FLiam Posted August 3, 2018 Report Share Posted August 3, 2018 I don't understand this one. Why would he take a step-back like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katsuya Posted August 3, 2018 Report Share Posted August 3, 2018 Lord knows. I suspect Ocon is going to be the biggest loser of them all in the end of all this unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katsuya Posted August 3, 2018 Report Share Posted August 3, 2018 What do we think of this: Hamilton-Bottas | Vettel-Raikkonen | Verstappen-Gasly | Ricciardo-Hulkenberg | Perez-Stroll | Magnussen-Leclerc | Alonso-Sainz | Hartley-Ticktum | GIovanazzi-Ericsson | Sirotkin-??? (maybe Ocon or Vandoorne) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2K Posted August 3, 2018 Report Share Posted August 3, 2018 I have no idea what Danny Ric is thinking here. Renault have not shown anything to suggest they're capable of challenging the top 3 any time soon, so I guess another talented Aussie will never be a world champion. As for your list Kats, I'm still hoping for Leclerc to Ferrari, and I can't see Hartley staying at Toro Rosso. I'd wonder if maybe Lando Norris might get a Williams seat though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonM Posted August 3, 2018 Report Share Posted August 3, 2018 Well it's clear that Danny thinks that Renault has more upside than Red Bull, and I think it might also just be contractual things where RBR is being stingy on his deal, Ferrari/Merc aren't interested, and Renault offering him the biggest bounty. RBR is going into a dark period where they're partnering with Honda, for all intents they'll be better, but it's a risk. Renault is the safe choice, and they've been on a steady march up the field and are firmly best of the rest and if Honda doesn't work for RBR they'll leapfrog RBR into the top 3. With a unit of Hulk/Ricc they have a formidable duo that can one day compete for WCC/WDC, either one of them. Renault has money to burn, and they want to get out of the midfield. I can see why Ricciardo would want to try a new adventure at a team that might be going places. For all intents he could be Hamilton leaving McLaren for Mercedes, or on the flipside he could be Nando going to Honda/Ferrari. That's just part of the sport, i'm sure he feels himself young enough to recover from going to a bad team, but also old enough that he feels he's done all he can do in the Red Bull. It's a loss for Red Bull though, whilst they have Max (who has an entire nation behind him), Ricciardo is one of the best guys in terms of PR purely for his presence alone. Additionally it's been rumoured for a longer time that Red Bull is looking to sell the team to Aston Martin or a different factory outfit that want to jump into F1, this might be one step in the process by replacing Ricciardo's big meaty contract with a smaller cheaper one to make a potential sale easier to facilitate. As far as who fills up the seat, that's going to be an interesting one. Sainz is the obvious choice, but at the same time he and Max have a terrible track record and RBR don't want two drivers that loathe each other's presence. Pierre Gasly is the next guy, but I don't feel he's particularly impressive or ready for a RBR seat. Max showed that experience isn't everything, but maybe RBR wants someone with a little more. There's the silly possibility of Nando going to RBR, who still has a good rep with Honda despite McLaren and his woes with the engines. Or Vandoorne, if they want to make it a Benelux special. Whoever it's gonna be, silly season just got kicked into twelfth gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted August 7, 2018 Author Admin Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 Can't wait for the audiobook version! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted August 7, 2018 Author Admin Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted August 7, 2018 Author Admin Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 Quote The administrators for the Force India Formula 1 team have accepted a bid led by Lawrence Stroll. Force India has been in administration since the Friday before the Hungarian Grand Prix in a bid to protect it against the threat of a winding-up order over mounting debts. It was confirmed on Tuesday evening that a consortium, led by Stroll, had been assembled with the assistance of Force India's chief operations officer Otmar Szafnauer and the team's senior management. A deal has been agreed with the joint administrators, appointed by FRP Advisory, to return the team to solvency. Stroll's fellow investors are Canadian entrepreneur Andre Desmarais, Jonathan Dudman of Monaco Sports and Management, fashion business leader John Idol, telecommunications investor John McCaw Jr, financial expert Michael de Picciotto, and Stroll's business partner Silas Chou. Force India's creditors will be paid in full, all 405 jobs at the team have been saved and ongoing funding has been guaranteed. The new set-up, which signed an exclusivity agreement on Tuesday, takes over ownership of the team from Vijay Mallya and Orange India Holdings Sarl. "This outcome secures the future of the Force India team in Formula 1 and will allow our team of racers to compete to our full potential," said Szafnauer. "I am delighted that we have the support of a consortium of investors who believe in us as a team and who see the considerable business potential that Force India has within F1 now and in the future. "At Force India, our expertise and commitment has meant that we have always punched above our weight and this new investment ensures that we have a bright future ahead of us. "I also would like to thank Vijay, the Sahara Group and the Mol family for all of their support and taking the team as far as their circumstances would allow." Stroll had been linked with investing in Force India for some time and its need for a new owner presented an opportunity to become more directly involved. He has been backing Williams through support for his son Lance, who has driven for the British team since making his F1 debut last season. Several other parties had expressed interest, including two US consortiums and a British