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Lots of real interesting speculation as to who will take Nico's place: Wherlein, Alonso, Vettel, Bottas, Button? Toto Wolff says they are in no hurry to name another driver. I just can't get over how incredible this is. I've never ever heard of this happening so soon after the season ends. Could be the first time actually, I'll have to check that out.
Lots of real interesting speculation as to who will take Nico's place: Wherlein, Alonso, Vettel, Bottas, Button? Toto Wolff says they are in no hurry to name another driver. I just can't get over how incredible this is. I've never ever heard of this happening so soon after the season ends. Could be the first time actually, I'll have to check that out.
As to your last question, the last time the F1 WDC retired after the season ended, it was Prost in 1993.
However he had made the decision before the last race as he did not want to stay at Williams with Senna as his teammate in 1994.
Mansell sorta retired in 1992 in a similar situation as he didn't want to partner Prost and Williams was giving Mansell #1 driver status as well, and Frank was also cutting his salary.
Mansell did come back in 1994 to Williams to partner Hill toward the end of the season at Renault's request (they like Coldhard but wanted Mansell more), and a awful 1995 with McLaren.
I cannot think of any other situation besides those two.
As to your last question, the last time the F1 WDC retired after the season ended, it was Prost in 1993.
However he had made the decision before the last race as he did not want to stay at Williams with Senna as his teammate in 1994.
Mansell sorta retired in 1992 in a similar situation as he didn't want to partner Prost and Williams was giving Mansell #1 driver status as well, and Frank was also cutting his salary.
Mansell did come back in 1994 to Williams to partner Hill toward the end of the season at Renault's request (they like Coldhard but wanted Mansell more), and a awful 1995 with McLaren.
I cannot think of any other situation besides those two.
Precisely my point-Mansell's hissy fit and Prost's very temporary retirement really don't count.
A crazy thought: Button in the MBZ for 2017. Who better to set up a car, develop a car and drive well than Button? 2017 will be a lot different I suspect than this year and I wouldn't be surprised if the Mercedes dominance has disappeared. I'm thinking it will be a RBR kind of year . . .
A crazy thought: Button in the MBZ for 2017. Who better to set up a car, develop a car and drive well than Button? 2017 will be a lot different I suspect than this year and I wouldn't be surprised if the Mercedes dominance has disappeared. I'm thinking it will be a RBR kind of year . . .
I thought of this after our chat the other day. Does kinda make a lot of sense, and Lewis and him got along well enough when they were teammates.
Also, thanks for letting me know after the news broke.
Sharethis pageLewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso had a stormy relationship at McLaren in 2007Mercedes are thinking about signing McLaren driver Fernando Alonso to replace Nico Rosberg, team boss Toto Wolff says.
Rosberg, 31, retired five days after winning the Formula 1 world title.
"You have to consider Fernando," Wolff told Sky Sports. "He is a driver I respect a lot. He combines talent, speed and experience. It's all there."
A move would reunite 35-year-old Alonso with Lewis Hamilton, whom he partnered at McLaren for one season in 2007.
But the pair had a stormy relationship, leading to the Spaniard leaving the team after agreeing an early release from his contract.
Two-time champion Alonso is entering the final year of his contract, which may force Mercedes to look elsewhere.Who will replace Rosberg at Mercedes?With testing due to begin in February, the constructors' champions will have to move quickly to find a replacement.Former Mercedes test driver Pascal Wehrlein, 22, remains the most realistic target to join British three-time champion Hamilton, who recently said he "doesn't care" who Mercedes pick.
Wolff added: "He [Alonso] is in a contract with McLaren-Honda at the moment and we just need to weigh all the other options up.
"Both drivers will have equal status and equal opportunity to the best of our abilities. We owe it to the fans. You can't have a pecking order."
Paris: The French Grand Prix is returning to the Formula One calendar in 2018 after a decade-long absence at Le Castellet's Paul Ricard circuit near Marseille, organisers announced on Monday.
"The French Grand Prix is making its comeback," Christian Estrosi, president of the Provence-Alpes-Cotes d'Azur region told a press conference in Paris.
Estrosi made the announcement at the Automobile Club de France which helped stage the first ever grand prix in 1906.
The desired optimal date for the new French race would be late August or early September 2018, between the usual dates for the Belgium and Italian GP races.
French driver Romain Grosjean was one of the first to welcome the news.
"Really super happy for all the French fans who will have their Grand Prix and who can come and support us" the Haas team driver posted on Twitter.
Felipe Massa in a Ferrari won the last F1 race staged in France in 2008 at Magny-Cours, when a major budget deficit was shouldered by the French state and local authorities.
The Paul Ricard venue has held 14 F1 races in all between 1971 and 1990 when French four-time champion Alain Prost was victorious.
"We lost this GP in 1990, it's returning now to Provence and that's only right for our region," Estrosi observed.
Since 2002 the track's shareholders have invested 80 million euros ($85.6mn) to bring it up to scratch.
