New Grand Prix Season Is Almost Upon Us!!!

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer

Hi Warspite, I'm looking for these two news bits. I am not questioning you, just would like to read more about them.

warspite1

Hi H Gilmer - not a done deal yet (either of them) but an announcement, according to 'reliable sources' is expected after Christmas.

[Hotschi]

http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/news ... 22010.html

It's in German, though, maybe Google Translator can help. Massa driving again, why not, many racers came back after a break - his 'break' would be the shortest one possible [:D]. I like Massa, he's one of many "could-be-champions" who never scored, but on the other hand he has done a good enough job in the last years to justify a cockpit.

More interesting for me is that Pat Symonds leaves Williams, while Paddy Lowe joins the team coming from Mercedes. Could be part of a deal to lure Bottas to Mercedes, but who knows. Williams doesn't comment regarding Massa/Bottas.

I've also read that Mercedes plans to decide 3rd January who will be their second driver. Who knows whether this is correct.

[warspite1]

So what is taking so long at Mercedes?

Surely with the money they have, if they want Bottas then just pay Williams the required and get on with it....

I suspect there are those within the German company wanting a German....

Shame Mercedes can't run Manor as a kind of Red Bull/Torro Rosso deal, i.e. a junior Mercedes team they could stick their up and coming kids in.

[Hotschi]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

I suspect there are those within the German company wanting a German....

If that's the case, then the 2nd car would have gone long ago to Wehrlein. Whatever, this option is now finally gone as Pascal Wehrlein joins Sauber. Claire Williams will make a statement this week about Bottas.

I suspect the long delay regarding Bottas has something to do with Paddy Lowe, who left Mercedes - maybe Williams wants him as part of a Bottas deal.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Hotschi

ORIGINAL: warspite1

I suspect there are those within the German company wanting a German....

If that's the case, then the 2nd car would have gone long ago to Wehrlein. Whatever, this option is now finally gone as Pascal Wehrlein joins Sauber. Claire Williams will make a statement this week about Bottas.

I suspect the long delay regarding Bottas has something to do with Paddy Lowe, who left Mercedes - maybe Williams wants him as part of a Bottas deal.

warspite1

Well no, not necessarily as that would depend on who within the company was behind Bottas and who behind a.n.other, what the commercial and financial implications are, and - not least - where the balance of power lies.

One only has to think of the Button / Vandoorne discussions last year at McLaren to know that there can be competing views within an organisation - and such a situation can cause lengthy delays for decisions to be made and announced.

I suggested that as a possible reason for the delay in announcing Bottas - you have suggested another, perfectly possible potential reason.

Whatever the actual reason, the decision has been made.

[Hotschi]

I think Wehrlein had no chance at all to get the 2nd car this time. This weekend I've read that Wolf vehemently opposed taking Wehrlein, as he feared a situation like back then at McLaren with Alonso/Hamilton, where the then rookie Hamilton absolutely unnerved the routineer Alonso. He called Hamilton/Wehrlein a "poisonous mix".

As if Wehrlein is anywhere near these 2 drivers!

I don't understand the small hype about Wehrlein anyway. True, he has won the DTM championship, but in F1 he wasn't that outstanding so far. It's the same every year in the German Motorsport media, whenever there is some remote chance to get a place in one of the top teams, they instantly hype either Wehrlein or Huelkenberg - or both.

Must be local patriotism or something.

[Hotschi]

According to a local newspaper, it's official;

This Monday, Bottas received Williams' OK to join Mercedes.

Parts of the deal;

.) Williams will get it's Mercedes engine at a far lower price.
.) Paddy Lowe will join Williams as Technical Director - no longer "garden leave" as usual.

Felipe Masse postpones his retirement from F1 to race again at Williams, but he signed for 2017 only.

http://derstandard.at/2000050822895/Weh ... cheint-fix .... it's in German.

[Gilmer]

As the title says, "New Grand Priz season is almost upon us!" Starts in March, right?

[Poopyhead]

Well it's too bad for Mercedes that Susie Wolff had retired.

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Hotschi]

And the next bombshell:

Today, Bernie Ecclestone was relieved from his position as boss of FOM (Formula One Group)!

[warspite1]

What do they say? Be careful what you wish for....

Personally I think that Bernie has done an incredible job. But everyone has their sell by dates, and Bernie has his too.

F1 needs its historic European races - take Monza or the British Grand Prix away and it will just not be the same. France, Germany, Belgium and Monaco similarly should be sacrosanct. Yet, every year the same old boring stories about most of these races being taken away appear (and in the case of France and Germany of course, its gone beyond that).

Every year too we get reports of teams in financial trouble - not just the Manor's or Caterham's of this world, but mid-table teams knocking on the door like Lotus (thankfully bought out by Renault) and Force India. Sauber is perpetually on the brink too. F1 needs these teams - it needs a decent size grid and a place for drivers to learn their trade.

The new owners have made high level comments recognising both these points - lets hope they mean them and are prepared to follow through.

[Jagdtiger14]

Chase Carry is going to be excellent for F1. This is the way to do it:

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/ ... e-45007472

[Gilmer]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

Chase Carry is going to be excellent for F1. This is the way to do it:

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/ ... e-45007472

A race in New York would be nuts, but it would be a helluva draw.

How about the ATL? I'm sure there are plenty of routes that could accommodate an awesome F1 race.

[warspite1]

The new cars for 2017 are starting to be unveiled - and they look okay in the main - although hopefully the cars will remove that nonsense on the engine cowling.....

.....and Lewis has a new helmet! Nice [8D]

[Lecivius]

Looks like Mercedes is still ahead of the pack.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/live/formula1/39047917

Nice to see HAAS coming up. But I can't understand how Mercedes continues to stay so dominant [:(]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

Looks like Mercedes is still ahead of the pack.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/live/formula1/39047917

Nice to see HAAS coming up. But I can't understand how Mercedes continues to stay so dominant [:(]

warspite1

Ferrari seem to be very close (assuming you can take what is going on as gospel of course).

I think its another example of German engineering excellence. So that's the engine. As for the car design, its strange, I couldn't even tell you who their lead designer is..... Maybe its by committee. Whoever it is - they know what they are doing, even if Newey is still the very best.

Hopefully get more of a lowdown on testing from Autosport later.

[warspite1]

Interesting. Has the three-pointed star finally met its match?

Given that Mercedes are not known for sand-bagging (look at the last few years pre-season) it could well be they have a challenge - or even more - on their hands!

[Lecivius]

What news? I have not seen anything [&:]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

What news? I have not seen anything [&:]

warspite1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39199829

[Lecivius]

thx [;)]