Williams Retains Bottas And Massa

[Jem of the Shire 0]

Makes perfect logical sense, they're a strong pairing, but there goes my dream of Jenson returning to Grove. Looks like now his only hope (very slim IMO) is being retained by McLaren, or a depressing move to Haas. I think 2015 will be Button's last, which is a huge shame. I still think in a better car he could take it to Alonso.

This is the unsilliest silly-season ever, 2016 is going to be a replay of 2015 except with Kevin Magnussen joining in! (and Haas)

[Emmcee 0]

I don't think mclaren would ditch button, there would be more " what will button do" news if either mag or vandoorne are any closer than they are now.

[Delivery_Driver 0]

If button is let go by Mclaren, do u think Renault would replace Pastor Maldonado and put JB in that car alongside Romain? That Lotus car this year is getting wasted with pastor behind that 2nd lotus

[Jem of the Shire 0]

I think it's at a point where McLaren need to give Kev or Stoffel a race-seat. Kevin would no doubt have been made promises, and Stoffel is banging heavily on the door, so despite Button's continued performance I think McLaren will have to let him go.

As for Lotus/Renault they probably cant afford Button anyway, and will (I hope) promote Jolyon Palmer.

[KoolMonkey 0]

I've heard Vandoorne is very good. And you have Magnussun sitting waiting as well. If McLaren stick with JB, I can only see that happening for one more year. By then if things don't improve there will be carnage galore at Mclaren.

I still want to see JB at Williams. And I'm not even a big JB supporter.

[Emmcee 0]

JB will stay as has kimi and bottas, the teams are obviously staying put before the big driver market shakeup next season, it's only Ricciardo and bottas's contracts that have locked the driver market this season otherwise it would have been on for next year. I rate Magnussen quite highly but I think he will have to jump to indycar if he wants a seat, vandoorne will get it over Magnussen, his results in gp2 this season are solid.

[KoolMonkey 0]

There's a very short window or opportunity for the GP2 and other feeder series drivers to get into F1. Time it just right and you are in, but make it as far as a test driver in modern day F1 and you might as well go race in MotoGP, because the step up never happens. Mag was very unlucky, but he's not the first or the last. What's saved Maldonado and Perez is money, not talent. Since testing in F1 is just a myth, the young drivers have little opportunity to impress. Seeing the recent headlines about a winter testing ban means we're doomed. I'm so over F1. Kimi is honestly all that is keeping me interested at this point. When he goes, who knows I might be a hardcore NFL fan by then.

[Emmcee 0]

What has ruined the sport is to many people wanting to much control, it's as simple as that. What ever happened to the "if it ain't broke,don't fix it" quote or "let it be". Yeah safety and technology has to improve with time but I believe it can be achieved without even harming the sport or changing it so drastically from when they did from 97-98. The groove tyre thing wtf? Heck let's save even more dough and have them run on road tyres, couldn't shred up any worse than the pirellis we have seen last few seasons.

[maure 1]

Williams is going nowhere with this pairing.

[KoolMonkey 0]

I tend to agree with Mr Burns. Considering how fast Williams looked last year and they still fumbled and got no wins, this year they look slower. Thus can either of Massa or Bottas contribute anything to the development of the car? I see nothing changing at Williams whilst those two are there, and I still haven't seen enough of Bottas to warrant a seat at Ferrari. If it comes to it, give the seat to Gutierrez and let him learn and be Vettel's understudy.

[Emmcee 0]

So that makes this years Ferrari worse even still than last years Williams and a post a while back you said Ferrari in your opinion have a worse car than Williams this year but then now post Williams had a better car last year than this year, well what happened at Ferrari last year? Doesn't this highlight the alonso vs kimi debate even more so in alonsos power? Not trying to start a fight just trying to figure out your posts, you see my point don't you?

[Jem of the Shire 0]

I think Williams's failure to grasp their best opportunities, both this year and last, has largely been down to strategic error from the pitwall rather than the pace/errors of the drivers who have been pretty solid. There aren't really any better options out there so makes sense to keep the same line-up.

[Emmcee 0]

I think Williams's failure to grasp their best opportunities, both this year and last, has largely been down to strategic error from the pitwall rather than the pace/errors of the drivers who have been pretty solid. There aren't really any better options out there so makes sense to keep the same line-up.

Yeah I agree, they stiched bottas up at silver stone didn't they? Most of the teams are holding on as like usual it's one or two drivers who have the control of the driver market and whatever decision they make affects the rest of the field.

[KoolMonkey 0]

So that makes this years Ferrari worse even still than last years Williams and a post a while back you said Ferrari in your opinion have a worse car than Williams this year but then now post Williams had a better car last year than this year, well what happened at Ferrari last year? Doesn't this highlight the alonso vs kimi debate even more so in alonsos power? Not trying to start a fight just trying to figure out your posts, you see my point don't you?

Williams had a better car than Ferrari last year. But they didn't deliver on having the 2nd best car on the grid. I think most people would agree with this. They certainly had a better and faster car than RBR. Yet Williams got no wins. They just didn't get the results the car warranted. As Jem mentions, pitcrew strategy did play a part. Especially this year when they didn't move Bottas past Massa at Silverstone and take advantage of the track situation. But the drivers like Massa for example have done plenty to hurt their own chances as well. And Bottas just seems to go missing sometimes. He doesn't have the on fire consistency yet as a driver.

