Monza this year has had some pretty silly stories with almost every possible combination spouted forth by someone or other, including Michael Schumacher going back to Ferrari, Nico Rosberg going to McLaren, Nico Hulkenberg going to Maranello and so on.
Let’s rewind a little and look at some realities. Lewis Hamilton has yet to re-sign for McLaren. Felipe Massa has yet to re-sign for Ferrari. Ferrari tried hard to get Mark Webber for 2013.
The knock-on from the about three facts is that Hamilton has been linked with Mercedes. The story makes little sense for Hamilton, unless he is after money alone, which he says he is not. The entire story seems little more than a crude attempt at a bargaining position by his management, which seems to be a little out of its depth in the F1 world. McLaren will inevitably call Lewis’s bluff and make him a “take it or leave it” offer. Accepting the offer might require a certain amount of pride-swallowing, but that is probably better than taking the risk of racing for Mercedes in 2013. Lewis is a special talent, but here are nonetheless half a dozen drivers who are good enough to do a decent job for the team if they lose faith in Lewis.
Massa’s situation is less complicated. Ferrari wants a number two for Fernando Alonso. He must be quick enough to keep Fernando on his toes and get points, but not quick enough to destabilise the Spanish star. Massa has not scored much this year. One can construct an argument that Felipe’s results are worse than they appear because of the close nature of the racing this year, but the fact remains that he has not produced enough points. The question that Ferrari needs to address is whether it is better to get in someone new for 2013 or whether they want to hold on with Massa until the end of 2013 and then get Mark Webber – or a youngster – into the team.
The what-ifs do provide a certain amount of entertainment but F1 teams these days are risk-averse and so they tend to go for the safe options.
F1 wouldn’t be F1 without the Silly Season!
Assuming Lewis does go to Mercedes (but why would he), the replacement at McLaren would be an interesting one. The story about Bottas replacing Lewis don’t stack up. McLaren don’t normally take unproven drivers (Lewis being the exception – sort of), so why would they risk an unproven Finn?
With the Mercedes backing, maybe Paul diResta would be a more likely option – it may help with the cost of the engines McLaren will have to start paying for in 2013. Also, he’s done a solid job at Force India and isn’t likely to upset the applecart.
At Ferrari, I can’t see them sticking with Massa. Two full seasons on from his accident and he just isn’t delivering. Top teams need a solid number two driver to deliver a bag-full of points to help with the Constructor’s title – sadly it appears Felipe just is able to do this anymore.
Could Ferrari take the risk of promoting Jules Bianci to the race seat? Italy needs a driver in F1…
Silly Season – Love It!!!
I just don’t understand how Ferrari keep saying that Perez is not ready for a Ferrari drive yet. If he’s not ready then neither is Di Resta or Hulkenberg.
Bianchi? It’s highly unlikely that Ferrari would take on a rookie like McLaren did with Hamilton.
For the record Bianchi is French not Italian.
Bianchi’s background is rather complicated. You are right in that he carries a French passport, but his grandfather was a Belgian and his great-grandfather was an Italian. Both his grandfather and great uncle were significant racing figures (Lucien and Mauro Bianchi) and his great-grandfather was an Alfa Romeo technician who settled in Belgium because he was sent there to look after a racing car…
And his other grandfather? And the other three great grandfathers? And the grandmothers and great-grandmothers? I know what you mean, but am often amused by fans cherry picking the elements of someone’s heritage that match their desires. A good example is Emerson Fittipaldi, who I believe has as many Russian and Polish ancestors as he does Italian ones…but oddly you never hear about them in a racing context.
I don’t understand how Ferrari keeps saying that either. But, then again, I also don’t understand how they keep threatening to quit F1 when everyone knows they won’t.
Personally, I find that listening to what they say doesn’t really tell me much. Perhaps I don’t know how to listen properly.
To reiterate a part-reply to a previous post…
‘‘Silly Season’ is a term which is in danger of being appropriated by the Twitterati and applied to the complete F1 calendar year.’
Whilst your blog is informed by first-hand experience and considered reflection (thanks!) there are many lax journalists who simply embellish the rumour-mill, as you have rightly pointed out some time ago. Regretfully, due to the nature of modern media they will continue to rise to prominence for the foreseeable future. Everyone understands the cult of personality, fewer are interested in the technological or motivational background.
Your point?
Way to cut through a mountain of B.S. in record time. Ferrari need a second driver to contribute toward the Constructors Championship as they are the team that may value it the most.
“Massa’s situation is less complicated. Ferrari wants a number two for Fernando Alonso. He must be quick enough to keep Fernando on his toes and get points, but not quick enough to destabilise the Spanish star.”
