The F1 2018 thread - #Blessed

[captain red dog]

It's a brave move for Norris given how bad McLaren are. Next year they have no excuse as they will have had a season with the Renault engine and Red Bull have proved wins are possible. Another year with a gooseberry fool chassis and Zak Brown needs to go.

I just hope they don't deliver another dog of a car that sees Norris go down as a wasted talent.

[Vermilion]

I just hope they don't deliver another dog of a car that sees Norris go down as a wasted talent.

Just like Stoffel Vandoorne, who was highly rated before he became a McLaren driver.

[Robbo-92]

It's part of the reason I'd like another team to take a chance on him, his junior record is fantastic but at McLaren he never had the machinery to shine and in a poor car was always going to get out performed by Alonso as he has a habit of making the best out of poor cars. I really do think given the car he could do well in F1.

[Vermilion]

Maybe Toro Rosso should give him a call?

[Robbo-92]

Maybe Toro Rosso should give him a call?

With him not being part of the Red Bull driver pool I wouldn't see the point, sure it gives him a seat for a year but chances are as soon as another Red Bull junior driver is good to go he'll just get the boot.

Sauber is probably his best bet, I believe I recall reading something about the team principal there still believing Stoffel is a good driver, just depends how much they want to change their line up for next year.

[Vermilion]

Maybe Toro Rosso should give him a call?

With him not being part of the Red Bull driver pool I wouldn't see the point, sure it gives him a seat for a year but chances are as soon as another Red Bull junior driver is good to go he'll just get the boot.

Sauber is probably his best bet, I believe I recall reading something about the team principal there still believing Stoffel is a good driver, just depends how much they want to change their line up for next year.

I suspect Sauber might well go for someone like Esteban Ocon though.

That said, if Toro Rosso did pick up Vandoorne even if only on a temporary basis, at least he might have a chance to show his skills and thus stand a chance of getting a better drive aftewards.

[Robbo-92]

Wouldn't surprise me if Ocon went to Williams to replace the outgoing Stroll, keeps him kind of in the Mercedes family with the power unit link they have.

If he has no other options he'll probably opt for the Toro Rosso seat as it keeps him in F1 but with how Sauber has improved with the Ferrari link up either team will probably be a better car to showcase his talents rather than McLaren has these last two seasons.

[Pancake]

Driver market is interesting this year, there is a lot of talent on the grid and someone is going to be left out in the cold.

My complete guess is: Kimi will get another year at Ferrari; LeClerc will move to Haas; Stroll will move to FI with Perez; Ericsson will probably keep his seat at Sauber even though he doesn't really deserve it; Sirotkin will get another year at Williams; Hartley will be released by TR.

That leaves one seat at Williams, one at Sauber, and two at TR. I can't see any of the current driver's going to TR, they'll probably opt for two new younglings. Hartley is probably done at his age. That leaves Ocon, Vandoorne, and Grosjean fighting for two fairly unappetising seats. If Grosjean doesn't fancy either or isn't offered either, I think that's his last chance in F1 too. Ocon and Vandoorne could potentially do a Grosjean and move elsewhere for a year or two but with so much talent coming through they're probably better off taking whatever they can get. It's a tough business!

And what about the likes of Wehrlein? He was tipped for great things and was significantly better than Ericsson at Sauber.

The spectre of Kubica is always lurking in the background.

[Robbo-92]

At Williams I'd expect Sirotkin to be kept on, hopefully alongside Ocon or maybe Wehrlein if he comes back. As great as it'd be I don't see Kubica getting the race seat or surely he would have done so already?

Sauber, if they keep Ericsson on (which they probably will), there's a good shout that Giovinazzi will get the seat, another Ferrari academy driver. Ericsson has had a decent season, but nothing spectacular.

I can actually see Haas staying unchanged, if Leclerc was heading to Haas then I'd have expected Grosjean to get the chop but he seems to be heading straight to Ferrari if rumours are to be believed, although Leclerc may prefer the idea of a season at a midfield team rather than jumping potentially straight to the top.

Toro Rosso, I think the issue they currently have is not many of their young drivers have the points needed for a super licence so they may be forced to take someone like Vandoorne, Grosjean (if he gets dropped by Haas for Leclerc). Kyvat is apparantly in the frame for it as well but goodness knows how much truth there is to that rumour. A duo of Grosjean and Vandoorne would probably make for a decent team with a decent car under them.

