The '13 driver transfer discussion/speculation thread op updated 16/10

[Lizard]

who knows he might be back again in a few years.

Nah I think this is it.

The most he will come back as now is a reserve driver but even that is unlikely.

 

[SKIDMARX]

The best thing he can do now, especially if he still feels he can race is to join a series like DTM and race with some retired F1 greats like David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher, not to mension some competitive younger DTM drivers.

 

[Peasantslayer]

The best thing he can do now, especially if he still feels he can race is to join a series like DTM and race with some retired F1 greats like David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher, not to mension some competitive younger DTM drivers.

I think that would be the right move, judging by his performances at the Race Of Champions events in recent years he still has something in cars which are a slower and easier to control at least.

 

[Ardius]

I don't think Hamilton would intentionally ruin qualifying for someone else just to ensure he kept pole, Michael has no sense of honour sometimes.

Yes, honourable Hamilton..

 

[Peasantslayer]

Yes, honourable Hamilton..

I'm sorry but what is this? I'm not entirely sure what happened by the video but it looks like Trulli went off and then Hamilton was worrying about giving the place back when he didn't have to (which Michael wouldn't do) and then once Trulli was through he backed off and decided to hold up Lewis.

 

[Lizard]

I'm sorry but what is this? I'm not entirely sure what happened by the video but it looks like Trulli went off and then Hamilton was worrying about giving the place back when he didn't have to (which Michael wouldn't do) and then once Trulli was through he backed off and decided to hold up Lewis.

That was liegate.

Hamilton told the stewards he had not been told to give the place back when he clearly had to try and give Trulli a penalty.

 

[Ardius]

I guess you weren't watching then then:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Australian_Grand_Prix

Its all in there, I'm not going to explain it all here as its wildly off topic.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103055

I think for Lewis it is a good thing to move on and for McLaren .... [Alain] Prost went out, [Ayrton] Senna, then it was me, now it's Lewis, and normally for a better life, for a good change.

McLaren has been 14 years without winning the constructors' championship, most of those years sometimes with the best car. I'm sure Lewis wants to win as well.

I'm sensing a bad vibe about McLaren from Alonso.

 

[Peasantslayer]

I've been watching F1 casually for a while but I only really got into it in the 2010 season. I saw the incident and read up on it, he really should have told the truth but I get the impression the team told him to lie and at the end of the day Lewis is a Mclaren employee.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103055

I'm sensing a bad vibe about McLaren from Alonso.

In the past he has made it clear many times that he didn't enjoy his time at Mclaren, he is probably rubbing his hands together with Hamilton getting in a car which will probably be slower. Having said that Perez is no slouch.

 

[Ardius]

The fact that he himself gave interviews to the media saying one thing and then went to the stewards to say the opposite doesn't suggest Hamilton has much "honour".
Are you saying that if your employer asked you to lie you would happily do so and feel that your honour remained intact?

It doesn't matter who employed him. Hamilton had a choice not to lie. He chose to lie. There is no taking away that fact.

I mean, Hamilton did later apologise for it so it is old hat. But the point is that Hamilton is no golden boy. He is just as susceptible to cheating and dishonourable conduct as Schumacher is. That doesn't justify Schumacher either - it just makes Hamilton no better than him in that regard - in my opinion at least.

This is exactly the same as why I don't hold Nelson Piquet Jr in much regard either - it doesn't matter that he was in a horrible situation with Flavio Briatore. He had a choice and he allowed himself to carry out the crime.

If you don't stand up for your principles, then what is the point in having them? If my employers asked me to do such things I would refuse.

 

[Rotorist]

I think that would be the right move, judging by his performances at the Race Of Champions events in recent years he still has something in cars which are a slower and easier to control at least.