"It's a venue that is both recognised and appreciated," Estrosi declared.
He said the cost of staging the race had been estimated in an independent audit at 30 million euros - 14 million coming from local authorities and the balance from direct revenue.
"And the impact on the local economy will be 65 million euros," he added, quoting figures from the audit into the project conducted by international consultants Deloitte.
Estrosi disclosed that it was only last month that he believed F1 would return to his region.
"The crucial moment was when we met (F1 supremo and the track's former owner) Bernie Ecclestone, on 16 November in Geneva with (FIA) president Jean Todt.
"We put all the numbers involved on the table, he believed us and I felt that he had confidence in us."
The circuit is named in honour of the man who used to bankroll it, the late industrialist who made his fortune from pastis.
I love it when Newey's contract came up for renewal at McAlren after having won two WDC and one WCC, and Dennis tried to resign him for only 75% of his current pay.
Then Newey looked at Jaguar (with his old friend Bobby Rahal) and then Dennis had to pay 300% to retain Newey.
Bottas is MBZ's choice and apparently Williams have rejected MBZ's first offer of a 10M euro reduction for MBZ engines next year in exchange for his release. Paddy Lowe off to Williams too. I wonder how much of that is because of no one backing his call to Lewis in Abu Dhabi that Hamilton ignored?
Although Alonso is under contract for one more season at McLaren, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff admitted to Sky F1 that "you have to consider Fernando". However, both new McLaren boss Zak Brown and Flavio Briatore, Alonso's manager, have since insisted the Spaniard is not seeking a move away.
Alonso attended McLaren's Woking headquarters on Tuesday for a 2017 seat fit and engineering meetings and, in a post on Twitter, the team quoted the Spaniard as saying: "I believe in this project, I'm committed and I want to be world champion with McLaren-Honda.
"That's my only goal."
Mercedes have identified Williams' Valtteri Bottas as their number one target to replace Rosberg for 2017, but Sky Sports understands the Grove team have rejected the world champions' initial approach for their driver.
Negotiations are understood to be ongoing with Williams, who Mercedes supply with engines. The Grove team are likely to be seeking a significant financial settlement if they are to countenance losing the experience of the 27-year-old Bottas from their line-up.
Mercedes junior Pascal Wehrlein, who remains in the running for Rosberg's vacated seat himself, is also thought to have been offered to Williams as a replacement for Bottas.
The odds on Alonso replacing Rosberg have drifted in recent days following the comments by first Brown and then Briatore.
. . . . who Rosberg's replacement is but it doesn't take a genius to figure out who it will be:
Williams said they are willing to release Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas to join Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year.
“I’m delighted to see that a team like Mercedes lists Valtteri as a potential replacement for Nico Rosberg,” Williams deputy principal Claire Williams told BBC Sport.
Mercedes are seeking a replacement for the world champion Rosberg, who retired last month.
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“We have always known Valtteri is one of the sport’s key talents and are proud that the championship leaders recognise this,” Williams said.
Bottas has finished on the podium nine times in his career, but is yet to win.
Williams said that Bottas would be let go “if an experienced, credible alternative was available.”
“However, Williams has its own ambitions and we must always ensure we give our team the best opportunity to move forward. Any changes would only be made if Williams remains in a strong position to compete and develop in 2017.”
Williams said that Felipe Massa could return, despite also retiring this year.
The fifth-placed team in the championship this year rejected number one Mercedes’ first offer for Bottas, but negotiations are continuing.
Mercedes said they would not make an announcement on Rosberg’s replacement until at least January 3.
Hamilton said his team must consult him on the replacement.
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Promoted by goodrx.com “Basically, once they’ve dwindled it down to five drivers, or whatever it is, the shortlist, contractually they have to discuss with me,” Hamilton told Channel 4.
“They can put any driver they want — bring Sebastian [Vettel], Fernando [Alonso], bring whoever you really want. I drove against Fernando in my first year [at McLaren in 2007] and beat him, so that’s not a worry for me. I am happy to drive against any of them, but in terms of what is best for the team, probably not the best ideas.”
Formula One: Williams open to Bottas move to Mercedes
Williams have indicated they would be open to Valtteri Bottas joining Formula One champions Mercedes next season. Deputy team principal Claire Williams said a suitable replacement for the Finn would have be found.
"Williams has its own ambitions and we must always ensure we give our team the best opportunity to move forward," Williams told the BBC in the first open recognition by either side that a deal could be done.
"Any changes would only be made if Williams remains in a strong position to compete and develop in 2017,” she added.
"If we did allow Valtteri to leave, we would only do this if an experienced, credible alternative was available, such as someone like Felipe Massa for example."
Mercedes, the dominant team in Formula One, are looking for a driver after German Nico Rosberg's shock announcement this month that he was retiring only five days after winning the championship.
Brazilian Massa also retired from Formula One at the end of the season, but that was seen more as a consequence of Williams signing 18-year-old Canadian rookie Lance Stroll to partner the experienced Bottas.
