2022 - Silly Season

[F1nKS]

Silly season is upon us with rumors swirling

Red Bull
#1 Verstappen - 2028
#2 Perez - 2024
#3 Riciardo - 2023

Ferrari
#1 Leclerc - 2025
#2 Sainz - 2024

Mercedes
#1 Hamilton - 2023
#2 Russell - 2024

Mclaren
#1 Norris - 2025
#2 Piastri - 2024

Alpine
#1 Gasly - 2024
#2 Ocon - 2024

Alfa Romeo
#1 Bottas - 2024
#2 Zhou - 2023

AlphaTauri
#1 de Vries - 2023
#2 Yuki - 2023

Aston Martin
#1 Alonso - 2024 (Option 2025)
#2 Stroll - 2023 (rolling contract)

Haas
#1 Magnussen - 2023
#2 Hulkenberg - 2023 (w/Option)

Williams
#1 Albon - 2024 (w/Option)
#2 Sargeant - 2023 (w/Option)

[F1nKS]

I would expect AlphaTauri to resign Yuki if he keeps improving.

Perez seems to be the perfect driver to compliment Max. He is having the type of year they wanted from him last year and he seems to be a team player.

[Bagwan]

Alonso is going nowhere . He's having fun . He said Mick kissed him .

Perez goes his own direction now , not trying to drive Max's car , like Albon learned , too late .

Seb seems bored with it all , but is maybe still defiant enough to try again next year .

Lewis , I guess , fits in that category , too .
It's gotta be killing him , riding that porpoise .
I got the feeling that the heated conversation they had in the garage was about the sandbagging last year , and not so much about his chances this time around .
But , maybe it's just me .

[airshifter]

It's Formula 1. We can always expect something we never expected. Kimi to Ferrari again. Alonso returning to McLaren. Schumacher returning, but not to Ferrari. KMag back in the Haas so quickly was a shock as well.

It's hard to say who is really at risk, and who really wants to make a mark and stay where they are. And then the teams throw the appropriate wrenches in the mix of what they want, which is always a huge question mark.

It's like a constant game of musical chairs.

[F1nKS]

Rumors of Vettel being replaced by Alonso in 2023.

[F1nKS]

Red Bull is in discussion with renewing Perez. I don't see any better alternatives. Gasley still doesn't impress me.

Albon could be a replacement in a couple of years. He would be better served racing with Williams and developing.

Yuki might be a replacement - in several years. He has made a noticeable improvements to this point.

[airshifter]

Overall I think signing Perez again is a good move. He has upped his game somewhat, the and maturity levels makes him a better fit for the team and the pressures.

I think both Albon and for that matter Gasly just caved to the pressure at RB. Both are good drivers overall, and Albon seems to be doing well at Williams now. I'd agree either or Yuki might be ok for RB in a couple years time. Perez is solid, but at some point he will fade, and they are still rising.

[gm99]

Red Bull is in discussion with renewing Perez. I don't see any better alternatives. Gasley still doesn't impress me.



I agree. Gasly seems to have made a step back this season. He was in destruction derby mode in Miami and generally seems more error-prone this season.
Perez on the other hand has improved, especially in qualifying, and has closed the performance gap to Verstappen quite a bit so that he is now a real asset for RBR in taking the fight for the constructor's championship to Ferrari.

[F1nKS]

Perez signs for 2 more years. Be interesting to see what Gasley does now that he see the door to Red Bull shut on him completely.

Talk of Mclaren tearing up Ricciardo's contract.

[F1nKS]

Alonso is rumored to about to sign a contract extension.
Albon is rumored to be extending with Williams with Piastri replacing Latifi

[lmmjvss]

I woke up today thinking
"Screw it, if I was the red bull's big boss I'd demand (via money) Marc Marquez (MotoGP world champ) and Kalle Rovanpera (possibly this year's wrc champ?) in Alpha Tauri 2023. Yes a motogp and a wrc champ." Hahaha

[F1nKS]

With Vettel retiring, that should amp up silly season. Could cause a number of cascading moves.

If I was Aston Martin (and wanted to take a step forward), I would replace both drivers.

[airshifter]

Seb seems bored with it all , but is maybe still defiant enough to try again next year .



I guess Bagwan used the right crystal ball on this one.

