F1 F1 2024 thread

[Shifty1]

To the tune of $33M - I assume that's USD.

Essentially, Perez' sponsorship pays Verstappen's salary.

That's the figure I read too. That's some serious money. I believe the prize money drop from 1st to 2nd is around $15-20m US.

 

[Jatz]

Imagine a K-Mag and Max driver pairing at Red Bull

Would be box office

 

[Jatz]

Bummer, would have liked to see anyone else at least have the opportunity to drive against max and challenge for wins.

Ricciardo will probably stay as a sim driver, there will be a lot to do given 2026 cars are having a significant aerodynamics change

Which leads to the question, where will Newey be, if anywhere

Still expect Newey ends up at Ferrari.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Red Bull choosing to kiss the constructors good bye to keep the Mexican fans happy? Unless they can turn that car around post break somehow it is very very hard to see the current line up winning it from here.

Told you all this would happen (for now at least).

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Ricciardo would probably take that, given it's essentially what he was doing in 2023.

I just don't see them knifing Perez, given that they refused to do so last night. The sponsorship dollars he brings in are just too much for them to refuse, and essentially make him unsackable.

Look theres a lot of political stuff going on at RB. Horner, marko, both verstappens..lots of infighting and conflict.

They wont move checo this year (which is why he posted what i did earlier this week) but i can see that changing at years end, particularly if horner goes.

 

[Bradesmaen]

They don't want to move Perez on for say Lawson and then have Lawson struggle next year like they had with Albon and Gasly before.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

They don't want to move Perez on for say Lawson and then have Lawson struggle next year like they had with Albon and Gasly before.

I agree they don't want a rookie in that seat but i think the risk is low if the other option is keeping Perez.

 

[DamoESP]

Word that Liberty media are actually the ones who "convinced" RBR to keep Perez....after the Verstappens were already told he would be replaced over the summer break.

Big OOOFFFTTTT if true.....

 

[King Of Money]

I can still see a world where:

Perez gets the flick at seasons end (regardless of his 25/26 contract - there's likely a clause in there that facilitates this move). I think this is almost certain to happen. The team won't want to go through this BS again next year.

Danny Ric gets the Perez seat. He now has the wood on Tsunoda, and his experience counts for something over Lawson. He also has a very good relationship with Verstappen which can't hurt.

Lawson gets the VCARB seat and more F1 racing experience.

Hadjar steps into Lawsons current role.

How it all plays out during 2025 depends entirely on driver performances. How well does Danny go. How do Lawsons results stack up against Tsunoda.

It gives RIC the chance to prove himself in the 'A' team, Lawson gets his full time seat, and Marko gets forward progress in his junior driver programme.

 

[DamoESP]

RIC is apparently locked in to stay at RB for the rest of the season. Works out perfectly for the scenario King Of Money posted above, especially if Markos words about there being a driver shuffle in 2025 are true

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ricciardo-stay-rb-after-summer-break-following-red-bull-review/10640470/

 

[happy_eagle]

Word that Liberty media are actually the ones who "convinced" RBR to keep Perez....after the Verstappens were already told he would be replaced over the summer break.

Big OOOFFFTTTT if true.....

This is like a whole new category of pay driver, even by F1 standards.

Lance Stroll: My Dad owns the team
Sergio Perez: Hold my beer.....

 

[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.

Jack Doohan - He doesn't seem to get much air-time in driver market discussions.

Any chance for the Alpine seat?

 

[happy_eagle]

Jack Doohan - He doesn't seem to get much air-time in driver market discussions.

Any chance for the Alpine seat?

He'd be a chance, but I wouldn't expect much from him at F1. Not sure he's at the level.

 

[Vader]

Jack Doohan - He doesn't seem to get much air-time in driver market discussions.

Any chance for the Alpine seat?

He's a possibility, though I wouldn't necessarily see him as favourite for the seat.

