The '14 driver transfer discussion/speculation thread

  • Thread starter NotThePrez
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I can't decide who I would keep. A lot of it would hinge on what else is available. I wouldn't want to let Hamilton go if he's going to walk into a Red Bull.

I'd probably follow the Ferrari model: have one alpha driver, with a second to back them up. When the alpha retires or moves on, the second driver becomes the new alpha, and someone is hired to take on the second driver role.

With that in mind, I'd probably go for Romain Grosjean as the second driver.
 
My thought on them keeping Rosberg and hiring Hulk is for the obvious German combo, ignoring that Rosberg isn't 100% German of course.
 
How about Vettel to Merc and Hamilton back to McLaren?

Edit: I think if Rosberg wins the title Hamilton leaves Merc, reasoning in his own mind the playing field there couldn't have been level. With Big Ron back in the saddle in Wokking, Lewis will not doubt feel McLaren is in good or at least better hands. As for Vettel, the Ferrari rumors are always there but he's a hot enough property that any of the top teams would consider him, and most have less obvious difficulties on the engineering front.
 
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zippy_the_cat
How about Vettel to Merc and Hamilton back to McLaren?

Edit: I think if Rosberg wins the title Hamilton leaves Merc, reasoning in his own mind the playing field there couldn't have been level. With Big Ron back in the saddle in Wokking, Lewis will not doubt feel McLaren is in good or at least better hands. As for Vettel, the Ferrari rumors are always there but he's a hot enough property that any of the top teams would consider him, and most have less obvious difficulties on the engineering front.
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I don't see why he'd leave, nor why Rosberg would win unless he some how has become a better driver at all the tracks during the summer months especially where Hamilton usually dominates. I don't see how he can beat Lewis in Canada, Germany, Italy, Hungary (especially), Britain, Spa. Austria is the only place I can see equal footing but that track is much like most proper european tracks that Hamilton is good at. Sorry but to be honest I don't see Rosberg coming back to life until Singapore.

Also Mercedes as I've said already are not looking for any drivers at the moment because they believe both drivers to be capable WDC material and are already proven GP winners. Lauda thinks they have the best duo on the grid so why tinker with something that doesn't need tinkering.
 
Rosberg beat Hamilton at Monza last year. And showed more pace than Hamilton at Spa.

Though I can agree with you overall. Rosberg will need a bit of luck in the coming Canada-Hungary stretch as Lewis should be especially strong in Montreal, Silverstone and Hungary.
 
SagarisGTB
Rosberg beat Hamilton at Monza last year. And showed more pace than Hamilton at Spa.

Though I can agree with you overall. Rosberg will need a bit of luck in the coming Canada-Hungary stretch as Lewis should be especially strong in Montreal, Silverstone and Hungary.
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Yes but remember the tires even after the change over were still a major issue for both drivers especially Lewis. The rears would cook up worst than any other car and it was never clearly explained why that was the case. Also in Monza he had a slow puncture and radio problems and ended up in the back of the grid after said problems, and had to change pit strategy. So just because the final scoring shows one driver over the other doesn't really mean much. Just like saying "well Nico beat Lewis in Australia this year". Now with the car as it is I highly doubt Nico will stand much of a chance considering the car doesn't have any of the flaw of last year. The only worry I would have is RBR who are quite good at bringing needed updates during the European stretch, but as long as Mercedes equally do the same then it shouldn't be an issue.

I'm willing to bet that Lewis can with the next 8 before Singapore and thus put Nico slightly more than two races behind.
 
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LMSCorvetteGT2
Also in Monza he had a slow puncture and radio problems and ended up in the back of the grid after said problems, and had to change pit strategy. So just because the final scoring shows one driver over the other doesn't really mean much. Just like saying "well Nico beat Lewis in Australia this year".
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Sure, but Rosberg still beat Hamilton fair and square at Monza last year. Hamilton made a mistake in Q2 qualified in 12th, which led to Lewis being stuck behind Vergne during his first stint. His slow puncture actually came at a ideal time to switch to a two stop strategy, so he only lost a handful of seconds over the race distance. He wouldn't have been near Rosberg (who was stuck behind the Hulk himself) with or without the puncture.
 
SagarisGTB
Sure, but Rosberg still beat Hamilton fair and square at Monza last year. Hamilton made a mistake in Q2 qualified in 12th, which led to Lewis being stuck behind Vergne during his first stint. His slow puncture actually came at a ideal time to switch to a two stop strategy, so he only lost a handful of seconds over the race distance.
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Well Merc GP thought otherwise on the subject and he ended up being at the tail end, surely if he had the opportunity to run the strategy as planned it would have ended closer to Nico, I don't think he could have beat him though. And considering Hamilton still finished in the points with issues while Nico didn't have any compared is quite good.

