Classy decision from Niko. No need to cash on status. Been there done that kind of approach.
Wehrlein or Bottas will replace him
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Classy decision from Niko. No need to cash on status. Been there done that kind of approach.
Wehrlein or Bottas will replace him
I have to agree, there would be more respect between them this time round. That said, when they put rubber to tarmac, an almighty rivalry would commence. Mercedes culture may not suite Alonso who likes to gain advantage by making the team focus on him. Mercedes would have a job on their hands maintaining a semblance of parity between the pairing. It would be as tough as the Hamilton vs Rosberg rivalry and possibly more.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Black Knight
One thing would be certain though, Hamilton would have his work cut out with an Alonso or Vettel pairing.
On Mercedes' competitiveness next season, it is true that they may not turn out to be the most dominant force in 2017. I think there is still an engine component to performance next year. Hence l expect them to be there or thereabout. I fully expect them to be winning races. If they would be able to win enough races to be constructors and driver champions, is yet to be seen. I don't think Mercedes is that much of a risk. They are certainly a less risk than Ferrari or Mclaren on paper.
Redbull are showing signs of confidence in their 2017 package. If Adrian Newey has anything to do with the chassis, then you can be relatively sure that they possibly have a winner.
Mclaren is a dark horse going into 2017, but with the change at the top, expectations are dampened somewhat. But they may prove us wrong and really establish themselves as a frontline contender.
There is a question mark on Ferrari, which is one of the reasons most would expect Vettel to jump ship and head to Mercedes which on paper looks like a better bet than Ferrari for the 2017 season. That said, they are redesigning and reconstructing their car for the 2017 season. They may well get it right and become the dominant force for the next three to four years.
I truly will miss Nico! He is leaving a big hole in the Mercedes team, now Lewis, whitout competition, can rack up a number of WDC:s. I fear this. Hope Alonso or Vettel takes his seat.
Your gonna tell me Jaques Villenueve will make a comeback too Mark ! Rosberg is a Millionaire from Keke and in his own right .IF he comes back in a few years the sport will have moved on ,and IF he admits its difficult now ,it wont get any easier ,and if he does then I will bare my ar** in Marks and SpencQuote:
Originally Posted by Mark
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Although I don't think Mercedes favour their German drivers, I do think that they'd like to have at least one German driving the car. So I say their top choices would be Wehrlein or Vettel, depending on if they're looking for a veteran or not.
Half F1 grid is after Rosberg's seat, says Lauda
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mo...medium=partner
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/f...oes-where.html
Nico Rosberg had more scrutiny, given that his contract expired at the end of the current season, but negotiations began early and despite rumoured interest from Ferrari both parties confirmed a two-year extension in July, shortly before Rosberg's home race.
Wehrlein, 21, scored Manor's only point of the year in Austria, whilst his qualifying performance at the same venue prompted Silver Arrows chief Toto Wolff to describe him as 'special'.
one driver MAY BE massa
SHENANIGANS!Quote:
Originally Posted by The Black Knight
McLaren Honda.
1988 - 1.5L V6 turbo
1989 - 3.5 V10
Honda as an engine supplier went from the 1.5L turbo cars to 3.5L normally aspirated cars and won five in a row in the process.
Lauda: "Rosberg gave Mercedes no time for a back-up plan".
Wow! Mercedes didn't have a contingency plan in case their World Champion driver (which ever driver won the championship) decided to retire on top of his game?
Come on Niki!
Those rule changes mainly impacted the Engine supplier rather than the constructor themselves. The impact to the chassis wasn't huge in the rules for 1989.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rollo
I'm sure were this years rule changes mainly Engine orientated Mercedes would be top of the list given their history of producing top class engines.
Why would they? It's the first time in F1 history that a driver has turned their back on a team and career in such a dramatic fashion. It couldn't have been foreseen. Even Ferrari didn't have a reserve driver lined up toe replace Felipe after his 09 crash. That was incredible but not really this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nem14
SHENANIGANS!Quote:
Originally Posted by The Black Knight
The impact to the chassis is massive if you happen to be talking about an engine which is a stressed member of said chassis. The gearbox and entire rear suspension ever since about Ferrari 312T in 1975 quite literally hangs off the engine.
