In the round-up: Robert Kubica has another rally crash but escapes injury.
Links
Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
“The Pole drove his Subaru off the road and into the trees during the San Martino di Castrozza Rally on Saturday, but organizers say Kubica and navigator Jakub Gerber escaped injury.”
McLaren line up Sauber’s Perez to replace Hamilton as contract talks hit crisis point (Daily Mail)
“McLaren’s approach to the 22-year-old Sauber driver is an indication the team are growing impatient with the negotiating strategy of Hamilton’s management, XIX Entertainment.”
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa hopes for good news soon (AGI.it)
“News about my future? I have no news yet, but results help, and I think that it won’t take long before I do.”
“I was running tenth on the last lap and in line to score a point but we didn’t quite make it to the line. We had a fuel pressure problem. That’s been misreported in a few places as meaning we ran out of fuel but that wasn’t the case. There was a failure somewhere in the system, and when I gassed it out of the final corner on the last lap, nothing happened.”
Why 2014 rules make F1 more relevant (Autosport, subscription required)
Shell technology manager for Ferrari Dr Cara Tredget: “It’s generally really exciting – you’ve got all these engineers that have had such a fixed design with minimal change for a long time; now we’ve got this freedom to actually create something new. What’s quite exciting for us is to be there from the very first stages.”
Tweets
@f1fanatic_co_uk Kubica have another crash on San Martino rally, and he is ok! This is his car pic.twitter.com/a2Fm2CDG
— Nikola Nedeljković (@rajs41) September 15, 2012
#WorldRecord – ¡964 Ferraris hoy en pista en Silverstone! http://t.co/UZ7n6jG3
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) September 15, 2012
Comment of the day
F1 Fanatic Live will be starting up shortly for the IndyCar season finale, so here’s a final thought on this year’s championship from MatK77 (@bluestar77)
I’ve also noticed a change in Will Power’s demeanour over the last half of the season.
He’s always been incredibly quick and talented, but it’s never come together for him and his career was almost derailed during the death throes of the IRL/Champ Car fight. He was always softly spoken and laid back, but I think the strain of being the almost-man is beginning to weigh on him, especially now that another championship could potentially slip away when it looked like it was his for the taking. He’s had a hard look in his eyes for months, and unfortunately he’s sounding out his frustrations within range of a microphone a little too often.
I like the guy though. An American champion would do wonders for the health of the series, but Power has had the performances this year to deserve the title and I’ll bet he’ll relax once he’s finally got the monkey off his back.
I’m looking forward to a safe, exciting battle to decide it all!
MatK77 (@bluestar77)
From the forum
- Another dispute at the Circuit of the Americas
- More additions to the when the 2012 motor sport titles were won thread
- Toyota win the Six hours of Sao Paulo
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On this day in F1
Fifty years ago today Formula 1 returned to Monza one year on from the horror crash of 1961.
BRM were the class of the field and Graham Hill won by almost half a minute from team mate Richie Ginther. Jim Clark retired with gearbox problems early on.
Bruce McLaren kept Willy Mairesse’s Ferrari off the podium by four tenths of a second. Having endured a dreadful season, the Italian team chose not to participate in the final two rounds of the championship.
Here are some highlights from the race:
James Brickles (@brickles)
16th September 2012, 0:07
Robert seems to be becoming a little bit fearless…
@HoHum (@hohum)
16th September 2012, 0:32
good to see he hasn’t lost his nerve.
Julian (@julian)
16th September 2012, 3:40
Oh the inappropriate and horrible jokes I could make.
Blackmamba (@blackmamba)
16th September 2012, 9:33
Unfortunately for Kubica, even if he becomes competitive again the only seat available to him is that of Karthikeyan!
davidnotcoulthard
16th September 2012, 15:09
What about Massa?
Yeah, he probably wouldn’t like the idea of being told “Fernando..is faster….than, you.”
caci_99
16th September 2012, 10:16
Let them flow, nobody would get hurt :)
OmarR-Pepper (@)
16th September 2012, 19:56
Or to lose something else!!!! Freaky thing to hear that he risks his life! Why can he et private tests in a controled environment?
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
16th September 2012, 22:07
@brickles Perhaps, though it could just be a mistake. If it was just pushing a little more than he thinks he should then that shows that (provided he’s relatively safe about it) that he still has the hunger he once did and importantly the confidence as well.
James Brickles (@brickles)
17th September 2012, 0:01
@andrewtanner – I like how you’ve taken the positive side of his crash. Robert is one of my favourite drivers and I’d dearly love to see him back in F1 again.
Calum (@calum)
16th September 2012, 0:07
Can’t beleive it, Kubica again!
