Posts by steelmaker83

Rosberg looks like he just crawled out of a ditch...

Raymond Anderson4 said:He’s just driving for the paycheck at this point... his performance this year has been underwhelming.

He should just retire and make room for someone actually talented.

Money has always been his main motivator. When he got crushed during his first stint at Ferrari, he had the chance to stay competitive over at McLaren, but he passed it up.

vividlynx68 said:Felipe Massa🙏 🙏 🙏

🤣🤣🤣

It’s nice to see they’ve still got it.

Henry Rodriguez5 said:I don't really care where Lewis Hamilton ends up, but if Vettel joins Ferrari, I'm switching my allegiance to a different team. ☕

Cut it out. It’s not all that bleak. Vettel is a good guy. He might not be a top-tier driver, but he’s a solid dude—a total joker who lives for a good laugh and a joke.

So you're actually on good terms with the chemist now. That basically means they'll be spending a lot more time together—assuming he doesn't blow his entire paycheck before the month is out.

https://twitter.com/tonydodgins/stat...81134309126144

Well, Tony Dodgins said it. And who am I to argue with him?

wiredscout14 said:It’s been five years since we actually had a Ferrari. Now it's back.

The whole Scuderia Santander = 0/10 title project is officially dead. Bye.

Mattiacci/Marchionne 👍

Yeah, finally seeing the light, are we?

jadeseal7 said:Even a blind chicken finds a grain once in a while.

Let them get lucky four times in a row

straight

vividlynx68 said:http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/f...r-8637550.html

Solid analysis here for anyone who actually speaks German. The takeaway is that Lewis Hamilton was overpriced, and his recent comments suggest he realized he screwed up—he burned his bridges at Ferrari, got rejected by Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, leaving him with nothing but McLaren, which now holds all the leverage in negotiations.🍿

This logic holds up perfectly. Here is why:

Lewis Hamilton is currently the top option on the grid. He’s the fastest driver out there and young enough to justify a long-term commitment. Mercedes already has him, and they have zero incentive to disrupt their own lineup right now. Stability is everything, especially since the final outcome of the Lewis Hamilton-Rosberg rivalry is still pending. Things could get messy, but for now, Mercedes is a closed door.

Red Bull Racing isn't an option either. They have a very specific philosophy regarding driver development—which explains why they bother with a B-team—and they don't necessarily need the single best driver on the grid. They know exactly how they secured those four titles, so Lewis Hamilton simply doesn't fit their model.

Ferrari is undergoing a massive internal overhaul, so it makes sense they wouldn't cave to Lewis Hamilton's demands. It opens up the possibility of signing a fresh, young talent who happens to have four championships under his belt. On paper, it looks flawless.

That leaves McLaren as the only realistic path forward. Ultimately, though, I suspect the whole situation hinges on how the Lewis Hamilton-Rosberg showdown plays out.

Jacob White49 said:I agree with everything except that last part... he isn't going anywhere in Formula 1, and there is still plenty of good racing ahead of him.

I'm not so sure. Lewis Hamilton loves comfort, and at this stage, it’s vital that the team is built entirely around him. I don't think Lewis Hamilton has the energy left to go toe-to-toe with someone like Sebastian Vettel.

Lewis Hamilton wants a championship, not some epic internal team war.

Jacob White49 said:When asked about the rumors linking Fernando Alonso to Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton made it clear after qualifying: "I'm here. I'm at Mercedes," he stated firmly.

"Maybe he's just talking about a third seat."

It looks to me like Alonso has already signed some sort of preliminary agreement. Nothing is official yet because McLaren is waiting to see how the Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg rivalry plays out. My gut tells me McLaren would love to pit those two against each other again, but obviously, Alonso isn't interested in that scenario.

So, here's the deal: if Hamilton secures the championship, he stays at Mercedes and Alonso moves to McLaren. If he fails, he heads back to McLaren, leaving Alonso to either take a seat at Mercedes or exit Formula 1 entirely.

stormybadger8 said:It doesn't matter who, when, or why... returning to the team you left is 👎

Even if you left on perfect terms, going back is basically admitting you messed up by walking away. If you left because of grievances on either side, it's even worse...

