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Ruslan

Silly Season 2021

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Well, look like silly season 2021 just got interesting with apparently Ferrari offering Vettal a one year contract at $12M. The rumor has it that he turned it down. Questions become:

1. Is this true?

2. Where does he go to? (McLaren?)

3. Who takes the second Ferrari seat? (Saintz, Ricciardo?)

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Date 2020.04.22   Time 17:18 (UTC) - VETTEL

Brad found just today one of more readable consideration about how deep in dung Vettel is.

Vettel, Vettel, Vettel, but is it all true?

What I gather, the Ferrari's list of names replacing Vettel seems longer than all names not on that list.

Short list of chosen ones by honorable press: Hamilton, Alonso, Sainz. DR, Giovinazzi, and who knows who else is on it. It will be interesting to see Alonso or Hamilton driving for 12 MM. Mind you, if Ferrari wanted DR, he would be driving for them by now, but he is not getting it, and neither some in media.

My take:

I have no clue what's up with Ferrari, but 12 MM might just as well be called metaphor for "please leave quietly now". Having said that, due to COVID-19 effect on economy, there might be some pull back. I could understand that. I am sure when all is done and said, someone will tell us what's going on. Fact also is, F1 media and their special fans are trying to find replacement for Vettel for past 5 years just about after each race. 

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Date 2020.04.23   Time 7:28 (UTC) VETTEL (again, who else)

GPBlog (who else?)

Quote

Column: Ferrari must now dump Vettel and choose Carlos Sainz

23-04-2020 07:42 

by Editorial Team

It's every day readers are bombarded headlines like this one, or very similar in tone on that website, and being picked up by other parties. It's worse than Corona.

What happened to human decency, if that one ever existed? Both parties in red suits would do us a lot of good to close books on this irrationality, before we go all bananas, confusing scientific community in process whether it was virus or human dark side which did us in. 

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With Alonso in the wings, eager claimin 2 B better THAN ever.
If Sainz Does go 2 Ferrari.  Maybe a THIRD time lucky for ALONSO at Mclaren ??

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Vettel still has a job. His body still has pulse and is warm. Why so hurry then\?

McLaren is on the record, they are not talking Alonso back. But then, they may have been misleading us. After all it's new normal these days.

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Yes, I am not sure who would take Alonso back. You clearly don't want him on a team with a top driver....because you know how that it going to end. So that rules out Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. McLaren? Maybe. Alonso is probably most marketable to a team that needs the visibility and results. One of his talents is the ability to race in top form no matter how bad the car is. So, he could take one of the backmarkers and put it in the points. This certainly makes him of considerable value to someone like Haas or Alfa. Would he really want to go back to such a team? I doubt it.

I suspect the only two likely landing spots for Alonso is McLaren or Renault. They are good enough he might want to race there, and probably have a need for him. I do think he is a better driver than Vettel, but he is not young. They both have had issues with their teammates and teams. It is distinctly possible that neither Vettel or Alonso will be racing F1 in 2021.

 

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Sebastian admitted not too long ago that he is considering to enter university studies for engineering degree. In my view it is a sign of him really considering retirement from the sport as viable option. He has a B plan then. I say good for him. Not too many can say that much.

Alonso at McLaren - my roulette chip is on NO. (Before you take me seriously, bear in mind that I am not a gambler. Not now, not ever.)

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I had not heard he was thinking about going to college. Good for him. Very few F1 drivers now are college grads.

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On 4/22/2020 at 7:48 PM, Sakae said:

Date 2020.04.22   Time 17:18 (UTC) - VETTEL

Brad found just today one of more readable consideration about how deep in dung Vettel is.

Vettel, Vettel, Vettel, but is it all true?

What I gather, the Ferrari's list of names replacing Vettel seems longer than all names not on that list.

Short list of chosen ones by honorable press: Hamilton, Alonso, Sainz. DR, Giovinazzi, and who knows who else is on it. It will be interesting to see Alonso or Hamilton driving for 12 MM. Mind you, if Ferrari wanted DR, he would be driving for them by now, but he is not getting it, and neither some in media.

My take:

I have no clue what's up with Ferrari, but 12 MM might just as well be called metaphor for "please leave quietly now". Having said that, due to COVID-19 effect on economy, there might be some pull back. I could understand that. I am sure when all is done and said, someone will tell us what's going on. Fact also is, F1 media and their special fans are trying to find replacement for Vettel for past 5 years just about after each race. 

