2015 Silly Season Thread

[Salamander]

He isn't. Eric Bouiller has said it's very likely that he'll stay to mop up GP2 next year.

Not according to Ron Dennis (by way of Martin Brundle).

Well, I wonder why Boullier's said that then.

[Captain Hammer]

Because he has been asked a leading question by a source with a reputation for doing just that?

[Salamander]

Because he has been asked a leading question by a source with a reputation for doing just that?

Or maybe that's just the case?

I mean, I'd love to see a Magnussen/Vandoorne lineup at McLaren next year, don't get me wrong. But are McLaren seriously gonna consider sticking Vandoorne in the car? I just don't see it, regardless of anything Ron says.

[Captain Hammer]

I think that Magnussen/Vandoorne is the direction that they ultimately want to go in. If Alonso is being difficult, they might push that idea forward.

[watka]

I think that Magnussen/Vandoorne is the direction that they ultimately want to go in. If Alonso is being difficult, they might push that idea forward.

Vandoorne is the trump card that McLaren have. If any of the 3 out of Alonso, Button or Magnussen don't perform or don't play ball, Vandoorne would jump at the chance to get a seat and if he blitzes GP2 like he's expected to next season then he'll have made a very strong claim for a drive. Whoever's at McLaren next year is going to have to deal with that.

[Sublime_FA11C]

Alonso's remarks about "files he still has on the computer" regarding his relationship and negotiations with Mattiaci seem like something out of F1Slate. Does he really want to remind Ron Dennis about his habits of keeping emails? Or is that a negotiating ploy to eke out more money out of his McLaren contract? :D

Silly season indeed...

[deletraz]

How much does Jenson have to do to get that 2015 seat?? Surely even Ron Dennis must realise that Button has to be the better bet - more than 2x Magnussen's points - he is certainly not a driver on the decline as it appears to me. Do you all agree??

[James1978]

I'm beginning to wonder if McLaren might not be signing Alonso after all - after all he does come with associated baggage, of which Button doesn't!

[Londoner]

Ted Kravitz has reported that Vergne is on his way to Williams as a test/reserve driver for 2015. Probably the best place he could go at the moment.

[DanielPT]

It baffles me why McLaren, in the case of getting Alonso, would ditch their better driver for someone who although younger is still some way off the best they have available. Really, Magnussen might do with a year as test-driver because that second racing seat with Alonso in the first, seeing the beating he took from Button, would be a highly toxic chalice.

[mario]

How much does Jenson have to do to get that 2015 seat?? Surely even Ron Dennis must realise that Button has to be the better bet - more than 2x Magnussen's points - he is certainly not a driver on the decline as it appears to me. Do you all agree??

I hope that you do not mind me moving your post into the 2015 Silly Season thread, since I feel that it fits well with the overall tone of discussion about the 2015 driver market.

Anyway, yes, I would have to agree that Button's form in race trim in the latter half of this season has been much stronger than Magnussen's, and he really deserves at least some acknowledgement for the fact that, without him, McLaren would probably have been beaten by Force India.

Either way, though, one of the two drivers at McLaren is likely to be getting a rough deal - Button hasn't been treated with much respect of dignity by McLaren, and it could be argued that securing a higher place in the WCC has more than paid for his higher wages (and if McLaren have WCC ambitions, Button's steady points scoring ability could help tip the balance in a tight battle).
As for Magnussen, well, it doesn't sound as if he is being treated much better given that Ron is publicly putting pressure on him to secure more sponsors, seemingly implying that he doesn't think he is worth keeping purely on the basis of talent alone. Keeping him on as a test driver, whilst it might not be a total humiliation, would still be something of a step down, though if McLaren were to do what Force India did with Hulkenberg - giving him plenty of free practise sessions to gradually build his confidence and skills back up after a difficult first season - they could yet manage the situation more tactfully.

[Aerond]

McLaren has already gotten Alonso. They just need time to finalise the deals with the sponsors Alonso is bringing (presumably Santander and Movistar)

[Ataxia]

Now the season's come to a close, I might as well check how wrong I was with various silly season predictions.

We're half-way through the season, so I thought I'd dust off the the crystal ball and have a look at next year's potential lineups. Unfortunately, said crystal ball is actually from Poundland, and is currently sitting on a certain YouTuber's brown sofa. Therefore, this is what I'd like to see, in a realistic vein of course.

