Seb out of SF for 2021

Exactly as a Ferrari fan I should have enjoyed this era much more!
Mercedes and Hamilton dominance are just boring to me but I have to admit I am a little bit biased..

 

Spot on as always! Thank you!

 

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sebastian-vettel-mercedes-unlikely/

 

Does Dietrich Mateschitz has any resentment against Vettel? Isn't it a no-brainer to pair Vettel to Verstappen? Wouldn't it increase Red Bull sales in Germany?

 

2020 Vettel and 2013 Vettel are completely different driver.
Now his self confidence is completely broken because of Ricciardo and Leclerc.
He deeply knows his fourth titles aren't completely legit in formula one history.
His failure to build a Schumacher remake will have a huge and definitive impact on his mindset

 

I disagree his four titles aren't legit. He was the fastest driver in the fastest car at the time. He got the job done with the equipment he had. He beat his team mate and all comers. Saying they aren't legit is like saying Schumachers titles with Ferrari aren't legit as the FIA was known as Ferrari International Assistance back in that time frame.

 

Honestly do you rate his titles as the same level if you want to compare with Prost?
This is why I said "completely "
I rate him as a one time world champion like button or rosberg which is already quite an achievement but not among the top ten of this sport.

 

That, I accept, but not so much the rest of your post.

 

Valtteri Bottas says he has been told by Mercedes it is not considering signing Sebastian Vettel for the 2021 Formula 1 season.

Ferrari announced last month that four-time world champion Vettel would be leaving the team at the end of the year, replacing the German driver with McLaren's Carlos Sainz Jr.

Bottas has now said that he does not feel any concern about Vettel being on the market, claiming he was told by Mercedes that the Ferrari driver was not under consideration for a seat in 2021.

"No, it doesn't get to you," Bottas said of the speculation in an interview with Sky Sports F1.

"We've been very honest also with my team all the time, what's the situation, and how it's going to be contract-wise.

"I got a pretty straight message that no, they are not considering Seb, so I said fine, no worries then."

Bottas' future has been a regular topic throughout his time at Mercedes, always signing one-year contracts since joining the team for the 2017 season.

The Finn said he feels no different about his future with Mercedes compared to any other years, and that some of the speculation has made him laugh.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/149899/bottas-mercedes-has-ruled-out-vettel-for-2021

 

Seb joining Mercedes with Hamilton still there would be like beating a dead horse; I guarantee he’s going to be obliterated for a 3rd time in a row and at that point, it will only further confirm Newey won those titles not Seb.

 

Unless Mercedes shoved a contract for 2021 under Bottas' nose, and he signed it, that seat remains open.

 

IMO, Mercedes would harm the team by changin the drivers.

 

If it ain't broke ....

 

Don't get me wrong, I doubt they would take Vettel simply because it would make the team unstable again. The only way I can see them sign Vettel is if Hamilton retires.

Just pointing out that Bottas is quite naive in saying that he has had a chat with Mercedes and thinks the drive is 100% his without having signed a thing.

 

If Hamilton retires, Toto Wolff would be mad to recruit Vettel as replacement. Vettel is over the hill.

As for Bottas' quote, I take that with a pinch of salt. Did he really say that, or a journalist made it up? That's simply gossip to fuel conversations.

 

Team lies to Bottas????

 

Bottas on camera and on record says team is not considering Vettel.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/27993/12004242/valtteri-bottas-on-mercedes-future-and-sebastian-vettel-f1-2021-links

 

Bottas sending a message to Toto:



or is it from Lewis

 

Contracts in F1 aren't worth the paper they're written on.

Won't be the first time a driver is told he'll be staying only for another driver to take his seat, lol

 

I think Hamilton retiring would also mean the end of Mercedes in F1.

 

Everything seems to come into place for 2021 and this season hasn't even started!!
The drivers' move have been decided, McLaren will have Merc PUs, the new rules accepted, the budget cap introduced, etc...
I have never known anything like it.
But maybe there will be a sting in the tail before year's end, we can't predict.
Will all the teams be on the grid in 2021 for example?

 

Not so sure. I think Merc is commited to F1 for a few more years (up to 2025?) and Hamilton may quit before that.
I think they aim to beat Ferrari and Schumacher's records of WDCs and GP wins.

 

To me it looks like the wheels are in motion for Merc to leave by 2022. No need to develop an (expensive) new car, no drivers signed as of yet beyond 2021, likely to leave F1 with utterly dominating an entire era (how can you beat that?)...there's nothing left in F1 for Mercedes to prove anymore.

We have Toto buying himself into Aston/Racing Point, Lewis moaning about retiring constantly, a Merc CEO that doesn't like racing and was already making big cuts in Mercedes before Corona happened...

 

That's 3 more seasons then, counting this one. A lot can happen during that time.
That Mercedes will leave F1 is on the cards anyway; manufacturers never stay forever. F1 isn't their core business.
I'm not sure Mercedes will continue to "dominate"; Red Bull and Ferrari are catching, and some client teams may also come good before too long.
The budget cap may convince the new Mercedes board to stay a bit longer in fact; the F1 team doesn't cost them much anyway.
Toto Wolff invested just 5% in Aston Martin, and not in Racing Point. But he just put some money in Williams, I read?
I wonder how Mercedes-AMG will packs up; by selling the team outright, or staying only as engine supplier.
There should be a lot of highly skilled technicians and engineers on the market when they go.

 

2020 and 2021 is two seasons. Mercedes won't develop a car for 2022 and then abandon, that doesn't make any sense since that'll be a completely new concept.

Most likely scenario right now seems that Toto/Aston Martin will get pick of the litter (engineers and parts of factory) of what they'll need to run AM successfully. Teams will downsize by 2022 so that works perfectly. Can't sell Mercedes F1 as a whole since there won't be any need for it by anyone.

This season will tell if Mercedes will dominate 2020 and 2021. I hope not. Good competition is needed and it'll be very satisfying to see Red Bull (or of course Ferrari) beat Mercedes fair and square.