2019 silly season

[jens]

Some seats for the next season have already been sorted, while the rest is still open. With Ricciardo moving to Renault and Strolls buying Force India it looks like there could be quite a bit of movement in midfield. So what could we get as a line-up next year?

Mercedes: Hamilton, Bottas

Ferrari: Vettel, Räikkönen? Leclerc? I think it's between these two now.

Red Bull-Honda: Verstappen, Gasly? Sainz? Surely one of those? Or will we have a surprise?

Renault: Ricciardo, Hülkenberg

Haas-Ferrari: Magnussen? Grosjean? Leclerc? I guess K-Mag stays on, but what about the second seat?

former F.I.-Mercedes: Stroll, Perez? Ocon? One of current drivers probably has to go elsewhere following the purchase by daddy Stroll. Anyone else in range for the seat?

McLaren-Renault: Alonso? Vandoorne? Norris? Sainz? All open here. What will Alonso do? Has Vandoorne convinced McLaren to keep him? Sainz has been rumoured. Anyone else?

Toro Rosso-Honda: Gasly? Sainz? Hartley? Norris? Sainz is out of Renault now, what next? Gasly could move on. Hartley has been unconvincing, will he stay? TR is also trying to get Norris from McLaren. Anyone else?

Sauber-Ferrari: Leclerc? Ericsson? Giovinazzi? Could Leclerc get a promotion to a better team? Could Gio make a comeback for the full season now? Ericsson's backers own the team, so he is a shoe-in to continue?

Williams-Mercedes: Sirotkin? Kubica? Russell? Could this be the opportunity for reserve driver Kubica to move into a race seat? But Mercedes needs to place their juniors somewhere too (including Ocon). Surely Williams would need a paydriver following the departure of Stroll? Oh, so complicated.

[N4D13]

Here's my prediction:

Mercedes: Hamilton, Bottas

Ferrari: Vettel, Räikkönen. I don't think the top brass at Ferrari will want to rock the boat too much in their first months.

Red Bull-Honda: Verstappen, Gasly. Don't think Red Bull will want to put Verstappen and Sainz together, and Gasly has been impressive this season, whereas Sainz, not so much.

Renault: Ricciardo, Hülkenberg.

Haas-Ferrari: Magnussen, Leclerc. Grosjean needs out after his very poor start to 2018 and I can see how Ferrari would be happy to give Leclerc a year in a better car than the Sauber to prepare him for a move to Ferrari.

Force India: Pérez, Stroll. I can't see FI giving Pérez the boot after he essentially saved the team, so Ocon needs to go.

McLaren-Renault: Alonso and Sainz. Alonso doesn't really have that many options for 2019, so I'd expect him to continue for one more year - and Sainz looks like a nice number two driver for the team.

Toro Rosso-Honda: Norris and Hartley, at least for the start of 2019. I can imagine Hartley will get kicked out sooner rather than later, though; I wouldn't expect him to see out 2019 based on his present performances. And Norris seems like a fine bargaining chip in exchange for James Key's services.

Sauber-Ferrari: Ericsson, Giovinazzi. If Leclerc leaves, then yes, Giovinazzi seems like a decent (and Ferrari-backed) choice.

Williams-Mercedes: Sirotkin and Russell. Sirotkin hasn't set the world alight, but he brings some cash will be sorely needed by Williams, particularly if Stroll Sr. reduces his commitment to the team. And this will also give Mercedes a place to slot in one of their young drivers in exchange for some peanuts.

Yeah, that's what I'd put my money on. Haas is the biggest question mark and I'm not that sure that Stroll Jr. will move to Force India in 2019, but I find it looks more plausible than the alternatives. :)

[jens]

So you reckon Ocon will be out of F1?

That would be harsh. He is good.

If Mercedes isn't prepared to find him a seat in F1, perhaps McLaren or Toro Rosso would look at him? Recently Toro Rosso seems intent on looking for drivers in other junior programme anyway (Norris), considering they don't have any left.

[N4D13]

So you reckon Ocon will be out of F1?

That would be harsh. He is good.

If Mercedes isn't prepared to find him a seat in F1, perhaps McLaren or Toro Rosso would look at him? Recently Toro Rosso seems intent on looking for drivers in other junior programme anyway (Norris), considering they don't have any left.
I actually hadn't noticed that my picks would result in Ocon out of F1. But if he was to be replaced in Force India, then I guess Sauber or Haas would be the most obvious suitors. McLaren also is a candidate, but they have been making too many gestures to Sainz.

