F1 | George Russell In At Mercedes, Jack Aitken To Williams

[Sigwolf]

Vandoorne & Gutierrez are not contracted reserves for tRacing Point or McLaren (that's from next season on, no?), but Mercedes allows both teams to choose from Mercedes' reserve pool if they need and want to.

Racing Point also sharing Mercedes reserve drivers with McLaren

Mercedes has made arrangements to share its reserve drivers with McLaren and Racing Point if they are required during the 2020 F1 season.

www.racefans.net

"Mercedes has made arrangements to share its reserve drivers with two other teams if they are required during the 2020 F1 season.

As reported earlier, Mercedes’ future engine customer McLaren will be able to call on Stoffel Vandoorne or Esteban Gutierrez if a substitute is needed for Carlos Sainz Jnr or Lando Norris this year.

RaceFans understands Racing Point, a long-term Mercedes engine customer, also has the same arrangement in place.

Vandoorne and Gutierrez could therefore find themselves placed in one of three different cars if they are needed this year."


I would assume "arrangements" would involve some sort of contract. Considering Racing Point and McLaren have no other named reserve drivers, I would think that would make the two contracted reserves for all three teams. Perhaps there is some legalese in the F1 regulations that state otherwise, but that is well beyond my depth of knowledge on the subject.

Regardless, Russell made the most sense for Mercedes to take the seat this weekend, just as Hulkenberg made the most sense for Racing Point. It certainly adds something interesting to watch this weekend.

 

[Dude27]

It's the car, right ? Give a bro a chance to get points.

Give a top F1 to a gentleman driver is like to give your priceless Ferrari's key to your 10 years old son...

 

[Badwheels]

Latifi do not deserve anything...

Don't be a hater.

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

I would assume "arrangements" would involve some sort of contract. Considering Racing Point and McLaren have no other named reserve drivers, I would think that would make the two contracted reserves for all three teams. Perhaps there is some legalese in the F1 regulations that state otherwise, but that is well beyond my depth of knowledge on the subject.

Regardless, Russell made the most sense for Mercedes to take the seat this weekend, just as Hulkenberg made the most sense for Racing Point. It certainly adds something interesting to watch this weekend.

I guess it depends on how you look at it. For me "arrangements" means that they can pick and choose from Mercedes reserve-pool as they please. Instead of having to ask Mercedes, maybe end in a negotiation situation etc. I am not sure you can be contracted to more than one team at a time either, but I would guess you can't.
Regardless, Racing Point was not able to choose any of the drivers for Silverstone 1&2. Vandoorne was busy racing FE and Gutierrez don't have a super licence.
For Nürburgring it made sense to use Hülkenberg on such short notice, as everything would be ready for him (as proven by Racing Point even carrying Hülkenbergs seat with them).

Not sure how Oliver Turvey's super licence status is (if he's ever had one), but Will Stevens only need 100km in a fairly recent F1 car and he is good to go. So McLaren has options contracted to them as well.

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

actually feling really sorry for Vandoorne, for one night he must have dreamed of an F1 podium. In his place, I'd be gutted.

 

[Jan Larsen]

Well, in testing he proved faster than the regular drivers in the same car. Now its a real race, in a car he knows, in a team he knows, on a track he knows and is fresh in memory against a teammate that is questionable at best. All the odds for a win is there. Win and beat Bottas comprehensively and he'll pretty much be guaranteed a race drive somewhere in the near future.

 

[Fat-Alfie]

It’s the faster car...

How do you know? Because Hamilton is consistently faster than verstappen? Or because you want it to be so?

 

[BabyGotBackmarker]

Well, I was wrong (for the first time in my life.) I felt that with nothing to play for, Mercedes would keep it safe and go with Vandoorne since he'd logged time in the simulator. But my girlfriend brought up a good point last night: For all the promise of Russell, Mercedes still needs to know what they have in him. Despite pushing the Williams to Q2 now and then, there is only so much you can learn about a driver in an uncompetitive car. To be able to observe your top prospect in your car in an actual race gives Mercedes a head start on their long-term plans.

 

[Chris Down]

It's the car, right ? Give a bro a chance to get points.

With a poor junior career like Latifi's, one really doesn't get to pull the "he's just in a bad car" card. There's little to no evidence from his entire career that he's even close to what would typically be expected of the average F1 driver.

 

[muzikant]

How do you know? Because Hamilton is consistently faster than verstappen? Or because you want it to be so?

edit: the car from Lewis is faster than the car of Maxi hope we see a real fight in...?

 

[Madhat]

Time for Russell to prove himself. I believe he will. Should be an interesting weekend.

 

[PickABetterUsername01]

Let's hope he wins the race or at least finish ahead of Bottas. Can't stand Bottas in that Merc anymore, waste potential in the second Merc car.

Lol some people are so delusional. Merc isn't the fastest car by far? Latifi should have replaced Hamilton? What's going on with some people??!?!?!

 

[Madhat]

Latifi should have replaced Hamilton?

Latifi.... your having a laugh. He shouldn't even be in F1, He is only in because he brings money, certainly not talent.

 

[Jason Chamberlain]

Great to see something different at Mercedes. Should be a more interesting weekend.

Perhaps even entertaining?

 

[LeSunTzu]

With a poor junior career like Latifi's, one really doesn't get to pull the "he's just in a bad car" card. There's little to no evidence from his entire career that he's even close to what would typically be expected of the average F1 driver.

When it comes to racing (not qualifying) the performance differential between Russell and Latifi, who is a rookie btw, is not that obvious. So either the buzz around Russell isn't fully justified or Latifi is a decent driver.

 

[paracletus]

Might sound harsh, but I would imagine Botass will win regardless; not half as bad as some say (beat team mate massa convincingly every year) and has had a lot of bad luck.

 

[Chris Down]

When it comes to racing (not qualifying) the performance differential between Russell and Latifi, who is a rookie btw, is not that obvious. So either the buzz around Russell isn't fully justified or Latifi is a decent driver.

Being a "decent driver" isn't a qualification one would hope for an F1 driver. After 5-6 years of milling around GP2/F2, he managed a grand total of 2nd in the championship. I'm sure you have to be a "decent driver" to get 2nd in GP2, but it's hardly world class material, which is as much about adaptability as anything else -- and he's clearly demonstrated he's strongly lacking in that department.

It's impossible to reason about how much gap one should expect for any particular gap in skill without being in the car itself, so it seems wrong to extrapolate to the degree of speculating about Russell's performance.

 

[BillyBobSenna]

Perhaps even entertaining?

Between Russel and the new track layout, it should be a fun weekend. Very entertaining.

 

[RoryTrackrod]

Get in There, George.
..

 

[Appie Kuipers]

It’s the faster car, you know it, everybody knows it, so what?

How do you know? Because Hamilton is consistently faster than verstappen? Or because you want it to be so?

How do you know it is’nt? We bought don’t know, I only have outside info.