He wouldn't have been near Rosberg (who was stuck behind the Hulk himself) with or without the puncture.
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Not sure how you can say that with assurance, it's a situation that we'll never know unless it actually went as planned. Also it doesn't dismiss the point already made by me, that last years comparisons in a car that was great every blue moon to this years are a bad idea if you want to predict who will win where.
 
All other things being equal, Hamilton seems like he would probably beat Rosberg over the course of a season. Gun to my head, I'd bet my life on Hamilton coming out ahead.

However, they're close enough that it wouldn't take much bad luck for Hamilton to see Rosberg to end up with the title. A couple of unlucky DNFs and it becomes very, very tight.
 
The latest madcap rumour is that Red Bull will be powered by Red Bull next year - they're not going to put Red Bull in the fuel tank, but rather they are looking at building their own engine (or, more likely, paying someone to do it for them and badging it as their own creation).
 
prisonermonkeys
The latest madcap rumour is that Red Bull will be powered by Red Bull next year - they're not going to put Red Bull in the fuel tank, but rather they are looking at building their own engine (or, more likely, paying someone to do it for them and badging it as their own creation).
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So they're trying to step away from the rhetoric since their first WCC of being nothing more than what Benneton was for F1 through the 90s? I would love to see them do this to be honest, but it might be their undoing.
 
prisonermonkeys
The latest madcap rumour is that Red Bull will be powered by Red Bull next year - they're not going to put Red Bull in the fuel tank, but rather they are looking at building their own engine (or, more likely, paying someone to do it for them and badging it as their own creation).
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I thought they had confirmed that they were staying with Renault in 2015?
 
They have, this was about beyond 2015.

prisonermonkeys
The latest madcap rumour is that Red Bull will be powered by Red Bull next year - they're not going to put Red Bull in the fuel tank, but rather they are looking at building their own engine (or, more likely, paying someone to do it for them and badging it as their own creation).
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It's less a madcap rumour and more something that Helmut has not ruled out.

Short of options, Red Bull are thus considering the previous unthinkable option of, in effect, making their own engines.

"We will not be asking Mercedes," Marko confirmed. "But there are a lot of very skilled companies concerning engines. AVL is 70 kilometres from here."

Pressed whether that meant a bespoke 'Red Bull engine', Marko replied: "You should never say no. We are looking at all alternatives."
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http://www1.skysports.com/f1/report...ng-manufacturing-their-own-engines-after-2015
 
AMuS are reporting it slightly differently, with Tobias Gruner claiming that it's not a case of the team considering it, but rather of having everything in place so that they could start development tomorrow - which they supposedly will, if they are still unhappy with the Renault engines after Austria.
 
Speedcafe are reporting that Red Bull will use Renault engines until the end of 2015, at which point they will reconsider. Which makes sense - there is no way that they could get a brand-new engine ready in six months.

I find the final lines interesting. Dietrich Mateschitz has said in the past that he would consider winding his involvement down to title sponsorship. Perhaps VW-Audi-Porsche could buy the team, keeping Red Bull as title sponsor.
 
Speaking of Caterham, Adam Cooper reports team principal Cyril Abitaboul (sp?) will be moving to back Renaults engine facility at the behest of Red Bull, who may be looking to take over the Viry facility. http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/06/27/new-owners-at-caterham-f1-as-fernandes-prepares-for-exit/

Man, A return of Jordan, Minardi, or Briatore would be awesome! (Hell, why not all 3?) but I don't really want to see Kolles back, he's been competent but underwhelming. A team run by him will never rise to to top.
 
prisonermonkeys
Will Buxton (love him or hate him) reckons the team has already been sold, and to "a very familiar name", though he did not say who. So, who could it be? Eddie Jordan? Giancarlo Minardi? Colin Kolles? Flavio Briatore?
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I'd much rather see Jordan than the others, Kolles would be a distant second and the other two would be much further away. I don't really want to see the Cheat or the Conspiracy theorist on the grid.
 
LMSCorvetteGT2
I'd much rather see Jordan than the others, Kolles would be a distant second and the other two would be much further away. I don't really want to see the Cheat or the Conspiracy theorist on the grid.
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Buxton said that if his source was correct, then he doubts the new owner will get a Mercedes engine deal any time soon. Whoever they are, this new owner apparently isn't universally popular.

GTPorsche
I thought Kolles was connected to the Romanian outfit..?
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He is, but with no apparent movement there, they may have decided to purchase Caterham. After all, it appears that the team has been sold for some time.
 
Briatore please, thong and all. He is a character and is probably more capable of taking a team up the grid than the others.

Time to forgive and forget. I'm ready for the redemption.
 
"Isn't universally popular" fits all four of your suggested possible names. Or Zoran Stefanovic :lol:

The Colles run outfit would fit the "no Mercedes engines" part, as they are purportedly related to a Romanian Ferrari dealership. Briatore has ties to Renault, but I can't see any reason Jordan or Minardi would be opposed to a Merc engine. (Or for Merc to be opposed to them)
 

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