Coincidently, I was reading on the forum about Lotus having a bad year in Singapore last year, and couldn’t remember if Robert was one of their drivers last season or the season before; so googled his name and this was the latest news:
http://www.newson6.com/story/19553427/kubica-unscathed-after-another-rally-crash
Be careful next time Robert!
Younger Hamii (@younger-hamii)
16th September 2012, 20:42
@calum Were you able to get your answer after?
Calum (@calum)
17th September 2012, 7:43
@younger-hamii
Yup, a small history of that team’s drivers:
Lotus, 2012
Raikkonen/Grosjean/D’ambrosio
Lotus-Renault, 2011
Petrov/Heidfeld/Senna
Renault, 2010
Kubica/Petrov
Lin1876 (@lin1876)
16th September 2012, 0:14
Glad Robert’s OK after that, looks like it was a pretty violent impact for him.
Nick Jarvis (@)
16th September 2012, 8:38
at least he’s got his first crash out of the way now. little steps :)
MuzzleFlash (@muzzleflash)
16th September 2012, 0:26
Is crashing not as commonplace these days in rallying?
I haven’t followed it since the McRae days, when you’d expect drivers to retire from maybe half the season.
chaostheory
16th September 2012, 11:16
Yep, I always thought that a probability of crashng out from a rally is higher then in other racing. Especially when your right hand and\or arm has only ~50% functionality. But on the other hand: 3 accidents from 17 starts not that bad – http://www.ewrc-results.com/profile.php?p=8567&t=Robert-Kubica
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
16th September 2012, 0:32
I want to believe this, but I can’t.
I like Sergio Perez. I think he has it in him to be World Champion, but I think he’s been stymied by his Ferrari development contract. Joining McLaren would be good for him, and good for the team, so I like the idea that he is the first driver they approached when Hamilton started drifting away.
However, this story has been run by The Daily Fail, so I just can’t believe a word of it.
xeroxpt (@)
16th September 2012, 1:44
@prisoner-monkeys hard to believe right. It would save Mclaren though, the mexicans are fully loaded, Telmex owner is one of the top 10 forbes guy’s, good salvage plan.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
16th September 2012, 2:12
I find it hard to believe because I think The Daily Mail is not a particularly credible source, not because I think Sergio Perez is not up to the task.
Nor would I call it a “salvage plan”. To me a salvage plan is what McLaren did at the end of 2007, taking on Heikki Kovalainen and hoping for the best. McLaren might prefer Hamilton, but taking the next-best alternative isn’t necessarily a case of shooting themselves in the foot. It’s when they have to resort to getting a Senna or a di Resta that it becomes a problem.
matt90 (@matt90)
16th September 2012, 3:04
I don’t think McLaren need saving! They may not quite have the resources they did before, but they are still a massive company.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
16th September 2012, 3:59
@matt90 – I have seen this whole “McLaren needs saving” line of thought elsewhere on the internet. Most of it seems to be coming from people who think that McLaren will be lost in the wilderness without Lewis Hamilton.
Tyler (@tdog)
16th September 2012, 5:09
I must say the Daily Mail article read awfully like a McLaren sourced story intended to ramp up the pressure on Hamilton.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
16th September 2012, 6:56
If that’s what McLaren wanted, there are easier ways to go about it. The Daily Mail is a tabloid, and has a reputation for being unreliable. A lot of people know this, and so are unwilling to trust what they print.
No, this feels more like the Mail trying to influence things. They like the idea of two British World Champions at a British team because they see that as the pinnacle of British ingenuity and British excellence. To them, McLaren’s British-ness is what makes the team so successful. By suggesting that Hamilton is leaving and that Perez – an outsider who threatens to disrupt the balance – could replace him, the Mail is trying to create a sense of dread that the core element of McLaren’s success could be broken up and that the team will lose its fundamentally-British identity, which in turn will be a slump in form. The Mail lays the blame for this situation squarely at the feet of XIX Entertainment.
Bear in mind that this article hasn’t been written with Formula 1 fans in mind. It’s been written for the Mail‘s primary audience, which, like all tabloid audiences, tends to be older and less ethnically-diverse than the readership of mainstream news publications like The Guardian and The Telegraph. It’s aimed at people with a largely-fixed view of the world, and who tend to like stories that back up these beliefs. You’ll notice that the article points out parallels between Hamilton and Villeneuve, warning of what is to come if he moves away from McLaren. They point out Simon Fuller’s previous success stories, and while it is never stated, they all but accuse him of diluting proud British institutions – David Beckham was shipped off to America; Pop Idol undermined the British music industry Fuller helped to create with the Spice Girls; and, until very recently, Andy Murray was the almost-man of tennis, who never seemed to be able to achive success. At the same time, Lewis Hamilton is depicted as being staunch and forthright, unfazed by public attention and media speculation. The proud success of McLaren and hsi upbriging as their man are cast as the angel on his shoulder; the greedy Fuller and treasonous Brawn – who sold out to the Germans and was met with no success – are the devils.
