2025 Driver Market

[Ruslan]

Bottom post of the previous page:

This article kind of tracks with what I am seeing, Gasly stays at Alpine and Ocon may go to Mercedes:https://www.grandprix.com/news/gasly-ma ... ution.html. With the new engine regulations in 2026, Alpine may be able to join the big boys. They have been hampered for a few years with an underpowered engine.

[Ruslan]

Another article saying what I already suspect: Sainz is sitting on an offer from Audi and Hulkenberg is probably the other driver: https://www.grandprix.com/news/audi-wai ... ision.html

[Ruslan]

Meanwhile, Sainz is asking everyone to speed up... which kind of confirmed the previous claims that he has a 15 April deadline to respond to Audi: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ ... 95e4&ei=33

Sort of bird in the hand vice two in the bush situation. Probably should take Audi as 1) I think Red Bull is either sticking with Perez or promoting Tsunoda, 2) Mercedes is probably also looking at other options, 3) Aston Martin probably does not have a slot open. Audi looks like the only decent obvious deal.

[Aty]

It seems that services of both current Sauber (aka Audi 2026) drivers might not be retained beyond end of this year. Are they then out of the F1? Many names, and only a few seats. Haas and Williams might be the only options left. (Maybe.)

[DoubleFart]

I can see either of them at Williams if Albon were to leave. I don't see them as Haas drivers. That looks like Bearman is the man in pole position, likely alongside Magnussen.

[Star]

The Sainz to Red Bull rumour has now become stronger after a very public handshake with Helmut Marko it seems.

With Carlos Sainz on the lookout for a new home on the Formula 1 grid, a chat with Red Bull’s driver programme boss Helmut Marko, sealed with a handshake, has certainly got tongues wagging.

Sainz is the most recent grand prix victor in Formula 1 thanks to his dominant performance last time out in Melbourne, yet he is without a seat for next season as it stands due to Ferrari’s blockbuster acquisition of seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

The next stop on the F1 2024 calendar has now arrived though as the teams and drivers descend on Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix, where Sainz will be hoping to prove that Max Verstappen’s brake failure was not the sole reason for his victory opening in Melbourne. However, the Ferrari driver has already hit the headlines this race weekend.

That is because he was spotted having an all-smiles conversation with Marko in the paddock at Suzuka, with Sky Germany presenter Peter Hardenacke also getting in on the chat. What stood out though was the public handshake between Sainz and Marko. A standard sign of respect, or has something more official been agreed?

Marko recently discussed the Sainz to Red Bull rumours, Sainz having made his Formula 1 debut as part of the Red Bull programme back in 2015 as Verstappen’s Toro Rosso team-mate.

And while Marko described Sainz’s form as “fascinating” after his Australian GP heroics, he also spoke of a strong possibility that Sergio Perez remains Verstappen’s team-mate in 2025, as long as he ups his game in qualifying.

“Of course, his form is fascinating,” Marko told Laola1 in reference to Sainz.

“But you have to realise that Checo [Perez] delivered three good races this year. The fact that he fell back so much in Melbourne was due to the damaged underbody and tyre degradation.

“His only weakness is in qualifying. If he can improve there, there’s no need to think about it. The atmosphere in the team is very good also as far as he is concerned.”

For a time it seemed as though Verstappen was the driver that Sainz could replace at Red Bull, with off-track unrest within the team sparking Verstappen to Mercedes speculation, though Verstappen has since confirmed his commitment to his Red Bull deal – which runs until the end of 2028 – amid a possible cooling of tensions in the Red Bull ranks.

Full story and picture: https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos-sa ... hake-japan

[Ruslan]

More from the F1 news feed: https://www.grandprix.com/news/no-f1-re ... ettel.html

They say that Wolff has a short-list to replace Hamilton, but only mentions one name (Antonelli)|. All the other scattered rumors towards the end of the article matches what I said in my original post:

1. "Antonelli could even be among a trio of F1 rookies next year, with Oliver Berman lined with Hass and Liam Lawson likely to replace Daniel Ricciardo at RG"

2. "Drivers like Logan Sargeant, Daniel Ricciardo, Guanyu Zhou and Valterri Bottas will have to brace themselves for the coming summer. They are all threated with dismissal for 2025. And whether they will stay i Formula 1 at all is something you shouldn't get on."

