2013 Silly Season Thread

[FullMetalJack]

Am I the only one here who thinks Alguersuari is going to Mercedes in 2013 and Schumacher will retire?

He should go to Williams. And no, I won't shut up about that.

He'd be so much more useful than Senna and Maldonado.

[Wizzie]

Am I the only one here who thinks Alguersuari is going to Mercedes in 2013 and Schumacher will retire?

He should go to Williams. And no, I won't shut up about that.

He'd be so much more useful than Senna and Maldonado.

Then again, just about anyone else would be more useful than those two

[pasta_maldonado]

He should go to Williams. And no, I won't shut up about that.

He'd be so much more useful than Senna and Maldonado.

Then again, just about anyone else would be more useful than those two

Even Taki Inoue and Gaston Mazzacane?

[FullMetalJack]

He'd be so much more useful than Senna and Maldonado.

Then again, just about anyone else would be more useful than those two

That's why I keep saying Wurz should take one of the Williams seats since he's involved with the team, I don't care if he's retired.

[Faustus]

Isn't it pretty much certain that Bottas will get one of the Williams drives next year?

[giraurd]

Sir Eurobrun, Coloni is more rejectful than you, and to the point - where exactly would you locate Alguersuari in the Williams team? He can't just go there and tell Frank to hire him you know, since Maldo brings 30 million reasons plus lots of TV action to keep him and Bottas is pretty much guaranteed for their 2nd ride.

Whilst that move would be probably good for Jaime's career and I like him as a driver, there is very little possibility that there is anyone else than Maldo, Bottas, (Senna) in a Williams next year, which is why your constant repeating of 'Algy should go to Williams' is baseless and thus useless.

[mario]

Isn't it pretty much certain that Bottas will get one of the Williams drives next year?

At this rate, Bruno might be lucky to even make it to the end of the year - I would not rule out the possibility that Bruno is kicked out before the end of the year, perhaps for the final few flyaway races? It would enable Williams to collect most of Bruno's sponsorship cash for the year and give Bottas a chance to hone his skills ahead of 2013.

[LellaLombardi]

Schumacher says "We take the result and see what happens in future. I think we might see some interesting happenings in the future that does not concern just one car but several cars. It will be interesting."

I think an announcement could be imminent.

[Stramala]

Schumacher says "We take the result and see what happens in future. I think we might see some interesting happenings in the future that does not concern just one car but several cars. It will be interesting."

I think an announcement could be imminent.

How cryptic of him. Is that him trying to say he will move teams?

[Ataxia]

Isn't it pretty much certain that Bottas will get one of the Williams drives next year?

At this rate, Bruno might be lucky to even make it to the end of the year - I would not rule out the possibility that Bruno is kicked out before the end of the year, perhaps for the final few flyaway races? It would enable Williams to collect most of Bruno's sponsorship cash for the year and give Bottas a chance to hone his skills ahead of 2013.

Yeah, I think Bottas would most likely get the 2013 seat. Bruno's good, but he's just been anonymous over a grand prix weekend. Bottas might have much more of a spark in him, without being as flamboyant/crash-happy as Pastor. Plus he's getting better at car feedback, so he'd be able to help develop the car more than the current drivers do. Williams would need to sort out their own sponsorship deal though to cover the money Senna brings.

I heard a year or so ago that Williams and Renault were vying for a MasterCard deal, whatever happened to that?

[LellaLombardi]

I hadn't considered the possibility before, but could Schumi be a candidate for the 2013 one-year Ferrari seat? See out his career at the team he's most associated with?

Surely not - that would mean a split from Ross Brawn. And I can't see Alonso approving such a move

If it came off - Hamilton to Mercedes, Perez to McLaren and Guiterrez or Massa in the Sauber?

[FullMetalJack]

I hadn't considered the possibility before, but could Schumi be a candidate for the 2013 one-year Ferrari seat? See out his career at the team he's most associated with?

That would actually be epic.

[LellaLombardi]

I hadn't considered the possibility before, but could Schumi be a candidate for the 2013 one-year Ferrari seat? See out his career at the team he's most associated with?

Schumi and Alonso as team mates would actually be epic.