Mercedes

Nico Rosberg
Lewis Hamilton

It's not going to change, is it? No matter how much Hamilton makes ambiguous accusations about Rosberg's nationality/desire/gender/background/sexuality, the relationship seems to work alright.

Alright, one out of one! So far, so good...

Red Bull Racing - Renault

Daniel Ricciardo
Sebastian Vettel

Both drivers are the apples of Dr. Marko's one eye, and so I don't expect them to change anything. The only thing on the cards is for 2016, where Red Bull may start to develop their own engines from recycled drinks cans.

I was obviously not expecting Mr. Vettel to jump ship! Red Bull have opted to appeal to Alan Partridge with the two "Dans" being their 2015 line-up.

Williams - Mercedes

Valtteri Bottas
Felipe Nasr

Massa's been pretty good in qualifying, but a complete liability in the races. The "other" Felipe, on the other hand, has been consistent in GP2 and has really begun to show some good racecraft. I'd love to see Frank give Felipe One the heave-ho, who'd even blame his dog for poor performances, and try Felipe Two who's younger and hungrier.

Fortunately, Felipe One suddenly remembered that he was actually decent and decided he'd try not being awful. His team-mate, once pronounced by a BBC3 60 Seconds news reporter as "Vultairy Boatarse" has had a breakout season and also stays.

Ferrari

Fernando Alonso
Jules Bianchi

Fernando's probably sick of 4th place, but with no other opportunities then he might have to cope with Ferrari for a little longer. Why Stefano Domenicali signed Raikkonen on anything longer than a one-year deal is a mystery, but the Finn has been more anonymous than long-suffering Everton right-back Tony Hibbert. Let's be honest, Bianchi's probably ready for the Scuderia now.

It's quite funny, yet sad that I'm so off the mark here. Fernando suddenly remembered nostalgia counts for nothing and Jules is obviously out of the reckoning here. Still, Kimi and Sebastian ain't a bad lineup.

Force India - Mercedes

Nico Hulkenberg
Sergio Perez

Hulkenberg's metronomic pace has helped Force India immensely, and his points have been supplemented by Perez whenever the Mexican feels like it. Although many people think Hulkenberg would be a good fit for McLaren or Ferrari, I'm pretty sure he's on a multi-year deal. It's the best line-up the team has had in years, so I see it staying the same.

Yep. Moving on.

McLaren - Honda

Romain Grosjean
Kevin Magnussen

If you look at Button's manner in interviews, he looks like a man who's lost the love of the sport. If he's smart, he'll quit whilst he's still ahead of Magnussen. If not, you'd expect the Dane to beat him in 2015. One of the largest rumours of 2014 is that Grosjean will join McLaren, and I would be more than happy for this to happen. Please, Eric.

I so wanted to be right here. Right now, Eric and Ron have quite the conundrum on their hands. Watch as they throw a curve-ball and sign up Will Stevens.

Toro Rosso - Renault

Daniil Kvyat
Carlos Sainz Jr.

Kvyat's been phenomenal, so he's a given. Sainz Jr's also running away with the FR3.5 title, so yeah.

I forgot that, in Red Bull land, things aren't quite so clear-cut. Max Verstappen is one driver, and after Kvyat was given a promotion, a better car and an executive parking space there's another space open. Although Vergne looked to stay, word on the strasse is that he's off to Williams to fill Nasr's test/reserve/stand-in-the-garage-and-look-busy role. So, it could be any one of Sainz Jr, Gasly or Lynn. Since Sainz Jr's the obvious choice, that almost certainly means it won't be him.

Lotus - Mercedes

Pastor Maldonado
Jean-Eric Vergne

Maldonado's signed for 2015, so we assume Lotus have still got a hand in PDVSA's pocket. Lotus were in talks with Vergne in 2013, and he'd keep Total sweet. As long as he can shake off that dreadful bad luck, he'd be a capable replacement for Grosjean.

Unfortunately, Romain's not off to McLaren and stays at Lotus to throw various things at his E22, the first forklift truck to dress up as an F1 car. Maldonado also stays, because PDVSA red looked kinda cool on the Lotus.

Marussia - Ferrari

Stoffel Vandoorne
Johnny Cecotto Jr.

I don't think Max Chilton will hang around for much longer. McLaren would definitely like to try and cut a deal to place Vandoorne in a Marussia, and if the price is right they might accept. As for Cecotto, he's upped his game significantly, and so he might be able to tempt John Booth with a little bit of money.

