Who will get dropped in F1 in 2015
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Ahead of the season starting, it is difficult to predict who might be competitive or a disaster in F1 in 2015! So it’s the perfect time to ask … who will get dropped during 2015, or lose their seat at the end of it?
I predict this:
McLaren – Button retires or gets dropped. Hulkenberg gets his big break. Alonso stays.
Ferrari – Raikkonen gets dropped, Bottas replaces him. Vettel stays.
Red Bull – no change
Mercedes – no change
Williams – Massa retires. Nasr and money arrives. Raikkonen arrives.
Sauber – Ericsson dropped mid-season, a recovered Bianchi replaces him (hopefully!) and continues into 2016. Maldonado joins.
Force India – Perez and money stays, Van Der Garde and money comes in.
Lotus/Genii – anyone with money comes in.
Toro Rosso – no change.
Haas – Rossi and Wolff.
Caterham – Magnussen and Vandoorne (perhaps wishful thinking!)
Manor/Marussia – Vergne and Gutierrez (again wishful thinking)Well, this is the sort of hypothetical question that you would not see in ‘Motor Sport mag’. As always in motor sport it is usually the best cars that produce the results so it’s all a bit of a lottery. Drivers careers have been made and ruined by what they were sitting in apart from the few proper drivers over the last 50 years and we have no idea how the 2015 cars will perform. If that’s you in your photo Rodney then you’ll know exactly what I am talking about and will probably reconsider your daft question. Personally, I feel that any driver who can put up with Sky’s awful musakal presentations deserves to lose his seat.
I think if Ericsson does nothing special then he may be out, I’m hoping vergne will come back and I’ve always hoped that Alquesuari would come back but I doubt that will happen. I believe Kvyat will have to preform well or could be out. I also believe that in the fickle world of F1 Grosjean could lose out if Genii’s finances are in place. I also don’t believe that Manor or Caterham will be there.
It’s fair to say that Modena was underrated, and he did drive the car in the photo (well, number 7).
2015.. I can see Raikkonen & Button retiring soon, maybe after this year. Raikkonen has a baby, Button might have one soon and always said he’d retire once he’s a father. But I can also see them trying to hang on for 2016, to see the fruits of the new Ferrari/McLaren.
If they retire, it could be Hulk at Ferrari and Magnussen/Vandoorne in at McLaren. If not Hulk, then Vergne is in the pound seat until Marciello is ready. Of course, it would have been Bianchi after 2015 at Sauber, had Japan 2014 not happened. In that respect, Vergne has now taken his place, after RB fired him. If not.. another year waiting for Hulk, Vergne, Magnussen and Vandoorne (and McLaren now with 2 juniors ready & waiting to join F1..).
The mid-year risk is Maldonado (if his oil money runs out). Maybe Ocon would be thrown in? Palmer is in a good position there, or someone like Vergne. Force India need a paying reserve, after Sirotkin was priced out by the Rouble devaluation (halving in value since mid-2014), before coming up with a replacement for Hulkenberg, if he departs for 2016. Maybe a Mercedes junior? Mexican buyout/double team?
Haas I can see bringing Sutil, Gutierrez and Rossi to the table for 2016, which was a line-up pilloried in 2014. Vergne may turn it down if offered, if it doesn’t look like a competitive ride, noting what happened to Kobayashi, Kovalainen, Trulli, Glock etc. in the slow cars. If Massa retires, then you’d think Nasr would replace him, opening the door for Marciello at Sauber in 2016, unless Williams plumps for Lynn and whatever he can bring.
Red Bull could be interesting… they only have Gasly in line now. Olsen would make sense, but not adding anyone else makes you wonder if they don’t plan to be in F1 after another 5 years. Gasly can have 2 chances to win GP2, unless they boot out Sainz, Max or Kvyat after a disappointing year and call him straight up to replace them.
I think that both Alonso and Button will have performance related clauses in their contracts with Mclaren so that they have the option to walk away and most likely retire from F1 and possibly into other forms of racing. Button showed interest in the world endurance championship last year and Alonso wanted to race at Le Mans but wasnt allowed. One thing is for certain they both have few races in front of them then behind them
@Dan According to Mclaren, Alonso is locked in for 2 years
@fastiesty You’re not far off, my profile pic is of Andrea de Cesaris! Modena drove the No.7 Brabham-BMW at the last race of 1987, once Patrese had gone to Williams-Honda to replace the injured Mansell.
@meditek There is no need to resort to personal insults – and the moderators don’t take kindly to it. Others here clearly don’t think my question was ‘daft’.
@Broke84 or so we’ve been told
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