I'll be happy with Vettel moving over to Merc.... Shows Lewis who's boss.. Lewey had it fairly easy

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48 minutes ago, BradSpeedMan said:

I'll be happy with Vettel moving over to Merc.... Shows Lewis who's boss.. Lewey had it fairly easy

1. I am not convinced yet that Vettel is moving to another team.

2. I am also not sure there will be Mercedes team with Wolff leading it in next round. 

3. Even if Mercedes would stay, yet Wolff left, Seb could be left there without balance, so that would not be any different what he has now at Ferrari. Wolff and Vettel are supposedly friends outside F1 ( live in relative neighbourhood and visit each other - so I read ).

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38 minutes ago, Sakae said:

1. I am not convinced yet that Vettel is moving to another team.

2. I am also not sure there will be Mercedes team with Wolff leading it in next round. 

3. Even if Mercedes would stay, yet Wolff left, Seb could be left there without balance, so that would not be any different what he has now at Ferrari. Wolff and Vettel are supposedly friends outside F1 ( live in relative neighbourhood and visit each other - so I read ).

Agree, only if Wolff stays.. good team principle/manager that one

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1 hour ago, Sakae said:

3. Even if Mercedes would stay, yet Wolff left, Seb could be left there without balance, so that would not be any different what he has now at Ferrari. Wolff and Vettel are supposedly friends outside F1 ( live in relative neighbourhood and visit each other - so I read ).

Well, lets speculate then......

Wolf takes over the newly rebadged Aston Martin team and brings Vettel with him....Sainz or Ricciardo goes to Ferrari and Perez goes to the other open seat.

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29 minutes ago, Ruslan said:

Well, lets speculate then......

Wolf takes over the newly rebadged Aston Martin team and brings Vettel with him....Sainz or Ricciardo goes to Ferrari and Perez goes to the other open seat.

...and Sakae will live with nightmares. Thanks Ruslan. Papa is not buying basically bankrupt name for his son to ply second fiddle to Vettel.

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As far as I know, we are back to we have no idea what will happen. I still think it's Ferrari or university for him.

BTW, other than Mercedes, I think Ferrari might be on brink to turn switch off on F1 as well. In contrast to Brown, who seems to like listen to himself speak, I do take Ferrari management seriously. I don't think it's their negotiating tactics, but warning, what's their bottom line. From 145 MM to 100 which are now evaluating might turn to be last straw. Maybe when we wake up, it will be 80, who knows, Brown is known to change his mind quite often, and we also know he doesn't care if Ferrari races, as long he and Williams are there.

Brown may have conflict of interest here with him talking BIG (like that Australian some time ago). Chasing hybrid out of the F1 could open door for Cosworth. From what I heard, he is invested there (not confirmed). Whether return to normally aspirated engines is future of F1 remains to be seen, but I doubt it. Cities, countries will have to weigh races and smoke Mr. Brown delivers, or at least pretend they do care about environment and kick him to the curb. It's complicated. 

Cosworth is not in hybrids, regardless who said what. We have not seen them testing any car on any of F1 tracks, and have chance to compare their performance to rest of them. Until then, they are  20tieh century technology company.

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10 hours ago, Sakae said:

As far as I know, we are back to we have no idea what will happen. I still think it's Ferrari or university for him.

Well, he has already turned down Ferrari. They knew what they were doing when they made that offer to him.

 

P.S. How many times have you predicted that Ferrari/Mercedes/Red Bull would leave F1? How many times have they left?

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3 hours ago, Ruslan said:

Well, he has already turned down Ferrari. They knew what they were doing when they made that offer to him.

As far as I recall, we know nothing conclusive yet. It was unconfirmed rumor spread on the internet in headlines ambiguously (as fact). Hoax. Internally articles had admitted it was rumor.

That doesn't precludes possibility that rumor might turn to be true. For now however - just speculation.

Quote

P.S. How many times have you predicted that Ferrari/Mercedes/Red Bull would leave F1? How many times have they left?

My recollection is different one.

1. I wished some teams would leave and form a new series. That I have dreamt many times. Not sure I had RBR in mind, because mine was always  focus on automakers, but they could try despite not fitting in. That new club I want would include Renault. (They make too body and engine.)

2. I have taken teams always seriously when they said - we could leave (under certain conditions). 

Especially Ferrari. Ferrari will do at the end what The Executives will decide. Blaming Binotto indicates either some personal issues with Binotto (latest by Brown), or total misunderstanding how corporation functions.

Mercedes rarely talks like that. Maybe twice in many, many years. First time Lauda saved the day when he played go-between Dr. Zetsche & Brawn vs. Ecclestone, this time I am not sure who will do the same. Wolff appears to be ready to throw towel admitting, "I am still with Mercedes in short term". What was that..? Short term? Cannot reach agreement over new contract? Is that's the issue? We do not know therefore what's going on, and what will happen with this team. Ola is a new guy at the helm, and while he see positives in staying (PR talk), facts on the ground may turn him away.

Racing at Austria or Silverstone is not exposure Mercedes is massively paying for. Theirs is global market.