In this years Monaco Q3 he showed he has something with F1 cars when running in tight courses with bars on each side too. When downforce is not as important as tecnique (Monaco, Spa) he always shows his ability. As when lapping 1sec faster than the 2nd Coulthard in Monaco race before his exchaust burnt his suspension. He had 30 secs lead at that time. How many did this in this track in F1 history. And remember that DC has been poleman and habidant in Monaco...

 

[DemurgicDemon]

In this years Monaco Q3 he showed he has something with F1 cars when running in tight courses with bars on each side too. When downforce is not as important as tecnique (Monaco, Spa) he always shows his ability. As when lapping 1sec faster than the 2nd Coulthard in Monaco race before his exchaust burnt his suspension. He had 30 secs lead at that time. How many did this in this track in F1 history. And remember that DC has been poleman and habidant in Monaco...

Excuse me? Downforce is incredibly important at both of these circuits! I remember reading in F1 Racing magazine sometime ago that at Monaco maximum downforce is added to help the cars with braking. Downforce is important at Spa as well, due to the high-speed sweeping corners. You see while low speed corners don't require so much downforce, a car needs downforce for it to travel through a fast and open corner at high-speed. Without it, the car would be slow and unstable.

 

[Ardius]

I'd say its fair to put Monaco as being less important for downforce - sure all the teams pile on the downforce but with so many low-speed corners its more important to have a car that has good mechanical grip. It has the highest downforce settings for the cars because there are no straights - so no penalty in terms of drag.
So Monaco generally tends to allow some drivers to show their potential beyond what a slower F1 car normally allows.

We don't have to dig out the old Senna-Toleman example again do we?

Spa is a completely different story though. Downforce is certainly necessary but what is most important there is aerodynamic effeciency. Its more about who can put the most downforce on the car but with the least drag on the straights.
See Spa 2009 with Fisi and Force India for an example on that.

I'm not going to bother going further into this discussion on Schumacher as I'm sure everyone has already read my opinion on him enough times.

 

[DemurgicDemon]

I'd say its fair to put Monaco as being less important for downforce - sure all the teams pile on the downforce but with so many low-speed corners its more important to have a car that has good mechanical grip. It has the highest downforce settings for the cars because there are no straights - so no penalty in terms of drag.
So Monaco generally tends to allow some drivers to show their potential beyond what a slower F1 car normally allows.

We don't have to dig out the old Senna-Toleman example again do we?

Of course not. I'm aware downforce for cornering isn't so important at Monaco due to the corners being low-speed. However I read in F1 Racing magazine of all places, that the teams use high-downforce setups to assist with braking at the circuits 'high' speed braking zones - for example the exit of the tunnel and the first corner. So it's important for something at Monaco after all.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Two more seats in the DTM for next year at BMW, C'mon Michael.. you know it makes sense!

 

[hawkeye122]

Two more seats in the DTM for next year at BMW, C'mon Michael.. you know it makes sense!

Kicking Joey Hand? We want him back in the ALMS...


I think Michael ought to be done with racing. Just take a spot on a board of directors somewhere, call it good.

 

[zippy_the_cat]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103055

I'm sensing a bad vibe about McLaren from Alonso.

Yep, I got the idea too that Alonso has more against McLaren (Ron Dennis, most likely) than he ever did against Hamilton. That said, he's clearly not eager to work again with Hamilton. I suspect that has less to do with Hamilton's speed than with some other things.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Maldonado confirms that his is not guaranteed a seat with Williams next year:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103071

Williams' problem is that if they lose Maldonado or let him go, then they will likely be stuck with Senna.

 

[CinnamonOD]

Maldonado confirms that his is not guaranteed a seat with Williams next year:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103071

Williams' problem is that if they lose Maldonado or let him go, then they will likely be stuck with Senna.

Maldonado's uncertainty about his future may also be fuelled by the fact that an election is taking place in Venezuela this weekend, which could have an impact on the PDVSA F1 sponsorship, and as we can see in ohdios.com(a humor website from Venezuela) the simulated result isn't so good for PDVSA & Maldonado at all

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I think people are reading far too much into the elections.

