New Grand Prix Season Is Almost Upon Us!!!

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

Mercedes it seems has a noose around Rosberg's neck. Hamilton's contract was renewed back in May, while Rosberg's contract ends at the end of next season. Mercedes can yank that noose anytime they think Rosberg is not towing the line...what ever that may be.

Rosberg should know that there are good teams out there that would love to have him, including Ferrari. He should just go for the gusto and not let Mercedes yank him around:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mercedes-d ... 24057.html

warspite1

Last year it was Nico with the longer term contract and so Lewis potentially out on his ear if terms were not agreed. It's just a normal situation - two drivers, one team and that team does not want both contracts expiring at the same time. The team wants to maximise their options and so contracts are staggered.

This time around it happens to be Nico whose contract is up for renewal. It also just so happens that Nico's contract is up for grabs when a) Mercedes are warning both drivers they need to get on and b) at a time when Lewis has the cachet of being twice world champion for Mercedes c) there are potentially drivers such as Alonso or Verstappen soon to be available. As a result - the world being what it is - Nico is not in quite as strong a position as before. That said he is hardly in a weak position either - and if he does what he can i.e. win the 2016 World Championship - his position will be that much stronger won't it?

What is the point of this? Why does everything that Mercedes or Lewis or Nico do have to be a drama? Why does everything have to be a conspiracy? Sheesh.

I am a German national, the son of a motor-racing world champion. I grew up in extreme luxury and wealth and became a racing driver myself. I have driven for the last 4 or 5 years for what has been - in the last 2 years - far and away the best grand prix team in the world. I have equal number one status and I earn more money than I can shake a stick at. Oh no - those horrible people at Mercedes have a noose around my neck (apparently [8|]) please save me.....

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

I am a German national, the son of a motor-racing world champion. I grew up in extreme luxury and wealth and became a racing driver myself. I have driven for the last 4 or 5 years for what has been - in the last 2 years - far and away the best grand prix team in the world. I have equal number one status and I earn more money than I can shake a stick at. Oh no - those horrible people at Mercedes have a noose around my neck (apparently [8|]) please save me.....

So how come you moved to London? And how do you find the time to play MWIF and do you day work? [;)]

[Jagdtiger14]

No, the real drama begins when Hamilton tries to push over pole sitter Nico at the first corner...both wheels touch and one or both go airborne. I want Nico to have some balls...and I really want to see Hamilton flying into a DNF.

In F1, everything is a conspiracy...how long have you been watching?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

No, the real drama begins when Hamilton tries to push over pole sitter Nico at the first corner...both wheels touch and one or both go airborne. I want Nico to have some balls...and I really want to see Hamilton flying into a DNF.

In F1, everything is a conspiracy...how long have you been watching?

warspite1

Really? You never said. If I didn't know better I would think you didn't like Mr Hamilton very much?

[:D]

[Jagdtiger14]

Yeah...I would love to see Hamilton and his car flying through the air after one of his patented moves...perhaps that will settle him down and set him straight. Maybe he will face his own mortality and realize how lucky he is. I would love to see a change in his personality...perhaps I can root for him again if he does. I'm not holding my breath.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

Yeah...I would love to see Hamilton and his car flying through the air after one of his patented moves...perhaps that will settle him down and set him straight. Maybe he will face his own mortality and realize how lucky he is. I would love to see a change in his personality...perhaps I can root for him again if he does. I'm not holding my breath.

warspite1

I guess we are like racing cars - we just keep going round in circles. You love Schumacher and his patented cheating moves, spearing into Villeneuve or Hill, you can forgive Senna spearing into Prost or Prost doing the same to Senna (both of which were confirmed by the other to have been on purpose to take their opponent out). But when Lewis makes his bold (but perfectly legal) moves you get all upset.

Ho hum...

