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Who would you like on the third Mercedes for 2015?

IMHO Alonso,it would be fun.
On the third Red Bull Vergne,he was closer to Ricciardo than Vettel on the same car.
On the third Ferrari Button or Verstappen.I'm sure Jenson can challenge Vettel

To sum it up,3 cars rule would be fun.Have your pick

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 1

TornadoGR4

Nah, Alonso is too good to be the reserve driver

Vitaly Petrov.

Original post by TornadoGR4

Nah, Alonso is too good to be the reserve driver

He's talking about a rule change allowing 3 cars, not just 2 cars and a reserve driver.

Alonso would be awesome competition in the team but I imagine the team would explode. Personally I'd love Bottas to join the mix!

Reply 4

TornadoGR4

Original post by MJK91

I know, the point of my post is that 3 car teams won't happen for 2015. Plus Alonso already said that next season his car won't be Mercedes powered

Reply 5

RoyalMarine

Original post by TornadoGR4

I know, the point of my post is that 3 car teams won't happen for 2015. Plus Alonso already said that next season his car won't be Mercedes powered

He said it with the current rules because Hamilton and Rosberg will be at Mercedes but the 3 cars rule will put him on the hunt for the seat at Mercedes.

Reply 6

Motorbiker

If three car teams happn next year I'd want to see alonso there.

Or... Vettel...

Reply 7

Lib

There's no way that third cars would be eligible for points so no decent established driver will sign up for it. Has potential for the likes of Ocon though...

Be pretty squeaky to have enough chassis' and spares to do from Melbourne though, ignoring the questions of staffing and funding, so doubt it'll happen until the European part of 2015 even if it does play out that way.

Reply 8

Motorbiker

Original post by Lib

Why would they not earn points? And how would that work? Why would teams bother trying for no points?

What do you reckon we'll happen next year?

Reply 9

Lib

Original post by Motorbiker

Why would they not earn points? And how would that work? Why would teams bother trying for no points?

What do you reckon we'll happen next year?

No one actually knows what's written into the contacts between Bernie and the teams about 3rd cars but it seems to be universally excepted that not all teams would run them at all races (probably ballot with anyone having run a 3rd at the previous race excluded and the option to opt out if you can't afford it) so they can't score constructors as not all teams have three cars at each event. (Drivers is more of an unknown but equally no top driver only wants to run on some weekends...)

Benefit to teams is using the third car to block rivals from scoring points, as 3rd cars would be excluding and there points cancelled out, rather than being inherited by the next placed car. Also possibly running different sponsors on the third car, but current rules say 'both' cars must run the same livery so that also needs clarification... And if it's in their contracts then they have to do it whether it benefits them or not!

As there's a cap on the number of people allowed to work on cars at races and on the number of hours they're allowed to work, that's a further complication... Also you'd normally wait until as late as possible to release your chassis to production in order to get 3 chassis made for the first race, so suddenly needing 4 is a big deal (5 if you're allowed an extra spare tub when running 3 cars?)

You'd need approval of all teams to change anything in 2015 regs know, so that again complicates things. And highlighting to the Olympic sporting body and the EU that F1 had 'rules' in confidential contracts is not ideal as they have 'fair play' and 'transparency' in their definitions of sport...

So in short I have no idea what will happen!

Reply 10

rory58824

Three-car teams is looking more and more likely in my view. Bernie said that there could 'even be 14 cars' on the grid next year. Caterham and Marrusia look like they're in trouble, I really can't see them returning, unless the costs are obviously lowered. There was talk of a boycott at the US Grand Prix by FI and Sauber.

Reply 11

Lib

Original post by rory58824

Talk is cheaper. No team in their right mind would go through with any boycott as it would cost way more than they could gain.

There's apparently a couple of billionaire brothers from Asia interested in Marussia...

Reply 12

Lib

Interesting quotes from Lopez: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116611

(Feel free to move/delete if that's too far off topic, but as third cars only come about by teams dropping of the grid, I figure it's related?!)

Reply 13

RoyalMarine

Has anyone noticed there was no Caterham or Marussia?
Mercedes has spent 400M for this car,what's the point having backmarkers who are there just for blue flags being waved. A third Mercedes driven by a top driver would give some thrill at least instead of Chilton lapped 4 times. Or in alternative a huge spending cuts that will level most of the teams but Mercedes and Ferrari will never agree.

Reply 14

Miscer-22

Ham > Nico > Kov

They were good together tbh.
If Merc was to sign another driver on Nico and Hamilton level, then they will sabotage future driver championships. All three will be stepping on each others toes fighting tooth and nail, like in the case with Alonso and Hamilton in the year 2007. Whilst this occurs a team like Redbull who have a no1 driver will allow their no1 to collect the highest points for the their team in a consistent manner.