The 2019 Silly Season thread

FullMetalJack · Post by **FullMetalJack** » 28 Aug 2018, 20:26

Klon wrote:You uneducated plebians do not get it. This is clearly meant to the door to the Pedro De La Rosa comeback we all need.

Fixed. Let's face it, he's overdue another comeback at the tender age of 47.

Gertrand Bachot · Post by **Gertrand Bachot** » 28 Aug 2018, 21:15

Klon wrote:You uneducated plebians do not get it. This is clearly meant to the door to the Jolyon Palmer comeback we all need.

Come on, if we must flog this meme until it's internal organs are completely disintegrated, then this is the way to do it.

AdrianBelmonte_ · Post by **AdrianBelmonte_** » 29 Aug 2018, 06:22

Gertrand Bachot wrote:
Klon wrote:You uneducated plebians do not get it. This is clearly meant to the door to the Mika Hakkinen comeback we all need.

Come on, if we must flog this meme until it's internal organs are completely disintegrated, then this is the way to do it.

Hold my gazpacho

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 29 Aug 2018, 14:42

Hold my quadruple-cheeseburger with extra cheese and a 40-ounce non-diet Coca-Cola with Magnum rounds floating in it. (No, Kimi, not that kind of Magnum!)

Klon wrote:You uneducated plebians do not get it. This is clearly meant to the door to the GREAT N' WUNNERFUL LAUNCH OF THE MOST 'MURICAN TEAM EVER WITH 'MURICA'S GREATEST DRIVER (SO, BY DEFAULT THE WORLD'S GREATEST DRIVER), DON PENTECOST. "TORO ROSSO" SOUNDS A BIT FOREIGN TO ME SO WE WILL BUY IT FROM THOSE YUROPEENS WITH OUR 'MURICAN FREEDOM DOLLARS AND RELAUNCH IT, LIKE THE TRUE 'MURICAN SPACE SHUTTLE, AS "FORCE ONE USA" WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LIKE "RACING POINT FORCE INDIA" OR THOSE UN-'MURICAN COMMIE CHEATS, HAAAAAAS. I MEAN, THEIR CAR'S GOT RED ON IT. THE ALL-NEW AND ALL-'MURICAN "FORCE ONE USA" WILL BE POWERED BY THE ROOTIN'EST, TOOTIN'EST 'MURICAN PUSHROD V8, LIKE A PROPER CAR, NONE OF THIS COMMIE "HYBRID" FOR US. EXCEPT FOR THIS TOP SECRET "CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTION" I HAVE WHICH IS TOTALLY REAL, Y'ALL, AND DEFINITELY NOT SOMETHING I JUST MADE UP TO GET SPONSORS, AND WILL RID 'MURICA OF THE NEED TO IMPORT OIL FROM THOSE BROWN PEOPLE WITH TOWELS ON THEIR HEADS WHO ARE UN-'MURICAN AND DIDN'T JUST, LIKE, GIVE IT ALL AWAY TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. NUKE THE MIDDLE EAST, Y'ALL, YEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAW! WE WILL HAVE ONLY JESUS AS OUR TITLE SPONSOR, WITH MAYBE A SMITH & WESSON LOGO HERE AND THERE, AND ALSO THE PUBLISHERS OF MY BOOK ABOUT HOW TO KEEP YOURSELF SAFE IN PRISON WITH ADVANCED KNIFE FIGHTING TECHNIQUES, WHICH I'D NEVER HAVE HAD TO USE IN THE 1970S IF ONLY DONALD TRUMP HAD BEEN PRESIDENT THEN AND BUILT THE WALL TO KEEP ALL THOSE MEXICANS OUT WHO TRIED TO STAB ME WHILE I WAS IN PRISON BECAUSE I'M 'MURICAN AND THEY'RE NOT. MAKE FORMULA ONE GREAT AGAIN WITH ME, DON PENTECOST, AND THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL. PRAISE JESUS, VOTE REPUBLICAN, GOD SAVE THE SOUTH, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

Consider the internal organs not only destroyed, but put through a blender. Cheers for your existence, Don, I'll raise an all-'Murican Budweiser in your honour. And then throw it away and drink a proper beer instead.

