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2016 Formula 1 Season

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Bottas sounds like a shoe in really...

Would love to see Jenson back but he seems like he's over it.
 
Bottas won't stand a chance against Hamilton. He could barely beat Massa who is long past his best.

The only drivers who would give Hamilton a run for his money are Alsono, Ricciardo and Vestappen, and none of them are likely to be available.
 
Patrick Dixon said:
Bottas won't stand a chance against Hamilton. He could barely beat Massa who is long past his best.

The only drivers who would give Hamilton a run for his money are Alsono, Ricciardo and Vestappen, and none of them are likely to be available.
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I agree with you, re: Bottas, but how do you know that's not what they want?
 
Patrick Dixon said:
I think you underestimate Rosberg. OK he is not Hamilton but he is still very good.
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Tongue in cheek answer obviously (everyone's so serious these days...). I think the original question is doesn't it depend on the Merc requirements or brief. Why would they not want a clear number 1 and 2?
 
jay said:
Tongue in cheek answer obviously (everyone's so serious these days...). I think the original question is doesn't it depend on the Merc requirements or brief. Why would they not want a clear number 1 and 2?
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If they think they are going to dominate next year, then they (and formula 1 in general), need a battle for the championship. It's all for nothing if there is nobody to challenge Hamilton.
 
Richard Nichola said:
If they think they are going to dominate next year, then they (and formula 1 in general), need a battle for the championship. It's all for nothing if there is nobody to challenge Hamilton.
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That may not be the case Richard. There are a few rule changes and that usually shakes things up a bit...
 
jay said:
That may not be the case Richard. There are a few rule changes and that usually shakes things up a bit...
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And that's the real point here.

If it was another year of the same rules then they would almost certainly promote Wehrlin as he would be quick enough alongside HAM to get both championships. With the uncertainty of the new regs then Merc want a faster and more experienced driver.

Ideally, they want a quick experienced number 2 who would finish second to HAM and not rock the boat if they need to play Ferrari/Red Bull tactics. Unfortunately, they are all spoken for.
 
They can't have a clear 1 and 2 as they receive around £400M in sponsorship a year and sponsors want a big name.. Hamilton/Rosberg was a money making machine. If they employ a relatively unknown driver sponsors won't like it. If they employ someone who's going to brush Lewis's feathers the wrong way, sponsors won't like it ( Alonso, Vettel)

My prediction is that Mercedes loan Wehrlin to cash strapped Williams in exchange for Bottas.. together with a load of money & a cheaper (Mercedes!) engine deal for next season...

So it would be Hamilton and Bottas in the team (imo of course)
 
Rug Doc said:
If they employ a relatively unknown driver sponsors won't like it. If they employ someone who's going to brush Lewis's feathers the wrong way, sponsors won't like it ( Alonso, Vettel)
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Not sure the sponsors care about Lewis's feathers overmuch.

Sponsors want, in roughly this order.
(a) lots of eyeballs on their logo
(b) be associated with winning
(c) access to team for VIP customers etc.

The problem with unknown drivers is mainly if Mercedes still dominate. Lewis sprinting off into the distance and new driver doing the same but less so does not yield much (a).

Two excellent drivers and Mercedes not dominating affects (b) and to a lesser amount (a) and (c) becomes less desirable for the VIPs.

Two excellent drivers and Mercedes still dominating is the clear winner for sponsors, giving (a), (b) and (c).

I agree Bottas, Wehrlein thing is a strong possibility. I also think Button is possible if Mercedes want to wait and see if they still dominate before going for one of the really big hitters.
 
Richard Nichola said:
Not sure the sponsor's care about Lewis's feathers overmuch.
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I suspect that the major sponsor, Daimler-Benz, just might. It wants to win and win convincingly, thus portraying its brand in the best possible light in a very high-tech sport.

What interests me is how long Mercedes will stay in the sport. In the past, its philosophy was to get into the sport, absolutely whop the pants off the competition and then depart, having proven its point. This was the case of the Silver Arrows in the 1950s, when they won the F1 championship several times (and the then World Sportscar Championship - only Merc (1955) and Aston Martin (1959) beat Ferrari - both teams featured Stirling Moss).
 
Rug Doc said:
My prediction is that Mercedes loan Wehrlin to cash strapped Williams in exchange for Bottas.. together with a load of money & a cheaper (Mercedes!) engine deal for next season...
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Putting Wehrlein in the MB would be like putting Checo Perez in the McLaren in 2013 - he wasn't ready for a big-boy team. But I can see Mercedes using Wehrlein as a chess piece to get someone who is ready.
 
peter bj said:
They may be spoken for but money talks and some sort of contract buy out is always possible ,but who do you choose !
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I would quite like to see Nico Hulkenberg it a top car. He has never quite managed to get a drive in one but I still feel he has something.
 
What interests me is how long Mercedes will stay in the sport. In the past, its philosophy was to get into the sport, absolutely whop the pants off the competition and then depart, having proven its point. This was the case of the Silver Arrows in the 1950s, when they won the F1 championship several times (and the then World Sportscar Championship - only Merc (1955) and Aston Martin (1959) beat Ferrari - both teams featured Stirling Moss).[/QUOTE]

I really don't think I'd use the 1950s as a predictor for the future of Mercedes in F1 in the teenies and twenties. They were almost non-existent in top level motorsport after that incident at Le Mans until the mid-80s. They've done Le Mans, won, done F1 and won. Mainly based in the UK, of course! They'd have to decide that motorsport, all motorsport, wasn't their thing anymore.

I can't see that happening.
 
cutting42 said:
Ideally, they want a quick experienced number 2 who would finish second to HAM and not rock the boat if they need to play Ferrari/Red Bull tactics. Unfortunately, they are all spoken for.
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I'd still put Bottas in that group, well just under I suppose. It's only been this last year where he hasn't impressed as much as previous. Who knows, one driver may get to grips better with the new cars or remember when to push the start buttons, etc....
 
cutting42 said:
I would quite like to see Nico Hulkenberg it a top car. He has never quite managed to get a drive in one but I still feel he has something.
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Decent shout on Hulkenberg though would he be happy being a clear No2 driver, Bottas being managed by Toto could be the chess piece that shuffles the pack, somehow I can't see one of the top line drivers going to Mercedes.
Alonso time is passed now it is McLaren or nothing for him I feel unless he does a Prost at Williams and goes to Mercedes for a 1 year deal and then retires?
 
Agreed. In far too deep with far too amazing credentials to pull out now. Who was paying for the development of the 1950's cars? Mercedes. Who pays for development of the 2017 cars? Petronas (Malaysian oil company) UBS, Epson, Boss et al.

Sorry, in response to Tony..
 
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