Hamilton off to McLaren ?

[Mia 01]

http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3213/...ract-big-names

i thought that most people considered Lewis a top driver.

[henners88]

Lewis is a top driver, what has that got to do with the article? Lewis is contracted next year and there is a fair chance he wouldn't be free to leave a year early, even if next year is the option year. I know you campaign quite strongly on here to make out Lewis is a numpty but I think you are desperately looking for a connection here to do Lewis down, Mia. Do you really rate Lewis that low, or do you enjoy stirring for reactions? I know you rarely answer the questions directed at you after you've delivered a scathing criticism, but I'm willing to offer you the chance to explain.

I would imagine McLaren want to try a new line up and drivers like Alonso and Vettel can deliver results the same way Hamilton did as all three are former world champions. If Hamilton was available I am sure he would be considered too. They know him inside out and have plenty of technical background on him. I wouldn't mind seeing him back in Woking too but not next year. Reading that article I can't see anywhere where it suggests Hamilton is not considered a 'top driver'. It looks more like McLaren's problem rather than one Lewis should be concerned with.

[Doc Austin]

Lewis is contracted next year and there is a fair chance he wouldn't be free to leave a year early, even if next year is the option year.

Oh, if he and Rosberg crash again, odds are good one of them will have to go. I can't see Mercedes putting up with even more silliness than we have already had.

If a team or driver are unhappy with each other, all a contract means is that you have to negotiate your way out. Ferrari wanted Alonso, so they paid Kimmi to go away. Even Niki Lauda walked out on his BRM contract, though I am not sure of the details other than what was in My years with Ferrari.

If Lewis wants out of Mercedes badly enough, he can get out. If he and Rosberg clash again he might not even have a choice. If he is that damm unhappy and wants to go, Mercedes would be crazy to go though another year with their drivers at each other's throats.

[anfield5]

McLaren will design a world beating car again within the next 3-4 seasons and Honda will provide a dominant engine to fit into it, but both of these things might take a while. Looking at Honda's last dominant F1 adventure, they started with Spirit as a testing the water exercise in 1983. It wasn't until 1995 with the FW10 that results started to come. The following 2 years with the FW11 they started to dominate.

My point is can Alonso and/or Hamilton, etc afford to wait for 2-3 years for Honda to get it right?

[driveace]

Did Mercedes sort the car out when Rosberg and The Shoe was there OR was it sorted when Lewis went there ?
Think they know that Lewis has the know how about how to set up a good race car and he could use the McLaren drive offer as a tool to maybe be on 25mill at Mercedes ,where as Nico is on 14 mill !
We don't hear of anyone wanting Rosberg as a driver for another team do we ?

[Big Ben]

yeah right. that's what happened. Hamilton came and sorted out the car for them

[journeyman racer]

That's why he was so good in 07, which is still his best season. It had nothing to do with Alonso at all.

[driveace]

Ben ,did you answer the question ?
Who else or other team is chasing Rosberg ?
And Rosberg and the Shoe didn't sort the Merc out and Fernando ,didn't drive for Merc,so who did sort it ?

[airshifter]

Rumor on the US networks is that McLaren are in hot pursuit of Vettel and/or Alonso. They also quoted a statement from Alonso that did not promise long term time with Ferrari. There was no mention of Hamilton, but there was mention of Button possibly being pushed out.

Stranger things have happened. Let the silly season start early with Honda money pouring in!

[TheFamousEccles]

Ben ,did you answer the question ?
Who else or other team is chasing Rosberg ?
And Rosberg and the Shoe didn't sort the Merc out and Fernando ,didn't drive for Merc,so who did sort it ?

Sure as apples it wasn't Hamilton. Thinking that he did is spectacularly delusional.

As for who else is chasing Rosberg, he signed a contract extension a month ago. Do keep up.