Piastri will get Alonso's seat, though I've never been highly impressed with Ocon.
I swear to all that is holy... if Ric get invited back to Alpine, I'm going to lose faith in everything. What's next cats and dogs living together? Ferrari understanding strategy? What record breaking achievement is he going after... to be a loser in the most teams in F1 history? Use the smile and your goofy behavior in a different line of work like game show host.
Piastri says he did not sign with Alpine - so 99% he is going to McLaren What a F...up by Alpine, announcing Piastri and then Piastri saying he didn't sign anything Alpine - Line up confirmed Tweet— Twitter API (@user) date Piastri - Not racing for Alpine in 2023 Tweet— Twitter API (@user) date
Later on Tuesday, an Alpine spokesperson said in response: "We believe we are legally correct in our statement but don't have anything further to say." WTF? https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/62400513
I think that Danny Ricc is a respectable 2nd tier driver in the right car--better than most. Piastri a promising newcomer. Alonso one of the greats, a relentless competitor. I wish the best for all of them. I love F1(the sport)--hate the BS. Hate the implosion of Ferrari by the current regime.
RIC is like coaches in American football: No matter how many times they get fired for poor performance some other team always seems ready to hire them and even pay them more.
I wonder if McLaren is going to pay Ric next year and just sit him. I would guess his contract guarantees a salary, not seat time. But I don’t know. Then they can put a young driver in the seat and pay them peanuts compared to what Ric makes. It would be noise compared to the total cost of his salary.
I believe that there is a performance clause in their contracts. Typically it goes both ways. The driver needs to be within a certain range of his teammate and if the driver is in a really good position to negotiate, like Verstappen were after busting into F1, they can equally set performance goals for the team. I.e. Verstappen had a clause that if he did not win the championship within a certain number of years he would be free to go elsewhere, and I think it was last chance last year. Ricciardo's lack of performance compared to Norris alone would be enough to cut him loose for pennies on the dollar.
I've seen the rumor, but I don't think McLaren has confirmed it, it is only a rumor. But if that is the case, Ron Dennis is going to have a heart attack, Ricciardo was not in that strong a negotiation position coming from Renault with mediocre results. Ricciardo needed McLaren more than McLaren needed Ricciardo.
Lawyers w team leaders affected will solve this outside of public view. We have no idea what are specific clauses are in any contract
Szafnauer: No issue in bringing Ricciardo back to Alpine F1 team Alpine Formula 1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer has not ruled out a return to the Enstone team for Daniel Ricciardo, should it not be able to keep Oscar Piastri.
[...] Ron Dennis is going to have a heart attack [...] Why would he? He has sold all his shares in McLaren in June 2017 (to the two other shareholders), and since then, has no connection whatsoever left with McLaren... (Which, by the way, I think is the shame, as Ron Dennis IS McLaren...) Rgds
I know, but that does not mean that he does not still have feelings for the team. I can't see him not having an opinion on this. And as you say, Ron Dennis IS McLaren
I don't think he did wipe out the attachment he had with McLaren by simply selling his shares. I wouldn't be surprised if deep inside he still harbours strong feelings for the team and the car company he built up, even if being Ron Dennis, he will never open up and let know his true feelings.
No doubt; as I wrote, I still firmly believe that he IS McLaren. But considering that the separation was rather acrimonious, I don't think Ron Dennis has any knowledge of the contracts intricacies...such has how much it actually costed to McLaren to poach Ricciardo from Alpine (or is it Renault; or Lotus; or Renault; or Benetton or Toleman or what have you... By the way, they do not emerge as particurarly astute, to put it mildly, in that drivers' soap-opera between Alonso / Piastri / Ricciardo... Rgds
Zak Brown brought Ricciardo in at McLaren on the strength of his performance at Red Bull, I believe. He must have completely overlooked the poor show during his 2 years at Renault. Ricciardo has been disappointing and for some times, the future of the Australian has been in doubt at Woking. Alpine now needs a driver, and McLaren probably wants to shorten Ricciardo's tenure, whilst Piastri claim he is now a free agent. A quick swap of drivers would solve Zak Brown's problem, no?
Yes, that would solve Zak Brown's problem...BUT Alpine does not seem delighted at the perspective: they have again insisted, about 90 mn ago, that they firmly believe they have Piastri under contract for 2023. And Ricciardo insists that he has a contract with McLaren for 2023; as for him, I think he is playing a dangerous game: he MIGHT get a new two-years deal at Alpine (with a performance clause such as how many points collected, etc...) whereas IF he stays at McLaren for 2023 and get clobbered again by Lando Lorris in 2023, his entire career will be terminated for good at the end of 2023. As we do not know what's written in the contracts, the only thing we know for sure is that lawyers will have a field day. At least the contest is between australian drivers; and Piastri's agent is another australian, Mark Webber; so their is no question of nationalities: the matter is mostly australian... Rgds
