Your Fantasy 'top 6' for 2019?

[Calman]

The way current discussions are going around the forum, I am curious who you would put in the top 3 teams in 2019 (just as a laugh or semi-serious possibility).

My picks ...

MERCEDES:
Hammy
Mad Max

FERRARI:
Danny Ric
Seb Vettel

RED BULL:
Carlos Sainz Jr
Esteban Ocon


All the best,
Cal

[cosworth151]

Mercedes:
Hamilton
Kimi

Ferrari:
Vettel
DannyRic

Haas:
Josef Newgarden
K-Mag

This list is based on two assumptions for next season:
1. RBR will go to Honda engines & sink like a stone.
2. Lack of a super license will keep me out of a Haas seat. 

[Scott]

Kimi to Merc...that would be interesting.  I don't think he and Niki/Wolff would get along that well, but he would keep Hammy honest.

Max to Merc...that would be chaos.  I doubt Hamilton would finish out the season (retire).  He would explode each time MV punted him out of the way.

Mine:

Ferarri:
Vettel
DannyRic

Mercedes:
Hamilton
Grosjean

RBR:
Alonso
Hartley

[John S]

My top 6 looks like this:-

MERC - Hammy, Bottas

FERRARI -  Vettel, Perez

RENAULT -  Danny Ric, Hulk

Red Bull will opt for Honda power, because the new areo rules for 19 will tail off their Newy advantage they'll use it as development year. Their pilots will be Mad Max & Gasly.

[Calman]

Interesting choices friends!! ... thought Gasly would be picked for the top 3!

Perez in the McLaren days was touch and go, but now a better all round experiences campaigner, I would like to see him in a top team SOON!!!

All the best,
Cal

[Alianora La Canta]

I'm not quite sure whether this is intended to be the pairings I'd advise Toto, Maurizio and Christian to have - or the pairings I'd have if I was the boss. They'd be different. Also, even in fantasy-land, I like to take certain pragmatic elements into consideration:

Mercedes

Toto: Hamilton/Riccardo or Ocon
Me: Bottas/Riccardo, Perez or Ocon

I think Toto has a good chance of keeping Lewis for one more year, and believe he should take it. I don't have his persuasive talents, so I could well imagine Lewis retiring at the end of 2018 if I was in charge due to me not making things interesting enough for him.

However, I'm not sure Valterri is strong enough a team-mate to get the best out of Lewis. So I'd be tempted to advise Toto to go for Daniel as a replacement for him. Or Esteban if Toto insists on keeping things in-house.

If I was the boss of Mercedes though, I've already said Lewis wouldn't stick around, at which point Valterri becomes valuable as a source of continuity. Though come to think of it... ...I'd still want Riccardo around. If he wasn't available or interested, I'd want one of the Force India duo, with Perez being the slightly-preferred option.

Ferrari

Maurizio: Vettel/Raikkonen
Me: Vettel/Leclerc

Maurizio seems to be the only person in the paddock who can get Kimi to do what he wants. Who else could get Kimi to be #2 to anybody? The combination is not one I'm inclined to mess with, especially since it'll be 2020 before  and I think Vettel is just flexible enough that both Maurizio and I would be able to persuade him to sign on for 2019.

Since I can't rely on my abilities to keep Kimi interested in a subservient role, then I need to look elsewhere. Find someone who'll listen to instructions when needed, but can quickly be at (or at least approach) Vettel's level, with a view to grow into the part of Vettel's replacement. That sounds like a role Leclerc could fill.

Red Bull

Christian: Verstappen/Riccardo or Sainz
Me: Riccardo or Perez/Sainz

It's not a secret that I'm not a Max fan. If I was his boss, we would probably have a contract-breaking fall-out before the first race started. Christian, however, has to worry about dropping someone he could potentially handle and whom (at least until recently) the upper management regards as the apple of their eye. So he could get away with honouring the contract Verstappen already has.

Riccardo should be the first priority for Red Bull. Whether Christian or I is leading it, Daniel is the man who is most likely to be their championship challenger and to lead Red Bull onto the next level.

The other concern I have is that Carlos Sainz really needs to be taken off Renault's hands and put into the Red Bull team pronto if practicable. That is talent that is needed back at base, and the only reason I could accept for its not being there is if Christian could keep the present pairing. Even then, Carlos needs to be returned to Toro Rosso (perhaps letting Gasly replace him at Renault for a season - if going to Renault does one Toro Rosso driver this much good, then I could see that being the making of Pierre into a consistent performer).

If I cannot get a Riccardo/Sainz pairing (remember I was rather keen for him to go to Mercedes!), then I'd go for Perez. He's the fastest of the "unaffiliated" drivers and I think they would work well together and not be afraid of each other.

Notable other things I would want to do, that are directly impacted by my fantasy choices:

- As indicated in the previous paragraph, get Pierre Gasly to Renault on the same "loan" basis as Carlos Sainz is now

- Put George Russell in a Force India - there should be at least one space there

- Seriously consider putting Oliver Rowland in a Renault if there is a vacancy for that (if there isn't, and Force India has a double vacancy, I'd be OK for Oliver to go there instead)

- Pair Hartley with a Honda-chosen rookie at Toro Rosso

- Sauber to pick a promising rookie with a promising wallet (if the latter is needed)

Not directly affected by my fantasy picks:

- Haas to carry on carrying on with its current duo as a default option for 2019, but also consider an "opportunistic pickup", for example collecting Bottas if he leaves Mercedes

- Williams to have Kubica and someone else (possibly Stroll; he's quietly become a tolerable, if not particularly exciting, driver)

- McLaren to keep Fernando if possible, Stoffel if not, and hire Lando Norris either way.