Grand Prix Rejects

dinizintheoven wrote:...but that means we need a Norwegian driver, and the only one I can think of is Pål Varhaug...

This wrote:

dinizintheoven wrote:...but that means we need a Norwegian driver, and the only one I can think of is Pål Varhaug...

Are there actually any Icelandic drivers out there? It's not really Scandinavia, but they speak Scandinavish, which is a word that i just made up.

mario wrote:On the topic of Magnussen, Whitmarsh has now said that McLaren weren't initially planning on hiring Magnussen themselves - he's now stated that he had agreed a deal with another team for Magnussen to drive for them, having spoken directly to the team principle, only for the other team to withdraw from the agreement.

It seems that McLaren only decided to then take a chance on Magnussen themselves after that rejection - if that is the case, then that might explain why the team were initially telling Perez that they intended to renew his contract for 2014 (Massa has claimed that, when he spoke to McLaren, that he was told that there were no seats available as Perez's contract would be renewed) until almost the last minute.
It also begins to make it look as if perhaps the decision to replace Perez with Magnussen was not quite as clear cut if that wasn't McLaren's original favoured option - it's also interesting to wonder which other team it was that rejected McLaren's overtures. http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/11/23/r ... whitmarsh/

Freeze-O-Kimi wrote:EJ Believes Di Resta and Sutil are candidates for Sauber now and Sirotkin will be number 3 there.

Aerospeed wrote:

Freeze-O-Kimi wrote:EJ Believes Di Resta and Sutil are candidates for Sauber now and Sirotkin will be number 3 there.

If this comes towards fruition then this can only mean Perez and Maldonado partnering up at FI, looks like they are going the sponsorship route. Sutil is a very decent driver, and Di Resta has his days. I can't fault Sauber for picking them up either. Also, putting Sirotkin as 3rd driver isn't a bad idea either, he's just wayyy to young to have a full-time F1 seat. He may be a superstar, he may not. Give him some more time in FP1, and he'll get more experience in an F1 car. From the looks of things, it sounds like he only got one run in an F1 car thus far, and I think it was a 2011 Sauber.

Freeze-O-Kimi wrote:Eddie Jordan has made some predictions about who will fill the remaining vacant seats. The former team boss believes Pastor Maldonado will head to Lotus, alongside Romain Grosjean, with Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez teaming up in an all-new line up at Force India.

Jordan tips Adrian Sutil to team up with Esteban Gutierrez at Sauber, with Max Chilton keeping his seat at Marussia. Over at Caterham, he believes Giedo van der Garde will stay, with Swedish GP2 driver Marcus Ericsson making the step up. That leaves Paul Di Resta and Heikki Kovalainen without a seat.

Shizuka wrote:

Freeze-O-Kimi wrote:Eddie Jordan has made some predictions about who will fill the remaining vacant seats. The former team boss believes Pastor Maldonado will head to Lotus, alongside Romain Grosjean, with Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez teaming up in an all-new line up at Force India.

Jordan tips Adrian Sutil to team up with Esteban Gutierrez at Sauber, with Max Chilton keeping his seat at Marussia. Over at Caterham, he believes Giedo van der Garde will stay, with Swedish GP2 driver Marcus Ericsson making the step up. That leaves Paul Di Resta and Heikki Kovalainen without a seat.

Jordan still has his touch on the silly season happenings, so this might have truth in it. After all, he did predict the Hamilton to Mercedes move as well last year.

- Maldonado to Lotus: in my opinion, he needs to get his head out of the cash bag first and learn how to teamwork. If this happens, he'll be a number 2 in no time, if RoGro keeps his superb performance up.
- Force India: now that'd be a truly impressive line-up, and also it would point up who's capable of getting a top drive. An excellent intra-team battle bound to happen.
- Sauber: I cannot really agree with EJ. Gutierrez was pretty much deadbeat all year to Hulk, and even if it was because Nico's talent, he still felt like out of league many times. Sutil however might feel a little alienated in the start - spending 7 years at the same team will need time to get through, but Sauber's relation to German drivers (M. Schumacher in sports cars, then Wendlinger, Frentzen, Heidfeld, Hülk) could make it work.

Shizuka wrote:Bianchi will stay with Marussia. So he's safe.

Backmarker wrote:AMuS have said that Chilton has ponied up the money for his seat in 2014.

go_Rubens wrote:

Backmarker wrote:AMuS have said that Chilton has ponied up the money for his seat in 2014.

He's an affordable driver, as he has shown consistency in finishing a race this year, even if slower than some teams would like (barring ChiltonCraze and Bad F1 Stats). I believe he should stay another year at Marussia, now that his money along with the prize money that comes later will boost Marussia greatly. Hopefully. It never worked for Tony Fernandez, did it?

Shizuka wrote:Ferrari wouldn't be supporting his departure then. Remember, they use Ferrari units for next year, and having Bianchi with them will result in a discount. They need money too after all.
However, you're right. Ferrari could somehow put him in a Sauber, if Marussia needs money that much - although the other drivers in for the Sauber ride will have a word about that too.

Dj_bereta wrote:No Marussia?

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/form ... 24786.html

Marussia is looking for a partnership with another team. First, they wanted to buy Toto Wolff's shares at Williams. This is failed. Now the Russians have apparently clean in his sights. Are there in 2014 only 10 teams in Formula 1?