Well, Seb had his run and his time, and it's time for him to move on. He had a great career and set some records at the time, and as one of the up and coming "young guns" sort of opened that door for others it seems. Like most, he wasn't perfect, but on a good day in the right car he sure was fast. It seems it hasn't really been that long but it's been a while now, and he seems to be in a good place with his decision and the reasons for it. No more "Inspector Seb" on the grid next year.


Let the "who will go where" games begin.

I'm guessing Latifi to Merc, Lewis to RB, Max retires, Alonso to Williams, and Pastor Maldanado replaces Leclerc. You heard it here first. :laugh: There are just too many options, and with the way contracts get bought out on the regular, no telling what will happen.

[Bagwan]

I wondered what Flav was doing in the paddock , and I got my answer this morning , with the announcement that Fernando was going to Aston Martin .

It sounds like a two year deal with an option for a third , so it's a long term project for the 41 year old .

I hope they can give him what he needs .

At least two more years of Alonso makes me very happy .

[Tazio]

:stareup: Baggie.......you gon'na make him an honorary canuck........ Eh? :dork:

[airshifter]

It's Formula 1. We can always expect something we never expected.



I guess with the above quote, I can say I expected this! :laugh:

Really shocked on this one, and it will be interesting to see if Alonso says much about his real motivations behind it. Maybe the foot dragging on his extension, maybe he thinks AM is really going to move upwards, contract length, money... who knows? Either way, good move by Stroll to nab him, as he's still one of the prime talents and a ruthless competitor on the track. I wonder if they have a "gonna school your son" clause in the contract?



I would THINK this leads to Piastri at Alpine, but I have to keep my above quote in mind when I say that.

[Mia 01]

I think Kimi will be back :)

[airshifter]

I think Kimi will be back :)

I like the way you think Mia!

[airshifter]

https://mobile.twitter.com/OscarPiastri/status/1554527452231262210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5 Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1554529676370083842%7Ctwgr% 5E%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=

Holy crap .. Silly season indeed!

Piastri may be going to McLaren based on rumors.

[Mia 01]

well, alonso talks alot, but Kimi drives.

[Mia 01]

Besides, Kimi is a moore natural gifted driver than Alonso. Could be that take a drive in ferrari again. He is their last champ after all.

[Mia 01]

I´m sure you don´t belive me but me I`M sure that aqlready a few teams have had talks woth Kimi this year.

[airshifter]

Besides, Kimi is a moore natural gifted driver than Alonso. Could be that take a drive in ferrari again. He is their last champ after all.


I´m sure you don´t belive me but me I`M sure that aqlready a few teams have had talks woth Kimi this year.

I wouldn't be shocked at all that teams in F1 and/or other motorsports have talked to Kimi. And though I think he was one of the most talented at a young age, I don't take anything from Alonso either. Different styles for sure, but both fast on the track, even now. And I'm not one to forget that Kimi brought Ferrari their last WDC. :D

After all I did say....


It's Formula 1. We can always expect something we never expected. Kimi to Ferrari again.




As for Alpine, it seems they managed to lose two big talents in two days. They acted as if they had the upper hand in both cases, but it appears not. From what I've seen they had an option on Piastri until the end of July. I guess they assumed he didn't talk to anyone else and was a sure thing.

Though the rumor mill is leaning towards some type of move for Ricciardo and Piastri to McLaren, on the assumption that Piastri wouldn't turn down Alpine without a seat already secured. I'm not so sure myself. Money often talks, and Haas, AT and Williams all have some open seats for 2023 the best I can figure. He might have opted for "any ride" vs no ride in Piastri's case.

Alpine punked themselves hard, and they might be scrambling to pick up scraps.... :arrows:

[F1nKS]

Silly Season has just gotten even sillier - Alonso is leaving Alpine after saying it would take a 10-minute conversation to confirm his Alpin seat. He is now moving to Aston Martin for the 2023 and 24 seasons.

Alpine then announced they are promoting Piastri - but they forgot to take their option on Piastri that was due August 1, so now Piastri is a free agent. Piastri says he is not going to Alpine.

Mclaren is rumored to be after Piastri and needs Danny Ric to move somewhere else on his own, or they must pay him a bunch of money.

