The F1 driver transfer discussion/speculation archiveFormula 1 

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05XR8
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.
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Yes their latest road cars have been all in house even the engine which is their own (help from Ricardo PLC but still their own), the Honda NSX (new one) may still be helped with F1 McLaren technology. Perhaps an R type of its own.
 
GTPorsche
Why not all three series? Lotterer has done it for years.
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possible, the LMP Squad looks pretty full right now though, but I would replace one of their drivers and put him in there, pairing him with Buemi would be an unstoppable pairing.
 
Why would he join as a test driver, isn't he better off in Formula E and WEC if he gets a seat?
 
In an effort to make a true drivers car, Ferrari has decided to have the drivers themselves design, build and service the car themselves. Plus, they don't really have a choice seeing that the employees left are the drivers and the janitor.
 
Ferrari's former janitor, now team principal, unveils Maranello's challenger for 2015...

mop-bucket.jpg
 
Vergne joins Ferrari as test driver. So Raikkonen and Vettel, plus Gutierrez, Vergne, De La Rosa, Genè and Rigon as test/reserve drivers. They've always complained about the testing restrictions, and if they'll go on like this, they'll have more drivers than kilometers of testing available in F1. Maybe it's time for them to get rid at least of Alonso's servants, Genè and De La Rosa.
 
That's not even counting drivers like Marciello, and I guess Bianchi, although not in any state to race probably ever again, are still Ferrari signed drivers as well.
 
sems4arsenal
Why would he join as a test driver, isn't he better off in Formula E and WEC if he gets a seat?
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Not really considering he could do both, and get paid well still. Look at Gary Paffett, who was a full time test/development driver for McLaren until the end of this season (due to Honda cause of this part ->), who is also or may not be anymore a Mercedes DTM race driver. So...I mean if you can have your cake and eat it to, why not. If you're in it for the glory then yeah I wouldn't take the test drive role that doesn't promise a full time spotlight drive but if I want to get paid and pay the bills then I'd take the reserve role and hope for the best. Seems JEV is doing the latter.

mikeerfol
De La Rosa will follow Alonso to McLaren.
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Where he's worked before as a test driver under then Ron Dennis era prior.
 
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Well I'm looking forward to the Alonso and button line up. I can understand Alonso being sick of Ferarri. It was always the case after being a long time supporter. Next year we will have the better car. Hopefully the Mclarren-Honda can do something right and challenge with the mercs. I ain't supporting Ferraris not with Vettel in it ill support Ferrari again when Vettel retires.
 
Raffaele Marciello has been taken on as Sauber's test and reserve driver. No word on whether he will get FP1 outings next year (soon to be this year) - I've used up all of my Autosport views for the month.
 
From the autosport article as well: "We will give Raffaele the opportunity to become familiar with Formula 1, which also includes him taking part in some free practice sessions on Fridays."
 
"He is a dangerous rival with any car," he explained "If he is at the wheel of a car that can finish sixth, he will take it to third place."
 
mustafur
From the autosport article as well: "We will give Raffaele the opportunity to become familiar with Formula 1, which also includes him taking part in some free practice sessions on Fridays."
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Of course the Autosport article is going to say that - all of the articles are written off the same press release.
 
Meanwhile, Mercedes have said that if they cannot keep Hamilton beyond 2015, then they want Alonso, and if they can't get Alonso, then Bottas is Plan C. There is no Plan D.

Firstly, that's a very weird thing for Mercedes to do. When was the last time a team announced their preferred drivers for a hypothetical seat vacancy?

Secondly, if they can't keep Hamilton, then I expect McLaren in general and Ron Dennis in particular will fight to hold onto Alonso, and I am sure that they will have a contingency plan in place to deal with it. And while Alonso is good, he's probably only got two or three more seasons in him. Mercedes would be better off getting Bottas.
 
This puzzles me.

Why would Hamilton leave Mercedes? Beyond the fact that they are the team with the clear advantage under the current regulations, much as Red Bull were last time, there is the question of what team he would move to? A return to McLaren, while not impossible, seems unlikely, while Red Bull have shown a definite preference to get kids from their own driver programme in their cars. A move to Ferrari might be possible, but whether or not they could contain both Vettel and Hamilton within their ring is debatable. Unless Williams' 2014 upturn reaches new heights next year, there are no other teams one can envisage Hamilton moving to, and I doubt Williams could afford Hamilton's salary.

This of course, leaves the WEC and Indycar (think Mansell) open as possible avenues, but Hamilton seems pretty dedicated to F1 to be honest, so I have doubts as to whether those are moves he would consider, at least in the nearish future.
 
Hamilton doesn't come across as the most screwed together driver on the grid.

But unless there is some big conflict within the team somewhere he will be there for the forseeable future.

I think if he where to leave it would be Nascar, seeing how he is being all Americanized.
 
Roger the Horse
Why would Hamilton leave Mercedes?
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When they were negotiating in the middle of 2014 - before the intra-team shenanigans shut them down - there was talk that Mercedes wanted Hamilton to take a pay cut, bringing him on par with Rosberg. It's conceivable that they may also want different terms for intangibles, like performance clauses.

Seriously, if teams want to cut costs, start with driver salaries. Do they really need $20 million a year?
 
Pretty much. Once you get past $10 million a year I struggle to see what difference it even makes. After two or three years you'll have paid for your mansion and your private jet, what more could you possibly want?
 
More than the other guy gets. What don't you people understand about competitiveness?
 
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