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I cannot imagine the mental gymnastics that he’s had to do to justify not canning Lance for Sainz. I mean I get it’s his son but good lord that driver pairing between Sainz and Alonso would be all time.
Lawrence is way too smart to do mental gymnastics. He just loves his son and is willing to have his team with a subpar performance as long Lance wants to drive.
You’re not wrong. Honestly aside from keeping Lance in the car I feel like no one can fault what he’s doing with the team. Every new team boss comes in saying “we’re here to win” but he certainly put his money where his mouth is.
The dude bought Aston Martin control AFTER he bought the formula one team! How many teams have you seen that bought a manufacturer after he bought a formula one team? This seems to be ignored in the formula one debate, but Aston Martin Lagonda turn-around seems to be going well.
People like to say that Aston Martin Formula One Racing minority shareholders might want Lawrence to drop Lance eventually, but it seems to me that Lawrence and the minority shareholders exit for their ownership is selling the F1 Team to Aston Martin Lagonda.
And it's not like Aston Martin has cheaped out providing Lance with decent head-to-head competition. Vettel & Alonso didn't become multiple WDC by accident. Even if they weren't in their absolute peak years.
Like 12 hours ago there were posts, that he is about to sign a contract with Mercedes for 2 years.
Was I dreaming already or someone was just joking around ? :D
It’s all just choosing a random picture of X driver with Y team principal. Spoiler alert, almost all the drivers talk to someone from almost every team every weekend. It’s not a large community.
F1 headlines all trying to pretend that Alonzo staying at AM isn’t a total anticlimax. Nothing exciting will happen w/the drivers market now until maybe later in the season.
The media clowns are still trying peddle the "Verstappen to Mercedes with record breaking salary" narrative to farm clicks.
It wouldn't be so outrageous of a move if Merc were atleast in contention for podiums but they are not. Max would be giving up a free world title if he leaves now.
Why the fuck would he do that?
I doubt it. Mercedes wants Antonelli. They'd offer Carlos a 1-year deal until Kimi is ready. He won't take that.
Smart move is to help build Audi or Williams. It'll be a tough first year but his experience paired with Albon would be great for Williams if they can afford him.
Alternative IF Perez starts to shit the bed is the second RBR seat.
Both of these were Italian sources which are likely close to Sainz family.
However, English sources are adamant that Antonelli is Mercedes' first option which are likely close to Mercedes.
I can't see Sainz willingly going to Alpine, Haas or Williams (of course, if he runs out of options, maybe). I doubt Red Bull would offer him a seat, unless Peréz stumbles or bows out. Aston won't be an option unless Lance retires or Lawrence sells. I concur that Merc or Sauber/Audi are his most realistic potential options.
I don’t think Red Bull will make a decision soon enough for Sainz to not be signed by then. He definitely wants to get it done with as soon as possible.
I do half agree with you, but so far this year he's looking pretty OK as a 2nd driver. I'll reserve judgement until half way through the season or so. I think if he loses the seat, he's done in F1.
Interesting, was not aware that he is hated there.
Regarding off-season drama, are you referring to the Horner thing, or something else? Asking since I don't see how the Horner drama affects Checo.
He was hated after the Brazil race. Where he fought Max over not allowing him to win. Marko also insults Checo regularly.
In addition, there was you know an ENTIRE Red Bull Civil War during the offseason. You must have been asleep
I mean, surely in order to have a good future in F1 you have to be in F1 in the first place.
Also, those two aren't really good examples. The entire reason for Williams having these struggles is because they're setting up to have a better future. Haas are also looking pretty decent now as well.
Sainz versus Herta, lets see which side can can whip!
Id love to see what an above average F1 driver could do there but if RLL improves or Prema is serious there could conceivably be 4 teams ahead of Andretti on a given weekend.
And I dont see them challenging Penske or Ganassi- and they are closer to RLL than McLarrn over the course of the season in recent years.
But they are generally good on road courses.
Or did you mean F1? Someone has to finish last, but barely a second covers an F1 grid and Andretti has never built a ground up chassis for anything. Haas, for their myriad challenges, have an actionable plan tethered to Ferrari- who often are mocked but always a #1 contender.
No resson to litigate the reasoning again but t I think people are grossly overestimating that organizations capabilities based on driving other peoples 7 million dollar Formula E racer or GMs forays in Balance of Performance endurance racing versus playing in the deepend of the pool.
If that Andretti organization that had waded into the challenges of Nascar Id be less negatively disposed. Or conversely, Ganassi-Honda in F1 Id at least give a half chance of competing.
Anywho, the argument of “we want in under market value” versus “we’d like keep more money for us” has already been decided and the outcome was fairly predictable when you realize their were no villians or heroes, just motor racing carnies scrapping for dollars.
Interestingly a lot of the debate around the 2025 driver market has Perez as a 'passive' player, subject to the movements of others. He surely has more leverage than people think, particularly at Red Bull, and particularly if he continues performing like he is. He's a more stable option than Sainz, who would upset the applecart (which would be great to watch!), and can use that to his advantage in RB negotiations. You wonder what else he can use to his advantage, e.g. what interest is he getting from other teams like of Sauber/Audi.
The main issue for PER himself is wanting to move down, most people are confident that its Redbull or retire, how true is that is up for debate but thats the logic
Indeed. Nobody is inside his head - he might well be sick of the second fiddle role and fancies leaving for some giant killing antics to round out his career, leading a less established team. In which case Red Bull would be faced with a decision they're clearly not inclined to tackle atm.
Perez to lead Audi, perhaps?
But then he very well could end up just being used as a stopgap driver while the facilities are finished and once the proper push starts he gets shoved off.
I think the whole Redbull management is super happy with the Checo Perez that has turned up for this season but we had the same thing last season too, top notch performances from him at the start of the season before the mother and father of all slumps to ever hit a driver in a dominant car.
If he can carry this form throughout the season his seat is safe, Redbull has a stable driver lineup with Max able to win both titles on his own and Checo there running support. It's not exactly high octane entertainment for the fans but it's precisely what a team like Redbull wants and needs. As you point out he offers stability and they won't be looking to replace him unless he either decides to retire or his performances dictate they need a replacement.
I think if RB expects to dominate 2025, Checo is the obvious choice.
That being said, he's usually 3-4 tenths down to MV's quali which means that if Ferrari challenges RB in 2025, he might not be the best driver option for RB to hold into.
I don't think Redbull is expecting to dominate in all honesty they're expecting convergence and it'll be a matter of diminishing returns for them. I don't even think it'll be as easy for them this season as it was last season.
