[Theo Parkinson]

I thought it would be fun to play a game where we decide when each driver will retire and what they will achieve. I’ll start.

Hulkenberg: 2 world championships in 2018 and 2020 for Ferrari. 26 victories, 29 poles. Retires in 2025.

When will Vettel retire and what will he end his career with?

[Kingshark]

Lewis Hamilton
3 world championships
45 race wins
Retire in 2020

Nico Rosberg
1 world championship
15 race wins
Retire in 2018

Sebastian Vettel
5 world championships
60 race wins
Retire in 2022

[Meander]

Kimi Raikkonen
1 world championship
20 Race wins
16 Pole positions
Retires in 2015

[curmudgeon]

Fernando Alonso
2 world championships
37 race wins
22 pole positions
Retires end of 2016

Vettel will retire early (2019) with 6 championships. That saves the record for his boyhood hero.

Other predictions by Kingshark and Meander look prescient. And I hope, Theo, that the Hulk gets the top team that his talent deserves.

[Deej92]

I’ll also include teams driven for from now until retirement, just for added enjoyment. Here are a select few:

Sebastian Vettel – Red Bull (09-15), Ferrari (16-23).
6 world championships (10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20), 60 race wins, retires in 2023.

Daniel Ricciardo – Red Bull (14-20), BMW (21-24).
2 titles (16, 17), 25 wins, retires 2024.

Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes (13-18), McLaren (19-21).
3 titles (08, 14, 15), 50 wins, retires 2021.

Nico Rosberg – Mercedes (10-15), BMW (16-20).
1 title (18), 17 wins, retires 2020.

Fernando Alonso – Ferrari (10-15), McLaren (16-18).
2 titles (05, 06), 38 wins, retires 2018.

Kimi Raikkonen – Ferrari (14-15).
1 title (07), 20 wins, retires 2015.

Romain Grosjean – Lotus (12-15), Renault (16-18), McLaren (19-21).
0 titles, 6 wins, retires 2021.

Jenson Button – McLaren (10-15).
1 title (09), 16 wins, retires 2015.

Nico Hulkenberg – Force India (14-15), BMW (16-22).
1 title (21), 12 wins, retires 2022.

Valtteri Bottas – Williams (13-15), Mercedes (16-18), Renault (19-24).
0 titles, 3 wins, retires 2024.

Jules Bianchi – Marussia (13-14), Sauber (15), Ferrari (16-25).
0 titles, 17 wins, retires 2025.

[Theo Parkinson]

Hamilton

Championships 3 (2008,2014,2015,2020)
Wins 58 Poles 68
Future teams: Mercedes: 2013 to 2018, Mclaren: 2019 to 2021

Rosberg

Championships 0
Wins 18 Poles 16
Future teams: Mercedes: 2010 to 2016, Williams: 2017 to 2020

Alonso
Championships 3 (2005,2006,2016)
Wins: 41 Poles 28
Future teams: Ferrari: 2010 to 2018

Vettel
Championships 6 (2010,11,12,13,22,23)
Wins: 78 Poles: 80
Future teams: Red Bull (2009 to 2018) Williams (2019 to 2024)

[Theo Parkinson]

I mean 4 championships for Hamilton.

[Kamui Fan]

Sebastian Vettel – 4 WDC’s (2010,2011,2012,2013) 54 Wins 63 Poles (Retires 2020)
Daniel Ricciardo – 0 WDC’s 10 Wins 7 Poles (Retires 2025)
Lewis Hamilton – 4 WDC’S (2008,2014,2015,2017) 47 Wins 70 Poles (Retires 2021)
Nico Rosberg – 0 WDC’s 15 Wins 20 Poles (Retires 2019)
Fernando Alonso – 3 WDC’s (2005,2006,2016) (Retires 2017)
Kimi Raikkonen – 1 WDC (2007) 23 Wins 17 Poles (Retires 2016)
Romain Grosjean – 0 WDC’s 4 Wins 5 Poles (Retires 2020)
Pastor Maldonado – 0 WDC’s 1 Win 1 Pole (Forced Retirement 2014)
Jenson Button – 1 WDC (2009) 15 Wins 8 Poles (Retires 2015)
Kevin Magnussen – 1 WDC (2020) 18 Wins 22 Poles (Retires 2027)
Nico Hulkenberg – 2 WDC’s (2018,2019) 25 Wins 29 Poles (Retires 2020)
Sergio Perez – 0 WDC’s 7 Wins 3 Poles (Retires 2026)
Esteban Gutierrez – 0 WDC’s 0 Wins 0 Poles (Forced Retirement 2014)
Adrian Sutil – 0 WDC’s 0 Wins 0 Poles (Retires 2014)
Jean Eric Vergne – 0 WDC’s 2 Wins 1 Pole (Retires 2016)
Daniil Kvyat – 0 WDC’s 6 Wins 6 Poles (Retires 2030)
Felipe Massa – 0 WDC’s 11 Wins 15 Poles (Retires 2015)
Valtteri Bottas – 0 WDC’s 12 Wins 15 Poles (Retires 2022)
Jules Bianchi – 0 WDC’s 8 Wins 8 Poles (Retires 2025)
Max Chilton – 0 WDC’s 0 Wins 0 Poles (Forced retirement 2014)
Kamui Kobayashi – 0 WDC’s 1 Win 0 Poles (Retires 2018)
Marcus Ericsson – 0 WDC’s 0 Wins 0 Poles (Forced retirement 2014)

