FORMULA 1 - 2016

[MIKA27]

MARKO: MAX SHOWING THE REIGNING ESTABLISHMENT HOW RACING SHOULD BE

Red Bull driver manager Helmut Marko made a ballsy call in May this year when he decided to demote under performing Daniel Kvyat and replace him with teenager Max Verstappen for the Spanish Grand Prix and beyond.

The young Dutchman sensationally won his first race as a Red Bull driver that weekend in Barcelona justifying Marko’s call, proving it to be an inspired decision.

Since then Verstappen has grabbed headlines with just about every race, invariably the driver of the day at most grand prix since the and he is without doubt Formula 1’s brightest new star. His arrival on the scene has injected a new dimension to the sport, bolstered the entertainment value of races while shaking up the establishment.

Speaking to the official F1 website, Marko describes the impact the youngster has had on the sport at the highest level, “He brings a completely new approach to the ‘reigning establishment’! He shows them again how racing should be – how it was in the past. I remember when guys like Senna and Schumacher came, they also had a different approach and were a shock awakening for the establishment of their time.”

“They also were criticised massively. Now we have a young, hungry, sexy young driver, with a devil-may-care attitude about the spoils of former champions – whether they have won once, twice, three times or even four times.”

“He’s shown on many occasions that he is light years away from your common Formula One driver by winning his first race sitting in a Red Bull. Yes, the two Mercedes drivers took each other out so this win probably fell in our laps, but Brazil showed that he is not only above average but that he will be a great one.”

“When I first met [Max] he was 15; a 15-year-old boy with the maturity of a 26-year-old man and an unbelievable self-confidence. Since then three years have passed and he’s had a sensational learning curve. He doesn’t make mistakes twice. He is definitely ready for the title fight. There is no need for any more extra preparation: he knows the name of the game!”

As for weaknesses, Marko insisted, “No weaknesses aside from the fact that he is sometimes not patient enough. He sometimes tries to force situations his way when all he has to do is wait a bit and it will fall into his lap. But this change is already in the making!”

And Brazil, “I saw a similar drive from Max at the Norisring in F3 some years ago: again in a league of his own – with a line of his own. In F1 I would compare his Brazil drive to Senna at Donington.”

[MIKA27]

EXXONMOBIL DITCHES MCLAREN FOR NEW RED BULL PARTNERSHIP

Long time McLaren fuel partners Exxon Mobil have ditched the under performing British team and shifted their backing to Red Bull, a move that ends a two decade partnership between the Woking outfit and the fuel giant.

Red Bull announced in a press release: “As a team partner, official fuel partner, official lubricant partner, and official motor oil partner of the team in 2017, ExxonMobil will provide Red Bull Racing with leading-edge Mobil 1 lubricants and Synergy Race Fuels. ExxonMobil will deliver engineering support to develop next-generation lubricants designed to improve race car engine and gearbox performance.”

“The company’s Mobil 1 and Esso brands will feature on our cars, driver overalls and helmets, as well as being displayed at the Red Bull Racing Factory in Milton Keynes, and at trackside events.”

Commenting on the new partnership Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said, “Mobil 1 and Red Bull Racing are two global brands that share a passion for racing, performance and innovation. Mobil 1 has been an iconic brand in Formula One for more than 30 years and our new partnership provides us with a unique opportunity to tap into ExxonMobil’s world class expertise.”

The deal signals then end of Red Bull’s association with French oil company Total, which Horner acknowledged,”I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to the technical team at Total, who have made a valuable contribution to our success in Formula One during our partnership.”

Matt Bergeron, vice-president of marketing for ExxonMobil Fuels, Lubricants & Specialties Marketing Company, said: “Red Bull Racing provides a dynamic platform to showcase our world-class lubricant and fuels technologies. We are excited about building a relationship with Red Bull’s excellent young drivers who are establishing reputations as competitive racers and who will help showcase our brands to generations of consumers.”

Mobil has had an impressive 38-year involvement in Formula 1 racing, having “lubricated more than 100 Grand Prix-winning cars, and has won six Formula One world drivers’ championships and five Formula One world constructors’ championships since entering the sport in 1978.”

With McLaren the partnership of 21 years delivered, 78 grand prix victories, 231 podiums, 76 poles and four F1 world championships.

