The F1 driver transfer discussion/speculation archiveFormula 1 

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GTPorsche
Well, there's always the chance of Button going one more year, and Magnussen taking over there for him. Then Alonso goes for a year after Button leaves and Vandoorne replaces him. By then, McLaren might be back near the front of the grid where they hope to be.

...if the rest of the staff can be competent enough to get them there and keep them there.
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Any entertained notion from me of ONE young driver being signed up by an F1 team though for a long-term deal is to me laughable. To think TWO may be eventually signed would be just fantasy of the most lunacy. F1 teams have too much faith in older and more experienced drivers.

This is what I like about the Prototype Challenge Class in the TUSCC and the new LMP3 class in the WEC. It is all up and comers being allowed to race without any fear that older and more experienced drivers will keep them out of the team.
 
Diehardracer
Any entertained notion from me of ONE young driver being signed up by an F1 team though for a long-term deal is to me laughable. To think TWO may be eventually signed would be just fantasy of the most lunacy. F1 teams have too much faith in older and more experienced drivers.

This is what I like about the Prototype Challenge Class in the TUSCC and the new LMP3 class in the WEC. It is all up and comers being allowed to race without any fear that older and more experienced drivers will keep them out of the team.
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RBR would like to have a word with you, since they can't afford to think that way as has already been said in this thread by me and others.

Also your example is akin to what GP3 or WRS 3.5 are to F1. Of course newer and less experienced drivers get the drive in a quite significantly less expensive car compared to the top rung. But there have been a couple of young drivers getting P1 drives with about as much experience if not less than a Daniel Ricciardo or even Kvyat
 
The fact that Button has signed on for 2 more years worries me a bit if I'm honest. Nothing against Button but he is not the future of the team. With Kevin Magnussen reserve, Stoffel Vandoorne likely to challenge for (and win...) the GP2 championship, and Nyck De Vries taking on the Formula Renault 3.5 championship all in 2015, where is there any room for progression in 2016? They'll need to sort out a B team for them or risk seeing their investments flying their rivals colours... Or are McLaren already expecting Alonso to go AWOL again?
 
Now they have the drivers to win, need to sort out the car and they'll be having some good seasons. Button was the best choice in my opinion, feel for Mag but stats don't lie Jensen is a better points grabber.

Yes I made that term up.
 
Truth be told, this is a picture I never thought I'd see :dopey:

B4knNjrCYAAwpGv.jpg
 
Alonso has said that 2007 was his biggest regret within F1, and so he had to come back to make amends and show the team what he could really do. Those words only trumped by Ron Dennis, who pretty much laid the blame for 2007 on Lewis Hamilton's inexperience. Ouch.
 
Pezzarinho17
Alonso has said that 2007 was his biggest regret within F1, and so he had to come back to make amends and show the team what he could really do. Those words only trumped by Ron Dennis, who pretty much laid the blame for 2007 on Lewis Hamilton's inexperience. Ouch.
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No he hasn't. He's just said that Lewis isn't blameless. Saying he had a role in starting the whole thing. Not for starting the whole thing.
 
Where did you guys get those statements from?

EDIT - Ok, got it:

Ron Dennis
"But if you go back to that period and you look at the chemistry we had with this young guy Lewis Hamilton, understandably perceived by many as the chosen one, but also someone who had immaturity. Really, if you're going on who struck the first blow, I would say that Lewis had his role to play in starting this process that then escalated.

"By and large those challenges you have between drivers - and I had them previously with Alain and Ayrton - I've always been able to manage to defuse. But this one got away from us and I look back on my contribution to that with exactly the same emotion as Fernando, which is that you regret the mistakes you've made in life. Sometimes you can't change what's happened and I probably could have done things better.

Read more at http://en.espnf1.com/mclaren/motorsport/story/187261.html#2J0APAsH60TShOZJ.99
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McLaren have the best driver line-up in F1 now, in my opinion, and I want that Honda engine to be good enough to challenge.

Although I do fear Button may just be humbled Kimi-style, but then again, a lot of people said that about Lewis-Jenson and who ended up with more points?
 
I find it odd that people seem so attached to the idea that Jenson Button, 34 years old and only one year older than Alonso, is somehow nearly at the end of his rope.

Since when are quality racing drivers over the hill at 35? I don't recall people calling for Webber's retirement three years ago because he was too old.

IMO age has nothing to do with it. As long as Button is performing, and he is, he should keep driving. Saying he's getting old is just as bad as saying that Verstappen is too young.
 
Akmuq
Although I do fear Button may just be humbled Kimi-style, but then again, a lot of people said that about Lewis-Jenson and who ended up with more points?
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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.
 


Reunited and it feels so good
Reunited 'cause we're misunderstood
Hopefully the new engine will work
That old rookie might be a jerk
But I might return to Ferrari
'cause we're reunited, (Renault), (McLaren), Minar-day.
 
I'm so glad McLaren decided on keeping Jenson. I think he and Fernando will work great as a team, but at the same time be fierce rivals, like Lewis and Nico.