Gertrand Bachot · Post by **Gertrand Bachot** » 29 Aug 2018, 15:02

dinizintheoven wrote:Hold my quadruple-cheeseburger with extra cheese and a 40-ounce non-diet Coca-Cola with Magnum rounds floating in it. (No, Kimi, not that kind of Magnum!)

Klon wrote:You uneducated plebians do not get it. This is clearly meant to the door to the GREAT N' WUNNERFUL LAUNCH OF THE MOST 'MURICAN TEAM EVER WITH 'MURICA'S GREATEST DRIVER (SO, BY DEFAULT THE WORLD'S GREATEST DRIVER), DON PENTECOST. "TORO ROSSO" SOUNDS A BIT FOREIGN TO ME SO WE WILL BUY IT FROM THOSE YUROPEENS WITH OUR 'MURICAN FREEDOM DOLLARS AND RELAUNCH IT, LIKE THE TRUE 'MURICAN SPACE SHUTTLE, AS "FORCE ONE USA" WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LIKE "RACING POINT FORCE INDIA" OR THOSE UN-'MURICAN COMMIE CHEATS, HAAAAAAS. I MEAN, THEIR CAR'S GOT RED ON IT. THE ALL-NEW AND ALL-'MURICAN "FORCE ONE USA" WILL BE POWERED BY THE ROOTIN'EST, TOOTIN'EST 'MURICAN PUSHROD V8, LIKE A PROPER CAR, NONE OF THIS COMMIE "HYBRID" FOR US. EXCEPT FOR THIS TOP SECRET "CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTION" I HAVE WHICH IS TOTALLY REAL, Y'ALL, AND DEFINITELY NOT SOMETHING I JUST MADE UP TO GET SPONSORS, AND WILL RID 'MURICA OF THE NEED TO IMPORT OIL FROM THOSE BROWN PEOPLE WITH TOWELS ON THEIR HEADS WHO ARE UN-'MURICAN AND DIDN'T JUST, LIKE, GIVE IT ALL AWAY TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. NUKE THE MIDDLE EAST, Y'ALL, YEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAW! WE WILL HAVE ONLY JESUS AS OUR TITLE SPONSOR, WITH MAYBE A SMITH & WESSON LOGO HERE AND THERE, AND ALSO THE PUBLISHERS OF MY BOOK ABOUT HOW TO KEEP YOURSELF SAFE IN PRISON WITH ADVANCED KNIFE FIGHTING TECHNIQUES, WHICH I'D NEVER HAVE HAD TO USE IN THE 1970S IF ONLY DONALD TRUMP HAD BEEN PRESIDENT THEN AND BUILT THE WALL TO KEEP ALL THOSE MEXICANS OUT WHO TRIED TO STAB ME WHILE I WAS IN PRISON BECAUSE I'M 'MURICAN AND THEY'RE NOT. MAKE FORMULA ONE GREAT AGAIN WITH ME, DON PENTECOST, AND THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL. PRAISE JESUS, VOTE REPUBLICAN, GOD SAVE THE SOUTH, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

Consider the internal organs not only destroyed, but put through a blender. Cheers for your existence, Don, I'll raise an all-'Murican Budweiser in your honour. And then throw it away and drink a proper beer instead.

And this meme is still funnier than anything WTF1 has ever done.

Turbogirl · Post by **Turbogirl** » 29 Aug 2018, 15:47

Klon wrote:You uneducated plebians do not get it. This is clearly meant to the door to the Alexander Wurz comeback we all need.

Klon wrote:You uneducated plebians do not get it. This is clearly meant to the door to the Jan Lammers comeback we all need.

I need a vacation...

