F1 F1 2024 thread

[Vader]

I'd suggest that Ricciardo & Bottas are the best credentialed drivers, and thus favourites for the last 2 seats. But there are always other factors which come into consideration (i.e. $$$$).

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

Genuinely amazed Perez keeps his seat, I was nearly ready to put my house on Danny Ric being there next race. Probably explains the current state of my Sportsbet account.

Now I just hope Mclaren and Mercedes continue to press RB and claim the constructors title.

 

[Festerz]

Checo must be bringing in a shed load of sponsorship $$$ if they are willing to throw away the Constructors Championship to keep him. This is F1, and money trumps everything, or so it seems.

The Mexican GP is upcoming after the break.

There are a lot of deep holes in Mexico and for the sixth year running, Mexico registered more than 30,000 murders in 2023, marking the most violent period in the country's recent history.

Just saying.

 

[Shifty1]

Yep looks like this may be the end of the road for Daniel. Don't see Alpine wanting him back or Zhou leaving Sauber. Merc will bring in the youngster and Lawson takes his seat.

Thought Haas may be an option but Ocon is there now.

 

[happy_eagle]

Red Bull must not be 100% convinced Max is sticking around for next year (particularly with the Mercedes seat vacant).
One of the only reasons (with $ being the other) I can see them justifying keeping Perez.

 

[Vader]

Genuinely amazed Perez keeps his seat, I was nearly ready to put my house on Danny Ric being there next race. Probably explains the current state of my Sportsbet account.

Now I just hope Mclaren and Mercedes continue to press RB and claim the constructors title.

Here are the current standings in the Constructors Championship:
408 - Red Bull
366 - McLaren
345 - Ferrari
266 - Mercedes

We're currently 14 races down, with 10 to go.

On current trends McLaren are hot favourites to win the Constructors Championship. Mercedes might catch Ferrari (unless the red cars start racing again), but they're too far behind to trouble Red Bull.

 

[Vader]

Red Bull must not be 100% convinced Max is sticking around for next year (particularly with the Mercedes seat vacant).
One of the only reasons (with $ being the other) I can see them justifying keeping Perez.

Nah... there's only one reason for keeping Perez - the sponsorship $$$$ he brings with him.

 

[happy_eagle]

Nah... there's only one reason for keeping Perez - the sponsorship $$$$ he brings with him.

But if they were to dump Perez and then find that Max is going to Mercedes for next year, they will find themselves a driver short.

 

[Vader]

But if they were to dump Perez and then find that Max is going to Mercedes for next year, they will find themselves a driver short.

It's not happening.

 

[ReidBetweenTheLines]

Absolutely stirring the pot.
The salt displayed by Norris last week shows a small fracture in the driver/team relationship.
Why wouldn’t an opponent, who now consider you a genuine threat to their dominance, have a go at making that crack into a canyon?

Anyone else notice that on the podium when the Champaign spraying starts that every driver has avoided Piastri? Norris completely ignored him for Piastris maiden win, and then Russell and Hamilton also ignored him after Spa.

I know it’s trivial but definitely noticeable that the young bloke is being isolated.

 

[happy_eagle]

It's not happening.

Thanks for confirming this matter of fact

 

[Jatz]

Red Bull must not be 100% convinced Max is sticking around for next year (particularly with the Mercedes seat vacant).
One of the only reasons (with $ being the other) I can see them justifying keeping Perez.

Or (as I've often thought) they realise their car is no good and don't think Daniel/Liam/Yuki would do any/much better in the car.

 

[Forward Press]

Williams becomes the first team (that we know for certain of) with two appendix-less drivers on the team.

 

[BomberFan355]

I really hope Redbull lose the constructors now, Perez is cooked.

 

[gaskin]

If Perez's sponsorship money is around the mark of the prize money for winning the constructors championship then they might see that combined with more wind tunnel time for finishing 2nd rather than first to be a net positive.

 

[Gunf]

If Perez's sponsorship money is around the mark of the prize money for winning the constructors championship then they might see that combined with more wind tunnel time for finishing 2nd rather than first to be a net positive.

Would also need to cover the bonuses that the staff get for WCC positions otherwise you may end up with a completely pissed off RedBull staff.

 

[jabba5114]

Maybe his sponsorship money pays for there 7 mil catering expenses

Sent from my SM-A556E using Tapatalk

 

[King Of Money]

Confirmed Drivers for 2025:

Red Bull: Verstappen, Perez ($$$$ talks)
McLaren: Norris, Piastri
Ferrari: Hamilton, LeClerc
Mercedes: Russell
Aston Martin: Stroll, Alonso
VCARB: Tsunoda
Haas: Ocon, Bearman
Williams: Sainz, Albon
Alpine: Gasly
Sauber: Hulkenberg

That leaves 4 seats unconfirmed, with the following drivers still uncontracted for 2025:

• Ricciardo
• Magnussen
• Sargeant
• Guanyu
• Bottas

Antonelli has been heavily linked to the Mercedes seat, and the option of sending him to Williams is now gone - so I think we can pencil this one in (though not in ink).