[Aty]

More from the F1 news feed: https://www.grandprix.com/news/no-f1-re ... ettel.html

2. "Drivers like Logan Sargeant, Daniel Ricciardo, Guanyu Zhou and Valterri Bottas will have to brace themselves for the coming summer. They are all threated with dismissal for 2025. And whether they will stay i Formula 1 at all is something you shouldn't get on."

We are on the same page. I would be most surprise, if one of Sauber drivers survives, nevermind both.

Regarding Wolff choosing for his A-team a novice seems rather an odd suggestion. Names on that mysterious list are probably (in no specific order), Vettel, Sainz, Verstappen. Could be also Alonso, but I doubt it.

[Ruslan]

More from the F1 news feed: https://www.grandprix.com/news/no-f1-re ... ettel.html

2. "Drivers like Logan Sargeant, Daniel Ricciardo, Guanyu Zhou and Valterri Bottas will have to brace themselves for the coming summer. They are all threated with dismissal for 2025. And whether they will stay i Formula 1 at all is something you shouldn't get on."

We are on the same page. I would be most surprise, if one of Sauber drivers survives, nevermind both.

Regarding Wolff choosing for his A-team a novice seems rather an odd suggestion. Names on that mysterious list are probably (in no specific order), Vettel, Sainz, Verstappen. Could be also Alonso, but I doubt it.

I suspect the other names on that list are Ocon and Albon. But yea, Mercedes has never run a new driver. It would make more sense to put him at Wiliams for a year or three, like they did with Russell.

[MonteCristo]

Ricciardo needs to go ASAP. Throw Lawson in.

[Aty]

Who will partner Max at RB next year? Perez is improving and might be retained (methinks).

Sainz - no, because of the past.
Alonso - no, RB have no need for trouble.
Albon? The guy is crushing, and he has nohing to do with that?
Yuki - I think Honda wants him on their team.
DR - are you kidding?
Bottas? I doubt that.
A novice? No way.

Anybody else? Gasly returns?

Perez is actually in a good position to save his seat, if he drives at least as good as he did at Suzuka.

[P. Cornelius Scipio]

Who will partner Max at RB next year? Perez is improving and might be retained (methinks).

Sainz - no, because of the past.
Alonso - no, RB have no need for trouble.
Albon? The guy is crushing, and he has nohing to do with that?
Yuki - I think Honda wants him on their team.
DR - are you kidding?
Bottas? I doubt that.
A novice? No way.

Anybody else? Gasly returns?

Perez is actually in a good position to save his seat, if he drives at least as good as he did at Suzuka.

I think that so far this season Perez has been the "perfect" team mate to Max, on that basis I wouldn't be surprised if he stays

The problem is if Verstappen leaves, but is he really willing to take such a huge risk? or is there someone with an agenda of their own behind the rumors that Max (or Newey, for instance) are considering leaving Red Bull? I noticed a few days ago an interview to Dr. Marko who quite candidly said that Max had been skiing... I'm sure that Max's contract prohibits him from skiing, so why did Dr. Marko come out with such news if not to stir up trouble? Dr. Marko seems intent on a crusade against anyone who he perceives is a risk to his power, I'm sure that Max has a very strong bond with him but I'm beginning to doubt that he's willing to risk his future for Dr. Marko's tantrums. All this to say that if nothing dramatic happens in the next weeks Red Bull might not have any vacancies for next season

It will be interesting to see what happens at Mercedes, I'm not so sure that Russel is ready to lead the team to a new world championship, Antonelli is very promising but so far he hasn't rocked the world in F2, I think that Ruslan could be correct when he says that Ocon or Albon seem likely candidates to fill Hamilton's seat, especially if Mercedes believe that they won't have a world championship car for next season

That leaves us with good old Sainz, who IMHO is doing a sterling job this season, I'm sure that he would be Audi's dream driver, I'm not sure that Audi will be Sainz's dream car, especially considering the fact that they seem to have so many rather basic issues that they can't resolve

[DoubleFart]

I still think that Mercedes are best placed in offering Sainz a 1+1 deal, which works for each party. Sainz can jump ship to Audi for 2026, or see how their 2026 season is. Mercedes can bring in Antonelli without a huge rush. Sainz gets a good car for the next year, and may well prove better than Russell.

