The Official F1 2025 silly season *contains speculation*
Discussion
vaud said:
Leithen said:
Verstappen will go to Merc at the end of the year. Sainz will replace him and win the 2025 championship.
To be fair to Verstappen if he takes a risk and goes to Mercedes and leads them to a WDC over time then much like Lewis, he will be viewed as one of the best.It’s a horrible job to work out where to go though, and while Red Bull is obviously the car to be in this year and probably next, it’s anyone’s guess after that. You’d have to guess that Ferrari and Mercedes are the most likely winners though, as even in the cost cap era they’re the most resourced teams. Ferrari don’t have a vacancy, so Mercedes seems the place to go if he’s going to move.
Many people said at the time that Schumacher was mad to go to Ferrari, and Hamilton to go to Mercedes, but hindsight says those were GOAT moves, the driver signings being a part of each of those teams putting in a serious effort to return to the top step of the podium.
I don't recall anyone saying Schumacher going to Ferrari was mad. It was so clearly the right move with the resources and technical team they were building with Jean Todt, already a legendary TP from rallying (which was far bigger a deal than now) heading it up.
The talk was more about how Benetton were about to fall losing their key staff and star driver.
The talk was more about how Benetton were about to fall losing their key staff and star driver.
Sandpit Steve said:
Absolutely, the greatest drivers are those who have won championships with more than one team.
That is generally true. However Alonso is considered by many (including myself) to be up there with the best in the history of the sport. But he only has championships with one team. Those ‘almost’ championships with McLaren and Ferrari don’t count for anything in the record books. SpudLink said:
Sandpit Steve said:
Absolutely, the greatest drivers are those who have won championships with more than one team.
That is generally true. However Alonso is considered by many (including myself) to be up there with the best in the history of the sport. But he only has championships with one team. Those ‘almost’ championships with McLaren and Ferrari don’t count for anything in the record books. SpudLink said:
Sandpit Steve said:
Absolutely, the greatest drivers are those who have won championships with more than one team.
That is generally true. However Alonso is considered by many (including myself) to be up there with the best in the history of the sport. But he only has championships with one team. Those ‘almost’ championships with McLaren and Ferrari don’t count for anything in the record books. 
teI'd imagine Saintz to Mercedes on a two year should now be a formality, or even a one year to see how Audi shake themselves down.
Audi may really want him but he's not going to bring anything to the technical side so while his speed may generate some extra points above Bottas or Zou (either of whom would take a one or two year deal and be happy) would it be enough to offset the supposedly huge salary he's been promised?
The days of drivers developing cars is long gone.
Mercedes can wait to see if Verstappen wants to jump from Red Bull (I don't think he will as early as next year but 2026?) or if Antonelli somehow turns out to be the next great hope (I don't see that either).
Audi may really want him but he's not going to bring anything to the technical side so while his speed may generate some extra points above Bottas or Zou (either of whom would take a one or two year deal and be happy) would it be enough to offset the supposedly huge salary he's been promised?
The days of drivers developing cars is long gone.
Mercedes can wait to see if Verstappen wants to jump from Red Bull (I don't think he will as early as next year but 2026?) or if Antonelli somehow turns out to be the next great hope (I don't see that either).
More spray guard tests, more like full wheel and tyre covers this time. One thing that would be safer but duller is that there wouldn't be tyre to tyre contact with these. The covers would probably have to be colour coded to the tyres too, if the cover is part of the wheel and tyre in pit stops, and you'd have to have Pirelli logos on there when you can barely see the sidewall.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/ferrari-trials-m...
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/ferrari-trials-m...
ajprice said:
More spray guard tests, more like full wheel and tyre covers this time. One thing that would be safer but duller is that there wouldn't be tyre to tyre contact with these. The covers would probably have to be colour coded to the tyres too, if the cover is part of the wheel and tyre in pit stops, and you'd have to have Pirelli logos on there when you can barely see the sidewall.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/ferrari-trials-m...
I assume/hope only to be used in wet condition where otherwise the race might be severely impaired, e.g. Spa 21?https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/ferrari-trials-m...
But agree, not very practical and quite a "bodge"
J210 said:
Most of the spray comes from the diffuser. FIA lets stick bins over the wheels and see if that stops the spray.....
bunch of morons
I think they were aware it was complex:bunch of morons
Nikolas Tombazis spoke about the project at the end of 2022. He explained:
"We only think it’s going to be something that gets used on a couple of occasions a year, maybe three, that sort of thing.
"We don’t want it to be that every time there’s a drop of rain, then suddenly you have to fit these things.
"We have done a lot of CFD simulations, because we want to make sure the effect of these devices is relatively small on the overall aerodynamics. There still is an effect, but not a massive one.
"Also, we are simulating the droplets of the rain and so on, and seeing how it affects spray. What is a bit of a challenge in the simulations is to determine the relative proportion of what comes from the diffuser to what comes from the tyres.
"Once we have a solution, we’ll get to do some prototypes and run them on some cars to try and evaluate that properly."
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