There's every indication that VCARB want Lawson in the 2nd seat, which means Ricciardo needs to find a new home, given that Perez' $$$$ have spoken and the Red Bull seat is not up for grabs.

That leaves seats at Alpine & Sauber...

With Sainz making his decision yesterday, we can expect the rest of the dominos to fall fairly quickly.

I'd still be putting an asterisk along side Perez.
The way I see it, Red Bull confirming he'll see out the remainder of 2024 has nothing to do with 2025. He would need to improve significantly in the remaining 10 races to retain the seat. If Red Bull don't win the constructors, I'd say he's definitely out the door.
I suspect his reportedly large sponsorships and that the Mexican GP is in this half of the schedule (those two factors are intertwined) have saved his bacon for this year.
I can't see Red Bull putting themselves in this position again in 2025.

 

[Not Important]

I really hope Redbull lose the constructors now, Perez is cooked.

maybe one problem is there's no readily available clear alternative. think danny ric was that but he's been singularly unimpressive.

 

[Vader]

I'd still be putting an asterisk along side Perez.
The way I see it, Red Bull confirming he'll see out the remainder of 2024 has nothing to do with 2025. He would need to improve significantly in the remaining 10 races to retain the seat. If Red Bull don't win the constructors, I'd say he's definitely out the door.
I suspect his reportedly large sponsorships and that the Mexican GP is in this half of the schedule (those two factors are intertwined) have saved his bacon for this year.
I can't see Red Bull putting themselves in this position again in 2025.

He's contracted for 2025 & 2026.

Their reasons for retaining him in 2025 are the same as they are for the back half of 2024 - $$$$.

All indications are that they are willing to sacrifice the CC (which they almost certainly will), to keep the sponsorship $$$ he brings to the table.

The Mexican GP is still 6 GPs away. I doubt they would carry him that long, only to drop him. If they were ever going to drop him, then now is the time they would have done it. They chose not to.

They're not going to wait until the end of the year to sack him, because all of the alternative drivers will be contracted to other teams by then. Sainz signed with Williams overnight, and I expect the remaining 4 vacancies to be filled before the F1 caravan arrives in the Netherlands. If we assume that Bottas goes to Alpine, and Ricciardo to Sauber, then their options would be down to Guanyu/Sargeant/Magnussen or a rookie.

 

[99 Problems]

I'd still be putting an asterisk along side Perez.
The way I see it, Red Bull confirming he'll see out the remainder of 2024 has nothing to do with 2025. He would need to improve significantly in the remaining 10 races to retain the seat. If Red Bull don't win the constructors, I'd say he's definitely out the door.
I suspect his reportedly large sponsorships and that the Mexican GP is in this half of the schedule (those two factors are intertwined) have saved his bacon for this year.
I can't see Red Bull putting themselves in this position again in 2025.

Pretty much agree with this. The $$ help for sure but I think this is about buying some more time. Ideally they’d want Perez to find his form in these last races, he keeps the main seat next season and Lawson can replace Danny Ric.

If Perez finishes the season poorly then he will not be there in 2025, but they aren’t rushed into making a decision on who goes in. In this situation I think it becomes more likely Lawson goes straight into the main seat. Then maybe another season of Ric and Yuki but they’d be keen to get someone into the VARB that they actually see moving into the main team.

 

[Vader]

Pretty much agree with this. The $$ help for sure but I think this is about buying some more time. Ideally they’d want Perez to find his form in these last races, he keeps the main seat next season and Lawson can replace Danny Ric.

If Perez finishes the season poorly then he will not be there in 2025, but they aren’t rushed into making a decision on who goes in. In this situation I think it becomes more likely Lawson goes straight into the main seat. Then maybe another season of Ric and Yuki but they’d be keen to get someone into the VARB that they actually see moving into the main team.

The problem is that the driver market is happening NOW, and everyone worth having will be contracted in 3 months time (i.e. by the Mexican GP).

Lawson's contract says he becomes a Free Agent if they don't give him a contract by September. They definitely won't want to lose him, so it's only a matter of time before he's announced as Tsunoda's partner at VCARB next year.

Ricciardo now knows that his window at Red Bull is probably closed, so he needs to start talking seriously with Sauber immediately, as they're his only realistic option for remaining in F1.

If they're willing to sacrifice the 2024 CC in the name of Checo's $$$$ and some extra wind tunnel time, then I can't see why they'd ditch him for 2025, given that they won't have any options for replacing him by then anyway.

Checo appears to be in the same category as Tsunoda - unsackable, regardless of how badly they perform. Tsunoda is tied to Honda, who supply the Red Bull engines. Checo brings so many sponsorship $$$$ to the table that they can't afford to get rid of him.

 

[happy_eagle]

With Perez staying, I can see Daniel getting cut from VCARB later this week for Lawson.

 

[DamoESP]

Also dont forget, even if RBR drop to second in the WCC and the sponsorship $$$ Perez brings in is probably more than the loss in prize money....the kicker is that they will get additional wind tunnel time coming second rather than first, which may be a bigger factor than the $$

 

[Vader]

With Perez staying, I can see Daniel getting cut from VCARB later this week for Lawson.

... and signing with Sauber 2 days later.