You've hit the nail on the head. Political decisions are being taken by Elkann/Camilleri, not Binotto. If people want to blame someone, then blame the higher ups.
Also it's a non story. Italian media always pretends to be Ferrari-insider, but they never get anything right. Their Ferrari-upgrade stories always turn out to be false (I'm still waiting for the 3D printed pistons), driver stories are always false ("Ferrari offered Vettel 2 years contract extension) and the rumors regarding the team are always false (there are many examples, so I can't be bothered to post them, look up yourself).
The only thing I admired about Arrivabene was how he handled the Italian media. Binotto should follow his predecessor's footsteps and shoo those vultures away.
Apparently it's now Ferrari's fault that Vettel can't drive.
https://formula1news.co.uk/sebastian...blame-culture/
I think he forgets that Vettel didn't forget to drive overnight... he had all last year to practice.
So Marko/RBR looking to use Honda engines with am engine development freeze post 2021 season!
If this happens, F1 is almost certainly doomed... me thinks!
Correct. RBR will take over the Honda F1 PU in Milton Keynes and all it's responsibilities IF AND ONLY IF F1 puts a freeze in 2021 going into 2022.
Otherwise, Renault will supply RBR.
With regards to F1 being doomed, some will debate it's already been doomed since 2014......again that's debateable.
IMO, 2026 new formula will CERTAINLY be doomed IF F1 chooses the formula to go the manufacturer route (road relevance).
It's not how start but how you finish.
No way Ferrari and Renault agree with that.
I am genuinely worried that F1 will cease to exist if any new engine directives beyond 2026 are not simplified and made cheaper, with more relevance to the general trend for electrification but somehow keeping the internal combustion engine at its heart. In theory it's similar to what we have now, but the current power units as a whole are hugely expensive and lack the soul that makes F1 what it once was.
It's an absolute joke. In his entire time here, Ferrari hasn't said/implied/insinuated anything remotely close to criticism despite all of his mistakes. After every race, even if he had binned it or stuck behind an Alfa/Haas, he has only been appreciated for his efforts by his engineer. In the beginning of last year, Binotto had clearly stated that in a case of 50/50, it would be Seb who would be preferred over Charles. You could clearly see this after Bahrain 2019, how Binotto spoke more highly of Vettel who spun/flat spotted his tyres and finished P5 while barely talking about Leclerc who was let down by the MGU-H.
The worst part is that it is Szafnauer who is talking. The same guy who fired a driver who is clearly going through a lot (getting infected with Covid-19, having his grandmother pass away) and was involved in saving the team from bankruptcy in 2017. I bet he'll be the first one to turn on Vettel in the event he doesn't perform well.
Last edited by MSC Fan; 16th October 2020 at 02:31.
"I've always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there's only a slightest chance." - Michael Schumacher
Absolutely. Here's the team that dropped the driver that saved the team and let him go, literally, 1 day after the team said his seat was safe in a press conference.
Ferrari has, as far as I'm concerned, acted with class towards Vettel. If he was driving for Red Bull right now, they would have replaced him 4 races past.
I don't know how the narrative turned that "Ferrari is a toxic place for a driver". In his entire 6 year stint with Ferrari, they have never criticised Vettel even once. Remember what the statement was for the 2017 Singapore GP?
"VER took #Kimi7 out and then he went to #Seb5 #SingaporeGP . What we tweeted was a factual description of events. No need to speculate on this"
https://twitter.com/scuderiaferrari/...003716?lang=en
We even raised the Ferrari flag over Maranello in support of Vettel in Canada 2019. (that's usually done only after a win).
RedBull on the other hand criticised Webber over Turkey 2010 and implied it being Ricciardo's fault over Baku 2018 (neither of them were at fault during those events). Everyone knows how they treated Gasly, Kvyat and Albon, literally ruining their careers.
McLaren dumped Magnussen very late when no seats were available and he was told about it on a 2 minute call with Ron Dennis. They even tried to lowball Hamilton in 2012 (one of the reasons he left). Vandoorne was barely given any upgrades in 2017 and 2018.
Mercedes openly criticised Rosberg after Spa 2014. (Compare that to Ferrari's treatment of Vettel in Brazil 2019).
Racing Point literally dumped the driver that saved the team in an already tough year with barely any seats available.
All of those are much worse than Ferrari's treatment of Vettel.
"I've always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there's only a slightest chance." - Michael Schumacher
George Russell's seat is now at risk.
https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1...paign=widget-1
https://translate.google.com/transla...ign%3Dwidget-1
"These are tense days for the Williams driver who has lost the certainty of being at the start of the next World Championship with the Grove team in recent days. To know his future, George will have to wait until the end of October when the intentions of the new ownership of the team interested in Sergio Perez will be known.
