2024 Formula 1 Drivers threadFormula 1

[Har1MAS1415]

Races under a French license.

I know

 

[MagpieRacer]

I know

Just clarifying as you mentioned if he raced under an Algerian license, he isn't so it's a non issue.

Anyway,

I wonder if Mercedes are protecting themselves a bit by signing Bottas as a reserve, I know they aren't known for doing the Red Bull thing and replacing under performers mid season, but Antonelli is a big risk for them to take. Team Brackley, to my knowledge, haven't hired a rookie since Ricardo Zonta in 1999, and haven't done so at all as Honda, Brawn or Mercedes, so it is relatively uncharted territory. Bottas is a safe pair of hands if Antonelli doesn't perform.

When was the last time a top 3/4 team signed a rookie?

 

[Fezzik]

When was the last time a top 3/4 team signed a rookie?

McLaren/Piastri, though to be fair they weren’t quite performing as a top 3/4 team at the time.

 

[Liquid]

When was the last time a top 3/4 team signed a rookie?

McLaren promoting Hamilton stands out.

 

[TumeK5]

McLaren promoting Hamilton stands out.

Piastri.

Oh, and nearly forgot about Alonso. Same year.

 

[Liquid]

Piastri.

I wasn't posting it as the last time, just a significantly notable one. McLaren in 2007 was a much stronger team than McLaren in 2023.

 

[MagpieRacer]

McLaren/Piastri, though to be fair they weren’t quite performing as a top 3/4 team at the time.

Yeah, right on the cusp, 5th place in 2022 for McLaren.

McLaren promoting Hamilton stands out.

That's the only one I can really think of.

 

[TumeK5]

I wasn't posting it as the last time, just a significantly notable one. McLaren in 2007 was a much stronger team than McLaren in 2023.

Yep, but apart from Piastri you have to go all the way back to Hamilton.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Piastri.

Oh, and nearly forgot about Alonso. Same year.

Alonso? He was a rookie for Minardi way back in 2001.

 

[TumeK5]

Alonso? He was a rookie for Minardi way back in 2001.

I know.

 

[MagpieRacer]

I know.

I'm failing to see your point in referencing Alonso then?

 

[TumeK5]

I'm failing to see your point in referencing Alonso then?

You must be the only person on Earth not knowing about the Alonso rookie meme.

 

[MagpieRacer]

You must be the only person on Earth not knowing about the Alonso rookie meme.

I'm aware of it, it still doesn't correlate to the years being mentioned, you said 'same year', he tested in 2020 and came back in 2021, Piastri debuted in 2023 and Hamilton 2007.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Kevin Magnussen at McLaren in 2014 would count. McLaren were still a top team at the time, having just had a poor 2013 it wouldn't be worth calling them not top yet. The fall off in 2014 was strong, but it would still be a rookie in a top team.

Otherwise through history you get Jacques Villeneuve at Williams in 1996, Renault doing it back-to-back in 2007 and 2008 with Kovalainen and Piquet Jr respectively, Williams taking Montoya in 2001. Even Jos Verstappen made his debut in a top 3 team that ended up being title contenders in his debut season.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Kevin Magnussen at McLaren in 2014 would count. McLaren were still a top team at the time, having just had a poor 2013 it wouldn't be worth calling them not top yet. The fall off in 2014 was strong, but it would still be a rookie in a top team.

Otherwise through history you get Jacques Villeneuve at Williams in 1996, Renault doing it back-to-back in 2007 and 2008 with Kovalainen and Piquet Jr respectively, Williams taking Montoya in 2001. Even Jos Verstappen made his debut in a top 3 team that ended up being title contenders in his debut season.

Yeah good shouts there, especially the Renault ones, Kovalainen going into the constructors champions as a rookie, completely forgot about that.

 

[RACECAR]

And not long ago people were moaning about all the old guys blocking the opportunities.
3 true rookies plus Bearman and Doohan, a quarter of the grid. I predict many big repair bills and sleep-deprived mechanics.

As if the rediculous calender and sprint race weekends weren't already doing them in.

 

[TumeK5]

Horner says it was Perez' choice to leave the team. If that's the case, class move. Stroll could do the same, but you know...he never admits he's wrong.

 

[RACECAR]

Horner says it was Perez' choice to leave the team. If that's the case, class move. Stroll could do the same, but you know...he never admits he's wrong.

Unsurprisingly, that is 100% a Stroll problem..and by that, I mean only 50% of it is Lance.

 

[RX-7_FD3S]

Horner says it was Perez' choice to leave the team. If that's the case, class move. Stroll could do the same, but you know...he never admits he's wrong.

Question, if you had Stroll pace and dad, would you go away from F1 ? And give your seat to another driver ? I would certainly drive a F1 if I was in the same exact position as him. Doing what you love, without too much pressure except the one your family put on you (if any, we dont really know). F1 is quite glamourous and must be pretty fun to be around dont you think ? Especially if you are wealthy already.

