[polopm]

Originally Posted by Fullrevs

In other news, Romain Grosjean says his contract for next year with Lotus is almost confirmed. I seriously doubt the authenticity of the above link. Seems as though Alonso is looking for a one year deal with Mclaren. Ron Dennis isnt too keen on that. The other choice for Alonso is to stay back at Ferrari. I dont see him taking a sabbatical. There's just no guarantee that a seat will be waiting for him in 2016. He is pretty much off the driver market if he takes a years break. All it takes is for one more superstar to rise and everyone will forget Alonso. He knows that so I am pretty sure 'time-off' isnt an option for him.

Alonso is now in a corner (not the red Ferrari corner ), Mercedes might not be interested after one year. He is not growing any younger and one Mr.Dennis can be in a bargaining position. Matiacci and Marchionne have dropped him like a hot potato. His chips are a bit down now.

[Hatari]

Originally Posted by polopm

Alonso is now in a corner (not the red Ferrari corner ), Mercedes might not be interested after one year. He is not growing any younger and one Mr.Dennis can be in a bargaining position. Matiacci and Marchionne have dropped him like a hot potato. His chips are a bit down now.

Why have Mclaren not announced their driver lineup yet..In an exciting year where Honda are coming in after decades?

My theory is that Ferrari and Alonso are playing the "who blinks first" game. Ferrari have all but announced vettel while Fernando technically has a contract for them next year.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by Hatari

My theory is that Ferrari and Alonso are playing the "who blinks first" game. Ferrari have all but announced vettel while Fernando technically has a contract for them next year.

If this is indeed true, and Alonso has indeed signed for McLaren, then I don't see how this game is beneficial for Alonso. Vettel is a free agent 5 days after the last GP and his Ferrari preparations can then start in full swing - including driving the car at the test sessions. Alonso can do none of that for McLaren without first breaking ties with Ferrari. I think Ferrari/Vettel can wait much longer than Alonso till they become forced to announce Vettel as their race driver for next year.

[Hatari]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

If this is indeed true, and Alonso has indeed signed for McLaren, then I don't see how this game is beneficial for Alonso. Vettel is a free agent 5 days after the last GP and his Ferrari preparations can then start in full swing - including driving the car at the test sessions. Alonso can do none of that for McLaren without first breaking ties with Ferrari. I think Ferrari/Vettel can wait much longer than Alonso till they become forced to announce Vettel as their race driver for next year.

If Alonso had been released from contract there would have been nothing stopping Ferrari from announcing vettel. Since they have not, they must first negotiate terms to make the contract void. This can be worth as much or more than $25 million.

Testing etc comes much later.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by Hatari

If Alonso had been released from contract there would have been nothing stopping Ferrari from announcing vettel. Since they have not, they must first negotiate terms to make the contract void. This can be worth as much or more than $25 million.

Testing etc comes much later.

Of course, there will be negotiations. I just wanted to point out that playing a "who blinks first" game with Ferrari over payment does not really benefit Alonso. Vettel/Ferrari do not need a signed contract to start preparing for 2015 season after RB releases him 4 days after the last GP, whereas Alonso "needs" to get out of his contract with Ferrari before doing any work with McLaren. Waiting longer for payment damages Alonso's and McLaren's preparations for 2015 season (if he is really going there).

[zenren]

Originally Posted by Hatari

Since they have not, they must first negotiate terms to make the contract void. This can be worth as much or more than $25 million.

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Alonso "needs" to get out of his contract with Ferrari before doing any work with McLaren. Waiting longer for payment damages Alonso's and McLaren's preparations for 2015 season (if he is really going there).

With the grid shortened to 18 cars as of now and the prospect of a 3-car team likely, Ferrari might not have to get rid of Alonso to offer Vettel a seat. So they may not blink first, after all.

Based on the reports, Ferrari and McLaren are among the first set of teams who will be offered a chance to field 3rd car. Most of the teams are not ready to accept a 3rd car due to the additional cost. However, if Ferrari thinks that the payout to Alonso is pretty much similar to what it takes for the additional crew, they might look at that option since that is something they'll have to do eventually anyway.

Bernie would be more than happy to see more cars on the grid and hence he'll support Ferrari too by probably making the restrictions on 3rd car to a minimum for next season.

[Hatari]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Of course, there will be negotiations. I just wanted to point out that playing a "who blinks first" game with Ferrari over payment does not really benefit Alonso. Vettel/Ferrari do not need a signed contract to start preparing for 2015 season after RB releases him 4 days after the last GP, whereas Alonso "needs" to get out of his contract with Ferrari before doing any work with McLaren. Waiting longer for payment damages Alonso's and McLaren's preparations for 2015 season (if he is really going there).