I suggested this a while back and maintain that thinking.

[Aty]

Who will partner Max at RB next year? Perez is improving and might be retained (methinks).

Sainz - no, because of the past.
Alonso - no, RB have no need for trouble.
Albon? The guy is crushing, and he has nohing to do with that?
Yuki - I think Honda wants him on their team.
DR - are you kidding?
Bottas? I doubt that.
A novice? No way.

Anybody else? Gasly returns?

Perez is actually in a good position to save his seat, if he drives at least as good as he did at Suzuka.

I think that so far this season Perez has been the "perfect" team mate to Max, on that basis I wouldn't be surprised if he stays

The problem is if Verstappen leaves, but is he really willing to taking such a huge risk? or is there someone with an agenda of their own behind the rumors that Max (or Newey, for instance) are considering leaving Red Bull? I noticed a few days ago an interview to Dr. Marko who quite candidly said that Max had been skiing... I'm sure that Max's contract prohibits him from skiing, so why did Dr. Marko come out with such news if not to stir up trouble? Dr. Marko seems intent on a crusade against anyone who he perceives is a risk to his power, I'm sure that Max has a very strong bond with him but I'm beginning to doubt that he's willing to risk his future for Dr. Marko's tantrums. All this to say that if nothing dramatic happens in the next weeks Red Bull might not have any vacancies for next season

It will be interesting to see what happens at Mercedes, I'm not so sure that Russel is ready to lead the team to a new world championship, Antonelli is very promising but so far he hasn't rocked the world in F2, I think that Ruslan could be correct when he says that Ocon or Albon seem likely candidates to fill Hamilton's seat, especially if Mercedes believe that they won't have a world championship car for next season

That leaves us with good old Sainz, who IMHO is doing a sterling job this season, I'm sure that he would be Audi's dream driver, I'm not sure that Audi will be Sainz's dream car, especially considering the fact that they seem to have so many rather basic issues that they can't resolve

Why am I increasingly under impression that Dr. Marko is not among your favorite friends?
Otherwise superb reasoning.

Regarding Sauber - as someone noted not too long ago, on basis good things don't happen overnight, Audi had to make a decisive step and interject finances in support of Sauber, and they had to do it now. Problem is, whilst Audi technology and organization has not reached the team yet and is on hold until 2026 (non-interference policy), their name is already attach to everything what is happening on and off the track. Mid field is tight, fraction of a second makes one looking like incompetent person. That's what it is. They just have to work on it. In technical directorate, I am not convinced they have most competent person, unfortunately.

Mercedes - British press already declared Russell as a team. leader. I am not sure why a team needs a secong TP, but media probably do. Apropos his skills, I gather are bigger in media than on the track. He is already on the record claiming that he is faster than Max. Maybe so, but Max has points to prove his standing, whereas Russell - well, we are waiting.

[P. Cornelius Scipio]

Why am I increasingly under impression that Dr. Marko is not among your favorite friends?

seriously, I think that he's little more than a trouble maker, I don't think that finding good drivers in the junior formulae is such a big deal if you have so much money to spend, in a sense I feel that being Red Bulls young driver consultant is one of the easiest jobs in F1

[Aty]

Why am I increasingly under impression that Dr. Marko is not among your favorite friends?

seriously, I think that he's little more than a trouble maker, I don't think that finding good drivers in the junior formulae is such a big deal if you have so much money to spend, in a sense I feel that being Red Bulls young driver consultant is one of the easiest jobs in F1

From history we learn Chaleo Yoovidhya, co-founder of RB was not interested in the F1. That part of business on global map was left to Dietrich Mateschitz, who was to some degree a marketing genius. Problem was, in his busy business life he needed someone to keep Horner in the harness, behaving. Dietrich carried far more autonomy than his son does today. Helmut was his trusted friend, confidant, and someone who knew a thing or two about racing. Dr. Marko has done over the years far better job than media give him credit with his gentle, and discreet input.

BTW, I am not sure if you read in German, but an interesting article is circulating in German media. I cannot speak about article credibility, but it may stop you in your tracks for a moment or two.
Have fun:
https://www.formel1.de/news/news/2024-0 ... -sein-kann