Reports in various media indicate that McLaren have concluded a deal with BP/Castrol to replace Mobil as a fuel partner.

[MIKA27]

JENSON BUTTON: I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO DRIVE FOR FERRARI

Jenson Button has admitted that he would have loved to race for Ferrari during his long career at the pinnacle of the sport, revealing that there was a chance drive for the iconic Italian team.

In an interview with Top Gear, “If it was the right situation, yeah of course, I would have loved to drive for Ferrari. Three teams that I wanted to drive for in F1 when I arrived, and they were Williams, Ferrari and McLaren, and I’ve driven for two of them. There was an opportunity at one point, but I thought this was the best place to be, and that was with Stefano as well.”

The 2009 Formula 1 World Champion also revealed that French F1 great Alain Prost was his inspiration, “I loved Alain Prost as a driver, he was my hero, but I was obviously very young when I watched him race. My inspiration was definitely Michael [Schumacher]. Actually being on the grid with him in 2000 was pretty awesome.”

As for the toughest competitors he came across in his 16 year career, he said, “You always look at your teammate. In qualifying, it’s probably Lewis. In a race situation, Fernando is the most difficult to beat… if you have a great race, Fernando is right on your ass, and you don’t know how he’s still there. And if he has a great race, he’s in front of you. It’s like he’s always there, you can’t get rid of him.”

Although Button is officially on a ‘sabbatical’ year in 2017, he accepted that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix may well be his last. If that is the case, he leaves the sport with a world championship title, 15 wins and 50 podiums in 305 starts.

[MIKA27]

French Grand Prix set for F1 calendar return in 2018

The French Grand Prix looks set to make a surprise comeback in 2018 at the Paul Ricard circuit near Marseille.

The race hasn't been a feature of the Formula 1 calendar for a decade, having last been held at Magny-Cours in 2006 when Michael Schumacher dominated the race from Fernando Alonso.

However financial troubles led to the race falling off the calendar and although there have been plenty of attempts to revive the event, it has never quite materialised.

A report on France's Europe1 says its return will be confirmed during a press conference on Monday, with funding coming from multiple local authorities, including the Provence-Alpes-Côtes d'Azur region, the city of Toulon and the Var department.

The press conference is to take place at the Automobile Club de France, in the presence of Provence-Alpes-Côtes d'Azur president Christian Estrosi, a former racer and motorsport fan.

Paul Ricard hosted the French GP between 1971 and 1990 and has recently been used for testing purposes on several occasions, most recently as the venue for Pirelli's wet weather tyre test earlier this year.

It is currently owned by Excelis, a company owned by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

[MIKA27]

Stewards to consider regular meetings to review penalty consistency

Formula 1 race stewards are considering whether they should introduce a system whereby they regularly meet to review and discuss penalties in order to improve consistency and decision making.

It comes as a number of penalties this season were criticised for being unfair or inconsistent, particularly in Mexico when Max Verstappen was penalised for cutting a corner, but Lewis Hamilton wasn't.

During an FIA race stewards meeting in Vienna on Tuesday, a number of areas of improvement were discussed, including the ambiguous wording of the rules and penalty consistency.

"We went through a lot of rules and looked at how we can work with the FIA to tidy up the wording, enabling us to take quicker decisions," said stewards’ chairman Garry Connelly.

"We talked a lot about how we can achieve better consistency. We think that more meetings and more reviews of past decisions are necessary, so that we all understand how each panel of stewards is treating a particular situation, especially where it’s necessary for the stewards to make a subjective ruling, on a dangerous driving charge for example. That is quite a subjective issue.

“These are obviously decisions that are made collectively but understanding how those decision can be made more consistent is valuable."

In order to achieve that, Connelly confirmed a review system is under consideration for 2017 and beyond.

"We looked at a system that the DMSB uses to review races," he said. "The stewards get together by video link to look back at incidents and discuss the decisions made. We thought that might be good thing to do every three or four races."

Other topics of discussion included track limits and Connelly believes track modifications are the answer, whereby larger kerbs are added to deter and punish drivers for running wide or cutting corners.

"There are now probably only 11 or 12 corners across the whole championship where there is the potential for cutting corners in a very obvious way," he added. "There are solutions that can be adopted to sort those issues out, such as the solution that has been adopted for Turn One in Monza, where if you do go off there is a natural penalty in that it takes you longer to rejoin than if you had used the circuit. That makes it a lot easier for the stewards as the penalty is applied on track.

