Official F1 Silly Season 2012 thread

Duke · 19 Jul 2012 at 14:35

For those who don't know, the summer period is where the drivers and teams start to make decisions on their driver/s for the following season and beyond.

2012 has quite a few contracts ending, which could have given us a bit of a shake up, but it looks a bit less likely now.

Webber signed a one year extension with Red Bull recently so no change there. Hamilton is likely to now stay at Mclaren as is Massa with Ferrari.

Out of the top few teams the only possible change is with Schumacher's seat. Although it seems Kobayashi is under pressure and could be replaced by Kovalainen- http://planetf1.com/driver/18227/7913635/Kovalainen-high-on-Sauber-s-list. If someone took Massa's seat, I could see him being back at Sauber in a way.

Toro Rosso drivers have ok but not spectacular, so wonder if they will change next year?

Skeeter · 19 Jul 2012 at 14:38

Someone that I completely forgot about, but F1 Racing magazine reminded me is not yet signed to anyone for next year, is Heikki Kovalainen.

Maybe he could drop into a Sauber or a Force India seat of one of their drivers moves on?

FrankJH · 19 Jul 2012 at 14:51

Personally think Sauber is too good a car for Kovi - nice enough bloke, but Im not convinced he will end up anything special

FI are a mixed bag, I would really like them to do well - but they seem a bit meh at the moment (although if my memory is working, they did ok at Silverstone)

I would be surprised if Massa stays at Ferrari - I guess it depends on the next two races and how he / the car goes , one swallow doesnt make a summer lol

Would like to see Hamilton at Lotus (unless McLaren get their finger out fo their *** and produce a consinstantly good car)

Skeeter · 19 Jul 2012 at 15:16

Really? I think Heikki has come on leaps and bounds. And whilst not spectacular, he did do a solid job at McLaren (some poles and a win). If FI or Sauber loose one of their drivers to a top team, I think Heikki will be high up on their list for consideration.

I think your right about Massa. We all got geared up for musical chairs at the top, and its all got a bit boring. I wouldn't be at all surprised if nothing changed in the top 4 teams.

Lewis going to Lotus would mean Lotus buying either Kimi or Roman out of their contracts, and given their financial situation I can't see that happening.

dannyjo22 · 19 Jul 2012 at 15:41

Webbers contract has taken the excitement out of it all for me, it's gone a bit flat

I'd hung my hopes to heavily on him having a goodbye year at Ferrari and really starting the ball rolling. Yeah Massa might be cut but it will only be another lamb to the slaughter, so it might as well have been Webber, moving a young pretender in will only end up wrecking the career of the guy coming in.

So they may as well keep Massa in reality because he's content now with his lot.

Massas career in over now, just as Rubens was. A team might take him on for 2m for commercial reasons but he's just treading water now.

Mr Men · 19 Jul 2012 at 15:48

Heikki to Force India, Di Resta to McLaren to replace Jenson

Schumacher has signed another year at Mercedes according to those in the know

Guerrilla · 19 Jul 2012 at 16:12

Mr Men said:
Heikki to Force India, Di Resta to McLaren to replace Jenson

Schumacher has signed another year at Mercedes according to those in the know

Button has a fair bit left on his contract doesn't he?

Flibster · 19 Jul 2012 at 16:16

Skeeter said:
Lewis going to Lotus would mean Lotus buying either Kimi or Roman out of their contracts, and given their financial situation I can't see that happening.

By Lotus' finantial situation, I assume you mean Lotus' situation not Lotus' as Lotus no longer have anything to do with Lotus, so Lotus is on it's own without Lotus' support.

Skeeter · 19 Jul 2012 at 16:18

Guerrilla said:
Button has a fair bit left on his contract doesn't he?

A 3 year deal signed in 2011 that takes him to the end of 2014.

Skeeter · 19 Jul 2012 at 16:22

Flibster said:
By Lotus' finantial situation, I assume you mean Lotus' situation not Lotus' as Lotus no longer have anything to do with Lotus, so Lotus is on it's own without Lotus' support.

Lol'd

Flibster · 19 Jul 2012 at 16:25

Skeeter said:
Lol'd

Imagine what I could have come up with last year with Lotus, Lotus and Lotus.

Duke · 19 Jul 2012 at 17:00

Flibster said:
Imagine what I could have come up with last year with Lotus, Lotus and Lotus.

lol

Mr Men · 19 Jul 2012 at 18:05

Heikki has been sounded out by Ferrari according to Autosport mag. It was also mentioned a while back in Finnish media so maybe that's the source for Autosport.

FrankJH · 19 Jul 2012 at 18:14

Skeeter said:
Really? I think Heikki has come on leaps and bounds. And whilst not spectacular, he did do a solid job at McLaren (some poles and a win). If FI or Sauber loose one of their drivers to a top team, I think Heikki will be high up on their list for consideration.