A good chunk of it seems to be reliant on where Ferrari will place Leclerc though do we might be waiting a while.

[Vermilion]

As great as it'd be I don't see Kubica getting the race seat or surely he would have done so already?

If Stroll moves across to Force India before the end of the season, he may well get a chance to do some races and show if he's still got what it takes.

[Death's Head]

As great as it'd be I don't see Kubica getting the race seat or surely he would have done so already?

If Stroll moves across to Force India before the end of the season, he may well get a chance to do some races and show if he's still got what it takes.

£20 million of sponsorship money?

[Roonmastor]

Kubica won't want to just see the season out if he doesnt get the 2019 seat as it will cost him all that insurance money.

[Pancake]

At Williams I'd expect Sirotkin to be kept on, hopefully alongside Ocon or maybe Wehrlein if he comes back. As great as it'd be I don't see Kubica getting the race seat or surely he would have done so already?

Sauber, if they keep Ericsson on (which they probably will), there's a good shout that Giovinazzi will get the seat, another Ferrari academy driver. Ericsson has had a decent season, but nothing spectacular.

I can actually see Haas staying unchanged, if Leclerc was heading to Haas then I'd have expected Grosjean to get the chop but he seems to be heading straight to Ferrari if rumours are to be believed, although Leclerc may prefer the idea of a season at a midfield team rather than jumping potentially straight to the top.

Toro Rosso, I think the issue they currently have is not many of their young drivers have the points needed for a super licence so they may be forced to take someone like Vandoorne, Grosjean (if he gets dropped by Haas for Leclerc). Kyvat is apparantly in the frame for it as well but goodness knows how much truth there is to that rumour. A duo of Grosjean and Vandoorne would probably make for a decent team with a decent car under them.

A good chunk of it seems to be reliant on where Ferrari will place Leclerc though do we might be waiting a while.

The Kvyat rumour is strange, feels a bit desperate, although I guess he is still young. If it were me I would much rather get someone like Vandoorne in.

[Robbo-92]

Yeah I'd definitely take Vandoorne over Kyvat, I mean Kyvat was ok but even when he had his chance in 2015 at Red Bull he never looked overly special compared to Ricciardo but saying that he did have a few good races at least.

[Vermilion]

Yeah I'd definitely take Vandoorne over Kyvat, I mean Kyvat was ok but even when he had his chance in 2015 at Red Bull he never looked overly special compared to Ricciardo but saying that he did have a few good races at least.

To be fair, the 2015 Red Bull was poor anyways, especially in the engine department as this was when the team started to publicly say that the Renault power unit was crap.

Not even Ricciardo could do anything with that car.

[Robbo-92]

Yeah I'd definitely take Vandoorne over Kyvat, I mean Kyvat was ok but even when he had his chance in 2015 at Red Bull he never looked overly special compared to Ricciardo but saying that he did have a few good races at least.

To be fair, the 2015 Red Bull was poor anyways, especially in the engine department as this was when the team started to publicly say that the Renault power unit was crap.

Not even Ricciardo could do anything with that car.

Seems like I wasn't giving Kyvat the recognition he deserves! he actually outscored Ricciardo in 2015 (albeit only the one podium to Ricciardo's two), even still I'd still opt for Vandoorne over Kyvat mainly becasue of Vandoorne's junior record and the fact that despite being in a supposedly 'top' team the car provided to him was mediocre at best and Alonso has been making it look a lot better than it actually was/is. Anyway who knows maybe the Toro Rosso line up will be Vandoorne and Kyvat? Although Sebastian Buemi has just been for a new seat fitting according to Twitter........

[floydfreak]

test livery reminiscent of the 1991 Jordan, Alonso full time in Indycar next year

[Robbo-92]

I've been thinking he would be seriously considering a full time Indycar drive from the minute he won Le Mans, plus McLaren are seemingly in a huge pit of performance issues right now with seemingly none of the management having any idea how to get out of it. I dare say that has nothing to do with it though and the allure of the tripple crown is all too much.

[floydfreak]

I expect Alonso will do something along the lines of Indycar-Imsa & WEC next year

[Robbo-92]

Well the WEC championship is an odd one this year anyway. In that it started back in April or May but it runs till the next running of Le Mans in 2019, not quite sure as to why off the top of my head by I dare say there's a sound reason. So I'd expect him to complete that so he's in with a chance of the WEC championship as well.