"The point we also made is that the rules say a driver can rejoin the track as long as you do it safely and gain no lasting advantage. The word lasting is again very subjective.

Does it mean lasting for 500m, until the next turn, the next few laps or the whole race? That subjectivity is removed if the circuit is modified or designed to immediately disadvantage a driver if he does go off track."

[Baldy]

Wow!  Rosberg announces immediate retirement.  Is this April 1?

http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/38185846

The official F1 page have also posted this news.  Wow!  I guess Mercedes won't be so quick to can Hamilton afterall.....unless they too have decided to retire and quite F1.

[Fugu]

Respect!

 

[Baldy]

Still shock about Rosberg's retirement.  Respect for sure but not so much for the championship this year.  My respect for Rosberg was 2 years ago in the way he handled himself after a gutting loss at Brazil. He made is money, fame and fortune in F1.  Good on him for going out on top.  Not many people would have the conviction and courage to make such a decision.

Interesting to see who gets the 2nd seat at Mercedes.  There will be a few drivers fighting for that seat.

[Bartolomeo]

Who quits after winning the championship w the best car out there? I know he's probably tired of competing against Lewis and the circus that ensues based on his comments but that's life in the big city in F1. Not my favorite driver but always respected his performance.

[OZCUBAN]

Shocked as is everyone I guess 

I happen to like Nico ,I think what you see is what you get ,as they say he'e one of the good guys 

he will be missed and I wish him well better leave on the top of your game, some drivers don't get that and hang around to long ,and to be honest for the most part it's never pretty 

Imwould like to see Ricciado  or vestappen in a silver arrows 

cheers 

[LLC]

Didn't see that coming.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rckymtn22]

Wow that is a surprise! Didn't believe it at first, not many get out when on top. A fight for the second seat now.

[skalls]

Wow, didn't see that coming.  Bravo on going out on top.

 

Wonder who is going to be in the other seat next year?

[Baldy]

12 minutes ago, skalls said:

Wonder who is going to be in the other seat next year?

Pastor Maldonado!

[Orion21]

I can see why Nico did it.  He's a millionaire many times over and now a family man. He spoke openly about how difficult it was to achieve this World Championship.  He described how his wife took care of everything at home and he was on his own for the whole season.  Now that he knows what it takes to be the best, has achieved his goal and now he can let it go.  I don't blame any man who has a family and doesn't want to work 24/7 at their career to be with them.  Nico is only 31 years old and his daughter is only one.  He now can spend as much of his time with her and his wife as he would like, while making plans for his future. I would only get more difficult with more kids etc. Good for him and congrats!  

[Lotusguy]

Quitter

All jest aside, sad to see him go but understandable. If only that whiner Hamilton had quit instead of him.

[Squarehead]

I have the highest respect for Nico,a class act and a gentleman which can't be said about his(former) teamate.

Well done Nico

[MIKA27]

7 hours ago, Bartolomeo said:

Who quits after winning the championship w the best car out there? I know he's probably tired of competing against Lewis and the circus that ensues based on his comments but that's life in the big city in F1. Not my favorite driver but always respected his performance.

sotto il pollice?

[MIKA27]

5 hours ago, skalls said:

Wow, didn't see that coming.  Bravo on going out on top.

 

Wonder who is going to be in the other seat next year?

Pascal Wherlein? Possibly for a year and open the door for Alonso or Vettel?

[skalls]

Pascal likely won't cost Mercedes much or anything to have him in the seat.  Also been hearing that they could get Bottas from Williams for some $ and a better deal on engines.

Be interesting to see what Max could do in a silver arrow.  

[MIKA27]

ROSBERG STUNS F1 WITH RETIREMENT BOMBSHELL

Nico Rosberg stunned Formula One on Friday with the shock announcement that he was retiring only days after achieving a lifetime ambition by winning his first world championship with Mercedes. 

Rosberg, had given no previous indication of his intentions, said he had made the decision the day after the title race.

He admitted that telling his boss, Mercedes F1 chief Toto Wolff was tough, “It was massively difficult. I couldn’t tell him in person. I had to call him. It was massively intense especially after three hours of sleep.”