This was assuming that Marussia/Manor/Stately Home would be alive to tell the tale. I made myself sad now...

Sauber - Ferrari

Giedo van der Garde
Simona de Silvestro

Put it this way; if Monisha Kaltenborn has the balls (pardon the pun) to turf out both the current incumbents and put #VanDerGod and De Silvestro in the cars, they'd have gone from the dullest lineup to the most interesting. Giedo has MacGregor money and showed some talent at Caterham, whilst Simona has shown pace in IndyCar and is going through an F1 training program with the Swiss team.

None of this happened. Sauber ditched Eyebrows Gutierrez and glass-enthusiast Adrian Sutil, I was right on that front. I wasn't expecting them to sign Marcus Ericsson, who's a driver I can't actually tell if he's any good, and Felipe Nasr who spent 2014 trying to beat a DAMS, which is the GP2 equivalent of pissing in the wind.

Caterham - Renault

Jolyon Palmer
Robin Frijns

Albers might see fit to put his countryman in the Caterham, although his lack of backing throws up some issues. Palmer might sort that out though, and the Brit's been on prime form in GP2. The team's not tied to the GP2 team any more, so don't expect anyone like Haryanto in the car...although they'd probably have been smart enough not to in the first place.

If Finbarr O'Connell, the first leprechaun to be an F1 team principal, can find someone to take his pot of purest green then Caterham might survive what may prove to be a nuclear winter in F1. If they do, then the below quote applies.

Forza Rossa - Renault

$$$
$$$

Although Kolles still intends on bringing Forza Rossa to the F1 grid, his teams are naturally streamlined and income is usually expected from drivers. So, the seats are going to go to the highest bidders. Don't rule out a Sakon Yamamoto return, or anyone else who's made a career from the "rosebud" cheat.

The greatest "will they? won't they?" story in the world, if all those other aforementioned stories were terrible. Who knows what Colin will do? In Colin we trust.

[Bobby Doorknobs]

Hamilton has just given tradition the finger: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2014/11/25/h ... -car-2015/

This was bound to happen anyway with the new numbering rules.

[CoopsII]

Hamilton has just given tradition the finger: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2014/11/25/h ... -car-2015/

This was bound to happen anyway with the new numbering rules.

I'm pleasantly surprised actually, I'd presumed all the champions would grab the number one for the perceived kudos of having it.

Back on Rosberg; I think unless he blitzes the start of 2015 I expect his head to go down and Hamilton will then stroll to the title (other teams notwithstanding). When he looks in the mirror he must know he was only ever in with a shot not from his own ability but from Hamiltons misfortune and some ill-judged tactics at Spa.

[dr-baker]

Hamilton has just given tradition the finger: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2014/11/25/h ... -car-2015/

This was bound to happen anyway with the new numbering rules.

He just wants another chance to win my car numbers alternative championship!

[DanielPT]

Back on Rosberg; I think unless he blitzes the start of 2015 I expect his head to go down and Hamilton will then stroll to the title (other teams notwithstanding). When he looks in the mirror he must know he was only ever in with a shot not from his own ability but from Hamiltons misfortune and some ill-judged tactics at Spa.

I also have that Mark-Webberish feeling about Rosberg. I just hope I am wrong and that he can put up another title fight against Hamilton.

[Dj_bereta]

Rumors around here saying Ferrari want Bottas to replace Kimi in 2016 season. Not only this, but the return of Brawn (according with Brundle, denied by Ross) and Costa (I don't believe Mercedes is going to let him go).

http://www.worldcarfans.com/11411238481 ... th-ferrari

This could be interesting. This will open a seat at Williams, a desirable seat if the team keep the 2014 form.

[UncreativeUsername37]

Rumors around here saying Ferrari want Bottas to replace Kimi in 2016 season. Not only this, but the return of Brawn (according with Brundle, denied by Ross) and Costa (I don't believe Mercedes is going to let him go).

http://www.worldcarfans.com/11411238481 ... th-ferrari

This could be interesting. This will open a seat at Williams, a desirable seat if the team keep the 2014 form.

If Williams do keep their 2014 form why would Bottas even want to go to Ferrari?

