have pointed out. Red Bull, as they did with Vettel to an extent, have let him grow his egotistical side such that, in spite of improving his consistency this year after Monaco, he still has ugly episodes like Monza where he causes an collision and refuses to accept fault. Furthermore, suppose Red Bull keep failing to produce another car of 2010-13 greatness, or Gasly starts matching and beating him next year...

Max's future could simply depend on what sort of cars Red Bull produce in the next few years. If they start producing genuine winners, Verstappen might well win multiple titles. If not, he could end up leaving Red Bull in acrimony, but I'm sure another team will want his services regardless, just look at his father's CV!

What might be better is that Red Bull change their attitude towards him, but knowing the characters in that organisation, I doubt that'll happen soon. Verstappen could still become the next Vettel but possibly also the next Montoya as of present. [slightly different personality/story, but you get the idea]