[airshifter]

Silly Season has just gotten even sillier - Alonso is leaving Alpine after saying it would take a 10-minute conversation to confirm his Alpin seat. He is now moving to Aston Martin for the 2023 and 24 seasons.

Alpine then announced they are promoting Piastri - but they forgot to take their option on Piastri that was due August 1, so now Piastri is a free agent. Piastri says he is not going to Alpine.

Mclaren is rumored to be after Piastri and needs Danny Ric to move somewhere else on his own, or they must pay him a bunch of money.

A little late to the news are we?

:laugh:

[Tazio]

Besides, Kimi is a moore natural gifted driver than Alonso. Could be that take a drive in ferrari again. He is their last champ after all.Like zow Mia, I guess we forgot how badly Fred punked Kimi when they were both at Ferrari
Sorry to have to remind you.
I wish Kimi would come back also.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[airshifter]

Like zow Mia, I guess we forgot how badly Fred punked Kimi when they were both at Ferrari
Sorry to have to remind you.
I wish Kimi would come back also.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

True enough Tazzy, a crap year for Kimi and Fred punked him badly.

Now who is the last Ferrari WDC? :laugh:





The silence out of McLaren leads me to think that Piastri probably had a seat. But it's hard to say.

Williams and Albon had some fun with announcing that he will be driving for them in 2023, poking fun at the Piastri announcement.


https://twitter.com/alex_albon/status/1554829547006111749

[F1nKS]

A little late to the news are we?

:laugh:

by a few minutes :D

[Tazio]

Cut it out 'air, Felipe Baby damn near won the wdc in the rig the next year. :dork:

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[airshifter]

Cut it out 'air, Felipe Baby damn near won the wdc in the rig the next year. :dork:

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

At least Felipe came close to the WDC in a Ferrari, just like Fernando did. But Fernando and Felipe took the same number of WDC wins for Ferrari. And Felipe and Kimi managed a couple WCC's with Ferrari as well. Maybe they should have just never hired Alonso! :D





McLaren now seem to be admitting they have released Danny Ric, but no real word on who is taking what spot as it appears McLaren want to secure him a seat and avoid buying out his contract. Haas has announced they are postponing any contract talks with Mick, and though some don't agree they might want a chance to grab Ricciardo if the price is right. It's fairly save to assume that Piastri will be with McLaren.... but maybe not. :laugh:

[Tazio]

At least Felipe came close to the WDC in a Ferrari, just like Fernando did. But Fernando and Felipe took the same number of WDC wins for Ferrari. And Felipe and Kimi managed a couple WCC's with Ferrari as well. Maybe they should have just never hired Alonso! :D





McLaren now seem to be admitting they have released Danny Ric, but no real word on who is taking what spot as it appears McLaren want to secure him a seat and avoid buying out his contract. Haas has announced they are postponing any contract talks with Mick, and though some don't agree they might want a chance to grab Ricciardo if the price is right. It's fairly save to assume that Piastri will be with McLaren.... but maybe not. :laugh:Fred freakin' destroyed Felipe when they shared the "scud". They weren't even close my man


I'll repeat:
Cut it out.......air'

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[airshifter]

Fred freakin' destroyed Felipe when they shared the "scud". They weren't even close my man


I'll repeat:
Cut it out.......air'

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

It's all good Taz. I know you were always one to "Hail Ceasar" and I'm surprised we haven't seen the photo yet!

An interesting move for Fred. I guess he has faith that AM will at least make progress while he is there, as I can't seem him wanting to take a step down long term since his days as the "old man of F1" are no doubt numbered. I thought he was enjoying hassling faster cars in the Alpine, but I guess not enough to risk being shorted in a contract deal.

One thing we can count on when it comes to F1 seats is to never think we know what is going to happen.

[Bagwan]

Sounds like Otmar may get the "double burn" on McLaren , as they may be forced to buy out both the Piastri contract , and make Danny Ric happy about leaving as well .
Or , perhaps a "triple burn" , by taking the Honey Badger back to Alpine , where he might have stayed , had he known how hard the Mac was to drive .

[F1nKS]

Haas has stopped their negotiations with Schumacher as they feel he has nowhere else to go and there is no urgency to sign him. I could see this going bad for them if silly season gets a little more crazy. If Gasly would move to Alpine, it possible that Marko (based on some recent comments) that they might bring Schumacher in to Alpha Tauri. Williams might even be a possibility.