[Bagwan]

It may be Stroll and Ocon at "Force Canada", as they have been good friends from way back .

Cruel it may be , but Perez might be the odd man out in this scenario .
Could be another candidate for team Willy .
Or Haas .

[Tazio]

"Force Canada"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwPntgJbwJo

[keysersoze]

Ocon and Perez will be on the grid next season.

[BleAivano]

So who will replace Alonso at MCL now that Alonso have announced that he quits F1 after this season.

[The Black Knight]

Carlos Sainz holds the key to the driver market right now. He'll either end up at McLaren or RBR. I think it would be stupid of RBR to not promote him to the Senior Red Bull outfit. He has paid his dues and deserves a run at the top. I don't think the tension that was between him and Verstappen was anything more than was there between any other two team mates you'd find on the grid. There will always be some tension between team mates.

It's one of the most open driver markets now in years. Ocon to McLaren perhaps to partner Stoffle?? I think Stoffle's seat is safe for next year now. I can't see McLaren wanting to switch both drivers between seasons.

EDIT: Just heard Sainz will be heading to McLaren - unconfirmed yet.

[N4D13]

Autosport is reporting that RBR will stick with Gasly and McLaren is shooting for Sainz.

[N4D13]

Autosport is reporting that RBR will stick with Gasly and McLaren is shooting for Sainz.
And McLaren have confirmed Sainz for 2019, which in turn almost certainly means that Gasly will drive for RBR now. Red Bull had an option on him until September, so it's clear that they've turned their back on Sainz and as far as we know, there was only one other candidate.

[Nitrodaze]

With the following teams still yet to anounnce their driver line up for 2019, who do you think is going where? The following are some of the possibilities :-

Ferrari - Vettel [Raikonen/Leclerc]
HAAS - [Kimi/Grojean/Leclerc/Perez ] [Magnussen/Ocon]
Torro Rosso [Hartley???] [Possibiy Kyvat]
Sauber [Leclerc/Perez] [Erickson/Markelov]
Force India [Possibly Stroll] [Perez/Ocon/Magnussen]
Williams [Sirotkin/Markelov/Rowland] [Kubica/Ocon/Grosjean]



I think HAAS has a unique opportunity of picking the very best available at moment, they may fancy the Force India pair whom have reliably obtained the best possible points finish available to Force India these last two years. And they have made less mistakes compared to the HAAS pair this season. It would not surprise me if they signed Kimi; if he loses his Ferrari seat. If they do, l have a feeling that Grosjean may well lose his seat.

I also have a feeling that Hartley may be given the shove in 2019, l wonder which Redbull junior would be getting this unprecedented opportunity.

I also think Sauber would work hard to sign Perez if the can. If they do, l think Erickson may also get the shove in 2019. The ideal situation for Sauber would be to sign two drivers with funding behind them. Perez would be ideal because he is a more capable driver than Erickson and maybe Markelov. Both have huge funding behind them.

The smart move at Force India would be to hang on to Perez if they can, they would not want his ability, money and experience going into the hands of their competition.

[gm99]

If STR brings back a former driver, my money would be on Buemi rather than Kvyat, as they have already appointed him reserve driver until the end of the season. Also, I don't think the split between Red Bull and Kvyat was all that amicable, first with his demotion from RBR and ultimately with dropping him entirely.

[N4D13]

Pretty much everyone in the press is betting on Leclerc to get the second Ferrari seat now, which makes you wonder where Räikkönen will end. Haas, Sauber or will he leave F1?

Vandoorne is also being linked with a switch to Toro Rosso, which I think makes a lot of sense for both parties. Certainly more than bringing someone like Buemi, whom I don't see leaving FE when he's got chances of fighting for the championship there. And gm99 already pointed out that about Kyvat.

[N4D13]

Pretty much everyone in the press is betting on Leclerc to get the second Ferrari seat now, which makes you wonder where Räikkönen will end. Haas, Sauber or will he leave F1?

Vandoorne is also being linked with a switch to Toro Rosso, which I think makes a lot of sense for both parties. Certainly more than bringing someone like Buemi, whom I don't see leaving FE when he's got chances of fighting for the championship there. And gm99 already pointed out that about Kyvat.
Actually, Autosport seem rather confident that Kyvat will be getting a Toro Rosso seat. I actually forgot there were two seats up for grabs at Toro Rosso.

