Confirmed with Link: Hamilton going to a red team (The F1 Thread)

[Svechhammer]

McLaren

As someone who has become a bit of a McLaren fan, that result is stunning. They've been showing glimpses lately that they might be getting their shit back together but holy crap that came out of nowhere.

I was just happy a couple races back that they were in the points. And now they're challenging for pole?

 

[sheriff bart]

McLaren's improvement during this season is incredible. From back markers at the start to front row starts. Perez with Red Bull continuing to struggle in qualifying is strange. With Ricciardo sitting in the wings, is Perez feeling the heat?

 

[Novacane]

Poor Piastri being done in by the safety car. Happy for Norris.

The Ferraris were amazingly bad, damn

 

[Svechhammer]

What a stunning weekend from McLaren. Easily the fastest car behind Verstappen. Hakkinen said a bit back that they had the potential to contend for titles in the near future, what did he know?!?

 

[Svechhammer]

Lol ESPN

 

[Bub]

Poor Piastri being done in by the safety car. Happy for Norris.

The Ferraris were amazingly bad, damn

Hey, they were both in the points!

 

[Lucky Lindy]

Ferraris is the same as always, clowns.

 

[Canes]

Those first two laps were very exciting.

 

[Novacane]

Bah god, that’s Danny Ric’s music

 

[Svechhammer]

Bah god, that’s Danny Ric’s music

I mean I'm happy that he's back, but deVries wasn't given a realistic shot to have any kind of success in F1 with AT, its kinda sad to see his career thrown away like that

 

[DaveG]

I mean I'm happy that he's back, but deVries wasn't given a realistic shot to have any kind of success in F1 with AT, its kinda sad to see his career thrown away like that

I mean while you're not wrong, at all, but de Vries also did himself no favors. That was Russell vs Latifi at Williams bad if not worse, and Yuki is definitely no George Russell. That said I'm not expecting that much improvement at AT with Danny in there. I have a feeling that this is prep for Danny returning to Red Bull next season after Checo goes elsewhere to be the #1 (McLaren if Norris leaves?)

 

[Bub]

I mean while you're not wrong, at all, but de Vries also did himself no favors. That was Russell vs Latifi at Williams bad if not worse, and Yuki is definitely no George Russell. That said I'm not expecting that much improvement at AT with Danny in there. I have a feeling that this is prep for Danny returning to Red Bull next season after Checo goes elsewhere to be the #1 (McLaren if Norris leaves?)

This is what I've read too (re Ricc to RB, etc). Alpha Tauri *is* just a train wreck right now, but De Vries didn't show much against "Mr Excitement" Tsunoda.

Thing is, Ricciardo is a moody f***er. (I mean, I know they all are, but he seems moodier than most.) Is he fine with being the clear #2 to Max next year? Maybe at this point in his career he's fine with the cash and the glory of being in F1, or maybe he thinks Max will move on in another couple of years and he'll step into the gap?

 

[DaveG]

This is what I've read too (re Ricc to RB, etc). Alpha Tauri *is* just a train wreck right now, but De Vries didn't show much against "Mr Excitement" Tsunoda.

Thing is, Ricciardo is a moody f***er. (I mean, I know they all are, but he seems moodier than most.) Is he fine with being the clear #2 to Max next year? Maybe at this point in his career he's fine with the cash and the glory of being in F1, or maybe he thinks Max will move on in another couple of years and he'll step into the gap?

Good question. With Max now I can see him being OK with it in a way he wasn't before and that he wasn't when Lando was the one getting preferential treatment with McLaren. Almost literally any other driver outside of maybe Lewis I think Danny would want to be the #1.

 

[Svechhammer]

I mean while you're not wrong, at all, but de Vries also did himself no favors. That was Russell vs Latifi at Williams bad if not worse, and Yuki is definitely no George Russell. That said I'm not expecting that much improvement at AT with Danny in there. I have a feeling that this is prep for Danny returning to Red Bull next season after Checo goes elsewhere to be the #1 (McLaren if Norris leaves?)

