+1 The truly great drivers adapt their style to suit the car. Watch some of Alonso's in car video from his championship seasons at Renault. Ronnie Peterson could wring the neck of any car(well maybe not the Tyrrell P34). Let's hope that he convincingly outperforms Stroll. If not . . . Vettel has been just showing up this season to collect his paycheck. Unless Tracing Point becomes the Mercedes Junior Team(the first phase of Stroll's grand plan I suspect) I don't see Seb scoring another victory.
[QUOTE="375+, post: 147525794, member: 28059 Vettel has been just showing up this season to collect his paycheck. Unless Tracing Point becomes the Mercedes Junior Team(the first phase of Stroll's grand plan I suspect) I don't see Seb scoring another victory.[/QUOTE] If Aston Martin becomes a mid-field team, Vettel with his experience could be a safe pair of hands. But if Lawrence Stroll wants to bring his team to the front, to collect some wins perhaps, Vettel will crack under the stress.
I agree. Something is fundamentally wrong between himself and the car. If RP can get the pink mercedes to work well, I can see a rejuvenated Vettel.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/153171/binotto-rehearsed-vettel-phone-call-three-times Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Mattia Binotto has revealed that he had to mentally rehearse three times his phone call to inform Sebastian Vettel he wasn't being retained for 2021. Vettel's current contract ran out at the end of the 2020 season, and it had looked likely at the start of this year that it would be a simple matter of extending it. However, the reality of Ferrari's competitive struggles after Barcelona testing, allied to it pondering what was best for its long-term future, left team management believing that sticking with Vettel was not the right thing to do. Binotto informed Vettel of the decision in a private phone call before the F1 campaign got under way - and he has admitted it was not a simple thing to do. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sky Italia, Binotto said that he had to prepare himself well in advance for a difficult conversation. "I was at home, and before I called him I repeated mentally three times beforehand what I should tell him and how," explained Binotto. "The choice about Seb was not easy, because we love him for what he has been, for the way he has behaved and for what he has given to the team over the years. "But there comes a time when you have to have the clarity to make choices looking to the future. Image Unavailable, Please Login "We are close to the start of a new technical cycle in 2022, and there is a team that is being built up in all areas. "We have the duty and ambition to look to the medium and long term, and it is precisely on this rationale that the strength to make certain choices must be found. "Did Seb get in the way? No, he did not hang up the phone. "He is a very intelligent person, a beautiful person, and he has maintained his character during a season in which there has been no lack of difficulties. He was never negative. Instead, he was proactive and a very respectable person." Binotto said that he believes the 2021 line-up of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr will bring a different dynamic to the team, as he reckons the pair have varying strengths. PLUS: How do you solve a problem like Ferrari? "Charles has the enthusiasm of the fans and also the team from the way he produces lap times in qualifying, with his overtaking and with the way he defends on track - Enzo Ferrari would have loved it," Binotto said. "Regarding the choice of Carlos, I personally see him as a leader. "He is a great worker - he hooks up with engineers and asks for more and more. "Although he is young, he already has many years of Formula 1 behind him and his path has always been one of learning to get the results. "The drivers today are really the least of our problems. "Charles is growing, and in difficulties he has never been critical - he wants to help contribute and grow the team." Share this article on
INSIDE LINE: WILL NEWEY BE JOINING VETTEL AT ASTON MARTIN? http://www.gptoday.com/full_story/view/743767/Inside_Line_Will_Newey_be_joining_Vettel_at_Aston_Martin/ Garry Sloan’s latest column about Lawrence Stroll’s investment in Formula 1, which will morph from Racing Point to Aston Martin next year, he ends by suggesting Adrian Newey may be departing Red Bull and, if he does, he may well follow Sebastian Vettel to the new Mercedes-powered venture
OMG! Imagine that for a moment: The power of balance in F1 would be reshuffled. Aston Martin might become #2 in the WCC while Red Bull would decline. It could happen if they don't secure an engine deal fast. I know Renault MUST provide engines, but how lovely will that relationship be? Newey at Aston Martin, geez, I'd love to see that.