The Formula 1 (team) is not doing well. Until now, the bad news kept coming by Lotus and Sauber. Now it has apparently also caught Marussia. Although the team of the Russian sports car manufacturer will be debt free, but with a budget of 76 million euros, the team from Banbury in the last position of the table.

Marussia F1 chief seeks new team
Chief Andrei Cheglakov has reportedly fed up after a chance down (the order in) the field and needing to dig deep into their own pockets. But he wants to stay in Formula 1.
Therefore, he has tried (to buy some of) the shares of Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff at Williams. That's around 15 percent. Bernie Ecclestone is said to have endorsed the deal, but Claire Williams has apparently rejected the deal. Williams wants to remain independent.

Marussia consoles himself with Sauber?
Now new rumors emerge. Marussia joins forces with Sauber. Sauber is looking for some time for sponsors and partners on the Russian market. Until now, however, (they are) not yet (able to) come to substantial sponsor statements.
Marussia could be an interesting partner for Sauber. The Russian sports car manufacturer has contributed to his team of around 40 million euros from its own funds. The question would be, however, that drivers would then sit in the Sauber. Jules Bianchi is set at Marussia by contract. And Max Chilton is twelve million euros at the door.

kevinbotz wrote:It's (essentially) official: Ross Brawn's departure from Mercedes imminent.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111641

East Londoner wrote:Mr Gutierrez believes he belongs in F1, on the basis of his "late-season form".

Now I'm sorry, but he's had a grand total of TWO half-decent races in his debut season, at Barcelona and Suzuka. The rest of the time he's mostly been slow, getting himself knocked out in Q1 on a regular basis, or demonstrating poor racecraft (the amount of times he's been caught weaving when defending, and the races at China and Bahrain which need no explanation). Quite frankly, I think he needed another season in GP2.

fjackdaw wrote:

East Londoner wrote:Mr Gutierrez believes he belongs in F1, on the basis of his "late-season form".

Now I'm sorry, but he's had a grand total of TWO half-decent races in his debut season, at Barcelona and Suzuka. The rest of the time he's mostly been slow, getting himself knocked out in Q1 on a regular basis, or demonstrating poor racecraft (the amount of times he's been caught weaving when defending, and the races at China and Bahrain which need no explanation). Quite frankly, I think he needed another season in GP2.

As Grosjean has shown, I think everyone needs a minimum of at least a year to really get to grips with things. There are some super talents straight out of the box, of course, like Vettel and Hamilton, but others need time to mature, and it's a sad precedent to have a high turnover of rookies just because they don't nail it in the first year.

andrew2209 wrote:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111650

F1 teams want drivers to have permament numbers now.

In my opinion, if the world champion always has #1, then I'm not too worried about the idea, especially if numbers such as Ferrari #27 could be brought back.

James1978 wrote:Trying to think of what numbers I would allocate if they started this again:

1/2: Red Bull
3/4: Mercedes (formerly Tyrrell)
5/6: Williams
7/8: McLaren
11/12: Lotus (I'd rather give them Colin Chapman Lotus' numbers rather than Benetton's)
14/15: Force India
23/24: Toro Rosso
27/28: Ferrari
29/30: Sauber

Give Caterham and Marussia random unassigned numbers, maybe 9/10 and 16/17. Don't suppose Arrows will ever come back to take their 9/10!! Or Ligier for 25/26 for that matter!

andrew2209 wrote:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111650

F1 teams want drivers to have permament numbers now.

In my opinion, if the world champion always has #1, then I'm not too worried about the idea, especially if numbers such as Ferrari #27 could be brought back.

Cynon wrote:

andrew2209 wrote:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111650

F1 teams want drivers to have permament numbers now.

In my opinion, if the world champion always has #1, then I'm not too worried about the idea, especially if numbers such as Ferrari #27 could be brought back.

*fangirl squee*

This is proof that F1 teams read this forum -- I've been campaigning for this a lot recently.

Non-Autosport link to the same article: http://www.racer.com/f1-teams-pushing-f ... le/323010/

Shizuka wrote:

Could we see Sony McLaren Mercedes in 2014, as a lead-up to more Japanese yen by Honda?

Shizuka wrote:
Could we see Sony McLaren Mercedes in 2014, as a lead-up to more Japanese yen by Honda?

Shizuka wrote:Could we see Sony McLaren Mercedes in 2014, as a lead-up to more Japanese yen by Honda?

andrew2209 wrote:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111650

F1 teams want drivers to have permament numbers now.

In my opinion, if the world champion always has #1, then I'm not too worried about the idea, especially if numbers such as Ferrari #27 could be brought back.

DanielPT wrote:

andrew2209 wrote:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111650

F1 teams want drivers to have permament numbers now.

In my opinion, if the world champion always has #1, then I'm not too worried about the idea, especially if numbers such as Ferrari #27 could be brought back.

This is like people discussing who keeps the penny found behind the couch when the house is on fire.

It is a ridiculous discussion to have when F1 has so many other issues to solve including the prospect of some teams closing down. My point is easily explained because I don't think it really works on F1. Sure, Ferrari had 27 which began to be used in the second to last Gilles Villeneuve season (he used many numbers across his career) and went mythical because of him, but other than that I struggle to associate any number to any given driver. This is because in F1 and in other single seater formula we identify the drivers for their helmets. Why permanent numbers are irrelevant in F1? Because unlike tin-tops, which usually have a huge number painted on their doors, in F1 we can't see the freaking numbers when the car comes by!!!

fjackdaw wrote:I'd much rather see permanent helmets than permanent numbers.