F1 Season 2020.

Interesting how the Hamilton negotiations go.

Hamilton: I’m the best driver by miles. I deserve this...

Mercedes: We’ll pay you this but we want this in return.

F1 Bosses: Fuck him off, great driver but bad for the product.

why's he bad for the product?
 
why's he bad for the product?
From a race spectacle.

He’s the best driver I’ve seen since Schumacher and personally I’d like him to break all records before he goes on his terms towards his next adventure which may well be the E racing team running. The yanks that run formula one want close races with various teams/drivers vying for the championship for better TV spectacles/money.
 
From a race spectacle.

He’s the best driver I’ve seen since Schumacher and personally I’d like him to break all records before he goes on his terms towards his next adventure which may well be the E racing team running. The yanks that run formula one want close races with various teams/drivers vying for the championship for better TV spectacles/money.

you need the top star, it's like Alonso taking over Schumacher, you need the next guy to beat the top guy to carry on the next generation. It's up to F1 to put a cap on Mercedes and allow other teams to be more competitive, Mercedes have just been allowed to own the whole thing for the past 7 years. Hamilton may dodge before 2022 to go out on a high, but ideally the day Verstappen starts going toe-to-toe and trumps Lewis will create a new generation of fans and drive the sport forward. The last season and a half has been poor from a title fight perspective but Bottas can't handle it and Ferrari screwed up, and clearly Newey isn't the force he once was because that Red Bull is a dog at the start of every season.
 
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Anyway...

I do wonder what'll happen if they left it late and left? I'm just so hesitant to think they'd promote Russell. Even though he might be good enough to win in the Mercedes next year I reckon they'd want someone they could guarantee results with moving past the new regs.

So either:
1) Perez/Magnussen. In that order. I'm assuming Hulkenberg is going to RB next year, otherwise include him here and put him at the top. Someone good enough to hold down the seat and not be a disaster but an obvious temporary option so that they can have whoever they want really ready for the new regs. Looking at the field I'd assume that'd give them enough time to fully assess Russell, possibly see some current junior make an amazing breakthrough, or make the inevitable move for Verstappen. Maybe Ricciardo if Verstappen is unattainable, although he would be getting on a bit. I think Leclerc is a Ferrari lifer. Wait and see how Norris develops? Ocon is a Toto boy. I think Grosjean is done with F1 and eager to move on, at least for a while.

2) Russell. Ok I do think it'd be likely they move for him before other options except the above. Getting Verstappen would cost a fortune and bringing in anyone else might not be as expensive but'd still cost too much in terms of pound for pound value. The guy's been prodigious his whole career and he could really go on and showcase that in a Merc. The fear is he could be another Vandoorne. Speaking of.

3) Vandoorne/Gutierrez. They're on the books. Vandoorne was prodigious at every level prior to F1 so maybe he just needs a great car? It's possible they'd be weak enough to guarantee a Bottas title charge, but they don't want a Gasly/Albon situation.

4) Verstappen/Ricciardo/Gasly. In that order. Guys on the grid who are good enough to be definite #1 for Merc ahead of Bottas. Problem is both would cost a fortune, which given Verstappen supposedly has exit clauses in his contract for next year wouldn't be worth the impatience. Gasly I reckon would be more obtainable but they'd really have to want him especially to make that move. Otherwise it's just a big a gamble as Russell.


I've probably missed something obvious, other than the extremely obvious Hamilton/Wolff not leaving part.
 
This quali session is going to be interesting.

Track was slippery in the dry. Now it's wet too.

I'll go for Grosjean being the first to bin it.
 
Senna and Schumacher would have just got on with this, if they crash, they crash, it's racing.

This health and safety era where we have to throw a red flag just because it's wet is getting ridiculous. It's horrible to say, but Bianchi's unique crash has really ruined one of the most entertaining parts of F1 and unique challenges and it didn't need to be that way. Get them out there and if only 2 make it round, so be it, they deserve the plaudits. This just protects less talented drivers from being exposed and ensures it's dry enough for the top teams not to suffer. Just wrong to me.
 
Senna and Schumacher would have just got on with this, if they crash, they crash, it's racing.

This health and safety era where we have to throw a red flag just because it's wet is getting ridiculous. It's horrible to say, but Bianchi's unique crash has really ruined one of the most entertaining parts of F1 and unique challenges and it didn't need to be that way. Get them out there and if only 2 make it round, so be it, they deserve the plaudits. This just protects less talented drivers from being exposed and ensures it's dry enough for the top teams not to suffer. Just wrong to me.
Whinge, whinge, moan, moan, the good old days, health and safety gone mad, let them die, blah, blah fucking blah. It was unsafe and Schumacher and Senna would've agreed.

It's not just the rain, it's the fact that the very new (2 weeks IIRC) surface is extremely slippery underneath so the full wets weren't working, at all.

If it stops raining heavily, which it now has, they can and will get on with it, but they were aquaplaning down the fucking straights. You can't race in those conditions, in any formula.

It's a real shame about the surface because this is a great track and hopefully when they get going again we might get a nicely mixed up grid and race.
 

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