WHO TO REPLACE ROSBERG AT MERCEDES IN 2017?

Lewis would be the defacto number over anyone sans alonso or vettel

 

...or Button

 

I honestly dont think i can find 1 person, other than Lewis, if button came back and won the WDC in that car.

 

They should try sainz, he will be epic after a few races to get himself familiarised, and I'm sure Alonso would be helpful to him to give him practice at mental stability

 

Agree.

 

Amen, brother!

 

If this were true, every race would have been won by Kid Index or Alonzo.

 

And the full story was actually (From: Hamilton insists on consultation about new Mercedes team-mate - Formula 1 - Eurosport Australia ):

Hamilton insists on consultation about new Mercedes team-mate


Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes have an obligation to consult him on who should replace retired world champion Nico Rosberg as his Formula One team mate next season, but he will have no say in their ultimate decision.

"Basically, once they've dwindled it down to five drivers, or whatever it is, the shortlist, contractually they have to discuss with me," the triple world champion told Channel 4 television.

"But I don't have a say who it is."

Of course, the full story doesn't paint Hamilton as being such an arrogant arse as only posting half of the story does!

 

I think it paints a bizarre picture still.

If he has no say and will take on anyone, then why does he have to be "contractually" consulted? What kind of contract clause would call for that?

Why did Toto make contradictory statements basically saying that Hamilton is an employee and they will let him know when they have made their decision?

“It is like many other employees,” Wolff told Sky Sports. “We will give Lewis the information once we’ve come to a point where we think it’s a sensible decision and then inform him.”

from: Mercedes regret giving Lewis Hamilton orders at Abu Dhabi GP | F1 News

It's amazing to me that a team as successful as Merc mishandles things like this with the press.

 

Lewis will be informed and have his opportunity to give his feedback, so he has a chance to influence, or at least try to influence the decision. I think that is a better scenario than just being told. He gets information and is able to participate.

Certainly not a veto, but a position most employees would prefer to simply being told after the decision is made

 

The 'shortlist' is going to be extremely short! maybe just 1 or 2 drivers.

I would imagine he is hoping for Werewolf as he should be able to trounce him under normal circumstances,but he seems a bit of a wild card

Bottas might be a different challenge,he is fast (very very fast according to Toto),who might be just as good or maybe even better than Nicole in the Merc.

I think thats about it.

So will be Bottas unless they cant do a deal with a Massa/whoever replacement, in which case they would have to contemplate Werewolf who even F India didn't want.

Jenson staying quiet on this so far.

 

Jensen won't be back, I feel, I get the impression he was truly done with F1, and going into the melting pot that is the team I may not mention for fear of upsetting people is not what he needs at this time of career. He would want equal footing, just as at McLaren, and they won't contemplate that especially with a teammate that he has beaten more often than not before. That said, he would be a great point scorer for the WCC for them, and a safe pair of hands till next year at least. I doubt McLaren would want him going there as there is nothing in it for them to release him, unless Mercedes offer a set of blueprints to their engines to Honda so they can stop making those unexplored bombs and make actual propulsion units instead!

 

If bottas arrived, I hope I'm wrong as he can be quick, but I think Wolff+manages Bottas+runs team+no scruples=Bottas is nailed on number two. Bottas may see it as a wasted move into the top team when he looked back later, at least Nico wasn't contracturally required to give in. No one ever says 'wow, his manager must have done such a great job to make him world champion' so there's no down side for Toto to play god in the team. All the 'Elton has no say' is spin, he knows as well as anyone that Wolff and the rat have no desire to upset the apple cart, and the vicious atmosphere of the last few seasons won't be something they will want moving forward. The best way to guarantee this is to make it contractural

 

I can't see Mercedes bringing in Bottas (which I think is a good move given the limited options) and making him No. 2 driver. Their policy of allowing their drivers to race with no team favouritism worked well in the past. Lewis was more consistent initially, Nico was last year.... It allows for either driver to take the opportunities for their stronger tracks and secure the WDC for Mercedes. There is just no need to put Bottas in a No. 2 position, he may prove to be quicker than Lewis, he may not but either way Mercedes wins. There is no doubt that Lewis will be No. 1 in the salary stakes, his past WDCs dictate that he's currently a more valuable driver to the team, but there will be some interesting battles at the start of the season as teams show their new cars and their new driver line ups.

 

I hope kid index isn't meant to be vettel. At least 4 drivers on the grid better than him...

 

My crystal ball says that Rosberg will take a 2-year sabbatical and then will return to F1 to drive for Scuderia Ferrari. :-D

 

And we would welcome a driver with his intelligence and team spirit with open arms.... he'd be a pretty good fit most places

 

It never works out though does it. Once retired even the greatest drivers who come back lack the single-minded fight to be at the top. Its not just raw speed, its mental strenght and Nico showed last season what can be done with exceptional mental strenght in addition to pure pace. Nico was exhausted and committed himself to his family (nothing wrong with that) but he would have to turn against all his reasons he gave for leaving to come back. If he did, he would be a shadow of what he was last season and he would know that would kill his legacy.

He's in the unique position to retire as the WDC, he'll never get chance to do that again after a long break getting mentally and physically flabby.

Nico's gone, life and F1 move on.

 

That would really be a bombshell, but I guess it's very unlikely to happen.

Come-backs are hardly successful (apart from Lauda), and hardly anyone can get back to the form he had before retirement.

I hope Nico doesn't return, for his own sake.

 

I don't think so!

 

Agreed ,he finally got the monkey off his back and has nothing to gain by coming back. Good luck to him,he did what felt right at the time.

Anyhow off sailing for a couple of weeks,nah not in the Med,Ciao.

 

I haven't seen Bottas as a shining light in comparison to a fading Massa. He's Gugelmin/Blundell/Patrese quality. No more than good support. Sainz may not be any better but he'd be better as a wild card. Shme about Hulk signing early with La Regie, I think his team spirt and pace in the Merc would scare the hell out of Bieber.

 

Actually, Keke did not retire after winning the WDC in 1982. He retired from F1 at the end of the 1986 season.

 

+1 emphatically agree with your comments about Hulk.