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The F1 driver transfer discussion/speculation archiveFormula 1
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Indonesian media are reporting that some of the government money promised to Rio Haryanto has been rescinded.
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Pardon the double post, but in what is proving to be a very promising sign, organisers of the ADAC Formula 4 - the championship in Germany and Austria - are reporting that they have received fifty entries for the 2016 season, and will need to introduce some form of pre-qualifying to set the grids. Meanwhile, Formula 4 has kicked off in Mexico, while a US-based series and a Middle Eastern championship will be getting underway soon.
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Toto Wolff has been quoted as saying that it is looking less and less likely that Pascal Wehrlein will join Manor next year; it appears that where Manor were previously asking $5 million of him and $10 million of Rio Haryanto, they are now asking for $10 million for each seat.
Elsewhere, Gene Haas reckons that Ferrari will be evaulating Esteban Gutiérrez in 2016 with a view to promoting him in 2017. His comments come after talk in the Italian media that Sebastian Vettel has been lobbying against Max Verstappen replacing Kimi Räikkönen. The official word out of Maranello is that Räikkönen is rejuvenated and looking forward to a strong 2016 campaign, but the statement is carefully-worded; if Räikkönen performs well in 2016, it's a vote of confidence, but if not, then they've laid the groundwork for his dismissal.
Elsewhere, Gene Haas reckons that Ferrari will be evaulating Esteban Gutiérrez in 2016 with a view to promoting him in 2017. His comments come after talk in the Italian media that Sebastian Vettel has been lobbying against Max Verstappen replacing Kimi Räikkönen. The official word out of Maranello is that Räikkönen is rejuvenated and looking forward to a strong 2016 campaign, but the statement is carefully-worded; if Räikkönen performs well in 2016, it's a vote of confidence, but if not, then they've laid the groundwork for his dismissal.
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I have no idea. The Italians are only reporting that he's opposed to Verstappen; they don't give reasons as to why. The unspoken assumption is that he is indeed intimidated by Verstappen, but I suspect there's more to it than that. Vettel knows the inner workings of the Red Bull programme; he knows that young drivers get two years to prove their worth with Toro Rosso before they are considered by Red Bull. Their contracts are structured in such a way that Red Bull get their first claim to them once they are done at Toro Rosso, so if Ferrari want him, they need to act now - but Verstappen only has two years open-wheel racing experience under his belt, so getting him is a huge risk. Meanwhile, Ferrari have a four-time World Champion in Vettel, so they don't need Verstappen.
My guess is that for 2017, Ferrari will go for Carlos Sainz Jr. He was almost as impressive as Verstappen, and certainly more mature (at this rate, Verstappen will get a race ban before Pastor Maldonado), and Red Bull will be in a predicament where they have to choose between Ricciardo, Kvyat, Verstappen and Sainz. They might lose Ricciardo if they have a bad season; I could see him being poached by Mercedes or McLaren (if they come good), but otherwise I think he's safe. Daniil Kvyat is strong, but likely to get muscled out if the Toro Rosso drivers continue to perform; I imagine a future with Williams in place of Massa or Force India in place of Hülkenberg beckons. So if it comes down to Verstappen and Sainz for the second seat, I think Red Bull will bank on Verstappen, but overlook Sainz at their peril. I don't think that Sainz is by any means a step down from Verstappen, so it would be a real coup de grace on Ferrari's part to get him.
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Good points.
I was very impressed by Max this year, but Sainz too. Max was just more flashy.
That said, Max performed "above expectations", but the expectations for a 17 year old in F1 was very small to begin with. It will be interesting to see how the young man handles the pressure of being expected to perform well, consistently, from one race to another. If, in the next two years, Max can work himself into a car capable of winning, will he, at 20ish years old, have the maturity to handle the pressure both on and off the track while being a serious WDC contender.
I hope so, only time will tell though.
I was very impressed by Max this year, but Sainz too. Max was just more flashy.
That said, Max performed "above expectations", but the expectations for a 17 year old in F1 was very small to begin with. It will be interesting to see how the young man handles the pressure of being expected to perform well, consistently, from one race to another. If, in the next two years, Max can work himself into a car capable of winning, will he, at 20ish years old, have the maturity to handle the pressure both on and off the track while being a serious WDC contender.
I hope so, only time will tell though.
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- mustafur
Next year will be a big one for Verstappen, this year he did get pretty lucky in the races when there was high attrition while his team mate had mechanical failures countlessly while in points positions making the gap look bigger then what it was.
He also needs to improve his Qualifying record to be the full deal, Sainz in many cases out qualified him Comfortably.