Vettel cant test a Ferraru at Abu Dhabi. For Alonso, I imagine the ability to test towards 2015 will be defined only once terms to depart are agreed. Button will be a good marker for performance at the end Nov Abu Dhadi test if Honda do plan to run, he will be able to give a direct comparison to the Merc engine unlike Alonso.

Originally Posted by zenren

With the grid shortened to 18 cars as of now and the prospect of a 3-car team likely, Ferrari might not have to get rid of Alonso to offer Vettel a seat. So they may not blink first, after all.

Based on the reports, Ferrari and McLaren are among the first set of teams who will be offered a chance to field 3rd car. Most of the teams are not ready to accept a 3rd car due to the additional cost. However, if Ferrari thinks that the payout to Alonso is pretty much similar to what it takes for the additional crew, they might look at that option since that is something they'll have to do eventually anyway.

Bernie would be more than happy to see more cars on the grid and hence he'll support Ferrari too by probably making the restrictions on 3rd car to a minimum for next season.

This began because Alonso did not want to stay, so I dont think thats an option. The 3rd car if agreed to, I feel should be allotted to a rookie as a rule.

[zenren]

Originally Posted by Hatari

This began because Alonso did not want to stay, so I dont think thats an option. The 3rd car if agreed to, I feel should be allotted to a rookie as a rule.

I'm not saying that Ferrari would try to persuade Alonso to stay. They might however try to use this as an opportunity to bargain hard with Alonso to limit monetary damages in case Alonso thinks he can pressurize Ferrari into a huge settlement for 'kicking him out'. Technically, he still has a contract for next year and he has not officially communicated that he is moving out.

Regarding the rookie rule for 3rd car, it is something most drivers are agreeing to, but the manufacturers have not agreed to even the 3rd car yet citing additional costs. So, at this point, FIA would probably be willing to accept any positive response from teams and comply with those conditions put across by the teams to get going with next season. They might insist on rookie rule for 2016 or so, but given the short notice to Australia 2015 that FIA can give to these teams after finalizing how rules would apply to 2 vs 3 car teams, they might have to compromise for the first year with what the teams demand.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by Hatari

Vettel cant test a Ferraru at Abu Dhabi. For Alonso, I imagine the ability to test towards 2015 will be defined only once terms to depart are agreed. Button will be a good marker for performance at the end Nov Abu Dhadi test

I am not talking about Abu Dhabi alone. The longer this goes on, Ferrari's position only gets stronger - assuming Alonso really wants to leave.

But anyway, it's only speculation that disagreement over payment is holding up the announcement. The real reason is more likely to be something else.

[zenren]

Sauber confirms that Marcus Ericsson would drive for Sauber in 2015.

Source: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2014/11/0...n-2015-season/

Here are some questions that come to my mind regarding Sauber:

• Does that mean Sutil and/or Gutierrez would be left without a drive at the end of the season?
• What happens to Sirotkin? I thought they got him and sponsorship into the team with a view to offer him a seat in 2015?
• Sauber being so cash-straped and also sitting at P10 in the standings this year (lesser share of the pie), are they still good enough on their finances to be on grid for 2015?

[Fullrevs]

It looks like Adrian Sutil will be shown the door. He has been pretty lackluster this year (bar the qualifying performance this last weekend). Erikson and Esteban will bring in sponsorship money which Sauber desperately needs.

[vikast_ap]

Honda is returing to F1 after long, giving McLarenthe engine and Alonso leaving the F1 is making the 2015 season an interesting one.

[MCR]

Looks like Alonso McLaren deal is done!

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/al...-done-reports/

If this is true then its curtains for Jenson Button's F1 career. In the recently concluded USGP, it sort of became evident when McLaren held Jenson back to allow Kevin Magnussen into the pits.

[ashwin.terminat]

To all those who would categorize F1 cars as "noisy", here's the same "noise" creating music.

http://youtu.be/Tr4zb-HHZs4?t=30s

[deetjohn]

Mercedes is now ready to accept a compromise on relaxing engine freeze, but only as a one-off for 2015. Source

And some good insights in that article on how engine (un)freeze works.

The scope of the change is limited by a 'token' system related to the individual components on the engine and its hybrid systems. The entire power unit is made up of 66 'tokens', which are weighted individually between one and three depending on how important they are.

Ahead of 2015, five of these tokens are 'frozen' completely but there is scope to review the 61 remaining items if a manufacturer feels improvements are needed. However, it cannot change all the parts. Only 32 tokens - approximately 48 per cent of the power unit - can be used for 2015.

Longer term, the restrictions increase each year. So for 2016, 38 per cent of the engine can be changed, going down to 30 per cent in 2017, 23 per cent in 2018 and just five per cent for 2019 and '20.

The proposal to lift the freeze is not designed to allow unlimited development, but to give manufacturers a bigger window to make changes.

So if, for example, they do not use up their full quota of tokens this winter, then under the latest proposal there will be a window to use 13 tokens early next season to introduce a new power unit in July.