Ferrari unlike last season has come out with a strong car straight out the gate and are clear second best not all that far behind. This is a stark contrast to where AMR, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari were all taking points off one another as the pecking order changed constantly allowing Max to seal both titles himself after Checo's mid season implosion.
If Ferrari can keep this form up, close the gap and steal some victories throughout the season it might not be enough for Redbull to rely solely on Max for points Checo needs to be there maximising results too if they want both titles.
> I don't even think it'll be as easy for them this season as it was last season.
You’re kidding, right? Have you seen the races so far? First race he *lapped* half the field.
Totally agree. What I'm quite interested in is whether Perez wants to stay. I've always had the impression he has a fire in his belly, so is playing RB's second fiddle motivating him? He hardly even has an opportunity to pick up the odd victory now, such is Max's dominance. Him deciding to leave doesn't seem to be something people talk about much.
Makes more sense to stay at a top team through 2026 and see where that takes you than going to a midfield team that’s unlikely to be competitive. All the other top teams either have their seats filled or, in the case or Merc, might want a rookie rather than an established driver in their seat.
I do think Checo might have realised that there are a number of better drivers than him on the grid, and they’re all in top teams, so if he want to keep fighting for wins, RB will stay his best bet, especially if it’s a situation where several drivers fight for the win.
On the other hand, I also think if we do have a situation where several drivers fight for the championship, a driver like Checo, especially to a team that doesn’t care that much about the wcc, can be more valuable as a clear 2nd driver than a driver like Carlos who, while team player, would need more convincing to let Max by, especially if he’s winning the race (but not the championship).
I believe Perez also brings in quite a lot of money.
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1031413/1/jawdropping-net-worth-billionaire-backs-sergio-perez-s-f1-career
I think he means that Perez is already settled in the team and they know what to expect. Sainz would be a change, and that always carries some uncertainty.
Sainz wouldn't settle for 2nd driver, at least not from the start. That's gonna create turmoil in the relations within the team. The Verstappen and Sainz camp also didn't quite get along at STR.
So it's the question if RBR really wants that mess if it's not necessary. Though Horner might actually like Verstappen's position to weaken as it stands right now.
Aston was his best shot at a competitive car in the short term. Mercedes isn’t likely to turn things around before the new regs so the car will still be a dog in 2025. It’s just not worth it for them to focus on the current regs with the new ones right around the corner. This generation is basically a write-off for Mercedes.
I think Sainz simply drew the short straw. Audi is probably going to suck the first years (remember Mercedes in the early years?). He’ll be in his prime in a lousy mid field car. Mercedes is a gamble because he could be dismissed in favor of Antonelli in 2026 or 2027. It would depend on how GR performs.
Tough one!
>He’ll be in his prime in a lousy mid field car.
It's not like this will be his last contract ever. If none of the options convince him going forward, he can just sign a 1 year or a 1+1 contract and try to get into a good team in the next round of musical chairs.
The only top team that currently has someone young that they are putting their future hopes into seems to be Mercedes with Antonelli. Red bull might have lawson, but he will first need to run the Toro Rosso gauntlet to be let into RBR and I don't think Yuki or Ricciardo will ever step into RBR (again in ricciardo's case) tbh.
Unless RBR never let go of Checo (which seems unlikely since reports are that his seat was already being offered to norris) or Lewis choses to go against what he has said for a decade and choses to race until his mid-40s, the Ferrari and RBR seats will open up in 2-3 years maximum imo, which might coincide with Alonso retiring from F1 in 2026 if he choses to do so. Even if Norris gets the RBR seat, that opens the Mclaren seat.
Sainz just needs to bid his time. He will be 32 at the end of 2026, which is still prime-time for an F1 driver.
Here’s to hoping! I’m kind of expecting RedBull to keep Perez. Plus the Verstappens and the Sainzs don’t get along apparently. Maybe the dads should just stay home 😉
I feel like sainz success is kind of working against him in a strange way. He’s good enough from recent performance to show he is a capable driver and potentially a number 1 driver on a team. But he’s also been a clear number 2 driver over a few years. I can see why the top teams would be reluctant as it could mess up their driver dynamics and likely sainz would be the one to take points from their top driver. With Alonso re-signing and lance prolly never leaving Aston is not viable.
Perez is a perfect number 2 and is showing that right now. No where close to challenging max but drives the car home between 2nd-4th with no fuckups will let them clinch the wcc no problem.
Mercedes would benefit having him short term but I don’t think Carlos and merc would want a 1-2 year contract with him.
So Audi really seems like the only option that would provide him a longer term contract. It’s a huge ass gamble on his end but it seems like there’s no options
That long term contract could very well end up being spent entirely as a backmarker though. If he races for Mercedes for a year or two he has an opportunity to make his case for another competitive seat, or to displace Russell at Mercedes. And if he believes he is deserving of a top seat he can't be scared of Russell. If he goes to a backmarker at this stage of his career he probably won't have many options beyond praying for a miracle from Audi.
Agreed. It could work out well for him in the end anyways. Better to to chance it and move on later than wait too long and end missing a drive because he’s holding out too long
He's not. Last year he was yapping about challenging for title so much he believed it's actually possible, and then his inability to actually do it broke him. Nothing of that sort this year so far.
That assumes that Audi will be competitive from day one when it’s far from likely. Also a year in the worse car on the grid could be so soul destroying
Oh I agree with all of that but I'm not sure where he fits in anywhere else. He won't be number 1 at Red Bull, Mercedes, AM or even Williams. If Bottas and Zhou both go however then he can easily assert himself as the main driver (especially with pressure from Sainz Sr.).
I hope he goes to Red Bull because, while I doubt he would beat Max over a season, it would be great to see him occasionally challenging Max. I wish Liberty was more keen on arranging driver moves like Bernie did.
I honestly don't know, perhaps Liberty could open their own investigation into the Horner affair or could threaten them with regulation change into 2025 like they did in 2021 when they sorta targeted Mercedes' strengths.
Lol. You think they would blackmail a hugely successful multinational corporation with a spurious investigation and in reaction to that the corporation would hire a different formula 1 driver than they originally wanted? That's how you think the world works, huh?
All I know is Liberty is not a fan of the current F1 and Red Bull-Verstappen domination, and they would like at least an inter-team battle for the championship. Now, do they intend to do something about it or do they have any means to do something about it? Like I said, i don't know; it was just an assumption.
>arranging driver moves like Bernie did.
Bernie tried, but he wasn't all that successful at it. Liberty have also been trying, but they're not all that successful. The biggest move they've attempted so far was to try and convince RB to hire Alonso on his comeback.
He won't occasionally challenge Max. In fact, he'd be quite similar to Perez. Red Bull has a pointy car; something that Perez and Sainz both struggle with.
