The F1 driver transfer discussion/speculation archiveFormula 1 

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I've heard Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon named as potential Force India drivers. If Ocon can't get a seat, Mercedes might put him in their DTM programme (but I wouldn't be surprised if McLaren try and pick him up as a replacement for Vandoorne if and when they replace him).
 
LMSCorvetteGT2
How so Ferrari have always maintained that the WCC is more important it wasn't until the Schumacher era that they were perfectly fine with making sure whoever the star was, that he too was happy and got his way. Now that's not to say Ferrari haven't always made sure things when the way they've said, but MS driving for them was probably the first of many drivers to be made sure he got his way so long as he was leading the Driver championship.

If Ferrari truely are invested at staying at the top or even winning again on a champion level then the second driver gaining extra points a couple times over the main driver shouldn't be an issue. Especially if they believe they can give Vettel the same thing he had at RBR.

But as can be seen at Merc, obviously the lesser driver taking away from the first place driver doesn't hurt anything.
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That would be due to the lack of an actual rival to Mercedes.

As for Ferrari, they are no different from any other team when it comes to championships. If they have a driver in the title hunt then the drivers title is the most important thing. If they haven't then the constructors championship is the most important thing - especially as their prize money isn't constructor position dependent unlike other teams.
 
Tired Tyres
That would be due to the lack of an actual rival to Mercedes.

As for Ferrari, they are no different from any other team when it comes to championships. If they have a driver in the title hunt then the drivers title is the most important thing. If they haven't then the constructors championship is the most important thing - especially as their prize money isn't constructor position dependent unlike other teams.
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Yes I get that and expected one of you to respond in similar manner, but the point is Ferrari do pose a threat even slight to the WDC, and if Merc were to adopt the idea that Ferrari have so many years ago, Nico would have no wins to Lewis. However, Merc isn't about that and thus even though there is a threat however minor the WCC will always be first fiddle to the WDC in their eyes and that's the point. So it doesn't matter who wins or comes second or finishing even eight. As long as points are obtained.

My point is they've had chances at WCC in the past (Ferrari) and still played these games with team orders when they didn't need too, and RBR are just as guilty and it's probably worse from them.
 
prisonermonkeys
Martin Brundle reckons Ferrari are going to try and pull off a coup by stealing Max Verstappen away from Toro Rosso before Red Bull can get their hooks in.
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According to Helmut Marko, Verstappen has a multi year contract with Red Bull.
 
Tired Tyres
As for Ferrari, they are no different from any other team when it comes to championships. If they have a driver in the title hunt then the drivers title is the most important thing. If they haven't then the constructors championship is the most important thing - especially as their prize money isn't constructor position dependent unlike other teams.
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But the point raised was that it wasn't always like that for Ferrari in the past. Prior to the Schumacher era they shot themselves in the foot a few times by, at times, having equal status drivers; they could have done more with either Berger or Alesi if the team wasn't so 50/50. You say they focus on the driver's title if they're in with a shout but they definitely cost themselves the 1983 driver's championship by being so netural with Tambay (4th: 40pts) and Arnoux (3rd: 49pts), compared to eventual winnner Piquet (1st: 59pts) and his teammate Patrese (9th: 13pts). As a consolation that year, they actually did win the constructor's when both drivers could have and should have won the driver's title.

Prost and Alesi could have worked if the cars weren't so guff. In the modern era Ferrari didn't get it right until the partnership of Schumacher and Barrichello. Barrichello was clearly the number two driver, still scored loads of points every year helping the WCC and acted as a useful tailgunner to MSC.

Ferrari are a very special team but it's well known that at times they make some very, very questionable decisions about both on-track staff and pitwall staff.
 
Actually the Tambay/Arnoux '83 situation was more about Arnoux's inability to follow team orders than Ferrari's inability to issue them.

He was always good at agreeing to do as he was told but then, mysteriously, forgot all about it once in the car.
 
Liquid
But the point raised was that it wasn't always like that for Ferrari in the past. Prior to the Schumacher era they shot themselves in the foot a few times by, at times, having equal status drivers; they could have done more with either Berger or Alesi if the team wasn't so 50/50.
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I'd respectfully disagree. When the Old Man was alive there were always strict team orders at every level. Berger and Alesi weren't equal for sure, somewhere on YouTube there's a clip of the huge meltdown between Alesi and Todt after Alesi ignored team orders. Alesi had more points at the time, if I recall correctly, but was asked to let Berger through. 'E was no vairy aaappy.
 
Dennisch
According to Helmut Marko, Verstappen has a multi year contract with Red Bull.
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Well, they're going to have a problem because Ricciardo is a known quantity and Kvyat is on form right now. And Sainz is pretty handy, too.
 
prisonermonkeys
Alan Permane admits that 2015 has been Lotus' most difficult season financially, and that they would welcome Renault back with open arms:

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...5-is-the-worst-season-we-have-had-financially

Meanwhile, it has bern revealed that Renault have been in talks with Force India.
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In talks with owning them or supplying? Because this right here is interesting considering that if Renault return as a full pledged manufacture they will be buying a team that is probably the closest thing to the best base platform they could possibly get. Think about it, the car is better than Lotus but has had freak issues come up that have caused it to not finish and this has happened to both drivers. Also they don't have the same wrangling issues and bargaining chips they've been dealing with in trying to obtain STR. And finally the pair of hands they would get at FI are quite good and only STR might be better, but then again they're probably not guaranteed those two due to the relationship with RB.
 
