George Russell's teammate for 2025?

[Leithen]

Audi isn’t going to be competitive until 2028 at the earliest.

Sainz is well regarded for his technical input and feedback. Mercedes ought to get him on a 2+1 deal to help Russell get the team to the front again.

Then Sainz goes to Audi and Antonelli into Mercedes if he really is the second coming.

Wolff however, ought to offer his old mate Vasseur a straight swap immediately. Ferrari is still rebuilding and Mercedes could do with stability over the next three years.

Ferrari honeymoons only last so long, so it’s in Wolff’s interest as a competitor to start it as soon as possible, so it ends as soon as possible.

[MB140]

Bradgate said:

Whack!
Ouch!
Whack!
Ouch!

That sound you can hear is Lando Norris kicking himself for signing a new contract with McLaren last week…

As we all know, any contract in F1 can be thrown in the bin if the price is right. If Merc want Norris they have the pockets to afford him.

Maybe offer Mclaren a sweet deal on engines in exchange for releasing him from contract to reduce the cost……

[Evercross]

Meanwhile Verstappen, Horner et al look on bemused at the stshow thinking - well that’s the competition seceded their position this year.

[IanUAE]

g4ry13 said:

Ah yes....extra teams coming in.

Could be a solid choice for Audi if they could get him in the team.

No extra teams coming in, Audi have bought Sauber so the number of teams remain the same.

[Piginapoke]

Deesee said:

It’ll be Mick

Absolutely no chance of this.

Alonso is out of contract in 2025 so I expect will be top of Toto's list, for a short term contract. Merc will use 2025 to see if Antonelli is as good as they hope at Williams.

Edited by Piginapoke on Friday 2nd February 06:44

[Deesee]

Piginapoke said:

Deesee said:

It’ll be Mick

Absolutely no chance of this.

Alonso is out of contract in 2025 so I expect will be top of Toto's list, for a short term contract. Merc will use 2025 to see if Antonelli is as good as they hope at Williams.

Edited by Piginapoke on Friday 2nd February 06:44

All depends on how highly they rate George for 2026 (if they extend the contract), and Mercs ambition moving forwards. If you want to be a top team go and get the best driver/s available.

I’m sure Totos phone has been ringing non stop with drivers punting for a seat in ‘25.

If Alonso can still mix it why not.

When a top driver moves the pecking order can all change.

[spikyone]

Piginapoke said:

Deesee said:

It’ll be Mick

Absolutely no chance of this.

Alonso is out of contract in 2025 so I expect will be top of Toto's list, for a short term contract. Merc will use 2025 to see if Antonelli is as good as they hope at Williams.

Edited by Piginapoke on Friday 2nd February 06:44

Agree. Mick was, frankly, not good enough even for Haas and showed none of the development that his supporters always claimed would come. There's no way Merc will give him that seat.
And we've seen before that they're fairly conservative with drivers. It was obvious that Russell was better than Bottas long before he almost won Sakhir in his one-off, yet he spent 3 years at Williams. Other Merc-linked drivers like Ocon and Wehrlein have been farmed out elsewhere for multiple years and not got a seat at the top team.

I'd be surprised if Antonelli is in the Merc before 2027, that would give him 2 seasons to prove himself at another team.

[andburg]

asfault said:

g4ry13 said:

Jordie Barretts sock said:

Except there's no Audi until 2026. What does Sainz do in 2025?

Singing career?

Chief ferrari stratagist

A second career as an actor starting with a remake of the cult film "Dude where's my car?"

[andburg]

spikyone said:

Agree. Mick was, frankly, not good enough even for Haas and showed none of the development that his supporters always claimed would come. There's no way Merc will give him that seat.
And we've seen before that they're fairly conservative with drivers. It was obvious that Russell was better than Bottas long before he almost won Sakhir in his one-off, yet he spent 3 years at Williams. Other Merc-linked drivers like Ocon and Wehrlein have been farmed out elsewhere for multiple years and not got a seat at the top team.

I'd be surprised if Antonelli is in the Merc before 2027, that would give him 2 seasons to prove himself at another team.

Ocon / Wehrlein showed nothing like the performance of Russell

Albon to merc for 2 with Antonelli to Williams as a repalcement has to be the sensible option

[MustangGT]

andburg said:

Ocon / Wehrlein showed nothing like the performance of Russell

Albon to merc for 2 with Antonelli to Williams as a repalcement has to be the sensible option

I think this is likely.



Mind you, I also thought Lewis would retire from Mercedes......

[epom]

spikyone said:

Piginapoke said:

Deesee said:

It’ll be Mick

Absolutely no chance of this.

Alonso is out of contract in 2025 so I expect will be top of Toto's list, for a short term contract. Merc will use 2025 to see if Antonelli is as good as they hope at Williams.

Edited by Piginapoke on Friday 2nd February 06:44

Agree. Mick was, frankly, not good enough even for Haas and showed none of the development that his supporters always claimed would come. There's no way Merc will give him that seat.
And we've seen before that they're fairly conservative with drivers. It was obvious that Russell was better than Bottas long before he almost won Sakhir in his one-off, yet he spent 3 years at Williams. Other Merc-linked drivers like Ocon and Wehrlein have been farmed out elsewhere for multiple years and not got a seat at the top team.

