The 2017 F1 driver transfer discussion/speculation threadFormula 1 

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prisonermonkeys
I have to wonder if Mercedes might be interested in Ocon. Yes, he's under contract with Force India, but Force India chose him because they rated him more highly than Wehrlein. He's still a Mercedes junior driver, so I think they would be mad not to try and get him. And Force India would still get a quality driver in Wehrlein.
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Force India mainly took Ocon over Wehrlein, because Wehrlein has a reputation for having an 'interesting' personality? Can't be really based on skills, because Wehrlein seems to have more than Ocon.

Dotini
The variation I like best in that article was poaching Bottas from Williams in exchange for money and Brazilian Felipe Nasr.
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Why should Williams get Nasr? Mercedes should try to get Bottas and move Wehrlein up to Williams.
 
Vinylshark
Why should Williams get Nasr? Mercedes should try to get Bottas and move Wehrlein up to Williams.
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Nasr is a quite decent driver, and would help bring in the Brazilian spectator and TV revenue. And we have too many Germans at the moment.
 
prisonermonkeys
I have to wonder if Mercedes might be interested in Ocon. Yes, he's under contract with Force India, but Force India chose him because they rated him more highly than Wehrlein. He's still a Mercedes junior driver, so I think they would be mad not to try and get him. And Force India would still get a quality driver in Wehrlein.
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On side note, Ocon is more than "still Mercedes junior driver". His career is currently managed by Mercedes. They dealt his seat in the Manor, as they did with Force India. The only question Mercedes are probably asking themselves right now about him is "is it too soon"?

Vinylshark
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Force India mainly took Ocon over Wehrlein, because Wehrlein has a reputation for having an 'interesting' personality? Can't be really based on skills, because Wehrlein seems to have more than Ocon.
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Ocon performed really well - better than Wehrlein - in the last races. Ocon had (have?) a problem with his Manor (setup?) with the softer tires, hence disappointing qualifications. He did some tests with both Mercedes and Force India and he convinced both by his pace.

Wolff about Ocon:
"Esteban has the most impressive track record in junior formulae and he is an exceptional personality outside of the car". (November)
"He's really a nice, very intelligent young man. But he has extraordinary performances in the car. He made sensational tests with us." (August)
 
I mean it'd be hilarious if Ocon got the job and made Hamilton look like a fool out there. He's definitely a future champion. Why not bring that future sooner rather than later!

Though in all seriousness, the driver Merc chooses for 2017 should give us an indication for where they think they'll stack up in the pecking order. If they get another number 1 driver, it shows they are still miles ahead. If they choose a solid number 2, then we know they don't have as much confidence in their car for 2017
 
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FutureF1
I mean it'd be hilarious if Ocon got the job and made Hamilton look like a fool out there. He's definitely a future champion. Why not bring that future sooner rather than later!

Though in all seriousness, the driver Merc chooses for 3017 should give us an indication for where they think they'll stack up in the pecking order. If they get another number 1 driver, it shows they are still miles ahead. If they choose a solid number 2, then we know they don't have as much confidence in their car for 2017
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That's a wild prediction. Don't know about 3017.
 
Toto just said that all drivers have called him except Kimi and Kvyat.

I would pay a lot to hear the talk he had with Max and Ricciardo.
 
Darth Lauda
f1-brazilian-gp-2016-niki-lauda-mercedes-non-executive-chairman-on-the-grid.jpg
 
I almost want to see a poll for which driver will be Lewis's "Solid Number 2"
 
Vinylshark
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Force India mainly took Ocon over Wehrlein, because Wehrlein has a reputation for having an 'interesting' personality? Can't be really based on skills, because Wehrlein seems to have more than Ocon.
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Ocon has tested extensively with them. Apparently they were very impressed with his work ethic.

LMSCorvetteGT2
I needed a good laugh, thanks for posting this.
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To be fair, I don't think that's jingoism. There was a lot of talk about whether Verstappen could join Ferrari or Mercedes once it became clear that he was incredibly talented, but Red Bull quickly moved to lock him down with a comtract that is variously airtight, watertight, bulletproof, bombproof and - most importantly - money-proof.

No doubt some people like Andrew Benson think that being British automatically makes you four times more talented than the next guy, but on a figurative level, the article does have a point - Red Bull will move heaven and earth to keep Verstappen.
 
prisonermonkeys
To be fair, I don't think that's jingoism. There was a lot of talk about whether Verstappen could join Ferrari or Mercedes once it became clear that he was incredibly talented, but Red Bull quickly moved to lock him down with a comtract that is variously airtight, watertight, bulletproof, bombproof and - most importantly - money-proof.

No doubt some people like Andrew Benson think that being British automatically makes you four times more talented than the next guy, but on a figurative level, the article does have a point - Red Bull will move heaven and earth to keep Verstappen.
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I don't see how a guy like Verstappen who has proven more in his first season and at the youngest age possible, than any season Paul Di Resta drove, proves more than a joke. So why suggest it, outside of the obvious reasons you gave.
 
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LMSCorvetteGT2
So why suggest it, outside of the obvious reasons you gave.
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Well, Sky did say that Renault's decision to re-sign Palmer was a good day for British motorsport because it guaranteed a second British driver on the grid. I don't know if they genuinely believe what they're saying, or if they're just telling the audience what they want to hear. Every national media does it - the Dutch love Verstappen, the Australians Ricciardo and so on and so forth - but it seems to be particularly bad in the British press, who seem to think that the sport owes Britain something.

I want to believe that the story is simply trying to make a point - albeit in a roundabout way - about Verstappen being off-limits to Mercedes. But given that Benson's post-Abu Dhabi coverage was a step short of character assassination second only to Richard III and revealed him to be a butthurt Hamilton fan with a job at the BBC, I can't be so sure.
 
prisonermonkeys
Well, Sky did say that Renault's decision to re-sign Palmer was a good day for British motorsport because it guaranteed a second British driver on the grid. I don't know if they genuinely believe what they're saying, or if they're just telling the audience what they want to hear. Every national media does it - the Dutch love Verstappen, the Australians Ricciardo and so on and so forth - but it seems to be particularly bad in the British press, who seem to think that the sport owes Britain something.

I want to believe that the story is simply trying to make a point - albeit in a roundabout way - about Verstappen being off-limits to Mercedes. But given that Benson's post-Abu Dhabi coverage was a step short of character assassination second only to Richard III and revealed him to be a butthurt Hamilton fan with a job at the BBC, I can't be so sure.
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Yeah I'm aware doesn't make the Paul Di Resta suggestion any less funny. I'm starting to have trouble seeing what the point of these follow up posts are meant to do.
 
Vinylshark
Why should Williams get Nasr? Mercedes should try to get Bottas and move Wehrlein up to Williams.
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The more I think about it, the more sense this makes. Consider: Bottas is managed by Wolff and seems to have what it takes to be a winner and, eventually, a WDC. And Mercedes would have a vested interest in not only keeping its other top junior driver in the series with a race seat, but a race seat with a midfield team if at all possible.

Other than having to send the folks in Grove a really nice dowry in return for releasing Valtteri and taking Pascal (Free engines, perhaps?), it's pretty much perfect.
 
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