Formula 1 - 2014 Season
- Thread starter Dave Baumann
- Start date
Hamilton is already in a winning car though. It's Alonso who is getting old and has been waiting for a championship winning car since 7 seasons (5 of those under Ferrari)...
According to respected finnish F1 reporter Heikki Kulta, Alonso possibly leaving is pretty much due Montezemolo leaving (and Botin, the man behind Santander-Alonso-deal, dying didn't help either)
With Montezemolo, Alonso was planning a contract 'till 2018 - he would have gotten a nice raise, the right to leave the team after each season if the team didn't perform well enough, and hold his current rights over the team mate, like choosing engineers and mechanics before the team mate gets his picks.
With Montezemolo gone, Marchione, Ferrari's new leader, gave all the rights to do contracts and whatnot regarding the F1-project to Mattiacci.
With Mattiacci in the negotiations, all the benefits mentioned above would be gone for Alonso, he wouldn't get raise, he wouldn't get ability to leave the team due performance clauses and he wouldn't get any rights over his team mate.
With Montezemolo, Alonso was planning a contract 'till 2018 - he would have gotten a nice raise, the right to leave the team after each season if the team didn't perform well enough, and hold his current rights over the team mate, like choosing engineers and mechanics before the team mate gets his picks.
With Montezemolo gone, Marchione, Ferrari's new leader, gave all the rights to do contracts and whatnot regarding the F1-project to Mattiacci.
With Mattiacci in the negotiations, all the benefits mentioned above would be gone for Alonso, he wouldn't get raise, he wouldn't get ability to leave the team due performance clauses and he wouldn't get any rights over his team mate.
Well, the new one is Hamilton will be backfilling Alonso at Ferrari!
http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/09/25/has-ferrari-targeted-hamilton-as-alonsos-replacement/
Well, the new one is Hamilton will be backfilling Alonso at Ferrari!
http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/09/25/has-ferrari-targeted-hamilton-as-alonsos-replacement/
Perfect match in so many ways.. Would be a guaranteed match to cause waves
Mansell became the darling of the Tifosi after his first race, being given the name "Il Leone" because of his fighting driver style, and in that respect you could certainly see Hamilton equally exciting the fans.
I can't see Hamilton leaving Mercedes for Ferrari in 2015 - the car is just so much more superior to the rest of the field and I can't see Ferrari catching up for years. Perhaps this is to bolster the negotiations for Hamilton's new contract.
If (massively big if) Hamilton does go to Ferrari, any thoughts on who will replace him?
If (massively big if) Hamilton does go to Ferrari, any thoughts on who will replace him?
I think Hamilton will stay in Mercedes and IF Alonso leaves, Ferrari will take Jules Bianchi. Before anyone here says he's too inexperience for Ferrari remember that it's no longer same Ferrari with Luca in charge!
I think Jules is a good option for them in case Hamilton and Vettel are locked in
Unlike Alonsos future at Ferrari recently, Kimis future has never been questioned, he has 2+1 year contract and the team behind him.
So they consider this year as a beta test?
Also, is Kimi much easier to handle than Alonso?
Is that why Alonso is leaving even though he has beat Kimi almost every race?
Kimi hasn't, at least according to any public reports nor rumors, ever required any rights over his team mate which definitely is a big plus from teams point of view.
This year isn't that much of a beta test, but a car that's simply the opposite of what Kimi would need to show his speed properly. Alonsos driving style suits the car a lot better, even if it's not exactly to his liking either - and no wonder, considering he has been with the team for several years now and has given his input on the car during development.
That's convenient.
It isn't far fetched;
Next year we should see a car better tailored to Kimi; Will that result in wins? it's possible considering how well he performed last year in a troubled team.
tongue_of_colicab
Veteran
What? They might had some trouble but the car was good. Even if next years Ferrari is much better suited to his taste, if its not any faster than it is this year Kimi is still not going to be anywhere.
I remember listening to reports from Martin Brundle of the last year Kimi was at Ferrari (2009)the last time round where all the Ferrari engineers were in awe of what he did with a car that they had stopped developing in like August of that year and that he way exceeded what you would expect from the car. The fact is there are plenty of very good drivers over the years that have struggled changes in cars/tyres regulations and/or when they changed teams to cars that had very different driving characteristics. Kimi initially had similar issues getting used to the Lotus and he mastered that.
I dont think he suddenly has forgotten how to drive quick and it is a bit of an unfair comparison with Alonso given the amount of time Alonso has been with Ferrari driving current generation cars.
I dont think he suddenly has forgotten how to drive quick and it is a bit of an unfair comparison with Alonso given the amount of time Alonso has been with Ferrari driving current generation cars.
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Well, RB have announced Vettel will leave at the end of 2014 and Kyvat(!) will partner Ricciardo next year. It looks set, then, that Alonso will be going to McLaren and Vettel will go to Ferrari.
Button vs Magnussen