Massa has said he wants to keep racing and might be tempted to return for one more F1 campaign, despite an emotional farewell to his home fans in Brazil last month, to help out Williams.
Close ties
Both teams have close ties, with Williams powered by Mercedes engines.
The BBC reported at the weekend that Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff had offered a 10 million euro cut in Williams' engine bill in return for allowing Bottas, the bookmakers' favourite to replace Rosberg, to leave.
Wolff is also a former Williams director and is involved in Bottas's management from a distance.
A Mercedes spokesman said earlier that no announcement was planned between now and Jan. 3 and there was no significance in the latter date, other than it marking the end of the holidays.
Hottest vacancy
Mercedes, who have won both the drivers' and constructors' titles for the past three years in a row as well as 19 of this season's 21 races, have a shortage of experienced and available contenders for the sport's hottest vacancy.
The likes of double world champion Fernando Alonso, at McLaren, and Ferrari's four-time title-holder Sebastian Vettel have ruled themselves out.
Mercedes have German reserve Pascal Wehrlein, who raced for Manor this year, under contract but are clearly looking for a more experienced partner for triple world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Bad for everybody
The sport's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone said this week that Hamilton would run away with a fourth championship without a strong team mate.
"I don't think anybody is going to beat Lewis," he told Sky Sports television.
"Nobody would want to buy tickets and go to watch a race or watch on television Lewis disappearing from us when the lights go off, and probably lapping the field a couple of times.
"It would be bad for everybody and bad for Lewis as well, because I think he wants to win fair and wants to beat somebody."
Lewis Hamilton warns Mercedes over big-name Nico Rosberg replacement
• Former world champion not keen on Fernando Alonso reunion
• Williams now open to Valtteri Bottas’s exit
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes must consult him on who should replace Nico Rosberg next season but warned them against signing a big name like Fernando Alonso.
Mercedes have identified Valtteri Bottas, currently under contract at Williams, as their preferred choice to replace the recently retired world champion, Rosberg, but the team’s head of motorsport, Toto Wolff, admitted Hamilton’s former McLaren team-mate Alonso – with whom he endured a frosty relationship in 2007 – should be considered.
Williams have, for the first time, opened the door to the potential of Bottas’s exit and the British driver is keen for the team to keep him informed
“Basically, once they’ve dwindled it down to five drivers, or whatever it is, the shortlist, contractually they have to discuss with me,” the three-times world champion told Channel 4 television.
“They can put any driver they want – bring Sebastian [Vettel], Fernando [Alonso], bring whoever you really want. I drove against Fernando in my first year [at McLaren in 2007] and beat him, so that’s not a worry for me. I am happy to drive against any of them. But in terms of what is best for the team, probably not the best ideas.”
Mercedes have made it plain that Bottas is their man to replace Rosberg and Williams confirmed they would be open to his move if a replacement could be found.
Williams’ deputy team principal, Claire Williams, told BBC Sport the team would let Bottas leave “if an experienced, credible alternative was available”. They also hinted that Felipe Massa could return, despite retiring at the end of this season.
“I’m delighted to see that a team like Mercedes lists Valtteri as a potential replacement for Nico,” Williams said. “If we did allow Valtteri to leave, we would only do this if an experienced, credible alternative was available, such as someone like Felipe Massa, for example. We have always known Valtteri is one of the sport’s key talents and are proud that the championship leaders recognise this.”
Whoever comes into Mercedes, Hamilton will be an interested observer.
“I don’t have a say who it is. I recently [saw] comments online saying, ‘Lewis doesn’t care who his team mate is,’ which is a little bit out of context,” added the 31-year-old. “It is important who we have in the second car, important for team morale. We’ve seen in other teams and times where it can be a poisonous effect on a team, the arch rivalry between drivers.
“And so for sure that’s really important, because I’m really happy here, I love being where I am. There have been some interesting scenarios. We generally always pull through – so we have to make sure that whatever we bring is at least as good as what we had, if not better, in terms of creating that energy.
“I’ve had experiences with certain individuals in the past which I would strongly advise not in a team, to have that scenario. But what I meant is I will drive against any single driver you want.”
Mercedes said on Thursday that they would not make an announcement on Rosberg’s replacement until at least 3 January.
I get the contract part, but saying they must discus it with me, seems a bit big-headed
Hope Bottas gets the drive. Though it would be a shame if Williams ended up with 2 rookie drivers & ends up at the front of the backfield, rather than fighting in the mid-field. Maybe they can convince Massa to take one more year.
12-02-2016, 10:43 AM
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Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso had a stormy relationship at McLaren in 2007Mercedes are thinking about signing McLaren driver Fernando Alonso to replace Nico Rosberg, team boss Toto Wolff says.
Williams said they are willing to release Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas to join Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year.
“Basically, once they’ve dwindled it down to five drivers, or whatever it is, the shortlist, contractually they have to discuss with me,” Hamilton told Channel 4.