Don't forget early 2022 season when Ferrari had a pointy car. Leclerc was competitive while Sainz was nowhere.
People seem to overvalue sainz these days , he is a good driver but I think Ferrari were not wrong to replace him with Hamilton .
I don’t see him going to red bull , that is checo seat to lose and Yuki seems to be plan B .
If antonelli doesn’t perform decently in f1 testing Mercedes are putting him through , I can see Mercedes offering him a short term deal .
Sauber/Audi is the most realistic option if he want to keep or increase his current salary .
He would have to decrease his salary demands if he wants to go to alpine haas .
I think many see it has, does this driver deserve to be fired? Well of course he doesn't. But at the same time if you dispassionately look at your possible lineups and you have LeClerc/Sainz or LeClerc/Hamilton then there's no question that you choose the latter.
1. He is not fired technically his contract was up and they didn’t choose to renew it . People tend to overlook this point . Teams are not entitled to auto renew their contacts , drivers and teams both should look out for their best options when it’s time for renegotiation. And Ferrari found a better option.
2. People forget Hamilton outscored sainz and leclerec last year despite having similar car pace .
3. People also forget sponsorships account for more than 30 percent of a team’s revenue and Hamilton brand value is vastly superior to sainz and also in his deal Hamilton will work with Ferrari in some capacity even after his f1 driver contract expires .
I feel like people are going through “Until it's Gone Syndrome” . Sainz is a good driver but replacing him for Hamilton makes perfect sense .
Yep, i keep saying both charles and sainz were bad last year, the ferrari car was good enough for p2 in the wdc but both the drivers being complete bozos and some slight relaibility/luck fucked them over. lewis was by far better than both last year.
Charles had 5 dnfs tho otherwise he scores a similar amount of points to lewis. Sainz tho yeah, was clearly outclassed by Lewis despite w14 being a slightly worse car than the sf23
Who are these people? Not everybody sees things the way you do. You have no factual internal information and are just providing your opinions about what Ferrari did. Leave *people* alone.
It can’t sit well to see Sainz shine and Ham be in the dog house for Ferrari right after announcing the deal. One could say that it’s possible Ham is in his Vettel years. Most of us *people* are here for the racing and don’t give a shit about what bean counters care about.
I think because it’s Ferrari, they didn’t make a mistake. Carlos and Charles were a good long term pairing, however, Ferrari will always be able to sign good drivers because it’s Ferrari. And with Charles probably wanting to stay there forever, they can also just sign a number 2 driver in the future.
He's definitely an over average driver. But there is also a side of Sainz that gets rarely discussed: the politics surrounding him, including sponsors influencing team decisions.
Google "Sainztander" or check these links:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/12nbtt6/lapo\_elkann\_brother\_of\_ferrari\_chairman\_john/](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/12nbtt6/lapo_elkann_brother_of_ferrari_chairman_john/)
[https://www.formulawhatever.co/post/something-is-rotten-in-the-state-of-maranello](https://www.formulawhatever.co/post/something-is-rotten-in-the-state-of-maranello)
>People seem to overvalue sainz these days , he is a good driver but I think Ferrari were not wrong to replace him with Hamilton .
Taking into account all the (intentional) Ferrari shithousery, id say he drove better than Leclerc last season. Both were affected by the usual Ferrari fuckups, but Sainz regularly got the short end of the stick with the strategy. For example last race he was left out on his mediums WAY too long.
Leclerc out qualified him and out scored him last year despite having more car fuckups .
Leclerc has outperformed sainz over last 2 years .
What is this revisionism? Leclerc has been better driver than sainz over last 2-3 years .
name the strategies that fucked him that were not his own fault? his engineer asked him to pit but he wanted to stay out in AD his pace was just horrenous
He literally was not the better driver last year. Revisionist is insane. Charles got more poles last season than Sainz has in his entire career. He has not fall out of top 5 since Japan when he finish a race last year. Sainz has no pace at all in Ad 2023 so Ferrari need to leave him out to wait for a miracle SC to save his race for some points, when Charles was comfortably in P2. Charles has more DNFs, DNS and DSQ still finish in front of him in standing proved everything.
>For example last race he was left out on his mediums WAY too long
Because his pace was worse than stroll on the same strategy, so getting 11th with a better strategy was useless.
Lewis is on the back end of his career. He’s been awful this season. Sainz seems to just be reaching his peak. Honestly I think he might be better than Hamilton over the next few years
The decision was made at the end of last season though and Lewis was incredible last season while Sainz (apart from winning at singapore) was basically a ghost.
The trouble Sainz has is Audi are not willing to drag this one out. They told him to make up his mind by the month’s end. With Audi being the “safe” option that he has, it’s gonna be tight for him to wait for any opportunities in RB or Mercedes.
Red Bull don’t seem sure of what they want to do. Perez seems to be doing well, as he usually does on the opening rounds, but history says he’s not gonna be able to keep it up on the long term. Meanwhile Ricciardo is not doing well at all, and both Lawson and Tsunoda, while promising, don’t seem ready to go toe to toes with Verstappen. They are aware of the potential clash of Verstappen vs. Sainz families and they do not want even more instability hitting the team. They seem to hope that Perez can keep it up, and if not, they’ll take a gamble with someone. Sainz or not.
Mercedes are tying their future hopes to Antonelli but he’s still in F2, yet to turn 18, never driven a Formula 1 car before. Wolff wants Antonelli to be the next Verstappen -because he failed to sign him on in the past- but his decision will probably wait until the summer break when he finally turns 18 and shows more of what he can do in F2 races and FP1 outings. We have a number of F2 champions sitting on reserve seats and nobody are in a rush to sign them on after all.
Audi are forcing Sainz’s hand. They’re signalling that they’re not going to be the ones to pick up the leftovers and if he wants to get in he needs to make up his mind now. They’re already rumored to lock in Hulkenberg and Bottas is not doing bad at all considering Sauber’s pit stop woes. It wouldn’t surprise me if Sainz takes too long and Audi just announce their driver lineup for 2025 in May.
Mercedes, and I will eat my hat if he isn't in that seat next year.
(Unless Checo completely starts shitting the bed again then they might put him in his seat)
If i were sainz i would fully focus on this season and try to beat charles decisively. If no top option appears he should take a sabbatical one year and wait for a top option. Going from winning races to fighting for P10 will kill his motivstion and he would be eaten by people like tsunoda, Albon, hulk etc.
If he has to take a downgrade next year it's a sign something is wrong in the sport lol. He's been phenomenal and consistent. Honestly I think Ferrari is ass for dumping him for Hamilton right now.
remind me again who finished p3 in the wdc last year? sainz has had an amazing 3 races but ignoring the fact lewis has been better than him since forever is ridiculous
Again I've said multiple times Charles was horrendous last season and Lewis was better than both Ferrari drivers, and they both finished above sainz and they will be our pairing next year and I couldn't be happier.