Fixed

[Stramala]

I hadn't considered the possibility before, but could Schumi be a candidate for the 2013 one-year Ferrari seat? See out his career at the team he's most associated with?

That would actually be epic.

I would become an Alonso fanatic. It would be great to see Schumacher back in a Ferrari and be absolutely humiliated by his team-mate.

As for Perez, he definitely deserves a top seat somewhere. This lad is the future. Kobayashi may have finished ahead but he also started quite far up the grid comapred to Checo, and Checo was still really close behind by the end.

Did anyone else consider that Kimi is already bored with F1 again and will quit? Maybe that's how Lotus will have a free seat, rather than Grosjean being dumped (which I doubt, considering it's still his first full season and has shown big signs of great talent).

[FullMetalJack]

I hadn't considered the possibility before, but could Schumi be a candidate for the 2013 one-year Ferrari seat? See out his career at the team he's most associated with?

That would actually be epic.

I would become an Alonso fanatic. It would be great to see Schumacher back in a Ferrari and be absolutely humiliated by his team-mate.

As for Perez, he definitely deserves a top seat somewhere. This lad is the future. Kobayashi may have finished ahead but he also started quite far up the grid comapred to Checo, and Checo was still really close behind by the end.

Did anyone else consider that Kimi is already bored with F1 again and will quit? Maybe that's how Lotus will have a free seat, rather than Grosjean being dumped (which I doubt, considering it's still his first full season and has shown big signs of great talent).

I'd love to see Schumacher win another championship, although he'd do well to even put up a fight with Alonso.

Perez as you said definitely deserves a top seat, the guy really is making a name for himself, he will win races.

[LellaLombardi]

I think in spite of Kimi's performance today he is bored again. But it's hard to tell with him because he always looks bored. Grosjean will not be dumped, he is too closely connected to Bouillier and anyhow when he's on form he's bloomin good. He just needs to improve his consistency.

Perez is definitely next in line for a top drive, where remains to be seen. I wanted him to stay at Sauber for longer but I don't think he'd lose out by moving sooner - he's more consistent than, say, Grosjean

I'm on the shelf as to whether Alonso would annihilate Schumi. I think Alonso will come off better, but the gap between them will certainly not be what it is between Alonso and Massa. It's also hard to say for sure whether Rosberg is badly off-form, or more that Schumi is on form and showing him up.

[JeremyMcClean]

I just read the June magazine of F1 Racing (yes, it takes that long to fly a bundle of papers across the ocean) with an interview if Kimi, and he seemed pleased with the team. Doubt he's going anywhere.

[eurobrun]

Sir Eurobrun, Coloni is more rejectful than you.

Dreadful attempt at insult is dreadful.

I keep on Alguersauri should go to Williams because he is faster than Bottas, the same age and he comes with extensive knowledge and experience of the tyres via his job at Pirelli.

[BlindCaveSalamander]

Sir Eurobrun, Coloni is more rejectful than you.

Dreadful attempt at insult is dreadful.

I keep on Alguersauri should go to Williams because he is faster than Bottas, the same age and he comes with extensive knowledge and experience of the tyres via his job at Pirelli.

But it's ultimately futile because from all appearances at this stage, the 2013 lineup at Williams is going to be Maldonado/Bottas.

[eurobrun]

Sir Eurobrun, Coloni is more rejectful than you.

Dreadful attempt at insult is dreadful.

I keep on Alguersauri should go to Williams because he is faster than Bottas, the same age and he comes with extensive knowledge and experience of the tyres via his job at Pirelli.

But it's ultimately futile because from all appearances at this stage, the 2013 lineup at Williams is going to be Maldonado/Bottas.

Sadly you're probably right, although that has the potential to be even worse than their current lineup.

[giraurd]

I do agree that Alguersuari is both faster and more potential driver than Bottas.

However, sir less-rejectful-than-coloni, you're implying that Jaime should go there and take the place (doesn't happen that way you know..), whilst you certainly should direct your complaints at Frank.

Or is it my english which fails here..?

[Benetton]

Ferrari
#1 Fernando Alonso
#2 Sergio Perez

Red Bull
#3 Sebastian Vettel
#4 Mark Webber

McLaren
#5 Lewis Hamilton
#6 Jenson Button

Genii
#7 Kimi Raikkonen
#8 Romain Grosjean

Mercedes
#9 Nico Rosberg
#10 Michael Schumacher

Sauber
#11 Kamui Kobayashi
#12 Esteban Gutierrez

Force India
#14 Paul di Resta
#15 ??

