F1 2025 driver line up predictions

[Rotary Potato]

asfault said:

Leithen said:

Rotary Potato said:

Maybe I've just become a grumpy old git, but I don't particularly rate Bearman.

I think his showing in Saudi is nothing more or less than any competent F2 driver would do in the same circumstances. My opinion is you could have put almost half the F2 grid in that car in those circumstances and achieved that result. Nothing he's done in F2 sets him apart from any number of his peers.

He's definitely a solid driver, and didn't fumble his big moment in the spotlight, but nothing he's doing in F2 at the moment says to me "we have to put this kid into F1".

.......

I'd go a bit kinder on Bearman. He was dropped in with one practice session. It's a bd of a track that doesn't allow any fkups onto airport size tarmac runoffs and he did well even if the car is evidently good.

Agree with both Potato you put it better than I could.
Its more of a compliment to the talent of the f2 field that they are at such a level a good nubmer of them could jump into f1 and hold their own.

Exactly. I'm not saying that Bearman is a poor driver. Based on what I've seen he's a solid mid-level F2 driver (so better than 95%+ of people who've ever driven on track!), and his performance in Saudi shows what any reasonably talented F2 driver could do in the same circumstances. The only difference being that now he's demonstrated it, whereas for the rest of the upper tier of the current F2 crop, they haven't had an opportunity to demonstrate they could manage a similar level of performance in a similar situation.

Bearman might develop into a solid F1 driver, or he might be dining out on "that 1 time I drove for Ferrari in F1" (and to be fair, that is one hell of a good story ) for the rest of his life having sunk into obscurity by not making an impact in F2. One swallow does not make a summer (or 1 deVries does not make a season), and I haven't seen anything yet to indicate he's going to make an impact in F2.

And lets face it, unless you've got the hype train of being a generational talent behind you (Max, Antonelli, Hamilton, etc.) or have immediately been successful in F2/GP2 (Norris, Piastri, Russell, LeClerc) then the chances of getting into F1 rapidly diminish and appear to become a lottery for being stood in the right place at the right time or having the right money behind you, or both! For every Zhou or Mick Schumacher there are probably 10 equally talented F2 drivers for whom the cards never fell right and they never made it into F1.

[Rotary Potato]

Leithen said:

... I wonder if Ocon will be the placeholder at Mercedes rather than Albon? ...

Good shout. But Toto hesitated at least once before (when Nico retired - although Ocon was VERY new at that time - and when Bottas was "fighting for his seat") about putting Ocon in that seat, and I'm not sure he's shown anything since those hesitations to make him reconsider. With his history with Merc & Toto, you'd think that if there was real potential there, they'd have sniffed it out in that period and given him a shot.

I don't know if Ocon could keep his temper and driving in check if he ended up wheel to wheel with Russell on a regular basis. He does have a history of being boisterous with his team mates on track! That said, despite him and Gasly having a chequered past, there's been no on track argy-bargy, so maybe he's matured out of it ...

That's not to say it can't happen. I'm sure he'd be a solid pair of hands to keep that spot warm while they see how Antonelli matures. But if I was Merc, I'd be planning for the worst case scenario - "what if Antonelli isn't all he's cracked up to be". In that scenario, would you rather have Albon or Ocon as your existing driver (and so being the backstop option of extending past 1 year if Antonelli isn't good enough and no one else is free)? I'd be picking Albon myself - I think he's matured into a handy 'good but not great' tier driver.

[PRO5T]

Ocon and Russel together there ain’t a budget cap big enough to take their inevitable comings together.

However considering Toto’s run of decisions over the past few years it would be a brave mango bet against him doing anything daft.

[thegreenhell]

Likes Fast Cars said:

HTP99 said:

sidewinder500 said:

Who wants to have Vettel, please not....
On the same page as Ricciardo

Yep, please no to Vettel, he alwasys seems to get mentioned by a few posters when these topics come up, just no!

Edited by HTP99 on Monday 1st April 09:22

Recycling Vettel brings a whole meaning to the concept of recycling!

Apparently he is thinking about making a comeback...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/68729123

[Purosangue]

thegreenhell said:

Likes Fast Cars said:

HTP99 said:

sidewinder500 said:

Who wants to have Vettel, please not....
On the same page as Ricciardo

Yep, please no to Vettel, he alwasys seems to get mentioned by a few posters when these topics come up, just no!

Edited by HTP99 on Monday 1st April 09:22

Recycling Vettel brings a whole meaning to the concept of recycling!

Apparently he is thinking about making a comeback...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/68729123

Exactly what I posted ...........It all depends on Alonso , can imagine if he's signed for RB or Mercedes , him giving Seb a call about vacant spot at Aston

[MrBig]

Leithen said:

Rotary Potato said:

Maybe I've just become a grumpy old git, but I don't particularly rate Bearman.