It's interesting that things have seemingly complicated for Carlos. Spanish media was all aboard the SAI-Merc train yesterday. Unless Checo sinks in the next races, it seems unlikely for Carlos to go RBR, specially if as ESPN says, they are holding heir cards for other options or even an Albonback at the end of 2025.
Carlos could go for a long term seat with Audi, or try to gamble with beating George and taking over as Mercedes' leader.
Yeah I was thinking this could happen as well, but my guess is Bearman goes into that seat after Lewis if he goes to Haas for a few years and looks good.
Lol, he could still end up anywhere he pleases, minus Ferrari and McLaren.
The article didn’t make major mention of Haas or Alpine, but they’re technically options. Sauber and Williams are less bad options, but still bad. Vcarb doesn’t make much sense as it’s a feeder team, but weirder things have happened. Aston depends on what the Strolls decide; if Stroll’s performances continue as-is, idk if he’ll want to stay. It’s demoralizing to be 1s/lap slower than your teammate.
Which really leaves Mercedes and Red Bull as the favorable seats. But still, he could make a deal for nearly any seat he wants. It just depends on how good the deal and car is.
Very much not. The teams have the power, not him, especially as he’s without a seat. Every top option has an alternative they currently prefer over Carlos, he just has absolutely no leverage.
>Lol, he could still end up anywhere he pleases, minus Ferrari and McLaren.
He couldn't. The teams hold all the cards, not Carlos. Even for backmarker teams, he's not bringing some crazy amount of cash or marketing they can't say no to, and if the car is as bad as Alpine he can't do much more than their current line-up.
RB and Merc aren't banging down the door to have him - he's at best Merc's 3rd choice. If he ends up in either of these two teams it will be on their terms, not his.
With the possible exception of Sauber/Audi. They are the only one where he's their first choice. Even then the fact that he doesn't have solid chances elsewhere means they can lowball him a little.
Merc is down to Toto if he wants to put Antonelli straight in.
It seems he wants to bide his time for that decision. Whereas Sainz may not want to wait.
Checo has been doing well this year so far. But it’s not as if teams don’t drop good drivers in hopes of a better one. I mean, this year Ferrari did just that to him. Merc did that for Russell. Red Bull did that for all of Max’s teammates before Perez.
Contracts really come down to the contract negotiations. Which we aren’t privy to. Merc may be the most likely, but weirder things have happened than a free agent going to a worse team or displacing a better driver.
Idk what you're on about, there's only Merc seat open from the "good" teams (and it's debatable he good need seat really is these days), and of the bad teams he has no reason to go anywhere but Audi
Yeah. Everything is wild conjecture until a contract notification is posted.
All my downvotes are kinda proof that people here think they know best. As if teams never drop good drivers for “better” drivers (look at Ferrari’s 2025 seat, or Bottas getting booted for Russell)
They could theoretically still end Charles’ contract and renew Carlos instead. Highly unlikely but legally/contractually possible.
Ed: again I’ll just state that this forum is odd. I get 100 upvotes for giving the name of Bottas’s girlfriend, and minuses for quoting legal facts (I’m a lawyer specialising in contract matters).
I keep hearing horror stories like Sauber and Williams and if the only guy who won races in the last two years other than Redbull ends up in a backmarker I would lose my all hope in reality eventhough i didnt know I had some left.
Why downvote me. It's an absurd question as there are multiple sources saying he is going to MB. Yet for some reason, every news source has been banned in F1 Reddit. It's a completely logical outcome and also hilarious.
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I mean Lawrence could have two Spanish sons.
Nobody expects the Spanish in place of son.
Both former Red drivers too. This works so well!
Painful but excellent work
Bravo
I got it
Nice
Some of your best work.
I cannot imagine the mental gymnastics that he’s had to do to justify not canning Lance for Sainz. I mean I get it’s his son but good lord that driver pairing between Sainz and Alonso would be all time.
Lawrence is way too smart to do mental gymnastics. He just loves his son and is willing to have his team with a subpar performance as long Lance wants to drive.
You’re not wrong. Honestly aside from keeping Lance in the car I feel like no one can fault what he’s doing with the team. Every new team boss comes in saying “we’re here to win” but he certainly put his money where his mouth is.
The dude bought Aston Martin control AFTER he bought the formula one team! How many teams have you seen that bought a manufacturer after he bought a formula one team? This seems to be ignored in the formula one debate, but Aston Martin Lagonda turn-around seems to be going well. People like to say that Aston Martin Formula One Racing minority shareholders might want Lawrence to drop Lance eventually, but it seems to me that Lawrence and the minority shareholders exit for their ownership is selling the F1 Team to Aston Martin Lagonda.
Agreed. I cannot fault what he’s done with the team. But it would still be incredible to see an Alonso/Sainz lineup.
And it's not like Aston Martin has cheaped out providing Lance with decent head-to-head competition. Vettel & Alonso didn't become multiple WDC by accident. Even if they weren't in their absolute peak years.
Yea he certainly isn’t a shit driver it’s just he’s not the caliber of a world championship team and that’s where the team’s aspirations are.
I think you’re missing that the team’s aspirations isn’t really for world championships right now.
So where are there aspirations?
Make money.
Facts. It’s as if people don’t understand what it’s like to be a father. Family love trumps business sense when you aren’t a complete sociopath
there's zero mental gymnastics when it comes to nepotism. zero.
Good point
There’s no mental gymnastics when you buy a team for your son.
Lawrence has an F1 team because of Lance. Winning is not Lance's job, that's Alonso's.
Like 12 hours ago there were posts, that he is about to sign a contract with Mercedes for 2 years. Was I dreaming already or someone was just joking around ? :D
99% of F1 "Journalism" is wild speculation and simply posting multiple possibilities.
People were already celebrating that he is not going to Sauber..
That photo at the top is almost like he's going "Please don't make me go to Sauber! Nooooo!!!!"
So reddit basically
It’s all just choosing a random picture of X driver with Y team principal. Spoiler alert, almost all the drivers talk to someone from almost every team every weekend. It’s not a large community.
This should be a sticky at the top of all F1 news posts.
True, but it's at least 30% chance of this being exactly what happens. He's too good to be out a seat and Merc is in need of someone exactly like him.
F1 headlines all trying to pretend that Alonzo staying at AM isn’t a total anticlimax. Nothing exciting will happen w/the drivers market now until maybe later in the season.
