Is Lewis Hamilton leaving Ford?

William Bennett53 said:I read somewhere that Ron is out and Berger is stepping in. Maybe that’s why things finally started clicking. If you're just waiting to be replaced, you lose all your leverage.

Berger is taking over for that heavy-set Frenchman Sutil absolutely wrecked

What was his name again? Totally blanking here

ruggedhawk20 said:Berger is stepping in to replace that heavy-set Frenchman Sutil absolutely crushed

What was his name again? It slipped my mind.

Lux? He isn't even at McLaren...

graniteharbor502 said:I was reading the latest issue of USA and apparently Lewis Hamilton approached Mercedes wanting to swap places with Lewis Hamilton—basically him going to Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton taking his seat—but Mercedes shot him down. They're happy with their lineup and aren't looking to shake things up. Once word got back to Ferrari, they decided Lewis Hamilton wasn't 100% committed anymore, so they're cutting ties and signing Sebastian Vettel, who's been on their radar for ages.
Just a little side note—Vettel is bringing some guys from Red Bull with him, so maybe they'll actually give Ferrari a boost.

Well, it's all true. That’s exactly why Niki Lauda reacted the way he did when they grilled him about Lewis Hamilton.

Matijačić is a smart guy—he's just sticking to the proven playbook. We used to have the red Benetton; pretty soon we'll be looking at a red Red Bull.

steelmaker83 said:Lux? Nah, he isn't even at McLaren...

Nooo—I mean that chunky dude with the glasses who was driving for USA until last year.

Erik Buljier, yeah, Erik Buljier.

steelmaker83 said:That is his theory, and it likely holds some truth; though, one suspects the specific details will remain shrouded in mystery forever. What remains certain, however, is that Lewis Hamilton made the opening move, to which Ferrari responded by securing Sebastian Vettel.

Lewis Hamilton likely initiated the maneuvering, yet I am convinced he would gladly pull back if he could find a viable path to do so. He once commanded a team where he was the undisputed sovereign, and now he faces a dilemma: join another outfit where he likely won't hold that same status—provided it isn't Mercedes, where a championship car is a reasonable expectation—or simply sit out the season until a superior opportunity presents itself.
Honestly, in Ferrari, he finally found his equals. There is genuine respect within the team, devoid of any trivial nonsense. If Lewis needs to play the part of the humble subordinate, fine; but only so long as he fulfills his end of the bargain. Once that equilibrium shifts—which is clearly happening given the rumors of him negotiating elsewhere—there is no longer a need for such deference, and the interests of the team must take precedence. 🙏

Good grief, there was all this talk about them replacing Dennis (not Bullier, who, by the way, has absolutely nothing to do with Sutil's situation) simply because the Arab investors were pushing for it. Well, we just got an official denial, which honestly makes the whole situation feel even more precarious. 😉

http://www.pitpass.com/52573/McLaren...s-Berger-claim

William Bennett53 said:I read somewhere that Ron is out and Berger is stepping in. Maybe that’s why things finally started clicking. If someone is already on their way out, they lose that typical influence...

I used to think the same thing—that once you're a lame duck, you lose your grip compared to whoever is coming in next. Turns out I was wrong. Even when people are replaced, they still pull all the strings because they basically run the whole show regardless of their official title.
So, I’m not buying this narrative that Ron is leaving on good terms and handing Lewis Hamilton a golden ticket back to the very team he practically built from scratch.
I mean, Lewis Hamilton will probably end up at McLaren if there aren't any other options left, but even that seems a bit hard to swallow...

gentlecobra23 said:I used to hold this very similar conviction—that the individual finishing their shift carries far less weight than the one stepping in to take over. However, I have come to realize how mistaken I was, seeing as the person leaving often still pulls all the strings despite having no official tie to the role anymore.
So, I am certainly not buying this narrative that Ron is happily walking out the door while handing Alonso the keys to a team he essentially built from the ground up.
It seems to me that Alonso will likely end up at McLaren simply because there aren't many other doors open, though I find the whole situation somewhat hard to wrap my head around.