Joe, realistically speaking, there’s no such conundrum at Ferrari, is there? In the paddock today, which driver can destabilise Alonso, on the same machinery? There’s Hamilton, and many a biased observer will say that he “got the better of Alonso” while at Mclaren. Fact is, they won the same amount of races in 07, and ended that season with the same amount of points. The image of an angered Ron Dennis throwing his headset in the pitwall when Alonso got the better of Lewis is something to be remembered. Certainly, hearing public comments of the boss of your own team saying that they were racing you, is the sort of “destabilisation” that could disrupt the performance of any driver, even the best. In any case, just how can that be spun into getting “the better of Alonso” truly escapes me, maybe it’s a British thing. In any case, Lewis, who is recognised by all and sundry, never got the better of Alonso when the two shared the same equipment.
Then, there’s Vettel, his first title gifted by Ferrari’s stupidity. Another amazing talent no doubt, when the car is good.
Ferrari is to Alonso, what Mclaren was to Lewis in 07, what Red Bull is to Vettel. Neither Vettel, nor Lewis, will be joining a team with Alonso for I don’t think either of them has the balls to walk into Alonso’s den. That leaves the rest of the field at Ferrari’s disposal. Ergo no shortage of possibilities, don’t you think?
Lewis did get the better of Alonso in 2007. Yes, they had the same amount of wins and points, but Lewis had more second place finishes which made him finish ahead of Alonso in the points. Furthermore, Alonso blackmailed Ron Dennis which made the situation as worse as it could have possibly been.
Alonso and Ferrari are perfect for each other as long as Alonso’s teammate is good, but not quite good enough; which Ferrari seem to be good at doing. It makes me wonder why they want Webber so badly, though, While I do not think he is better than Alosno, I do think if given the same car he could put up a decent fight (and sometimes win) which could potentially be dangerous.
Personally, I do not think that Lewis is the only person currently in F1 who can “destabilise” Alonso if given the same car. Then again, I do not think Alonso is the best in F1 although he is one of the best. If he were the best, he would be able to deal with having a competitive teammate and use it to his advantage to be an even better race car driver.
“Fact is, they won the same amount of races in 07, and ended that season with the same amount of points.”
One was a double world champion. The other a rookie.
Blinders much?
Wow it’s rare to see some talk sense when it comes to Alonso’s 2007 season. I agree and it really was over hyped. Mclaren did what Mclaren do to drivers they fall out with and mess with there equipment, hence Prost in 89 Andretti in 93 and then Alonso in 2007. The question is if Lewis falls out with the team and signs for Mercedes will do the same to him….
I disagree. The reality is that the people you mention were beaten. The team did not cause that.
Always find it odd that so many fans are convinced that teams regularly sabotage the drivers that they pay quite large sums of money to score World Championship points….
Errr . . . Prost won the title in 89!
Prost’s contract was expiring at the end of ’89. McLaren didn’t need to fire him (and it was his sixth season with them, so they must have got along tolerably well). What’s more, McLaren let their drivers race and Prost won the championship. Andretti was just not up to the job. For all we know McLaren might have liked him very much, but he didn’t fully commit to F1, choosing to stay based in the USA, and had a lot of accidents. He performed well at Monza, but it was too little and definitely too late. McLaren are not fools. They have won a lot of races and a lot of championships, and they won’t fire a driver just because they don’t like his face, nor hold onto him just because they do.
Alonso is the current best driver according to most ppl from f1 family. So I also can not see Vettel or Hamilton will walk to Alonso’s den. After Alonso either Vettel or Hamilton may driver for the reds.
I doubt it’s even a question of whether or not Hamilton or Vettel would dare to walk in to that particular Lion’s den. They won’t get an invitation. Ferrari know that their biggest asset is Alonso, and they are not going to take any chance on distracting or destabilising him.
Hi Joe why would they want Mark Webber in 2014 when we were led to believe they only wanted him in 2013 for a one year deal ?
I dare say it depends on who you talk to.
To add to the ‘Siliness’ it would be nice to see Pirelli try Kubica out as a tester (a project for Mr Morelli), apparently he’s tempting fate further by rallying this weekend, Go Robert!
I wonder about Felipe Massa’s future if his contract doesn’t get picked up by Ferrari. Is there somewhere to go for him, and would he do a Trulli and cap his career with a couple of extra seasons out of the limelight if that’s the only option to keep going?
If Lewis leaves (and he just might), I cannot see his place being filled by Paul diResta – Its just not gonna happen. The cost of having to pay for the merc engines is simply not a factor. McLarens potential income exceeds that which it is allowed to spend already. If they have to buy their engines, they will be given that as an additional spending allowance – so not a factor IMO.
Mclaren know the power of marketing, and the power of a dynamic driver line up – I would certainly place Bottas on a very short short list of potentials.
It’s sad for Felipe but the team have been more than patient with him. I just can’t understand why Monty has ruled out Perez. At the end of this season he will have completed 2 seasons of F1. How can he pretend that’s “unexperienced”? Since he wants half a pilot as usual this rules out Kimi. So maybe after all there is some truth with the silly talk of Hulk or Sutil. I can’t imagine though Schumi accepting to play second fiddle to Alonso. The soap opera with Lewis will end with love & kisses. Expect “headlines” like, “there’s no better place than McLaren bla bla”.