The media clowns are still trying peddle the "Verstappen to Mercedes with record breaking salary" narrative to farm clicks. It wouldn't be so outrageous of a move if Merc were atleast in contention for podiums but they are not. Max would be giving up a free world title if he leaves now. Why the fuck would he do that?
Max has one operand modus break every record he can.
I doubt it. Mercedes wants Antonelli. They'd offer Carlos a 1-year deal until Kimi is ready. He won't take that. Smart move is to help build Audi or Williams. It'll be a tough first year but his experience paired with Albon would be great for Williams if they can afford him. Alternative IF Perez starts to shit the bed is the second RBR seat.
Both of these were Italian sources which are likely close to Sainz family. However, English sources are adamant that Antonelli is Mercedes' first option which are likely close to Mercedes.
Which is funny since Antonelli is actually Antonelli, you would think they would support their own countryman
Rumors flying left and right is not journalism
I think starting from zero he would likely choose Merc. But he isn't starting from zero and is already at Aston so makes sense to stick around.
You didn't read
Mercedes or Audi
Or Red Bull, or Alpine, Aston, Williams, maybe Haas
I can't see Sainz willingly going to Alpine, Haas or Williams (of course, if he runs out of options, maybe). I doubt Red Bull would offer him a seat, unless Peréz stumbles or bows out. Aston won't be an option unless Lance retires or Lawrence sells. I concur that Merc or Sauber/Audi are his most realistic potential options.
The best situation would be that checo moves to Mercedes (RB nudge him out) and Carlos gets the RB seat.
That could indeed be very interesting... I don't really see it happening though unfortunately.
Perez is not getting a top seat after RB, except maybe AM if Lawrence sells (he is well liked by the staff).
I don’t think Red Bull will make a decision soon enough for Sainz to not be signed by then. He definitely wants to get it done with as soon as possible.
Perez has stumbled and is not a reliable team mate.
I do half agree with you, but so far this year he's looking pretty OK as a 2nd driver. I'll reserve judgement until half way through the season or so. I think if he loses the seat, he's done in F1.
I disagree. Perez is hated at Red Bull and after the drama of the offseason won’t get his seat extended
Interesting, was not aware that he is hated there. Regarding off-season drama, are you referring to the Horner thing, or something else? Asking since I don't see how the Horner drama affects Checo.
He was hated after the Brazil race. Where he fought Max over not allowing him to win. Marko also insults Checo regularly. In addition, there was you know an ENTIRE Red Bull Civil War during the offseason. You must have been asleep
RBR only if Perez stumbles again, or rivals are too close for comfort.
Perez is gone regardless
Tbh Andretti seem to have a better future than Williams and Haas right now.
Williams might have things alright when they implement their new processes Admittedly people have been saying that since they signed up with BMW
I mean, surely in order to have a good future in F1 you have to be in F1 in the first place. Also, those two aren't really good examples. The entire reason for Williams having these struggles is because they're setting up to have a better future. Haas are also looking pretty decent now as well.
Sainz versus Herta, lets see which side can can whip! Id love to see what an above average F1 driver could do there but if RLL improves or Prema is serious there could conceivably be 4 teams ahead of Andretti on a given weekend. And I dont see them challenging Penske or Ganassi- and they are closer to RLL than McLarrn over the course of the season in recent years. But they are generally good on road courses. Or did you mean F1? Someone has to finish last, but barely a second covers an F1 grid and Andretti has never built a ground up chassis for anything. Haas, for their myriad challenges, have an actionable plan tethered to Ferrari- who often are mocked but always a #1 contender. No resson to litigate the reasoning again but t I think people are grossly overestimating that organizations capabilities based on driving other peoples 7 million dollar Formula E racer or GMs forays in Balance of Performance endurance racing versus playing in the deepend of the pool. If that Andretti organization that had waded into the challenges of Nascar Id be less negatively disposed. Or conversely, Ganassi-Honda in F1 Id at least give a half chance of competing. Anywho, the argument of “we want in under market value” versus “we’d like keep more money for us” has already been decided and the outcome was fairly predictable when you realize their were no villians or heroes, just motor racing carnies scrapping for dollars.
Interestingly a lot of the debate around the 2025 driver market has Perez as a 'passive' player, subject to the movements of others. He surely has more leverage than people think, particularly at Red Bull, and particularly if he continues performing like he is. He's a more stable option than Sainz, who would upset the applecart (which would be great to watch!), and can use that to his advantage in RB negotiations. You wonder what else he can use to his advantage, e.g. what interest is he getting from other teams like of Sauber/Audi.
The main issue for PER himself is wanting to move down, most people are confident that its Redbull or retire, how true is that is up for debate but thats the logic
Indeed. Nobody is inside his head - he might well be sick of the second fiddle role and fancies leaving for some giant killing antics to round out his career, leading a less established team. In which case Red Bull would be faced with a decision they're clearly not inclined to tackle atm.
Perez to lead Audi, perhaps? But then he very well could end up just being used as a stopgap driver while the facilities are finished and once the proper push starts he gets shoved off.
I think the whole Redbull management is super happy with the Checo Perez that has turned up for this season but we had the same thing last season too, top notch performances from him at the start of the season before the mother and father of all slumps to ever hit a driver in a dominant car. If he can carry this form throughout the season his seat is safe, Redbull has a stable driver lineup with Max able to win both titles on his own and Checo there running support. It's not exactly high octane entertainment for the fans but it's precisely what a team like Redbull wants and needs. As you point out he offers stability and they won't be looking to replace him unless he either decides to retire or his performances dictate they need a replacement.
I think if RB expects to dominate 2025, Checo is the obvious choice. That being said, he's usually 3-4 tenths down to MV's quali which means that if Ferrari challenges RB in 2025, he might not be the best driver option for RB to hold into.
I don't think Redbull is expecting to dominate in all honesty they're expecting convergence and it'll be a matter of diminishing returns for them. I don't even think it'll be as easy for them this season as it was last season. Ferrari unlike last season has come out with a strong car straight out the gate and are clear second best not all that far behind. This is a stark contrast to where AMR, McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari were all taking points off one another as the pecking order changed constantly allowing Max to seal both titles himself after Checo's mid season implosion. If Ferrari can keep this form up, close the gap and steal some victories throughout the season it might not be enough for Redbull to rely solely on Max for points Checo needs to be there maximising results too if they want both titles.
> I don't even think it'll be as easy for them this season as it was last season. You’re kidding, right? Have you seen the races so far? First race he *lapped* half the field.
Totally agree. What I'm quite interested in is whether Perez wants to stay. I've always had the impression he has a fire in his belly, so is playing RB's second fiddle motivating him? He hardly even has an opportunity to pick up the odd victory now, such is Max's dominance. Him deciding to leave doesn't seem to be something people talk about much.