I reject your fantasy and substitute it with reality.
But it is interesting that Rosberg dropped a bombshell like that on the Mercedes. He must have been unhappy with Mercedes about something. A more team friendly approach would have been to work out an exist strategy with the team rather than a shock exit with immediate effect. I can sympathize with Mercedes being caught out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nem14
Most people think Mercedes has been favouring Rosberg, it might be Rosberg has a different opinion that Mercedes has been favouring Hamilton over him.
Maybe this season has drained him so much in the emotional and physical requirements to get that bit closer to Lewis, and the chances of having the better luck again being minimal, he's quitting while ahead?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitrodaze
I think he is tougher than that, but l do buy the quitting while ahead part. Even so, he could have done it in a way that does not place Mercedes in an uncomfortable position. It is beginning to seem there is some level of protest in is decision.Quote:
Originally Posted by Phoenix
He think he overestimated his ability to cope on the same emotional level personally.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitrodaze
As much as Rosberg - to me -is a boring personality and driver, you have to respect the way he went out.
Spiced up the silly season too which already was looking good with the rule changes.
Joe Saward has just posted a very lucid article on Mercedes' prospects for 2016. According to him, the most likely options are Bottas and Grosjean, with Sainz a distant third. It's surprising that he isn't mentioning Wehrlein as a replacement for Rosberg.
Here's the article: https://joesaward.wordpress.com/2016...y-in-brackley/
I think Rosberg is has got into the "the grass is greener on the other side" thinking. He thought the life in F1 racing was tough and not worth it considering other (unknown) opportunities that await him, be it a happy family life or something else. But I think there is a good chance that a couple of years later he'll realize that the grass on the other side is just as grey as on this side, and then he might regret quitting F1 or perhaps will try to return.
I think he is on to something there. Bottas would be great for Mercedes. He is fast and has a very mellow personality that would complement Hamilton very well. There is the obvious problem of Toto being linked to Mercedes and Bottas's management team which might have legal consequences. But l can see why it would work as both teams involved have mutual benefit from the deal.Quote:
Originally Posted by N4D13
Grojeans as candidate for the seat is interesting. It may work if Haas expectations are within Mercedes' minimum budget plus a new home for Wehrlein. It doesn't help that Grosjean was not a Mercedes man.
The Finns say Bottas
I'd really like to see Valteri at Merc. It is a good match Imo..
It has an impact yes but no more of an impact than the refuelling ban had in 2010 with the massively larger tanks. All changes have an impact on chassis no matter what they are but 2010 certainly isn't regarded as a major rule change year, is it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Rollo
It boils down to this: he is a coward. He finally won with a huge amount of luck so he has decided to run. He knows as well as everyone else he can't beat Lewis in a straight fight so he is quitting now that luck finally went his way, with a little Mercedes help.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitrodaze
The emotional and mental drain is part of it too but it's all the same reason, he isn't man enough to defend the title.
Yes Nico required a bit of luck to win but reliability is part of the equation for every WDC and he actually did very well against a top drawer opponent.
Quitting on the crest of a wave doesn't make him a coward. You are coming across as being very butthurt and bitter. I'm no Nico fan but give credit where credits due... and it is due.
1989 was in the same way that 2014 was. Changing from a normally aspirated engine to a turbocharged engine, or vice versa, changes the whole shape of the rear of the car.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Black Knight
What the hell does constitute a "massive rule change" in your book, if changing both the configuration of the engine and how it breathes does not?Quote:
Originally Posted by The Black Knight
I started to think back in history and there have been 2 times in F1 history when domination has been stopped by massive rule changes - 1961 with rules changing to 1.5 engines and 2014 with the new hybrids.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rollo
Banning the active suspension comes close but Williams had still very much a dominant car until 1998.
