Formula 1 Wags #131 The Squids Bachelorette yatch: new year, new girls

[Pole er bear]

Im here still waiting for indycar, but also awaiting 7 straight days of shirtless sharl content

Alpine did made themselves look foolish by posting that Oscar would be driving for them without contacting him. But as speculated at the time it could have been a move recommended by a lawyer Made them look clownish as hell though

Yes, very good point.
No one should feel bad for Alpine. If they wanted Oscar they should have offered him a seat like McLaren did for Lando when Fernando was at McHonda
I think that's the main point. If Alpine thought their future really was important enough, they would have said F Fernando and signed Oscar without hesitation
but they didn't and Oscar jumped on it as did Fernando which just happened to all overlap. that was the bad timing of it. but really alpine should have just said bye to alonso and gone for oscar in 2023 no question. their hesitation is McLarens ultimate gain

 

[Dangermouse84]

Don't let Valtteri see this

More like don't let Carlos see it, he'd lose an appendage

 

[imolathesecond]

Which one of you wrote this

 

[Albrouze]

sorry to bring the topic back around but I’m actually dying at how much Otmar is talking in the press. He’s telling his side of the story so soon it’s usually not like that?

like today there are quotes from him saying they did offer Alonso more money then he’s on now

I want to know who the 14-ish drivers are who have contacted him about the seat!

 

[StephenTJackson]

Im here still waiting for indycar, but also awaiting 7 straight days of shirtless sharl content


Yes, very good point.
No one should feel bad for Alpine. If they wanted Oscar they should have offered him a seat like McLaren did for Lando when Fernando was at McHonda
I think that's the main point. If Alpine thought their future really was important enough, they would have said F Fernando and signed Oscar without hesitation
but they didn't and Oscar jumped on it as did Fernando which just happened to all overlap. that was the bad timing of it. but really alpine should have just said bye to alonso and gone for oscar in 2023 no question. their hesitation is McLarens ultimate gain

McLaren have always given young drivers a seat if they think they are ready. They take the chance on the rookies. Lewis. Sergio. Kevin. Stoffel. Lando. Oscar.

Doesn't always work out, but they have faith and give them a chance. Partly because they don't have a B-team to loan them to, but still have to admire the belief in youth.

 

[OOps2022]

same! especially if it’s true what they were offering alonso - then he leaves out of nowhere and isn’t answering your calls while partying in greece or wherever? i feel a bit bad for him (all too well, otmar’s version)

I don't know what they were offering him, but no matter what, I feel there was no need to surprise them the way it was all done - it's not like they would not let him go with some legal trick if he just told them privately prior to AM's announcement. I guess it suits his style, the way it was done; I am not excusing him, I'd be furious if someone did it to me. But I have to admit, as a F1 summer break theme it's enjoable to watch from the outside, even though I AM JUDGING him

 

[monza]

Which one of you wrote this
View attachment 1480279

This is so me, look, she is even wearing sandals

 

[LaBlonde]

I don't know what they were offering him, but no matter what, I feel there was no need to surprise them the way it was all done - it's not like they would not let him go with some legal trick if he just told them privately prior to AM's announcement. I guess it suits his style, the way it was done; I am not excusing him, I'd be furious if someone did it to me. But I have to admit, as a F1 summer break theme it's enjoable to watch from the outside, even though I AM JUDGING him

this is me with all f1 drama it’s enjoyable to watch, but i would be so mad if i was in the middle of it (and if i think about it too deeply). if it is the case that he completely blindsided them and then ghosted then that’s just out of order to do to your employers.

the fact that fernando was the direct epicentre of crashgate and spygate and now this too. his commitment to chaos is ridiculous.

 

[imolathesecond]

McLaren have always given young drivers a seat if they think they are ready. They take the chance on the rookies. Lewis. Sergio. Kevin. Stoffel. Lando. Oscar.

Doesn't always work out, but they have faith and give them a chance. Partly because they don't have a B-team to loan them to, but still have to admire the belief in youth.

Exactly, I don't know where everybody comes from with the 'Zak is promising everyone the F1 seat' like no, that's not how that works. He may be promising F1 tests and to be fair, he's delivered on every promise he's made. Pato in Abu Dhabi, Colton in Portimao, Daniel even got his NASCAR. Their ethics aren't as questionable as everyone makes them out to be.

 

[Pole er bear]

sorry to bring the topic back around but I’m actually dying at how much Otmar is talking in the press. He’s telling his side of the story so soon it’s usually not like that?

like today there are quotes from him saying they did offer Alonso more money then he’s on now

For Alonso, this is actually how everything went down so quickly/smoothly. He wanted 2 years with Alpine and they were only willing to give him 1, hoping to keep alonso and then go to oscar, which made no one happy. So Basically Alonso heard about Seb and just took his offer over to AM saying here's what they are offering for one year, can you make it 2? Its the kind of deal that no matter what personality wise goes down Lawrence Stroll wasnt gonna pass up on that straightforward of a deal where they dont lose anything or need to go into a bidding war.
Also there was a press release where someone on Alonso's team said it wasnt about the money, it was about the best project/longest contract.

