So the 2015 driver selection is firming up. My feeling was that this news would emerge after the Japanese race, but there we go. It looks like a very carefully sequenced set of press releases are now in progress to tell us all what we have suspected for some time.
Some further good insight and comment in a James Allen article.
So where does that leave us? Well this is the table of decisions as I see it (Remarks holds the analysis, but I still hold out for a Hamilton left of field move to Ferrari to replace Räikkönen!):
| Value | Performance | 2014 | 2015 |
Age 2014 |
Age 2015 |
Confidence | Remarks | ||
| Mercedes |
15.69 |
34 |
Rosberg | Rosberg |
30 |
31 |
99% |
||
|
1 |
1 |
Hamilton | Hamilton |
30 |
31 |
85% |
still feel a move to Ferrari is not that daft! If he did this would damage Mercedes massively as who could they now have, Vettel the obvious choice is gone. | ||
| d Bull |
16.49 |
22 |
Vettel | Kvyat |
28 |
29 |
99% |
||
|
4 |
2 |
Ricciardo | Ricciardo |
26 |
27 |
99% |
|||
| Williams |
15.94 |
13 |
Massa | Massa |
34 |
35 |
99% |
||
|
3 |
3 |
Bottas | Bottas |
25 |
26 |
99% |
|||
| Ferrari |
16.99 |
13 |
Alonso | Vettel |
33 |
34 |
50% |
||
|
6 |
4 |
Räikkönen | Räikkönen |
35 |
36 |
75% |
Take the hit for Hamilton? | ||
| McLaren |
16.89 |
8 |
Button | Alonso |
35 |
36 |
80% |
||
|
5 |
6 |
Magnussen | Magnussen |
22 |
23 |
80% |
|||
| Force India |
15.71 |
8 |
Hülkenberg | Hülkenberg |
27 |
28 |
75% |
I think Grosjean could come in? | |
|
2 |
5 |
Pérez | Pérez |
25 |
26 |
99% |
|||
| Torro Rosso |
17.25 |
2 |
Kvyat | Vergne |
21 |
22 |
50% |
Verge gets another chance? | |
|
7 |
7 |
Vergne | Verstappen |
25 |
26 |
99% |
I am interested in what the future holds for Jensen Button. It wouldn’t be that far fetched to see him working for Sky next year and not in a back marker drive…
There are a few options, retire or he goes to Mercedes when Hamilton bails to go to Ferrari!