F1 2017 season

fuzzyedges said:
Then Toto has said a strong option is a one year contract for 2017 as some top drivers come out of their contracts in 2018 would Bottas be happy with that
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I very much doubt that Bottas would be happy with that. I think he would be looking for a minimum three year contract with an opt out clause for year two and three if things don't work out in the first year with the car. Mercedes would have to deliver in 2017. As you say 2018 is the crunch year and it will be interesting to see who becomes available on the market at that time.

In the meantime where is Nasr going to go? Given that he got Sauber a very needed two points at Interlagos, will he still have a seat at Sauber bearing in mind he has lost his sponsorship from the bank?
Nasr has given Sauber a much needed cash boost with that result, so could we see him as a paid driver for Sauber in 2017? Personally I think Sauber owe him the 2017 seat for that one despite the fact the team will be using one year old Ferrari engines with no upgrades.

The only other option is Manor that has two seats available BUT, they need PAY drivers in those seats. Having lost £45,000,000 to Sauber and going through a possible take over, I can't see that team using paid drivers.
Sauber really should do the decent thing and keep Nasr on as a paid driver.

David
 
But who brought in Eric Boullier? Was that Dennis or somebody else?
 
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I was looking forward to seeing what Jost would do for the team.
Still, I'm sure they'll have strength in depth.

As for Bottas, he knows he's not in the position of demanding multi year Merc deals. He will want to show what he can do in a top car, & will hope to be in with a chance at the championship. I'm sure that his manager will have explained this unmissable opportunity. ;)
 
That's interesting. Mercedes said that they wouldn't announce until next year, but surely this is now a done deal for Bottas.

I wonder if Williams have spilled the beans?
 
Rumour has it Williams will have there engines for free next year They also are getting Paddy Lowe, but they will have to pay for him, to replace Pat as he is retiring

Whilst Merc get Mr Allison (how long that deal has been done is a good question ) once he is out of the garden, Mid spring
 
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Ricardodaforce said:
Massa agrees one year deal at Williams.
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From what I've read on AUTOSPORT, Massa is prepared to go back on his decision to retire if Bottas moves to Mercedes but no deals have yet been finalised. As for all the rest of the personnel moving around, we'll soon see who's where next year.
 
Given Lauda's recent track record of comments about the team and members of it, can you believe a word he says?
 
Blimey - Pat Symonds to go on Dec 31st, being replaced by Paddy Lowe. Thought Pat had another year.
fuzzyedges said:
Rumour has it Williams will have there engines for free next year They also are getting Paddy Lowe, but they will have to pay for him, to replace Pat as he is retiring
Whilst Merc get Mr Allison (how long that deal has been done is a good question ) once he is out of the garden, Mid spring
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I made some quiet inquiries. Massa deal agreed vebally,pending if Bottas moves or not. Engines free for next year and a suggestion of a reduction for the second year, based on 2/3 of Williams budget paid by F1, so to offset them not finishing 4th and getting that prize money. Paddy Lowe to start in January as soon as Bottas signed.

Paddy Lowe wants an exec role or part ownership, which he cant get at Mercedes (his role was watered down by Lauda) but he can get at Williams
 
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Rumours in the italian press of Ron Dennis trying to buy Manor? Don't see that happening.
I've also heard rumours that Graeme Lowdon is trying to buy back Manor. He was boss during MArussia days. Nice chap, owns a TVR as well :)
 
Comfortably Numb said:
Wehrlein signs for Sauber, so that doesn't leave many options for Mercedes now.
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Some articles seem to think that Merc have made that decision, and that is why Wehrlein has been signed to Sauber.

Sauber has reached agreement for Pascal Wehrlein to line up alongside Marcus Ericsson this year, sources have revealed, paving the way for Valtteri Bottas to take the vacant seat at Mercedes.

After weeks of speculation about who would replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes – with Wehrlein and Bottas the clear favourites from the start – it appears that the final steps are now being made to get everything signed off formally.

Although Wehrlein had been a contender for the Mercedes seat, it is understood that his lack of experience meant the team felt he was too much or a risk to be promoted to its works team just yet – especially going up against a driver as tough as Lewis Hamilton.

According to sources with good knowledge of the situation, Mercedes has instead now agreed terms with Sauber for it to take its junior driver Wehrlein for 2017. The final details of the contract are still to be finalised, but that should be done in the next few days.