firm. "It is rare that a company can be rescued and returned to a position of solvency," said joint administrator Geoff Rowley. "The quality of the various interested parties has been impressive and required careful consideration as the administration has progressed. "Having followed a robust process, in the end we were left with a highly-credible offer to save the company and restore solvency. "Funding to support the team will be made available from today, and significantly more will be available once the company emerges from administration which we expect within the next two to three weeks." Now that a bid has been accepted the administrator will look to confirm finer details, including finalising the agreement to buy the team and agree elements like the contract to use Mercedes engines transferring to the new company. The team has owed money to several creditors, notably Mercedes and driver Sergio Perez, who used the money he was owed to trigger the action that led to it being put into administration at the request of senior members of the team. It needs the change of ownership to be completed so it can commission suppliers to produce upgraded parts, which will be crucial in Force India's championship battle. The team is currently sixth in the constructors' contest, seven points behind Haas and 23 behind fourth-placed Renault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonM Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 It's actually happening, by god. Good to see Force India saved, and all the people's jobs too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 If they're taking over from Mallya is it likely to lead to a change of name and brand for next season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2K Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 Force Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FestiveJack Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 Force Stroll to the detriment of your other driver like it's the AWA and Lance is Greg Gagne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonM Posted August 8, 2018 Report Share Posted August 8, 2018 10 hours ago, MexicoJack said: Force Stroll to the detriment of your other driver like it's the AWA and Lance is Greg Gagne. I don't feel Lance is as bad a driver people make him out to be. Wildly inexperienced and massively unprepared for F1 for certain, but he's only 19 year old and he's not an insane generational prospect like Max Verstappen who has been taught every day of his life by a father who is also a former (and pretty skilled, all things considered) F1 driver. He came into the sport way too young, and should've gone through F2/GP2 at the very least before he made the jump into F1, but I feel like he could grow into a more than adequate mid-range driver, yeah he won't set the sport alight, but with his daddy owning Force India now he's got all the safety net he needs to bumble about. But maybe, just maybe, given time he can grow into someone that isn't a net loss when you put him in the car. And I feel his father's money funding the sport is a good thing, even if that means one of the seats will be permanently filled up by someone who might not be there on merit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LUKIE Posted August 11, 2018 Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 Verstappen is in a far superior car, has done really stupid things, and has a massive ego by the looks of it. I don't really see how Stroll can be any worse than Verstappen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazz Posted August 11, 2018 Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 Max is faster when compared to Ricciardo, Stroll is about as fast as Ukyo Katayama. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonM Posted August 11, 2018 Report Share Posted August 11, 2018 Yeah, comparing Stroll and Max pretty much goes as far as 'They're young and they drive in F1'. In terms of skill it's been obvious from the start that Verstappen has undeniable potential to become a world champion level driver, whereas Stroll has seemed to have struggled keeping things on the car. Both of them have done stupid things, both of them have had success. But even through his worst moments Max has always been insanely quick any given weekend, whereas Lance Stroll seems to be completely lost out on a racing track sometimes, which is the last thing you'd ever expect from an F1 driver. But Lance still has potential, and with his dad owning Force India now, he's got as much time as his dad has money to spend. Who knows, maybe he'll find his bearings and becomes better than he is right now, he's still young and he has time plenty. I still rate him at the absolute bottom of all u23 drivers on the grid right now, though, together with Sirotkin. But the car they're driving could make anyone look bad. But when you're on a grid where a quarter of the drivers are around your age-bracket, you need to do a lot to earn to be seen as a prospect. And Max, Sainz, Ocon, Gasly, and LeClerc have all shown more, although with the season he's been having Sainz is dropping a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted August 14, 2018 Author Admin Report Share Posted August 14, 2018 Fernando Alonso is retiring from F1 at the end of the season, to chase the Triple Crown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katsuya Posted August 14, 2018 Report Share Posted August 14, 2018 Well damn. At least Sainz has somewhere to go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Lineker Posted August 14, 2018 Author Admin Report Share Posted August 14, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted August 14, 2018 Report Share Posted August 14, 2018 Alonso is the best driver of the last 15 years if we aren't counting Ferrari-era Schumacher. Such a talent and a real, real travesty that he's been driving a tractor round for the last few years. He should have more than two world titles. Just watch McLaren get their shit together in the next two years after he goes as well. Hopefully if they do, he comes back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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