Williams
#16 Pastor Maldonado
#17 Valtteri Bottas

STR
#18 ??
#19 ??

Caterham
#20 Heikki Kovalainen
#21 Luiz Razia

Marussia
#22 Timo Glock
#23 ???

HRT
#24 Pedro de la Rosa
#25 ???

So basically the seats open are Force India 2nd, STR 1st 2nd, Marussia 2nd and HRT 2nd. That doesn't make for a dramatic off season at all.

[JeremyMcClean]

So basically the seats open are Force India 2nd, STR 1st 2nd, Marussia 2nd and HRT 2nd. That doesn't make for a dramatic off season at all.

Unless HRT gets funding from the European Union, then yes.

[Captain Hammer]

Caterham
#20 Heikki Kovalainen
#21 Luiz Razia

I can't imagine Caterham would drop Vitaly Petrov. Not when he brings so much money to the team and has beaten Kovalainen in five of the seven races they have both completed. And especially not when Razia's performances in GP2 are a result of a shallow talent pool and an excess of pay drivers.

[eurobrun]

Caterham
#20 Heikki Kovalainen
#21 Luiz Razia

I can't imagine Caterham would drop Vitaly Petrov. Not when he brings so much money to the team and has beaten Kovalainen in five of the seven races they have both completed. And especially not when Razia's performances in GP2 are a result of a shallow talent pool and an excess of pay drivers.

I agree, but loyalty appears to be a foreign concept to Caterham.

[Captain Hammer]

Why, because they ditched Jarno Trulli?

Trulli needed to go. He'd been underperforming for years.

[eurobrun]

Why, because they ditched Jarno Trulli?

Trulli needed to go. He'd been underperforming for years.

I agree that Trulli needed to move on, but sacking someone so late in the off season was just really dickish.

[Captain Hammer]

So Caterham should have been stuck with an underperforming driver for months, then?

[eurobrun]

So Caterham should have been stuck with an underperforming driver for months, then?

No, they should have got rid of Trulli earlier.

[mario]

So Caterham should have been stuck with an underperforming driver for months, then?

No, they should have got rid of Trulli earlier.

That is quite true - leaving it until halfway through pre-season testing was not exactly beneficial to either side; if anything, it hindered them slightly. Petrov spent much of the second test session in some discomfort because the car was set up around Trulli - Petrov had to use Trulli's seat, for example, because his own seat was not ready in time - which in turn meant Petrov wasn't able to rack up as much mileage as either he or Caterham wanted to.

[James1978]

[size=85]Mercedes
#9 Nico Rosberg
#10 Michael Schumacher

Other way round as Schumi has OCD about having an odd-numbered car.

Also difficult to see where Massa would go (Back to Sauber I can think instead of Gutierrez is the only possible).

[Faustus]

Force India
#14 Paul di Resta
#15 ??

So you think The Hulk is out and won't find a drive anywhere? Bianchi to take his seat instead?

[Stramala]

[size=85]Force India
#14 Paul di Resta
#15 ??

So you think The Hulk is out and won't find a drive anywhere? Bianchi to take his seat instead?

Force India are using bikes next season?

[AdrianSutil]

Benetton makes a good post about the 2013 seats, but let's remember, the last few years have seen teams ditch drivers at the very last minute, so don't be surprised to see a few wild changes.

As for Force India, Bianchi may very well get the second seat as the team have a habit of promoting their test drivers after one year. Don't know about Di Resta in 2010, but I know Liuzzi and Hulk were testing in 09 and 11.

[Captain Hammer]

Latest stupid rumour - Clive Palmer is said to be buying off HRT.

For the uninitiated, Palmer is an Australian mining magnate who has, er, achieved the following:

a) Pledged to build a replica of the Titanic, to be known as the Titanic II.
b) Very nearly got Gold Coast United kicked out of the A-League.
c) Closed half of the stands at GCU's home stadium after fans criticised him for his ownership.
d) Publicly challenged the federal treasurer because he didn't want to pay an additional tax on his profits, then announced his intentions to stand against the treasurer at the next federal election on behalf of the opposition ... without getting the opposition's approval to do so first.
e) Claimed that the government's mining tax was "a tax on communities", even though his company would be the one to put prices up so that the tax would not eat into their profits.