Can't wait for next years season. :)
 
If they are both competitive I expect Button to be mature about things, I don't know about Alonso because it's been a while since someone put up a good fight against him.
 
Peasantslayer
I expect them to have similar pace in qualifying with Alonso having a slight edge on Button in the races.
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I see qualifying being very one-sided, seeing as how Button was even with Perez (no qualifying specialist himself) and Magnusson these last two years. Alonso is one of the best single lap drivers in F1.
 
SagarisGTB
I see qualifying being very one-sided, seeing as how Button was even with Perez (no qualifying specialist himself) and Magnusson these last two years. Alonso is one of the best single lap drivers in F1.
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I seem to recall Massa beating Alonso in qualifying over a season but when I think a bit more about Button he can't have beaten a team mate in quali since the Brawn days at least.
 
SagarisGTB
I see qualifying being very one-sided, seeing as how Button was even with Perez (no qualifying specialist himself) and Magnusson these last two years. Alonso is one of the best single lap drivers in F1.
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Not fully, I would say qualifying is Alonsos biggest weakness, just that he hasn't had team mates that have been strong in that department either. I do expect Alonso to beat Button there quite easily in qualifying, but pace wise both are at their best in the race.
 
Now they have two smart, fast and experienced drivers...probably the perfect combination for this honda/mclaren ''bet'' to fight mercedes.
 
Peasantslayer
I seem to recall Massa beating Alonso in qualifying over a season but when I think a bit more about Button he can't have beaten a team mate in quali since the Brawn days at least.
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You're all over the place. Massa never beat Alonso in qualifying over a season, and never really got that close. Button edged Magnusson in qualifying this season, so he beat a teammate very recently. However, he lost the qualifying battle to Rubens during the Brawn season.
mustafur
Not fully, I would say qualifying is Alonsos biggest weakness, just that he hasn't had team mates that have been strong in that department either. I do expect Alonso to beat Button there quite easily in qualifying, but pace wise both are at their best in the race.
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It's not a weakness, just not as prominent a strength as his race pace. I have no doubt that Alonso is at least top 5 in one lap pace, if not as good as anyone.

Alonso has destroyed all of his teammates in qualifying, bar Trulli (who is considered one of the best in this aspect) and Hamilton (a very strong qualifier himself), who both edged him 15-16 and 8-9 respectively. A caveat with Hamilton: qualifying was done with race fuel loads in 2007 and Hamilton was often lighter in Q3. Massa is considered a strong qualifier and Alonso beat him 57-19. Raikkonen decisively beat both Montoya and Coulthard in Q and Alonso beat him 16-3. Fisichella was beaten 26-11. All of his other teammates could not out-qualify Fernando more than once each. That is a fantastic qualifying record.
 
It's good that McLaren-Honda has Alonso for '15. That means there is a vague chance Mercedes can be challenged, but no guarantee. To have put Alonso in a Williams-Mercedes would have been extremely worrisome for everyone else, in my dreams.
 
B4knNjrCYAAwpGv.jpg


"Coming soon to FOX from the creators of 'How I Wasted Your Time For Eight Seasons' is a new sitcom called 'Blind Carbon Copy':

"He was known for his business chic,
And he spoke in riddles called Ronspeak.
He was the brains behind the MP4
And he kicked Kevin Magnussen out the door!

"He was fixed on samurai,
And he raced alongside Some Other Guy.
But when he joined the Prancing Horse,
He couldn't find six points of downforce.

"When Ron did the Honda deal,
He put Fred back behind the wheel.
But he seems to have forgot last time,
When there were allegations of a crime.

"He took a long time to make up his mind,
But when their season starts to go floppy,
He'd better hope no-one decides to remind
Fred of the button marked ...
Blind Carbon Copy!"
 
Is it safe to call this occurrence a fractal? I mean jeez sounds so much like history is repeating itself!

Honda returns during a Turbocharged-engine era, Mclaren's lineup consists of two incredibly solid drivers, Mclaren takes on Alonso, moving on from spygate.
 
I'm guessing Alonso and Button will develop the Honda engine over two seasons (both have multi-year deals), then retire in unison, leaving Magnussen and Vandoorne to take over.

Ron Dennis has also said that he would prefer supporting smaller teams to running a third car, even if they are the only team to do so. I wonder if they will support Caterham with a view to setting it up as a Honda satellite team in 2016, possibly with Vandoorne and Magnussen doing a Ricciardo and running with a backmarker team to get experience.
 
I agree, once Honda get a satellite team sorted both will be there, both are too good to be tossed at this point, only thing that will likely change this will be if vandoorne fails spectacularly in GP2 next season.

Chances are Jenson will be on a performance based contract as well, with one of them taking the spot if he starts to fade.
 
I hope a satellite team is something in the pipeline. It is the best way of getting young drivers into Formula 1 as the top teams do not like taking risks and will always chase big names (Red Bull the obvious exception).
 
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