Alguersuari rejected a drive because he thought his 2012 seat was safe

[F1boat]

For me he sounded bitter and it was not necessary to comment on Williams and HRT. Beggars can't be choosers IMO.

[Malbec]

Verbal agreements are not worth the paper they are written on.......

Not true.

Had Alguersuari pursued his contract with whatever team wanted to sign him then found out that STR had indeed exercised their option on 2012 he would have been utterly screwed in the same way Jenson Button was with Williams and BAR. He would have been liable to paying one party substantial compensation.

It is actually quite common for teams to agree to a verbal contract then only sign weeks or months after. Alguersuari's father has been involved in motorsports for donkeys years, the family know exactly how the business works.

[SGWilko]

Not true.

Had Alguersuari pursued his contract with whatever team wanted to sign him then found out that STR had indeed exercised their option on 2012 he would have been utterly screwed in the same way Jenson Button was with Williams and BAR. He would have been liable to paying one party substantial compensation.

It is actually quite common for teams to agree to a verbal contract then only sign weeks or months after.

When he had this other 'good offer', he should have asked some questions of his team, no?

If, then, they tell him his option will be taken up, and they sign on the dotted line, then he'd have a solid legal case right now.

A cursory - "oh, you'll be alright Jack, your position is safe" without committing it to writing isn't particularly inspiring.

[Malbec]

When he had this other 'good offer', he should have asked some questions of his team, no?

But thats exactly what he did isn't it?

He had an offer from another team, STR told him you're staying with us so he turned down the offer.

These guys aren't employees on company contracts. After the two parties agree to a contract they spend months negotiating details through lawyers and accountants. It is not as simple as merely shaking hands then putting pen to paper.

You don't see this aspect when things go right. Its only when things go wrong that this gap between agreeing to a contract then actually signing one comes up.

[The Black Knight]

But thats exactly what he did isn't it?

He had an offer from another team, STR told him you're staying with us so he turned down the offer.

These guys aren't employees on company contracts. After the two parties agree to a contract they spend months negotiating details through lawyers and accountants. It is not as simple as merely shaking hands then putting pen to paper.

You don't see this aspect when things go right. Its only when things go wrong that this gap between agreeing to a contract then actually signing one comes up.

He shouldn't have turned down the offer though. He should have kept all options on the table until he had signed the dotted line.

[Malbec]

He shouldn't have turned down the offer though. He should have kept all options on the table until he had signed the dotted line.

How?

Which team would leave an offer on the table for months just for Alguersuari until he had confirmation from STR that he wasn't driving for them (which IIRC was late Nov/early Dec)?

Remember the drivers market is a buyers market at the moment. There are plenty of young quick drivers out there with a bit of cash. Noone had the option of turning down contracts or stalling on them on the off chance something better would arrive.

All of these 'he should have kept options open/verbal agreements are worth nothing' comments are as close to reality as the claim that people are only unemployed because they haven't looked hard enough for a job.

[SGWilko]

How?

Which team would leave an offer on the table for months just for Alguersuari until he had confirmation from STR that he wasn't driving for them (which IIRC was late Nov/early Dec)?

Remember the drivers market is a buyers market at the moment. There are plenty of young quick drivers out there with a bit of cash. Noone had the option of turning down contracts or stalling on them on the off chance something better would arrive.

All of these 'he should have kept options open/verbal agreements are worth nothing' comments are as close to reality as the claim that people are only unemployed because they haven't looked hard enough for a job.

He clearly had nothing in writing at STR. A competitor sniffing about would have been an ideal bargaining tool, and if they were serious would have dotted and crossed the option.......

[Malbec]

He clearly had nothing in writing at STR. A competitor sniffing about would have been an ideal bargaining tool, and if they were serious would have dotted and crossed the option.......

He had a 2011 contract for certain and an option for the team to retain him for 2012. It was up to the team to decide whether to exercise that option. If the team had fulfilled its criteria for exercising that option then Alguersuari would have had no say in the matter. Thats how options work.

The problem here needless to say is that STR told their drivers extremely late in the day that they would not be exercising their options for 2012. The drivers would have been utterly helpless in the face of that. As for signing, all of this would have been pre-agreed in the contract they had signed for 2011.

[The Black Knight]

He had a 2011 contract for certain and an option for the team to retain him for 2012. It was up to the team to decide whether to exercise that option. If the team had fulfilled its criteria for exercising that option then Alguersuari would have had no say in the matter. Thats how options work.

The problem here needless to say is that STR told their drivers extremely late in the day that they would not be exercising their options for 2012. The drivers would have been utterly helpless in the face of that. As for signing, all of this would have been pre-agreed in the contract they had signed for 2011.

Alguesuary said he had an offer from another team. We don't know if that offer was verbal or in writing, but I'm imagining it was more than likely verbal. By that thought, he should have continued to negotiate with that team about the possibility of a drive until such time as he was certain about STR. Refusing point blank seems a bit nonsensical to me when nothing was confirmed at STR.

[Garry Walker]

So what offer could that have been?
It was not Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren or Mercedes.
I am pretty sure it was not Lotus either.
Force India? No way.
Sauber? Again, no.

So what really good offer is he talking about?

I think mr.JA is talking, in fact, BS.