The Official F1 2023 silly season *contains speculation*

[glazbagun]

Bradgate said:

HustleRussell said:

All the other drivers in the frame for the Alpine drive are so uninspiring- Zhou, Schumacher, Drugovich... They have to go for Ricciardo surely.

They could hire Gasly. He’s French, he’s a GP winner and he has proved himself since being back at AT.

Is Kvyat still on the go? I can't see AT giving up Gasly as he's all thats saving the team from embarrassment.

[Mister V]

glazbagun said:

Is Kvyat still on the go? I can't see AT giving up Gasly as he's all thats saving the team from embarrassment.

Kyvat was racing in NASCAR last week, He won't be back in F1 anytime soon on account of being a Rusky.

[MG CHRIS]

Pflanzgarten said:

Ian974 said:

Pflanzgarten said:

For all their bluster, what has the Red Bull Young Driver Program ever delivered? Sebastian Vettel and a lot of people sacked.

While it has given them Seb and Max,

It hasn’t, they poached Max from Mercedes by offering him a route straight into F1 with Torro Rosso and promotion to the big team if it went well.

Wasn't seb more BMW junior driver first he did his first race for BMW in 07.

[DanielSan]

MG CHRIS said:

Wasn't seb more BMW junior driver first he did his first race for BMW in 07.

He was indeed.

[Stockman14]

Looks like the DR out the door confirmation is pending. More and more people reporting it

[thegreenhell]

Bradgate said:

They could hire Gasly. He’s French, he’s a GP winner and he has proved himself since being back at AT.

Two Frenchmen who hate each other in the same French team. What could possibly go wrong?

[super7]

glazbagun said:

Bradgate said:

HustleRussell said:

All the other drivers in the frame for the Alpine drive are so uninspiring- Zhou, Schumacher, Drugovich... They have to go for Ricciardo surely.

They could hire Gasly. He’s French, he’s a GP winner and he has proved himself since being back at AT.

Is Kvyat still on the go? I can't see AT giving up Gasly as he's all thats saving the team from embarrassment.

Drugovich? After 3 seasons in F2 to get to the top of the tables..... and Logan Sargeant and Pouchair are catchinh up quickly!!!!

Zhou, Schumacher and Drugovich are all slow burners..... they don't inspire like Russell, LeClerc and Piastri.... all won F2 & F3 in rookie years!!

Tsunoda needs to go aswell.....

[ch37]

Stockman14 said:

Looks like the DR out the door confirmation is pending. More and more people reporting it

Yes the majority of those close to F1 have said it's done now.

[Henry Fiddleton]

Surprised Nyck De Vries isn't being mentioned more, given that Toto said he might have to off load him as he can't get him a drive?

[Ian974]

MG CHRIS said:

Pflanzgarten said:

Ian974 said:

Pflanzgarten said:

For all their bluster, what has the Red Bull Young Driver Program ever delivered? Sebastian Vettel and a lot of people sacked.

While it has given them Seb and Max,

It hasn’t, they poached Max from Mercedes by offering him a route straight into F1 with Torro Rosso and promotion to the big team if it went well.

Wasn't seb more BMW junior driver first he did his first race for BMW in 07.

Fair cop, I'd missed all of that. Makes their driver development program look even more questionable!

[Sandpit Steve]

Henry Fiddleton said:

Surprised Nyck De Vries isn't being mentioned more, given that Toto said he might have to off load him as he can't get him a drive?

To Williams in place of Latifi? Doesn’t bring as much money, but doesn’t crash as many cars!

[carl_w]

Sandpit Steve said:

To Williams in place of Latifi? Doesn’t bring as much money, but doesn’t crash as many cars!

I don't think Williams needs money now as they have Dorliton.

[glazbagun]

Mister V said:

glazbagun said:

Is Kvyat still on the go? I can't see AT giving up Gasly as he's all thats saving the team from embarrassment.