LMSCorvetteGT2
In talks with owning them or supplying? Because this right here is interesting considering that if Renault return as a full pledged manufacture they will be buying a team that is probably the closest thing to the best base platform they could possibly get. Think about it, the car is better than Lotus but has had freak issues come up that have caused it to not finish and this has happened to both drivers. Also they don't have the same wrangling issues and bargaining chips they've been dealing with in trying to obtain STR. And finally the pair of hands they would get at FI are quite good and only STR might be better, but then again they're probably not guaranteed those two due to the relationship with RB.
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It's unclear. It could just be a ploy to reinforce the idea that they're still yet to make a final decision.
 
prisonermonkeys
It's unclear. It could just be a ploy to reinforce the idea that they're still yet to make a final decision.
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True, because FI are basically the Mercedes B-team in a sense so why leave that spot. Although with FI owner having so many financial woes, that became quite apparent this year...a deal to be the new manufacture Renault team would be all the more sweet to take, if in fact they were given the chance.
 
LMSCorvetteGT2
True, because FI are basically the Mercedes B-team in a sense so why leave that spot. Although with FI owner having so many financial woes, that became quite apparent this year...a deal to be the new manufacture Renault team would be all the more sweet to take, if in fact they were given the chance.
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I'd agree, the only way I can see FIF1 being interested in Renault is if no other route makes financial sense. They'd need a pretty compelling reason to ditch Mercedes, their chassis suits the torque curve (and therefore doesn't shred tyres) and they've been able to unleash the straight-line speed very effectively.
 
prisonermonkeys
Because I doubt Renault like the idea of giving up Red Bull and getting Lotus as a consolation prize.
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Well they wouldn't get Lotus if they go with FI which is what I'm talking about, as far as Lotus go the woe is my financial issues from them get about as callous of recognition as they do with Sauber. I really don't care at this point it's obvious why they're not getting more influx of money but at the same time this should justify them getting the role.

So to me FI are the better target when comparing the loss of STR. And really when you stop and think about it, the team is going to probably be rebooted from the ground up to compete with the likes of Merc, Ferrari, RBR and such so in the end it really doesn't matter who they pick.

TenEightyOne
I'd agree, the only way I can see FIF1 being interested in Renault is if no other route makes financial sense. They'd need a pretty compelling reason to ditch Mercedes, their chassis suits the torque curve (and therefore doesn't shred tyres) and they've been able to unleash the straight-line speed very effectively.
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Exactly and the aero package they built the past two years around such expected performance is what has got them the ability to be best of the rest when it comes to the customer teams. But again even if FI are the picked team who is to say that Green would still be in charge and they wouldn't go a totally different way with building the cars than the previous iteration.
 
Liquid
Are there no conflict of interest rules on ownership?
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Not at all. They could buy just enough that the team effectively gets free engines, keeping them on-side - because if Red Bull leave, Toro Rosdo could follow, and then Renault would only have one team at their disposal.

And I'm pretty sure that if Mercedes pick up Red Bull, they have to let at least one team go because there are rules on how many teams you supply.
 
prisonermonkeys
Not at all. They could buy just enough that the team effectively gets free engines, keeping them on-side - because if Red Bull leave, Toro Rosdo could follow, and then Renault would only have one team at their disposal.

And I'm pretty sure that if Mercedes pick up Red Bull, they have to let at least one team go because there are rules on how many teams you supply.
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Well if the scenario we're hypothetically playing out were to happen, Mercedes would lose to Mercedes powered teams anyways. And thus it would just be them and Williams so even if they got both defunct RB teams they'd still be with in the rules...unless the limit is now 3 for 2016 and onward?
 
Drifting back to driver speculation, I read that Max Chilton is trying to talk his way into a drive. With Haas. He's absolutely just looking for some cheap column inches with his own admission that "it's a long shot".

Chilton is the human equivalent of this:

hrt_f111-8.jpg


Hey! Look at me! I'm still here!
 
Meanwhile, Alex Rossi is hoping that Gene Haas' memory only goes back a week, suggesting that his upturn in form might be enough to secure a seat next year.

In what world does one strong performance - which was potentially gifted to you by a mistake from a rival - make you Formula 1 material?
 
prisonermonkeys
In what world does one strong performance - which was potentially gifted to you by a mistake from a rival - make you Formula 1 material?
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A world where any old pay driver can climb the motorsports ladder and where women are insanely patronised and rated beyond their driving merits. That's the sick world of the motorsport talent pool.

Rossi's racing record isn't spectacular but it's not terrible. I really hope Vandoorne makes it to F1 though. He's a class above.
 
"Form is temporary, class is permanent" - Perhaps someone should tell Rossi that 1 race is too temporary...
 
Italian media are claiming Red Bull will have Mercedes power in 2016, Toro Rosso will be powered by Ferrari, Renault will have a works team, and Verstappen will go to Ferrari in 2017.

Mind you, this is the same publication that was convinced Bottas had already signed with Ferrari a few weeks ago ...
 
prisonermonkeys
Italian media are claiming Red Bull will have Mercedes power in 2016, Toro Rosso will be powered by Ferrari, Renault will have a works team, and Verstappen will go to Ferrari in 2017.

Mind you, this is the same publication that was convinced Bottas had already signed with Ferrari a few weeks ago ...
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Basically pure speculation then.
 
Autosport's lead story has Renault just days away from completing a buy-out of Lotus. Rumour puts Perez at the team alongside Grosjean, with Maldonado leaving the sport entirely, although that last part seems like fan-service to me.
 
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