Wolf and Stroll to ? buy Mercedes F1?? | FerrariChat

Wolf and Stroll to ? buy Mercedes F1??

Discussion in 'F1' started by Sig. Roma, Jan 21, 2020.

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  1. DeSoto

    DeSoto F1 Veteran

    Nov 26, 2003
    7,479
    Soon there will be only three F1 teams: Ferrari, Red Bull, and Stroll, each with 6 or 8 cars.
     
  2. pilotoCS

    pilotoCS F1 World Champ
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    May 19, 2019
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    Willis
  3. Adrian Thompson

    Adrian Thompson Formula Junior

    Apr 28, 2004
    422
    Beverly Hills, Mi
    Full Name:
    Adrian Thompson
    OK, I know that Lawrence Stroll isn't just using his own money to buy Force Canada or Aston, he's the point man in putting together a consortium of 'investors'. But is he starting to feel a bit like an Adrea Sassetti, David Thieme or a Jean-Pierre Van Rossem as opposed to a Bernie, Jordan, Hass or even David Richards? What I mean is he seems to be more about throwing money around, making a big splash and self promotion right now, rather than investing and building something with the intention of taking it forward. He's gone Williams -> Force India -> Mercedes (at least in talks). It's like he's trying to buy his way forward rather than build something. Williams are certainly in a world of trouble, but their basic infrastructure, facilities and core people are certainly good enough to build on with some proper leadership(and money). The core of the team is still there and let's face it, they are the last of the non factory or mega teams to win a race (Merc, Caffine water, Ferrari, McLaren and Lotus-Renault). Would he have been better working to turn around Williams, or keep working with Minardi, rather than trying to buy the next step?
     
  4. Flavio_C

    Flavio_C Formula 3
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    Sep 7, 2012
    2,445
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    Please allow me to say that you are a bit naive. ;)

    Lawrence Strulovitch wants to make his son a F1 world champion, at any cost. He doesn't give a damn about "turning around" or developing a current team. He has been doing it since karting: he once put his son at the best and most respected karting team in Europe but then decided that the team's truck, which was top notch, was not good enough for him so he bought a F1-style motorhome! He made everything he could, financially speaking, to put Lance in the Ferrari Driver Academy... Then he bought the Prema F3/F4 team, then a seat at Williams, and then the whole Force India...

    This gentleman has no qualms and if buying Mercedes F1 would eventually mean shutting down Force India in a day, he would that in a hearbeat with no worries about the employees.
     
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  5. 05011994

    05011994 Formula 3
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    May 1, 2004
    1,859
    Golden, Colorado
    Strolffecedes AMG Petronas with Hamilton and Lance as teammates? It really does sound like Mercedes will not be staying after next year as a manufacturer and it make sense based upon their desire to focus more on EVs. Did the F1 programs really help them sell additional cars?
     
  6. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jun 3, 2006
    25,337

    Allow me to say that if what you depict is really Lawrence Stroll's intention, it's him who's naive.
    Young Lance is just not WDC material.
    I don't begrudge him to be in F1, thanks to his father's support, but it's fair to say that he is struggling.
    Given the best equipment he may move up the ranking, but never will he be a top driver.
    You can buy many things in life, but not talent.
     
    bernardo66, A348W, DF1 and 1 other person like this.
  7. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jun 3, 2006
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    Probably that wasn't the aim.
    But reaching a younger audience, reducing their tax bill and obtaining more knowlege about hybrid technology might have been.
     
    Adrian Thompson likes this.
  8. trumpet77

    trumpet77 Formula 3

    Jun 13, 2011
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    Robert Nixon
    HAAS, with two A's please. With only 10 teams it's not hard to spell the guy's name right! Sorry, I'm a spell-checker.
     
  9. Adrian Thompson

    Adrian Thompson Formula Junior

    Apr 28, 2004
    422
    Beverly Hills, Mi
    Full Name:
    Adrian Thompson
    Mea culpa, I don't see and edit button to fix my mistake.
     
  10. trumpet77

    trumpet77 Formula 3

    Jun 13, 2011
    2,181
    Great Neck, NY
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    Robert Nixon
    sorry to worry about spelling, no big deal
     
  11. Flavio_C

    Flavio_C Formula 3
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    Sincerely, I guess he knows his son is not WDC material but he thinks he can simply buy it. At least it worked in F4 & F3...
     
  12. SimCity3

    SimCity3 F1 Rookie

    +1
    Even Bottas would trounce Stroll in the same Merc.
     
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  13. greyboxer

    greyboxer F1 World Champ

    Dec 8, 2004
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  14. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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  15. A348W

    A348W Formula 3

    Jun 28, 2017
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    Whilst like others I have no issues with people buying seats; it has always been such after all...but putting that brat in a top car will just make F1 a complete laughing stock!

