Official: Sainz to Ferrari, Ricciardo to McLaren

[N4D13]

Autosport are running both stories and they're out in major news outlets, so the rabbit is finally out of the bag. Hardly a surprise now, however, given that a lot of journos were speaking of both as pretty much done deals.

That Renault seat is looking very interesting, by the way. The obvious candidate is Vettel, but there are many rumours linking Alonso to a possible Renault return for a third stint with them.

[Nitrodaze]

Autosport are running both stories and they're out in major news outlets, so the rabbit is finally out of the bag. Hardly a surprise now, however, given that a lot of journos were speaking of both as pretty much done deals.

That Renault seat is looking very interesting, by the way. The obvious candidate is Vettel, but there are many rumours linking Alonso to a possible Renault return for a third stint with them.

With Vettel out of contract, Alonso's chances of a return is in jeopardy. Remember Vettel has a relationship with renault also. He won all of his four driver's title with Renault engines. I would think he would be their first choice.

But Vettel has a poor record against rookies or junior drivers. Ocon is going to be a thorn in his side. Alonso has a better record against rookies. Even so, he did not fair well against rookie Hamilton.

That said, is the Renault seat that desirable? They have a very poor record over the last few seasons. No team would touch their engine at the moment. And their chassis gets progressively worst year on year. Hence, they appear to be drifting backwards rather than forwards.

[Bagwan]

Renault needs the Hulk back .

[The Black Knight]

Renault needs the Hulk back .

Yeah, that’s exactly what they need. A driver that cannot deliver a podium no matter how many opportunities he’s given.

[Bagwan]

Yeah, that’s exactly what they need. A driver that cannot deliver a podium no matter how many opportunities he’s given.

He's a solid mid-fielder , who doesn't cause trouble , knows the team well , and wouldn't cost much .
He ticks a few boxes .

[Jag_Warrior]

So do we believe that the open Renault seat is most likely going to be down to Seb (if he doesn't retire) and Alonso (if he un-retires)?

[Nitrodaze]

So do we believe that the open Renault seat is most likely going to be down to Seb (if he doesn't retire) and Alonso (if he un-retires)?

I think Renault might not be of interest to Vettel. Renault is not an attractive proposition right now. Alonso may be desperate to get back unto the F1 grid, but Vettel is not that bothered. Seeing how well Rosberg is dealing with retirement, Vettel may well embrace the idea of spending more time with his young family. But l do think he would find it very hard to refuse a Mercedes offer if they present one to him.

Hamilton and Vettel in the same team would be a management nightmare. But the racing would be exciting and edge of the seat stuff. I think Hamilton would relish the challenge. Vettel would also actually

[gm99]

Hamilton and Vettel in the same team would be a management nightmare. But the racing would be exciting and edge of the seat stuff. I think Hamilton would relish the challenge. Vettel would also actually

With Lewis now looking set to stay with Mercedes until his retirement, having Vettel as his team-mate is probably the only challenge remaining for him. Considering how well he has done against other champions (Alonso, Button, Rosberg most of the time), he has little to fear. Mercedes surely wouldn't mind seeing a German driver in the car, either. I could see Toto Wolff lure his protegee Bottas to Aston Martin, in which Wolff is a shareholder, with Perez moving to Alfa Romeo (to replace either Kimi if he finally retires or Giovanazzi) or Haas.

[Nitrodaze]

With Lewis now looking set to stay with Mercedes until his retirement, having Vettel as his team-mate is probably the only challenge remaining for him. Considering how well he has done against other champions (Alonso, Button, Rosberg most of the time), he has little to fear. Mercedes surely wouldn't mind seeing a German driver in the car, either. I could see Toto Wolff lure his protegee Bottas to Aston Martin, in which Wolff is a shareholder, with Perez moving to Alfa Romeo (to replace either Kimi if he finally retires or Giovanazzi) or Haas.

You say that, but the Hamilton-Alonso and Hamilton-Rosberg pairings were highly combustive and a real management headache. Would Toto want to go through that again. He would have to be a sucker for pain to do that. You only have to look back to the wheel banging incident at Baku 2018 to catch a glimpse of what it would be like.

You and l would love to see that sort of rivalry again for its entertainment value but Toto would age quickly after another couple of years of that.

[zako85]

People who are rooting for Vettel to join Mercedes are completely OUT OF THEIR MIND. Why should Mercedes destroy the good thing going for them? Why should they piss off Hamilton, who is clearly a gem and better than a has been that is Vettel? Mercedes already has a gem, and that is Hamilton. And if anything, Mercedes must be worried right now about attracting the next generation talent. They are not interested in a spent bullet that is Vettel. They want guys like Verstappen.

[Jag_Warrior]

Like most American sports viewers, I'm watching The Last Dance on ESPN every Sunday. Now, while I'm not ready to compare Lewis Hamilton to Michael Jordan, I would compare the Mercedes F1 team to the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s. And what I (and many others) have learned from watching that is, don't mess with a winning combination. I'd leave Bottas right where he is and let Hamilton race and win (with healthy competition from Bottas - but no melodrama from someone like Vettel) until he's ready to retire.

Absolutely, the fans would love to see a dogfight between Hamilton and Vettel. But poor old Toto would wind up on anti-anxiety meds. His praise of Vettel recently was just (IMO) a way to let Lewis know that he couldn't get a 100% pay raise and use of the Mercedes jet fleet on weekends.

[zako85]

With Lewis now looking set to stay with Mercedes until his retirement, having Vettel as his team-mate is probably the only challenge remaining for him.


Obviously you don't understand how sportsmen think. I guess you were predicting that Schumacher was begging Ferrari "please. please, give me another challenge, hire somebody better than Barrichello" What a joke.

Besides, Hamilton certainly has NOTHING left to prove against Vettel. Vettel lost fair and square in 2017 and 2018. The first two thirds of those seasons were so good for Ferrari that everyone was predicting Vettel's win, and then boom. Vettel lost and then struggled against Leclerc in 2019.

[Nitrodaze]

People who are rooting for Vettel to join Mercedes are completely OUT OF THEIR MIND. Why should Mercedes destroy the good thing going for them? Why should they piss off Hamilton, who is clearly a gem and better than a has been that is Vettel? Mercedes already has a gem, and that is Hamilton. And if anything, Mercedes must be worried right now about attracting the next generation talent. They are not interested in a spent bullet that is Vettel. They want guys like Verstappen.

Yep, Mercedes have a winning combination that took the 2019 titles (Constructor and Drivers), and the runners up spot to boot. Why the hell would they risk messing that up?

There is a chance that there may be a change at Mercedes this year. If there is going to be a change, it may probably be to promote the next generation into Bottas's seat. Maybe a Russell promotion. If the virtual races have shown anything, it has definitely shown that Mercedes need to bring on board one of their next generation of drivers sooner rather than later. Their rivals are running young teams, Ferrari with Leclerc and Sainz, Redbull with Verstapenn and Albon. While Mercedes may not want to jettison their golden goose Hamilton, they have to start nurturing some young talent in the other Mercedes. Bottas delivered in 2019, so it might also be very unlikely.