[Backmarker]

Rumors around here saying Ferrari want Bottas to replace Kimi in 2016 season. Not only this, but the return of Brawn (according with Brundle, denied by Ross) and Costa (I don't believe Mercedes is going to let him go).

http://www.worldcarfans.com/11411238481 ... th-ferrari

This could be interesting. This will open a seat at Williams, a desirable seat if the team keep the 2014 form.

If Williams do keep their 2014 form why would Bottas even want to go to Ferrari?

In the long term Ferrari have far greater resources to throw at both car and engine development, whereas Williams are at prey to market forces and sponsor's whims, so Ferrari is a safer bet in terms of predicting who will have the better car in 5 seasons time.

I don't personally see it though: if Bottas goes to Ferrari he will be de facto number 2 to Vettel. I would hope that Bottas had more ambition and saw himself as a number one driver, with potential to be WDC one day. Also, the elephant in the room (to my mind) is that Ferrari would only want him because Bianchi is sadly injured - a fit Bianchi would have been preferred over Bottas, as it validates Ferrari's Driver Academy program. As a result, Bottas will have to look over his shoulder at Marciello's development (and Fuoco and Stroll beyond that).

[Sublime_FA11C]

I'm pleased Hamilton intends to keep 44 on his car/helmet. He might add a smaller no.1 somewhere as a token but this is hardly giving tradition the finger. Afterall by prefering his unique number he is giving future tradition a nod and showing respect to the sport.

As for Bottas going to Ferrari, he will go there for the same reason anyone goes there, to get paid! If he is lucky, he might also luck into a winning team. Assuming Williams slip he may leave the team at the end of 2015 or 2016 but at that point he will probably be welcome at a number of other teams, not just Ferrari. Still... nice to be wanted.

[mario]

Hamilton has just given tradition the finger: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2014/11/25/h ... -car-2015/

This was bound to happen anyway with the new numbering rules.

I'm pleasantly surprised actually, I'd presumed all the champions would grab the number one for the perceived kudos of having it.

Back on Rosberg; I think unless he blitzes the start of 2015 I expect his head to go down and Hamilton will then stroll to the title (other teams notwithstanding). When he looks in the mirror he must know he was only ever in with a shot not from his own ability but from Hamiltons misfortune and some ill-judged tactics at Spa.

With regards to Hamilton keeping his number, well, it is an interesting choice given that I doubt few other drivers in the field would have turned that down - then again, he has shown a strong attachment to his particular number and it is not an entirely unique move given Rossi is famous for sticking with his number over in MotoGP.

As for Rosberg, I'd agree that there is a possibility that, if Hamilton made a very strong start to the 2015 campaign, his confidence and performance could take a bit of a knock. To a certain extent, we did see that, when placed under increased pressure in the tail end of this year, he started to make more noticeable mistakes in races which threw away chances of victory - the errors under braking in both the Italian and Russian GPs and a mistake in using the wrong engine mode in the US GP come to mind. The mistake in Russia was particularly noteworthy given that Lauda has said, right before the start of the race, "Nico could still win the race if he doesn't try and win it at the first corner" - which is exactly what Nico promptly tried to do.

Now, it can be said that Hamilton didn't have the cleanest run to the title either in the closing races and made numerous mistakes in qualifying when he was pushing right to his limits. That, however, does highlight a certain aspect - with the exception of his error in Brazil, Hamilton ultimately made fewer mistakes in the races themselves than Nico did - moreover, in a season where most were expecting Rosberg to have an advantage in terms of fuel and tyre management, Hamilton consistently beat him on fuel consumption and often also on tyre wear.

It's not to say that I expect Hamilton to easily beat Rosberg - I still expect Nico to provide a fairly tough challenge, and overall I would say that this season would probably have improved his credentials - but, if Hamilton were to stretch out an advantage in the opening races, I could see Nico pushing his car a bit too hard in an attempt to make up the gap, which is something that did happen a few times this season, and therefore not maximise his opportunities.

[watka]

I think the Hamilton-Rosberg situation going forward will be different from the Vettel-Webber situation after Vettel's first title, simply as I have faith that Mercedes will not enforce a clear number 1/number 2 driver system even in light of Hamilton's title. Wolff has done too much work making Mercedes seem like a fair team and not wanting to win the title "the Red Bull way" that to change tact and back Hamilton over Rosberg next year would serious undermine the good reputation that the team built up. I suspect that like Webber, Rosberg's confidence may have taken a bit of a knock, but he still will be given the opportunity to win races whereas with Webber you felt that he was having no support from the team and was potentially at a technical disadvantage (e.g. new parts, data availability etc) to Vettel most of the time.

