F1 Shock #1 - Bottas Signs for Mercedes!

[Andrew Harper]

I miss the days when Williams was a force in the F1.

I've got my fingers crossed too mate. They just need that one killer feature that the others haven't thought of and they'll be there. I'm hoping maybe part of the deal with bottas is parity with the engines in the back of the works cars as well.

 

[Blkout]

I'm certainly in no position to question Mercedes ability to assess driver talent but I'm calling it now, Bottas will not be able to measure up to Rosberg and certainly will not challenge Hamilton. Sergio Perez would have been the stronger pick.

 

[shedz]

I agree with Sir Frank williams and perhaps we find out if Hamilton is the best F1 driver as everybody seems to claim.

We don't need to find out, we already know Hamilton is a top F1 driver. I personally don't like the chap, and I'm British, but he has more than proven himself to be a great F1 driver.
Nobody rules the roost forever, so undoubtedly Hamilton will lose his crown some day, but that would not detract from what he already achieved and what he may still will do.

 

[Winkhaus]

In my opinion there are many other worthy pilots to participate in the Mercedes. Example Adrian Sutil

 

[Benutzername]

In my opinion there are many other worthy pilots to participate in the Mercedes. Example Adrian Sutil

What is he doing atm?
Havent heard anything from him for some time.
Got toally under my radar

 

[Andrew Harper]

What is he doing atm?
Havent heard anything from him for some time.
Got toally under my radar

Looks like his website stopped being updated in 2015 and the last bit of news was he was the reserve driver for Williams. He got involved in an unfortunate nightclub brawl in 2011 and was handed a suspended prison sentence. Subsequently was then dropped from Force India.

Knowing what F1 Team sponsors are like they probably would object to a driver with a criminal conviction.

However the most likely scenario is two things, one he's tall and therefore quite heavy for an F1 driver (and it's about saving weight these days unfortunately) and I think generally the steam ran out of his career. He started quite well but then went further and further down the grid and maybe he decided to stop wasting his sponsorship millions on 14th place all the time

There appears to be no mention of him since 2015/16...

 

[Deleted member 130869]

Sutil started well but then only drove well in the rain, and had all of these falling outs. I wanted Christian Klien to make a comeback after showing off both Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok big time in his first outing with the Honda and the HRT, but sadly he got sidelined by Red Bull.

 

[rubaru]

I thought SUT was on the short list last year to team up with GRO at Haas, but that went south for whatever reason. Since then, who knows. Even his twitter account is strangely quiet.

 

[Terry Rock]

I sometimes wonder what the 'face' of the current F1 driver's market would have looked like, had Kubica not gotten injured?

 

[grahamw]

Not exactly the biggest shock ever in F1 not that any thing is these days with social media giving most rumours away almost before they happen.

I am guessing almost certainly Williams got a great deal on their new engine for his signature which no one else seems to have mentioned or implied but surely that would have been the way William's were open to the deal so readily at this late stage in the season.

Would be interesting to see if this a short term fix or a long term plan but no mention of length of contract may be that stays under wraps in F1.

Although a decent driver up and coming driver, I don't think Lewis will be too concerned at least this season but has the potential to rival some of the other up and coming drivers and obviously Mercedes will be counting on him bringing home the bacon with the right car.

Will be interesting to see how the changes to F1 will effect the different cars performance and reliability will it have the effect of bringing the top 2/3 teams closer or will it be yet another half arsed attempt by the powers that be to bring more competition and excitement to F1.

 

[rubaru]

Here's more about VB's contract, @grahamw
http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/w...in-bottas-but-wants-2018-options-open-866542/

 

[Deleted member 130869]

I sometimes wonder what the 'face' of the current F1 driver's market would have looked like, had Kubica not gotten injured?

He had world champion talent and would surely inherited a big-3 seat. Might have won a title or two by now.

 

[paracletus]

Confirming the inevitable. It'll be interesting to see how this driver (VB) competes with LH.
I suspect it'll become apparent just how good NR actually was, despite many around here not rating his ability.

 

[gamer19]

F1 SHOCK #3:

HE's back!

The Man never gives up. What we need to do to be safe from Him ?
He keeps coming back, he's like a zombie.
Who can't drive.

 

[Erwin Greven]

He is that awefull that he is a GP winner.

 

[gamer19]

Ow c'mon, don't bend it now. We all knows... what's he's been capable of. Or, rather, not.
That Spain victory you're talking about ...that was some space anomaly. It happened from time to time you know. Or... they simply cheat. I mean... he's never ever been even close to that result, oi ?

 

[fortyfivekev]

He had world champion talent and would surely inherited a big-3 seat. Might have won a title or two by now.

Always seemed like he was heading for Ferrari so most likely he would have ended up unhappy and disappointed like most of the guys who went there.

 

[Erwin Greven]

Yep. Alonso went to Ferrari: no title. Vettel went to Ferrari: no title. Räikkönen went to Ferrari: 1 title, which was merely a result of McLaren not willing to focus on one driver as their #1.

 

[GP20]

Best choice.