Mercedes has settled on landing Bottas – whose exit from Williams has now been assured, with Felipe Massa having agreed to delay his retirement by another season to ensure that the Grove-based team has an experienced driver on hand alongside rookie Lance Stroll.
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http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/sauber-agrees-wehrlein-deal-for-f1-2017-862405/
 
Interestingly, a while back I read, in the German press I think, that Hamilton had vetoed having Wehrlein on the basis that a rookie & established champion can destabilise the team, as it did with McLaren when he was paired with Alonso. He was the rookie, of course, & it was his speed that threatened Alonso, who couldn't handle the equality, at the time.

Now that the boot is on the other foot, I was surprised that he seems to have the same concerns as Alonso did then. I wonder if he knows that Wehrlein would trouble him?

IMO, drivers that get into these top positions, like Lewis & Fernando, envy the way that Schumacher was able to be a clear No 1 driver & have the team work almost soley for him.
 
I've read a rumour that suggests that the FIA have banned the system, as a result of Ferrari's query.

Bad news for Mercedes & Red Bull, if true.
 
Comfortably Numb said:
Interestingly, a while back I read, in the German press I think, that Hamilton had vetoed having Wehrlein on the basis that a rookie & established champion can destabilise the team, as it did with McLaren when he was paired with Alonso. He was the rookie, of course, & it was his speed that threatened Alonso, who couldn't handle the equality, at the time.

Now that the boot is on the other foot, I was surprised that he seems to have the same concerns as Alonso did then. I wonder if he knows that Wehrlein would trouble him?

IMO, drivers that get into these top positions, like Lewis & Fernando, envy the way that Schumacher was able to be a clear No 1 driver & have the team work almost soley for him.
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Hamilton has saidf he hadn't. It was apparently attributed to comments made by Lauda. I wonder which I believe...
 
Byker28i said:
Hamilton has saidf he hadn't. It was apparently attributed to comments made by Lauda. I wonder which I believe...
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I've always thought that Lauda is one person in F1 who will speak his mind, regardless of any thought of being PC. I'm inclined to think that in that case you'll get the truth, more often than not.

AFAIK the 'corrections' of things that Lauda has said have come from Mercedes PR department, more concerned about protecting Hamilton, their biggest marketing asset.
 
Comfortably Numb said:
AFAIK the 'corrections' of things that Lauda has said have come from Mercedes PR department, more concerned about protecting Hamilton, their biggest marketing asset.
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No, I think your AFAIK might be faulty, for example:

NIKI LAUDA has been forced into an embarrassing apology to Lewis Hamilton after his explosive TV comments about the Brit “destroying” his dressing room and calling him a liar.

SunSport has learnt that Hamilton was stunned by Lauda’s comments which he made Red Bull-owned channel, Servus TV.
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/1402...ng-him-a-liar-over-nico-rosberg-relationship/
 
Lauda only conceded that his comments were taken out of context. I haven't seen the original footage, so can't comment on that. It seems a strange thing for him to invent, though, & surely Lewis wasn't entirely truthful when he claimed that he & Nico still had a great relationship?
 
Having done some more reading, it seems that Lauda wasn't being all that critical of Hamilton. He did say that Mercedes would make him pay for the damage caused, but that his 'lie' about his relationship with Nico was his way of putting the Baku race behind him & that if that's what it takes, so be it....just that he didn't believe it was true :naughty:
 
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Silverstone under threat or is this another attempt to get the fees lowered now liberty are on the scene
As an aside if silverstone do enact the break clause for 2019 it will coincide with the free to air England TV disappearing, along with I guess a boat load of fans and Bernie Ecclestones 3 years is up The year before the concord agreement runs out and they try to make F1 better for the fans that are left
http://www.pitpass.com/58122/New-threat-to-British-GP
 
Byker28i said:
Hum, part of the process to assist the new management buying the team?
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Who would buy a failing team? Especially now haas has proven it's easier to be a customer team, haas have 29 points from 1 season (mostly 1 driver too, Gutierrez shouldn't have had a seat but that's a different argument) vs I think 3 since 2012 for manor in its various names? Graeme lowdon maybe haha but I doubt anyone else
 
You're not buying a failing team, you're buying the entry into F1.
Lowdon's a top man, met him a few times when it was Marussia (ex company used to sponsor them). Deal with Ron Dennis leading a consortium? Thing is, they've run Virgin/Marussia/Manor on roughly the same minimal budget, so why administration now? Sponsorship would be mostly sorted for next year
 
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