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 29 Aug 2018, 16:02

Honestly, just for the nostalgia, I'd love a Sakon Yamamoto comeback. But Brendon Hartley would need a year-long bout of food poisoning for that to happen. :oops:

CarloSpace · Post by **CarloSpace** » 29 Aug 2018, 18:41

Silly jokes aside, Felix Rosenqvist is my bet for one of the Toro Rosso seats. Unless he signs for Ganassi and goes to America. But what I've heard he is still very much looking to get into F1 and Toro Rosso might be his best chance if only Dr. Marko would want him.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 29 Aug 2018, 19:04

CarloSpace wrote:Silly jokes aside, Felix Rosenqvist is my bet for one of the Toro Rosso seats. Unless he signs for Ganassi and goes to America. But what I've heard he is still very much looking to get into F1 and Toro Rosso might be his best chance if only Dr. Marko would want him.

Yeah, because that's worked out fantastically for Brendon Hartley.

WeirdKerr · Post by **WeirdKerr** » 29 Aug 2018, 20:56

Rob Dylan wrote:I'll bet a certain Austrian has been orchestrating this entire thing!

Christian Klein?

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 29 Aug 2018, 23:40

Ferdinand Habsburg obviously

Post by **tommykl** » 30 Aug 2018, 08:14

Rob Dylan wrote:Keith Habsburg obviously

Fixed that for you

RonDenisDeletraz · Post by **RonDenisDeletraz** » 30 Aug 2018, 08:23

Clearly Rene Binder is the answer. Time for BinderBonanza

yannicksamlad · Post by **yannicksamlad** » 30 Aug 2018, 09:04

Those pesky superlicence criteria spoil our fun.
They also help make Brendon Hartley apparently quite likely to stay on at Toro Rosso . I can think of a few past Toro Rosso drivers who might think that if they'd had a season like Brendon's they wouldnt have got another year .
Different times, different superlicence criteria

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 30 Aug 2018, 09:41

Yeah, I hate to say it, but Hartley is only being kept due to staunch Red Bull internal politics making such a small pool of replacement drivers. The fact that he is being considered for a race seat next year is laughable in my opinion.

sswishbone · Post by **sswishbone** » 30 Aug 2018, 15:49

Autosport reading the forum?

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/138387/kvyat-a-contender-for-shock-toro-rosso-return

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 30 Aug 2018, 16:04

I honestly can't believe that would happen unless they were offering a lot of money. Daniil can't be that desperate that he'd come back to F1 one with the team that royally screwed him over repeatedly over the last two and a half years. It's like going back to a violent ex: why?

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 30 Aug 2018, 17:04

Rob Dylan wrote:I honestly can't believe that would happen unless they were offering a lot of money. Daniil can't be that desperate that he'd come back to F1 one with the team that royally screwed him over repeatedly over the last two and a half years. It's like going back to a violent ex: why?

Stockholm syndrome? A belief that they are still capable of change, despite the evidence?

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 30 Aug 2018, 17:05

JUST BRING BACK SCOTT SPEED ALREADY

Post by **mario** » 30 Aug 2018, 17:58

yannicksamlad wrote:Those pesky superlicence criteria spoil our fun.
They also help make Brendon Hartley apparently quite likely to stay on at Toro Rosso . I can think of a few past Toro Rosso drivers who might think that if they'd had a season like Brendon's they wouldnt have got another year .
Different times, different superlicence criteria

It is not just the superlicence criteria alone though - as Rob Dylan notes, there is also the fact that Red Bull's insistence on sticking to their own drivers, coupled with the fact that there has been a gap of several years in their driver programme when they didn't have drivers advancing up the ranks, that has created a situation where they've painted themselves into a corner.

The fact that Hartley - a driver who was dropped by them many years ago - was unexpectedly recalled underlined that, but the fact that they are now looking at trying to bring Kvyat back really reinforces that point. Speaking of which, I suppose that the one advantage that Kvyat might have right now is that, for once, he might have a stronger position to negotiate from than they do - he can likely afford to turn them down more easily than they can turn him down.

