Silly season 2024-2025

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denyall
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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organic wrote:Peter Windsor (someone with good connections @ Williams)

"As I understand it, [Albon] has been offered a 3-year contract to start in 2025 [at Red Bull]. So I think you're gonna see him at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen" [...] "equally, that's as I understand it. it's not 100%; it's probably 90% I think."


From his livestream (about 40seconds in):

Domino's are falling, Lewis to Ferrari wasn't much of a secret.

RIP Danny Ric

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organic
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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Also from the F1 nation podcast

Lawrence Barretto:
“I know for a fact that Sainz could have an option at Aston Martin.”
Barretto dropping the 💣

Seems like the amr door is not shut for Sainz

What does that say about the alonso-merc situation? Maybe Alonso is seeing Merc as the next gamble

Maybe it means nothing for Alo though. If Alonso is staying then an alonso-Sainz double Spanish lineup would be tantalising if Stroll were to go to Hypercar

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Wouter
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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organic wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 8:17 pm
Peter Windsor (someone with good connections @ Williams)

"As I understand it, [Albon] has been offered a 3-year contract to start in 2025 [at Red Bull]. So I think you're gonna see him at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen" [...] "equally, that's as I understand it. it's not 100%; it's probably 90% I think."


From his livestream (about 40seconds in):

.
Thanx for posting @Organic! 👍 Lets hope this is true! [-o<
The Power of Dreams!

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Vanja #66
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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Alonso to Mercedes will be like catching pokemon, gotta get them all
And they call it a stall. A STALL!

#DwarvesAreNaturalSprinters
#BlessYouLaddie

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denyall
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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organic wrote:Also from the F1 nation podcast

Lawrence Barretto:
“I know for a fact that Sainz could have an option at Aston Martin.”
Barretto dropping the

Seems like the amr door is not shut for Sainz

What does that say about the alonso-merc situation? Maybe Alonso is seeing Merc as the next gamble

Maybe it means nothing for Alo though. If Alonso is staying then an alonso-Sainz double Spanish lineup would be tantalising if Stroll were to go to Hypercar
Stroll to Merc confirmed then

Cs98
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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Alonso to Merc makes the most sense. He's the closest like for like replacement to Lewis that is available. They need a stopgap driver before AKA comes of age, we are talking maybe 1 or 2 years from 2025, perfect for Alonso who will retire soon enough. Drivers like Albon and Sainz may not be willing to fill a stopgap role, they want longer deals, more security.

KimiRai
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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Cs98 wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:06 pm
Alonso to Merc makes the most sense. He's the closest like for like replacement to Lewis that is available.
Completely agree from Mercedes' POV. But does this make sense for Alonso? Both Lewis and Alonso want to win championships again. Mercedes has fallen from grace, suffered a brain drain and it is rumoured Lewis will bring even more engineers with him to Ferrari. Sure they still remain a big team with a huge budget and they could recover from that, but if Mercedes wasn't able to convince Lewis of all people and made him leave to the nearest competition, a person who has a perfect record of choosing teams at the right moment... I can't see how Toto could give Alonso any proof that their seat will make him win. You would have to rely on Lewis somehow making a mistake and missing big potential which would be very unlikely. I can only see a possibility if AM's competitiveness took a big hit, almost becoming a failure.

AM may be a couple steps behind in constructors but they are building a very strong technical department (who just recently tried to poach James Allison) and soon works team in the near future. Alonso and his agents will consider the Mercedes option for sure, as he should, but I think he'll choose green, I'd be very surprised if he leaves for Mercedes.

Cs98 wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:06 pm
we are talking maybe 1 or 2 years from 2025, perfect for Alonso who will retire soon enough.
Drivers like Albon and Sainz may not be willing to fill a stopgap role, they want longer deals, more security.
The main reason why Alonso left Alpine is because he wasn't willing to fill a stopgap role.
Last edited by KimiRai on Sat Feb 03, 2024 12:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

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AMG.Tzan
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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Mercedes wasn’t even looking at retaining Hamilton after 2025 so I don’t see why Mercedes would be looking to replace Hamilton with a like for like driver!

Probably they’re gonna gamble on Antonelli if his season is epic! Otherwise Albon, Sainz are the main options for this seat! Norris would have been the greatest fit but he signed 2 days too early for McLaren… 😂
"The only rule is there are no rules" - Aristotle Onassis

AR3-GP
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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The last thing Alonso will be doing is going to a team who intends to use him as a stop gap from the onset. He already dodged that situation at Alpine.
A lion must kill its prey.

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Zynerji
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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denyall wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 10:44 pm
organic wrote:Also from the F1 nation podcast

Lawrence Barretto:
“I know for a fact that Sainz could have an option at Aston Martin.”
Barretto dropping the

Seems like the amr door is not shut for Sainz

What does that say about the alonso-merc situation? Maybe Alonso is seeing Merc as the next gamble

Maybe it means nothing for Alo though. If Alonso is staying then an alonso-Sainz double Spanish lineup would be tantalising if Stroll were to go to Hypercar
Stroll to Merc confirmed then
200iq If you think about the steady hands Lance has shown over the years. Especially some of his wet drives...

Cs98
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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KimiRai wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:49 pm
Cs98 wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:06 pm
Alonso to Merc makes the most sense. He's the closest like for like replacement to Lewis that is available.
Completely agree from Mercedes' POV. But does this make sense for Alonso? Both Lewis and Alonso want to win championships again. Mercedes has fallen from grace, suffered a brain drain and it is rumoured Lewis will bring even more engineers with him to Ferrari. Sure they still remain a big team with a huge budget and they could recover from that, but if Mercedes wasn't able to convince Lewis of all people and made him leave to the nearest competition, a person who has a perfect record of choosing teams at the right moment... I can't see how Toto could give Alonso any proof that their seat will make him win. You would have to rely on Lewis somehow making a mistake and missing big potential which would be very unlikely. I can only see a possibility if AM's competitiveness took a big hit, almost becoming a failure.