[Jagdtiger14]

Interesting:

http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/2016/0 ... er=ya5nbcs

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Jagdtiger14

Interesting:

http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/2016/0 ... er=ya5nbcs

warspite1

It was an open secret he was talking to Red Bull back then. I think the McLaren letting him down in 2012 was the last straw and Lewis saw that he needed to move. He drove so well that year only to be robbed of victory by McLaren's inability to make a reliable and consistent car.

And whatever anyone says about Lewis - and I was one of those criticising his move to Mercedes at the time - his judgement was spot on. McLaren have not won a race since Lewis left.....

[Jagdtiger14]

Warspite...you are such a (blank) for Hamilton its amazing. First, you credit Hamilton for his "good judgment" going to Mercedes, when it was his judgment to go to Red Bull. He had to be directed and convinced to go to Mercedes. Next, you make it sound like McLaren sucks because they no longer have Hamilton. Would McLaren have won any race last season if Hamilton had driven for them?...noooo.

The reason McLaren sucked last year is because McLaren did not develop a great car, not because of who did or did not drive for them. The reason Mercedes won last season is not because of who did or did not drive for them, but because they developed a great car. This is why I value the Constructors Championship far more than a Driver's Championship.

[warspite1]

Warspite...you are such a (blank) for Hamilton its amazing.

[Looks at camera] Well he's not very nice is he boys and girls?

As usual the essence of what I say is missed (and we are both guilty from this when responding to each other). So for the most part I will assume you have misunderstood me here.

1. You posted an article that was neither shocking nor particularly new (except the revelation that Horner pushed Lewis to Mercedes to weaken McLaren). That in itself shows the kind of respect that Lewis is given by the people who really know F1 and driving cars.

2. What I replied with was not shocking or particularly biased:

a) Lewis could not go to Red Bull while Vettel was there. Of course he wanted to go there. Who was to win the championship at a canter in 2013? Was his judgement wrong about that? His good judgement was that he realised he had to leave McLaren. Please call up motor sport articles and newspaper clippings from the time and tell me how many people 'in the know' thought he was as mad as a hatter for wanting to leave McLaren.

b) You are an F1 fan, you know full well that in extreme circumstances World Championships have been won by drivers without the best car - individual Grand Prix more so. On occasion with the latter that is down to luck (e.g. Panis at Monaco) but mostly its because the driver of the car is capable of doing things others cannot (e.g. Lewis twice with that car in 2009). AND NO - WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT SITUATIONS WHERE THE CAR IS A TOTAL DOG AND 2-3 SECONDS OFF THE PACE. But then you know that and were just being disingenuous.

I use the 'McLaren have not won a race since Lewis left' not to say he would have won in the cars (dogs) they have produced since, but to show his judgement, his wish, to leave McLaren was sound - against all sage advice to the contrary. Whether his first choice was Red Bull or Ferrari or Mercedes is not the big issue here. It's leaving such a successful, stable, resource rich team during a year in which they produced a good (if unreliable) car - and was arguably the fastest by the end of the season.

Of course there is luck involved with choosing a team (for those lucky enough to have a choice). Why did Vettel get it sooo wrong in staying at Red Bull in 2014? Why did Alonso get it sooo wrong in moving to McLaren in 2015? Fittipaldi 1976!! And look at Maldonado. After the worst ever season Williams have suffered he took his £30m oil money to.....Lotus. Just as Lotus fell apart and Williams got Mercedes engines.

As someone who has admitted they cannot be level headed and objective about Lewis because they hate him so much, I think it strange that you should try and call me out and feign such faux indignation that anyone could be as biased as I am [&:]

In short I have made no such comment that Lewis would have won in a McLaren post 2012 (and he is of course no different in that respect to Vettel or Alonso or anybody), I made no such comment that Lewis knew exactly where he wanted to go and his first choice was Mercedes. FACT was, having been re-buffed by Red Bull (due to the presence of Vettel) and with Alonso at Ferrari, the choice was Mercedes (against everyone's advice) or McLaren. THAT was a judgement call and he made it.