[Nitrodaze]

Problem with Ocon is that he is Mercedes "owned" so I don't see him going to Haas or Sauber. Williams needs a better car before Ocon can go there.

Mercedes seem willing to let Ocon go if any team is interested in signing him which is disappointing. Hence, Haas may well be on the cards for Ocon.


I think FI keep Perez.
I would not be surprised if Perez decides to leave Force India. The Haas is the most desirable seat on the grid at the moment, Perez may be lured there easily. It is a more stable environment than the new Force India. I personally think they did not show him enough respect for his reliable delivery of points to the team.

[N. Jones]

Problem with Ocon is that he is under contract to Mercedes so I don't see him going to Haas or Sauber. Williams needs a better car before Ocon can go there. I think FI keep Perez.

[BigWorm]

Leclerc-Räikkönen swap announced

[gm99]

So Kimi's F1 career will (most likely) end in 2020 where it began in late 2000, at Sauber. Actually, I think this is very nice and preferable to seeing him drop out of F1 entirely at the end of this season.

[truefan72]

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/formula-1/sauber-signs-giovinazzi-for-2019-f1-season_sto6946189/story.shtml

So Giovinazzi signs with Sauber in what can be only seen as a Ferrari B-team move.
I rate him rather poorly and really no different than Ericcsen who was the worst driver on the grid for years in my book.
Sauber should have gone more aggressive and hired a Wehrlein, Ocon or kvyatt (the current Ferarri test driver ffs)
Ocon would have been released from his Mercedes contract and would have instantly given Sauber one of the strongest F1 lineups.
oh well.

I expect more crashes and mistakes from Antonio in 2019. SMH

[BigWorm]

We shall see, Ferrari speak highly of him but that's when he's in the sim cockpit... Ericsson being dropped was long overdue, felt like he could have been seasons ago.

Now I hope Wehrlein and/or Vandoorne gets a surprise seat somewhere (Ocon too of course but that situation looks complicated). Guessing it won't happen but one could hope.

[gm99]

Haas will continue with both Magnussen & Grosjean in 2019.
So that only leaves Williams, STR and (former) Force India with seats to fill.
Ocon, Perez, Stroll, Sirotkin, Hartley, Ericsson, Vandoorne of this year's drivers not yet confirmed, with Kubica, Kvyat & Wehrlein also looking for rides.
This game of musical chairs will leave quite a few standing once the music stops...

[onemanband]

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/formula-1/sauber-signs-giovinazzi-for-2019-f1-season_sto6946189/story.shtml

So Giovinazzi signs with Sauber in what can be only seen as a Ferrari B-team move.
I rate him rather poorly and really no different than Ericcsen who was the worst driver on the grid for years in my book.
Sauber should have gone more aggressive and hired a Wehrlein, Ocon or kvyatt (the current Ferarri test driver ffs)
Ocon would have been released from his Mercedes contract and would have instantly given Sauber one of the strongest F1 lineups.
oh well.

I expect more crashes and mistakes from Antonio in 2019. SMH

Giovinazzi in his limited appearances has been fast by any means but mistake prone. Definitely faster than Ericsson. If Ferrari is to believe then he is very good at setup and a hard worker (and instrumental in more than one race win for Ferrari for his sim work).

[Nitrodaze]

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/formula-1/sauber-signs-giovinazzi-for-2019-f1-season_sto6946189/story.shtml

So Giovinazzi signs with Sauber in what can be only seen as a Ferrari B-team move.
I rate him rather poorly and really no different than Ericcsen who was the worst driver on the grid for years in my book.
Sauber should have gone more aggressive and hired a Wehrlein, Ocon or kvyatt (the current Ferarri test driver ffs)
Ocon would have been released from his Mercedes contract and would have instantly given Sauber one of the strongest F1 lineups.
oh well.

I expect more crashes and mistakes from Antonio in 2019. SMH

There is some suggestion that Raikonen may be in Sauber to help develop the car and mentor Giovinazzi. He is clearly not in the Verstapenn, Gastly or Leclerc league, but he deserves a second chance as l suspect he would not get another if he doesn't up his game in 2019. I think he has good speed but seem fragile and mentally brittle. That said, F1 is a daunting place to be, he may surprise all when he gets in the car in 2019.

