The '13 driver transfer discussion/speculation thread op updated 16/10

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MoLiEG
Lotus would be ideal. However, Maldonado might be on their radar, too. I don't think both of them could coexist there... it's either Pastor or Checo, not both... :ill: Would hate to see him go to any of the lesser teams because I still believe he has the tools to be on top...

Would be horrible if Mexico losses both of its drivers... AND the Mexican Grand Prix... :nervous:
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What would be the best scenario for Lotus, Grosjean and Maldonado; Grosjean and Perez or Perez and Maldonado? I'd rather Perez and Grosjean
 
McLaren would be fools if they gave Magnussen a drive over Hulkenberg.

And unfortunately Maldonado will get a Lotus seat because of money. Grosjean and Perez would be a killer pairing but Pastor brings big money to the table...
 
If confirmed, I'm happy to see Heikki return temporarily. What i like about him is that he hates being a pay driver. Best luck to him for the last 2!
 
Ardius
Oh and I will admit I barely remember much from 2002 and I wasn't watching so much then so I can't comment on what was happening in the races, but there was only 3 races where they both finished the race - 2/3 in favour of Raikkonen. I still don't think its a comparable situation and without knowing the details of those races, it sounds likely to me that some of those races you mention where Coulthard was catching and passing Raikkonen could be down to the mechanical failures too.
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You'll have to take my word for it. Three races is a very small sample size and the two races in which Raikkonen finished ahead were two of his best races that year. However, even in both France and Hungary, he didn't show particularly better race pace than Coulthard. In both races, Kimi was a couple places ahead after the first corner and on both occasions David closed up to be close to Kimi after the second stop, though he later dropped back (drive through penalty in France, an off in Hungary).
 
mastretta_mx
What would be the best scenario for Lotus, Grosjean and Maldonado; Grosjean and Perez or Perez and Maldonado? I'd rather Perez and Grosjean
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Depending on how much more money Maldonado brings, I could almost see Grosjean and Maldonado being a good call. I don't think Perez is that much faster than Maldonado, I just think Maldonado is aggressive and tends to throw it away. Sort of like Grosjean used to, and Perez at the start of the year/end of last year. I think with a good engineer to tell him when to pull his head in and a good car, he could be as good as anyone else. When he's on form he's pretty bloody good.
 
Men, this week's news have surprise me a little if not alot. I suppose Davide who'll took over Kimi seat for the remaining race but Heikki gets it. I don't mind that but I want to see what Davide can do on a F1 car. Oh well, it's still fine. What I can't comprehend are le Mclaren affair. Kick Checo out and throw in another rookie? Imo, the mexican deserve another year at least for giving him a :censored:box. Sigh. I wish them good luck next year and hope Kevin can prove me wrong. :rolleyes:

End rant//
 
mastretta_mx
What would be the best scenario for Lotus, Grosjean and Maldonado; Grosjean and Perez or Perez and Maldonado? I'd rather Perez and Grosjean
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Hülkenberg makes the most sense, if they're looking for the fastest driver. He's shown flashes of brilliance in several mediocre cars, which is the earmark of a truly fast driver.

Maldonado can be very quick on occasion, but he's a madman. Him deliberately causing a crash in Monaco practice last year should have brought him a multiple race ban, if you ask me. If Lotus really need the cash, they will take him nevertheless.

Before this season I thought Perez could be great, but the fact that he has neither outclassed Button in qualifying nor race means that he doesn't quite seem to have what it takes for the true elite. I think that McLaren also view next year as an interim season until the arrival of Honda, in which they want to use the time to find out if Magnussen is the next Hamilton. If he turns out to be just that, Button could be out of a job in 2015, if they manage to steer Alonso to Woking. Keeping Perez when they think they know he hasn't got the potential, would have been a lost opportunity.
 
snowgt
Before this season I thought Perez could be great, but the fact that he has neither outclassed Button in qualifying nor race means that he doesn't quite seem to have what it takes for the true elite. I think that McLaren also view next year as an interim season until the arrival of Honda, in which they want to use the time to find out if Magnussen is the next Hamilton. If he turns out to be just that, Button could be out of a job in 2015, if they manage to steer Alonso to Woking. Keeping Perez when they think they know he hasn't got the potential, would have been a lost opportunity.
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What stood out for me most about Perez last season was his consistency. He kept his head and that was his advantage in many of his strong finishes. He showed some great racecraft, but he never really stood out to me as a particularly fast driver.
 
Formula 1 needs more GP2 drivers. If it is just for the sheer amount of do or die actions in that Championship.
 