To put it bluntly, the Mail wants to create a sense of fear that the golden age of British motorsport is about to be ripped asunder, carved apart and sold off to foreigners. It falls to Hamilton to make the chocie that will affect the course of British motorsport for the forseeable future – to keep the spirit alive, and be duly rewarded with World Championships; or to defect, chase after the money with his tail between his legs without heed for the cautionary tale of Jacques Villeneuve, and be reduced to a shadow of his former self, bitter and solely responsible for breaking the foundations on which Britain’s proud history of motorsport success is allowed to crumble.
@HoHum (@hohum)
16th September 2012, 22:37
I love it, a team founded by and named after a New Zealander now owned by Arabs is the proud rock upon which British motorsport dominates the world.
Land of hope and glory, la la lalala la…….
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
17th September 2012, 3:44
@hohum
I’m well aware of that. I’m just tyring to illustrate how The Daily Mail is presenting the situation, which is clearly in no way representative of what is actually happening, least of all because of the team’s origins and ownership.
DMC (@dmc)
17th September 2012, 23:12
Or they may be right.
vjanik
18th September 2012, 8:51
Why would you assume the Daily Mail wants McLaren to do well? I think for a tabloid its always profitable when the Mclaren boys have a slump in form or a crisis. Just look at what they wrote about Hamilton lest year when he had a bad year. It was like Christmas for them.
robk23 (@robk23)
16th September 2012, 9:50
The Daily Fail often put out adverts as ‘stories’ so I’d be somewhat sceptical about that article. That’s not saying I wouldn’t want to see a Button/Perez lineup at McLaren because I really would! If they needed to replace Hamilton though, I would’ve thought one of the Force India drivers would be more realistic, preferably Hulkenberg.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
16th September 2012, 0:36
Mclaren might be the biggest winner in all this “Hamilton story”, after all they are always producing good cars so they just need good drivers to drive for them
Sergio is talented & the Woking team will be perfect for him to become a world champion (Mclaren are a champions makers) & they will also save the money from Lewis’s Departure
It seems that Ferrari have an option on Sergio’s services that was expired, according to Mtv3 Heikki’s management will visit Manarello this week
Flavio Briatore said that he will never put together Alonso & Vettel in the same team unless the driver’s championship will be won by the 2 drivers , i don’t know how much influence Flavio have on Ferrari’s decision about Alonso’s teammate but it seems also that “Vettel will join Ferrari in 2014” is just a rumor
I hope Ferrari will not regret refusing to let Sergio driving for them (even that i am 100% sure that he will not be at the same level with Fernando) because his luck of experience
By the way Enzo Ferrari himself was always betting on anonymous drivers but in the end they turned to be legends (Niki Lauda,Gilles Villeneuve…….)
JimmyTheIllustratedBlindSolidSilverBeachStackapopolis III
16th September 2012, 1:04
I hope sergio goes to mclaren it would be the best thing for him and it would really teach ferrari a lesson if they fail to see his obviously copious skill.
ivz (@ivz)
16th September 2012, 1:13
Ferrari are stupid that its not them talking to Checo about a drive next year! I mean what the hell is the point of him being part of their young driver program? He has easily proved that he has the talent! Ferrari should be grooming him to take over once Alonso retires, and what better way to become a better driver, than to learn from Alonso? Are they afraid that it might cause tension if he gets a few good results?
And in regards to Hamilton, if he moves to Mercedes simply for money, I will lose all respect for him!
mixwell (@mixwell)
16th September 2012, 7:57
i’ll be very happy if he goes to McLaren instead of Ferrari. i don’t want him to play Ferrari driver no.2 role or hear the FIFTY/ Take care of your tires dialog. .
Blackmamba (@blackmamba)
16th September 2012, 9:43
@Tifoso1989
My dear fellow I’m afraid your comments about MacLaren are a little bit misguided. How many championships have they achieved in the last 20 years?
It’s bordering on farce the under-achievement of that team. Look at this year alone, Hamilton should be right up there with Alonso but true to form they managed to screw it up.
And you think Perez is more talented than Kimi and Alonso who both failed to do it for MacLaren? I simply do not recognise that sort of superhuman talent in Perez that he would require to turn MacLaren into a multi-winning team. No Sir I don’t!
Klaas (@klaas)
16th September 2012, 10:04
I agree McLaren are good at building winning cars but somehow are standing in their drivers’ way of actually getting the championship. I don’t know what are they doing but most of their drivers went out of Woking slapping the door behind them. Kimi, Alonso and now (maybe) Lewis left frustrated and found fullfilment and happines in rival teams. It would be a shame if Perez went there and lost years of his life without many achievements just like his predecessors.
