The Official 2020 Silly Season Thread

Bunch of F1 drivers are paying for their rides. It's just the way racing is nowadays.

 

Reminds me of Ocon but even worse timing.

 

Ocon was in a much better position, having raced a better car and being managed by a team manager. But even he was close to never returning to F1.

 

Better can and team is what i mean. He's back in 2020 no?

 

i guess the scale is vastly different though. LH44 makes a boatload of money say to even VR46

 

I though get Strohl got to F1 on raw talent?

 

Vastly wider audience. I just cannot stand Hamilton, he can drive- no doubt but just the sound of his voice drives me nuts.

 

Yeah, Renault. But he already had a handshake deal with them last year that they broke out the last minute when Ricciardo became available. I don't know that guilt is every factor in F1 contracts, but maybe subconsciously…

Ya know, people like to shit on that guy like they do on Abraham in MotoGP, especially that c*nt Jacques Villeneuve, and maybe that's why I feel some sympathy towards him. But Abraham has won a Moto 2 race, and Stroll has put a F1 car on a podium. If they never do anything again, they've done that.

 

I agree with that.

 

So it's a club, abeit a highly talented one

 

I’ve concluded that my brain is mentally stuck in

I think my brain just defaults to 2005 no matter the actual year.

If Alvaro is only bringing in 400k base in a top WSBK factory ride what are the other guys making? I think the average salary being -1mm sounds about right. If you’re at the back of the grid, it sounds like you may as well just get an office job and club race on the weekend for shits and giggles.

 

Ducati got Alvaro on the cheap because he didn't have many competitive options. Davies is reportedly around the $1MM mark and Rea has been reported to be making 7 figures, which makes complete sense.

Regarding your last comment, I'd trade my office job for a WorldSBK ride at the same salary in a heartbeat. I imagine most people that are passionate about motorcycles and racing would do the same thing, hence the low salaries (relative to other professional sports).

 

Teams aren't stupid, they know this motorcycle thing is a drug, and they are just fancier dealers. And we'll take what they are giving

 

Emmett says Zarco is out for the rest of the season. Replaced by Kallio.

EDIT: KTM Link

 

Wow, that's an actual BOMBSHELL.

Zarco done fudged up.

 

Sounds like Zarco has a contract with another team for next year and KTM doesn't want him learning about their new developments. I assume we will hear about Zarco's plans this weekend.

 

3 Repsol Hondas again? like the Dovi years

 

over at Crash.net they say Zarco is looking for a test and wildcard gig for 2020 and a full time return in 2021.

 

Now Verboten....

 

Verbatim or Verboten?