And in a crowning moment of stupidity:

f) Claimed that Greenpeace was a front for the CIA and was actively trying to sabotage the Australian mining industry to protect American mining interests.

So you can see why I'm sceptical at best.

[eurobrun]

Latest stupid rumour - Clive Palmer is said to be buying off HRT.

For the uninitiated, Palmer is an Australian mining magnate who has, er, achieved the following:

a) Pledged to build a replica of the Titanic, to be known as the Titanic II.
b) Very nearly got Gold Coast United kicked out of the A-League.
c) Closed half of the stands at GCU's home stadium after fans criticised him for his ownership.
d) Publicly challenged the federal treasurer because he didn't want to pay an additional tax on his profits, then announced his intentions to stand against the treasurer at the next federal election on behalf of the opposition ... without getting the opposition's approval to do so first.
e) Claimed that the government's mining tax was "a tax on communities", even though his company would be the one to put prices up so that the tax would not eat into their profits.

And in a crowning moment of stupidity:

f) Claimed that Greenpeace was a front for the CIA and was actively trying to sabotage the Australian mining industry to protect American mining interests.

So you can see why I'm sceptical at best.

Mining magnates + racing = disaster.

[Captain Hammer]

I wouldn't say Midland was a disaster because Alex Shnaider was a mining magnate. I'd say it was a disaster because he fundamentally underestimated what he was getting himself into, and it wasn't producing any returns, much less producing them at the rate he was expecting them to be.

[Wizzie]

Latest stupid rumour - Clive Palmer is said to be buying off HRT.

For the uninitiated, Palmer is an Australian mining magnate who has, er, achieved the following:

a) Pledged to build a replica of the Titanic, to be known as the Titanic II.
b) Very nearly got Gold Coast United kicked out of the A-League.
c) Closed half of the stands at GCU's home stadium after fans criticised him for his ownership.
d) Publicly challenged the federal treasurer because he didn't want to pay an additional tax on his profits, then announced his intentions to stand against the treasurer at the next federal election on behalf of the opposition ... without getting the opposition's approval to do so first.
e) Claimed that the government's mining tax was "a tax on communities", even though his company would be the one to put prices up so that the tax would not eat into their profits.

And in a crowning moment of stupidity:

f) Claimed that Greenpeace was a front for the CIA and was actively trying to sabotage the Australian mining industry to protect American mining interests.

So you can see why I'm sceptical at best.

Why hasn't that fool Palmer been given a permanent gagging order yet?

[eurobrun]

I wouldn't say Midland was a disaster because Alex Shnaider was a mining magnate. I'd say it was a disaster because he fundamentally underestimated what he was getting himself into, and it wasn't producing any returns, much less producing them at the rate he was expecting them to be.

I agree to an extent.

Also, I was thinking of Nathan Tinkler's attempt to enter the 2011 Australian Carrera Cup championship. It was an absolute disaster as he was usually the slowest car in the field and he spun off several times. His best result was a 15th and I think that his next best result was a couple of 18ths or something, in a series that usually only had grids of 20 cars. Sensibly he decided to replace himself with V8 Utes midfielder Jeremy Gray and the cars results immediately improved.

[Wizzie]

I wouldn't say Midland was a disaster because Alex Shnaider was a mining magnate. I'd say it was a disaster because he fundamentally underestimated what he was getting himself into, and it wasn't producing any returns, much less producing them at the rate he was expecting them to be.

I agree to an extent.

Also, I was thinking of Nathan Tinkler's attempt to enter the 2011 Australian Carrera Cup championship. It was an absolute disaster as he was usually the slowest car in the field and he spun off several times. His best result was a 15th and I think that his next best result was a couple of 18ths or something, in a series that usually only had grids of 20 cars. Sensibly he decided to replace himself with V8 Utes midfielder Jeremy Gray and the cars results immediately improved.

Is this the same Nathan Tinkler that owns the Newcastle Knights?