TomD11 (@tomd11)
16th September 2012, 11:36
Exactly. Since 2007 McLaren have squandered arguably the two best drivers in the sport and have produced one new car that was competitive.
2007 – They build a good car but hack off the reigning double WDC and miss out on that year’s WDC by trying to do too much and win it in one go.
2008 – An excellent year by recent standards but not perfect by any means.
2009 – Caught out spectacularly by the rule change and build a dog of a car.
2010 – They sign Button, who Whitmarsh and some other team members seem to favour, meaning Hamilton is no longer the favoured son (perhaps unsettling him). The MP4-25 is a moderatley successful car but flawed due to it being built around the f-duct and is flattered by Red Bull errors.
2011 – Completely blown away by Vettel and Red Bull who have now got their act together.
2012 – They produce a competitive car for the first time since Lewis won the WDC but the team seem to do their best to throw any advantage away on the operational side of things.
While McLaren do historically have a winning record, on recent form it doesn’t seem too daft for Lewis to look around and there are worse teams he could be looking at than Mercedes. McLaren always say they want the two best drivers available but when they get them, they seem incapable of managing them properly or consistently getting the best from them.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
16th September 2012, 22:42
@tomd11
If there’s one statement I see regurgitated again and again with no proof, it’s this.
TomD11 (@tomd11)
16th September 2012, 23:10
@keithcollantine Well I don’t think it’s really the sort of thing you get hard physical evidence for; I’m just going on the fact that quite a few of the regular F1 insiders have stated it and my own personal interpretation of Whitmarsh’s behaviour. Now, granted I’m an aspie so it may be a little off, but both in failure and success he always seems more enthusiastic in his praise and more heartfelt in his sympathies. when it comes to Button. Anyway I’m not in the camp that say there’s some massive anti-Hamilton conspiracy at McLaren, it just seems to me there’s not as much love for Lewis at McLaren as there once was (even before the tweets) and that some of it seems to be going Jenson’s way. Certainly Hamilton seems less settled within the team than he used to be and whether that’s due to certain team members getting on more with Button or not, it’s one of several reasons why he might reasonably consider joining another team.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
16th September 2012, 23:20
@tomd11
That McLaren favour Button over Hamilton?
TomD11 (@tomd11)
16th September 2012, 23:40
@keithcollantine No, just that more than a few team members get on with Jenson better and prefer him to Lewis. I then postulated this may have something to do with Lewis not seeming quite as settled as hew was. It could be that he likes to be liked and not being everyone’s favourite might get to him. Even if it is rubbish, it’s not the only reason, like I say, to think about a move.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
17th September 2012, 3:48
Repeatedly regurgitated without proof, certainly. But I think you can certainly see where people are getting the idea from. Hamilton did something careless and immature in posting the telemetry, but Button’s reaction to it, on the other handm was very mature and sensible.
Nickpkr
18th September 2012, 20:59
well what tells you isn’t Perez putting Sauber together ? He brings the bacon, does the drive and is not loosing time with fame. Ferrari and Mclaren link to him in his 1,5 yr of F1, Lauda says he drives like a God, 3 podiums in a mid car racing how many world champions ? Perez will do great in any team ….
Juan Taveras (@jayt20)
16th September 2012, 0:36
Kubica gots to give it up with the Rallying…like im glad he’s okay but this is twice already what are you looking for man? instead of risking another life threatening injury how about you work on getting back to 100 percent so you could rejoin F1.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
16th September 2012, 0:39
What do you think he’s doing?
If Kubica wants to return to Formula 1, then sooner or later, he needs to get into a car.
John H (@john-h)
16th September 2012, 23:34
I think it’s too early for any of us to judge this one. Only Kubica knows how is arm is feeling when he drives and therefore how much of a benefit driving competitively at this stage of the recovery process (which is no doubt still going on, due to the nature of the nerve injuries) there actually is.
Let’s see. If there are any more crashes in the coming months then it might actually be harming his F1 credentials to be honest.
Victor. (@victor)
16th September 2012, 1:18
I disagree completely.
Rallying is a perfect way to regain his mojo back. Single seater cockpits are too cramped for him to move his elbow. If it turns out he won’t be able to drive single seaters again his future might be in rallying. If it doesn’t, he’ll have several competitive performances under his belt. Crashing in rallying is no big deal, what happened last year was utterly unlucky. He’s not scared of it and I applaud that.
Perez is in the best position he could potentially be in. He essentially might have a choice in either a Ferrari or a McLaren drive. I personally would love to see some new blood in one of the top teams, and since McLaren has an opportunity to steal Perez from under LDM’s nose, I’d go ahead and sign him asap.
