The F1 Thread

[Nando]

It looks like a bit of a lock out at the top teams for the foreseeable future. Maybe Ferrari if the Vettel stuff is bullshit.

Sauber look to be in for a big change up, I'm unsure whether Kobayashi will still be there next year. They'll lose an awful lot of sponsorship money in addition to losing Perez. Esteban Gutierrez would keep the Mexican sponsors interested and he's supposedly very talented.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Massa looks like he's staying, which gives weight to Vettel to Ferrari for 2014.

Surprised Ferrari let Perez go to McLaren, he looks special.

Nando, I was going to ask you about Perez. Do you think he will be good enough given the weight of expectation there is at McLaren?

 

[Nando]

I've got no idea if he'll deal with the expectation, but I think he's looked brilliant on the track this year and I'd have liked him alongside Alonso from next season.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

I agree that he is has great potential. Suddenly though he will be expected to get pole positions and win a few races. Personally I think he will do well, though it may take his second year to start showing what he can do.

 

[The Bear]

It'll be interesting to see how Perez copes with a car that isn't so kind on it's tyres.

 

[Nando]

Indeed, or you could swing it the other way and ask what he's able to do when his first stint isn't all about going as long as he can.

He's not Lewis Hamilton though, so McLaren are going to be worse off

 

[FrankMunro-371]

How do you Gents think Hamilton will do at Mercedes?

 

[PuntsWolf]

I don't understand why he's gone there to be honest. Unless Mercedes have big plans to improve the car. They haven't been anywhere near the big 3 this season

 

[Kenny]

How do you Gents think Hamilton will do at Mercedes?

Struggle next season but will out perform Rosberg. I expect to some of his "frustration" driving in the latter part of the season (also known as making stupid moves as he struggles to cope with not being at the front end of the grid)
2nd season, I can see Mercedes pushing the Top 3 teams

 

[Langers]

I don't understand why he's gone there to be honest. Unless Mercedes have big plans to improve the car. They haven't been anywhere near the big 3 this season

I'm sure I've read that they're forking out significant investment in 2014 and hope to be serious challengers by then.

 

[Kenny]

I don't understand why he's gone there to be honest. Unless Mercedes have big plans to improve the car. They haven't been anywhere near the big 3 this season

4 Reasons

1) £ and lots of it
2) Promise of being No1 driver
3) Whatever Mercedes have said to him with regards to future developments it has got his attention
4) His relationship at McLaren has been going downwards since Ron Dennis took a step back from being involved on race days.

 

[jlo]

It'll be interesting to see how Perez copes with a car that isn't so kind on it's tyres.

Button and Perez are quite similar in their racing styles so I would say McLaren will design a car that is kinder on its tyres than the current one. Whether they can do that for the start of 2013 I'm not sure, but it'll be easier for McLaren given they currently design a car to suit the two extremes of driving style with Lewis and Jenson.

 

[Nando]

It depends what Mercedes serve up really. The regs are pretty much the same for next year and they've once again buzzed with hype and ultimately flopped. At least they've finally won a race! It sounds like they've promised Lewis something special for 2014.

It's a bold move from Lewis as going back through Brawn GP and Honda the working group there have only produced one top top car and then they ran out of cash and faded. Honda were an absolute farce really considering their expenditure in the sport and Mercedes have a budget akin to Ferrari and are now being trumped.by the Force India's.

I see Brawn picking Lewis as his next Schumi and it took them 5 years to win the WDC at Ferrari.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

I am not sure that money was a major factor. He already earns telephone number wages. I think that he is after a new challenge, and he must have liked what Mercedes said to him. I just wonder how he will react to not being in the quickest car. He is not the most patient of drivers if things aren't going his way.

 

[The Bear]

The engines are going back to turbos in 2014 (for better fuel edficiency) and there'll be a lot more emphasis on engine development. Mercedes should have a stronger hand than McLaren in that respect as McLaren are only customers for Mercedes engines.

 

[Kenny]

I am not sure that money was a major factor. He already earns telephone number wages.y.

Money played its part. Telephone number wages or not, he has just got a hefty payrise + will now earn a lot more from his image rights.

 

[Kenny]

The engines are going back to turbos in 2014 (for better fuel edficiency) and there'll be a lot more emphasis on engine development. Mercedes should have a stronger hand than McLaren in that respect as McLaren are only customers for Mercedes engines.

Nando can correct me if I am wrong. I believe McLaren still get their engines for free from Mercedes but that deal ends when this season finishes. A chance McLaren could go elsewhere if Merc want to much ££ to supply??

 

[Nando]

The deal is ending, but I'm not sure if its this year or next. PURE seem to have pulled the plug on 2014 so it seems it will be only Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Cosworth. Unless McLaren develop their own, which they've said they won't do, I'd imagine they'd just stick with the Mercs.

 

[Nando]

The engines are going back to turbos in 2014 (for better fuel edficiency) and there'll be a lot more emphasis on engine development. Mercedes should have a stronger hand than McLaren in that respect as McLaren are only customers for Mercedes engines.

The engines all have to be identical now don't they? Regardless of whether you're the parent company or the customer.

 

[broughtonwolf]

I always thought that Di Resta was going to end up at Mercedes, as I think they still pay a large part of his wages via Force India, stemming from his contract with them in DTM.
Now that LH is there, I can see Ferrari buying PDR out his Mercedes contract.

Button and Perez at McClaren - not sure about Perez as like Button he appears to be a better race performer than qualifier, maybe that will change at Mclaren.