I think his showing in Saudi is nothing more or less than any competent F2 driver would do in the same circumstances. My opinion is you could have put almost half the F2 grid in that car in those circumstances and achieved that result. Nothing he's done in F2 sets him apart from any number of his peers.

He's definitely a solid driver, and didn't fumble his big moment in the spotlight, but nothing he's doing in F2 at the moment says to me "we have to put this kid into F1".

.......

I'd go a bit kinder on Bearman. He was dropped in with one practice session. It's a bd of a track that doesn't allow any fkups onto airport size tarmac runoffs and he did well even if the car is evidently good.

It's an interesting subject. I'd argue that there are several drivers currently in F1 who, had they been dropped into that Ferrari under the same circumstances, probably would not have done any better.

IMO there's a fair number of what some on here would called 'journeymen' in F1 at the moment. I think it's about time we got some fresh blood into the sport.

[Leithen]

At what point will Elkann start thinking about paying Leclerc not to race in 2025?

[Milkyway]

Laurence Stroll buys Hass & finally has to break the sad news to his son that he isn't really that good.

He pairs Lance with Logan... Rebranding as team Canuseless.
Main sponsor being JML.

Fernando decides to stay... #2 TBA.

[davidd]

Fernando has signed a multi year deal with Aston....

[ThingsBehindTheSun]

With Alonso confirming he is staying at Aston Martin that is one big piece of the puzzle in place. I think the top five teams will stay the same other than Sainz and Hamilton swapping teams

McLaren - Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Red Bull - Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Ferrari - Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Aston Martin - Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Mercedes - George Russel and Carlos Sainz

That leaves the bottom five teams going for the Journeyman and new F1 drivers

Williams - Alex Albon and Andrea Antonelli
RB - Liam Lawson and Yuki Sonoda
Haas - Nico Hulkemberg and Oliver Bearman
Alpine - Pierre Ocon and Piere Gasly
Sauber - Zane Maloney and Valteri Bottas

[ajprice]

ThingsBehindTheSun said:

With Alonso confirming he is staying at Aston Martin that is one big piece of the puzzle in place. I think the top five teams will stay the same other than Sainz and Hamilton swapping teams

McLaren - Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Red Bull - Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Ferrari - Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Aston Martin - Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Mercedes - George Russel and Carlos Sainz

That leaves the bottom five teams going for the Journeyman and new F1 drivers

Williams - Alex Albon and Andrea Antonelli
RB - Liam Lawson and Yuki Sonoda
Haas - Nico Hulkemberg and Oliver Bearman
Alpine - Pierre Ocon and Piere Gasly
Sauber - Zane Maloney and Valteri Bottas

This all looks sensible and possible. I hope Stroll Jr gets punted out of that seat though (and over to the AM Hypercar team?). He is the biggest thing holding back AM as a constructor at the moment

[Milkyway]

I've just read an article about Sainz two real options... Williams or Sauber.
I predict that he will take the Sauber seat & play the long game.

[thegreenhell]

Milkyway said:

I've just read an article about Sainz two real options... Williams or Sauber.
I predict that he will take the Sauber seat & play the long game.

That would be a very long and risky game - a back of the grid team in the process of being taken over by a manufacturer with zero F1 experience. He'd have to be on mega $$$ to make that a worthwhile punt. Audi really do need experienced race winners if they are going to make the progress up the grid they will expect, so they will have to get the chequebook out to tempt anyone to join them.

Sadly it may end up being Sainz's only option, if RBR decide to stick as they are and Mercedes are determined to get Antonelli in the car sooner rather than later, itself a huge risk for Mercedes if he fails to perform as hoped, and a lot of pressure on the teenager.

[Milkyway]

If Sainz continues to have a great season, Audi might get a bigger chequebook out to ensure that he will be their #1 & build the team around him..

[SpudLink]

Milkyway said:

I've just read an article about Sainz two real options... Williams or Sauber.
I predict that he will take the Sauber seat & play the long game.

What was their logic for Sainz not being in the Mercedes?

[Muzzer79]

SpudLink said:

Milkyway said:

I've just read an article about Sainz two real options... Williams or Sauber.
I predict that he will take the Sauber seat & play the long game.

What was their logic for Sainz not being in the Mercedes?

Feels to me like Mercedes are wanting to take a punt on Antonelli. Or at least take some more time to assess him.

Sainz will want to have something agreed soon.

[Milkyway]

The way I see it, Sainz wasn't exactly very discreet about wanting to join Audi.
Ferrari finally got Lewis... so CS had to go.
Mercedes... don't want to gamble on a one year contract.

[ChemicalChaos]

It's rumored that next year's Red Bulls will be so fast that the drivers have had to model themselves on something speedier

[SpudLink]