Pacific Edge · Post by **Pacific Edge** » 03 Sep 2018, 10:12

http://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/24564099/stoffel-vandoorne-leave-mclaren-end-2018

Kind of inevitable really. Guessing Ocon will take his place.

Edit: Or not

Francis23 · Post by **Francis23** » 03 Sep 2018, 11:16

Norris has the seat for next year, not sure how I feel about that, on the one hand he's obviously very young and talented but on the other hand Ocon is far too good for his future to be in the balance...

Pacific Edge · Post by **Pacific Edge** » 03 Sep 2018, 11:32

Agreed about Ocon, time (and seats) are running out, what is logically left for him? Williams? A one-off deal with Torro Rosso if they have no-one better?

Post by **Ataxia** » 03 Sep 2018, 11:40

Huge congratulations to Lando, hard to say that he's not earned it! He's come straight into F2 and done a fantastic job, so it's really good to see. Expecting a few comments to be "blah blah he needs a second season" but I don't really think there's anything else he can really learn with another year - he's worked out tyre management and how to be consistently at the front with an unfamiliar car. Plus, if he wins, he can't do two...

Of course, it's difficult for guys like Ocon and Russell to find seats as there's such a dearth of available teams. But it's a cut-throat world, and nobody owes them a living.

It seems that Leclerc's move to Ferrari is back on, and Toro Rosso looked at Giovinazzi but suggested that he's sewn up - presumably at Sauber - for 2019. Toro Rosso look close to bringing Kvyat back, but can afford to hang on and see who's available, while Haas keeping Grosjean is about 50/50. Russell or Ocon could be at Williams, with Markelov potentially as a teammate, but I'm sure there's many more twists in the tail of this completely clinically insane silly season.

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 03 Sep 2018, 11:48

Ooooooohhhhhhhhh

nooooooooooooooo

Let's just hope McLaren don't mess this one up like they messed up the last three!

yannicksamlad · Post by **yannicksamlad** » 03 Sep 2018, 12:19

I do think Vandoorne is a very talented driver . But maybe F1 can't find room for him. Suppose he could go to Indycar and win the Indy 500 ( like Rossi...and with Alonso as runner-up) and demonstrate why Alonso said such nice things about him

good_Ralf · Post by **good_Ralf** » 03 Sep 2018, 12:28

Rob Dylan wrote:Let's just hope McLaren don't mess this one up like they messed up the last three!

Amen to that. McLaren aren't going to have many fans left if they keep damaging the prospects of young drivers as they have since 2013. It's really disappointing Vandoorne's career is on the ropes like this, I recall how so many of us were rather frustrated about him not getting an F1 seat after his dominant GP2 title run. The consensus in 2017 was that his full-time debut was very much overdue.

But then again, in spite of having naff machinery, he hasn't quite matched expectations, so perhaps this was bound to happen eventually. But a change of scenery, if he gets it, will do him so much good, then the real Stoffel Vandoorne might well make himself known.

Post by **tommykl** » 03 Sep 2018, 12:39

I can't help but feel Vandoorne doesn't deserve this. He's been driving a dog of a car for a team that is at best indifferent towards him against a teammate who's one of the all-time greats. I really hope he finds a drive in another team where he can show his true talent.

It also appears that Lando himself isn't too sure that he's ready for F1 yet, but accepted the drive because it was offered. I can't help but think he needs another year in F2, rather like another young hotshot who didn't win a single GP2 race for a while after dominating his first race in the category before coming second in the season. I think his name was 'Waffle' something...

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 03 Sep 2018, 12:48

I do pity Vandoorne. He hasn't really shone much, but I still see potential in him. I agree that it's probably time McLaren hired someone else to take his place, but I would like to see Stoffel get a seat somewhere else. With even folks like Esteban Ocon struggling to find a place for 2019, I fear this might be the last we see of the Belgian for a while. Who knows, a year out might do him some good, as some have said. If there were more seats around I'm sure he'd otherwise have at least some kind of opportunity to keep himself on the grid.