Yes because 2012 vintage Calamity Jane Grojean times four or five would be good for F1 :crazy:

Two engines in two years is making me think that Button should have jumped ship and gone to Porsche/Audi/Toyota in the WEC like Webber.
 
Kevin and Jenson seem to have matching helmets...
BZCpbNkCcAArODP.jpg
 
Brutal comments from Sam Michael to Sky Sports explaining why McLaren didn't go for Hulkenberg. Basically, their view is that Nico's already missed the bus, career-wise:

When you mention football players who are 26 and 27 and are proven quantities, if you actually look at the grid, we already have a World Champion in one of our cars. Then you have the choice of trying to get another World Champion, and that's not possible at the moment, so then you have the choice of going down a route which you think will create another World Champion.

You have to remember that on all of our Young Driver Programmes, they are there to produce World Champions. They are not there to produce also-rans because, quite frankly, McLaren has the buying ability to go and buy anyone we want on the grid in that situation.
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I seem to have missed the brutal comments. He actually praises Hulk there and goes on to say they were really looking for either a WDC or someone they think they can groom into one.

Hulk doesn't fit either of those, he's older and experienced, but not a WDC yet. Sam doesn't say Hulk will never be a WDC - he simply says they are looking for drivers above and below where Hulk is currently at.

I don't agree with their decision to overlook Hulk, but he's hardly said anything "brutal" there.
 
Ardius
He actually praises Hulk there and goes on to say they were really looking for either a WDC or someone they think they can groom into one.
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The key part of that sentence being "someone they think they can groom into one." I should think Hulk would be a lot closer to that level than Magnussen. But there were some mutterings earlier in the season that at least a few teams at the sharp end of the grid don't really rate Hulk. Clearly McLaren is one, the obligatory initial praise in Michael's comments notwithstanding. His broader point was that a driver in his late 20s is a finished product, without upside.

Edit: For the record, I think McLaren in choosing Magnussen made a defensible decision, similar to the one Red Bull made in taking a young and inexpensive Ricciardo over an aging and costly Kimi. The team to date that's made a bad decision was Ferrari in taking Kimi versus an in-his-prime Hulk. Lotus is set to join Ferrari on the naughty step if they opt for Maldonado over Hulk.
 
I don't read it as an insult towards Hulk, more a poorly worded (or intentionally worded by the reporter/editor) explanation of why they chose Magnussen. Sam seemed to be avoiding talking specificlaly about Hulk there, but then its always hard to judge when we're relying on a reporter picking bits to print.
 
zippy_the_cat
Brutal comments from Sam Michael to Sky Sports explaining why McLaren didn't go for Hulkenberg. Basically, their view is that Nico's already missed the bus, career-wise:
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If what he said is exact and the context/tone are right. My issue is they talk about having Jenson a WDC already, but when you look at when he finally got it, to say or suggest that Hulk missed the bus... Button should've ended much earlier than 2009 WDC title by those standards. I think Hulk can and may be a future WDC if people quit playing games and acting desperate for money as well.

mastretta_mx
What would be the best scenario for Lotus, Grosjean and Maldonado; Grosjean and Perez or Perez and Maldonado? I'd rather Perez and Grosjean
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I'd rather that too or Hulkenburg, but I think Hulk would do good to go back to FI. Here is the issue though I only see two spots and three drivers, so I don't think we'll see one of these drivers on the grid next year.
 
"Grooming" is what happened to Massa for most of his career. No WDC for him.
Grooming will keep the natural drive out of the driver.....
 
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In the words of Lana Kane:
"Noooooooooooooooooooooooope."
 
Hulk already announced he definitely wasn't going to Lotus before this even came out. He'd already sat down with them and they didn't guarantee him anything for next year.
 
ZEROX
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Wonder where Hulk will end now if the news turns to be true. :indiff:
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Where is this gif from by the way?

Now Lotus don't have to worry at all about paying their drivers. And for a guy that just slammed his past team by say "I put in more than they did", why he'd sign up with a team that is just as bad management wise and technical side after this year it would see, is silly.
 
Ardius
I don't read it as an insult towards Hulk, more a poorly worded (or intentionally worded by the reporter/editor) explanation of why they chose Magnussen. Sam seemed to be avoiding talking specificlaly about Hulk there, but then its always hard to judge when we're relying on a reporter picking bits to print.
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Then how do you interpret this from Whitmarsh?

"We could have taken a lot of the drivers that were around that were available, the experienced guys, and we made a decision that we wouldn't take any of those guys in preference to Checo. That is why I can reasonably recommend him to another team."
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Edit: Sky Sports is reporting more from Whitmarsh. Same quote as above, also the tidbit that they'd failed in their endeavors to place Magnussen with a team lower down the grid. Interesting, that.
 
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