I get what you're saying, but I'm not so sure. When SB was at RB they were a front mid field team, not one of the power houses. That allowed him to thrive and beat expectations, that and his uncanny ability to get the most out of blown diffusers. By the time he left RB, they were expected to be a front runner all the time, so that added to the expectations on him. Same at Ferrari where he was expected to outperform the car. Right now RP / Aston are at the front of the mid field and no one expects them, or Seb to stomp the opposition. I think that scenario suits him. Also for the first time in a long time he's going to be the undisputed #1 in the team. Part of why he's there is to mentor Lance. I think, assuming a car as good as they have this year, he may surprise a lot of people, especially after he has a few months off to decompress from the mental hell of Ferrari, the Tifosi and the press. He's not my favorite driver, I still rate him more as a Button, Villaneuve, Hill, Mansell level than a Hamilton, Alonso, Mad Max, Senna or Prost level talent. I wish him no ill will and every success as he was certainly a worthy champion a decade ago.
Because Lawrence Stroll believes that everyone has a price. Adrian Newey is not for sale. Just my opinion.
Adrian Newey is reputed to have left Williams and McLaren because he wasn't receiving enough recognition. At Red Bull Dieter Mateschitz apparently gave him more say in the running of the team. But like everyone at Red Bull, Newey is frustrated by the lack of result because of the engine situation, beyond his control.
Well the aero is not optimized at all 2 years now. So Newey has not been getting it perfect at all. The motor only shows how the aero is not there and the PU is not reliable either. Albon is not doing well with the chassis and it has frustrated Max as well. Newey would only make the Cheat Clone Mercedes more of a Red Bull as they are stuck with it. Thats assuming changes would be good for the platform as is. Racing Clone have not done well in developing it so far. Its too late to employ Newey for the new car in 2022. That car needs to be almost done now.
Having read his (excellent) auto-biography, my estimation would be that he would rather go fully F1 again with a new team. I got the sense het basically got fed up with the regulations & did not believe in the hybrid-technology enough for his full commitment. Hence, the work on Valkyrie and such. He basically got to a point where he demanded to work on the Aston Martin, because F1 was not challenging enough anymore. Add to that that he also publicly commented he thought Horner & MArko took the Renault media-crap too far and it would make perfect sense to me that he would leave RB and join AM to continue working in F1.
I think Adrian Newey would be careful before moving from Red Bull though. He left Williams because of Patrick Head, and left McLaren because of Ron Dennis. At Red Bull, although he is not part of the troika*, he found some solace and his work isn't criticised for the team lack of success. I am wondering if Newey would work for Lawrence Stroll, another team leader with an abrassive personality. *The troika being Red Bull management: Mateschizt, Marko and Horner.
Interesting assessment from DC - https://www.planetf1.com/news/david-coulthard-sebastian-vettel-spent/
Disagree, pretty sure he’s under-driving and scoring as few points as possible on purpose this year, to get back at Ferrari and make the Strolls happy, in the same way he slumped in the 2015 wdc to activate Red Bull’s get out clause and join Ferrari
Underperforming to get back at Ferrari is an interesting way to look at it, and one that I didn't think off before....it does make sense. Sacked over a phone call in the beginning of the season, after what was supposed to be a good relationship. I don't think this was the situation at RBR 2014 btw...I do think Ricciardo performed better, and naturally due to Vettel leaving, he was getting less access to the team (as expected) therefore couldn't perform as well. But I don't think at RBR it was intentional. For this season, I think you're onto something.
2014, you’re right and I think a mix of the two. Ric started beating him fair and square at the beginning of the season and the get out of contract clause based on wdc position did the rest for him to underperform. This year even more so as he can be decisive in the final wcc position of at least 4 teams and already has shares in Aston Martin
Btw with Kimi, Vettel, Ham and Alonso next year, don’t think there has ever been a greater number of WDCs won on the grid at same time?
I think there was a time (1966/67) when Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Jim Clark and John Surtees were together, maybe even Denis Hulme.
So does this damage to reputation on purpose?? Explain mistakes in 17-19 then. He admits that Charles is better in this car after team slap his silly claim of differences in the cars. No - he is not adaptable as others are. Plain sight all this is. One would think new team would like to see him doing better, fighting like Perez. Vettel is not that good. DC is correct overall.
Mistakes are mistakes but being so slow this year and always sliding back just outside the points is becoming farcical. And bet the Strolls prefer an extra £10 million or so than seeing Vettel driving well and put Ferrari above R.P. in the standings. I’m pretty sure they have some kind of implicit or explicit agreement as the one Strolls had with Perez to steal Force India
