2025 Driver Market

[DoubleFart]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Williams chose a rookie over Mick
Mercedes chose a rookie over Mick having seen his data in the SIM for a year.
Alpine chose a rookie over Mick having seen him in WEC for a year.

Case. Closed.

[Aty]

GP247:

Liam Lawson, having secured a race seat with Red Bull-owned RB, is mindful he could lose his Formula 1 chance in months if he fails to perform for the rest of the season.

https://www.grandprix247.com/2024/10/01 ... -rb-vcarb/

That junior team is really a testing/breeding lab for RB A-team. Anyone who wants to claim those two are totally independent teams has to rethink whether this sport is rather out of his league, and needs to find something less complicated.

[Everso Biggyballies]

As was Sauber in its Alfa Days for Ferrari and as is Haas for Ferrari. How did Mick get an F1 seat in the first place? Because Mick was a Ferrari Academy driver, Haas is a Ferrari customer and thats the way it works. Same with Leclerc driving for Alfa Romeo as a learning curve and proving ground prior to getting the call to 'the main team'. Same with Williams and Mercedes. Toto wanted George to prove himself and so placed him at Williams for 3 years. RB are a customer team to Red Bull effectively. Ferrari placed Mick at Haas but he failed to impress. They placed Bearman at Haas for some FP1 sessions and he impressed them, became Ferrari's reserve, taking over from a sidelined Sainz. Now he is driving for Haas full time to further prove himself and maybe be inline to replace Hamilton in a couple of years if he continues to impress.

It goes further than that..... the Haas has Ferrari suspension, hubs and as many parts as permitted. Transmissions and drivetrains as well As do all the 'customer' cars from their assigned engine providers

Its the way the world of F1 works. and always has. Im sure the Williams team got additional tech help or discounts in return for being Mercedestesting mule. As do Haas and did Alfa Romeo until Audi came in.

[Aty]

Sometimes it looks like selective plagiarising, but I do admit it's only today I came accross an interview with 93 years old BE. Apparently he is with me on the same page. (How delightful.)

This is what the man said:

When asked about Audi's rumoured decision re-sign Bottas as Nico Hulkenberg's teammate next year, 93-year-old Ecclestone answered: Time will tell.

But he also admits it's a big blow for Schumacher, who he describes as a warm-hearted person who is talented enough for F1.

He has not been given the right opportunity so far, Ecclestone said, insisting that the 25-year-old's first shot at F1 was spoiled by the management style of former Haas boss Gunther Steiner.

He (Mick) doesn't need people telling him off all the time, said the Briton. "He needs someone to help him and not criticise him too much.

(Bold emphasis is mine.)

https://www.grandprix.com/news/time-wil ... -mick.html

Most observers recognize then conditions at Haas as self-evident for what it was, namely toxic influence pouring on Mick's head by inept management. BE also think if Michael was around, he would never permit those conditions to go on.

At Alpine, junior Jack Doohan was given preference, although Schumacher was significantly faster than the Australian in a racing simulation on the joint test day. But unlike Doohan, Schumacher is not managed by a company owned by the Italian Flavio Briatore. And the ex-team boss of Mick's father Michael at Benetton has been in charge of the French Formula 1 project for eight weeks.

[Aty]

On several instances Vowles publicly was appealing to Binotto to place a call (to him), and hire Franco Colapinto.

James Vowles has reiterated his belief that Franco Colapinto is deserving of a full time place in Formula 1, with the Williams boss exploring possible options for the Argentinian driver given there is no seat available at the Grove squad in 2025.

Well, Mr. Vowles, if you think so highly of Colapinto, why is he not driving for you next year? Binotto would disappoint me if he converted the team into a prep school for the benefit of Williams. Mick or Waltteri should get a call, and forget people like Vowles. Williams is a competitor, not a friend, and has no interest in Audi's well-being.

Regarding Vettel...that's almost certainly no-go.

And according to Red Bull F1 consultant Dr Helmut Marko, quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel is unlikely to emerge from retirement to complete an all-German driver lineup for Audi-Sauber next year. He's been out of the sport for too long and there are too many fast youngsters now, Marko told formel1.de when asked about Vettel and Audi.

I haven't had any contact with him for a while. He's in an area with no mobile phones, where no planes go, somewhere in northern Europe. I haven't heard much from him in the last three months, the Austrian added.

[DoubleFart]

On several instances Vowles publicly was appealing to Binotto to place a call (to him), and hire Franco Colapinto.

James Vowles has reiterated his belief that Franco Colapinto is deserving of a full time place in Formula 1, with the Williams boss exploring possible options for the Argentinian driver given there is no seat available at the Grove squad in 2025.

Well, Mr. Vowles, if you think so highly of Colapinto, why is he not driving for you next year? Binotto would disappoint me if he converted the team into a prep school for the benefit of Williams. Mick or Waltteri should get a call, and forget people like Vowles. Williams is a competitor, not a friend, and has no interest in Audi's well-being.

This is why you have the worst takes on this entire board.

Toto rejects Mick but says he's deserving of a drive. You don't want Toto's head served on a pike.

Alpine say Mick is worthy of a drive, but pick a Rookie. You're not calling them out constantly.

Vowels says Mick isn't good enough and every opportunity you get you attack him. Williams' good form is down to his predecessor who left before this car cycle etc.

Steiner says Mick isn't good enough and every opportunity you attack him. Haas' good form is down to a new boss, despite the fact that the car is a Steiner car.


PLEASE just stop the bias and inconsistencies. It's painful.

Also stop the Mick stuff. He's not good enough, everybody is passing the chance to sign him, and nobody wants to sign an average driver even with the big cheque his surname brings. That says everything

[Aty]

Back to Sauber...

...the old philosophy of some team bosses that you can only promote drivers to a top team with three or four years of experience is outdated, Marko told Speed Week. There is a certain risk, but it is manageable and it is worth it.

But Marko thinks Mick Schumacher absolutely deserves a second chance at Formula 1 after his ill-fated two years at Haas. He was not treated fairly by Netflix superstar Gunther Steiner, the 81-year-old insists. But behind the scenes, you only hear good things about him.

https://www.grandprix.com/news/audi-cho ... marko.html

Dr. Marko, in contrast to some people with warts infected tongues, usually knows what he is talking about. Unfortunatelly rumors circling paddock that Bottas will get another year with Sauber. Trouble as I see it is, that will take care of 2025, and then what? Borrowing young drivers implies you have to also return them at some point, then what's the point grooming them for competition with their know-how you operate and pounce on that every chance they get?

Wolff is in the headlines that he is giving up on chasing Max, so he will probably keep his two drivers for a while, and due to heavy traffic of drivers this year, hard to tell who (of any value) will be available next year. Audi cannot count that one of Toto's current drivers would ask for the job. If Max stays put, Mercedes drivers will stay put. Travelling full circle, Mick is the man who should get the call.

[DoubleFart]

Talking to a brick wall.