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It looks like Verstappen might kick off silly season
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Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher thinks he's already seeing signs that the quadruple world champion could trigger an exit clause and jump ship as the current Red Bull crisis continues to unfold.
"Max is impatient, and rightly so," the German told Sky Deutschland. "I wouldn't want to be there to see what happens in that meeting," Schumacher smiled.
Yeah, but where would he go? Ferrari is set and also has their own team issues. I guarantee Max wouldn't tolerate a double technical disqualification. And, Mercedes looks set with Russell & a very good young talent who is already earning respectable points. I know Wolfe is enamored of Max even though he brings a hefty price tag, still???
Aston Martin to reunite with Newey.
I have always said Max may be heading to Aston. It is looking more likely that this may happen before this season is out. Aston with Newey cooking up the next car, seems the most appealing endpoint.Quote:
Originally Posted by N. Jones
A possibility for sure. Aston Martin, even with Newey, is probably going to take more than a year to get the car up to the top three. Max is not known for being a patient person. Would that mean dumping Alonso or Stroll? My guess is Alonso if that is where he goes. So my opinion is he either stays where he is or retires.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitrodaze
I think Alonso's time is up.He's just barely quicker than Stroll this season.
Also, Honda, who are coming on board next season, are not too keen to renew their ties with Fernando (which I can fully understand).
Hard to say with Max. Being this season is what it is, it would make no sense to move quick. The new regs for 2026 could substantially change the pecking order, but nobody knows just who will get it right. It's not as if Newey always made the best cars out of the box, and I think any move he would make would involve quite a bit of money.
And I don't think RB are on the back foot as bad as some seem to think. They haven't had as much CFD and wind tunnel time through 2024 as the other top teams, and with having dropped to third in the 2024 WCC, they are now on a more favorable playing field for both this year and into 2026 development.
The WDC battle is wide open while the WCC looks just about decided, and we are not even halfway through the season. Early penalties for things like track limits, unsafe releases, and pit lane infractions have already added a lot of drama. This roundup of the season’s penalties highlights how chaotic the start has been.
I think Alonso's Aston days are over. I don't see him driving the Honda-powered car in 2026. That GP2 rant is coming back to haunt him, I think. The pairing may turn out to be Verstappen and Stroll. But Lance would need to up his game with Verstappen in the other car. There is also the matter of Yuki, who is also a candidate for one of those seats.Quote:
Originally Posted by Used to be Starter
It would take a year for Verstappen to bed himself into the team. Hence, Aston would have at least a year to get the car competitive. I have a feeling that they would quickly be in the sharp end in two seasons tops. If Verstappen heads to Aston, he would use 2026 to get familiar with his new team and car. And he may start challenging for championships from 2027. Assuming they hit the sweet spot with the chassis design.
It would be interesting to see how the 2026 Honda engine compares to the Mercedes Engine. Mercedes is seen as the favourite to get the engine right from the get-go. I would not underestimate Honda, though. My confidence in Ferrari is very low at the moment, but I suspect they would be thereabouts on the engine front. They just don't seem to be able to build championship-winning chassis anymore. Chassis also is Mercedes' weak point too, but like 2014, the engine maty make all the difference.
I agree. Stroll is a wild card though. He performed pretty well his first two seasons. This year and last he's been nowhere. Perhaps the wrist injury is the reason or maybe not. I think there is a reasonable chance someone other than Alonso or Stroll will be in the second car.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nitrodaze
At this point I think it would be rather silly for anyone in the top of the sport to make a move for next year, unless that is their only option to retain a seat somehow. The new regs with active aero will probably really shake the field up. Not only is it a game of who gets the aero package right, but both the ICE and deployment modes will change in a huge way compared to what we have now. Some claim Merc is again ahead in the ICE department, but Honda was very crafty in getting more out of deployment modes and harvesting.
We know many of the top drivers have or will have options. But to jump to soon might limit them to finding out too late.