Also, people go on about how it might actually be a good switch for Hamilton, but I think he’d be a fool for doing it. Yes, 2014 is on the horizon, but at the cost of a likely write-off of 2013 and no guarantee of being competitive in 2014 onwards – I see no reason for McLaren being any less capable of producing a race-winning car under the new regulations than Mercedes. I think he, as well as his management, is primarily after the money, which is silly, but hey, it’s Hamilton.
To be fair to the Brackley squad though, Ross Brawn has assembled quite a technical force over the last few years so who knows, but looking simply at the last decade or so, McLaren has been at the very sharp end of the grid pretty much every single year since their championships with Hakkinen, with even the worse seasons of 2004, 2006 and 2009 being race-winning years. Honda/BAR/Brawn/Mercedes has been truly competitive 2009 and to an extent 2004, with 2006 being a bit of a fluke win. Past success does not guarantee future success – Schumacher’s Ferrari revival is testament to that – but is Hamilton a second Schumacher at his peak? The idea of Schumacher tweeting telemetry (if he could back then!) is a ludicrous one; it comes down to professionalism against being a spoiled little kid that’s seemingly more interested in being a hip-hop icon than a multiple F1 champion.
ben (@dubaemon)
16th September 2012, 22:57
I don t fully get the Hamilton criticism. Although he might want to live like a superstar, which he is, and many great racers have been living the same way from the 70s onwards. Well that s not a real default, if you only care about what he does on the track, don t we all? he might be egocentric and immature, well that s who he is. But he has been devoted to Mclaren for over 15 years, that s definietly not money motivated is it??? i think he s been super loyal and that he s allowed to look for something else, because it is normal to not stay in a team for so long ( https://www.racefans.net/2011/03/28/2011-australian-grand-prix-stats-facts/ ).
All in All, he s done mistakes but so did his team, forgive and forget and get on with it for next year as their development and perfs should stay relevant until 2014.
Maksutov (@maksutov)
16th September 2012, 4:21
Well, I agree with @jayt20 . Although it is understandable that Kubica is perhaps working to rebuild his reputation and skills. Frankly, rallying is the wrong way to go. Lets face it, rallying and F1 are two completely different sports. The only commonalities are that they both involve driving what appears to be a moving object that contains four wheels, a steering wheel and you sit in it. Kubicas skills best suit F1. Perhaps he is too aggressive for this style of racing. Raikkonen has tried it, he has tried it. It is time to face reality and let go.
What Kubica needs to do is follow Grosjean’s footsteps. Go back to another single seater division and build from there. If he doesn’t stop what he is doing, the next crash could very well end his life.
Blackmamba (@blackmamba)
16th September 2012, 9:54
@victor
You need to take your blinkers off about Michael. That’s the same guy who rammed Damon Hill so he wouldn’t lose the championship.
The same guy who put in his contract that his team mates were not allowed to beat him in a race.
The same guy who blocked Alonso in Monaco so he wouldn’t qualify ahead of him and beat him.
The same guy who nearly killed Ruebens by trying to drive him into a wall at very high speeds.
I could go on about the tyre war era but I’m sure you get the gist of it!
caci_99
16th September 2012, 10:32
Blinder than the blind, is the one who doesn’t accept what he sees.
BasCB (@bascb)
16th September 2012, 14:18
Come on @jayt20, it just shows that a.) he is driving full out and b.) its always close with rallying because there are no big runoff areas etc. c.) A rally car is safe enough when it crashes in a way that could be expected (not as the crash that disabled him where the guard-rails was wrongly fixed and sliced into the driver compartment).
Personally I think its great for him to be doing this. He can be competitive, and that will motivate him even more to do his utmost best to get back in F1. And its not as if its even remotely sure he will ever be able to get back, and he knows it. So isn’t it far better to go for Rallying, maybe get a good seat, and maybe in the future have a look at F1, instead of just doing training programs and sitting on the sidelines for another year?
xeroxpt (@)
16th September 2012, 1:15
2 months ago i said that Hamilton was too important for Mclarens finances, i thought he might join Ferrari but now that i hear them talking with Pérez, now i’m really starting to believe that it is going to happen of course not for Ferrari but for Mercedes, Ross Brawn and Lewis Hamilton, unstoppable no?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
16th September 2012, 9:59
Given Mercedes’ sheer lack of success in the past two and a half years, I’m beginning to wonder if 2009 was not simply a fluke.
bag0 (@bag0)
16th September 2012, 17:22
@prisoner-monkeys
I dont think it was a fluke. If I remember correctly, at the end of 2007 people form Honda said they are started developing the 2009 car. In my opinion the 2009 succes was due to the superb chassis, that Honda produced and built around the DDD, and the superior Mercedes engine. (note: Toyota and Williams had the DDD too, the main difference between those three teams were the powertrain and the invested time)
matt90 (@matt90)
16th September 2012, 17:29
And that Brawn’s diffuser was generally agreed to be the most aggressive and best integrated. The Mercedes engine was good, but the car wasn’t even designed for it, so I don’t think it can have been much of an advantage. Plus other engines were supposedly better in other respects (drive-ability, efficiency, size).
