The Official F1 2016 Thread - Shocking announcement page 58

[Pancake]

I would have thought Hamilton would be fairly chuffed?

Hamilton knows he is better than Rosberg, I don't imagine this will have annoyed him at all. If anything it's a compliment.

Nah, I disagree. Hamilton will have wanted to grind Rosberg into dust next season. Imagine being beaten by someone who then takes their ball home so they can retire at the top? Nah, strawberry float that. Hamilton will be pissed at this.

Entirely depends on his mindset. He'll be pissed if he thinks Rosberg has shown him up but his attitude at the end of the race on Sunday suggested he was at peace with having lost the WC because he knows it wasn't his fault and he knows he's the better driver. That's how I read it but I guess we'll never know.

[Memento Mori]

twitter.com/MercedesAMGF1/status/804698862313213952

[K]

strawberry float, I know this F1 team twitter banter is contrived marketing nonsense but it never fails to put a grin on my face.

[Skippy]

twitter.com/Max33Verstappen/status/804720896367849476

[Jam-Master Jay]

Well, there goes my favourite driver of the current V6 Turbo era. Makes sense for Rosberg really, has his young family to consider and performing at a level around Hamilton clearly takes it toll on him. Ocon has a deal with Force India and Wehrlein has Wolff's backing, so we'll probably see Hamilton/Wehrlein next year with Ocon being added once Hamilton moves on from Merc.

I guess I'll be rooting for Alonso, Hulkenberg, Raikkonen, Ricciardo and Vandoorne next year. Going to miss Rosberg, Button and Massa.

[SugarCubes]

Toto said Alonso was an option if Nico left...

[Victor Mildew]

That bloody Toto one

[Jam-Master Jay]

Toto said Alonso was an option if Nico left...

With Alonso's luck the 2017 Mercedes would be a shitbox and McLaren would suddenly show race-winning form.

[BOR]

Alonso to Mercedes?

Ooh, that'd be interesting!

[Return_of_the_STAR]

Such a shame Button couldn't have come for one year.

[Victor Mildew]

Such a shame Button couldn't have come for one year.

"Getting err, getting terrible graining on the right rear, struggling with the front end, don't think our strategy is going to work guys"

"Lewis had just won the race Jenson, please retire the car."

[Return_of_the_STAR]

Such a shame Button couldn't have come for one year.

"Getting err, getting terrible graining on the right rear, struggling with the front end, don't think our strategy is going to work guys"

"Lewis had just won the race Jenson, please retire the car."

Yeah sounds about right. Nice guy though.

[Death's Head]

Such a shame Button couldn't have come for one year.

"Getting err, getting terrible graining on the right rear, struggling with the front end, don't think our strategy is going to work guys"

"Lewis had just won the race Jenson, please retire the car."

Button 2 X

[Snowcannon]

Such a shame Button couldn't have come for one year.

"Getting err, getting terrible graining on the right rear, struggling with the front end, don't think our strategy is going to work guys"

"Lewis had just won the race Jenson, please retire the car."

Bang on

[Lotus]

^

Shame to see Rosberg retire, but can't blame him. I'd probably do the same in his position.

With him and Button gone, not sure who to root for next year. Probably Verstappen and Ricciardo - would be good if they have a more competitive car.

[Jam-Master Jay]

There are rumours circulating that Paddy Lowe may be switching to Williams for 2017.

I'd really love for this to be true and would hopefully provide Williams an upturn in form in the future after a disappointing season.

[K]

Looks like Valtteri's got that Mercedes seat on lock. Dunno how to feel about it. I like him and he deserves a top seat but Mercedes has some great talent in their driver program and it sucks that Toto isn't willing to give them a chance.

[Victor Mildew]

What a dull choice

[Kanbei]

Everybody else is under contract. Least Mercedes can just give Williams cheaper engines.

[floydfreak]

Shanghai could be leaving F1 after next years race

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/chelsea-transfer-news-oscar-china-move-shanghai-sipg-truth-revealed-stunned-epl-news-table-a7477666.html

The pressure to make the signing came not from the club or from its newly-appointed manager, Andre Villas-Boas, but from the government of Shanghai, which owns 61 per cent of the Port Authority and has leaned on its two Super League clubs – SIPG and Shenhua – to make big signings to promote the city.

That job used to be done by the Chinese Grand Prix, which is staged in Jiading in the north-eastern suburbs. Until the construction of the Abu Dhabi circuit at Yas Marina, Jiading was the most expensive motor racing circuit in the world and the fees paid to Formula One to stage the race were correspondingly eye-watering.

It takes two-and-a-half hours to drive to Jiading from central Shanghai and the crowds have been growing ever smaller. Shanghai’s agreement with Formula One ends with the grand prix next April and the Shanghai government is now searching for another promotional tool.