F1 2017 season

According to Spanish paper, Marca, Hamilton has vetoed the idea of a top driver, so Wehrlein will be his new teammate.

Shame, I would have liked to see Alonso or Vettel there, but Mercedes seem to be treating Hamilton like a princess now.
 
Comfortably Numb said:
According to Spanish paper, Marca, Hamilton has vetoed the idea of a top driver, so Wehrlein will be his new teammate.

Shame, I would have liked to see Alonso or Vettel there, but Mercedes seem to be treating Hamilton like a princess now.
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I see Marca are also saying the Lowe is going to Williams.
 
Comfortably Numb said:
According to Spanish paper, Marca, Hamilton has vetoed the idea of a top driver, so Wehrlein will be his new teammate.

Shame, I would have liked to see Alonso or Vettel there, but Mercedes seem to be treating Hamilton like a princess now.
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What made me laugh at Lewis was, after another engine failure, he threw his dummy out and said sort it or I quit. Know way would he of aloud them to put a top driver in the team either.
 
Dave70D said:
What made me laugh at Lewis was, after another engine failure, he threw his dummy out and said sort it or I quit. Know way would he of aloud them to put a top driver in the team either.
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They should have called his bluff, maybe he would have been less of a prima donna if he knew he was expendable?


Ricardodaforce said:
I see Marca are also saying the Lowe is going to Williams.
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Paddy's been linked with Ferrari & McLaren too, but I guess that's inevitable when a top guy's contract is up.
 
According to the BBC:

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas is Mercedes' first choice to replace Nico Rosberg as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate, BBC Sport has learned.

But Williams have rejected an initial offer to release Finn Bottas from his 2017 contract.
 
A nice discount on future engines could help Mercedes's offer...
 
Or letting Lewis race for them once he is gifted his championship and no longer needs the points
 
Ricardodaforce said:
According to the BBC:

Williams driver Valtteri Bottas is Mercedes' first choice to replace Nico Rosberg as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate, BBC Sport has learned.

But Williams have rejected an initial offer to release Finn Bottas from his 2017 contract.
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I imagine that its only the first of many offers and counter offers. :)
 
If Bottas goes Merc it shifts mercs problems to Williams A rookie and a ? who ever is left
 
Comfortably Numb said:
According to Spanish paper, Marca, Hamilton has vetoed the idea of a top driver, so Wehrlein will be his new teammate.

Shame, I would have liked to see Alonso or Vettel there, but Mercedes seem to be treating Hamilton like a princess now.
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A source said - Cough Lauda, cough not true. Just don't believe all you read.

And yes I have a relative working at Mercedes, who also like a lot of the staff doesn't understands Lauda's briefing against Hamilton this year...
Want to know who pushed through the mechanic changes at the start of the year...

I mean not the first time...
In an interview on Servus TV, Lauda said Hamilton had destroyed his driver room in Baku after crashing during qualifying, handing pole position to Rosberg. Lauda also claimed Hamilton's comments that his relationship with Rosberg was now "surprisingly good" were false, with the Mercedes non-executive chairman saying: "Lewis lied about this."

However, Lauda has now issued a statement denying those claims. The full statement distributed by Mercedes reads:

"Following his appearance on a television discussion show on Servus TV recorded prior to last weekend's Austrian GP, Niki Lauda would like to set the record straight and state the following:

  • Lewis Hamilton did not in any way damage a hotel room or his private driver room at the circuit during the race weekend in Baku; and
  • Lewis Hamilton did not lie about his relationship with team-mate Nico Rosberg.
"Niki regrets any misunderstanding caused by comments that have been blown wildly out of proportion compared with the casual context in which they were made."


I reckon Hamiltons going to write an interesting autobiography about this year
 
Wehrlein must be the obvious choice, just because of the young drivers program. Theres a seat available and a valid spot for a qualified young driver thats come through the Mercedes young drivers program. If it doesn't go that way - what signals does that send to the other young drivers?

Also I don't see the issue. Red Bull will be strong this year - I doubt Mercedes will walk away with everything. Ferrari may actually design a good car, Honda may be up there and challenging if the engine gets more power. The chassis is very good.

Then the whole unknown about the new regs...
 
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Byker28i said:
A source said - Cough Lauda, cough not true. Just don't believe all you read.

I mean not the first time...
In an interview on Servus TV, Lauda said Hamilton had destroyed his driver room in Baku after crashing during qualifying, handing pole position to Rosberg. Lauda also claimed Hamilton's comments that his relationship with Rosberg was now "surprisingly good" were false, with the Mercedes non-executive chairman saying: "Lewis lied about this."

However, Lauda has now issued a statement denying those claims. The full statement distributed by Mercedes reads:

"Following his appearance on a television discussion show on Servus TV recorded prior to last weekend's Austrian GP, Niki Lauda would like to set the record straight and state the following:

  • Lewis Hamilton did not in any way damage a hotel room or his private driver room at the circuit during the race weekend in Baku; and
  • Lewis Hamilton did not lie about his relationship with team-mate Nico Rosberg.
"Niki regrets any misunderstanding caused by comments that have been blown wildly out of proportion compared with the casual context in which they were made."
/QUOTE]

I presume that you're saying that Lauda can't initially be trusted? I tend to trust what he says 'in the moment'.