Spawinte (@spawinte)
16th September 2012, 1:16
Isn’t Will Power Australian?
Spawinte (@spawinte)
16th September 2012, 1:17
Never mind I read it wrong. derp
Julian (@julian)
16th September 2012, 3:44
Very relevant avatar ;)
f12007v (@f1fan-2000)
16th September 2012, 4:01
I can’t believe HAM is moving to a less competitive team just for $$$.
Maksutov (@maksutov)
16th September 2012, 4:32
It is probably a combination of several things, $$, contractual obligations and lifestyle. On the end of the day, Hamilton may not have a choice to pick and chose and/or change his mind now. As I’ve mentioned before, it is Ron Dennis who runs the show irrespective of who is the team principal. Ron makes the decisions on allocated finances in all areas of McLaren and subsequently decides (directly or indirectly) who works/drives in his F1 team and who does not. I believe the decision has already been made few weeks ago.
BasCB (@bascb)
16th September 2012, 14:19
Another part of the decision will surely be the fact that come 2014 Mercedes with Ross Brawn might well prove to be a better place to be than at McLaren.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
16th September 2012, 7:12
@f1fan-2000
First of all, it is believed that nothing has been signed yet. It has been suggested that a decision will be made/announced by Singapore next week, but even then, there has been no announcement that an announcement will be
announcedmade.Secondly, while money is undoubtedly a factor in Hamilton’s decision, it is not the only factor. As of next year, McLaren will have to start paying Mercedes for engines, and their future with Vodafone is unresolved. In all likelihood, they will have a reduced budget, which in turn will affect their ability to produce a competitive car. Furthermore, if you examine Mercedes’ season to date, you will notice that they only really introduced their first major aero package at the second round of Young Driver Tests at Magny-Cours, whereas the front-running teams have all had at least two major aero updates already this year. This naturally begs the question of where Mercedes’ resources are actually going, and seeing as it is unlikely that Hamilton is simply going to take the money and run – like every driver, he will want a competitive car – that leads me to believe that Mercedes have already made significant progress on their 2013 car. It’s widely believed that Ross Brawn has gone on a discreet recruitment drive, picking up talented designers and engineers ahead of 2013. Mercedes also have the benefit of developing an engine for 2014, which means that they can design their cars around the new engine, thereby gaining an advantage.
Finally, it’s a question of attitude. There have been reports suggesting that Hamilton does not get along with members of his own garage, and his season-long troubles last year will not have gone over well. Reactions post-Monza were visibly sedate for a team that had just won a race, suggesting that all is not well at Woking. How can a driver deliver his absolute best in an environment that is downcast, if not hostile?
verstappen (@verstappen)
16th September 2012, 8:18
$$$ are about being valued, not about how much you can spend.
Maybe McLaren value Hamilton exactly right, maybe the ‘spoilt-kid’-part ruins it for the ‘brilliant-talent’-part…
Blackmamba (@blackmamba)
16th September 2012, 10:10
On the other hand of course is the fact that Lewis is fed up with MacLaren and the way they seem to just bungle through a season. He will have just as good a chance if not better with Ross Brawn who actually knows how to win championships. He is rich already so money is not the sole driver behind this move for him.
You can call him a spoiled brat or whatever but the truth is human nature dictates that you let your feelings known when data is being hidden from you in a supposedly open environment.
Anyway it’s not a popularity contest or a beauty pageant, all I want is to see them race and the fastest win. Simples!!!!
Klaas (@klaas)
16th September 2012, 10:07
Why are people talking about Ham moving to Mercedes when there’s a vacant seat at Ferrari? + Alonso said he would welcome Hamilton at Maranello.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
16th September 2012, 10:29
@klaas – Uh, because aside from Alonso’s comments, there has been no indication that Ferrari is considering Hamilton as their second driver. No indication whatsoever. Indeed, all of the talk from Domenicali and di Montezemolo about how Massa knows what he needs to do to keep his seat and how Perez is not experienced enough to drive for Ferrari suggest that they will be keeping Massa next year.
JimmyTheIllustratedBlindSolidSilverBeachStackapopolis III
16th September 2012, 11:58
Because alonso lied.
davidnotcoulthard
16th September 2012, 15:21
No, because Lewis would be Fernando’s wingman.
