The F1 driver transfer discussion/speculation archiveFormula 1 

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Button has confirmed that it's a multi-year deal. All drivers have performance-based clauses, but it's more important that Honda develop their engine - and together, Button and Alonso form one if the most experienced (if not *the* most experienced) line-ups in Formula 1 history.

The problem with establishing a satellite team is what to do in 2015. McLaren have already made it clear that Magnussen will be test driver and Vandoorne will stay in GP2. If they want to reimagine Caterham as a satellite team, it won't come good until 2016. So they'll have to spend the minimum in 2015, but enough to keep the team interested. Assuming that that's what they want to do.
 
That would more or less depend on Caterham surviving, if they prove to be one of the best engines on the grid, I reckon they would get teams like Sauber or force India on Honda power in 2016.
 
Would it not be possible though that Magnussen could still be reserve driver for the McLaren team but in a race seat of his own? I thought I remembered drivers being pulled up from the lower teams like this and leaving the lower one to find a replacement or use their own reserve. Though I'm probably thinking of Fisichella and Salo to Ferrari in 2009 and 1999?

Vandoorne is easier, as I don't remember seeing that he has actually signed a GP2 deal yet? If a F1 drive was available like this, then I don't see why McLaren would feel he would get more experience doing a second GP2 season.
 
He hasn't been announced as driving for a specific team, but he said himself on Twitter that his focus in 2015 will be on winning the GP2 title.
 
prisonermonkeys
. . .together, Button and Alonso form one if the most experienced (if not *the* most experienced) line-ups in Formula 1 history.
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Right now, ALO/BUT have a total of 501 starts between them, making them the most experienced pairing ever by some margin. The only pairing close is BAR/MSC, who had a total at the end of 2005 (the last year they were teammates) of 445 starts.
 
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SVT Cobra GT
Dennis claims his U-turn decision to give Jenson the two year drive happened after the Abu Dhabi GP.

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/2...utton-u-turn-as-mclaren-turn-on-the-diplomacy
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Haha, it's a good thing I printscreened it :P

ee9e2485_l.png
 
Pezzarinho17
Though I'm probably thinking of Fisichella and Salo to Ferrari in 2009 and 1999?
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Fisichella is a good example but in 1999 Salo was freelance after leaving Arrows; he substituted for Zonta at Imola in a BAR before being drafted at Ferrari to replace Michael Schumacher.

And while Stewart weren't a 'top' team by any stretch of the imagination, they coincidentally replaced Jan Magnussen with the freelance Jos Verstappen midway through 1998 but these were the days before reserve drivers and young drivers programmes were commonplace.

Expereinced driver line ups? I have hopes that Alonso & Button will be like the new Berger & Alesi, if not begrudgingly more talented.

Experienced driver line ups (not necessarily backed by success)

Mansell & Patrese (1991-92)
Berger & Alesi (1994-97)
Alboreto & Martini (1994)
Alesi & Herbert (1998)
Irvine & Herbert (2000)
Alonso & Raikkonnen (2014)

Very high hopes for McLaren's drivers. Just got to hope Woking can deliver.
 
Are McLaren road cars making their own engines? The P1 is a phenomenal machine if it's been done all in house. If McLaren are looking to put an 'H' in a future road car, would that be part(a small part) of shareholders' reasons for slowly backing away? Will a McLaren road car with an 'H', seen from the glass engine cover, sell in the UAE? If McLaren have no intention on making a Honda powered road car in the near future, thwn no worries. This could just be a "we'll wait and see" moment.

More likely, changing of the guard.
 
Peasantslayer
Who ended up with more wins, more poles, finished ahead in the championship more times despite the fact he had his worst season in F1 by a long way and his unluckiest season back to back? Button has it in him to be humbled Kimi style like 2012 but that's the only season I can recall where he really struggled to drive his car.
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Apologies for being a couple of days late but I feel I need to let you know that I wasn't looking for a Hamilton-Button debate, I asked who got more points. :)

I mentioned how people thought Jensen would be humbled and he quite simply wasn't. Never once did I say he's a better driver, because I got fed up with these types of debates 3 years ago.
 
