www.planetf1.com
What else is there to talk about? The cars are basically the same and the driver lineups from last year are identical. The new names of teams are laughably bad, but I guess it doesn't matter because they'll all be at the back of the grid. How many consecutive months can they ask "Is Sergio Perez out at Red Bull?"The Hamilton to Ferrari rumors just wonāt end even after guy signs a two year deal with Merc. lol
Suspicious timing with the Andretti news. Now we have a massive rumor about Ferrari and Hamilton part 2.
This hadnāt been brought up here yet but itās actually hideous how bad they are. I canāt even remember what Sauberās is. Kick Stake Sauber or whatever - what? They got teams named **** like that and Visa CashApp Racing and want to talk about how Andretti would detract from the āprestige and standingā of the championship.
Even if that were to happen - I dunno if it will in that specific way or if it slowly fades from public interest in the US - the people who are saying now about how it's great Andretti got rejected will simply say "See, we needed to protect President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho Crypto Scam 10000 Racing because the Americans couldn't be trusted to love F1 like we do!"
Thing is theyāre also doing what they can to disenchant the long-time fans as well. Zandvoort is probably gone whenever Max retires, they play games with Spa, Catalunya is off the board, theyāre yanking Monacoās chain with some Nice street circuit concept, theyāre pushing Osaka to put together a street race. Thereās foreseeably a period coming where the calendar as a whole is totally unrecognizable and some of the biggest legends in the sport are all gone. It could get ugly.
Everyone assuming the teams will be negotiating to make the anti-dilution $1 billion dollars are fools; the teams are telling them to their face and have been for two years now that they want franchises. The degree to which F1 will resemble NASCAR in 5 years in terms of structure and rules changes (you really think they won't institute GWC finishes and then go looking for some gravel on track?) I think will shock people.
Sainz is already rumored to be in line for the Audi seat, and today a rumor was floated he might move to Mercedes. Anything else, I'de rather see him in WEC or Indycar. Sainz is a really talented driver who like everyone else is unfortunate enough to live in the Verstappen era.
We thought Lewis was crazy to leave McLaren too.
Mercedes is probably hanging their hopes on George.
I'm disappointed Hamilton didn't finish up at Mercedes. All the talk about unity and harmony and then when it gets tough he stiffs them. After six championships I didn't expect this.
Huh? I mean, the deal he was on was only for two years and Lewis isn't getting any younger. He mentioned previously that he would be interested in driving for Ferrari. Not to mention, there maybe other opportunities involved with said move. So, he's toughed it out over the past five years and wants to move on.
With only 20 seats up for grabs for the foreseeable future, driver moves that involve new talent naturally mean displacing someone else possibly forever (since being out of F1 usually leads to you never returning). Sainz winding up at Sauber Audi where he maybe manages to finish in the top 5 in points a la the Kubica/Heidfeld days is fine but we all deep down know how that's gonna go whether Max is around or not.
I have no idea if I was prescient enough to say "Going to Mercedes is probably fine" and even if I did, big whoop. I don't recall thinking "He's doomed." Then again how many people understood before pre-season testing how off the pace Alonso and McLaren in their second iteration together would be?
I remember analyzing lap times from 2022 and between Russell and Hamilton, Russell had the faster lap about 60% of the time. Not sure about 2023 but I guess I don't care anymore. Maybe I should because it would make me an excellent gambler when I have this much institutional knowledge and only contempt for the sport itself.
F1 is cut throat and I don't blame anyone for doing whatever enriches them most. Someday there will be a Hamilton biography and we'll learn all about his relationships with Alonso and Rosberg, his sex life, his personal trainer leaving him last year that everyone treated as the biggest story of the season, and the decisions to move to Mercedes and Ferrari.
Lewis could also be kissing off that lifetime Mercedes ambassador deal. Maybe I'm not greedy enough, but once you're making $40 mill a year it's got to be more than just business.
Discounting 2021 (which was a farce anyway), only the last two years have been tough.
Toto said if they could not give him a winning car, Lewis would be right to move, but the car has only been bad for two years.
The tin foil hats say F1 paid Lewis to jump ship to divert attention.And Poof!! Andretti story goes bye bye!
The timing of the story dropped to the public to draw attention away from all the bad publicity over Andretti. Change the narrative.The tin foil hats say F1 paid Lewis to jump ship to divert attention.
I think Lewis has shown last year and over the back half of 2022 heās still probably the second-best driver in the series. Sainz is alright and will probably land on his feet (Audi still seems fairly likely), but heās no Lewis Hamilton.
Why stick around where you're not wanted, especially where the Brass doesn't want you?
That's the only part of this that makes any sense to me.