Patrickl (@patrickl)
16th September 2012, 23:06
That’s what Alonso thought in 2007. Indeed until Hungary that was exactly what Lewis was.
vho (@)
17th September 2012, 5:47
I think one of the big issues is McLaren’s insistence of keeping the original driver’s trophy. If Lewis is as egotistic as some would say he is then keeping the original trophy would be high on his list.
Lewis won’t move to Ferrari unless he’s got in his contract that he’ll be given number 1 status, and knowing Ferrari and Alonso, that will never happen until Alonso leaves.
Ogurka
16th September 2012, 5:38
Wow, what a finish to the Indycar season! Will Power proves he hasn’t quite gotten the hang of oval track racing yet. Takumo Sato does yet another Last Lap Kamikaze and Ryan Hunter-Reay, who was out of a ride a few years ago, shows that he is the best all around driver in Indycar today. And Bob Jenkins closed out his 34 year career as an Indy announcer on a high note.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
16th September 2012, 15:19
Haha, good old Taku. Must have been a nerve-wracking last few laps for Hunter-Reay, running around next to him knowing he had to make the finish.
Himmat
16th September 2012, 7:18
Actually, Perez to McLaren doesn’t sound so bad after all. Now I’m wondering if Lewis even has a drive next season or not. Mercedes was never a done deal, only negotiating in the event Schumacher chooses to leave, which doesn’t look to be the case now. Since Hamilton was dragging his feet, McLaren decided they had enough and looked for another driver. I think serves Lewis right if he lost a drive as a result of his attitude.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
16th September 2012, 10:00
I very much doubt that Mercedes would have approached Hamilton without first knowing what Schumacher is doing.
John H (@john-h)
16th September 2012, 23:39
Which is why Rosberg might be about to leave. Who knows?
juergen (@juergen)
16th September 2012, 7:52
I think when Hamilton aligned with that “XIX managment” things were going to look gray from a purist point of view. Racing is just part of what defines Lewis. Ron said it himself, Lewis has a wider range of interests other than racing. Maybe moving from McLaren (if it happens) is part of a business scheme.
Valentino (@valentino)
16th September 2012, 7:56
How about this:
Perez to McLaren
Hamilton to Mercedes
Rosberg to Ferrari
Massa to Sauber
And everybody happy ;)
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
16th September 2012, 8:27
@valentino – Why would Sauber take Massa? I get that you want it to be nice and circular, but to my mind, it doesn’t make sense. Okay, so Ferrari have influence with Sauber because of the engine deal, but if they’re going to use that influence, then they’re probably going to use it to get Sauber to take Jules Bianchi.
If either Sauber driver leaves at the end of the year, then I imagine that the team would take Esteban Gutierrez, Jules Bianchi or Robin Frijns, depending on who can get a budget together.
nonny
16th September 2012, 8:31
Except sauber ;)
Downforce
16th September 2012, 9:10
And rosberg
ScuderiaVincero (@scuderiavincero)
16th September 2012, 12:53
and Kovalainen :)
Alex Brown (@splittimes)
16th September 2012, 9:40
Must mention Toyota’s win at the 6hrs of Sao Paolo yesterday evening. The car, driven by Alex Wurz and Nico Lappierre, won by over a lap to the nearest Audi, who were left scratching their heads after tyre troubles.
This is only the Toyota’s third race (it debuted at Le Mans) and only its second finish. Audi have dominated the sport since 2000, and have already sewn up the World Endurance Championship for this year, with three races to go. Its worth noting, however, that Audi didn’t win any races in their debut year.
JimmyTheIllustratedBlindSolidSilverBeachStackapopolis III
16th September 2012, 12:02
yup that was epic well done to toyota now don’t throw in the towel so quick at lemans next time and get a full program for next year up and running.
@HoHum (@hohum)
16th September 2012, 22:59
So Toyota pulled out of F1 because of the cost but now have the money to build an Audi beater in prototype sports cars. What’s wrong with this picture?
Patrickl (@patrickl)
16th September 2012, 23:11
Nothing?
They can probably do a whole decade of Le Mans racing on the budget of one season of F1. if not more.
F1Rollout (@f1rollout)
16th September 2012, 10:00
Raikkonen will partner Alonso next season. Hamilton and Rosberg will swap seats.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
16th September 2012, 10:02
Why on earth would Raikkonen go back to Ferrari, given the way he was treated last time?
F1Rollout (@f1rollout)
17th September 2012, 7:33
Because its a win-win situation for both parties. Raikkonen can challenge Alonso on his good days but he is very unlikely to create problems in the team. Thats exactly what Ferrari needs.