[airshifter]

Until we see some contract details, it's hard to say who has the upper hand really. All we know for sure is that Piastri has a valid contract with McLaren for 2023. I'm assuming they have a buy out clause for Ricciardo, but haven't seen anyone verify that yet. They might just be trying to help his bargaining power in finding another seat. Often if the driver takes another seat the releasing team doesn't have to pay them, or at least not pay them the full amount. But here and there some drivers have been paid well to not race in F1 as well, opting to sit it out and collect the money.

Either way I hope Ricciardo lands on his feet and gets a ride, in hopes that he could get back his form. If he can't do that, it seems his career will be short, since so far Lando has adapted to the car and made Danny Ric look average. But I think given the right car, he has the ability to be that late braking demon we have seen in past years. And who doesn't want to see another Shoey or two? :D

[Bagwan]

I recall reading a story about the Honey Badger going to see Sainz , after signing for Mac , asking him why he didn't warn him about the characteristics of the car being so difficult to manage .

It wasn't specific at all about what those specific issues were , but it is something with which Lando can cope , but obviously Daniel cannot .

In the last race , where he said he braked early , but still knew he would slide wide into Stroll as he went around the outside , it pointed to braking , his perrennial strong point , as the culprit .

[airshifter]

It still isn't anywhere close to being worked out.

Now Gasly's name is even coming into the picture, and the contract recognition board is going to look at the Alpine stuff in more detail and make a decision. They claim they have Piastri "ownership" but from what I've seen I don't think so. The only thing we know for sure is that the Honey Badger isn't going to be driving at McLaren. I hope he finds a seat and makes it work.

[lmmjvss]

Piastri must be thinking "Oh, damn. A manufacturer team can develop more and get better. McLaren have been strugling for year and this will continue" haha

And someone said Alpha Tauri is talking about Colton Herta..?? Weird. Colton would not be my pick from the Indycar grid. O'ward is a better driver IMO.

[airshifter]

Between McLaren and the other teams, it seems like several of the Indy drivers have been mentioned. I'm really not sure why Herta keeps coming up so much. He's not a bad driver, but I think there are other better drivers to pick from if you want to move one of them to an F1 seat.

[Bagwan]

So , it looks like Piastri gets the Mac seat .
I sure hope he knows what he's doing , coming into a team that has a difficult car , with a team-mate who is pretty handy at getting around the car's foibles .
The Badger isn't slow , but has been made to look so by both the car and Lando , so L'il Oscar had better be pretty handy .

Putting Pierre with Esteban sounds like a bad idea as they have been enemies since they were both 11 years old .
And , Ocon seems to have a hard time obeying orders already , with friction between team-mates common on his resume .

I think it's more likely that he's a pawn in the Danny Ric scenario . Renault , oops , I mean Alpine , do that .

And , perhaps the Badger is being used the same way as Gasly , as a pawn in the Mick business .
I hope so , for Mick's sake . I'd still like to see him do well .

[Firstgear]

Yup, with both teams claiming him, I was wondering who would win out. Congrats McLaren. I don't think there's been this much excitement/anticipation/expectation of a driver who has yet to race in F1 since Lewis entered. If Piastri turns out to be the real deal, I think Mac will have the best driver lineup on the grid in a couple of years.

[lmmjvss]

Too bad McLaren is not a manufacturer team. Piastri will PROBABLY be a "8th to 15th guy", behind RBR, Merc, Ferrari and Alpine... PROBABLY.

[F1nKS]

Yup, with both teams claiming him, I was wondering who would win out. Congrats McLaren. I don't think there's been this much excitement/anticipation/expectation of a driver who has yet to race in F1 since Lewis entered. If Piastri turns out to be the real deal, I think Mac will have the best driver lineup on the grid in a couple of years.

Costly to Alpine.

1. They lost their #1 Junior Driver
2. They lost the challenge.
3. They are ordered to pay damages

a. Pay Mclaren £229,965
b. Pay Piastri £120,086
c. Pay arbitrators' fees ranging from £34,000 to £74,400.