I'd be surprised if Antonelli is in the Merc before 2027, that would give him 2 seasons to prove himself at another team.

I'd like it to be Mick, didn't he do some testing lately ? If he'd set the world on fire I'm sure we would have heard so.

[MrBig]

I really hope it’s not Albon or Ocon. Neither are WDC material. Piastri or Norris would be the smart choice.

[Evercross]

MrBig said:

Piastri or Norris would be the smart choice.

I suspect Norris would be a mighty expensive option (and he has probably secretly emailed a copy of his McLaren contract to Merc's legal department to see if there's a cheaper way of doing things...)

Toto to Zak - "Hey, about those engines....."

[Jasandjules]

andburg said:

Ocon / Wehrlein showed nothing like the performance of Russell

Albon to merc for 2 with Antonelli to Williams as a repalcement has to be the sensible option

Yup, then assess in 2 years with a view to moving Antonelli into the top team.

[alisdairm]

Does Jamie Chadwick have enough super licence points?

[spikyone]

andburg said:

spikyone said:

Agree. Mick was, frankly, not good enough even for Haas and showed none of the development that his supporters always claimed would come. There's no way Merc will give him that seat.
And we've seen before that they're fairly conservative with drivers. It was obvious that Russell was better than Bottas long before he almost won Sakhir in his one-off, yet he spent 3 years at Williams. Other Merc-linked drivers like Ocon and Wehrlein have been farmed out elsewhere for multiple years and not got a seat at the top team.

I'd be surprised if Antonelli is in the Merc before 2027, that would give him 2 seasons to prove himself at another team.

Ocon / Wehrlein showed nothing like the performance of Russell

Albon to merc for 2 with Antonelli to Williams as a repalcement has to be the sensible option

Which is exactly my point. Merc haven't thrown any of them straight into the top team, they've all been given more than enough time to prove themselves elsewhere. Even the guy that proved himself straight away didn't get the Merc seat for a couple of years so there's no way we're seeing Antonelli at Merc until 2027.

alisdairm said:

Does Jamie Chadwick have enough super licence points?

I hope this is a piss-taking, ironic post. In case it isn't, then the answer is very much no, and short of another gifting of points to a series exclusively for female drivers she has about as much hope of getting enough points as I do.

[Hustle_]

spikyone said:

Piginapoke said:

Deesee said:

It’ll be Mick

Absolutely no chance of this.

Alonso is out of contract in 2025 so I expect will be top of Toto's list, for a short term contract. Merc will use 2025 to see if Antonelli is as good as they hope at Williams.

Agree. Mick was, frankly, not good enough even for Haas and showed none of the development that his supporters always claimed would come. There's no way Merc will give him that seat.

I don't think we saw enough from Mick to write him off as 'not F1 calibre'. Tough to say that I think he deserves another chance because he has already had more chances than most would get, but I suspect he's better than he looked at HAAS.

[Deesee]

Hustle_ said:

spikyone said:

Piginapoke said:

Deesee said:

It’ll be Mick

Absolutely no chance of this.

Alonso is out of contract in 2025 so I expect will be top of Toto's list, for a short term contract. Merc will use 2025 to see if Antonelli is as good as they hope at Williams.

Agree. Mick was, frankly, not good enough even for Haas and showed none of the development that his supporters always claimed would come. There's no way Merc will give him that seat.

I don't think we saw enough from Mick to write him off as 'not F1 calibre'. Tough to say that I think he deserves another chance because he has already had more chances than most would get, but I suspect he's better than he looked at HAAS.

At the moment he has access to Mick and Nick? Nico has been out of the car too long, Seb I don't think so.. gotta bring a name in id say, unless he has the utmost confidence in GR..

Cant see Alonso (sorry Fred).

If Antonelli is the answer, a 1 yr friendly stop gap of Carlos or Hulk (professional and competent) or a Gasly.. & put Antonelli in the Sim integrate into team, then allow to run in new regs.

Red Bull 2nd seat will just as interesting when this all happens.

[thegreenhell]

Mick had two years at Haas and a year testing for Merc and no other team has tried to sign him, so he's obviously going nowhere in F1. If Merc saw in him a potential race driver for them then they'd have made an effort to place him in a team like Williams rather than let him go off to WEC. Being a reserve driver doesn't make him next in line for a race seat when one becomes available.

[Deesee]

thegreenhell said:

Mick had two years at Haas and a year testing for Merc and no other team has tried to sign him, so he's obviously going nowhere in F1. If Merc saw in him a potential race driver for them then they'd have made an effort to place him in a team like Williams rather than let him go off to WEC. Being a reserve driver doesn't make him next in line for a race seat when one becomes available.

The issue I'm alluding too, is not Mick, it's the general lack of talent to take Hamilton's seat.

Ferrari have played a worldly, securing 1 of 3 world class drivers while seriously weakening a rival.