He also needs to improve his Qualifying record to be the full deal, Sainz in many cases out qualified him Comfortably.
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Meanwhile, GP2 is tipped to become the new Formula 2, with a few significant rule changes that will hopefully attract more young drivers:
http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/20...nounces-primarily-minimal-differences-vs-gp2/
http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/20...nounces-primarily-minimal-differences-vs-gp2/
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Speaking of drivers who are likely to get a racing ban, Luca Baldisserri has left Ferrari to act as a mentor to Lance Stroll:
http://m.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/122351/baldisserri-leaves-ferrari-for-stroll
They're really investing in this kid. I know he has a rich father, but I don't think that money could buy something like this (at least, not without cause).
http://m.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/122351/baldisserri-leaves-ferrari-for-stroll
They're really investing in this kid. I know he has a rich father, but I don't think that money could buy something like this (at least, not without cause).
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Daddy is worth $2.4 Billion and a couple of years ago paid $27.5 Million for a rare Ferrari. I imagine it much cheaper to buy a Italian race engineer.
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And now Chip Ganassi thinks he's worth strapping into one of his cars for a 24 hour race. What could possibly go wrong?
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True, but his star waned somewhat before he was shown-a the exit. A pretty gilded exit, of course, head of Ferrari Driver Academy.
I hadn't realised that Stroll had got an F1 role. His statement says it all; as a Canadian he wants to emulate the Villeneuves. Particularly Jacques. Hmm.
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You mean the place which has already been called Renault F1 from 2002-2010?
Bah. I hate continuity.
J_Starscream
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"David Coulthard sign with Channel 4 to present F1 coverage"
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https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/bbc-sky-will-split-f1-coverage-2012-2018.216059/
Would be a better fit for that bit of info, no?
Would be a better fit for that bit of info, no?
J_Starscream
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What made you think that this was the best place for it?
J_Starscream
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I didn't read it properly. My mistake and I've learned from it!
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The winter break always brings out the silliest parts of the silly season, which journalists scrounging together whatever they can to try and make a story. The lastest addition comes from The Telegraph, who report that Kevin Magnussen has bern spotted at Enstone talking with senior Renault figures, leading the author to conclude that he could replace Pastor Maldonado in light of political instability in Venezuela that might mean PSVSA cannot pay up. Given that Venezuela has been in a state of latent political turmoil since the death of Hugo Chavez, this story comes up once every six months or so (and there is no mention of Magnussen as a replacement for Palmer), it fits the definition of "clutching at straws".
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Other reports are slightly more realistic and suggest that Magnussen is looking at a test/reserve role. If he could beat Gillian's times on track then that could be a good marker to set down, I guess.
I read elsewhere that PVSA have paid up-front for Maldonado's disastrous 2016 season.
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From what I am aware PVSA pay the following year in full at around October/November, the money has been paid for 2016 and was basically the crucial tool in making the deal happen with Renault taking over Lotus.
A realistic situation I see is, Magnussen is going to Enstone to be a test driver in hopes to replace Maldonado when 2016 is over and Renault will have no need to keep Maldonado.
Atleast that is what I would be doing if I was Kevin, it's the best card he can play and it can not only give him a possible seat but a Works one that will allow him to show his full talent(No idea how competitive Renault will be but if you have access to a midfield car that is really all you need to show your Talent).
A realistic situation I see is, Magnussen is going to Enstone to be a test driver in hopes to replace Maldonado when 2016 is over and Renault will have no need to keep Maldonado.
Atleast that is what I would be doing if I was Kevin, it's the best card he can play and it can not only give him a possible seat but a Works one that will allow him to show his full talent(No idea how competitive Renault will be but if you have access to a midfield car that is really all you need to show your Talent).
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- catamount39
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No, he hasn't been confirmed there. Mercedes haven't announced any of their DTM drivers.
The popular belief at the moment is that Renault will battle through 2016 with Maldonado and Palmer while they rebuild the team before taking Magnussen and Esteban Ocon in 2017. But I can't find anything to substantiate it.
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More potential troubles for Renault on the horizon after their headquarters were raided by French police amid suspicions that, like Volkswagen, they have been cheating on their emissions testing. The French government insist that Renault have done no wrong, but Renault shares closed 10% down (having initially lost 20%) following the news.
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Meanwhile, there has been some interesting movements in the junior series, with ART Grand Prix picking up Sergey Sirotkin. I know everyone wrote him off when he was testing for Sauber, but last year he looked like the only person capable of regularly taking on Stoffel Vandoorne.
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