Other times (like banning sideskirts in 1981 or ground effect completely in 1983 or even 2009 did not have one team dominating at all previous to the changes)
Maybe new engine rules in 1952 that made Alfa quit stopped a domination :rolleyes:
I would also like to add that both of these times, in 1961 and 2014, the massive rule changes were related to the engines, when one manufacturer, Ferrari and Mercedes respectively, got a POWER UNIT advantage for some reason.
That is why, if Mercedes domination ends in 2017, the reason is not in new aero or tyres, it is because other engine manufacturers will have caught up with the all-dominant Merc PU.
1983 is interesting because it marked the first season where turbo cars were sufficiently reliable enough not to explode at every outing. Renault's yellow teapot was the first but even so, that was 6 years earlier.Quote:
Originally Posted by onemanband
I think that it was Alboreto's in in Detroit where they all basically clanked around on a tight street race, that was the last normally aspirated win until the end of turbocharging?
Yes. And it wasn't due to the turbos being unreliable but that the NA cars were just fast on that particular day. And Piquet had a puncture from the lead 9 laps to go. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Rollo
The turbos were reliable already in 1982 (at least the Ferrari was) but that season was a freak one in pretty much every way.
I hope by now even you realize how flawed this argument was. If Mercedes knew in advance that Rosberg would retire, they wouldn't have been caught with their pants down with regards to his replacement.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Black Knight
No, they just had to make it look like they were caught with their pants down, Botas was probably already on a pre-season contract last year.Quote:
Originally Posted by zako85
Toto and Lauda are Reptilians, part of the Illuminati betting syndicate and their base is at the Merc headquarters in Stuttgart... although they occasionally do also hold meetings at the Bohemian Grove in the US where this year they discussed who is going to win the F1 WDC in 2017 after deciding a date for going into Iran ... to start hosting GP there.
Bernie is rumoured to have placed a 2 Billion dollar third party bet on Bottas.
But... I thought this was all common knowledge?
Nice...Quote:
Originally Posted by Zico
Nice?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitrodaze
Do think I'm being serious? Maybe English is not your first language, I was joking BTW..
:)
I like the way you think. There is a place in Trump's cabinet if you want it. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Zico
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zico
I mean nicely done
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitrodaze
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitrodaze
Oh, OK, sorry... Ihought you were being sarcastic :D
they should have see this coming as he must have had a drivers contract escape clause or rosberg would be sued for breach of contract
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/op...s-then-and-now
maybe roisberg was pushed
https://www.quora.com/What-points-ne...iver-contracts
Length
F1 contracts last usually 2-4 years. The length depends on the drivers ambitions and visions of the team in short term and the teams will to hire the driver.
Revoke rights
The terms on which the contract can be terminated. Sebastian Vettels move to Ferrari was possible because of a such point in contract. It said that if he is not placed in a certain position in the championship standings by a certain date he can choose whether to end the contract or not. [1] Apparently the same performance clause can give the team the right to decide on the contract.
These are some of the important parts of the driver contract. There are many many more but I hope I didn't forget anything very important.
https://www.quora.com/What-points-ne...iver-contracts
Well, Rosberg might have been in breach of contract, but I don't think Mercedes would be stupid enough to sue their most recent WDC. You can imagine that they'll have worked out an agreement behind closed doors.
Besides, it would be stupid to try and force a racing driver to keep racing once he's decided to hang his helmet.
If you remember, Mercedes only wanted to renew Rosberg for one season only. But Rosberg was able to negotiate a two season deal which would have taken him to 2018. Rosberg won the Title under some very strange circumstances and suddenly bows out inline with Mercede's original one year offer, would suggest there probably is more than meet the eyes.Quote:
Originally Posted by CNR
The two year deal was probably Rosberg thinking he needs at least two attempts to beat Hamilton to the drivers title. You could say in Rosberg's mind, he may have always had the intention to retire the instant he beats Hamilton; which he intended to do within the 2016/17 seasons.
You could also say that Mercedes should have known that Rosberg was going to retire the moment he won the driver's title, based on innuendoes and body language read during the contract negotiations. It may have caught the rest of the world out, but by all account, this may have been laid down since 2015. But all in all, this is pure speculations.
Rosberg didn't want to wait six years for another championship, despite driving a championship contending car for the majority of the time.