 

[Dennisch]

Question, if you had Stroll pace and dad, would you go away from F1 ? And give your seat to another driver ? I would certainly drive a F1 if I was in the same exact position as him. Doing what you love, without too much pressure except the one your family put on you (if any, we dont really know). F1 is quite glamourous and must be pretty fun to be around dont you think ? Especially if you are wealthy already.

Seeing how completely disinterested and unimpressed he always is with everything and everyone in F1 I always get the feeling that he's forced into becoming a racer. He comes across as someone who would rather sit on a couch like a fat potato and play games all day long.

 

[RX-7_FD3S]

Seeing how completely disinterested and unimpressed he always is with everything and everyone in F1 I always get the feeling that he's forced into becoming a racer. He comes across as someone who would rather sit on a couch like a fat potato and play games all day long.

Considering we dont see much of the drivers outside of the f1 week-end, I'm not sure how you can judge someone so fast. Let's get one things clear first, I dont like Lance, dont think he should be in F1, however if I was in his positions, I would surely be in the same spot.

As for what he like or dislike, that's your imagination since you dont know him at all. What you see on broadcast is not what someone is. I'm sure you're not the same guy at work and at home. And your work surely isnt broadcast worldwide.

 

[Dennisch]

Considering we dont see much of the drivers outside of the f1 week-end, I'm not sure how you can judge someone so fast. Let's get one things clear first, I dont like Lance, dont think he should be in F1, however if I was in his positions, I would surely be in the same spot.

As for what he like or dislike, that's your imagination since you dont know him at all. What you see on broadcast is not what someone is. I'm sure you're not the same guy at work and at home. And your work surely isnt broadcast worldwide.

Oh no, I'm solely basing this on the interviews and radio messages.

But I'm the same guy where I go, I fail to see why someone needs to act different at different places.

 

[Saidur_Ali]

BWT Alpine Formula One Team enters into agreement with Williams Racing to secure services of Franco Colapinto on multi-year deal:

https://media.alpinecars.com/bwt-alpine-formula-one-team-enters-into-agreement-with-williams-racing-to-secure-services-of-franco-colapinto-on-multi-year-deal/

This feels like the beginning of the end for Jack's seat in F1, he will need to be putting Pierre under pressure straight away if he stands any chance of keeping his seat.

 

[RACECAR]

I see Alpine is employing the "hold your Juniors at gunpoint" strategy (Which is surprising considering Jack's Manager is literally the guy THEY hired to fix the issues with the team).

 

[EngieDiesel]

BWT Alpine Formula One Team enters into agreement with Williams Racing to secure services of Franco Colapinto on multi-year deal:

https://media.alpinecars.com/bwt-alpine-formula-one-team-enters-into-agreement-with-williams-racing-to-secure-services-of-franco-colapinto-on-multi-year-deal/

This feels like the beginning of the end for Jack's seat in F1, he will need to be putting Pierre under pressure straight away if he stands any chance of keeping his seat.

Colapinto is on a five year deal, Doohan is apparently on a short term "performance-based" contract. And if this has any merit to it, Alpine paid €20 million for his services (nobody pays that much for a "reserve driver") and the signing may also be bringing a number of Checo's previous sponsors on board too, including Telmex.

Kinda hard to not believe that Jack has been promoted to seat warmer and will probably be ignored by the team from the first race.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Colapinto is on a five year deal, Doohan is apparently on a short term "performance-based" contract. And if this has any merit to it, Alpine paid €20 million for his services (nobody pays that much for a "reserve driver") and the signing may also be bringing a number of Checo's previous sponsors on board too, including Telmex.

Kinda hard to not believe that Jack has been promoted to seat warmer and will probably be ignored by the team from the first race.

I don't think Doohan makes it to Saudi.

 

[AshenGraey]

Wasn't the rumor that his contract is only for the first 4-5 races?

 

[Fezzik]

Wasn't the rumor that his contract is only for the first 4-5 races?

6, up to Miami.

 

[NotThePrez]

I genuinely think that this move is a step-down for Colapinto, just based on how Alpine's upper management has handled themselves over the last 1-2 years. I totally get the appeal of a damn-near guaranteed race seat (no way Franco just signed a 5-year reserve driver contract), but Williams I think is a lot more put together than Alpine and might have a higher potential ceiling.

 

[Jimlaad43]

It has to be motivated by wanting a race seat because a reserve role at Williams is better than at Alpine with the large amount they have. Williams will lose out on the sponsorship pay deals that having Franco on the books would bring, as they did by keeping Kubica as a reserve in 2018 (as their other drivers were technically too young to advertise alcohol at the time), but I suppose with that would come pressure from said sponsors for Colapinto to race. Alpine will get all that now and Doohan is going to have to mute anything in Spanish on his social media feed. The online trolls which plagued Indycar when Canapino was there appear to be starting to move over to F1, if Christan Mansell's last few posts have been riddled with it after he showed support for Doohan.

I hope Doohan succeeds at Alpine in these first few races because this winter is going to be painful for him with all this unwarranted pressure before a full-season debut. His record in lower formulae isn't exceptional, but drivers with worse records have got into F1 and proved themselves to be decent enough so we will see.