F1 Shuffle (Part 3)

So far we’ve talked about the two biggest seat swaps happening in the sport. Perez up and Hamilton down. So where does that leave the rest of the grid? Let’s start with the re-retirement of this guy.

Unretired seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher is leaving Mercedes… And F1… Again.

When Schumi first left Ferrari at the end of 2006, many viewed it as the end of an era. It’s never easy to let go of a champion, especially not when they helped return Ferrari to top form like Schumacher did. And when he came back in 2010, there certainly was a high level of excitement and expectations. Schumacher himself seemed confident, stating that he expected to be judged by his success. Continue reading

F1 Shuffle (Part 2)

The ascendancy of Sergio Perez through the ranks of F1 teams is certainly a good thing, and he definitely houses a talent that Sauber’s cars cannot match, but for every driver who is lucky to make a good move, there is usually an unlucky driver who is forced out of his seat. Unfortunately, this concept doesn’t apply to the driver who vacated his seat at McLaren: 2008 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton. Rather, Hamilton just made a poor career move in abandoning his seat at one of F1’s most stalwart teams as he made way to the lackluster Mercedes AMG team.

Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton has chosen to leave team McLaren and move to Mercedes.

It’s common for drivers to switch teams, especially when they’re offered a handsome fee to join one of the top teams, but Hamilton has done something rather odd; he’s switched from the team that is currently 2nd in the constructor’s cup down to the 5th place team. Continue reading

Do the F1 Shuffle! (Part 1)

The 2012 Formula 1 Season has easily been one of the most exciting in recent memory, with six drivers who have held the world championship title on the grid at the same time, seven different winners in the first seven races and a radical revival of the Williams team. But the season is nearing its end and that means contracts are being reviewed, and that (usually) means some drivers will be leaving, some will be changing teams and then there’s the potential for new arrivals. Rumors are abound about who is going to come, who is going to go and who is going to change, and I have my guesses too, but I’m more interested in following the solid leads that are already present. First off, let’s talk about one of the confirmed changes that are coming in the 2013 F1 season.

Sauber's Sergio Perez sided by two Sauber pit-crew.

One of the youngest drivers on the grid with a traditionally mid-field team, Perez has shown flashes of brilliance.

What would you say if I told you that one of the most promising young drivers in Formula 1 was Sauber’s Sergio Perez?
You’d probably have your doubts, and I can understand that. After all, Luca di Montezemolo (the chairman of Ferrari) has asserted time and again that the young Mexican needs more experience before he can join the Ferrari team, even though he (Perez) is a member of Ferrari’s driver academy and Ferrari’s second driver looks like a lost cause. Continue reading