GTPorsche
ESPN F1@ESPNF124s
Esteban Gutierrez has joined Ferrari as its new reserve and test driverhttp://es.pn/13qsTvw #f1
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Maybe he's hoping he can pull off a Kobi, and pay his way back into a race seat with a smaller team next season. Although seeing as his main sponsors have dropped him, and he has nothing like the fan-following that Kamui does, I don't see how that would be possible. Usually Ferrari's test-driver lair is a one way system: once you go in, you never come out...
 
I wonder if he hopes that will get him a seat at Haas (IIRC they're presumed to become Ferrari customers) in 2016.
 
DK
I wonder if he hopes that will get him a seat at Haas (IIRC they're presumed to become Ferrari customers) in 2016.
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While I can understand his thought process if that is indeed what he is hoping for, I can't see why Haas would be interested in him. I know he's being saddled with a Sauber for the past two years but towards the end of the 2013 season it was actually pretty competitive. And even then he showed nothing spectacular.
 
Gutierrez is The biggest flop in F1 I've se en in The last years, can't believe he is at ferrsri, even as tester
 
Felipe Massa had an impetuous streak about him when he was at Sauber. Nobody would have picked him as a Ferrari driver, but they saw something in him and refined it.

But I'm guessing that this is more a case of the Slims wanting to be associated with Ferrari more than Ferrari seeing something in the Goo.
 
Ferrari have enough clout that they won't need to rely on Slim's money to survive. If they were to give Gutierrez a full-time drive in 2016, it will be because they feel he is the right driver for the seat, not because they need cash fast.
 
That's my fear in fact, they don't need The money, so this kind of agreements use to have something "behind"
 
Maybe they will use Guti to get Checo to Ferrari, as it was first intended in 2012.

Or maybe a plan b in case Raikkonen doesn't perform.

But, Ferrari test drivers usually stay as such for their rest of their careers.
 
In other news, Robin Frijns is now a free agent after his Caterham contract expired this week.

AJHG1000
But, Ferrari test drivers usually stay as such for their rest of their careers.
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Yeah, like that Felipe Massa guy.
 
Joe Saward - in an unusual moment of common sense - is hypothesising that Gutierrez is a temporary solution. The original plan, he thinks, was to promote Jules Bianchi and induct Raffaele Marciello into Bianchi's place. But in the aftermath of Bianchi's accident, they felt that it was too soon to bring Marciello into the fold, and so chose Gutierrez to take the position intended for Bianchi, at least until Marciello is ready.

So evidently there is more than just money at stake here - which begs the question of why they picked Gutierrez. They could have taken Vergne or Kobayashi, both of whom would be obvious choices for an experienced driver who would be a safe pair of hands if the need arose.
 
prisonermonkeys
Joe Saward - in an unusual moment of common sense - is hypothesising that Gutierrez is a temporary solution. The original plan, he thinks, was to promote Jules Bianchi and induct Raffaele Marciello into Bianchi's place. But in the aftermath of Bianchi's accident, they felt that it was too soon to bring Marciello into the fold, and so chose Gutierrez to take the position intended for Bianchi, at least until Marciello is ready.

So evidently there is more than just money at stake here - which begs the question of why they picked Gutierrez. They could have taken Vergne or Kobayashi, both of whom would be obvious choices for an experienced driver who would be a safe pair of hands if the need arose.
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Kobayashi annoyed them when he left them to return to F1. That is likely why he isn't back.
 
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haitch40
Kobayashi annoyed them when he left them to returned to F1. That is likely why he isn't back.
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Even still, they had De le Rosa as test driver at the same time, one wonders why though lol.

Kobayashi won't be back anyway it looks like he has gone back to Toyota, dominated the testing in a recent Superformula test, probably will do that alongside some LMP Toyota Duties or Super GT.
 
mustafur
Even still, they had De le Rosa as test driver at the same time, one wonders why though lol.

Kobayashi won't be back anyway it looks like he has gone back to Toyota, dominated the testing in a recent Superformula test, probably will do that alongside some LMP Toyota Duties or Super GT.
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Why not all three series? Lotterer has done it for years.
 
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