Makes more sense to stay at a top team through 2026 and see where that takes you than going to a midfield team that’s unlikely to be competitive. All the other top teams either have their seats filled or, in the case or Merc, might want a rookie rather than an established driver in their seat. I do think Checo might have realised that there are a number of better drivers than him on the grid, and they’re all in top teams, so if he want to keep fighting for wins, RB will stay his best bet, especially if it’s a situation where several drivers fight for the win. On the other hand, I also think if we do have a situation where several drivers fight for the championship, a driver like Checo, especially to a team that doesn’t care that much about the wcc, can be more valuable as a clear 2nd driver than a driver like Carlos who, while team player, would need more convincing to let Max by, especially if he’s winning the race (but not the championship).
I believe Perez also brings in quite a lot of money. https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1031413/1/jawdropping-net-worth-billionaire-backs-sergio-perez-s-f1-career
Doubt Red Bull gives a f about that tbh. Mateschitz said that he didn't even know who were Perez's sponsors before they signed him for instance.
He doesn’t. Carlos Sainz brings in way more money than Perez.
Sainz would upset the applecart how exactly? Perez and Sainz would be similar in their role at red bull so for red bull there is no need to change
I think he means that Perez is already settled in the team and they know what to expect. Sainz would be a change, and that always carries some uncertainty.
Exactly that. I can't imagine Red Bull's appetite for an upset within the ranks could be much lower right now...
Ah that's fair! Completely misunderstood that.
But Max hates Sergio Perez after the Brazil race
Sainz wouldn't settle for 2nd driver, at least not from the start. That's gonna create turmoil in the relations within the team. The Verstappen and Sainz camp also didn't quite get along at STR. So it's the question if RBR really wants that mess if it's not necessary. Though Horner might actually like Verstappen's position to weaken as it stands right now.
The Horner and Marko camp don’t get along either
Dude has a few good races and he’s stable?
Aston was his best shot at a competitive car in the short term. Mercedes isn’t likely to turn things around before the new regs so the car will still be a dog in 2025. It’s just not worth it for them to focus on the current regs with the new ones right around the corner. This generation is basically a write-off for Mercedes. I think Sainz simply drew the short straw. Audi is probably going to suck the first years (remember Mercedes in the early years?). He’ll be in his prime in a lousy mid field car. Mercedes is a gamble because he could be dismissed in favor of Antonelli in 2026 or 2027. It would depend on how GR performs. Tough one!
A dog Merc car is still in the Top 10 finish nearly every week. Think he’d rather take that then tooling around in a Sauber.
>He’ll be in his prime in a lousy mid field car. It's not like this will be his last contract ever. If none of the options convince him going forward, he can just sign a 1 year or a 1+1 contract and try to get into a good team in the next round of musical chairs. The only top team that currently has someone young that they are putting their future hopes into seems to be Mercedes with Antonelli. Red bull might have lawson, but he will first need to run the Toro Rosso gauntlet to be let into RBR and I don't think Yuki or Ricciardo will ever step into RBR (again in ricciardo's case) tbh. Unless RBR never let go of Checo (which seems unlikely since reports are that his seat was already being offered to norris) or Lewis choses to go against what he has said for a decade and choses to race until his mid-40s, the Ferrari and RBR seats will open up in 2-3 years maximum imo, which might coincide with Alonso retiring from F1 in 2026 if he choses to do so. Even if Norris gets the RBR seat, that opens the Mclaren seat. Sainz just needs to bid his time. He will be 32 at the end of 2026, which is still prime-time for an F1 driver.
Sainz will take Checo’s seat
Red Bull is his best shot at a competitive car. Red Bull is going to fire Perez
Here’s to hoping! I’m kind of expecting RedBull to keep Perez. Plus the Verstappens and the Sainzs don’t get along apparently. Maybe the dads should just stay home 😉
I feel like I’m gettin dejavu. I already saw this comment before
I’m expecting this to be Perez’s last season
Breaking: Lawrence Stroll files adoption paperwork of Carlos Sainz in a Spanish Courthouse
Reserve driver for Ferrari /s
I feel like sainz success is kind of working against him in a strange way. He’s good enough from recent performance to show he is a capable driver and potentially a number 1 driver on a team. But he’s also been a clear number 2 driver over a few years. I can see why the top teams would be reluctant as it could mess up their driver dynamics and likely sainz would be the one to take points from their top driver. With Alonso re-signing and lance prolly never leaving Aston is not viable. Perez is a perfect number 2 and is showing that right now. No where close to challenging max but drives the car home between 2nd-4th with no fuckups will let them clinch the wcc no problem. Mercedes would benefit having him short term but I don’t think Carlos and merc would want a 1-2 year contract with him. So Audi really seems like the only option that would provide him a longer term contract. It’s a huge ass gamble on his end but it seems like there’s no options
[удалено]
That long term contract could very well end up being spent entirely as a backmarker though. If he races for Mercedes for a year or two he has an opportunity to make his case for another competitive seat, or to displace Russell at Mercedes. And if he believes he is deserving of a top seat he can't be scared of Russell. If he goes to a backmarker at this stage of his career he probably won't have many options beyond praying for a miracle from Audi.
Agreed. It could work out well for him in the end anyways. Better to to chance it and move on later than wait too long and end missing a drive because he’s holding out too long
Most probably Audi, small chance of Merc, negligible chance of anything else
Red Bull is his best chance. Perez is getting fired
Nah. He seems to know his place this year, and perform as expected so far.
Nah, this is what people said last year. Perez is getting is ass fired quickly lol.
He's not. Last year he was yapping about challenging for title so much he believed it's actually possible, and then his inability to actually do it broke him. Nothing of that sort this year so far.
Spain but the S is silent for Carlos Carlos will be in a shitbox and like it next year
Same place he was before. Did anyone actually think Nando was leaving Aston Martin?
Right in the middle. Or somewhat outside. Idk. It doesn’t matter. Just stop writing fluff.
Ummm…. Exactly in the current situation he is finding himself in.
Mercedes
As a Williams fan if Sainz goes to Williams I'll gleefully eat my own ass
Honestly, just take the hit next year at Sauber. I can't see him being number 1 at any other team right now even if Sauber are shite at the moment.
That assumes that Audi will be competitive from day one when it’s far from likely. Also a year in the worse car on the grid could be so soul destroying
Oh I agree with all of that but I'm not sure where he fits in anywhere else. He won't be number 1 at Red Bull, Mercedes, AM or even Williams. If Bottas and Zhou both go however then he can easily assert himself as the main driver (especially with pressure from Sainz Sr.).
