Who is the future?

[Massa 0]

I started reading this forum in 2006 and started posting in 2007. People were talking about Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel.

And they still are. Sure, Daniel Ricciardo happened. Max Verstappen is a thing. But other big names along the way proved to be busts, like Kevin Magnussen.

The point is that drivers get into F1 younger and younger, meaning their careers are longer and longer.  All the while, the expense of running the ladder series, let alone entering F1, is so high that doing well in F2 or GP3 or F3 means nothing anymore because the fields often lack depth as someone must pay the bills.

So, who is the future, other than Verstappen (who I think is actually not that good, but whatever)?  Can already be in F1, or not be there yet.

I favor Wehrlein, but obviously some of the team bosses don't.  Sainz scores points, but he's had some pretty clumsy drives, and I sometimes wonder if we think Sainz is better than he is because we think Toro Rosso are worse than they are.  Ocon looks to be a midpack guy.  Giovinazzi did not impress me.  Vandoorne's in an awful car, but looking like a bust after a horrid year in Super Formula.  Stroll sucks.

Who will challenge Verstappen, if it really is Verstappen to succeed in the future?

Perhaps we'll need autonomous F1 cars sooner than we think...

[Sakae 0]

Vettel in theory is good for another 10 years of racing. Will he stay for that long? Only he can answer that, but I doubt it. At some point he gets bored with the F1 (and the other way around). I love Seb, but fact is, nobody wants to see the champ with 10 WDC around his neck. Fresh names on the future-list for me are Ocon, Giovinazzi, Verstappen, Vandoorne, and Vehrlein. So far most promising IMHO are Ocon, and Verstappen. I think those two could be future protagonists like Prost/Sena, Michael/Mika, Seb/whoever.

Edited June 10 by Sakae

[radical-one 0]

Mick Schumy will surely be in the mix about 3 years from now.

[Sakae 0]

3 hours ago, radical-one said:

Mick Schumy will surely be in the mix about 3 years from now.

Add then Fabian Vettel (now 18 y old). I do not want to jinx it, but those two could be one day a duo in headlines.

[maure 1]

If the last decade is an indication of things to come, any one of the drivers mentioned could easily get 3 to 6 championships.

Just wait for a supercar and for idolaters.

Job done.

[Ruslan 0]

Well, the situation is actually kind of weird because three top drivers (Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel) arrived all very young into the series, quickly rose to top teams and started winning early. This has kind of taken all the air out of the room and makes it difficult for anyone to else to rise to the top....but if they do get a chance...they have to compete with either Alonso, Hamilton or Vettel....and so far, no one has been able to do that consistently. Part of the problem is that these three are really good.

Another part of the problem is that there is rarely more than two competitive teams, maybe three competitive teams for a year every now and then, and half the time, there is really only one competitive team. So.....not really a lot of chance for others to shine, especially as they can't get the ride. For the last 13 years (including this one), all championships have been won by these three except 2007 (Raikonnen), 2009 (Button) and 2016 (Rosberg). In many respects, each of those championships were sort of odd.

I think it is a unique situation, magnified by three truly great drivers and the somewhat uncompetitive nature of F1 over the last decade.

 

Aside just for Sakae: Of course, the solution is to put in a budget cap.

 

[Sakae 0]

1 hour ago, Ruslan said:

Aside just for Sakae: Of course, the solution is to put in a budget cap.

Only if you promise to buy enough of hockey sticks, then your analogy may work.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

On 2017/06/09 at 10:41 AM, Sakae said:

Vettel in theory is good for another 10 years of racing. Will he stay for that long? Only he can answer that, but I doubt it. At some point he gets bored with the F1 (and the other way around). I love Seb, but fact is, nobody wants to see the champ with 10 WDC around his neck. Fresh names on the future-list for me are Ocon, Giovinazzi, Verstappen, Vandoorne, and Vehrlein. So far most promising IMHO are Ocon, and Verstappen. I think those two could be future protagonists like Prost/Sena, Michael/Mika, Seb/whoever.

I see Vettel eclipsing Schumie with the most championships ever, will be a good testament to his prodigous talent!!!!

[Sakae 0]

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Edited June 14 by Sakae

[maure 1]

Is that the reason why you hate Alonso? Because you think your anger has an impact on results?

