F1 2015: Round 16 United States Grand Prix

Andrew76

Uno my Uno. wrote: »

They aren't trying very hard if that's the case, look at all the young talent within F1 that can't get a decent drive and would do anything to drive for Ferrari.

What young talent is that though? The only young drivers with enough quality to sit in a red car right now imo are Bottas, Ricciardo and Verstappen. Max is way too young for Ferrari to hire him (that 4th place in Texas was brilliant though).

Hulkenberg and Kyvat look distinctly average compared to their team mates. If Hulkenberg was good enough he would've had a top drive long before now.

Not sure when Ricciardo's contract with RB is up (assuming they will be around for a while yet) and would Ferrari run the risk of upsetting Vettel hiring him? Which really only leaves Bottas.

AMKC

astrofluff wrote: »

If

Esteban Guttierez

has a good year with Haas, then maybe he'll get bumped into Kimi's seat for 2017.

Is he going to be at Haas next year? Has it been confirmed yet?

Cookie_Monster

hughie1989 wrote: »

I think Nico/Seb partnership in Ferrari would be very interesting, Nico certainly needs to leave Mercedes. Is Kimi really past it? I think he is a great driver

there is zero chance of Ferrari actually wanting Rosberg though

Uno my Uno.

Andrew76 wrote: »

What young talent is that though? The only young drivers with enough quality to sit in a red car right now imo are Bottas, Ricciardo and Verstappen. Max is way too young for Ferrari to hire him (that 4th place in Texas was brilliant though).

Hulkenberg and Kyvat look distinctly average compared to their team mates. If Hulkenberg was good enough he would've had a top drive long before now.

Not sure when Ricciardo's contract with RB is up (assuming they will be around for a while yet) and would Ferrari run the risk of upsetting Vettel hiring him? Which really only leaves Bottas.

Bottle, Kvyatt,

Jordan 199

Uno my Uno. wrote: »

Bottle, Kvyatt,

I'm still not so sure about Bottas. He isin't exactly trashing Massa this year.

Slutmonkey57b

Myrddin wrote: »

Lewis took Nico beautifully at the first turn, without breaking any rules, & was in fact lucky to take the lead because of the move (the two RB boys were a massive threat thereafter).

I think Lewis, and other drivers, have been incredibly lucky not to be penalised for running drivers off the track while "keeping the racing line" (an obvious bull**** excuse).

If you have to go off the track to make the pass stick, you haven't "made" the pass. If you have to drive someone off the track to make it stick, you haven't "made" the pass either.

If that was Monaco, Lewis would have needed to push Nico's car into the barriers, and would have been disqualified.

But asking the FIA to enforce track limits is clearly a lost battle, they don't give a toss.

Anesthetize

Slutmonkey57b wrote: »

But asking the FIA to enforce track limits is clearly a lost battle, they don't give a toss.

If they really wanted to enforce track limits then they wouldn't make it so easy to leave the track.

Some good old-fashioned grass, gravel and high kerbing would do the trick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMJgGDCQ0SI

CFlat

Jordan 191 wrote: »

I'm still not so sure about Bottas. He isin't exactly trashing Massa this year.

Yea, only 2 points ahead of a driver who was pretty much comprehensively beaten by all his teammates over most of his F1 career. And Kyvat is ahead of Riccardo on points so while most fans do rate Ricky, he's not exactly hammering Kyvat.

They say that the only driver you can only truly measure yourself against in F1, is your teammate.

Cookie_Monster

Slutmonkey57b wrote: »

But asking the FIA to enforce track limits is clearly a lost battle, they don't give a toss.

The Gold Coast organisers have the right idea on lerbs

Charlie-Bravo

AMKC wrote: »

Is he going to be at Haas next year? Has it been confirmed yet?

No, but odds on for the drive, hence spoiler!!

H3llR4iser

Schwiiing wrote: »

Petulant of Rosberg to throw the cap but no need for Hamilton to throw it in the first place. Hamilton knew exactly what he was at.

Also that smirk between Wolff and Lauda when Rosberg made the mistake :mad:

mickdw wrote: »

Ya I didn't like that reaction from Toto.
Would make Rosberg think he was fighting against the team as much as Lewis.
It doesn't take much from there for a driver to wonder if he is getting equal equipment or being nobbled if his car breaks down.
That said he got the best of the strategy today and lewis was lucky to get the final safety car.

That is something that shouldn't be ignored. While it can be certainly said that Hamilton is, right now, a better all-around driver than Rosberg and that he drove a phenomenal 2015 season, it needs to be pointed out that the two have been more or less matched until the second half of last season - and Nico was often quicker in qualifying. Had he won the 2014 title, Rosberg would have been a worthy champion.

Instead he hasbeen showing a very remissive attitude since the infamous 2014 Belgian Grand Prix, to the extend that in some circles he's now dubbed as "Rosberger". Very similar to what happened to the Ferrari-style Massa after the "Fernando is faster than you" incident.

He quite clearly lacks motivation, anybody with a pair of eyes to see can understand that, deep down, AMG's management prefers to see Hamilton on top; If nothing else, to justify the massive salary to the parent company - remember Ferrari losing Irvine the 1999 title with a "missing tire"? Similar story.

Right now Nico knows he has to stay where he is because, in the end, he's driving one of only two cars that can reasonably expect to win every race. The moment Mercedes won't be dominant anymore, he'll go somewhere else...and I wouldn't be surprised to see a rejuvenated driver, just like Massa and Vettel.

Myrddin

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Had he won the 2014 title, Rosberg would have been a worthy champion.

Can't say I'd agree there. It wasn't until this year (2015), that he had his first back to back win (and even that was handed to him on a plate after Lewis threw away a 20 second lead in Monaco of all places). He's generally only ever been on hand to pick up the scraps, & if it wasn't for the double points farce of last year, he'd have been beaten again with a race to spare. I will acknowledge he is fast, we seen that last year in Quali...but come race day, they're not on the same planet. I agree with everything else you say though, he's clearly lacking motivation and possibly even trust in the team at this stage, & a move to a competitive rival would likely see a resurgence in Nico. Merc is Lewis's team now, & he knows that. How long is he contracted with Merc for?