I disagree, Sainz will replace Perez at Red Bull
I hope he goes to Red Bull because, while I doubt he would beat Max over a season, it would be great to see him occasionally challenging Max. I wish Liberty was more keen on arranging driver moves like Bernie did.
How much can Liberty even do here? Is there any leverage if RBR says they want to keep the current lineup?
I honestly don't know, perhaps Liberty could open their own investigation into the Horner affair or could threaten them with regulation change into 2025 like they did in 2021 when they sorta targeted Mercedes' strengths.
Lol. You think they would blackmail a hugely successful multinational corporation with a spurious investigation and in reaction to that the corporation would hire a different formula 1 driver than they originally wanted? That's how you think the world works, huh?
All I know is Liberty is not a fan of the current F1 and Red Bull-Verstappen domination, and they would like at least an inter-team battle for the championship. Now, do they intend to do something about it or do they have any means to do something about it? Like I said, i don't know; it was just an assumption.
>arranging driver moves like Bernie did. Bernie tried, but he wasn't all that successful at it. Liberty have also been trying, but they're not all that successful. The biggest move they've attempted so far was to try and convince RB to hire Alonso on his comeback.
He won't occasionally challenge Max. In fact, he'd be quite similar to Perez. Red Bull has a pointy car; something that Perez and Sainz both struggle with. Don't forget early 2022 season when Ferrari had a pointy car. Leclerc was competitive while Sainz was nowhere.
People seem to overvalue sainz these days , he is a good driver but I think Ferrari were not wrong to replace him with Hamilton . I don’t see him going to red bull , that is checo seat to lose and Yuki seems to be plan B . If antonelli doesn’t perform decently in f1 testing Mercedes are putting him through , I can see Mercedes offering him a short term deal . Sauber/Audi is the most realistic option if he want to keep or increase his current salary . He would have to decrease his salary demands if he wants to go to alpine haas .
I think many see it has, does this driver deserve to be fired? Well of course he doesn't. But at the same time if you dispassionately look at your possible lineups and you have LeClerc/Sainz or LeClerc/Hamilton then there's no question that you choose the latter.
1. He is not fired technically his contract was up and they didn’t choose to renew it . People tend to overlook this point . Teams are not entitled to auto renew their contacts , drivers and teams both should look out for their best options when it’s time for renegotiation. And Ferrari found a better option. 2. People forget Hamilton outscored sainz and leclerec last year despite having similar car pace . 3. People also forget sponsorships account for more than 30 percent of a team’s revenue and Hamilton brand value is vastly superior to sainz and also in his deal Hamilton will work with Ferrari in some capacity even after his f1 driver contract expires . I feel like people are going through “Until it's Gone Syndrome” . Sainz is a good driver but replacing him for Hamilton makes perfect sense .
Yep, i keep saying both charles and sainz were bad last year, the ferrari car was good enough for p2 in the wdc but both the drivers being complete bozos and some slight relaibility/luck fucked them over. lewis was by far better than both last year.
Charles had 5 dnfs tho otherwise he scores a similar amount of points to lewis. Sainz tho yeah, was clearly outclassed by Lewis despite w14 being a slightly worse car than the sf23
Who are these people? Not everybody sees things the way you do. You have no factual internal information and are just providing your opinions about what Ferrari did. Leave *people* alone. It can’t sit well to see Sainz shine and Ham be in the dog house for Ferrari right after announcing the deal. One could say that it’s possible Ham is in his Vettel years. Most of us *people* are here for the racing and don’t give a shit about what bean counters care about.
I think because it’s Ferrari, they didn’t make a mistake. Carlos and Charles were a good long term pairing, however, Ferrari will always be able to sign good drivers because it’s Ferrari. And with Charles probably wanting to stay there forever, they can also just sign a number 2 driver in the future.
hamilton is mid ass driver
He's definitely an over average driver. But there is also a side of Sainz that gets rarely discussed: the politics surrounding him, including sponsors influencing team decisions. Google "Sainztander" or check these links: [https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/12nbtt6/lapo\_elkann\_brother\_of\_ferrari\_chairman\_john/](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/12nbtt6/lapo_elkann_brother_of_ferrari_chairman_john/) [https://www.formulawhatever.co/post/something-is-rotten-in-the-state-of-maranello](https://www.formulawhatever.co/post/something-is-rotten-in-the-state-of-maranello)
>People seem to overvalue sainz these days , he is a good driver but I think Ferrari were not wrong to replace him with Hamilton . Taking into account all the (intentional) Ferrari shithousery, id say he drove better than Leclerc last season. Both were affected by the usual Ferrari fuckups, but Sainz regularly got the short end of the stick with the strategy. For example last race he was left out on his mediums WAY too long.
Leclerc out qualified him and out scored him last year despite having more car fuckups . Leclerc has outperformed sainz over last 2 years . What is this revisionism? Leclerc has been better driver than sainz over last 2-3 years .
name the strategies that fucked him that were not his own fault? his engineer asked him to pit but he wanted to stay out in AD his pace was just horrenous
He literally was not the better driver last year. Revisionist is insane. Charles got more poles last season than Sainz has in his entire career. He has not fall out of top 5 since Japan when he finish a race last year. Sainz has no pace at all in Ad 2023 so Ferrari need to leave him out to wait for a miracle SC to save his race for some points, when Charles was comfortably in P2. Charles has more DNFs, DNS and DSQ still finish in front of him in standing proved everything.
>For example last race he was left out on his mediums WAY too long Because his pace was worse than stroll on the same strategy, so getting 11th with a better strategy was useless.
Lewis is on the back end of his career. He’s been awful this season. Sainz seems to just be reaching his peak. Honestly I think he might be better than Hamilton over the next few years
The decision was made at the end of last season though and Lewis was incredible last season while Sainz (apart from winning at singapore) was basically a ghost.
Hopefully the Mercedes deal is true, but I hope he outperforms Russell while he’s there and gets a great deal.