Today he is due to attend the governing FIA’s gala prize-giving in Vienna later on Friday along with team mate and triple world champion Lewis Hamilton, but did not say what he planned to do next.

Rosberg will depart Formula 1 with a record of 23 victories in 206 races – putting him equal 12th on the all-time list of winners along with Brazilian triple champion Nelson Piquet and as only the second son of a champion to take the title.

His Finnish father Keke was champion with Williams in 1982.

Nico Rosberg was also the first German driver to win the Formula 1 title with a German car and team, and now becomes the first champion to walk away without defending the title since Frenchman Alain Prost in 1993.

Rosberg’s battles with Hamilton, his boyhood friend and rival in karting, have lit up the last couple of seasons – and provided plenty of headlines – and he said that too had taken its toll.

The Monaco-based German married his childhood sweetheart Vivian in 2014 and they had a daughter last year. A devoted family man, Rosberg said his wife was the first person to know his decision.

He acknowledged that his retirement had put his “racing family” in a difficult position, although Hamilton will now be an even stronger favourite to win his fourth title next season.

Rivals also will see a dream vacancy that every driver on the starting grid would jump at if given the chance, Mercedes being the most dominant team in the sport with 19 wins in 21 races this season.

Mercedes have won the drivers’ and constructors’ titles for the past three years in a row and will start next season, despite significant rule changes, as favourites again.

Rosberg’s boss Wolff hailed a “brave move” and said it was “testament to the strength of his character”.

Of the moment Rosberg gave him the news, Wolff said, “It was a very difficult moment. We spent a day in Malaysia, with such a big crowd cheering for Nico, something I have never seen – it was unbelievable.”

“We hopped on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore and from Singapore to Frankfurt and then we had some emotional discussions and he was so clear by what he said that he had no doubt about his decision,” added the Mercedes chief

Wolff said Mercedes would take time to evaluate their options and they will probably need it, given that the top drivers are already signed up by rivals.

One who is still available is reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein, who has impressed at tail-enders Manor.

The 22-year-old, who holds joint Mauritian and German nationality, was passed over, however, when Mercedes-powered Force India went looking for a replacement from the Mercedes stable for Nico Hulkenberg.

Frenchman Esteban Ocon, 20, who is also a Mercedes-contracted driver, was chosen instead with Wolff describing him at the time as boasting the most impressive track record in junior formulae.

That, however, is unlikely to stop others from thumbing through their contracts to see whether they can engineer a move.

Nico Rosberg facts and stats:

• Born: Wiesbaden, Germany on June 27, 1985 (31 years old)
• Rosberg is the son of Finland’s 1982 world champion Keke Rosberg, who won his title with Williams, and German mother Sina. He was born four days after Keke won the 1985 USA-East Grand Prix in Detroit.
• Rosberg grew up in Monaco and still lives there with his wife Vivian and daughter Alaia. He speaks five languages but not Finnish.
• He and Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton, a triple world champion, were team mates in go-karts in 2000. Rosberg tested for Williams in 2004, aged 17 and before he had his driving licence.
• He declined a place to study aeronautical engineering at London University’s Imperial College.
• Rosberg made his Formula One race debut with Williams in Bahrain in 2006, scoring points with seventh place and setting the fastest lap, after becoming the first GP2 champion the previous season. He ended 2006 in 17th place overall.
• In 2007 he was ninth overall. The following year he stood on the podium for the first time, a third place in Australia, but ended up 13th at the end of the season.
• In 2009, his last year with Williams, he finished seventh overall.
•  
• Rosberg joined Mercedes – who had bought champions Brawn GP – for the 2010 season and partnered seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher. The younger German scored 142 points to Schumacher’s 72.
• Rosberg also outscored Schumacher in the following two seasons, taking his first pole and grand prix victory in China in 2012.
• In 2013, Lewis Hamilton replaced Schumacher and finished the season fourth overall to Rosberg’s sixth.
• In 2013, Rosberg won the Monaco Grand Prix exactly 20 years after his father had triumphed there. In 2014, he had five wins – the same number that Keke had in his entire career — from 11 pole positions and finished overall runner-up to Hamilton.
• Rosberg was again championship runner-up to Hamilton in 2015 but ended the year strongly with three straight wins.
• He picked up where he left off in 2016 by taking the first four races, the first driver since Schumacher in 2004 to do that, while Hamilton suffered various problems.
• He is only the second son of a Formula One champion to win the title, after Damon Hill. Hill took his 1996 title 34 years after father Graham first became champion in 1962. Rosberg’s came 34 years after Keke’s success.
• Stunned the sport on 2 December by announcing his retirement. “I have climbed my mountain, I am on the peak, so this feels right. My strongest emotion right now is deep gratitude to everybody who supported me to make that dream happen,” he said in a statement.

