Hope that isn’t the case, they can only realistically hold him for a year according to reports, RB will not get Lando imo Mclaren will want him badly plus he imo should pay them back for signing him up, but hey who knows
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All a bit chaotic really, maybe more indications that McLaren really is lost, and now don't know how to acquire rival personnel properly anymore. I can imagine that their social media presence will drop due to this, which thinking about it, it has since this story appeared.
My previous sig was obsolete, McLaren ain't disappointing Heshy no more.
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Wasn't James Key, originally, a Jordan man? - just saying, Morini
"I Say, I say . . . . The satisfaction you have in a few minutes when you become champion. It's enough to live forever
Did you guys hear Zak Brown on Sky F1 today, he was plainly saying we'vesigned him and we wait to see when TR let him go, no messing just straight out with it.
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• PapaofGags, NeilP
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I think the James Key announcement from McLaren just shows partly how badly run they are. You don't go public until everything is sorted, just a really dumb move by whoever agreed the press release, which you'd assume given the sensitivity of it should have been run by Zak Brown. Just so unprofessional.
As to Norris and Russell, it's a very close run thing. Both are exceedingly talented young guys, arguably Dan Ticktum might eventually be better than either of them, he has the hallmarks of a genuine great. Insane over takes in places not thought possible and being competitive in a team that's not really a leading team. There are some real good British talents coming through the junior formula right now. The futures bright, the futures British.
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I agree with Lotus nothing wrong in advertising your success in securing a very highly thought of asset in Formula 1. The details are just that details but the fact remains he will be working for McLaren not Toro Rosso. I suspect it is being played out in public because A) Red Bull are upset B) They want some compensation from McLaren to make his 'gardening leave' more tolerable and C) McLaren need a boost to their profile and this is a great move no matter when it happens.
From my perspective I am glad because A) I want to see McLaren get back up to the front runners in time B) Anything that gives Red Bull a bloody nose is something I like!!!!
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LotusLover, those points would be valid if James Key had actually signed a contract. We now know he agreed a contract in principle with McLaren and was in negotiations with Toro Rosso over severence etc. and so nothing was signed. I am a McLaren fan, and I was actually over the moon they had poached (I thought) James Key. However, like most things to do with McLaren at the moment it has an air of unprofessionality and incompetence to it. They announced it too early. It wasn't a done deal, it probably will become a done deal, but now they look stupid, and potentially Red Bull will tie him up in gardening leave far longer than they would've liked when if they'd done it professionally they might have been able to negotiate early release from that gardening leave... like Mercedes managed with Allison.
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My link is the F1 show in which Horner said that they hadn't signed James Key when the announcement was made, and Zak Brown himself confirming two days after the announcement that it was an agreement in principle. James may well have subsequently signed that agreement, but announcing it before it was signed, which if you listen to Zak Browns own words is clearly the case was dumb. Keep it quiet, and then announce it once the gardening leave / compensation is agreed. A deal can always be done to reduce gardening leave, we've seen it time and time again. I am a massive McLaren fan, and I'm annoyed with how this has been conducted. The legal issue is also over the fact that James Key, rather than being on a rolling contract is actually on a fixed term contract, so legally no contract can be agreed until termination and severance of that contract can be negotiated, but here, read this:
http://www.nextgen-auto.com/Brown-not-su...29365.html
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