The idea that Ferrari needs a #2 who can score a lot of points without upsetting Alonzo’s psyche seems sensible enough… but except for Webber, who might such a person be?
Seems to me that somebody who can score a whole lot of points is somebody with #1 potential. While I agree that Webber has shown both points-scoring ability and the maturity to not upset things, isn’t this a very fine line?
It’s basically asking for a guy with #1 ability who won’t make a scene. Who else but Webber fits that bill?
Whilst the car may not be great, the idea of Lewis getting some Ross Brawn guidance doesn’t sound the worst plan for him. Either way he needs to dump his management – Why would they play this out in public?!
Will Lewis’s management allow him to stay at McLaren if they can screw more money out of Merc?
Because, hopefully, Lewis is smarter than that.
AFAIK, Lewis’ management team works for him, not the other way around. I don’t understand the idea of pondering what they would allow him to do. Seems the relevant question is what Lewis tells them to do.
You obviously don’t know many driver managers.
Right… I don’t know a single one. Sounds like I don’t really want to
What’s their secret? Do they exhibit powers of mind control? Are they the modern day equivalent of Rasputin? How do they do it?
Is this a possible Mercedes End Around? Have they signed the Concord agreement yet? If not, a Lewis Hamilton on the team would certainly elevate their bargaining position. The smart move for Mercedes would be to offer Lewis the moon and the stars. Certainly the sponsorship would not be an issue. Working or driving with Michael would be a huge draw. Bernie would almost have to meet some demands. And the car? I’m thinking they will get it right sooner than later. It would be interesting to see what Lewis could achieve in a Mercedes.
“The story makes little sense for Hamilton, unless he is after money alone, which he says he is not.”
I think Lewis wants, not necessarily an expensive contract, but global recognition. As an example, I will draw your attention to David Beckham. Beckham is one of the most famous(profitable) faces on the planet. His talent on the field was never in proportion to his fame off it. That is certainly not to say he isn’t talented, just that his fame is way more than one would see for simply being even the world’s best footballer(Messi, Ronaldo.) His brand was grown by XIX and he has become very very rich because of it. This is all while his footballing career has been arguably worse than his early career. But it didn’t matter because he was earning way more off the pitch, than on it.
Now, Lewis may say he is not doing this for the money, but he is most certainly doing it for the exposure that he should have had for being the first black WDC and that his current McLaren contract did not allow. He wants to become a global brand, for whatever reason(good or bad reasons – philanthropy or world domination – depending on your opinion of the man), and XIX have told then they can do that. I’m sure given the choice he would want to do all that in a team that will give him a championship car. But if that team is not willing to allow him to become a global brand in his own right, then there is no choice. If Mercedes will give him that freedom, maybe the only one of the top teams who agreed when asked, then that is the only choice. The real difference is when he and people talk about money. They, mean salary for driving, he means earnings from his worth as a global brand, not just now but in 10-20 years. So, when asked if it’s for the money, he answers assuming the question refers to his salary for driving, which would be most adequate where ever he drives.
And aside from all that, you yourself have stated that Mercedes are committed to F1. Wouldn’t it be safe to assume that they intend to make a decent effort at success? and that being so, would it be such a bad place to be, while you have your own projects to pursue. Lewis isn’t the kind of driver who builds a team to be successful. He just drives very very well, so why not let the people who are very good at building successful teams get on with that, while you are free to do your own thing. Also, why are people obsessed with immediate success? What does it matter if Mercedes are successful next year? McLaren haven’t won anything in the last 3 years, so what does it matter if you finish 5th or 8th?
And rather that a crude bargaining tactic McLaren should simply see this for what it is, a serious bargaining tactic. McLaren may well be more successful without Lewis but considering Button’s specific requirement for being fast and McLaren’s recent performance this year, where do you think they’d be without Lewis this year? An adequate replacement may do well, but as well as Lewis? I don’t believe so.
With Perez’s Monza result, could moving to Sauber be a good option for Massa? He would be the elder statesman in the team and potentially have a car just as quick (or quicker!) than the factory Ferrari? Or do you think the 2012 car is a fluke Joe?
One swallow does not a summer make… However the swallows are beginning to become a flock in this case.
How much of Saubers success can be attributed to James Key who has since moved on to Torro Rosso? A hard move to understand as this seems like a Guy that should be moving up the food chain. (Training ground to replace Newey in future at RB?)
First, Eddie Jordan says what he says… a nice fellow who’s not a terribly reliable source. Then, Lewis loses his mind about tweets for an hour or so. Next thing you know, half the universe is talking like he’s changing jobs. Seems like a lot of uproar based on not much (to me, anyway).