[Nitrodaze]

Haas will continue with both Magnussen & Grosjean in 2019.
So that only leaves Williams, STR and (former) Force India with seats to fill.
Ocon, Perez, Stroll, Sirotkin, Hartley, Ericsson, Vandoorne of this year's drivers not yet confirmed, with Kubica, Kvyat & Wehrlein also looking for rides.
This game of musical chairs will leave quite a few standing once the music stops...

Don't forget George Russell who l think is a very exciting prospect for a F1 seat in 2019. I would not be surprised if he gets a seat ahead of most of the drivers listed above. I think Perez may be the most secure of the lot, chances are Williams may go with Russel because he may come with some sort of engine deal. And he may be cheaper than Ocon and just as capable. Ocon may be more appealing because of his F1 experience and his fiesty driving style.

That said, l have got these sort of predictions wrong in the past, l personally would wait and see.

[Bezza]

They should get rid of contracts. And get rid of more than 2 drivers being "owned" by a parent company. Mercedes already control too much of F1. They chose the regulations for 2014, and surprise, surprise, then had the best car. Everytime i see or hear from Toto Wolff I want to switch the TV off. F1 should be about drivers, not that Austrian bighead.

Too much politics and interference in F1 at the moment.

Ferrari - need to replace Vettel. He isn't good enough. They should have broke the bank for Hamilton before he signed his latest Mercedes contract.

The whole Stroll situation. It is quite embarrassing, mainly for Williams. It is clear to anybody that Kubica should have been in that second car. Yet, Sirotkin ended up there. You know the reason why - Daddy Stroll didn't want Kubica coming in and outshining his son. Lance/Lawrence vetoed Kubica and made sure Sirotkin was the No 2. Money talks. Expect a performance drop from Force India next season with Stroll and a Perez who isn't being challenged as hard.

The 2020 grid is what excites me most. I expect Vettel to leave Ferrari and Bottas to be done at Mercedes.

[truefan72]

The 2020 grid is what excites me most. I expect Vettel to leave Ferrari and Bottas to be done at Mercedes.
yup, here are my predictions for 2020

Mercedes: Hamilton/Russell
Ferrari: Leclerc/DeVries (or a shock Alonso return)
RBR: Gasley/Verstappen
Force india : Stroll/Perez (maybe wehrlein)
Reanult: Ricciardo/Markalov
Sauber: Vettel/Hulkenberg
Torro Rosso: Kyvatt/Tiktum
Mclaren: Norris/Sainz
williams: Ocon/Bottas


If Hamilton win's his 6th with Mercedes in 2019 there is a very good chance he moves to Ferrari for a 2 year deal
Which would mean a cascade of things:

Mercedes: Verstappen/Russell
Ferrari: Leclerc/Hamilton
RBR: Gasley/DeVries
Force india : Stroll/Albon
Reanult: Ricciardo/Markelov
Sauber: Vettel/Ocon
Torro Rosso: Kyvatt/Tiktum( or wehrlein)
Mclaren: Norris/Sainz
williams: Perez/Bottas

odd man out Hulkenberg

[Nitrodaze]

yup, here are my predictions for 2020

Mercedes: Hamilton/Russell
Ferrari: Leclerc/DeVries (or a shock Alonso return)
RBR: Gasley/Verstappen
Force india : Stroll/Perez (maybe wehrlein)
Reanult: Ricciardo/Markalov
Sauber: Vettel/Hulkenberg
Torro Rosso: Kyvatt/Tiktum
Mclaren: Norris/Sainz
williams: Ocon/Bottas


If Hamilton win's his 6th with Mercedes in 2019 there is a very good chance he moves to Ferrari for a 2 year deal
Which would mean a cascade of things:

Mercedes: Verstappen/Russell
Ferrari: Leclerc/Hamilton
RBR: Gasley/DeVries
Force india : Stroll/Albon
Reanult: Ricciardo/Markelov
Sauber: Vettel/Ocon
Torro Rosso: Kyvatt/Tiktum( or wehrlein)
Mclaren: Norris/Sainz
williams: Perez/Bottas

odd man out Hulkenberg
:-)
Brave man. I normally do one these predictions and l alweays end up with egg in the face. That said, l like your prediction, it would be close to what l would venture to say about it.

[Nitrodaze]

George Russell signs for Williams. It just got tougher for Ocon, but apparently the other seat at Williams is still undecided.