[pH]

Max Chilton – 0 WDC’s 0 Wins 0 Poles, retires mid-season in 2018 after starting in and finishing his 100th consecutive GP.

[David Not Coulthard]

@ph Bernd Mayländer, after 0 GP entries retires right after Chilton does and gets replaced by him.

[Iestyn Davies]

Hopefully Sutil, Maldonado, Gutierrez and Chilton move on, but that’s unlikely as they all bring huge bundles of cash. Thus, it is more likely that we may not see Vergne, Pic etc. racing again. Ericsson as long as his cash lasts..

Massa has a like-for-like replacement with Nasr. Kobayashi will struggle to continue without bringing more cash from 2015 onwards.. unless he ‘does a Salo’ with Haas. Vergne has been unlucky with reliability… he was on for 5th in Monaco, yet will probably be forgotten after 2014, like Alguersuari.

Raikkonen should continue for one more year, seeing out his contract, as he still is keeping up with Alonso. Retiring at the end of 2015 (aged 36), it’ll be interesting to see if Bianchi is promoted, or Hulkenberg at last. Marciello would be ready to step up to F1 from 2016 onwards.. at which point Forza Rossa comes to the grid (Ferrari B-team, courtesy of Romania).

Vergne (2014) – replaced by Sainz Jr for 2015.
Pic (2014) – if he drives a replacement race for Maldonado this year, else (2013).
Sutil (2014) – replaced by Van der Garde for 2015.
Kobayashi (2014) – unless he ends up alongside Alexander Rossi, developing Haas for 2016 entry.
Raikkonen (2015) – replaced by Bianchi, who duly becomes the number 2 driver to Alonso.
Massa (2015) – replaced by Nasr, after his year of FP1s.. though Felipe claims to have a 3 year contract, making it (2016).
Ericsson (2015) – until someone with more cash comes along.
Chilton (2015) – I can live in hope the same happens here…
VDG (2016) – same as above, although it probably needs Sauber being bought by a manufacturer, who can promote talent.
De Silvestro (2017) – At the moment, I can see Simona getting 3 years to make a stir, which is comparative to Paul di Resta/an average F1 career length.
Alonso (2016) – Alonso could go on the longest of the ‘over 30’ crowd, but will eventually be replaced, hopefully by Hulkenberg, or Bianchi if Hulk replaced Kimi. Still on 2 titles, but revered like Jim Clark as better than his title count.
Button (2015) – I wonder if Button will retire at the end of 2014, but if he drives next year it’s only to give Honda a WDC lead driver. I can see Hulk or Vandoorne replacing him soon, and he’s likely to retire once Jessica is pregnant.

Talking of cash… Maldonado will drive as long as he is supported. That could end after this year, a few years, or he could be around for a long time yet. Same goes for Gutierrez (perhaps alongside Perez at Force India if Slim takes over, making it Force/Viva la Mexico). Hulkenberg needs to get a McLaren or Ferrari seat to safeguard his future, while Vandoorne and Bianchi should get into those teams in time.

The more spaces there are on the grid, the more hope that Frijns, de Vries, Max Verstappen etc. can make it onto the grid. Ocon looks like the next Frenchman to come up at Lotus, so Vergne and Pic might not be able to back up Grosjean/Maldonado there much longer past 2015.

2014 – Hamilton
2015 – Hamilton? (Giving Lewis 3 titles.. it’s hard to predict much further!)

It’s fair to say though that this will be remembered as a Golden Era for F1.. We’ll have Vettel and Hamilton in the top ten drivers lists, and Alonso and Raikkonen just outside. This coming straight after the Schumi-Senna battle that never really got going… with Hakkinen taking over for Senna. The 80’s weren’t that bad either..

[Author]

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