F1 2019 SEASON: NEWS - RUMOURS

This feels like week old news. I think if at the end of 2021 Bottas did not get a competitive drive he would not stay in F1, top team to a mid field is a motivational issue. Bottas would not enjoy it. He has already said there is more to racing than F1, he would chose to go somewhere where he is having fun and a realistic chance of winning IMO. He could even do a Kimi, and come back a few years later. He has 18 months, 12 realistically, to justify a top drive from 2021 onwards. I like him, I feel he has been trying a little too hard. Good qualifying, struggles a bit in racing. It really can't be fun having an annual contract, limits a drivers willingness to push a little too hard. One mistake could define their career. I think a rare management error on Toto's part to only give him 1 year contracts. Wonder what would happen if all drivers had a minimum 2 year contract, interesting thought and may change the process of driver selection.

 

Said to a mate at work about a jetski or motorbike !

 

He has probably made enough money at Merc and if he cant win a WDC in one of those then really he hasn't got a chance anywhere else, so could see why he may then want to try some different categories for fun/interest in much the same way Alonso has done.

I think there are a few drivers who view motor racing as F1 or nothing.

 

He reportedly earned $12m in 2018, has a net worth of $20m. he will probably be worth $40m by the end of 2020, not bad. He would have done well. With that in the bank I would go down the 'whats going to make me happy' route.

 

Ocon to Renault confirmed in place of Hulkenburg.

 

Sorry Jasp I meant at Mercedes- I’m positive he will be snapped up by a decent team after that.

 

Feel sorry for Hulk- I think he hasn’t been luckless to be honest.

People harp on about the lack of a podium in his 150 odd races- why don’t they try driving a bloody Force India and a rebuilding phase Renault for most of your career and see if you get a podium!!

I really hope Red Bull sign him up and pop young Albon back down to Toro Rosso

 

If Albon does well I can't see that happening. Regardless of whether Hulkenberg could have achieved more it's too late in his career for him to be the future of F1 in the way Albon could.

 

In exchange for an engine deal with mercedes?

Hulkenberg looks good in the mid-order, but his lack of a podium is really down to him, he's had the chances but made mistakes and blown them. Even Stroll has a podium ffs.

Bottas went to Merc at the wrong time, Rosberg winning the WDC lit a fire under Hamilton, and since then he has been on a different level. He was good before, but overe the last 2 seasons I'd say he's now earned the right to be named alongside Senna, Clarke, Schumacher & Fangio as one of the greatest.
Still not a fan though.

 

True, Lewis was chasing Seb's 4 and Nico interrupted that after only 3. Now Lewis is the most successful of his generation. Puts him in a very happy spot and full of confidence. He wants 8 IMO, just hope he doesn't injure himself in the process. A bit like flying, you are more at risk of an accident after 250 hours of flying when you think you have mastered it.

 

It will be interesting next year to see where Verstappen and Red Bull are because if they are competative over a whole season Lewis won't have everything his own way any more.

I am not saying that will be the end of his championships necessarily and I genuinely think he would enjoy the challenge but I think one way or another it's going to get tougher for him from here on in with a whole new generation of drivers who look very handy.

 

I don't think it had anything to do with records, for me it was more a case of being beaten by Rosberg, and the way it happened, than anything else. He'd had the beating of Rosberg his whole career, but then seemed to just turn up for the first few races thinking the next WDC already won, and lost the first 5 races.. Losing like that really seemed to focus him more than before. He's been almost flawless since (yeah, I did see the German GP, I said almost.)

 

I think someone's hacked Erns account. It's the only explanation.

 

I still don't particularly like him, but I'm not blind. He's now at the level people kept trying to claim he was at 5 years ago.

 

Perez managed podiums in the same equipment.......

 

Even Grosjean has 10 podiums, and how much of a battering does he get on here!

I do rate Hulkenberg but I wonder if he is perhaps consistently good, reliable, but not someone to have that magic spark and grab a surprise podium (i.e. Grosjean, Perez, Stroll). Granted that's not a particularly bad point but he's never managed to achieve that next level despite all these years in F1. He's never found his way into a top team.

 

Excellent material for WEC.

Whenever he has shown flashes of speed, it is normally accompanied by an accident. It's like driving at 98% is fine for him, but when he really has to stretch it to 100% he can't hold it together like the top drivers can.

Certainly no Andrea de Cesaris (who scored a few podiums himself), but not sure who I would rate him alongside.

 

I've just remembered something .

99.99% sure KMAG & HULK cannot abide each other !

 

Yeah there’s been a few lucky podiums happen over the years, Hulk would have had one in Brazil 2012 has Hamilton have not collided with him.

I don’t think anyone can say Perez is definitively any better than Hulkenberg? Similar drivers IMO, both could do really good jobs as number 2 drivers in competitive teams