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Post by vintagerpm on Oct 24, 2020 15:25:33 GMT -8
The Haas F1 team has annonced that both Kevin Magnusen & Roman Grosjean will not be returning to the team next year. (I'm actually surprised the team is returning.) According to AutoWeek, it appears they will have 1 or 2 Ferrari Junior drivers on the squad. (Can you say "Mick Schumacher".) AW: Haas F1 Team Principal Coy About Who Will Drive for Team in 2021I guess this means they just want to be the Jr. Ferrari team and are nolonger interested in actually winning races. I would like to see someone like Sergio Perez on the team. With his experience, he could at least be able to tell them if their car is any good or not. And he still seems quite capable of driving fast. Mike
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Post by Joel_W on Oct 30, 2020 7:48:51 GMT -8
Mike, The Haas team has to be the worst of the grid with all sorts of issues that they just couldn't correct. The engine was about the only area of the car that worked correctly most of the time. Most likely it was due to the fact that they didn't have anything to do with it except install it, and tune it up to manufacture's specs.
For the life of me, I can't see Schumacher jr. wanting to make his F1 entrance in that team car, as his talents just won't be seen as they should be. Same goes for Perez. He's better off not taking a loosing, back of the grid car and wait until a better offer comes along.
Personally, I'd prefer NOT seeing Haas return for the 2021 season and concentrate on their other series.
Joel
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Post by arcticwolf on Oct 30, 2020 10:30:26 GMT -8
Mike, The Haas team has to be the worst of the grid with all sorts of issues that they just couldn't correct. The engine was about the only area of the car that worked correctly most of the time. Most likely it was due to the fact that they didn't have anything to do with it except install it, and tune it up to manufacture's specs. For the life of me, I can't see Schumacher jr. wanting to make his F1 entrance in that team car, as his talents just won't be seen as they should be. Same goes for Perez. He's better off not taking a loosing, back of the grid car and wait until a better offer comes along. Personally, I'd prefer NOT seeing Haas return for the 2021 season and concentrate on their other series. Joel Perez won't be in the Haas, they'll go with Shumacher and some Russian guy with lots of money. I feel for Perez, he was a loose cannon when he first arrived but he's matured into a very fine driver and he's getting the shaft from the Stroll boys for sure. But he has Mexican money behind him so maybe Indycar would be a better option. I'd like to see it!
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Post by Joel_W on Oct 30, 2020 11:05:54 GMT -8
Paul, Great idea about Perez going to Indy Car especially since he's got a lot of financial backing. Too bad that Chip Ganassi replaced Felix Rosenqvist with Alex Palou as Ganassi Racing would have been that much better for 2021.
I'm still hoping that Red Bull demotes or releases Albon and hires Perez over Hulkenberg. Max and the team really need a better #2 driver to develop the car and has a style more intune with Max's.
Joel
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Post by vintagerpm on Dec 2, 2020 8:52:14 GMT -8
Well, its official. Rookies Mick Schumacher & Nikita Mazepin to drive for Haas in 2021. The son of an icon and the son of a billionaire.
Mike
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Post by arcticwolf on Dec 2, 2020 9:54:46 GMT -8
Well, its official. Rookies Mick Schumacher & Nikita Mazepin to drive for Haas in 2021. The son of an icon and the son of a billionaire. Mike Yep.
And Russel gets to drive a Mercedes. Any bets after next year they drop Bottas?
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Post by Joel_W on Dec 2, 2020 10:53:54 GMT -8
Paul Not so sure that they'll dump Bottas and bring up Russell any time soon. Bottas has played 2nd fiddle to Hamilton, so the spot light has never been on him. Yet he manages to finish 2nd in the championship most years. Tough car luck this year should hopefully give that honor to Verstappen.
I've been vocal about Perez replacing Albon at Red Bull, but last weekend's race didn't help that pray much. Most likely we'll see Vettel prove to the world that he's truly over the hill and is just as inconsistent at Aston Martin as he was at Ferrari. Certainly Strole will be given equal status to Vettel as Daddy owns the team.
Mick Schumacher has signed a multi year deal with Haas, so look for him to be a consistent back marker as I have no faith in Haas solving their chassis issues no matter what engine powers their pigs.
Joel
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Post by vintagerpm on Dec 3, 2020 6:20:14 GMT -8
I've been vocal about Perez replacing Albon at Red Bull, but last weekend's race didn't help that pray much. Most likely we'll see Vettel prove to the world that he's truly over the hill and is just as inconsistent at Aston Martin as he was at Ferrari. Certainly Strole will be given equal status to Vettel as Daddy owns the team. Joel I've never understood the Perez to RedBull talk. He's not a RedBull sponsored driver, he's nearing the end of his F1 career, and he would not play second fiddle to Verstappen. If RedBull can't find a second driver from within their system, it puts their whole Driver Academy thing into question. Maybe they will clean house in F1 of everyone except Verstappen. Who do they have in lower formula these days who is deserving of promotion? It been a few years since they brought up Kvyat, Albon, & Gasly. Mike
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Post by Joel_W on Dec 3, 2020 7:24:38 GMT -8
Mike, For that matter, Mercedes has never promoted one of their sponsored drivers either. Instead they farm them out via contract to other teams. Russell is in fact under contract to Mercedes, so technically, he's the 1st one. If he does well, and he should considering the car/engine combo he's driving, he really needs a podium finish. Bottas needs to qualify on the Pole, get fastest lap, and win the race. Loosing out to Russell in any of those 3 categories will certainly be held against him. But no matter what, Bottas will be their #2 driver behind Hamilton in 2021, a roll he's very use to, and very good at.
