[NeilP]

Interesting view on the benefits gained by poaching a faster drivers performance engineer

https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/920193/...ted-bottas

Very interesting insight. Was Tony Ross move a side ways one, a promotion of sorts or a demotion?

[morini]

Well I think Mercedes see electric cars as important, so my guess is they would want to put someone experienced there. But who knows what goes on inside the team. They are very good at keeping internal politics internal.

[morini]

So, halfway through the season and rumours are rife that Valterri will lose his Mercedes seat and will not be renewed past the end of this year. Toto in the press has been non-commital and says the decision does not hinge on VB's weak performance yesterday. Valterris absence from the post race team celebrations was telling. He probably thinks his seat is gone.

Quotes from Toto (beeb sport)

Wolff said: "I am so sad for him. He was so pumped since yesterday, his qualifying performance was brilliant and he was in the right frame of mind before the race.

"And then the unfortunate incident in flat-spotting the tyre, touching with Lewis, touching with Leclerc and then suddenly within half a lap all the work is gone and that is just awful for him and I am sorry for him."

Wolff said Bottas' future will not turn on this one performance.

"We will not be letting one race result influence our decision," he said. "It is more about compounding all data and then making a decision on stability and great personality and a very good driver versus giving youth a chance with all the reward and risk it can bring and we haven't done that yet.

"We will start the process tomorrow and it will not be an easy one."

[Jody Barton]

What's really telling is that Bottas was nowhere to be found in any of Mercedes post race social media, or press releases. Yet they had Ocon do a lot of the post race videos and press. That's not normally the case, they literally erased Bottas from the race, didn't even say he had a difficult race like normal, just zero mention of him, and he wasn't at the post race photoshoot. That's not unheard of, but dropping all mention of his race from every social media outlet and press release? That does speak volumes. I think at the Spa race weekend we'll hear that Ocon has been signed for the 2020 season and Bottas has been dropped.

[morini]

What's really telling is that Bottas was nowhere to be found in any of Mercedes post race social media, or press releases. Yet they had Ocon do a lot of the post race videos and press. That's not normally the case, they literally erased Bottas from the race, didn't even say he had a difficult race like normal, just zero mention of him, and he wasn't at the post race photoshoot. That's not unheard of, but dropping all mention of his race from every social media outlet and press release? That does speak volumes. I think at the Spa race weekend we'll hear that Ocon has been signed for the 2020 season and Bottas has been dropped.

Can't say I follow social media in a big way TBH. The post race page Merc AMG F1 always put out does acknowledge VB's race though.

https://www.mercedesamgf1.com/en/mercede...rand-prix/

Having said that, I agree with you, the signs are there and I think the decision is already made. Whatever other people say, I won't change my opinion that VB is a very quick driver. Sundays are his achillies heel as too many times he's fluffed it in elbows out situations. A lot of that is instinctive and the very best can do it where the very good can't really learn it. Market wise he'll be gold for any of the mid field teams with the inside knowledge he has. Wouldn't even be surprised if Ferrari sign him.

[forzaferrari]

 Wouldn't even be surprised if Ferrari sign him.

Yeah....as a sim driver 

[Jody Barton]

They changed their story then, because originally there was zero mention of Bottas. I think he's gone. I like you Morini think Bottas is rapid, but when it comes to races he's just not at the same level as the top drivers on the grid, not even close. I fully expect he'll end up at a team like Renault or Haas, maybe even back at Williams. Having said that I think he might go rally driving, he's been testing with some top teams, and supposedly has two more tests set up for the summer break. I think having Lewis as a team mate might have broken him.

[morini]

Having said that I think he might go rally driving, he's been testing with some top teams, and supposedly has two more tests set up for the summer break. 

Interesting thought, but the man himself says he has a plan-b and wants to stay in F1 if he doesn't keep his Mercedes gig.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/...teban-ocon

[Jody Barton]

I'm sure he does want to seat in F1, but he's not going to get a top drive... or so I thought... until a Finnish sports show reported that he is discussing a potential contract with RBR... and it doesn't seem completely mental to me. Marko won't want to promote Kvyat again, and they don't want to risk ruining Albon like they have other junior drivers, and Bottas might be an attractive prospect to them for 12 months, and an attractive prospect for Honda. Interesting rumour / possibility. I was thinking Renault would be his best option, or maybe Haas or Racing Point, but I forgot Gasly is rubbish and RBR might want to take a pause for the cause.

[morini]

Silly season has well and truely started then! Love it.

I can actually see why RBR might want Bottas. They could learn a lot about Mercedes internal secrets and would gain someone who could get the most out of the car in quali. I'm being serious here, VB is not in MV's league as a racer but I reckon he would give him a very hard time on a Saturday.