[Rob Dylan]

Vergne's leaving Toro Rosso it's been announced.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116949

[Ataxia]

Wasn't sure if it was mentioned anywhere else, but the standing safety-car starts and double points are being scrapped.

[Bobby Doorknobs]

Wasn't sure if it was mentioned anywhere else, but the standing safety-car starts and double points are being scrapped.

The double points has been mentioned before, but the safety car restarts too? Good to hear! Now to sort out the costs...

[roblo97]

Wasn't sure if it was mentioned anywhere else, but the standing safety-car starts and double points are being scrapped.

The double points has been mentioned before, but the safety car restarts too? Good to hear! Now to sort out the costs...

Its amazing news.

[FMecha]

Wasn't sure if it was mentioned anywhere else, but the standing safety-car starts and double points are being scrapped.

Team radio restrictions are not going to happen next year either.

[Captain Hammer]

Vergne's leaving Toro Rosso it's been announced.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116949

And with Lynn targeting a test and reserve driver role, Sainz Jnr. has emerged as the most-likely candidate for the seat. Adam Cooper says he will be confirmed early next week.

[Yannick]

I'm looking forward to the day when there are Stoffel T-shirts available everywhere. I would like to wear one, just for the fun of it, because in my native Bavarian accent, a "stoffel" is a quiet guy with no manners who doesn't reply much when asked. Vandoorne is probably nothing like that, yet in these parts, it could be fun wearing such a shirt.

[Meatwad]

I'm looking forward to the day when there are Stoffel T-shirts available everywhere. I would like to wear one, just for the fun of it, because in my native Bavarian accent, a "stoffel" is a quiet guy with no manners who doesn't reply much when asked. Vandoorne is probably nothing like that, yet in these parts, it could be fun wearing such a shirt.

The name Stoffel reminds me of the Finnish word "tohveli", meaning slipper. I guess I'll call him Mr. Slippers from now on!

[Klon]

I'm looking forward to the day when there are Stoffel T-shirts available everywhere. I would like to wear one, just for the fun of it, because in my native Bavarian accent, a "stoffel" is a quiet guy with no manners who doesn't reply much when asked. Vandoorne is probably nothing like that, yet in these parts, it could be fun wearing such a shirt.

Really? I understood "Stoffel" as a stuck-up person. Then again, I am as big a Saupreiß as they come, so what do I know?

[Nessafox]

It's short for Christoffel. *Stating the obvious*
In great Christoffel tradition, it would be cool if he'd ever win the Mexican GP and refuses to admit it's not the Indian GP he won.

[Cynon]

http://wtf1.co.uk/mclaren-honda-abu-dhabi/

Honda with the nicest engine sound of them all....

[Captain Hammer]

It's short for Christoffel. *Stating the obvious*
In great Christoffel tradition, it would be cool if he'd ever win the Mexican GP and refuses to admit it's not the Indian GP he won.

So ... he's a "Topher".

That has to be the worst name ever.

[IceG]

http://wtf1.co.uk/mclaren-honda-abu-dhabi/

Honda with the nicest engine sound of them all....

And proof they intend to run a three-car team next season!

[Captain Hammer]

Except that a) three-car teams have been abandoned, and b) the original three-car proposal only called for Ferrari and Red Bull to enter a third car.

McLaren have three cars there because they haven't packed up the MP4-29s that they raced in the Grand Prix. The car Vandoorne is driving is officially designated the MP4-29H/1X1. It's an MP4-29 that has been converted over to run a Honda engine.

[IceG]

I was jesting. The video repeats, showing the same car leaving the garage three times...

[DanielPT]

I was jesting. The video repeats, showing the same car leaving the garage three times...

And breaking down 3 times? I'm wondering if Honda just took a Renault from the start of the season and planted its label on it.

Anyway, a little piece of news in the scrapping of double points and standing restarts. Also the craziness of the radio ban is going away, since it is too hard to police correctly (much like team orders).

[James1978]

McLaren are close to getting a RotY vote for me for this. Why are they waiting so long to decide between Button and Magnussen and it's too late for whichever one gets dropped to be talking to other teams.

At least last year they dropped Perez in enough time for him to sign for Force India!