[MIKA27]

HAMILTON: IT WILL BE SAD NOT TO HAVE NICO IN THE TEAM

Lewis Hamilton will miss Nico Rosberg next season but he was also one of the few people not surprised by his Mercedes team mate’s decision to retire only days after winning the Formula One championship.

“This is the first time he’s won (a title) in 18 years, hence why it was not a surprise that he decided to stop,” the triple world champion told reporters ahead of the governing FIA’s gala prize-giving in Vienna.

“He’s also got a family to focus on, and wants more children, and Formula 1 takes so much of your time. Will I miss the rivalry? Of course.”

Hamilton and Rosberg have been friends and rivals since their teenage days in karting, with the Briton beating him to the Formula One championship in 2014 and 2015.

Rosberg revealed that he informed Hamilton about his decision before he went public with the news, “I informed Lewis myself before this, it is the right way to do it. We had so many battles and so many moments.”

“I thought correct to let him know of my decision and especially in light of his post yesterday, which was kind of him,” added Rosberg.

Each has a benchmark for the other throughout their careers, the man they measure themselves against, and Hamilton recognised he would miss the German.

“We started out when we were 13 and we’d always talked about being champions,” he said. “When I joined this team, Nico was there, which was again something we talked about when we were kids.

“It’s going to be very, very strange and it will be sad not to have him in the team next year. The sport will miss him and I wish him all the best.”

“Of course it is a shame that he won’t allow me to take it (the title) back or fight to take it back but that is his choice and I respect his decision: go out on top while you can.”

Hamilton said he did not care who Mercedes chose as his team mate, providing they had equal terms, “It doesn’t matter who…I’ll race them, I’m here to race.”

[MIKA27]

REACTION TO ROSBERG’S SUDDEN RETIREMENT

Nico Rosberg stunned Formula One on Friday by announcing his retirement, only days after he had won the world championship with Mercedes at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The following details the reaction of those within the Formula 1 world (and beyond) to his surprising decision:

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff: “This is a brave decision by Nico and testament to the strength of his character,” Wolff said in a team statement. “He has chosen to leave at the pinnacle of his career, as world champion, having achieved his childhood dream. The clarity of his judgement meant I accepted his decision straight away when he told me.”

Team mate Lewis Hamilton: “This is the first time he’s won (a title) in 18 years, hence why it was not a surprise that he decided to stop,” the triple world champion told reporters ahead of the governing FIA’s gala prize-giving in Vienna. He’s also got a family to focus on, and wants more children, and Formula One takes so much of your time. Will I miss the rivalry? Of course.”

FIA president Jean Todt: “I was privileged to receive a call from Toto Wolff this morning informing me of Nico’s decision. I was very surprised, as I’m sure everyone is, but Nico has demonstrated across the year that he is extremely brave.

“I think he did five or six of the hardest laps of his life in the final race of the championship but the consequence is that he made it.”

Former racer and Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle: “I find it absolutely extraordinary, a big surprise…it’s obviously a personal decision and it’s bad for Formula One because we haven’t got a world champion through the winter and next season.”

Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt: “I can’t really understand it but everybody has their reasons, I guess he felt like he’s got what he wanted. When you get where you want to be, if you accomplish your goal, I guess there’s no reason to keep going.”

Niki Lauda: “Finding a replacement for Rosberg is a real problem. Our driver pairing was the best we could have. We knew what we had with Lewis and Nico.”

Bernie Ecclestone: “He needs more time to spend his money, that’s all.”

Sergio Perez: “Definitely a great Champion!!!! Big admiration.”

Romain Grosjean: “Respect my friend! @nico_rosberg.”

Kevin Magnussen: “Big respect.”

Nico Hülkenberg: “Respect, @nico_rosberg! Hope you will enjoy your time at the barbecue.”

Damon Hill: “Well done Nico. More to life than chasing round in circles. Respect.”

