Formula 1

[357]

stolen 8th title

I bet you had the same cheeky grin when you wrote that as I do when I write "train station" in other threads

 

[Broucek]

Ferrari should give Sainz the pitwall strategy job!

 

[PG]

Ferrari should give Sainz the pitwall strategy job!

then somehow Lando would win the title

 

[DarloRich]

I bet you had the same cheeky grin when you wrote that as I do when I write "train station" in other threads

maybe

 

[357]

Sky News reporting that Mercedes staff have been told Lewis will go to Ferrari from the start of 2025.

 

[Pete_uk]

Didn't see today's news coming!

 

[JD2168]

Confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will move to Ferrari from Mercedes for the 2025 season on a Multi Year deal. Remember that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was Lewis Hamilton’s team boss in GP2 in 2006 at Art Grand Prix.

Possible drivers for Mercedes include Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon & Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

 

[najaB]

Confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will move to Ferrari from Mercedes for the 2025 season on a Multi Year deal. Remember that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was Lewis Hamilton’s team boss in GP2 in 2006 at Art Grand Prix.

Possible drivers for Mercedes include Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon & Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

I really hope it goes better for him than it has for others.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Possible drivers for Mercedes include Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon & Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Few reports that Fernando Alonso has been linked with that seat.

 

[Philip]

Parallels with Schumacher going to Ferrari in 1996? Though who are the modern Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn? (Could anyone tempt Adrian Newey away from Red Bull?)

Nothing like it. Schumacher went to Ferrari as a world champion and rebuilt them with the help of his trusted team who followed him from Benetton. Hamilton is looking to develop his brand, which a Ferrari drive obviously will do.

Statistics can be misleading, I think of the current drivers only Alonso has proven through his career (particularly in 2012) that he can work miracles in an inferior car like Schumacher did between 96-98. I don't see Hamilton managing this; as well as his age I don't think he has the right attitude to building a team up from a lower starting point, he'll make public criticisms of his team when things aren't going well, this is something Schumacher never did.

 

[Mogster]

Confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will move to Ferrari from Mercedes for the 2025 season on a Multi Year deal. Remember that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was Lewis Hamilton’s team boss in GP2 in 2006 at Art Grand Prix.

Possible drivers for Mercedes include Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon & Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was the first person I thought about when this news broke. If he has a storming F2 season he must be in pole position for the Mercedes seat.

 

[DarloRich]

Antonelli was the first person I thought about when this news broke. If he has a storming F2 season he must be in pole position for the Mercedes seat.

They aren't putting a rookie in the Merc. Surely sainz is the option surely

 

[Mogster]

They aren't putting a rookie in the Merc. Surely sainz is the option surely

If Antonelli storms F2, and that’s an huge if, and Merc need a second driver then I’d hope so.

Antonelli is a highly regarded Mercedes junior, they’ve invested a lot in his development. If you need a driver and one of your juniors is the previous years F2 champion at the first attempt then surely you'd use them. Otherwise why bother with a junior program.

 

[DarloRich]

If Antonelli storms F2, and that’s an huge if, and Merc need a second driver then I’d hope so.

Antonelli is a highly regarded Mercedes junior, they’ve invested a lot in his development. If you need a driver and one of your juniors is the previous years F2 champion at the first attempt then surely you'd use them. Otherwise why bother with a junior program.

IF he is any good he will go to a Mercedes customer team first. ( Unless he is verstappen good )

If Sainz is available you take him.

 

[Mogster]

IF he is any good he will go to a Mercedes customer team first. ( Unless he is verstappen good )

If Sainz is available you take him.

If Antonelli does cause a stir of Piastri sized proportions then by not putting him in the Merc they risk losing him. Red Bull have no one on their books this exciting so they’ll definitely be sniffing around, as will Audi no doubt. Not giving Antonelli the Merc seat would be seen as a rejection. Merc are not a WDC/WCC winning prospect anymore and their lead driver is leaving. What they need is a second driver to support their current second driver as he’s elevated to team lead for the first time. Everything has changed.

Anyway this could all be moot. Antonelli could finish F2 2024 in 15th place with his tail between his legs

 

[Andy Ps Bricks]

Confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will move to Ferrari from Mercedes for the 2025 season on a Multi Year deal. Remember that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was Lewis Hamilton’s team boss in GP2 in 2006 at Art Grand Prix.

Possible drivers for Mercedes include Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon & Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

I think it will most likely be Albon in the Mercedes with Antonelli possibly going to Williams if he has a good F2 season. I think Norris is a strong possibility as well if Mercedes don't see Russell as the number #1 driver to lead the team after Hamilton leaves.

I think Sainz will go to Sauber in 2025 replacing Zhou (who I think will go into endurance racing in WEC). A Bottas-Sainz line-up would be a good line-up for Audi when they enter F1 in 2026.

 

[PG]

I think it will most likely be Albon in the Mercedes with Antonelli possibly going to Williams if he has a good F2 season. I think Norris is a strong possibility as well if Mercedes don't see Russell as the number #1 driver to lead the team after Hamilton leaves.

I agree about Albon and Antonelli but I don't think Lando would make the move - why would he? McLaren developed strongly during last season so why risk it? He clearly thinks likewise given that he re-signed until at least 2027...

 

[Andy Ps Bricks]

I agree about Albon and Antonelli but I don't think Lando would make the move - why would he? McLaren developed strongly during last season so why risk it? He clearly thinks likewise given that he re-signed until at least 2027...