I have to differ with you that Perez is near the end of his career. Actually, he's younger then Hamilton by 2 years, and is having the best year of his career considering he missed two races due to testing positive for Covid 19.. He would have had a 3rd place podium finish if his car didn't break again, thus beating out Albon once again, who in reality lucked out into that 3rd place podium finish. He'd be the perfect 2nd seat to Verstappen. Certainly much better the Albon will ever be in the near future.
Joel
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Post by arcticwolf on Dec 3, 2020 8:34:22 GMT -8
Perez is nowhere near over the hill, he's driving better every year. A fine driver in my opinion. But he won't get the Red Bull seat - Helmut Marko runs the driver program, and giving the seat to Perez would be admitting that their program was a failure. Marko is waaay too arrogant to ever let that happen. I think they'll stick with Albon, and after a couple more crashes, promote Gasly back to the main team. That's more the Red Bull thinking, unfortunately.
And if I were Perez, I'd rather sit out than sit in a Haas.
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Post by sam on Dec 3, 2020 9:01:17 GMT -8
You know something, I actually root for HAAS. It takes cohonas for a new team to make a start in F1. You talk about the money behind them and you well know that is a drop in the bucket compared to the likes of Ferrari, etc. HAAS has been treated like dirt by the other teams, an interloper if you please. It is sad that some of the posts above echo that attitude. F1 has turned into an egotistical snob of motorsports and I honestly have no clue why HAAS even wants to climb that mountain. Indy car has turned into the premiere open wheel series, and HAAS would be better off spending his time and money there. Heck, even NASCAR gives you better racing than F1.
Just call me the devil's advocate if you will.
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Post by vintagerpm on Dec 3, 2020 10:00:27 GMT -8
You know something, I actually root for HAAS. It takes cohonas for a new team to make a start in F1. You talk about the money behind them and you well know that is a drop in the bucket compared to the likes of Ferrari, etc. HAAS has been treated like dirt by the other teams, an interloper if you please. It is sad that some of the posts above echo that attitude. F1 has turned into an egotistical snob of motorsports and I honestly have no clue why HAAS even wants to climb that mountain. Indy car has turned into the premiere open wheel series, and HAAS would be better off spending his time and money there. Heck, even NASCAR gives you better racing than F1. Just call me the devil's advocate if you will. I was actually surprised to hear that Haas was coming back in 2021. He originaly said that if they didn't improve from 2019 in 2020, that was it. I guess Steiner has convinced him to give 2020 a Mulligan because of COVID-19. Pridiction: The Russian billionare takes over Haas in 2022. Just like Stroll at Force India/Racing Point/Aston Martin/whatever its new name is. Mike
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Post by vintagerpm on Dec 3, 2020 10:40:39 GMT -8
Perez is nowhere near over the hill, he's driving better every year. A fine driver in my opinion. But he won't get the Red Bull seat - Helmut Marko runs the driver program, and giving the seat to Perez would be admitting that their program was a failure. Marko is waaay too arrogant to ever let that happen. I think they'll stick with Albon, and after a couple more crashes, promote Gasly back to the main team. That's more the Red Bull thinking, unfortunately. And if I were Perez, I'd rather sit out than sit in a Haas.
Never said he was over the hill, just nearing the end of his F1 career. Of the 20 drivers in F1 this year, 12 (3/5ths) are in their 20s. Despite Hamilton continuing to win championships, F1 likes younger drivers. Hamilton and Verstappen came into F1 at very young ages. Raikkonen, Vettel and Alonso were all in their 20s when they won their championships. Ricciardo has held steady as a high mid-packer and Grosjean has gotten steadily worse. (Yes, their teams have something to do with this, but it comes down to perception in F1.) Age plays a factor. I like Perez and thought he got a raw deal at McLaren, but he only has 9 podiums in almost 10 seasons of F1. His average finishing position in the standings for his first 9 years is 10th place (rounded from 9.7). Suddenly jumping to 5th this year (if he stays there) doesn't mean much. The fact that he has no contract in F1 for 2021 means they do not think that highly of him - not when former champions and drivers with billionaire backers exist. I'd love to see him in a RedBull or Mercedes (or Ferrari when they are good), but its not going to happen. This reflects more of my opinion of F1, not of Perez. Mike
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Post by Joel_W on Dec 3, 2020 12:45:41 GMT -8
F1 has always been a true rich team's game. Just the concept that you have to design your own chassis can be overwhelming for a new team, and almost always it's a back of the field car. Then being a engine customer, you don't get the same powerplant that the official team uses. It's always the previous version. The only exception to the rule is Red Bull. They've got as much money as any team that just might include Mercedes, and they're the Honda official team.
As you said, Indy Car is a much better show. Being a spec series with just two choices of engines and one chassis, makes for the best open wheel racing. F1 is basically a 3 tier series: Front Runners, Mid Packers, and Haas plus Williams bringing up the rear.
Given a choice, I'd watch Indy Car over F1 every time.
Joel
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Post by arcticwolf on Dec 3, 2020 22:56:06 GMT -8
I don't disagree with any of you guys. I like Gene Haas and his team, I just think their car is a piece of junk. And unless they come up with 10 times the budget, it always will be. Too bad for the sport, really. And the flak they took for it being 90% of a Ferrari was uncalled for. So is the ALFA Romeo. The Racing Point is 90% of a Mercedes. The Alpha Tauri is 95% of a Red Bull. They should just let them have 4 Mercs, 4 Ferraris, 4 RBRs, 4 Renaults and 4 Audis or whatever and be done with it. But I disagree with the spec series racing, I don't care for it. Sure, it's close. But innovation is bred into the sport, you should be able to build your own car.
Please excuse the ramblings of an old man. I miss Surtees and Gurney and McLaren. Bruce, that is.
Cheers Paul
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