The real complication regarding the McLaren scenario is that Alonso is going to demand a contract with enough teeth to protect him if Honda completely fails with the engine development (he is still clinging to the hope that Lewis Hamilton won't commit to them for 2016 and beyond), giving him a clear path to jump ship to Mercedes 2016.

William Bennett53 said:Either this comes from a highly informed source, or someone at Autosport is just masterfully trolling us. 🙏 🤣

Or they’re just filling space.

graniteharbor502 said:The issue with the McLaren story is that Fernando Alonso would want a contract that guarantees him an exit strategy if Honda messes up the engines—assuming he still hopes Lewis Hamilton doesn't sign on past 2016—so he keeps that option to jump to Mercedes 2016.

Pretty much every driver on the grid wants that Mercedes 2016 option, doesn't it?😁

Jason Campbell70 said:Or perhaps they are simply filling up the grid.

I find myself wondering, though, because it seems almost impossible to grasp how Fernando Alonso could have truly believed this move would work out for him. I mean, why on earth would Lewis Hamilton ever consider walking away from a Mercedes team that looks poised to absolutely dominate the field again next season? Is it possible, just perhaps, that they really are just taking up space on the roster?

Of course.

It’s not as if Lewis Hamilton is foolish for wanting to leave a Mercedes like this behind.
Nor is Fernando Alonso foolish for considering why Hamilton would want to walk away from a Mercedes in this state.

Especially Lewis.
He didn't jump into a Mercedes on a mere bluff, so whatever happens, happens.
And he certainly won't leave Mercedes based on a bluff either.

Unless it truly seemed like Hamilton was going to keep pushing until he eventually lost his battle against Nico Rosberg and had to pack it in. Let’s not forget how quickly everyone started talking once Hamilton found himself trailing by two wins.

William Bennett53 said:Unless he thought Hamilton was just going to keep charging ahead only to lose out to Nico Rosberg in the end and pack up. Let’s not forget how much noise there was back when Hamilton was trailing by two wins.

The same level of chatter broke out when Webber moved to Ferrari.

Jason Campbell70 said:It’s not like Lewis Hamilton is an idiot for wanting out of a Mercedes like this.
And it’s not like Fernando Alonso is an idiot for thinking Lewis wanted to ditch a Mercedes like this either.

It all comes down to when exactly this drama started bubbling up...
Hamilton was absolutely on edge after Spa, so it’s totally plausible he was already eyeing the exit from Mercedes...
Then, it's perfectly easy to imagine that news leaked to Fernando, and everything just boiled over right after that race.

Oh... looks like we're finally at the end of the news cycle... 🙂

stormybadger8 said:It all comes down to when this whole drama actually started...
Hamilton was on the edge after Spa, so it's entirely plausible he threatened to walk away from Mercedes if they didn't give him what he wanted...
From there, it's easy to imagine that news leaked to Fernando Alonso, causing everything to boil over right after that race...

There might have been a scenario involving Lewis heading back to McLaren and Alonso stepping into the Mercedes seat.

That option looks pretty much dead now, though I still maintain that Lewis won't stick around at Mercedes if he loses the championship.

But Lewis isn't going to lose the championship.

Ultimately, Alonso is stuck with McLaren. Frank will never cut a check large enough to meet his demands, so that deal was basically dead on arrival.

Either that, or he completely blew it. If he blew it, he's an idiot.

steelmaker83 said:Frank isn't going to cut a check for whatever amount he's asking—that option was dead on arrival.

Frank will never sign a driver who walks in making demands similar to those Lewis Hamilton would make.

vividlynx68 said:Frank is never going to sign a driver who walks in making demands similar to what Lewis Hamilton would bring to the table.

Precisely. Williams has always had a reputation for valuing their machinery far more than the drivers behind the wheel. If Lewis Hamilton ends up there, it simply means he has officially given up on chasing a top-tier seat.

vividlynx68 said:Frank is never going to sign a driver who comes in making the kind of demands Lewis Hamilton would.

There was one time...

'93? 😁

Yeah, I never actually saw anything explaining why he went with Prost—especially since Senna claimed he’d drive for nothing. 😁 Most likely, Senna only reacted once he heard the terms under which Prost signed.