Freaky sht.

Granted, this is the place where it is claimed that charm, rather than racecraft, wins championships...

[Sakae 0]

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Edited June 14 by Sakae

[Massa 0]

I thought I'd start a topic to discuss anything other than Alonso.

We are now discussing Alonso here.

I wish I still had the power to ban accounts so that I could ban my own.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

lol

[Quiet One 15]

I agree with Eric. As for your OP, I think no driver yet has shown even a glimpse of being an actual prospect. Even of any of them get any better in a better car, that would prove that they are confidence drivers. Something at Massa's level, but no HAM or ALO.

Then again, people here is pitifully obsessed with Nando so lets not talk about him anymore. I will merely give you a brief impression of each one of the new (or almost new) guys.

[Quiet One 15]

WEHRLEIN:

He did beat Haryanto, I give you that, and he made a Pérez-esque brilliant race at Spain with a one stop and finishing in the points. which is more that the whole McHonda team can say they did so far. Bahrain was a quiet but good race too, and Monaco...well, he certainly did a lot better than Button. But as far as brilliant moves or stroke of genius go, he hasn't show anything so far. Sauber is a crappy car,  He is better than Ericsson, so he clearly is at least a competent driver. Speaking of Ericsson:

 

ERICSSON: 

A driver so uninspiring, he could have been a 2016 WDC with a better car.

[Quiet One 15]

 

SAINZ, Jr.:

He can be quick, he can be resourceful, he can attack, he can defend. Trouble is, he just doesn't do enough of those things in a race. And then the clumsy moves show up. Of course, we've seen better drivers make clumsier moves (See Button, above). And he is far from being the next Takuma or the next Pastor Maldonado (both in crashes and in charisma, sadly). Still, better than Kvyat, which seems to be a frustratingly inconsistent driver with more bad luck than Chris Amon.

Oh, yes...in case you forgot how Takuma Sato and Pastor Maldonado looked like:

 

 

 

[Quiet One 15]

ESTEBAN OCON:

He is getting better, and getting closer to Pérez, a driver I tend to rate rather high. But, just like the others, he hasn't yet shown enough. Canada was encouraging, though, and he DID give Verstappen a run for his money in F3, apparently. We'll see in  the next few races if he has that X factor or not.

As for LANCE STROLL:

Ah, how has the little kid grown since his Ferrari days! Other than that, he sucks. Yeah. Even after Canada. Sucks.

 

[Quiet One 15]

Last but not least: K-MAG and JOLYON PALMER

What can I say? K-Mag was bad when given a chance at a better team, and sucks now in a not too shabby team. Being mediocre is in his DNA. And his skull shape is all wrong. As for Palmer, I am sure that Renault hired him only because they couldn't spell Vandoorne. Oh, yes...Stoffel...

 

STOFFEL VANDOORNE:

He was hailed as the next big thing, to the point that some people expected him to beat his teammate. Others, more reasonably, merely expected him to be at least close to be considered promising. Well, he hasn't been close in qualy, and he hasn't been close in races. If Alonso is flattering the McHonda brick, then SV certainly isn't even making it justice. Getting into a McLaren and alongside Nando of all drivers was never going to be easy, but he has not shown so far he is even a decent number 2. Shame.

 

 

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer 4]

Andres, I'm shocked you did not consider the comeback of Liuzzi?!!!

 

[Quiet One 15]

Don't bring back those painful memories

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer 4]

At least it wasn't a 2008 spec rear wing....

[Quiet One 15]

Ah, those were the times...

BTW, the future might also be a promise from the past. Of course, I'm talking about the return of...

ROBERT KUBICA

 

[VicVenom 0]

Verstappen and Sainz. Both Mercedes and Ferrari should be knocking on their doors right now. They are wasted at Red Bull/Toro Rosso. 

Vettel will get shown up once he's paired with someone quick again. He'll fade away after that. 

Edited Wednesday at 7:56 AM by VicVenom

[Sakae 0]

59 minutes ago, VicVenom said:

Vettel will get shown up once he's paired with someone quick again. He'll fade away after that. 

Don't say. Are you sure?

[VicVenom 0]

8 minutes ago, Sakae said:

Don't say. Are you sure?

Yes.