From the dream of a lifetime to the worst nightmare that a driver can experience: the risk of finding himself on foot. All in less than four months, in which George Russell went from being a whisker away from joining Mercedes to the real risk of not participating in the next Formula 1 World Championship.
In the first days of summer, towards the end of June, Russell had been promoted from the top Mercedes: to the starting role in the 2021 World Championship alongside Lewis Hamilton.
Valtteri Bottas would be helped by Mercedes itself to find a 'B' plan with priority on the Aston Martin project. Then something jammed, and according to rumors gathered in the paddock, the operation was blocked by Williams, who held an option in her favor to keep Russell.
In the midst of negotiations for the sale of the team, Claire Williams wanted to exercise the option in her favor to keep Russell, in fact a valuable asset for the team, despite George having been a Mercedes' junior driver for many years.
Closing in the bud any possibility of transfer of its driver, Williams announced on July 16 the confirmation of George for 2021, six weeks before admitting the change of ownership of the Grove team.
For Russell the short-term future has become very clear, which is his third season in Williams. Everything seemed to go according to plan until the final days of September, when Nikita Mazepin began evaluating the possibilities of entering Formula 1 in 2021.
The strong candidacy of the Russian driver has shaken a negotiation that seemed to have begun to end positively, namely the one between Sergio Perez and Haas, and the Mexican has thus sought a plan 'B', an alternative that a little surprisingly he found in Williams .
The most surprising aspect of this development is that Russell's presence in the team was taken for granted, having a contract announced by the team itself, but due to the change of ownership of the team, the new shareholders could take advantage of the “change of control ”to re-evaluate the contracts previously entered into by the old owner.
In practice, Russell's seat is anything but solid and if the team decides to focus on Perez, the English driver would have the possibility of finding himself without a steering wheel in the next World Championship.
Nothing appears to have been decided yet, but Russell's fall will undoubtedly be less clear than early summer's dream.
With many pieces still to be wedged, the driver market could evolve favorably for the English rider without any unwelcome surprises, but a potential risk exists, and at the moment Russell can only passively witness what will happen in the coming days."
And people have the gall to call Ferrari toxic.
"I've always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there's only a slightest chance." - Michael Schumacher
Red Bull threatens to leave F1 with both teams if engine development won't be frozen from 2022 onwards. Mercedes would agree. For Renault to consent, all engines have to be on an equal level. Ferrari won't accept engine freeze at all.
AMuS (in German):
I hope binotto plays his card wisely. Rather than good for the sport this time.
of course Mercedes would agree, they currently have the strongest engine
wonder why red fools with Marko would want to freeze the engines past 2022????? they clearly don't have the strongest engine currenlty, not by a long shot....and what do they think?? if they take over Honda engine they will develop it next year so that they will be equal to Merc in terms or engine power??? they are clearly dreaming....
and hopefully Ferrari will Veto this engine freeze nonsense from 2022 onwards.....unless they know they'll have a BEAST of an engine by then.....lets ALL hope....
"I've always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there's only a slightest chance." - Michael Schumacher
It's not how start but how you finish.
Honda has R Bull & Max where they are. But for Merc ; they are the best so far. F-1 is now unfortunately about 2nd place and podiums. Red Bull Honda seems to be right there. A Renault will have them fighting Williams and the rest of the backfield. R Bull is in most of every imaginable sport. Cheaper is not their priority or they would just pull out of F-1 and stay with the other racing sports. They need Max and Max needs Honda . Meanwhile our Ferrari driver Charles so far has the patience of a Saint! A R Bull Renault would at least have Charles & Ferrari car wise up ahead of R Bull on the track. Charles already is up there with Max driver wise.
But the FDA is already full of talent. Shwartzman, Schumacher Jr. and Illott are all good drivers. Ferrari only has control over 3 seats so far (2 Ferraris, 1 Alfa Romeo) and rumoured to get control over 1 more seat (Haas), making it 4 seats. We simply have no room for talent. RedBull can get rid of both Albon and Kvyat to make room for Russell and a RB junior. It would be a massive shame if Russell doesn't have any seat.
"I've always believed that you should never, ever give up and you should always keep fighting even when there's only a slightest chance." - Michael Schumacher
In this regards, it's wishfull thinking. It did'nt happen when RedBull and Renault had a falling out in the hybrid era......it's not gonna happen now.
Wolff: Logistically impossible to supply Red Bull
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...pply-red-bull/
It's not how start but how you finish.
Red bull wants freeze because they know ferrari are coming and coming fast the pieces of the ferrari puzzle are starting to fit.Even Totti wolf expects a highly competitive ferrari from next year foward red bull must enjoy being 2nd to mercedes.Red bull remind me of a soccer team that wants to only defend a 1 nil score line.Ultimately you will pay the price for this tactic.Red bull you must keep attacking and developing because ferrari are and so are the others.
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