2022-2023 Silly Season Thread

[bathurst77]

Could be no Aussie on the grid in 23

Still, Danny Ric has expressed interest in Bathurst and Nascar.
Take 12 months and have fun. He can afford it now, thats some golden parachute!
Who knows he might unexpectedly find a new passion more fun than f1

I still dream of DR and Mark Weber sharing a car in Bathurst 12 hour or B1000, and I think promoters and sponsors would queue down the street with bags full of aussie dollaroos. Red bull of course have strong ties to both of them and naming right sponsorship of a front running v8 supercar team, and some other categories.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

Could be no Aussie on the grid in 23

Still, Danny Ric has expressed interest in Bathurst and Nascar.
Take 12 months and have fun. He can afford it now, thats some golden parachute!
Who knows he might unexpectedly find a new passion more fun than f1

I still dream of DR and Mark Weber sharing a car in Bathurst 12 hour or B1000, and I think promoters and sponsors would queue down the street with bags full of aussie dollaroos. Red bull of course have strong ties to both of them and naming right sponsorship of a front running v8 supercar team, and some other categories.

I thought he admitted the other day that it's F1 or nothing?

[bathurst77]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I thought he admitted the other day that it's F1 or nothing?

He did say something to that effect.

But if he is shuffled out and it is nothing, and he is just kicking round bored at home when he gets a fun (and well paying) offer for a "one off" race. Nascar, bathurst, le mans etc...

Anyhow Im still hopeful we will have 2 aussies on grid in 23. I think last tiime we had that was in 13. nice

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by chunterer

I thought he admitted the other day that it's F1 or nothing?

If he wants an F1 drive, what else can he say. He has to appear to be 100% committed to F1.

Richard

[S griffin]

Latest rumours indicate Gasly could drive for Alpine next year, while Alpha Tauri could sign Herta

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Latest rumours indicate Gasly could drive for Alpine next year, while Alpha Tauri could sign Herta

Wow, where did you see that?
I would say there is 1% chance of either of those happening.

Gasly is under contract, Alpine already have a French driver and probably would need to look at someone on a 1yr deal whilst targeting their next lead driver (unless Ocon consistently proves be can be that person)

Franz Tost will only run Marko's junior drivers or ones they know well unless there is a major shift in policy?

Interesting rumours though...

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

If he wants an F1 drive, what else can he say. He has to appear to be 100% committed to F1.

Richard

I think Alpine would be 'diffcult' he'd also find Ocon to be a lot less cooperative than before.

Haas wouldn't want to fork out a big salary for a driver, and already have an experienced driver. Plus Ricc probably wouldn't see tha team as attractive.

He could speak with Porsche oe Audi as a consultant and join them to help prepare for '26 and/or drive their sportscars alongside?

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Haas wouldn't want to fork out a big salary for a driver, and already have an experienced driver. Plus Ricc probably wouldn't see tha team as attractive.

Let’s see if Haas really has signed an Australian title sponsor as the paddock scuttlebutt here suggests.

[P38 in workshop]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Latest rumours indicate Gasly could drive for Alpine next year, while Alpha Tauri could sign Herta

Would Herta qualify for a superlicence?

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by P38 in workshop

Would Herta qualify for a superlicence?

Not currently but the word used was 2023 ‘role’ as opposed to race drive.

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Wow, where did you see that?
I would say there is 1% chance of either of those happening.

Gasly is under contract, Alpine already have a French driver and probably would need to look at someone on a 1yr deal whilst targeting their next lead driver (unless Ocon consistently proves be can be that person)

Franz Tost will only run Marko's junior drivers or ones they know well unless there is a major shift in policy?

Interesting rumours though...

Watching Gasly’s interview after qualifying and his answers and facial expressions when asked about this I am guessing he’s off to Alpine.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by P38 in workshop

Would Herta qualify for a superlicence?

I don't see why not. He recently had a test with McLaren.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I don't see why not. He recently had a test with McLaren.

I don’t think he’s even close. And he crashes as often as he finishes in Indycar.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by peebee2

I don’t think he’s even close. And he crashes as often as he finishes in Indycar.

Is that a determining factor?

Drivers need 40 points from the last three years to qualify for a super licence, and Colton Herta currently has 32 super license points, so he would need some extra FP1 outings or receive special dispensation from the FIA to be eligible for an F1 seat. So it looks like he is close.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Is that a determining factor?

Drivers need 40 points from the last three years to qualify for a super licence, and Colton Herta currently has 32 super license points, so he would need some extra FP1 outings or receive special dispensation from the FIA to be eligible for an F1 seat. So it looks like he is close.

How many will drop out end of this year though?

[bathurst77]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Let’s see if Haas really has signed an Australian title sponsor as the paddock scuttlebutt here suggests.

what aussie company could afford to or would want to naming rights sponsor f1 team?
Fosters-haas? ( fosters is now owned by Japanese asahi group)
Qantas-haas? (Qantas has just reported its 3rd year of gigantic losses)

Australia only has 3 types of big businesses
1 - local branches of foreign owned companies

2 - resource mining and the like who dont benefit from sponsorship

3 - service companies serving australia only such as telecom/optus so why would they pay huge dollars to have advertising seen by mostly people in other countries who cant buy the product, and banks wouldnt want to look like they have quite that much of mums and dads mortgage and credit card money to play with

so that means its asahi via fosters
or Scomo-haas?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by peebee2

How many will drop out end of this year though?

Your guess is as good as mine.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Alan52

Watching Gasly’s interview after qualifying and his answers and facial expressions when asked about this I am guessing he’s off to Alpine.

Well let's see. I'll find it highly surprising, not to say underwhelming if it does happen!

[S griffin]

Wouldn't surprise me tbh. He's stagnating by staying at Alpha Tauri. He doesn't seem to have much chance of going back to RBR, so why not make a switch across?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

3 - service companies serving australia only such as telecom/optus so why would they pay huge dollars to have advertising seen by mostly people in other countries who cant buy the product, and banks wouldnt want to look like they have quite that much of mums and dads mortgage and credit card money to play with

Mr Ricciardo is Chief of Optimism over at Optus..

[bathurst77]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Mr Ricciardo is Chief of Optimism over at Optus..

He does have a small optus logo on his hat (and maybe his suit
but thats a long way from naming rights of a team Optus F1
besides what sales will they make in azerbajan, belgium france, saudi etc?

they dont have any major local motor sport sponsorships so i cant see f1 naming rights as being seen as great ROI

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

they dont have any major local motor sport sponsorships so i cant see f1 naming rights as being seen as great ROI

I may be completely wrong here, but surely their name is emblazoned on at least one of the leading V8 Supercars? Or is that another company with a similar name?

[bathurst77]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I may be completely wrong here, but surely their name is emblazoned on at least one of the leading V8 Supercars? Or is that another company with a similar name?

I sit corrected. I dont watch supercars.
Took a pom to tell me about our own premier series

still its a long way from v8s to f1. and given they only operate in aust, why would they?

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

I sit corrected. I dont watch supercars.
Took a pom to tell me about our own premier series

still its a long way from v8s to f1. and given they only operate in aust, why would they?

Now they do, only 3 years ago they also went to NZ!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Now they do, only 3 years ago they also went to NZ!

Actually Mike they are, now post Covid restrictions, and with travel easier between Aus and NZ, back to racing in NZ, indeed for the next round in less than 2 weeks, and with Pukekohe set to close as a venue due to development plans after this year, Supercars have recently committed to continuing in NZ at an alternative venue.