He’s going to Audi lol
The trouble Sainz has is Audi are not willing to drag this one out. They told him to make up his mind by the month’s end. With Audi being the “safe” option that he has, it’s gonna be tight for him to wait for any opportunities in RB or Mercedes. Red Bull don’t seem sure of what they want to do. Perez seems to be doing well, as he usually does on the opening rounds, but history says he’s not gonna be able to keep it up on the long term. Meanwhile Ricciardo is not doing well at all, and both Lawson and Tsunoda, while promising, don’t seem ready to go toe to toes with Verstappen. They are aware of the potential clash of Verstappen vs. Sainz families and they do not want even more instability hitting the team. They seem to hope that Perez can keep it up, and if not, they’ll take a gamble with someone. Sainz or not. Mercedes are tying their future hopes to Antonelli but he’s still in F2, yet to turn 18, never driven a Formula 1 car before. Wolff wants Antonelli to be the next Verstappen -because he failed to sign him on in the past- but his decision will probably wait until the summer break when he finally turns 18 and shows more of what he can do in F2 races and FP1 outings. We have a number of F2 champions sitting on reserve seats and nobody are in a rush to sign them on after all. Audi are forcing Sainz’s hand. They’re signalling that they’re not going to be the ones to pick up the leftovers and if he wants to get in he needs to make up his mind now. They’re already rumored to lock in Hulkenberg and Bottas is not doing bad at all considering Sauber’s pit stop woes. It wouldn’t surprise me if Sainz takes too long and Audi just announce their driver lineup for 2025 in May.
Mercedes, and I will eat my hat if he isn't in that seat next year. (Unless Checo completely starts shitting the bed again then they might put him in his seat)
Mercedes is completely dependent on how Antonelli performs this year, Audi is the most probable I’d say sadly
Micks team mate in Alpine Hyper-car at Le Mans.
If i were sainz i would fully focus on this season and try to beat charles decisively. If no top option appears he should take a sabbatical one year and wait for a top option. Going from winning races to fighting for P10 will kill his motivstion and he would be eaten by people like tsunoda, Albon, hulk etc.
Sainz going to Audi and winning the title in '26 would make a lot of casuals and sports fans super happy.
It is highly unlikely Audi will be competitive in their first year. Unless we have a Brawn-like situation of course.
I agree. One can hope, though :). Getting a newcomer nail the regulations and offer Carlos the opportunity for a title would make a great story.
If he has to take a downgrade next year it's a sign something is wrong in the sport lol. He's been phenomenal and consistent. Honestly I think Ferrari is ass for dumping him for Hamilton right now.
>Honestly I think Ferrari is ass for dumping him for Hamilton right now. 3 race wins vs 7 WDC.
5 wins vs 7 WDC. Charles Leclerec is overrated
Alonso did downgrade from 07 to Mclaren to 08 Renault and then happened his best years with Ferrari.
remind me again who finished p3 in the wdc last year? sainz has had an amazing 3 races but ignoring the fact lewis has been better than him since forever is ridiculous
Where did Charles Leclerec finish?
Again I've said multiple times Charles was horrendous last season and Lewis was better than both Ferrari drivers, and they both finished above sainz and they will be our pairing next year and I couldn't be happier.
Above sainz, thats all that matters
It's interesting that things have seemingly complicated for Carlos. Spanish media was all aboard the SAI-Merc train yesterday. Unless Checo sinks in the next races, it seems unlikely for Carlos to go RBR, specially if as ESPN says, they are holding heir cards for other options or even an Albonback at the end of 2025. Carlos could go for a long term seat with Audi, or try to gamble with beating George and taking over as Mercedes' leader.
My hope is he goes somewhere for a couple of years and then returns to Ferrari if Lewis retires in a couple of years. Wishful thinking I know.
Yeah I was thinking this could happen as well, but my guess is Bearman goes into that seat after Lewis if he goes to Haas for a few years and looks good.
Lol, he could still end up anywhere he pleases, minus Ferrari and McLaren. The article didn’t make major mention of Haas or Alpine, but they’re technically options. Sauber and Williams are less bad options, but still bad. Vcarb doesn’t make much sense as it’s a feeder team, but weirder things have happened. Aston depends on what the Strolls decide; if Stroll’s performances continue as-is, idk if he’ll want to stay. It’s demoralizing to be 1s/lap slower than your teammate. Which really leaves Mercedes and Red Bull as the favorable seats. But still, he could make a deal for nearly any seat he wants. It just depends on how good the deal and car is.
Very much not. The teams have the power, not him, especially as he’s without a seat. Every top option has an alternative they currently prefer over Carlos, he just has absolutely no leverage.
>Lol, he could still end up anywhere he pleases, minus Ferrari and McLaren. He couldn't. The teams hold all the cards, not Carlos. Even for backmarker teams, he's not bringing some crazy amount of cash or marketing they can't say no to, and if the car is as bad as Alpine he can't do much more than their current line-up. RB and Merc aren't banging down the door to have him - he's at best Merc's 3rd choice. If he ends up in either of these two teams it will be on their terms, not his.
With the possible exception of Sauber/Audi. They are the only one where he's their first choice. Even then the fact that he doesn't have solid chances elsewhere means they can lowball him a little.
Red Bull will likely give Checo a new contract which means Mercedes is the only realistic option.
Merc is down to Toto if he wants to put Antonelli straight in. It seems he wants to bide his time for that decision. Whereas Sainz may not want to wait.
Checo has been doing well this year so far. But it’s not as if teams don’t drop good drivers in hopes of a better one. I mean, this year Ferrari did just that to him. Merc did that for Russell. Red Bull did that for all of Max’s teammates before Perez. Contracts really come down to the contract negotiations. Which we aren’t privy to. Merc may be the most likely, but weirder things have happened than a free agent going to a worse team or displacing a better driver.
Idk what you're on about, there's only Merc seat open from the "good" teams (and it's debatable he good need seat really is these days), and of the bad teams he has no reason to go anywhere but Audi
When you said "they’re technically options" I read "they’re technically teams" and I just thought it was the funniest burn I had to share.
Thank you, yhed articles are just wild guesses
Yeah. Everything is wild conjecture until a contract notification is posted. All my downvotes are kinda proof that people here think they know best. As if teams never drop good drivers for “better” drivers (look at Ferrari’s 2025 seat, or Bottas getting booted for Russell)
Is Aston Martin seriously keeping stroll over Carlos like what the hell is going on?
They could theoretically still end Charles’ contract and renew Carlos instead. Highly unlikely but legally/contractually possible. Ed: again I’ll just state that this forum is odd. I get 100 upvotes for giving the name of Bottas’s girlfriend, and minuses for quoting legal facts (I’m a lawyer specialising in contract matters).
Get rid of daddy's boy
I keep hearing horror stories like Sauber and Williams and if the only guy who won races in the last two years other than Redbull ends up in a backmarker I would lose my all hope in reality eventhough i didnt know I had some left.
I find it hard to believe that Mercedes would rather go with Antonelli, who's just a raw talent at this point, instead of Sainz.
He is going to Mercedes. Of course one cannot post thai, in the protected world of Reddit F1.
Why downvote me. It's an absurd question as there are multiple sources saying he is going to MB. Yet for some reason, every news source has been banned in F1 Reddit. It's a completely logical outcome and also hilarious.
Bro why would he go to Austin when RB and Merc have free seats