Formula 1 #11

[Multi-21]

And who gets that second VCARB seat if Checo just decides to call it a day with a massive pay off rather than step down a team

 

[Red hair dont care]

Sky sports say Bottas might go to Merc as 3rd/reserve driver.
Possibly makes a little sense but will he be happy with hardly any driving?

 

[LaBlonde]

Sky sports say Bottas might go to Merc as 3rd/reserve driver.
Possibly makes a little sense but will he be happy with hardly any driving?

tbh i think he would at this point. he’s really gotten into competitive cycling this year (and travelling with his gf) so i could see him really liking the idea of doing reserve driving without the bigger commitment of main driver responsibilities so he can do other things.

i just want to know when RB are pulling the chord on checo. i know everyone is saying there’s only one seat left but surely it’s actually two.

 

[Lola123]

And who gets that second VCARB seat if Checo just decides to call it a day with a massive pay off rather than step down a team

There is no way after Danny they’re putting Checo in that vcarb seat. If they’ve got Franco and it’s been reported he would go straight into that red bull seat, then Lawson gets the vcarb, if franco doesn’t go Hajar is ready to move up so they’re not short of options
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Sky sports say Bottas might go to Merc as 3rd/reserve driver.
Possibly makes a little sense but will he be happy with hardly any driving?

I think Bottas said himself he was exploring some options and I wouldn’t be surprised with Kimi coming in they want a mentor for him in too!

 

[LaBlonde]

I think Bottas said himself he was exploring some options and I wouldn’t be surprised with Kimi coming in they want a mentor for him in too!

hadn’t thought about it like that but yes, you’re right! it makes sense to have an older experienced reserve driver, and vb worked really well with zhou (who said loads of nice things about how encouraging and informative he is). it works all around, and they still really love vb at merc too.

 

[Albrouze]

There is no way after Danny they’re putting Checo in that vcarb seat. If they’ve got Franco and it’s been reported he would go straight into that red bull seat, then Lawson gets the vcarb, if franco doesn’t go Hajar is ready to move up so they’re not short of options
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I think Bottas said himself he was exploring some options and I wouldn’t be surprised with Kimi coming in they want a mentor for him in too!

Interesting! I hadn’t considered the mentoring aspect for Bottas. Definitely needed for someone as young and inexperienced as Kimi. I’m so stupid that I was trying to figure out what Raikkonen had to do with anything before I realised what you were saying

It seems insane to me to Franco right into the Red Bull seat, but I guess it’s not the same as when they were cycling through inexperienced drivers. I am curious as to what will happen with Checo. Like surely he can’t keep that seat, but stranger things have happened.

 

[Red hair dont care]

Interesting! I hadn’t considered the mentoring aspect for Bottas. Definitely needed for someone as young and inexperienced as Kimi. I’m so stupid that I was trying to figure out what Raikkonen had to do with anything before I realised what you were saying

It seems insane to me to Franco right into the Red Bull seat, but I guess it’s not the same as when they were cycling through inexperienced drivers. I am curious as to what will happen with Checo. Like surely he can’t keep that seat, but stranger things have happened.

Yeah young Kimi!
It does also mean than they have another driver with some sort of knowledge of Merc, obviously things might have changed but maybe not too much.
I hope Franco has good people around him that he listens to about Red Bull just do your research most never last. Maybe stay with Williams but I guess that classed as "ambitious".

 

[LaBlonde]

It seems insane to me to Franco right into the Red Bull seat, but I guess it’s not the same as when they were cycling through inexperienced drivers. I am curious as to what will happen with Checo. Like surely he can’t keep that seat, but stranger things have happened.

the checo dilemma intrigues me too but i mean, if you believe the rumours. red bull got forced into keeping him when they wanted daniel back because carlos slim insisted they needed him to be at the mexico grand prix which……. went well for everyone. even with all his major sponsors i don’t see that he or his team can argue his case any further, he almost certainly lost them the fight in constructors.

my feeling is they chase franco (proving himself, brings in the south american market, apparently met with carlos slim?!) for vcarb and liam to rb. liam’s on track hatred of checo seems so personal

 

[Albrouze]

the checo dilemma intrigues me too but i mean, if you believe the rumours. red bull got forced into keeping him when they wanted daniel back because carlos slim insisted they needed him to be at the mexico grand prix which……. went well for everyone. even with all his major sponsors i don’t see that he or his team can argue his case any further, he almost certainly lost them the fight in constructors.

my feeling is they chase franco (proving himself, brings in the south american market, apparently met with carlos slim?!) for vcarb and liam to rb. liam’s on track hatred of checo seems so personal

It also seems insane to me put Liam right into the Red Bull too when Yuki has been at vcarb for years. You’re right that immediate on-track hatred of Checo seems so personal and it seems to be reciprocated.

I feel like I’ve read that Alex was only informed at the end of the season that he was being let go when Checo had already signed. He definitely understands the situation, but who knows what is going on there. I think everyone is assuming that he is gone, but then why did he post that Wolf of Wall St thing when if he is on such tenterhooks. Mind boggling
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Yeah young Kimi!
It does also mean than they have another driver with some sort of knowledge of Merc, obviously things might have changed but maybe not too much.
I hope Franco has good people around him that he listens to about Red Bull just do your research most never last. Maybe stay with Williams but I guess that classed as "ambitious".

I really want things to work out for Franco. Even though, I believe my first post about him here was like who is he. So much of this sport seems to be just about timing and being at the right place at the right time. Seems way too stressful for me.