3. Both point above are not definite predictions (forecast) teams will leave. At worst i am guilty committing ambiguity, but generally I am much more careful to make silly and definite predictions at the level F1 tabloids do.

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13 hours ago, Sakae said:

As far as I recall, we know nothing conclusive yet. It was unconfirmed rumor spread on the internet in headlines ambiguously (as fact). Hoax. Internally articles had admitted it was rumor.

That doesn't precludes possibility that rumor might turn to be true. For now however - just speculation.

 

Well, I have heard no denials of it, or statements released from Ferrari and Vettel further "clarifying" the situation. So....it does appear that there is some basis to the rumor.

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Date 2020.04.28   Time 18:19 (UTC)

I do not expect confirmation or denial of rumors from anyone on the inside. Moreover, Ferrari doesn't need to let out trial balloons just to get reaction from Vettel. They know what he wants, and probably by now they also know his bottom line. I have feeling we will know within next 60 days how this story ends; probably sooner than later.

 

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10 hours ago, Sakae said:

we will know within next 60 days how this story ends; 

The end is just, the beginning.

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Date 2020.04.29   Time 8:59 (UTC) Vettel Ferrari

Commenting on daily "F1 news", effort to kick Vettel to the curb are in overdrive. "Ugly" is rather a weak reflection what's going on.  Ferrari is coming close to curb itself, as articles are appearing how F1 will be better without them. Nothing about RBR which basically wants higher budget as well.

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Well, F1 continues to surprise and entertain me, even though they are not racing.

So.....as I understand it:

1. Sainz just signed a two-year contract with Ferrari.

2. Ricciardo just signed a multi-year contract with McLaren.

3. Leclerc is on a contract with Ferrari through 2024.

4. Vettel is hinting Mercedes or retirement.

5. Rumors are connecting Alonso to return with Renault. Not sure how good those rumors are.
 

Current grid for 2021:

1. Mercedes: Hamilton (?), Bottas or Vettel (???)

2. Ferrari (confirmed): Leclerc, Sainz

3. Red Bull: Verstappen (confirmed), Albon

4. Mercedes (confirmed): Ricciardo, Norris

5. Renault: Ocon (confirmed), Alonso ???

6. Aston Martin: Perez, Stroll

7. Alfa: Raikkonen, Giovanazzi

8. Toro Russo: Kvyat, Gasly

9. Haas: Grosjean, Magnussen

10: Williams: Russell, Latifi

 

 

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1 minute ago, Ruslan said:

Well, F1 continues to surprise and entertain me, even though they are not racing.

So.....as I understand it...

Very good summary. That Vettel thing seems dreamt up by someone, but Vettel. Since that is last music chair, people latch on that.

I was adding earlier, since Hamilton did not switch, can we then take for granted, that he is either retiring (if Merc leaves), or he is staying because we got indirect confirmation just now that team is staying - with or without Wolff. I am assuming Merc would level with him of their intentions.

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And some comments:

1. Sainz and Ferrari: Sainz is clearly a #2. Seems like a really good guy but not completely sold on him as a driver. Hulkenberg clearly buried him when they were teammates...yet Hulkenberg is without a ride and Sainz is driving for Ferrari. Maybe I believe to much in comparative statistics and don't quite understand the zen of driver talent.

2. Ricciardo/Norris/Zak Brown: What a great group of people/drivers. Might become my new favorites, even though I have always disliked the McLaren team. But....d#ckish Ron Dennis is not longer there, so maybe it is time to embrace the Bahraini team.

3. Vettel to Mercedes: Why would they do this? Last season, Vettel ignored team orders, even though he benefitted in at least two races from team orders, got demotivated for several races in the middle of the season after the conflict with Hamilton at Canada, and then crashed into his teammate on a straight-away in the last race of the season. Are they really going to hire this guy to race beside Hamilton, who he has deliberately ran into before? The guy is s##t to work with, why would they hire them? Expensive, moody, difficult, fights with teammates, and unreliable. At some point, these guys are employees, and an employer needs to take into account their past behavior.

4. Alonso to Renault: It would be nice to have him back. We shall see if that happens. Can't imagine that there won't be fireworks through between the very charming and aggressive Ocon and the sometimes very dark Alonso.

 

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4 minutes ago, Sakae said:

Very good summary. That Vettel thing seems dreamt up by someone, but Vettel. Since that is last music chair, people latch on that.

I was adding earlier, since Hamilton did not switch, can we then take for granted, that he is either retiring (if Merc leaves), or he is staying because we got indirect confirmation just now that team is staying - with or without Wolff. I am assuming Merc would level with him of their intentions.

Hamilton probably knows exactly what is going on with Mercedes. So, I assume he will be back next year. The only person who may be leaving is Toto Wolff.

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