I think your right about Massa. We all got geared up for musical chairs at the top, and its all got a bit boring. I wouldn't be at all surprised if nothing changed in the top 4 teams.

Lewis going to Lotus would mean Lotus buying either Kimi or Roman out of their contracts, and given their financial situation I can't see that happening.

Maybe you are more forgiving re Heikki at McLaren

, I always thought he was pretty attrocious lol. Wasnt the win kind of like by default rather than on skill / merit? (Im happy to accept if my memory is playing tricks).

I was forgetting about MS / Merc situation - I guess Paul could move from FI to there? That might cause ripples all over the grid - again if Perez got Massa's seat that would cause a lot of ripples - but would (for instance) Paul risk swapping to Sauber ....hmmm I dunno (even if the offer came in) its a bit of a sideways step. Without Massa /MS leavining there isnt any space anywhere for Sauber /FI drivers to go in the first place is there (thats a gaurenteed jump up)?

More a wish about Lotus rather than anything I can see happening lol

Skeeter said:
A 3 year deal signed in 2011 that takes him to the end of 2014.

This is the other thing - I guess the 2012 part of the last deal was ripped up (ie he isnt running 2012 under old deal arrangements , with 13-15 on the new deal?)

Mr Men said:
Heikki has been sounded out by Ferrari according to Autosport mag. It was also mentioned a while back in Finnish media so maybe that's the source for Autosport.

thats just confusing (if it isnt just journo speculation)

I just cant see why Ferrari would want him

I can see why they dont want a driver to really trouble Alonso, but they can still do better than HK surely (even without my admitted doubts over the driver mentioned)

Mr Men · 19 Jul 2012 at 18:27

FrankJH said:
I can see why they dont want a driver to really trouble Alonso, but they can still do better than HK surely (even without my admitted doubts over the driver mentioned)

Problem is there is no driver that could trouble Alonso, even if Ferrari wanted

I agree that Heikki was not all that good at McLaren, all he seemed to do was move over for Lewis

Skeeter · 19 Jul 2012 at 18:32

Di Resta has a contract with Force India for next year, but Malyia has said he will let him go to a big team if an opportunity arises (and one assumes a big cheque is handed over too), so I doubt Di Resta would go anywhere sideways. The only real holes for him would be Hamilton's seat at McLaren and Schumachers at Merc, both of which look to be staying put.

I don't actually know about Button. Was his 2010 contract a 2+1 year deal that got replaced by a new 3 year deal, or is his new contract a 2013 to 15 one? I genuinely don't know, but what we do know though is that he is tied to McLaren until at least the end of 2014, so won't be going anywhere soon.

Mr Men · 19 Jul 2012 at 18:33

Cause contracts are never broken

Jenson should know as will Sir Frank

FrankJH · 19 Jul 2012 at 19:12

Skeeter said:
Di Resta has a contract with Force India for next year, but Malyia has said he will let him go to a big team if an opportunity arises (and one assumes a big cheque is handed over too), so I doubt Di Resta would go anywhere sideways. The only real holes for him would be Hamilton's seat at McLaren and Schumachers at Merc, both of which look to be staying put.

I knoe he is a legend and all (to some at least lol), and especially to a German car company he is like gold dust - but surely he still needs more podiums before Merc will be happy with keeping him ?

Skeeter said:
I don't actually know about Button. Was his 2010 contract a 2+1 year deal that got replaced by a new 3 year deal, or is his new contract a 2013 to 15 one? I genuinely don't know, but what we do know though is that he is tied to McLaren until at least the end of 2014, so won't be going anywhere soon.

When it was annonced I assumed like you did the 2012 part was re-negotiated under the new deal - I just havent seen it confirmed anywhere

Mr Men said:
Cause contracts are never broken Jenson should know as will Sir Frank

Well to be fair JB spent a lot of his own money getting out of that deal

It paid off in the end, but that was a very fine line given how close Brawn came to not existing in the first place.....

Mr Men · 19 Jul 2012 at 19:51

FrankJH said:
I knoe he is a legend and all (to some at least lol), and especially to a German car company he is like gold dust - but surely he still needs more podiums before Merc will be happy with keeping him ?

If the car was a podium challenging car maybe that would be a valid point to make. And before you say China, MS was up there.

Skeeter · 19 Jul 2012 at 19:52

Of course contracts can be bought out (hi Kimi), but we are talking about very large sums of money. Button is in a contract worth £85m. Even to McLaren that's a lot! Not that there is even a hint the they are looking to drop him anyway?

I can see Hamilton signing at McLaren for 3 years with performance related exit clauses. If Massa stays at Ferrari it will only be a short term deal (I still fully believe they are after Vettel), and again Schumacher at Merc would be a 1 year thing.