[Nitrodaze]

It is looking like a head to head between Sirotkin and Ocon for the available seat at Williams. On paper, Lance Stroll trashed Sirotkin 6 points to one so far. But was he good enough to be in F1? Unfortunately, the Williams car was not good enough for us to make such an estimation. But Williams have all the telemetry to make such a comparison. What we did see was some very gritty driving which frustrated Perez enough to cause him to slam into the side of Sirotkin's Williams in Singapore.

I think Sirotkin is susceptible to Ocon taking his seat because Williams would need a more experienced driver next to the rookie Russell to help develop the 2019 car. Ocon has the benefit of working for one of Williams closest arch rival Force India. Hence, his insights would be of benefit to Williams.

I shall miss Sirotkin, if he lose his seat at Williams, he promises to be one of the most interesting characters of F1 if chanced to continue in the sport. He was not slow which was refreshing. He at least showed he was a racer and not your typical money bag driver. I hope he gets the chance to continue to race in F1.

[truefan72]

The real problem is that there are only 20 cars on the gird instead of 26.
and I blame Max Mosley for this debacle and the continued bullishness of the FIA (and some teams) for the lack of additional seats.

1. Max Mosley's ill-conceived attempt to blackmail new teams with cosworth engines to force some sort of single engine series
2. The current FIA for a lack of vision and greed in denying teams entry into F1 with some ridiculous admission fee, and dubious vetting system, along with a cumbersome and futile process for entry. also making it hard for privateer teams to enter. And being beholden to mercedes and ferrari in too many uncomfortable ways.
3. Other teams who don't want to revenue share in a short sighted decision. Not understanding that if the sport grows, more money comes in, and thus more profit for everyone.

We should have 6 more seats on the grid, or at the very least 4 more.
Why we don't, is a failure from everyone. And that is the reason we are in this current situation where the top league fields one of the smallest grids in a top racing category.
MotoGP was heading down this road and made corrections. LMP1 faced and even more dire situation and took steps to correct it.
But yet, F1 remains stubborn and arrogant.

There are at least 2 F2 teams that could and should make the leap to F1 with proper assistance by the FIA, and as a reward to their commitment to the sport as a whole

[Starter]

The real problem is that there are only 20 cars on the gird instead of 26.
and I blame Max Mosley for this debacle and the continued bullishness of the FIA (and some teams) for the lack of additional seats.

1. Max Mosley's ill-conceived attempt to blackmail new teams with cosworth engines to force some sort of single engine series
2. The current FIA for a lack of vision and greed in denying teams entry into F1 with some ridiculous admission fee, and dubious vetting system, along with a cumbersome and futile process for entry. also making it hard for privateer teams to enter. And being beholden to mercedes and ferrari in too many uncomfortable ways.
3. Other teams who don't want to revenue share in a short sighted decision. Not understanding that if the sport grows, more money comes in, and thus more profit for everyone.

We should have 6 more seats on the grid, or at the very least 4 more.
Why we don't, is a failure from everyone. And that is the reason we are in this current situation where the top league fields one of the smallest grids in a top racing category.
MotoGP was heading down this road and made corrections. LMP1 faced and even more dire situation and took steps to correct it.
But yet, F1 remains stubborn and arrogant.

There are at least 2 F2 teams that could and should make the leap to F1 with proper assistance by the FIA, and as a reward to their commitment to the sport as a whole
Hmmm. Much grousing here from members about the quality of drivers toward the back of the grid and we should add 4 or 6 more. Interesting.

[Nitrodaze]

Hmmm. Much grousing here from members about the quality of drivers toward the back of the grid and we should add 4 or 6 more. Interesting.

The lower formulas are producing more F1 quality drivers than F1 drivers retiring from the series. Some have to head else where due to the lack of seats in F1. More seats would really help to ensure more quality drivers from the lower formulas transition into F1. Hence, l am for more cars on the grid the way it once use to be.

I also think there is a good argument for the entry criteria and procedure be relaxed to allow more teams to come into the sport. Particularly from the F2 series. I think if the additional 4 to 6 slots on the grid was a sort of relegation section of the grid where winning teams in F2 are promoted to these last 4 to 6 slots on the grid if they win the F2 championship; say at least twice, would be great. If they consistently fail to qualify to race three times or more in one F1 season and fail to redeem themselves by earning at least one F1 point by the end of the F1 season, they should be relegated back to the F2 series.

Other new entrants not coming from the F2 route must either buy an existing team on the grid or enter the F2 series and win it twice.

This is what l think about the matter.