F1 2019 SEASON: NEWS - RUMOURS

It's a difficult one for him. Red Bull will be using Honda which might not give him a car to win the championship plus Max still seems the golden boy. Ferrari and Vettel, well Ferrari always seem to have a No1 driver and the support driver. I can't see Vettel in a supporting roll.
Merc, interesting but if Lewis signs for 3 year then Riccy might be a No2 driver as Lewis has such a global brand.
So that sort of leaves McRenault! Well is Alonso signed for next year? If not Riccy could lead the team and have a car built round him for 2020 plus a big pay cheque.

Then there is what happens in 2021 with the new PU? The cards could all be shuffled then....

Merc might be a good long term option but McRenault may be a good move for 2 years and big pay packet before maybe Merc or Ferrari?

 

They have to relearn how to build a car first

 

I wouldn't go near McLaren at the moment. Sauber are more likely to build a podium car as things stand. Unless Dany can get into Ferrari, Renault or Mercedes then I'd stay put. Until Max can remove his wild driving Red Bull will keep him happy as a backup. If Max can live up to his talent then I'd run a mile.

 

I've learnt my lesson from 4 years ago when I laughed off the idea of Alonso signing for McLaren. Of course, since then they've somehow managed to get even worse, but even still. If Ricciardo feels like the RB higher-ups will inevitably favour Max, I could see it happening. LeClerc to Ferrari seems highly likely, so it's Red Bull, McLaren or Renault.

It is positive at least to see McLaren are still throwing around that kind of money. Whilst the budget holds they aren't yet totally doomed to be Williams Mk.2

 

This is the money they are paying Alonso so sounds like he is moving on.

 

Autosport say Raikkonen will be out and Leclerc in for Ferrari in 2019.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/136898/ferrari-ready-to-replace-raikkonen-with-leclerc

 

Good .

Kimi has had his time , been entertaining and bloody quick on occasions .

Give some young blood a go I feel .

 

Ok, so perhaps Merc have options. Lewis hasn't signed yet and supposedly wants a lot of money, as in a lot. If he and Daniel had equal equipment would it be hard to split them? I suspect so. Ferrari have dropped their option to negotiate it seems. Lewis is having off days, is he really here for 3 more years? I doubt he will be motivated that long. So could Merc drop Lewis for Daniel, save some money and perhaps have someone equally as good as Lewis but massively motivated. If I was Toto I would not dismiss the thought.

 

Reaching new heights of desperation, McLaren considers Raikkonen for 2019...

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...mclaren-for-f1-2019-if-fernando-alonso-leaves

 

Does sound like desperation or click bait?
Mind you they do know Kimi of old. From what I read McRenaut say their issues don't show up in the wind tunnel so they can't test a fix in the wind tunnel!!! So they will be cautious about their driver choice. Just in case they suffer similar correlation issues again they will want a driver who can develop on track fast! I don't think Kimi has the motivation for that.

If Lewis has signed to Merc for the next 2 years (supposedly without an option after) maybe Riccy's best option is McRenault. i.e. get a big pay day for a couple of years and get to push a team forward, then when Lewis may retire and Seb maybe getting tired of Ferrari or visa versa the drivers market will be open so Riccy can get a car capable of winning with new engine regs.

 

Hmmm, feels like cloud talk to me.

 

I get the feeling that Hamilton wanted McHonda to come good so he could end his career there. Now that is off the table I do feel he'll just retire this year.

 

Leclerc to Ferrari - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/44660670

 

Remarkably bold from Ferrari!

I've never really been a Ferrari fan, so it's going to be odd rooting for Leclerc in a red car.

 

Have to say I am pleased , but very surprised .

Not at the driver choice of course , but in Ferrari's change of mind set .

 

He's been consistently fast so far, he's easily the best driver their young driver program has produced and there's no point having a program if you aren't going to use it. Be ointeresting to see how Ferrari play it if SV & CLC are evenly matched.

 

That’s where it’ll get tasty. I think Seb will likely have the measure of him at the start, but by the end of the season we could have a Fernando/Lewis scenario. He’ll certainly challenge him more than Kimi does.

 

One thing I often wonder though is how important experience in garage next door has helped Seb?

He enjoyed worked well with Webber and Raikonnen, not so well with a Danny Ricc when he was soundly beaten (I don't think she was as at his best but Dan did beat him fair and square).

I wonder if he will miss Raikonnens test feedback in building the car and setting up on race weekends?

I'm purely speculating here though- just something to have a look at next year.

 

I agree he'd have driven the McHonda to follow his idol, Senna. However Honda are gone and McLaren have a huge rebuild required starting with the wind tunnel. Didn't Ferrari go through a similar thing just after Alonso left?

I could certainly see Hamilton take a sabbatical for a year and do this music nonsense that he wants to do.

 

I could see him in the RB Honda, but he wants 60 million a year - Shame really.