planetf1.com

I think "snatched from his bleeding grasp" is the cruellest part of that article, but that aside it's basically all speculation and self-confessed romance.

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Don't forget the games you're competing in. Someone has to get one over on us!

I don't even open links if the poster hasn't included at least a short synopsis of what I'm out to read... "Ugh" just doesn't do it for me.

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Räikkönen - Vettel - Bottas
Thank you Nico - You´re the champ!

PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2016: CHAMPION (2 wins, 8 podiums)

<=>

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Go Vandoorne - Verstappen - Vettel!

As per a certain banned website (from this forum), Kubica had posted faster times than Hulk & Palmer in the simulator. The target is that he should be able to post faster times than Palmer in Hungary. There's a very good chance we may see Kubica in Spa.

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Feel The Fourth

wow what a track to make ya comeback on , go Robert and its just what F1 needs to wake the media up abit

This is going to be worse than Schumi's return to F1.

There is a reason its banned, its owner is so full of it that it's coming out of his ears.

The proof will be in the pudding, can't wait to see him in the next test.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2018: {Rookie Year}
Current positon: =7th | 2 Podiums | 0 Wins

Seems that the "rumor" about Kubica possibly replacing Palmer at Spa is growing legs to some degree.

http://www.planetf1.com/news/renaults-s ... ca-at-spa/

And while Palmer hasn't set the world on fire by any means, I think it's highly unfair for them to continually say he's failed to score a single point this season.
His car has suffered so many failures it can be argued rather strongly that Renault has done a crap job at providing him a car that is appropriately reliable, and I'd agree on that. I wouldn't be surprised if articles pop up speculating sabotage just so Renault could move on from him and generate all this buzz across the world of F1 using Kubica's triumphant return to the top echelon series. Though not likely the case, it's possible many will argue that point.

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HAMILTON :: ALONSO :: VETTEL :: RAIKKONEN :: RICCIARDO :: VERSTAPPEN
BOTTAS :: MAGNUSSEN :: OCON :: SAINZ :: PEREZ :: VANDOORNE :: HULKENBERG
GROSJEAN :: GASLY :: ERICSON :: LECLERC :: STROLL :: SEROTKIN :: HARTLEY

In fairness when they have provided him with a working car he hasn't been running in the points.

I did feel so sorry for him at Silverstone though. He seems like a decent bloke so I hope he gets a break this weekend.

Nice bloke, promoted way out of his league on the back of his name and his father's cold hard cash. Can't blame him for this season though, the unreliability he has suffered would knock most people out of their stride.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2018: {Rookie Year}
Current positon: =7th | 2 Podiums | 0 Wins

if Palmer ends up scoring a 5th place in Hungary, what happens then? Too little too late?

That depends. Is it on merit, or due to fortunate circumstances?

It's a moot question, IMO - if he was capable of scoring a 100% legit, on-merit result like that, we wouldn't be having this discussion. With the sole exception of Austria, he's shown himself conclusively to be nowhere near Hulk's level. If he scores a 5th, Hulk will be on the podium or DNF'd.

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PF1 PICK 10 COMPETITION (3 wins, 12 podiums): 2017: 19th| 2016: 3rd| 2015: 4th
PF1 TOP THREE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (No Limit Excedrin Racing): 2017: 2nd| 2015: 1st
AUTOSPORT GP PREDICTOR: 2017 United States Champion! (world #2)

AMuS reporting that Palmer has a watertight contact for this year.
Also that the FIA see no issue for granting him a super licence.

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Go Vandoorne - Verstappen - Vettel!

Is the contract for being ' Driver 2 ' or just a driver for Renualt?
There could be nothing stopping Renault from promoting Kubica and demoting Palmer to test driver status.

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Any and all opinions are my own, they do not reflect the opinions of the FIA, FOM, Teams, Drivers, PlanetF1, Phase of the Moon, Rotation of the Earth or Aliens.

I don't exactly know how much money (if any) Palmer is bringing, but if he has brought money then I think it's highly unlikely his contract wouldn't contain the stipulation that in return for the money brought, he gets a full-time racing seat.

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Go Vandoorne - Verstappen - Vettel!

It all depends on what is more significant - the amount he's funding or the amount of money that Renault will lose out in the WCC because of him not scoring points?

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Feel The Fourth

What's most significant is what is in the contract

Can't imagine his manager agreeing with the contract basically stating "well Jolyon, we'll take your money but if you suck then you can lose your seat at the summer break". Thought it's pretty custom to pay a seat for a year. But then yeah, everything is possible I guess so obviously I'm not talking with full knowledge of his contract.

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Go Vandoorne - Verstappen - Vettel!

I doubt it would be the first time it has happened

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I don't rely entirely on God

I rely on Prost



FA#14

No idea. Which driver who was well-known to bring a lump of money and didn't pay per race was replaced mid-season? We've had lots of drivers before who were replaced in-season but not always paying drivers and sometimes they just brought the budget on a race by race basis as the season came along and they got axed when the funding dried up.

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Go Vandoorne - Verstappen - Vettel!

