Making sense of the F1 silly season

As the European summer gradually gives way to winter, so Formula 1's traditional 'silly season' - the period during which the most outrageous driver moves are speculated upon - gathers momentum, usually ending in some or other jaw-dropping announcement many moons down the road.

This year, bang on cue, Scuderia Toro Rosso stole the thunder with its announcement that it had signed a not-yet-17-year-old to contest the 2015 season. In fact, Red Bull's Italian-based junior team said 16-year-old Max Verstappen would contest FP1 sessions later this season in readiness for his full-blown debut in Melbourne.

True, the Belgian-born Dutch national comes from excellent racing stock - having former F1 hotshot (in almost every sense of the word) Jos as his father and successful European kartist Sophie Kumpen, who once successfully mixed it at international level with the likes of Giancalo Fisichella and Jarno Trulli, as his mother.

Max Emillian Verstappen's maternal grandfather contested Le Mans, as did Sophie's brother Anthony. Thus there is no questioning the youngster's pedigree, but in the Spa paddock his age proved controversial, although in true F1 fashion very few folk were prepared to go on record lest they be branded "old fogies" in a sport which has seen driver after driver serially smash its "youngest-ever" records.

It was humorous to observe seasoned driver managers, all of whom would sell their mothers if that were the stake to snare such a talent, criticise Verstappen's age - until microphones were produced. Then they U-turned, going all philosophical and waxing lyrical about "there is age and there is age; some are ready at 16 and others never" and similar sentiments.

Jacques Villeneuve slammed the decision to allow Max Verstappen into F1

Only one paddock personality was prepared to express his opinions on the record - being at pains to stress he was criticising a system that allows a driver to mount the top step of the podium yet not legally quaff the rewards in public, and not any individual - only for Jacques Villeneuve to find himself attacked on Twitter...

Still, as F1 debuts go, Verstappen failed to cover himself with glory when driving a 2011 Red Bull at Rotterdam's annual City Racing event: he lost control of the car while attempting a doughnut, stopping just short of a barrier, then later went the whole hog by crashing head-on, breaking a nose wing in the process. True, it was his first attempt, true it was a confined space, true, he was showing off, but still...

Which brings us neatly to the silly season's second 'silly' move, this time the one mounted by Nico Rosberg on team-mate Lewis Hamilton on the second lap of the Belgian Grand Prix.

Much has been said and written about what was, in real terms, a silly error of judgement - much as was Verstappen's, just at considerably higher speed and in the heat of intense battle - but, unlike the Dutchman's, it proved extremely costly in terms of not only (Hamilton's) points standing, but (Rosberg's) face. Worse, in Rosberg's eyes, was the subsequent criticism from Mercedes Motorsport Director Toto Wolff over what was ultimately a totally predictable racing incident.

True, the German-born polylingual son of 1982 champion Keke picked up 18 points to Lewis's zero - but he was allegedly fined a six-figure sum by his team - yet the real cost may well be counted sometime in future, not only by the culpable driver, but by his team as well, for, despite what team management may suggest, much disharmony now reigns within the ranks of AMG Mercedes.

In fact, so serious is the fall-out that it has the potential to affect the entire grid. Already Hamilton's contract extension talks are on hold, and, while Rosberg recently renewed his deal, the normally chirpy championship leader (by 29 points over his internecine rival) cannot be happy at having been forced to apologise publicly and have the world know he was docked a substantial portion of his wages.

Max Mosley believes Mercedes did Rosberg a disservice by publicly criticising him © LAT

It is seldom that this writer agrees with Max Mosley's utterances, but post-race comments made by the ex-team boss and former FIA president - (co)incidentally on the cusp of publishing his "explosive" memoirs - about Mercedes' (and the FIA's) handling of the incident certainly have merit.

"The way I see it (and I'm on the outside now) is that the very experienced race director [Charlie Whiting] and the stewards decided to act because it was a 'racing incident'," he told the Daily Mail.

"That was more or less that. It was a minor incident with serious consequences. What the drivers did or did not say afterwards is not clear. On that basis the FIA could not get involved.

"It's then a matter for the team. A lot goes on behind closed doors. What is unusual is announcing it [Rosberg's sanction]. Personally, I wouldn't have done that."

Overlooked in all the criticism of Rosberg flying about during the past week or so is that in Formula 1 racing accidents happen every fortnight, while incidents between team-mates occur two-a-dozen. Minor contact between championship leaders is not uncommon, either.

However, the law of applied statistics dictates that incidents between two championship-leading team-mates is a rarity for the simple reason that seldom are two equally-matched drivers found in cars of such equal performance.

The last time the sport was treated to such an explosive spectacle was during the Senna-Prost era, and here McLaren managed its immeasurably trickier situation with immense aplomb. Any wonder Mercedes management thus deflected the heat towards Rosberg?

Talk to Mercedes folk, and they point out that Nico has a binding contract through to "at least 2016"; talk, though, to lawyers, and they point out the intrinsic value of such agreements lies in a single paragraph: the break clause.

