Motorsport Off Topic Thread

BBC saying Kimi having back surgery and missing the final two races. It's either true and he's thinking sooner the better and the stronger he'll be for next season so why not screw Lotus as they weren't going to pay him. Or it's a semi legal way to strike for the final two races. if he just said pee off and doesn't hold up his end of the contract it would make fighting Lotus in court over his pay a bit more difficult I would imagine.

EDIT;- hmm, I saw the story today but it seems it's way old news, all of yesterday, probably somewhere a couple pages back.


As for Button Perez, as yet Button has only marginally out qualified Perez so far, 9 to 8, and races is 10 to 4 with one more DNF than Button but I think he's had a few more contacts and a couple blown tyres ruin races for him which would close that gap a little. I don't think Perez has been that bad considering he's new to that car this year and a not that experienced. Personally think it's harsh and too early to drop him and Mclaren would surely make more money and test better for the future dropping Button, but a British driver seems important to them so I guess I can see why.

Basically I don't think Button should be their no.1 driver, he's not going to develop into a great driver at this point, Perez could, not that likely but he still could. I hope it's not true, seems a bit of a risk for an already pretty weak team to get an even more inexperienced driver.
 
Button is not a good qualifier, so that stat isn't so important. Race wise button has trounced Perez.
Also if rumours are to be believed, Magnussen has trounced Perez in the simulator.
 
They could go after Hamilton in 2015 if merc don't deliver next season.
I can't see Mercedes being that awful next year. OK, they may not beat Red Bull but Lewis would surely see that.

And would he really return to McLaren? He wanted to leave to start afresh and grow up.

Button is not a good qualifier, so that stat isn't so important. Race wise button has trounced Perez.
Also if rumours are to be believed, Magnussen has trounced Perez in the simulator.
Aren't people saying that because Button isn't the best qualifier, to have qualified better than Perez shows Perez has quite a weakness in one-lap driving? I'm quite surprised that this supposed Telmex money hasn't tied McLaren's hands re driver selection. So either McLaren are free to choose who they want or there is no Telmex money?
 
Aren't people saying that because Button isn't the best qualifier, to have qualified better than Perez shows Perez has quite a weakness in one-lap driving? ?

Exactly, so he's a poor qualifier and a poor racer and magnussen has apparently beaten him in the simulator, repeatedly.
 
Perez.
Button isn't a great qualifier thats well known, but he's a decent racer, not the fastest, but not bad either. So for Perez to only equal button in qualifying but only get half the race points, is pretty damning. Especially in Mclarens current situation, when every single point counts. As well as longterm plan. I cant see Perez, and never have been, being a top driver. Still deserves a good seat, but he's no seb/alonso/ham. Magnussen might well be.


As for the money, perhaps they just don't need it and would rather the money from being higher up the championships.
 
I can't see Mercedes being that awful next year. OK, they may not beat Red Bull but Lewis would surely see that.

And would he really return to McLaren? He wanted to leave to start afresh and grow up.

Aren't people saying that because Button isn't the best qualifier, to have qualified better than Perez shows Perez has quite a weakness in one-lap driving? I'm quite surprised that this supposed Telmex money hasn't tied McLaren's hands re driver selection. So either McLaren are free to choose who they want or there is no Telmex money?

I had my mind pretty much set on some Carlos Slim money backing McLaren next year, but now I'm not so sure.

I do like Perez, and it will be a shame to see him drop out of F1, but be was given a chance to play with tthe big boys and has been average. I lust say it's seems a very non McLaren esque thing to do to drop a driver after 1 season. I would have thought there would need to be 87 committee meetings and a memo triplicated throughout the whole team just to arange a meeting to discuss the driver line up.
 
Perez.
Button isn't a great qualifier thats well known, but he's a decent racer, not the fastest, but not bad either. So for Perez to only equal button in qualifying but only get half the race points, is pretty damning. Especially in Mclarens current situation, when every single point counts. As well as longterm plan. I cant see Perez, and never have been, being a top driver. Still deserves a good seat, but he's no seb/alonso/ham. Magnussen might well be.
Yep. I'm a bit surprised at Perez considering how he was in the Sauber last year. Perhaps McLaren are a team that demand too much of him? And like you say, he's never going to be one of F1's top drivers. Magnussen might be and McLaren can't not try him out.