Enforcer · Post by **Enforcer** » 03 Sep 2018, 18:38

He should get on very well with Max:

https://clips.twitch.tv/ChillyEndearingPrariedogFunRun

(He's unlapping himself here, btw)

UncreativeUsername37 · Post by **UncreativeUsername37** » 03 Sep 2018, 19:41

Vandoorne and Norris both deserve a McLaren drive, so whatever happened, there would always be complaining to do... I just hope Vandoorne can find some seat because he's good enough, like when Force India took Pérez. I hope the same for Ocon. But everything is about being in a programme now....

Samster · Post by **Samster** » 04 Sep 2018, 10:43

I hope Haas pick either Vandoorne or Ocon up to replace Grosjean. Vandoorne doesn't deserve to be out of F1 just yet, he's only had Alonso to compare himself with in his career so far.

In other news I've been hearing Kvyat is favourite to return to Toro Rosso. It's like a bad marriage trying to give itself a second chance for the sake of the children.

Spectoremg · Post by **Spectoremg** » 05 Sep 2018, 17:40

When was the last time McLaren didn't have a 'name' driver?

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 05 Sep 2018, 17:52

Spectoremg wrote:When was the last time McLaren didn't
have a 'name' driver?

Arguably 2002/2003 when Raikkonen was still making a name for himself, and Coulthard was still never considered a top line driver. I'm not sure how highly regarded Hakkinen was at the start of 1994 either. Before then, their lead driver between 1979 and 1981 was John Watson, and maybe when James Hunt first started for them in 1976.

sswishbone · Post by **sswishbone** » 06 Sep 2018, 12:29

Things have got even more silly, Buemi has had a Toro Rosso fitting and apparently Red Bull will quit F1 in 2020 if Honda don't make them title contenders...

Post by **tommykl** » 06 Sep 2018, 14:34

sswishbone wrote:Things have got even more silly, Buemi has had a Toro Rosso fitting and apparently will quit F1 in 2020 if Honda don't make them title contenders...

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose :dance:

Post by **mario** » 08 Sep 2018, 19:32

tommykl wrote:
sswishbone wrote:Things have got even more silly, Buemi has had a Toro Rosso fitting and apparently will quit F1 in 2020 if Honda don't make them title contenders...

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

Well, with Buemi having indeed been pictured having a seat fitting at Toro Rosso and with Sainz Jr having talked up the likelihood of Kvyat coming back to F1, is it possible we could have a Kvyat-Buemi line up at Toro Rosso in 2019? That would be a pretty bizarre set of circumstances...

Klon · Post by **Klon** » 10 Sep 2018, 03:19

mario wrote:
tommykl wrote:
sswishbone wrote:Things have got even more silly, Buemi has had a Toro Rosso fitting and apparently will quit F1 in 2020 if Honda don't make them title contenders...

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

Well, with Buemi having indeed been pictured having a seat fitting at Toro Rosso and with Sainz Jr having talked up the likelihood of Kvyat coming back to F1, is it possible we could have a Kvyat-Buemi line up at Toro Rosso in 2019? That would be a pretty bizarre set of circumstances...

It would set the record for most badly beaten spouses coming back to their abusers in one location, though. :geek:

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 10 Sep 2018, 06:51

IceG · Post by **IceG** » 11 Sep 2018, 09:08

So Leclerc swaps with Raikkonen:

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/raik ... t/3174755/

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ferr ... n/3174725/

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/raik ... 36/?nrt=54

Guess that means if Leclerc burns out early Kimi is on a short elastic string straight back.

Good for Leclerc, he looks the real deal.

Good for Ferrari going for new blood for a change.

Good for Kimi staying on because its fun.

And good for Sauber - WCC 2019?