F1 2010 End of season - what the ...???

[imacken]

OK, so today I just finished my first season (7th in Abu Dhabi), with the following:
- Sauber
- 8th place in drivers
- 6th place in constructors
- became team #1 driver
- well exceeded season objective and almost all objectives throughout
- team delighted with my performance
and guess what?
No contract from Sauber for next year! In fact, the only way I can continue to the next season is to accept an offer from Louts! Lotus!
What on earth is going on here?

 

[Brandon Worboys]

You left the contract deal to long. You must of got a deal from suaber earlyer in the year and declined it

 

[imacken]

I didn't decline anything. I was just leaving my options open. Despite getting good team results and always complimenting the team in interviews, they are offering me nothing!
I just wasted 2 or 3 weeks on this. I've now got to start again.

 

[ongy2k3]

It's not a bug, it's just the way the game works. I've experienced the same. I wasn't offered a new contract despite winning the WDC with McLaren. Fortunately there was an offer from Christian Horner (as my agent kept reminding me).

Out of interest, I don't know if you'll be able to remember or not, but did the offer from Lotus have a decline option? I say this because all the other offers I got had 'Accept' or 'Decline', whereas the RB offer only had 'Accept' (no matter what time it was during the season).

 

[Rob Stone]

@ongy2k3, I had the same with McLaren in season 3 winning my 3rd WDC (albeit I had tyre sim off). I won 17 from 19 and didn't get a contract offer from them so went to Ferrari, again I couldn't refuse it. Financially it was the best at 20m, but I wanted to haggle but couldn't. I'm sure my reputation wasn't good enough for McLaren anyway (31) so I was surprised when they wanted me at the end of season 2 (again, surprised Ferrari wanted me with only 31 rep).

In my first two seasons the team I was with offered way before other teams came in (I think it's around Spa they start offering contracts).

 

[ongy2k3]

I think it's because of the rivalry system. If you beat your rival, you seem to get an offer to replace them. I would agree that I didn't have the rep to join McLaren but because I beat Hamilton, I was offered a seat.

As the contracts are only a year long, I haven't been able to reach the level required to gain a McLaren seat normally, so had to settle for "less".

That's the best possible explanation I could come up with anyway, and I'd say it makes sense. I think I'm the same rep as you aswell.