Ferrari's car last year wasn't good. Again I think most people would agree this year's car is better. Why? Who knows. Allison most likely. Feedback from Kimi working with Allison. It seems Vettel is happy with the car too and from what I know both Kimi and Vettel share similar car preferences. Certainly alot closer than lefty lucy Alonso who likes his cars setup way way differently than anyone else. As far as Alonso vs Kimi, that can be argued about forever and a day. Really all I'm commenting on is Williams at this point and how I feel they kind of squandered their chances last year.

Williams went from having the clear 2nd best car last year to possibly equal second with Ferrari this year, or the 3rd best car.

So it could be said that maybe all that's changed is Ferrari simply got better, and Williams have remained the same. But I'm not seeing enough from Bottas and Massa to make me think they are going to improve.

[Quiet One 15]

Lol

[Emmcee 0]

Williams had a better car than Ferrari last year. But they didn't deliver on having the 2nd best car on the grid. I think most people would agree with this. They certainly had a better and faster car than RBR. Yet Williams got no wins. They just didn't get the results the car warranted. As Jem mentions, pitcrew strategy did play a part. Especially this year when they didn't move Bottas past Massa at Silverstone and take advantage of the track situation. But the drivers like Massa for example have done plenty to hurt their own chances as well. And Bottas just seems to go missing sometimes. He doesn't have the on fire consistency yet as a driver.

Ferrari's car last year wasn't good. Again I think most people would agree this year's car is better. Why? Who knows. Allison most likely. Feedback from Kimi working with Allison. It seems Vettel is happy with the car too and from what I know both Kimi and Vettel share similar car preferences. Certainly alot closer than lefty lucy Alonso who likes his cars setup way way differently than anyone else. As far as Alonso vs Kimi, that can be argued about forever and a day. Really all I'm commenting on is Williams at this point and how I feel they kind of squandered their chances last year.

Williams went from having the clear 2nd best car last year to possibly equal second with Ferrari this year, or the 3rd best car.

So it could be said that maybe all that's changed is Ferrari simply got better, and Williams have remained the same. But I'm not seeing enough from Bottas and Massa to make me think they are going to improve.

Yeah I do agree with that to an extent.

[Insider 0]

Williams is going nowhere with this pairing.

I have to agree - best of the rest at the moment and that's on a very, very good day. I will be interesting to see where they are with the new spec donkey from Merc in relation to Ferrari. There is little more the current drivers can do. I believe JB will stay at Woking for another year - the rookies aren't going to sort this car out, period. A little bird told me that Felipe is thinking more and more about retirement. He has a young family and he feels extremely lucky to have got as far as he has; he is still one of the fastest pedlars out there. JB could end his career at Grove, you never know. He would certainly enhance the continued development of the marque.

[KoolMonkey 0]

JB to Williams. That frees up a seat for Vandoorne or Mag. I've wanted JB to go back to Williams as a proper penance for what he put them through when he fled to BAR. But not in a bad way of him suffering. He would do well there for 2 years and then retire on a good note.

[Emmcee 0]

Gee time flies, I remember when they were talking about him having a good chance to land a race seat alongside Ralf Schumacher for the 2000 season. Biggest memory I have of button and his debut season, is him spinning out of the race on the warm up lap at monza.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

Lol I don't even remember that. I remember his awesome qualifying at Spa, outqualifying M.Schumacher, lined up on the 2nd row.

[KoolMonkey 0]

I miss the old Williams. Not the old old Williams of Mansell and Senna, but of Ralfie, Juan Pablo. Those days. F1 is an utter shell of what it used to be

[Jem of the Shire 0]

F1 was better then but I don't remember that many classics from the BMW-Williams era. JPM's 2001 arrival was fun but I remember Canada 2001 when the race was really boring and the only novelty was that 2 brothers were fighting each other for a win. 2003 was a close year, but then 2010-2012 were closer, with 5 drivers slugging it out for WDC

[Emmcee 0]

Lol I don't even remember that. I remember his awesome qualifying at Spa, outqualifying M.Schumacher, lined up on the 2nd row.

Yeah I was watching the warmup lap just before they hit the last corner before reforming on the grid and you see this Williams leave the group and scrap the wall. I was like wtf and Murray was like "ITS JENSON BUTTON" lol

Here it is.

[Emmcee 0]

I miss the old Williams. Not the old old Williams of Mansell and Senna, but of Ralfie, Juan Pablo. Those days. F1 is an utter shell of what it used to be

In mark webber's new book he said in his whole f1 career 2003/04 was the hardest time to be a driver, you had to be at optimum fitness. But IMO I think 1997 was when you watch those cars and there rediculous turn in speeds but I've never driven an f1 car so.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

Meanwhile Jenson hopes he can have his 2016 situation sorted within the next few weeks. It was nice to see him fighting tooth and nail for positions he has no hope of defending (yesterday at Monza). The difference in his and Alonso's pay (£20m) is ridiculous.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/34176084