If DR stays with VCARB/RB, and Bottas signs with Sauber, then he could be seen as a very attractive option for them - better than Magnussen & Sargeant. The big question is how many sponsorship $$$ Zhou Guanyu brings to the party. I'm guessing it could be considerable, given that he's the only Chinese F1 driver on the grid. $$$ could speak volumes to a team like Alpine.

 

[skam85]

Zhou and Kmag are done.

Should VCARB sign Lawson as expected, Bottas now seems to be the defacto favourite for Sauber, based on no other options for either. Otherwise Sauber also are keen on Lawson.

Alpine looks to be between Doohan and Mick Schumacher, with the two having a recent shootout test session.

VCARB will be Lawson, with DR's career now resting on whether Perez is booted or not.

 

[Vader]

So... we know that RB have decided to stick with Checo for the rest of 2024, with VCARB similarly sticking with DR. The big question is WTF will they do for 2025?

Presumably they're sticking with Max & Checo in the RB cars. DR seemingly hasn't done enough in the VCARB to foist Checo from the RB, and Checo's sponsorship $$$ make him almost unsackable.

With Tsunoda's seat locked in via the Honda contract, that leaves one seat and two drivers - DR & Lawson.

If Lawson isn't signed to a VCARB contract by September he becomes a FA. This may or may not mean anything, if all of the other seats are filled by then anyway. Marko is obviously fairly keen to get Lawson into the VCARB car in 2025, and if that happens then DR finds himself without a seat again.

DR surely knows all this... so what is his game plan? Is he hoping they won't put Lawson in the seat in 2025? Is he hoping that Perez has only been given a temporary reprieve, and that his seat is still up for grabs in 2025? Both of those appear long shots to me.

 

[Vader]

Zhou and Kmag are done.

Should VCARB sign Lawson as expected, Bottas now seems to be the defacto favourite for Sauber, based on no other options for either. Otherwise Sauber also are keen on Lawson.

Alpine looks to be between Doohan and Mick Schumacher, with the two having a recent shootout test session.

VCARB will be Lawson, with DR's career now resting on whether Perez is booted or not.

Sargeant & KMag are definitely done.

I suspect the biggest factor with Zhou's future is the amount of Chinese sponsorship he can bring to a team.

 

[Barrybran]

How long is the Mexico GP contract?

 

[Pure_Ownage]

This is like a whole new category of pay driver, even by F1 standards.

Lance Stroll: My Dad owns the team
Sergio Perez: Hold my beer.....

This is one of the problem thesedays with the driver market. Sponsor money matters more than ability.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Zhou and Kmag are done.

Should VCARB sign Lawson as expected, Bottas now seems to be the defacto favourite for Sauber, based on no other options for either. Otherwise Sauber also are keen on Lawson.

Alpine looks to be between Doohan and Mick Schumacher, with the two having a recent shootout test session.

VCARB will be Lawson, with DR's career now resting on whether Perez is booted or not.

Im not sure lawson is certain for vcarb at all.

 

[Black_White]

Why are we not discussing VER to Merc, Sergio to be #1 RB driver?
While Merc have an open seat, and Max snr continuing to agitate, it should be firmly on the table.

 

[happy_eagle]

Why are we not discussing VER to Merc, Sergio to be #1 RB driver?
While Merc have an open seat, and Max snr continuing to agitate, it should be firmly on the table.

It has been discussed, but until there is any legitimate source or article attributed to it, its nothing more than an unlikely possibility.

 

[Vader]

This is one of the problem thesedays with the driver market. Sponsor money matters more than ability.

These days?

Arguably it matters less than at any time before, given that EVERY F1 team is now profitable - for the first time in the sport's history.

F1 has always had "pay to drive" drivers, filling the teams at the back of the pack. Stroll & Checo are far from the worst of them.

 

[DamoESP]

 

[Vader]

A - What the Hell does that mean?
B - Where does that leave Lawson?