 

[LaBlonde]

It also seems insane to me put Liam right into the Red Bull too when Yuki has been at vcarb for years. You’re right that immediate on-track hatred of Checo seems so personal and it seems to be reciprocated.

I feel like I’ve read that Alex was only informed at the end of the season that he was being let go when Checo had already signed. He definitely understands the situation, but who knows what is going on there. I think everyone is assuming that he is gone, but then why did he post that Wolf of Wall St thing when if he is on such tenterhooks. Mind boggling

i agree, but rb have never taken yuki seriously and i sadly don’t see that changing i don’t think they’ll ever promote him to that seat, and i don’t know what he could do to change that.

i can only assume that the wolf of wall street thing was pure bravado (and that he knew he wasn’t going at that exact moment ) he does have an insane number of sponsors so maybe he thinks they’ll keep on saving him but even then there’s being optimistic and there’s being delusional. even with the car being designed for max 85% of drivers on that grid would doing a better job with it.

 

[Lola123]

i agree, but rb have never taken yuki seriously and i sadly don’t see that changing i don’t think they’ll ever promote him to that seat, and i don’t know what he could do to change that.

i can only assume that the wolf of wall street thing was pure bravado (and that he knew he wasn’t going at that exact moment ) he does have an insane number of sponsors so maybe he thinks they’ll keep on saving him but even then there’s being optimistic and there’s being delusional. even with the car being designed for max 85% of drivers on that grid would doing a better job with it.

The real big reason he’ll be let go is they’re likely to end up p3 in the constructors and whilst checo comes with money, it’s isn’t that much. I do wonder what his performance clauses are. Because CH keeps talking about it being a results based business, even if he was only coming say p5 to max’s P1 I don’t think he’d be let go. But it’s just not working, although it feels like a poison challis until max leaves (the second seat that is)

 

[StephenTJackson]

i agree, but rb have never taken yuki seriously and i sadly don’t see that changing i don’t think they’ll ever promote him to that seat, and i don’t know what he could do to change that.

i can only assume that the wolf of wall street thing was pure bravado (and that he knew he wasn’t going at that exact moment ) he does have an insane number of sponsors so maybe he thinks they’ll keep on saving him but even then there’s being optimistic and there’s being delusional. even with the car being designed for max 85% of drivers on that grid would doing a better job with it.

Yuki's best chance is for Laurence to finally put Lance out of his career misery (or Lance to tell Daddy he wants to live his own dream) and follow Honda to Aston Martin for 2026 and get a taste of Newey machinery.

 

[LaBlonde]

Yuki's best chance is for Laurence to finally put Lance out of his career misery (or Lance to tell Daddy he wants to live his own dream) and follow Honda to Aston Martin for 2026 and get a taste of Newey machinery.

oh lance. punting that car onto the gravel when there was a clear drivable path was surely a cry for help

i would love that for yuki. he’s just never going to be taken seriously at rb so he really needs to get out of there.

 

[StephenTJackson]

oh lance. punting that car onto the gravel when there was a clear drivable path was surely a cry for help

i would love that for yuki. he’s just never going to be taken seriously at rb so he really needs to get out of there.

Lance is at that point where he doesn't want to be the first one to start the conversation with Daddy, he wants Daddy to start the conversation that is him leaving F1.

Laurence just needs to take him out back, and quietly talk to him and metaphorically shoot him in the back of the head George and Lennie Of Mice and Men style.

 

[LaBlonde]

Lance is at that point where he doesn't want to be the first one to start the conversation with Daddy, he wants Daddy to start the conversation that is him leaving F1.

Laurence just needs to take him out back, and quietly talk to him and metaphorically shoot him in the back of the head George and Lennie Of Mice and Men style.

omg “look at the flowers lance 🥲”

i feel for both of them as they’re basically thinking they’re making the other one happy but lance just go man, just leave. he is STEALING a seat at this point.

 

[Albrouze]

I have a soft spot for Lance, but he really doesn’t have an excuse after Sunday’s antics.

I am a little worried about what Yuki will do after next season. He’s clearly never going to be in contention for the main seat. If Alonso or Lance don’t choose to leave, there’s no seat there. There does seem to be a tradition of ex Red Bull drivers heading off to Renault/Alpine. So maybe that’s his only option? Alonso sounds like he had a miserable past few weeks. So maybe he will choose to retire again, but I think he’ll want to see what happens with Newey under the new regulations.

 

[Lola123]

I have a soft spot for Lance, but he really doesn’t have an excuse after Sunday’s antics.

I am a little worried about what Yuki will do after next season. He’s clearly never going to be in contention for the main seat. If Alonso or Lance don’t choose to leave, there’s no seat there. There does seem to be a tradition of ex Red Bull drivers heading off to Renault/Alpine. So maybe that’s his only option? Alonso sounds like he had a miserable past few weeks. So maybe he will choose to retire again, but I think he’ll want to see what happens with Newey under the new regulations.

For some reason, I think Yuki will end up at Williams if he can’t go to Aston, their link with Honda was heavily rumoured before he signed again with RB. Fernando seems a bit more open to leaving sooner rather than later tbh
Although max seems to be saying he doesn’t want to be a dad and be in F1 so maybe he goes in 2027? He’s the one who seems to indicate himself leaving more than any other driver

 

[Red hair dont care]

Yuki's best chance is for Laurence to finally put Lance out of his career misery (or Lance to tell Daddy he wants to live his own dream) and follow Honda to Aston Martin for 2026 and get a taste of Newey machinery.

We all can hope.

 

[Red hair dont care]

Just the thought

 

[F1Grid]

Pi3rre. All I need to say!