He's far from PC & not afraid to speak his mind. Of course, later, when The Mercedes press arm swings into action, the last thing they want to see is stories that don't uphold their very conservative image, hence the 'retraction'.....I don't buy it.

Byker28i said:
Wehrlein must be the obvious choice, just because of the young drivers program. Theres a seat available and a valid spot for a qualified young driver thats come through the Mercedes young drivers program. If it doesn't go that way - what signals does that send to the other young drivers?

Also I don't see the issue. Red Bull will be strong this year - I doubt Mercedes will walk away with everything. Ferrari may actually design a good car, Honda may be up there and challenging if the engine gets more power. The chassis is very good.

Then the whole unknown about the new regs...
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Wollf has said that they would've liked Wehrlein to have some time in a midfield car, before stepping up, which seems fair enough. Also, from a marketing point of view, switching from a 2 WDC team to an obvious 1 & 2, doesn't look that great, so I'm still hoping for someone to push Hamiton. Clearly there is a Wollf/Bottas link, & even when a driver has another contract in place, 100% rules themselves out, in F1 anything can happen!

I agree that RB will be one to watch next year, & new aero regs could throw up some surprises, but I think Mercedes still have some engine power in hand.

Lets hope for more parity, however that comes. :)
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Looking at it from Mercs point of view, this year the titles were all due to Merc having the best cars, at least that was the way its perceived / portrayed
Now if we get a No2 driver that isnt better than the rest of the field and the No2 car is being beaten then it will be due to Lewis's brilliant driving and not Mercs superiority
As for who is a liar, my guess would be all of them this is F1
Lauda probably wanted a german champion most Austrians seem to want to look good in Germany
 
fuzzyedges said:
Maldanardo thinks he has a good chance of returning Not many seats left
Could this be the answer to Mercedes problem
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns35467.html
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Don't really want to see Crashdonaldo in a Merc. I can imagine the scenario at each GP. Crashdonaldo takes out HAM and himself at the first corner in every race. Merc and drivers score zero points and another team and driver win the WCC and WDC. Crashdonaldo back in F1 - er no thanks.
 
David_H said:
Don't really want to see Crashdonaldo in a Merc. I can imagine the scenario at each GP. Crashdonaldo takes out HAM and himself at the first corner in every race. Merc and drivers score zero points and another team and driver win the WCC and WDC. Crashdonaldo back in F1 - er no thanks.
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Oh I dont know everyone was complaining F1 was boring, this would certainly up the tv ratings 200 odd mph stockcar racing, whats not to like
 
A team that is short of money may be interested in Maldonado, but I can't imagine an F1 team paying him!
 
Comfortably Numb said:
A team that is short of money may be interested in Maldonado, but I can't imagine an F1 team paying him!
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I thought he lost his funding when the Venezuelan economy crashed? That's why he lost his old seat, isn't it?

But please no, let's not even imagine him back in a car, not even driving an uber ;).
 
+1 - Maldonardo was only in F1 because of the money he brought to the teams.

Williams will fight tooth and nail to keep Bottas - they need him more than £10m off the engine price, they can't afford to have two rookie drivers in the team as they need experience to help develop the car.
I still think with the rule changes, red bull will be strong again next year, other teams as well. This is what Mercedes recognises hence the push for two good drivers, they don't feel the car will be dominant next year, so need the drivers abilities to keep the constructors championship. They don't feel confident it's a good enough car for the available young driver(s) to take significant points.
 
Had a word with someone I know working at Williams, a friends son. Williams have no plans to let Bottas go. Pat Symonds has said its crucial for them to have Bottas with Stroll coming into the team.
 
I can't blame Williams if they can manage to get Mercedes to waive their engine fees for the year then thats a lot of cash saved (along with Bottas salary).
Seems to be suggestions that Massa could be back, although he's not as fast or good as Bottas but he's probably the best of a limited selection available (unless they can convince Button to come for a year)

The other bargaining chip Merc have is that it seems Paddy Lowe is all but certain to go to Williams but won't be allowed to join until next summer due to his contract, Mercedes allowing Lowe to join immediately could also be a good carrot to use in their negotiation.
 
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Ricardodaforce said:
Claire Williams has confirmed under-contract driver Valtteri Bottas could be allowed to join Mercedes, provided his current team's 2017 campaign isn't compromised as a result.
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Claire's no fool "Any changes would only be made if Williams remains in a strong position to compete and develop in 2017", thats the bargaining position, which comes at a cost. It's apparently not what the talk is around Grove, but Williams are a private team always looking for money, so if there are significant savings to be made then it may be crucial to the teams finances. They pay for engines in Euros so the pound dropping has hit them hard. Costs are quite private but it's something like £20-30m for the engine supply for the year, hence the positioning. £10m and Wehrlein isn't an attractive offer when because of Brexit and the drop in value of the pound you've had to shell out £4m more for the engine costs this year.