[F1nKS]

Silly season is upon us with rumors swirling

Red Bull
#1 Verstappen - 2028
#2 Perez - 2024

Ferrari
#1 Leclerc - 2024
#2 Sainz - 2024

Mercedes
#1 Hamilton - 2023
#2 Russell - 2023

Mclaren
#1 Norris - 2025
#2 Piastri - ???

Alpine
#1
#2 Ocon - 2024

Alfa Romeo
#1 Bottas - 2024
#2

AlphaTauri
#1 Gasly - 2023
#2

Aston Martin
#1 Alonso - 2024 (Option 2025)
#2

Haas
#1 Magnussen - 2023
#2

Williams
#1 Albon - 2024 (w/Option)
#2

Things should start filling in soon I would think.

Rumors of Gasley to Alpine
Herta to Alpha Tauri
Riciardo to Hass (if Gunther gets his wish)

[F1nKS]

RB says Herta to Alpha Tauri, Gasley to Alpine - if Herta is given a super license.

[airshifter]

Marko and Horner have now stated that they want Herta, and if he is given a super license then Gasley will be released. There are indications that the license decision will be known by Monza. I hope Danny Ric finds a seat, but it looks like talks with Alpine might be falling apart. I think he would compliment KMag well at Haas, as he should be good enough to help them develop the car.



I'm starting to think that something stinks in the F1 leadership, and in particular Stefano Dominicali. Andretti wanted to get into F1 and had resistance in the form of excuses about keeping quality teams within the sport. But I think it's safe to say if the points spread is so wide at the bottom we don't have really tight teams. Williams currently has 4 points this season. But now with rumors of a possible buyout of AT by Andretti, it seems maybe the leadership is trying to shape the field IMO. I can't see where Andretti was being excluded on any real basis, as they have a lot of experience. Haas made it work and I'm sure Andretti could pull it off as well. And to add insult to injury, they wanted to being Herta into the mix.

If it does go down this way, I hope Andretti gives F1 the middle finger, unless they can buy AT for a song. And as it stands, I don't see why there is any resistance to them entering the sport. Having another US based team could only be a good thing with F1 gaining in popularity in the US so much lately.



On another note, we are already into the new regs silly season for the 2026 season. I'm not sure if anyone else has dug into it much, so the short version is essentially the same engines but with no MGU-H, but three times the electrical energy. Sustainable fuels only, and flow will be limited by energy of fuel vs mass. They can no longer spin the turbo off of electrical energy, and expect to reintroduce some turbo lag. There are already questions about the ability to harvest enough power to keep the current pace. No word on active aero yet, but I think they will need it to keep them quick.

[lmmjvss]

It looks Dietrich Mateschitz's health is getting worse. If he dies, most of the shares and controls are going to the Thai guys, who have "the other half" of the company.
People are already linking the Porsche deal losing tracktion and a possible sell of Alpha Tauri with this =/

[Firstgear]

I'm just thinking about the timing of the whole Piastri contract. The Contract Recognition Board stated that the contract that was valid for Piastri was signed on July 4. That's well before Vettel's retirement announcement, or Alonso's announcement to move to AM.

So it appears to me that Piastri signed with McLaren to avoid being in a Williams for a year or two until Alonso was gone. Would he have wanted to go to McLaren if he knew he'd have Alonso's seat for 2023? By the time Alpine made the announcement (where Piastri denied he'd be driving for them) it was already too late for him to agree to stay with alpine because of what he had signed with McLaren.

I wonder if he's kicking himself now, or happy to be with McLaren instead of Alpine. Strictly on monetary terms, I'd guess McLaren made it worth his while to jump over, but other than that, I'm not too sure.

[F1nKS]

We might see silly season heat up a little this next week. Couple things have happened over this last week that at least give clarification of who won't be changing teams next year.

1. Red bull has quite trying to get Herta the super license points he needed to get to F1 (I think he has 30 out of the 40 he needed).

2. Which means Alpine will be going a different direction than Gasly since Red Bull said they would only release him if they had a suitable replacement driver (Herta).

[Zico]

2. Which means Alpine will be going a different direction than Gasly since Red Bull said they would only release him if they had a suitable replacement driver (Herta).

There are reports de Vreise met with Marko and is close to agreeing on a deal for the AT seat.