Esteban Ocon: “There is no better way to retire than on the top?You will be truly missed in the Paddock! See you soon Nico!”

Felipe Massa: “Congratulations my brother @nico_rosberg for this incredible career that you had!! Champion!”

Nigel Mansell: “Nico what a brave very brave decision, he has some very powerful reasons I am sure. Brilliant World Champion.Very interesting for Merc now.”

Juan Pablo Montoya: “Incredible news about @nico_rosberg retiring from F1. Very brave making that decision.”

Johnny Herbert: “Wow @nico_rosberg retiring as a World Champion..actually what a great way to end a great career. Enjoy your family time.”

Alex Wurz: “I have the greatest respect of @F1 #worldchampion @nico_rosberg.”

Carlos Sainz: “Boom! Nico you really surprised us there… Great champion, well deserved time off with your family and enjoy your success.”

Pascal Wehrlein: “Big respect @nico_rosberg! Wish you all the best for your future!
Thank you for all your advices!”

Marcus Ericsson: “Very surprised! But the biggest respect @nico_rosberg . Great champion. Enjoy your next chapter in life ”

Karun Chandhok: “Extraordinary news from @nico_rosberg… Come on Toto! Do a deal with Mclaren and get Fernando back – now that will be entertaining!!”

Giedo van der Garde: “What a surprise. He’ll leave F1 with a big achievement done. @nico_rosberg respect my man…”

Max Chilton: “I just broke the shock news of @nico_rosberg retirement from F1 on @5liveSport. I am blown away but I have nothing but praise for him.”

Pedro de la Rosa: “Did anyone see that one coming? Not me! All the best for @nico_rosberg on his new life after F1. What a great career he leaves behind.”

 

[MIKA27]

Mercedes F1 team in no rush to sign replacement

Toto Wolff says Mercedes will "take the necessary time" to work out who replaces retiring world champion Nico Rosberg in its Formula 1 line-up in 2017.

Five days after winning his maiden world title, Rosberg announced his unexpected retirement from F1 on Friday at the FIA Prize Giving.

The 31-year-old had only signed a new, two-year deal set to keep him with Mercedes until the end of 2018 in July.

Mercedes junior Pascal Wehrlein has just completed his first season in F1 with Manor, but motorsport boss Wolff says Mercedes will not rush into a decision on who partners Lewis Hamilton.

"For the team, this is an unexpected situation but also an exciting one," he said.

"We are going into a new era of technical regulations and there is a free Mercedes cockpit for the seasons ahead.

"We will take the necessary time to evaluate our options and then find the right path for our future."

Rosberg joined Mercedes when it returned as a works team in 2010, after spending the first four seasons of his F1 career with Williams.

Alongside Michael Schumacher and then Hamilton since 2013, Rosberg has won 23 grands prix and taken 30 pole positions.

"With Mercedes, Nico has been a relentless competitor, bouncing back from his tough times in an inspirational way, and he earned the respect of the sport with his tenacity, his fighting spirit and his grace under pressure," Wolff said.

"Since 2010, he has poured competitive energy into our team and we have grown stronger because of it.

"We simply say 'thank you' for the incredible contribution he has made to our success, alongside two of the all-time great drivers, Michael and Lewis."

Wolff said he immediately accepted Rosberg's decision to retire, which was made for family reasons, and paid tribute to his outgoing driver.

"This is a brave decision by Nico and a testament to the strength of his character," Wolff said.

"He has chosen to leave at the pinnacle of his career, as world champion, having achieved his childhood dream.

"The clarity of his judgement meant I accepted his decision straight away when he told me.

"It's impossible to capture the essence of a person in a few short words.

"But Nico has a special combination of natural talent and fighting spirit that have brought him to where he is today.

"Throughout his career, people have thought he was on a golden path to success just because his father was a world champion.

"In fact, in some ways that made the challenge greater - and meant he had to fight even harder with the weight of expectation on his shoulders."

[MIKA27]

12 minutes ago, skalls said:

Pascal likely won't cost Mercedes much or anything to have him in the seat.  Also been hearing that they could get Bottas from Williams for some $ and a better deal on engines.

Be interesting to see what Max could do in a silver arrow.  

I just had a brain storm...

What if.. Mick Schumacher? He turns 18 on 22nd March only days before Melbourne 2017  Food for thought right there..