It's an interesting indicator about Mercedes though, as the rumours have started, Hamilton's looking to leave because of Lauda and some of the management decisions and positions this year, the car isn't going to be as strong next year, McLaren want him back for 2018 when the car is expected to win (by Honda). There was rumours of an approach to replace Button for 217, but nothing much was heard of that.

It also will reflect badly on Wehrlein, overlooked by Force India and now Mercedes if true and may have implications for the young drivers programme, only good enough for the back row cars etc.
 
chrism_scotland said:
I can't blame Williams if they can manage to get Mercedes to waive their engine fees for the year then thats a lot of cash saved (along with Bottas salary).
Seems to be suggestions that Massa could be back, although he's not as fast or good as Bottas but he's probably the best of a limited selection available (unless they can convince Button to come for a year)

The other bargaining chip Merc have is that it seems Paddy Lowe is all but certain to go to Williams but won't be allowed to join until next summer due to his contract, Mercedes allowing Lowe to join immediately could also be a good carrot to use in their negotiation.
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Not sure about Paddy's contract being a bargaining chip, I don't think Mercedes have any say over leaving and there's always time out parts in any contract to avoid team members taking latest developments to other teams. It's not the time in the close season to let those developments secrets go when teams have got time to put them into next years car.

Anyhow, Pat Symonds is in for this year, committed to the design and team, but he is looking to retire at some point. I agree Lowe would make a good replacement for Pat and again this points to unhappiness at Mercedes. There's been 'discussion's between the three team managers, lowe, lauda and woolf during race weekends. Mercedes need to recognise that Lauda is an unstabilising influence on the team.

Which then brings us to James Allison. A huge loss for Ferrari after the tragic death of his wife, so a possible UK job close to his home, Mercedes/Williams leaving Lowe to go to Ferrari?
 
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But as always in F1, especially with the non manufacturer teams, it's all about the money. If enough is thrown around then it makes a difference, especially when you think Marussia ran the F1 team on £40-45m a year, Manor are trying to run on £60m (basically the money from f1 management with a tiny amount from sponsors) when the top 4 teams run on £450-500m (declared) budgets.

Williams run on around £150-200m of which around £120m is from F1 management, so if there's a significant reduction of costs it would be very attractive financially, but Williams have always been a racing team, not a business, so would/could have impact on their constructors place position - and hence funding for next years(s). Any deal for engines etc would have to be in place for at least a couple of years to offset the possible loss on income from FOM which is essential to Williams.
 
The Paddy Lowe business is interesting Its reported he cant come to an agreement over his future contract with Merc which negotiations have been on going for quite a while
What is he angling for, his rumored salary is £3m, advancement in the company? to what Brawn rolled over to let him in does he want Toto's job, or does he feel undermined by the holy two some and now Lewis
In terms of advancement who would step down from a top manufacturing team to a team that is going to be very lucky to hit third in the constructors
Me thinks there is more to this rumor than meets the eye
 
fuzzyedges said:
The Paddy Lowe business is interesting Its reported he cant come to an agreement over his future contract with Merc which negotiations have been on going for quite a while
What is he angling for, his rumored salary is £3m, advancement in the company? to what Brawn rolled over to let him in does he want Toto's job, or does he feel undermined by the holy two some and now Lewis
In terms of advancement who would step down from a top manufacturing team to a team that is going to be very lucky to hit third in the constructors
Me thinks there is more to this rumor than meets the eye
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He's fine with Lewis, i.e. last race wouldn't contact Lewis again as he knew exactly what Lewis was doing. Lewis is a very likeable person, loved and almost worshiped at Brackley. I think it's more with the other two in the team management.
Many people have moved from teams to mold it and make something of it, not only drivers.
 
chrism_scotland said:
I can't blame Williams if they can manage to get Mercedes to waive their engine fees for the year then thats a lot of cash saved (along with Bottas salary).
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£8.4 million discount on next years engines is being reported.

The L'Equipe report also stated Mercedes is offering Williams an £8.4 million discount on its engine supply for next year. According to the BBC, Williams is "playing hardball" with Mercedes as it knows the world champions have a very narrow list of candidates given the timing of Rosberg's retirement

http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/...le-replacement
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I think you would find it surprising, how much weight Mercedes have with regards to hiring Bottas. I would not surprise me to see him partnered with Hamilton next year.
That said Mercedes could do worse than looking at someone like Button, especially with a new car.
Williams have more than just a race driver issue if Bottas is released though, having a couple of young drivers will not go down well with their title sponsor Martini.
 
Massas return isnt ruled out yet for a return to team willy
Williams will milk mercedes for every penny they can before they let Bottas go
Then Toto has said a strong option is a one year contract for 2017 as some top drivers come out of their contracts in 2018 would Bottas be happy with that
 
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