LeBron James returned to Cleveland....

stormybadger8 said:Exactly. And besides that, there’s nothing worse than having to crawl back to a team you left on bad terms...

The mere fact that he’s returning actually proves those relationships weren't nearly as toxic as the public perception suggested. Even back when withmarsh was running things, he mentioned how much he regretted how things ended with Fernando and said he’d welcome him back in a heartbeat.

So, looking back, it was pretty clear his exit was just a mix of personal friction with Dennis and the obvious allure of the Ferrari deal. It made perfect sense for him to move on at the time.

As for McLaren—if they still hold any grudges—they really need to let it go. They're getting one of the best drivers on the grid. Fernando definitely has another season or two of this caliber left in him, and he serves as the perfect bridge for those next couple of years while they hunt for the next big thing.

neonfox65 said:How could anyone not be celebrating? Alonso is finally leaving that dumpster fire!!!🎉

Pure nonsense. Ferrari was supposed to be the crowning achievement of Alonso's career. Sure, they struggled to build a competitive car—aside from a decent run in 2010—but claiming it's a win just because he's escaping a disaster zone is foolish. Ferrari is an institution, regardless of their recent struggles. Every exit from there feels like a step down.

Besides, "stepping down" doesn't necessarily mean you aren't moving to a better, faster level....

ruggedhawk20 said:even steelmaker83 will flip-flop here

-because he only roots for Ferrari's drivers

He used to be (Alonso) - now he's just a mention

Was Senna a Ferrari driver?
Was Montoya a Ferrari driver?

No. I root for the driver, not the team. Never have. Once I pick a driver, I stick with them until they retire. I'm far too sentimental for anything else.

stormybadger8 said:A pretty interesting take...

🤔

This looks more like a decision made by Ferrari than by him...

Either he's demanding a massive paycheck just to mess with them, or they simply don't want him anymore. 🤷

This implies he's already gone. Of course, he can't admit that while he's still under contract—he'll give it his all until the end. It's a classic Lewis Hamilton move, but at this point, his departure seems pretty much a done deal.

ruggedhawk20 said:Forgive me, kid, but I’ve never once seen anyone on this board call Jenson Button an "English fraud" or a "DDD fraud."

I was simply defining the concept of a "fraud" for my colleague Charles Lewis2, based on the kind of characters we actually encounter on these forums.

It isn't my job to decide who qualifies as a fraud and who doesn't. I'm just providing a definition of a fraud based on my observations of this community.

Button is such an easy champion to overlook that people have practically forgotten he ever won a title, which is why nobody bothers calling him a fraud.

Charles Lewis2 said:In the United States Air Force or air defense units.
Either that, or in a championship where all 20 drivers are named Lewis Hamilton, and he masterfully sweeps every single pole position and every podium spot on the board.
Or maybe I'd just keep Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel around, just in case he manages to screw things up spectacularly—you never know. He might even start arguing with himself. At that point, "deceptions" would be the only way to measure his greatness.
Honestly, I’d just love to see him far away from Ferrari; that would be enough for me. Just pick someone younger; I'm sure there are plenty of drivers capable of grabbing 5th, 6th, or 7th place.
Then, this time next year, we could watch Kimi Räikkönen take the title.🙂

Champion of what?!

🤣

ruggedfox28 said:he'll probably just end up stuck at Ferrari and forced into Red Bull

Well, someone’s got to do the dirty work for Red Bull...

I see some familiar names popping up in here...

gentlecobra23 said:And what if the loser turns out to be Nico Rosberg? He just signed a massive multi-year deal with Mercedes, yet nobody on the grid actually views him as an elite driver. Will he ditch the team? I doubt it. As for Lewis Hamilton, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he walked away...

Fair point. I overlooked the fact that he recently extended his contract... Who knows what Rosberg is planning, but he’d be wise to start thinking ahead....