Strange situation for Merc in losing their Formula E winning protege but I guess they will have to let him go.

[F1nKS]

Silly season is upon us with rumors swirling

Red Bull
#1 Verstappen - 2028
#2 Perez - 2024

Ferrari
#1 Leclerc - 2024
#2 Sainz - 2024

Mercedes
#1 Hamilton - 2023
#2 Russell - 2023

Mclaren
#1 Norris - 2025
#2 Piastri - ???

Alpine
#1
#2 Ocon - 2024

Alfa Romeo
#1 Bottas - 2024
#2

AlphaTauri
#1 Gasly - 2023
#2 Yuki - 2023

Aston Martin
#1 Alonso - 2024 (Option 2025)
#2

Haas
#1 Magnussen - 2023
#2

Williams
#1 Albon - 2024 (w/Option)
#2

Yuki has been confirmed

Rumors still floating around of Gasly to Alpine and Devries to Alpha Tauri.

The Devries rumor seems odd, not RBR driver, he is kind of old. To me AT is your farm team to continue to find great drivers. Devries seem solid, but don't think he will ever be great.

[Bagwan]

Finally , Williams have released Latifi , so the bidding war can begin .

[Tazio]

Finally , Williams have released Latifi ,

:sailor: Ba-bye! :wave:

[The Black Knight]

:sailor: Ba-bye! :wave:

Yup, he should have never been in F1 to begin.

[F1nKS]

Silly season is upon us with rumors swirling

Red Bull
#1 Verstappen - 2028
#2 Perez - 2024

Ferrari
#1 Leclerc - 2025
#2 Sainz - 2024

Mercedes
#1 Hamilton - 2023
#2 Russell - 2024

Mclaren
#1 Norris - 2025
#2 Piastri - 2024

Alpine
#1 Gasly - 2024
#2 Ocon - 2024

Alfa Romeo
#1 Bottas - 2024
#2 Zhou - 2023

AlphaTauri
#1 de Vries - 2023
#2 Yuki - 2023

Aston Martin
#1 Alonso - 2024 (Option 2025)
#2 Stroll - 2023 (rolling contract)

Haas
#1 Magnussen - 2023
#2

Williams
#1 Albon - 2024 (w/Option)
#2

Two seats left...

[prpr]

Hulkenberg and Sargeant (once he stays in F2 top five to get Superlicence).

[Bagwan]

Jacques just did a run in last year's Alpine , and , after only 15 laps of running , including in and out laps , was within a second of Ocon's time .
He was 8 tenths away , without pushing it , as he was first in the car on the Monza track .

Just sayin' .

[Firstgear]

So it's official - The Hulk is in at Haas.

[F1nKS]

Silly season is upon us with rumors swirling

Red Bull
#1 Verstappen - 2028
#2 Perez - 2024
#3 Riciardo - 2023

Ferrari
#1 Leclerc - 2025
#2 Sainz - 2024

Mercedes
#1 Hamilton - 2023
#2 Russell - 2024

Mclaren
#1 Norris - 2025
#2 Piastri - 2024

Alpine
#1 Gasly - 2024
#2 Ocon - 2024

Alfa Romeo
#1 Bottas - 2024
#2 Zhou - 2023

AlphaTauri
#1 de Vries - 2023
#2 Yuki - 2023

Aston Martin
#1 Alonso - 2024 (Option 2025)
#2 Stroll - 2023 (rolling contract)

Haas
#1 Magnussen - 2023
#2 Hulkenberg - 2023 (w/Option)

Williams
#1 Albon - 2024 (w/Option)
#2 Sargeant - 2023 (w/Option)

Grid is complete. RBR signing of Riciardo is interesting as there are some saying that he is insurance if the relationship between Max and Checo falls apart.

[airshifter]

Ricciardo back to RB is interesting, especially with Checo having made some comments about not being in F1 much longer with the longer seasons taking place. If Ricciardo can come to grips with the RB again, it might have been a good thing to get the boot from McLaren. It's also interesting to me that now with Ricciardo gone, Lando is openly saying the front of the McLaren is crap.

Good to see the field all filled in. Other than Hulk, I think everyone made some good choices. And in the say of Hulk, I'd imagine he will be good on the development side, I'm just not sure he will be any quicker than Magnusson.