I mean I get why RB would want to have someone like Lando, but at this point why would Lando want to leave McLaren? As long as they are making strides to be a contender (and after this past weekend, you'd have to admit they might very well be on that track sooner than we could have imagined), Lando has a pretty cushy gig in being the clear #1 driver for McLaren, and he's getting paid handsomely to not go anywhere else. Should they ever give him a legitimately competitive car, he's going to be in the WDC hunt. At RB, he'd be the #2 driver and there really wouldn't ever be any hope of him contending for a title. He's better off staying where he is than going there.

 

[Bub]

I think '24 will the be the make-or-break year for Lando's relationship with McLaren. If they don't keep improving enough to vie for wins next year--even if they're not top tier championship contenders--then why would he view them as his long-term home? I dunno. Maybe the money and the fact that he's, what, 12 years old? give him a longer view.

EDIT: added "don't" to the second sentence. Derp.

 

[DaveG]

I mean I get why RB would want to have someone like Lando, but at this point why would Lando want to leave McLaren? As long as they are making strides to be a contender (and after this past weekend, you'd have to admit they might very well be on that track sooner than we could have imagined), Lando has a pretty cushy gig in being the clear #1 driver for McLaren, and he's getting paid handsomely to not go anywhere else. Should they ever give him a legitimately competitive car, he's going to be in the WDC hunt. At RB, he'd be the #2 driver and there really wouldn't ever be any hope of him contending for a title. He's better off staying where he is than going there.

fwiw I don't think Lando would go to Red Bull.... I think it would be Merc if Lewis retires. No hint of that so far this season though.

 

[Svechhammer]

fwiw I don't think Lando would go to Red Bull.... I think it would be Merc if Lewis retires. No hint of that so far this season though.

Even then, would Lando be #1 at Merc, or would it be Russell? Right now, McLaren is paying him a heck of a lot of money to be the sure thing face of the team, and there's a lot of additional ad rev that comes from it.

 

[Bub]

Even then, would Lando be #1 at Merc, or would it be Russell? Right now, McLaren is paying him a heck of a lot of money to be the sure thing face of the team, and there's a lot of additional ad rev that comes from it.

I think Russell's the future of Mercedes, tbh.

Although -- it IS Formula One, so we should expect someone (like, say, Mercedes) to bring on Lando after Hamilton retires, touting that they "have a complete team that can compete at the highest level." Meaning Russell is unhappy that he's not a clear #1, Lando is happy until he realizes he also isn't the shiny new #1, and chaos ensues.

F1 really needs another Prost-Senna rivalry, imho.

 

[Bub]

Checo makes Q3!!! Ok, only 9th place, but baby steps!

I didn't get to see qualifying, but that grid looks a bit nutso. The first few laps tomorrow should be pretty tasty.

 

[DaveG]

Checo makes Q3!!! Ok, only 9th place, but baby steps!

I didn't get to see qualifying, but that grid looks a bit nutso. The first few laps tomorrow should be pretty tasty.

Danny Ric making it to Q2 in his first go this season with an AT ain't too shabby either. Checo must have really been feeling to pressure to step up like that, can't let the possible replacement outshine you in the first go.

 

[Svechhammer]

P2 when they were supposed to struggle at this track?

Yeah, I'm starting to think McLaren is back

 

[Svechhammer]

Oops!

 

[Svechhammer]

Oh that's interesting, Bottas is trending on social media during the summer break I wonder why that is the ca-

 

[Lempo]

Oh that's interesting, Bottas is trending on social media during the summer break I wonder why that is the ca-

A Finnish man is at his most beautiful when naked. #fact

 

[Bub]

I believe every tv profile I've ever seen of a Finnish driver is basically just men sitting around in a sauna, then jumping naked into a lake. (Rosberg, Hakkinen, Salo, Bottas. "Missed out" on Kovalainen and Raikkonen tho.)