[Jagdtiger14]

Interesting:

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/03/motor ... index.html

[Poopyhead]

Here's the schedule:

2016 RACE CALENDAR
20 March: Melbourne, Australia
3 April: Bahrain, Bahrain
17 April: Shanghai, China
1 May: Sochi, Russia
15 May: Barcelona, Spain
29 May: Monte Carlo, Monaco
12 June: Montreal, Canada
19 June: Baku, Azerbaijan*
3 July: Spielberg, Austria
10 July: Silverstone, United Kingdom
24 July: Budapest, Hungary
31 July: Hockenheim, Germany
28 August: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
4 September: Monza, Italy
18 September: Singapore
2 October: Sepang, Malaysia
9 October: Suzuka, Japan
23 October: Austin, USA**
30 October: Mexico City, Mexico
13 November: Sao Paolo, Brazil
27 November: Abu Dhabi, UAE

and Drivers:

2016 DRIVER LINE-UPS

MERCEDES
Race drivers: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg
Engines: Mercedes

FERRARI
Race drivers: Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen
Engines: Ferrari

WILLIAMS
Race drivers: Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa
Development driver: Lance Stroll
Engines: Mercedes

RED BULL
Race drivers: Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat
Reserve driver: Pierre Gasly
Engines: TAG Heuer-branded Renaults

FORCE INDIA
Race drivers: Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez
Development drivers: Alfonso Celis and Nikita Mazepin
Engines: Mercedes

RENAULT
Race drivers: Jolyon Palmer and Kevin Magnussen
Reserve driver: Esteban Ocon
Development driver: Carmen Jorda
Engines: Renault

TORO ROSSO
Race drivers: Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz
Engines: Ferrari (2015 version)

SAUBER
Race drivers: Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson
Engines: Ferrari

McLAREN
Race drivers: Fernando Alonso (under contract) and Jenson Button
Reserve driver: Stoffel Vandoorne
Engines: Honda

MANOR
Race drivers: To be confirmed
Engines: Mercedes

HAAS
Race drivers: Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez
Engines: Ferrari

[Lecivius]

Gonna start watching this, just for the soap box drama [8D]

[warspite1]

Interesting noises already coming from Renault. I don't think they rate Jolyon Palmer. He needs to get off to a good start, take some risks and prove he is fast. Personally I give him until mid-season before they replace him.

[Poopyhead]

Here's a link to a Wishlist video of Spend a Day with Lewis Hamilton:

https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylc=X3 ... =yfp-t-201

Enjoy it...or throw beer cans at your monitor.

P.P.S. Also, Showtime has a "60 Minutes Sports" episode where they talk to Lewis, Nico and Nikki Lauda about the rivalry.

[warspite1]

Not impressed with the 'matt' Red Bull livery [&:]

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Not impressed with the 'matt' Red Bull livery [&:]

What the... Did someone drop a bucket of paint on top of that car?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Not impressed with the 'matt' Red Bull livery [&:]

What the... Did someone drop a bucket of paint on top of that car?

warspite1

Looks like it - apparently they actually thought about that colour scheme and it was a conscious decision to adopt it???[X(]

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Not impressed with the 'matt' Red Bull livery [&:]

What the... Did someone drop a bucket of paint on top of that car?

warspite1

Looks like it - apparently they actually thought about that colour scheme and it was a conscious decision to adopt it???[X(]

Really?! [X(]

There you go. It is proof that I have no clue whatsoever. Or that all the people responsible for that colour scheme are all colour blind.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm



What the... Did someone drop a bucket of paint on top of that car?

warspite1

Looks like it - apparently they actually thought about that colour scheme and it was a conscious decision to adopt it???[X(]

Really?! [X(]

There you go. It is proof that I have no clue whatsoever. Or that all the people responsible for that colour scheme are all colour blind.

warspite1

...or they have a sense of humour and come the start of the season they will have got real. We'll see. Not long now - testing starts next week...