As for the money, perhaps they just don't need it and would rather the money from being higher up the championships.
Could be. I'm glad they've done this, if they have. I'd rather see a team retain its independence from sponsors when it comes to choosing drivers and I was worried that McLaren might need the Telmex money and therefore be bound to have a Mexican driver.

I had my mind pretty much set on some Carlos Slim money backing McLaren next year, but now I'm not so sure.
Yep, same. Guessing that McLaren have a new title sponsor lined up that isn't Telmex. They've had Vodafone and Johnny Walker so perhaps O2 or Jack Daniels? :p

I do like Perez, and it will be a shame to see him drop out of F1, but be was given a chance to play with tthe big boys and has been average. I lust say it's seems a very non McLaren esque thing to do to drop a driver after 1 season. I would have thought there would need to be 87 committee meetings and a memo triplicated throughout the whole team just to arange a meeting to discuss the driver line up.
He's talented but perhaps just not destined to be a top race winning, title competing driver. But yes, it is strange for McLaren to drop someone after just one season. I think it shows that they are confident of getting Alonso and they have Magnussen, whom they want to try out in F1. 4 into 2 doesn't go. 3 is a bit better as they can have a shootout. :p

Perhaps the meetings and memos were started immediately after they decided to sign Perez? :D
 
Where has he actually been? Seems surprising for Ferrari to let him anywhere near Williams before the end of his contract, so I assume he's just been in some public areas rather than behind any closed doors?

Why what is he going to do? Tell Williams to redesign their car or something? Kimi was at Ferrari for his seat fitting as well, I don't assume he did it in the car park.
 
Autosport say that they have received confirmation of KM going to Mclaren...

"AUTOSPORT gets confirmation, as we predicted on Sunday, that Kevin Magnussen will replace Sergio Perez at McLaren next season.

Our news editor Glenn Freeman has covered Magnussen's junior career and is confident he is ready for F1: http://goo.gl/A5y5m9

Do you welcome Magnussen's graduation, or did you think Perez deserved more time? And can the young Dane challenge team-mate Jenson Button next year? Over to you..."
 
Its a no-lose situation for McLaren imo

Perez just didnt have the race pace often enough even with a terrible car like the McLaren this season. If Magnussen can stand the pace over a season then they get to have promoted from within with a promising young driver. If he doesnt work out , he is unlikely to be any worse than Perez.
 
Makes sense for McLaren, why wait and waste time if they believe he is good enough and being able to learn from Button could help him.

Feel for Perez though, in some ways McLaren have kind of messed things up for him, can imagine he's severed his Ferrari ties now. Think McLaren made the wrong choice with getting him and now they are trying to rectify it.... Who knows if he'd have had another decent season at Sauber this year he may have been getting lined up as Massa's replacement for next year. Wonder where he will end up now.
 
If you take a look at the Renault 3.5 series that magnussen is used to driving, then you'll see the exhausts exit behind the diffuser like the 2014 regs call for. So I think the lad's got a good chance tbh!
 
Its a no-lose situation for McLaren imo

How is this is no-lose situation?
By hiring a rookie, they are effectively admitting that 2014 is also a write-off.
Button hasnt got a hope in hell of winning the title, unless he gets a car 0.5s/lap faster than everybody else.

Just like in 2013, when they conceded the title race, before the season started by replacing Hamilton with Perez (which was laughable), they are doing it all over again.

When Kimi's negotiations with RBR were rocking, McLaren should've been right in there. When Kimi signed for Ferrari, McLaren should've been de-stabilising Alonso. Instead, they are going for a rookie?

With so much money at stake, it begs belief that they are conceding the title so early...again.

The decisions being made (which are ultimately signed off by Whitmarsh), are gradually turning McLaren into a mid-field team.
 
If you take a look at the Renault 3.5 series that magnussen is used to driving, then you'll see the exhausts exit behind the diffuser like the 2014 regs call for. So I think the lad's got a good chance tbh!

Why take a chance?
McLaren are not a back of the grid, cash poor team.
They don't need to take chances on rookies (saving wages).
They can afford to bring in experienced drivers.
 
And with him being danish.. he probably brings along some tasty danish bacon sponsorship deal.

Expect to see all McLaren personal with bacon sandwiches next year!
 
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