 

[OOps2022]

I went to tumblr to see what's there, look what someone posted from the old times - old and heartbreaking now, but also lovely
I at least hope for Daniel that the situation will be clear soon; so he is not asked about his contract whenever he goes during the break

 

[StephenTJackson]

Exactly, I don't know where everybody comes from with the 'Zak is promising everyone the F1 seat' like no, that's not how that works. He may be promising F1 tests and to be fair, he's delivered on every promise he's made. Pato in Abu Dhabi, Colton in Portimao, Daniel even got his NASCAR. Their ethics aren't as questionable as everyone makes them out to be.

It's just F1 business. McLaren are the team that booted out Jenson Button because they heard other teams were sniffing around Stoffel Vandoorne and they didn't want to risk losing him to another team. Okay, it didn't work out for Stoffel. But McLaren took the chance.

Most teams wouldn't boot out a driver like JB for a rookie. And this was pre Zak Brown. McLaren are just ruthless when it comes to drivers.

 

[Pole er bear]

McLaren have always given young drivers a seat if they think they are ready. They take the chance on the rookies. Lewis. Sergio. Kevin. Stoffel. Lando. Oscar.

Doesn't always work out, but they have faith and give them a chance. Partly because they don't have a B-team to loan them to, but still have to admire the belief in youth.

But I mean isn't Alpine/Renault's young driver's program kind of the same? Or how Oscar got in this mess? I mean Lando was the reserve driver before for a year too

 

[imolathesecond]

It's just F1 business. McLaren are the team that booted out Jenson Button because they heard other teams were sniffing around Stoffel Vandoorne and they didn't want to risk losing him to another team. Okay, it didn't work out for Stoffel. But McLaren took the chance.

Most teams wouldn't boot out a driver like JB for a rookie. And this was pre Zak Brown. McLaren are just ruthless when it comes to drivers.

They are and they should be, every team should be. If a driver doesn't deliver or there's the promise of someone better around the corner, a TP wouldn't be doing their job if they passed on that. No one is safe in this sport, not even Max and Charles. If Helmut had a junior driver in F2 who's promising to be better than Max, you just know he's going to get kicked out. That's the sport, it may seem crappy but it's also how young talent even gets in it, otherwise we'd just have 20 Fernandos.

 

[StephenTJackson]

But I mean isn't Alpine/Renault's young driver's program kind of the same? Or how Oscar got in this mess? I mean Lando was the reserve driver before for a year too

The difference is that Alpine know other teams are sniffing around Oscar, even if it's Williams on loan, they were still trying to commit to Alonso, and there was no timeline for Oscar to get a seat. McLaren do at least put their young drivers in the car.

Alpine not having the balls to drop Alonso and put Piastri in the car is the reason for this mess.

 

[hello2723]

JenJen is baking now, definitely not invited

 

[Blablabla29]

I think Otmar should just stfu right now. He already, with Alpine, look like a fool and he keep digging and digging which make him looks worst and worst. At first he said that they want Alonso and offered him everything he wanted. 2 days after Alonso ditched them he explained why they didn't want to commit to him for a long time because he is getting old so there is a high probability his talent will décline like Schumacher or vettel. Today he did an interview were he said that he didn't understand why Oscar would go to McLaren because Alpine team and their plan is better. Well he should wonder why everyone is leaving the Alpine boat (Alonso, Piastri, Prost, Budkowski, even Zhou) and find a backup plan instead of talking to the press...

 

[Pole er bear]

The difference is that Alpine know other teams are sniffing around Oscar, even if it's Williams on loan, they were still trying to commit to Alonso, and there was no timeline for Oscar to get a seat. McLaren do at least put their young drivers in the car.

Alpine not having the balls to drop Alonso and put Piastri in the car is the reason for this mess.

Yeah, I think we can all learn a life lesson.... on my end I'll say I had the same situation with dating
and look who's still single today!

 

[hello2723]

To be fair, Lando also spoke to other teams while in the McLaren academy (mainly RB for the TR seat). However im pretty sure McLaren had a clause on his contract that he had to be signed to the F1 team by a certain date otherwise he was free to go. The difference being McLaren did sign Lando by that date, it seems Alpine didnt manage to do that with Oscar

 

[Pole er bear]

I think Otmar should just stfu right now. He already, with Alpine, look like a fool and he keep digging and digging which make him looks worst and worst. At first he said that they want Alonso and offered him everything he wanted. 2 days after he explained why they didn't want to commit to him for a long time because he is getting old so there is a high probability his talent will décline like Schumacher or vettel. Today he did an interview were he said that he didn't understand why Oscar would go to McLaren because their team and their plan is better. Well he should wonder why everyone is leaving the Alpine boat (Alonso, Piastri, Prost, Budkowski, even Zhou) and find a backup plan instead of talking to the press...

I also agree with this. He should lay low and let the legal and teams deal with it now knowing he is set for the future.
This whole thing is still a little bizarre to me in the US. We have so many weird under the table deals that go on in sports here, but for the most part people arent caught blindsided and most arent putting out statements about any of it on their own.
So next question...
Does Oscar have to sit around the Alpine Garage or the McLaren Garage for the rest of the season?