Just to remind some of you good, old times:)

https://goo.gl/images/bxY481

Funny how much the author of this artice was wrong about a possible return. This is why all the Poles are so fanatically biased about this return. Sth against all odds. Do not neglect it - just let us be that way:)

Has the notion of Robert needing a Super Licence come up?

I understand there are very specific conditions required to get one

I heard one commentator mention a year in an appropriate series (F2?) would be required

Edit: oh, i see the FIA can vote to give him one

The FIA left themselves a loophole for approving cases like this without the required points - but then weakened the requirements still more after they introduced them by saying a driver could compete a certain number of racing distance to qualify (I believe he already has met this). There'll be no issue with a super license.

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Top Three Team Champions 2017 (With Jezza13)
Group Pick 'Em 2016 Champion

Cyril Abiteboul has said Kubica won't replace Palmer for the remainder of '17 season:
http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/356311/

Still not buying this.

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Feel The Fourth

Still makes the most sense, given that:
- Palmer probably paid for a racing seat for a full year and his contract would confirm that
- Dropping a driver that hasn't raced single seaters for 6.5 seasons into an F1 seat over the summer break after just 1 day in current machinery would not be a terribly smart thing to do, especially when they've taken their time up until now to gradually build things up.

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Go Vandoorne - Verstappen - Vettel!

I was supprised by this part - Clearly we are looking at options for 2018, and Jo could be an option for 2018 – that is in his hands.


There must be more to his poor performance than we know.

I don't have a name off the top of my head. I'm sure I recall drivers bringing teams to court over contracts over the years. Maybe I'm so used to dodgy deals in F1 that I only imagine it to be true

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I don't rely entirely on God

I rely on Prost



FA#14

You only have to go back a couple of years to the Sauber fiasco. While that wasn't a mid-season replacement it did boot a driver with a paid up seat out of the car.

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{Insert clever sig line here}

Yeah, but that was an anomaly, a highly erratic situation. I'm sure at Renault there are no anomalies in play and Palmer is one of only two drivers with a normal contract for a race seat for this year.

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Go Vandoorne - Verstappen - Vettel!

Well I actually preferred Ugh

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Räikkönen - Vettel - Bottas
Thank you Nico - You´re the champ!

PF1 Pick 10 Competition 2016: CHAMPION (2 wins, 8 podiums)

Has Kubica got some kind of contractual obligation to Renault? I wonder why he's not bein linked to Massa's seat for example if Felipe is still ill, or why he's not being talked about for any of the other seats opening up next season.

Hey guys, with the result that Kubica is around 2 sec off the pace, it does not look very encouraging, does it?

I don't think you can read much into the times, tbh. He was faster than Russel in the Mercedes, which is promising, but there again the second quickest of all was Norris in a McLaren. He was faster than Kimi! I don't think headline times are what they are looking at

I don't believe its down to palmer now -its too late and his seat next year will depend more on what kubica can do and if not then maybe Alonso
kubica will be given time to acclimatise to this years car , and its in the teams interest to give him a good go , as the funding possibilities to have kubica in the car next year could be huge its easy to sell a fairytale and it could also have movie possibilities if its successful and we all want to see Robert in F1 next year anyway

PDR is Williams reserve driver and a much safer bet. Next season who knows but he wont Kubica wont be there in Spa.

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I remember when this website was all fields.

Renault can but him out of his contract.

I just watched this and I got pretty emotional. Still feeling it actually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ex89L--OZU

In the 40 years I've been watching F1, this is genuinely one of the greatest moments in F1 for me.
4th quickest in Testing after 6 years out of the sport. Hamilton is right in pointing out that Robert is a truly special and gifted driver.
I remember reading he regards him as the best he's ever competed against.

Imagining an entire race day crowd chanting KUBICA! KUBICA! KUBICA! so loudly it dwarfs all other sounds.

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HAMILTON :: ALONSO :: VETTEL :: RAIKKONEN :: RICCIARDO :: VERSTAPPEN
BOTTAS :: MAGNUSSEN :: OCON :: SAINZ :: PEREZ :: VANDOORNE :: HULKENBERG
GROSJEAN :: GASLY :: ERICSON :: LECLERC :: STROLL :: SEROTKIN :: HARTLEY

You can see how much his right arm is withered, Kubica is very straight forward and honest about his level of performance, it would be a fairy tale if he did make it back into F1.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: Currently 12th

Wins: Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: 2nd Canada 2015, 3rd Monza 2016, Hungary 2016 and Barcelona 2015

Obviously it's hard to make comparisons due to track evolution, weather etc but there was some decent signs in my opinion.
Firstly the long runs looked reasonable relative to how Renault performed on the weekend. Secondly his best time was 1.4 seconds off Vettel. Comparing with qualifying on Saturday, Hulkenberg was 1.2 off and Palmer was approx 1.6 off. Given this was his first day in 2017 car that is very good but wasn't a 'wow' moment that made the paddock take notice. Still I don't think it did his chances any harm.

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#Keep Fighting Michael

The guy is gifted, there is no doubt. His performance was excellent, I still can't believe how close this was. Well done Robert, it would be a pleasure to have him back