Already team bosses dissatisfied with their driver lots are circling the Mercedes coral, while the cream of Ferrari- and Renault-powered drivers, brow-battered after 12 races of staring up the rapidly disappearing chuffs of the two silver cars, have been on the blower to Brackley.

Is Sebastian Vettel looking to jump ship to Mercedes or McLaren? © LAT

Twice in consecutive races Mercedes' (mis)management of its drivers has (arguably) let Red Bull through the door, with Daniel Ricciardo being the (smiling) recipient both times; each victory is yet another thud on Sebastian Vettel's relationship with the team which provided the vehicles for a quartet of back-to-back driver titles. Oh how the German has eyed Merc power his year as he made his displeasure with Renault abundantly clear.

Where a year ago "his" side of the garage and hospitality were by far the most vibrant after he shaded Mark Webber, this year wholesale support appears to have migrated to the other (Australian's) side. How much longer Seb will accept such secondary status is the burning question - and forget not his nationality would allow Mercedes to continue flying the patriot flag should Rosberg depart; doubly so were Lewis to leave.

A McLaren source let slip in Austria at the end of June that a basic agreement with Vettel had been thrashed out and a formal offer sent to the German. Four races passed without even an acknowledgement of receipt; then came Spa and Dan the Man's third win (to Vettel's zero), and thus the McLaren source remains hopeful of contact. However, Seb always had a soft spot for Ferrari, even buying father Norbert a road-going version...

Ferrari, much as it coos about Kimi Raikkonen, should be looking about, for the Finn has a noticeably short attention span when not winning, and while he outperformed team-mate Fernando Alonso (for once) at Spa, his fourth place owed as much to the Scuderia attracting a stop-and-go for Alonso after screwing up his starting procedure as it did to that lap-two shunt that caused Hamilton to cascade down the order.

Without those incidents he would likely have placed sixth - about where he has been all season.

Alonso has had to tolerate another year of frustration at Ferrari © LAT

Alonso, too, should be casting about, for he is unquestionably the most complete driver of his generation, yet has not sprayed the winner's champagne since Spain last year. Yes, no doubt Marco Mattiacci, recently parachuted in to restore the team's fortunes will eventually succeed in doing just that - but revival will take time, a commodity Alonso is gradually running short of.

It seems almost sacrilegious that the Spaniard last won a title in 2006, and while he must at least partially shoulder the blame for missing out in 2010 and 2012, the fact remains that only his superhuman efforts have elevated the Italian team to title-challenging status. He is another who stares wistfully whenever a Three Pointed Star flutters in close proximity. A potential Mercedes driver if Rosberg or Hamilton packs in?

Alonso's contract is believed to contain a clause that permits defection if certain performance levels are not attained by the team, and while he recently swore allegiance to the team, one wonders whether he will eventually succumb to overtures from Wolff, or even McLaren decision makers Ron Dennis and Eric Boullier, both of whom would love to see him in a Honda-powered McLaren sooner rather than later.

Much as Ferrari needs lifting, so, too, does McLaren - which of late slumped further than its Maranello rival, albeit for similar reasons - and while an Alonso could on the one hand raise spirits, on the other one wonders whether it would be akin to jumping from the frying pan into the fire. However, who to replace him were he to move? Vettel, that's who, with Jules Bianchi, who has done a sterling job at Marussia, alongside...

True, there were challenges - to put it mildly - between Dennis and Alonso during the 'Spygate' 2007 season together, but in F1 a mutual need for performance is a great expediter, and there is no doubt Honda would love a 'name' driver, rather than have its partner team stick with Jenson Button, who is clearly cresting the hill.

Could Alonso and Dennis bury the hatchet to lead the Honda-McLaren era? © LAT

Rookie Kevin Magnussen has improved markedly of late, but is by no means ready to spearhead such an ambitious programme, one crucial to the futures of both partners, and clearly still needs guidance from a seasoned star. A threat to Alonso he would not be, while absorbing all he can. Boullier admitted at Spa that neither driver has a contract for 2015.

Certainly, if Honda intends to make good on promises made this week by motorsport director Yasuhisa Arai that the firm intends to win in 2015, then a revised McLaren driver line-up is surely a major part of the equation, notwithstanding the fact that Button delivered Honda's only win of its last campaign - eight years ago, at that.

Compounding the issue is that third behind Ricciardo and Rosberg on the Spa podium was Williams rising star Valtteri Bottas, who scored his fourth podium in five races before celebrating his 25th birthday a few later. Not only is the Finn a Mercedes driver, but Wolff holds a slice of Williams plc and, crucially, Bottas's career.

That at least one of the eight drivers will move despite six of them holding current contracts is virtually a given. Clearly there is much dissatisfaction within the top four teams, with not a single outfit being immune from internal polemics. Humming could be heard pre-Hungary, but the music started on lap two in Belgium, and is slowly building to a crescendo.

It will be interesting to see who lands where when the symphony eventually stops - and it can all be traced back to a 'silly' move at the height of the 'silly season'...