F1 Fanatic

As we had one of the only times in history (I don’t know any time, but it’s possible it has happened before) a driver refusing complying with a team order, Mark Webber that didn’t obbey his team asking him to “mantain gap” and tried to overtake his teammate during the last laps of the GP. Having admitted it publicly, and considering the dissatisfaction Christian Horner manifested after the race, we can face a unique and thrilling situation for heating even this mid-season:

if the Red Bull Racing management decides to do what is right and kick the Australian out of the team, we can face a class-of-the-field team in the market searching for a top driver. Well, with the exception of the young talents promissing in a midfield team or backmarker they can take the jump, they can be World Champions if they are given the car (Kimi and Alonso came to mind), with that exception, usually what the Big Teams do is to get established drivers from a rival team. Since there’s no one at the time giving that promise (Kobayashi maybe needs one or two more years on Sauber, Perez is a rookie, Kubica is sick), then it would be the case that Red Bull go get his driver to McLaren or Ferrari.

We have also to consider the rumours we’ve been having about talks between Horner and Hamilton, and the numerous times Hamilton showed his dissatisfaction with the team, threatening inclusively not resign for McLaren if they don’t comply to his demands. The topic then is can this be possible?

Assuming that yes, RB says enough is enough, we can take sarcastic radio messages, but not a driver that is in it for himself, and triggers Mark Webber’s shocking departure, probably to retirement, will we witness to a almost unique change mid-season from top team to top team?

Will Lewis go? Will they prefer another driver with more of a profile for 2nd driver (Massa?) Another option from the midfield?

Think about it, it would be amazing. We would have a championship contender, Lewis Hamilton, that scored part of his points in another team. While his 109 points count for McLaren Constructors Championship, they will be his for the Drivers. Who will replace him in McLaren?

If there was a driver likely to suit Red Bull’s requirements (a compliant No. 2 at about the same speed as Mark Webber) available without contract or conditions, they might have considered it. Since no such driver is available, it definitely won’t happen – instead Red Bull will continue with the current arrangment and have a re-think later.

They would need to find someone who wouldnt really mind being a number 2 driver so I think anyone from the top wont be moving. I would put my money on someone desperate to leave their team or willing to accept any team offer. I think it would be Sutil, Glock, or Heidfeld. All seem like they can do more or less than what Webber does and I dont think Redbull want a superstar status driver like Hamilton.

What? PM changed his avatar!! I couldn’t recognise him!

Don’t forget De La Rosa and Wurz for Montoya in 2005 as well!

yes, and the few that weren’t replaced by injury were for real, because of bad results, with the sacking of driver like the cases of Trulli 04, Montoya 06 (sacked after Indianapollis after a poor early season) and myself. All of them went on to leave F1, except Trulli, that remained in F1, racing the same season of 2004 the last 2 races for Toyota. Wurz replaced Bergher in 97, by Gerhard’s choice as he was ending his career that year and gave an opportunity to his fellow austrian protege, I believe.

In short, very few midseason changes on front runner teams, and in 20 years only 3 by sacking, 2 of them never returned to F1 which tell us he ruleis stay until the end of the season, the sacking is the exceptions.

Anyway it seems Webber is staying and even signing for one more year. I was really not excepting this. Does this mean Christian Horner’s weakening whitin the team, as it is the owner that (linked on F1Fanatic’s article) said “he [Webber] would be a very bad racer had he not tried to attack and gain a position” after Horner stating his discontentment for Webber’s disobbeying him/the team and that he would have a “talk” with him? It seems like that, although there’s no apparent reason to this weakening of power…

CRB, Contract Recognition Board… learning new things every day.. that’s the reason Button never returned to Williams, right?

Are they against a system like football? Pay the holder for the driver, if they are willing. Pay absurd rescission clausules if they aren’t (and you really want the driver). I wonder why.

From what I’ve seen of teams swapping drivers mid season it is usually a bad move. One of the worst in my opinion was Renault changing Trulli for Villeneuve. So if I was Christian Horner I would keep Webber until the end of the season, at least. If Webber leaves mid season Hamilton won’t join them, he might at the end of the season, but I wouldn’t want him if I was RB. They need a number 2 driver. Vettel and Hamilton in the same team seems like a recipe for disaster to me. I would be after Massa or Rosberg – someone quiet that wouldn’t rock the boat too much.