    Would Toto and Hamilton put up with that? I would hope they have more professional integrity than that!

    But if Stoll is involved just from a pure business perspective, then fine and good luck to him. But I would think that Hamilton would be wise to jump ship; only because what goes up must come down, and for how much longer can the Mercedes team be dominant; and whilst Stroll and his mates are rich; can they match the backing that Mercedes provides?

    Still, all makes for good interest and as we know nothing is forever so the current status quo is bound to change soon as it has been going for some time now; as per the previous dominance of other teams did! If I was abetting man, I'd be looking at Red Bull and McLaren in 2021, then both know how to win!
     
    william likes this.
  16. SimCity3

    SimCity3 F1 Rookie

    Makes you wonder if Stroll Snr pulls rank will young Lance get Hamilton's superior engineers ?
     
  17. A348W

    A348W Formula 3

    Jun 28, 2017
    1,739
    North Wiltshire, UK
    As said above; you could give him the best car, best engineers, best tacticians, best pit crew, sprinkle it all with pixy dust, he still wouldn't be a world champion. Like Hamilton or not, he would still drive rings around him; but I seriously doubt he would put up with that type of nonsense. Well here's hoping anyway!
     
    william likes this.
  18. Simon^2

    Simon^2 F1 World Champ

    Oct 17, 2005
    12,313
    At Sea Level
    Stroll better have very deep pockets,... He has 9 more teams to buy if Lance is to have any chance at all of being an F1 champion...
     
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  19. SimCity3

    SimCity3 F1 Rookie

    Unless Hamilton was in something like a Williams :D
    I would have liked to see Lewis ending his career turning around the British underdog.
    An authentic challenge and fairytale turning point for Williams perhaps.
     
    A348W likes this.
  20. DF1

    DF1 Two Time F1 World Champ

    https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-wolff-mercedes-to-stay-on/

    Both Mercedes and Toto Wolff will reportedly remain in Formula 1 for the long-term with the latter set to commit his future to the Brackley squad along with Lewis Hamilton.

    Last year, reports emerged claiming that Mercedes could be on the verge of walking away from Formula 1.

    The German manufacturer, winner of the last six F1 championship doubles, was believed to be wanting to instead focus on Formula E having entered the sport as a works team for the 2019/20 season.

    Some reports even went as far as to say that Wolff was in cahoots with Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll with the aim of buying the Mercedes team and rebranding it Aston Martin.
     
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  21. Adrian Thompson

    Adrian Thompson Formula Junior

    Apr 28, 2004
    422
    Beverly Hills, Mi
    Full Name:
    Adrian Thompson
    OK, Stroll is never going to be WDC material, but I think he's better than he gets credit for. He sucks at qualifying and he get's in way too many first lap issues, but his race pace isn't a million miles off Perez. On his day, and they are few and far between, he can be good, really good. No, he's never going to be a consistent threat in any car, but there have been similar drivers who've made decent careers in F1. No I'm not a fan or a supporter, but I think he's demonized a bit too much at times. The situation is made worse by that paltry grid size these days. Let's get back to 28-30 entrants and 26 starters and I'd think he'd appear less of a joke.
     
    william likes this.
  22. Flavio_C

    Flavio_C Formula 3
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    Sep 7, 2012
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    Once a ski instructor said that "one way to improve your skiing is to try to follow your friend who is better than you and imitate what you see". Sooner or later Hamilton will retire and Papa Stroll could take advantage of that.

    I don't buy this idea vented by the journos that Papa Stroll is involved in F1 because he is interested in this business... He made his fortune by mass producing "designer's clothes" in China and retailing it around the world. He did get into motorsports as a gentleman driver but his involvement with it since Lance began karting is solely to make whatever it takes to make his son a champion.

    By the way, bringing a bit of the other thread and sharing a bit of my own experience: Stroll Snr is a bit like a Canadian Briatore or a Canadian Ecclestone, mega rich, very sucessful but far from having culture or good manners...

    Well, Damon Hill was not WDC material either...

    i
    He has some talent, yes, but he is miles behind the top talented guys. He is demonized because for every pay driver that occupies a F1 seat, he is automatically ending the careers of other truly talented drivers who can't get in.
     
  23. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jun 3, 2006
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    But he still got the title !
    He wasn't the best racer perhaps, nor the most cunning, but he was fast and a good test driver.
     
  24. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jun 3, 2006
    25,337
    Let's not forget that team mate Perez is also a pay driver.

    Stroll is hated because he lives in his father's shadow, not because he is a pay driver, IMO.
    Bringing sponsors' money to buy a seat isn't new; in fact some teams live on that.
    But Stroll is financed by an ambitious father who goes out of his way to promote his kid, in spite of his limited talent.
    This is seen as an unfair advantage by his detractors
     

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