AM may be a couple steps behind in constructors but they are building a very strong technical department (who just recently tried to poach James Allison) and soon works team in the near future. Alonso and his agents will consider the Mercedes option for sure, as he should, but I think he'll choose green, I'd be very surprised if he leaves for Mercedes.

Cs98 wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:06 pm
we are talking maybe 1 or 2 years from 2025, perfect for Alonso who will retire soon enough.
Drivers like Albon and Sainz may not be willing to fill a stopgap role, they want longer deals, more security.
The main reason why Alonso left Alpine is because he wasn't willing to fill a stopgap role.
Alonso didn't want to fill a stopgap role (at Alpine!) a couple of seasons ago, now he's closing in on his mid 40s, he'll be 44 in 2025. It's now or never for him, he has been waiting for a title shot for over 10 years, this is the best chance he's going to get. You can't keep kicking the bucket down the road forever. AMR may be an ambitious project, but it's not Mercedes. And let's face it, Lewis' move is more a reflection of his personal ambition to drive at Ferrari, not that Merc is going down the tubes. He probably felt it was a toss-up between the two competitively and chose the team that offered a longer contract and re-ignited some motivation for him on a personal level.

DGP123
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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RB rowing back to Albon is pretty meh, but understandable, given their pool is empty, and the need for someone who won’t challenge Max.

I think they will end up regretting this one. He was a failure last time around, and the classic case of impressing only when the heat is off, and up against Sargeant.

He’d be ok right now in a dominant car, but by the time Albon arrives, you’d imagine RB’s advantage would have diminished. Their rivals will be quite happy with his signing as he’s mid tier, out of his depth and not feared at the front end of a grid. Will be, by far, the weakest second driver out of the top 3 or 4 teams in 25/26.

Possible

RB - Verstappen & Albon
Ferrari - Hamilton & LeClerc
Mercedes - Russell & Alonso
McLaren - Norris & Piastri

As you can see, if RB’s dominance vanishes, Albon sticks out like a sore thumb.

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chrisc90
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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Ground Effect wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 11:38 am


Mercedes can't sign Max for 2025, can't sign Leclerc, or Lando, or Oscar.... it's unclear if they'll be able to get Fernando. Whichever ever way you look at it, one of Ferrari's major competitors has been weakened significantly.

(I was going to reply to this in the Ferrari thread, but thought this topic more suited - so please excuse the cross topic quoting)

Red Bull
Max Verstappen / 2028
Sergio Perez / 2024


Ferrari
Charles Leclerc / 2025+
Carlos Sainz / 2024

Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton / 2024
George Russell / 2025


Alpine
Esteban Ocon / 2024
Pierre Gasly / 2024


McLaren
Lando Norris / 2026
Oscar Piastri / 2026


Alfa Romeo
Valtteri Bottas / 2024
Zhou Guanyu / 2024

Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso /2024
Lance Stroll / Unknown

Haas
Kevin Magnussen /2024
Nico Hulkenberg / 2024


AlphaTauri
Yuki Tsunoda / 2024
Danny Ricciardo / Loan

Williams
Alex Albon / 2024
Logan Sargeant / 2024

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/when ... ct-expire/
Mess with the Bull - you get the horns.

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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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AR3-GP wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 12:55 am
The last thing Alonso will be doing is going to a team who intends to use him as a stop gap from the onset. He already dodged that situation at Alpine.
Alonso is a pragmatist, if he thinks Mercedes can give him a car capable of challenging for
wins and titles then he'll go for it. If not, he'll stay at Aston Martin.

As for Albon going back to Red Bull? I can see it happening, I do think he'd give Max more of a run for his money than Perez has managed thus far. Not saying he'd beat Max to a title, but I think he'd push Max into going up an extra gear.

KimiRai
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Re: Silly season 2024-2025

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Cs98 wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 8:57 am
Alonso didn't want to fill a stopgap role (at Alpine!) a couple of seasons ago, now he's closing in on his mid 40s, he'll be 44 in 2025.
I don't think anything has changed. If anything I would argue he's even more motivated due to finally driving competitive machinery after so many years.

Cs98 wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 11:06 pm
It's now or never for him, he has been waiting for a title shot for over 10 years, this is the best chance he's going to get. You can't keep kicking the bucket down the road forever. AMR may be an ambitious project, but it's not Mercedes. And let's face it, Lewis' move is more a reflection of his personal ambition to drive at Ferrari, not that Merc is going down the tubes. He probably felt it was a toss-up between the two competitively and chose the team that offered a longer contract and re-ignited some motivation for him on a personal level.
How can you be so sure Mercedes is a better option? From what I could gather in this website plus a couple I know off the top of my head...

Ross Brawn
Paddy Lowe
Loic Serra
Andy Cowell
Aldo Costa
Owen Jones
Eric Blandin (Aston's Deputy Technical Director)
Ian Greig (Aston's Head of Aerodynamics)
Plenty of other lesser but not less important people
Plus Andrew Shovlin is rumoured to leave with Lewis...

It's a huge brain drain. There may still be many brilliant minds left in the team, but this loss of talent is too great to be completely confident it's a better seat than AMR just by the Mercedes name alone.

Fernando was in fact ruined by chasing great names with former successful eras. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and he had to learn the hard way, there is no guarantee the dominant Mercedes continues to exist.