Kyvat was racing in NASCAR last week, He won't be back in F1 anytime soon on account of being a Rusky.

Mazepin was out because his sponsor was Russian and HAAS didn't want a Russian Flag on the car. When the sponsorship dried up, his driving "talent" alone wasn't enough to keep him in the seat.

I'm pretty sure You could pay Kvyat and get a better result than the bottom names out there right now, and possibly even Danny Ric if he's lost his way.

[kambites]

Sandpit Steve said:

Henry Fiddleton said:

Surprised Nyck De Vries isn't being mentioned more, given that Toto said he might have to off load him as he can't get him a drive?

To Williams in place of Latifi? Doesn’t bring as much money, but doesn’t crash as many cars!

I'd like to see him get a chance in F1. I don't think he's Hamilton/Russell/Verstappen calibre but I think he'd probably be at least average on the current grid.

[ralphrj]

Ian974 said:

MG CHRIS said:

Pflanzgarten said:

Ian974 said:

Pflanzgarten said:

For all their bluster, what has the Red Bull Young Driver Program ever delivered? Sebastian Vettel and a lot of people sacked.

While it has given them Seb and Max,

It hasn’t, they poached Max from Mercedes by offering him a route straight into F1 with Torro Rosso and promotion to the big team if it went well.

Wasn't seb more BMW junior driver first he did his first race for BMW in 07.

Fair cop, I'd missed all of that. Makes their driver development program look even more questionable!

He was already part of a Red Bull program long before he made his debut at BMW Sauber. I can recall it being reported that following the US GP BMW tried to sign Vettel full time but Helmut Marko was absolutely clear that it was not something they would even consider.

Red Bull signed Vettel to a young driver program when he was 11/12 and sponsored him when he was racing go karts.

[HustleRussell]

Henry Fiddleton said:

Surprised Nyck De Vries isn't being mentioned more, given that Toto said he might have to off load him as he can't get him a drive?

F1 teams have tested him, he's a bit 'meh'. Logan Sergeant a more interesting proposition for Williams.

[jsf]

glazbagun said:

Mazepin was out because his sponsor was Russian and HAAS didn't want a Russian Flag on the car. When the sponsorship dried up, his driving "talent" alone wasn't enough to keep him in the seat.

I'm pretty sure You could pay Kvyat and get a better result than the bottom names out there right now, and possibly even Danny Ric if he's lost his way.

Both Mazepin senior and junior have been personally sanctioned, he cant get a drive, period.

[Deesee]

[tight fart]

I spoke to someone I know at McLaren yesterday and he didn’t have a clue what was going on. Tonight he said Dans out and pasta is in. Have to wait and see if he’s correct.

[Pflanzgarten]

ralphrj said:

Ian974 said:

MG CHRIS said:

Pflanzgarten said:

Ian974 said:

Pflanzgarten said:

For all their bluster, what has the Red Bull Young Driver Program ever delivered? Sebastian Vettel and a lot of people sacked.

While it has given them Seb and Max,

It hasn’t, they poached Max from Mercedes by offering him a route straight into F1 with Torro Rosso and promotion to the big team if it went well.

Wasn't seb more BMW junior driver first he did his first race for BMW in 07.

Fair cop, I'd missed all of that. Makes their driver development program look even more questionable!

He was already part of a Red Bull program long before he made his debut at BMW Sauber. I can recall it being reported that following the US GP BMW tried to sign Vettel full time but Helmut Marko was absolutely clear that it was not something they would even consider.

Red Bull signed Vettel to a young driver program when he was 11/12 and sponsored him when he was racing go karts.

Correct on Seb, he was sponsored by Red Bull early doors and his position in BMW was on their behalf.

Max most certainly want however.

I do sometimes wonder if the Seb story was the main reason for the eventual driver progress program at Red Bull but it simply hasn’t worked with anyone else.

I think it’s a flawed system anyway.