Mercedes have bought drivers out of their contracts before. They bought Bottas out of his Williams contract in 2017 after Rosberg retired. If the McLaren is a dog this year and Norris (or Piastri even) wants out then Mercedes could offer McLaren discounted engines as part of a deal to buy him out of his contract as McLaren do use Mercedes engines. It may seem like a long shot but anything can happen in F1 (no one expected the Hamilton to Ferrari news at the start of today and look what happened).

 

[PG]

if the McLaren is a dog this year

My point was that McLaren were nowhere at the start of last season but they developed at a phenomenal pace to be ahead of both Mercedes and Ferrari before we'd even reached the halfway point.

 

[Andy Ps Bricks]

My point was that McLaren were nowhere at the start of last season but they developed at a phenomenal pace to be ahead of both Mercedes and Ferrari before we'd even reached the halfway point.

They did get a lot better last season after a bad start (and in 2022 as well) but we've seen it before where McLaren have looked strong one season then gone completely backwards the next (2009 was bad, 2010-2012 was good, 2013 was bad, 2014 was ok, 2015-2017 was absolutely terrible but that was more down to the Honda engines, 2018 onwards slowly getting better). I'm not saying they'll be bad this season but as I said in my previous post anything can happen in F1. Aston started off strong last season then went backwards. Other teams could catch up and develop their cars better than McLaren over the season as well.

I still think Albon is the most likely candidate for the Mercedes seat but I wouldn't rule out Norris or even Piastri for that seat. Ocon may have an outside chance as well.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Usually, driver changes are announced during the second half of an active season.

While it's not unknown to have a change announced before the start of the preceding season, this is usually when the minor teams are involved.

Has a major team ever announced a driver change like this before the start of the preceding season before?

 

[Andy Ps Bricks]

Usually, driver changes are announced during the second half of an active season.

While it's not unknown to have a change announced before the start of the preceding season, this is usually when the minor teams are involved.

Has a major team ever announced a driver change like this before the start of the preceding season before?

I think Ferrari did in 2020 with Vettel and Sainz, just before lockdown started IIRC.

 

[PG]

Has a major team ever announced a driver change like this before the start of the preceding season before?

IIRC in 2020 before the first race Ricciardo was announced as joining McLaren for the following year. Not sure if Renault counts as a major team!?

 

[Andy Ps Bricks]

Now that silly season is truly in full swing, here is my prediction for the 2025 F1 grid:

I think Perez will be booted out of Red Bull with Yuki Tsunoda promoted from Alpha Tauri. His seat will be filled by Liam Lawson. Sainz will go to Sauber replacing Zhou Guanyu. Alex Albon will get the Mercedes seat with his seat at Williams filled by Perez. Sergeant will be replaced by Andrea Kimi Antonelli from F2 meaning Williams will have a new line-up. Lance Stroll will leave F1 but will still be involved with Aston Martin becoming one of the drivers in their revived Hypercar program in WEC. He will be replaced by Esteban Ocon to get away from the reportedly toxic atmosphere at Alpine. Filling Ocon's seat at Alpine will be Victor Martins from F2. Kevin Magnussen will leave Haas with his seat filled by Oliver Bearman from F2. The grid will look something like this:

Red Bull - Max Verstappen & Yuki Tsunoda
Mercedes - George Russell & Alex Albon
Ferrari - Charles Leclerc & Lewis Hamilton
McLaren - Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin - Fernando Alonso & Esteban Ocon
Alpine - Pierre Gasly & Victor Martins
Williams - Andrea Kimi Antonelli & Sergio Perez
Alpha Tauri - Daniel Ricciardo & Liam Lawson
Sauber - Valtteri Bottas & Carlos Sainz
Haas - Nico Hulkenberg & Oliver Bearman

As far as where I think outgoing drivers will end up:
Zhou Guanyu - World Endurance Championship with Hertz Team JOTA Porsche
Kevin Magnuseen - Indycar and/or IMSA Sportscar Championship with Chip Ganassi Racing
Lance Stroll - World Endurance Championship with Aston Martin
Logan Sergeant - Driving LMP2 cars in the IMSA Sportscar Championship and/or Eurpoean Le Mans Series

 

[D365]

Has a major team ever announced a driver change like this before the start of the preceding season before?

IIRC, McLaren announced Montoya during 2003 (2005 start), and Alonso during 2005 (2007 start).

As for 2025 - Albon or Antonelli has to be seen as the most likely options for Mercedes. Agree that Sainz will want to set himself up at Stake/Kick/Sauber/Audi.

 

[Enthusiast]

So who will be the rear gunner at Ferrari in 2025?

 

[Mogster]

The Hamilton and Ferrari news has now pushed FOMs rejection of the Andrettis into the background.

You could almost believe that someone knew the Hamilton announcement was imminent and thought it was a good time to bury bad/unpopular news…

 

[JD2168]

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner is being investigated by an external barrister appointed by the team for alleged inappropriate behaviour.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Good for Lewis will shake up the sport and make things more interesting

 

[DarloRich]

Changes to sprint weekends annouced: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/68211032

Formula 1 bosses have announced changes to the format of sprint races for the 2024 season.

Free practice and sprint qualifying will be on Friday, with the sprint race as the first track action on Saturday, followed by qualifying for the main grand prix.

Saturday had previously been separated out as a sprint-focused day.

There will be six sprint races this year - in China, Miami, Austria, the US Grand Prix in Austin, Brazil and Qatar.