 

[RTSolvalou]

Surely Grosjean isn't safe in that admirable Lotus seat.

 

[bzking23]

looks like schumacher is either going to DTM, back to Le mans, or even Indycar because i doubt he would retire from Motorsports for at least another 3 years.

Also Karthikayan at Ferrari 2013

 

[niky]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103055

I think for Lewis it is a good thing to move on and for McLaren .... [Alain] Prost went out, [Ayrton] Senna, then it was me, now it's Lewis, and normally for a better life, for a good change.

McLaren has been 14 years without winning the constructors' championship, most of those years sometimes with the best car. I'm sure Lewis wants to win as well.

I'm sensing a bad vibe about McLaren from Alonso.

This is what some of us have been saying in here. McLaren have had a chance at the championship many, many times... back at the start of the drought, there were legitimate reasons... like their spare parts being sabotaged (yes... really), but the Kimi years were a waste of Kimi's potential (he could have had four or five championships under his belt instead of one when he left F1 the first time), and the Lewis years should have gained them at least three trophies, but didn't.

If you don't stand up for your principles, then what is the point in having them? If my employers asked me to do such things I would refuse.

While I blame the team for orchestrating that farce... this much is true. Hamilton should have had more guts. It wouldn't have lost him much... just a few points... to be honest about it.

Yep, I got the idea too that Alonso has more against McLaren (Ron Dennis, most likely) than he ever did against Hamilton. That said, he's clearly not eager to work again with Hamilton. I suspect that has less to do with Hamilton's speed than with some other things.

If you'd been paying attention to Alonso's entire F1 career... you'd know that this is exactly what he doesn't want. Alonso has thrown fits in the past when he's had a half-decent team-mate. Which is why some of us refer to him as a prima donna. His driving is beyond question, but his willingness to be put up against a strong number two definitely isn't.

 

[SagarisGTB]

looks like schumacher is either going to DTM, back to Le mans, or even Indycar because i doubt he would retire from Motorsports for at least another 3 years.

I can't see him in Indy and Merc doesn't race at Le Mans anytime, so DTM is likely the only place he could continue high-level racing.

My bets would be on him doing the same as his first f1 retirement: nothing.

 

[DemurgicDemon]

looks like schumacher is either going to DTM, back to Le mans, or even Indycar because i doubt he would retire from Motorsports for at least another 3 years.

DTM and Le Mans are both possibilities if he does indeed decide to continue his professional racing career in other disciplines. IndyCar though? My jaw would drop to the depths of hell if he ever took a drive there. I don't see Michael as a driver who is interested in the American racing scene and besides had he wanted to remain in open-wheel racing, he surely would have taken the Sauber drive.

Also Karthikayan at Ferrari 2013

I think you may be on to something there!

 

[nealcropper]

I think that someone has already said it, but I can see Vettel at Ferrari not next season but the season after. So whoever they get it will only be for a season, I can't see Alonso being happy with Vettel in a Ferrari though.

 

[Tzun]

I think Button will win the championship next year.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I think that someone has already said it, but I can see Vettel at Ferrari not next season but the season after. So whoever they get it will only be for a season

Which is why they should (and probably will) keep Massa.

 

[nealcropper]

Which is why they should (and probably will) keep Massa.

I agree

 

[Nismo34]

Maldonado confirms that his is not guaranteed a seat with Williams next year:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/103071

Williams' problem is that if they lose Maldonado or let him go, then they will likely be stuck with Senna.

I dont really think that'd be too bad.. It seems like Senna has matured up a bit over the past few races.. I think that over the rest of this season, he might step up a bit and start to bring a bit more of the pace that Pastor has shown the Williams is capable of.

Which is why they should (and probably will) keep Massa.

Something tells me Ferrari wouldnt want to put up with a driver who was lacking pace for another year.. I believe they'd take a gamble bringing in someone else even if it was just for 1 year.