Valentino (@valentino)
16th September 2012, 10:42
Raikkonen will never drive for Ferrari again.
HUHHII (@huhhii)
16th September 2012, 10:56
Can’t see that happen. And I definitely hope it won’t happen! He’s clearly happy in Lotus, so why should he change to Ferrari, a team, whose drivers have to make loads and loads of PR-work?
I would like to see Kimi returning to McLaren, as that would have real nostalgic value for me, but McLaren will probably replace Hamilton with a younger driver, if Hamilton really is leaving the team.
Lexi
16th September 2012, 13:40
Mclaren wont have the fastest car at the beginning of the 2013 season and that will cause Kimi not to challenge till its too late like this year with Lewis. STAY AT LOTUS Kimi!!!!
Marco (@f1lipino)
16th September 2012, 21:46
I agree with HUHHII. I’ve always felt that Kimi had unfinished business at McLaren. I started watchsing F1 regularly in 2002 as a teen. Due to my intellectual level, I found the Ferrari/Schumi dominance to be an utter borefest.
I was captivated by McLaren. In my mind, they were the outsiders gunning for the establishment which was Ferrari. My F1 history was a bit sketchy.
Schumacher was an old codger to me at the time. Then Kimi started winning. I loved his attitude and candor. He was the one who really got me to follow the sport. He could have been a double WDC at McLaren. Alas, reliability.
Deurmat (@deurmat)
16th September 2012, 10:53
Who won Indy car championship?
Antonio Nartea (@tony031r)
16th September 2012, 11:02
Ryan Hunter-Reay after a brilliant race. I’d be going out of my way to find and watch the recording of it, if I were you. :)
MatK77 (@bluestar77)
16th September 2012, 14:30
Yes, it was a great race in the end. Both Power and Hunter-Reay were struggling with uncooperative cars which made every move up through the field a small battle. It all came down to the last lap, which is about as much as you can ask of any championship.
Congrats to RHR, looking forward to next season already. I’d like to see more power, Road America, Michigan, Cleveland and Pocono back on the calendar.
Oh, and thanks for the COTD, Keith!
Lexi
16th September 2012, 13:38
if its true, that means Perez will not be replacing Felipe next year; and 2014 will see Vettel in red. but thats a huge betrayal, Ferrari brought up Perez.
and why Kubica crashed is becuz his injured hand doesnt have full mobility…Sorry but he will never be baq in F1
chaostheory
16th September 2012, 17:00
If he can drive a WRC car (and win) with right hand at 50% functionality, why he can’t drive an F1 car with 85%? (If he can achieve this level of functionality, that is, and his rehabilitation has not ended)
Nickpkr
16th September 2012, 20:22
Betrayal ? Montezemolo said want more experience in Perez so now he can get WDC with Mclaren and still probably need another WDC before Luca admits he maybe interested in Perez.
Now Hamilton will crash that mercedes in frustration seeing finally a winner Mclaren car.
For Telmex replacing Vodafone and becoming champion would be quite worth the investment. Hell I’ll switch SIM right away !
Osama Shahid Sahi (@samshahidsahi)
16th September 2012, 21:06
I personally think that Hamilton has been at mclaren for a loong time, It is a team that has nurtured him,brought him to F1,and ultimately made him a star….so i think what Hamilton needs to do is to put everything else(corporate deals etc) aside and just solely concentrate on winning WDC’s and Constructors champ’ships fr his team. But maybe Mclaren too need to show some flexibility…..maybe the issues are biggger than that, who knows? but ultimately its a win-win situation fr the fans. If he stays, we get to see one of the finest talents in a fast car..If he goes we see what sort of a team builder he can be and how he can take mercedes forward.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
16th September 2012, 22:16
I am slowly becoming more convinced about the reasoning behind Hamilton to Mercedes (if only by virtue of no contract being signed with McLaren yet) but there are still a few nagging issues.
If stories earlier this year are to be believed then Mercedes aren’t happy with chucking money at a sport they’re getting little out of in the way of success. Throwing £60mil at Hamilton kinda goes against that idea but then again it does sort-of make sense if you factor in the new engine formula coming in a couple of years. That would make their previous apparent thoughts on the Mercedes F1 campaign look rather premature, unless of course it was just about putting pressure on the Concorde arrangements.
…hope that makes sense!
Perez to McLaren? Don’t see it to be honest. He doesn’t have to driver for Ferrari and I really doubt that he will have a problem staying on Ferrari’s radar for 2014 if he doesn’t make it for next year. The only possible way this can be true for me would be more about taking Perez away from Ferrari rather than specifically having him at McLaren.
Todd (@braketurnaccelerate)
17th September 2012, 22:05
I’m tired of speculating. I simply want to see SOME type of action…