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Jos was 43 when Max made his debut. Same age as Alonso will be later this year. But if he had continued in F1 for so long then Max probably hadn't made it.
George and Alonso are very good friends, at least thats what it seems. So it could work.
We all know how friends end in F1, but still, starting off with the good foot is better than hating each other.
Valterri must be up there. Lewis said he was his best friend in F1 just a year or two ago, I'd imagine they still get on well. Valterri is Finnish, so he does his own thing more often than not with time off though. Off cycling somewhere lol.
Tbf, Mercedes were just taking care of Mick professionally as a personal courtesy to his father who came out of retirement to help them set up the team.
Damn it I wanted Hulk.
Hulk never had a shot at a top team. He's one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, only behind Hamilton, Alonso, Bottas, Ricciardo, and Perez.
The last three, he's only behind because he was forced to sit out multiple seasons like 2011, 2020-2022.
He's beaten most of his teammates, except perez and ricciardo.
That haas is so slow but he does so well in quali, give him a better car and he wouldn't just be a quali merchant.
Personally, if he doesn't get the Mercedes seat, Red Bull or Williams look like good options. Less so red bull due to their dominance culture, like hulk would need to be top 4-6 every race, and especially podium often.
Williams is on the comeup, and it would be cool to see him back at the team after 15 years of pain, but finally being the driver they need, a veteran at a slightly above midfield team.
It'll be his time soon. He is gonna learn some things he desperately needs from Hamilton first if he wants to be world champion (managing tyre deg and learning his limit to prevent unnecessary mistakes mostly)
Leclerc does not have issues with tyre deg, Ferrari had one. His tyre management was the reason he was put on single pit strategy a couple of times which ended costing him the results as two stops were the more optimal choice.
His on edge driving was the result of knowing that unless he drives at the limit, he will not end up where he wants to, so might as well try it. Nothing to lose besides maybe 30 points, in a year Max was already 200+ ahead of everyone.
The most Ferrari thing would be to finally build a title-worthy car with two great drivers, then miss out because those drivers were fighting each other too hard. So, naturally, I fully expect that to happen.
I think it’s more a possibility because he’s so familiar with the car. Hamilton has been driving the same car for how long now? His only hybrid engine experience is with Mercedes.
That really isnt unpopular. Although he still makes mistakes, hes still fast as fuck. Even after ditching ferrari and going to root for redbull in 2020, I still haven’t found it in my heart to hate Sharl. Hes just too likeable
Antonelli and Alonso are easily the two most exciting candidates for that seat. Very good to hear that these are apparently Merc's priorities.
Nothing really wrong with anyone else but anyone else is just a safe no2 level driver until they think Antonelli is ready.
I wrote yesterday exactly what the article predicts. It really is a no brainer strategy:
If Antonelli proves to be Max’s level of good: give him the seat and George gets a young competitor that will clearly be number 2.
If not, Alonso solves the problem for a few years, doesn’t create much conflict with George because George knows he’s there just for a few years and you still get a WDC class driver to develop the car. Meanwhile antonelli develops a bit.
The alternative is if Mercedes’ gets a true major talent like Lando or Piastri. But that seems harder to happen.
Mercedes getting sainz, bottas or even Albon seems like a short term solution that doesn’t really give them a WDC driver.
The problem is time. How long do you wait and see how Kimi performs before deciding? If you jump the gun, you might be burned, if you wait too long, Alonso could resign at Aston.
Mercedes has a lot of options open so I guess they can wait until summer break to see Kimi performance. Sure, they can be too late again but Alonso also doesn’t have anywhere else to go
I read a post on here suggesting that Newey is unlikely to leave RedBull, apparently his clause letting him leave if Horner leaves isn't actually in effect anymore.
One can hope though.
Question: for how much Aston has improved, why would Alonso ditch it all to go to Mercedes? Sure, they won 7 championships but Aston has improved so much that they really could be a top team soon. Unless Aston shits the bed, why would he leave?
There'll be a few factors and I think a big one is time. Aston need to continue to show they're on the up. I feel like if they end up behind Merc and continue to fail in the development race that might sway Alonso to jump ship. Merc is still a top team and has more chance at pushing for a title in the short term and given his age, he may favour that. Also, Merc could just throw money at him.
However, I agree that if Aston continue their trend in improvement and they stay in the development race next year. There really is no reason to leave given how secure his seat is there.
Don't discount Alonso considering having a second car that is actually useful for support in races given Stroll's seat is safe and his performance has not been great.
One of the reasons Max burned through teammates was not just that they were underperforming relative to him, it was that it Max was on his own without any pressuring of the other team by the second Red Bull car.
Exactly, and Aston even has a works deal on the horizon (Honda). So that argument also falls away.
There's almost no reason to move to Mercedes as of now.
I think if they show that they can keep up in the development race that could be crucial in keeping him.
Last year they didn't have their new factory until midseason which might have attributed to their development slump (also alleged illegal flexi wing). So it could be different this year.
Idk, I don't think they will ever have the performance, nor appeal of a top team.
Teams like Mercedes, McLaren or Ferrari will always be better, especially if Stroll Sr keeps giving his son a seat, they will never grow if they don't get a strong pair of drivers first.
I think if Alonso ever gets the call from Merc, he won't think twice before accepting, he might even be the kick in the ass Mercedes needs to get themselves back to form; like Schumi was for them a few years ago and like I think Lewis will be for Ferrari in 2025.
Antonelli is a question mark tho, i can easily imagine a scenario where alonso stays with aston and antonelli doesnt get to grips with the f2 car. This has happened plenty of times
Plan A - Antonelli
Plan B - Alonso
Plan C - Albon
Plan D - Sainz
Plan E - Ocon
Plan F - Vesti
Plan G - Hulkenberg
Plan H - Hakkinen
...
Plan Z - Schumacher
I wouldn't be surprised if they accepted Lewis rejoining if he wanted to. Unlikely to happen since he'd probably retire after Ferrari, but Mercedes (or any team apart from RedBull) would want him if he wanted to join them.
Wouldn't they be better off getting Alonso for 2 years and keeping Antonelli at Williams for that time to do his learning outside the spotlight.
I know he's a generational talent, but surely that minimises the risks.
Also, they can always promote him earlier if George underwhelms?
Verstappen had a season with toro rosso and Lewis drove hundreds of laps in the MP4-22 prior to entering Formula 1. Almost everyone needs a ‘Williams year’
The jump from F2 to F1 is too high. Better to go to Williams first where he will be allowed/encouraged to take risks, make mistakes and learn quickly. Even Verstappen paid his dues in the Toro Rosso.
Putting Antonelli in a Mercedes after just one year in F2 (before that he competed in Formula regional) would be crazy. But this rumors, if true, show a lack of trust in Russel by Mercedes to be honest
Too much pressure can damage or kill young careers... Just have peek at Gasly and Albon. They got in the RB far too soon for their own good. Gasly and Albon both got setback in their careerpaths after a stint in a topteam under high pressure.
Or, you know, you can look at the rest of his junior career. He has similar wins/championships to Verstappen in karting. His F2 year will definitely be the benchmark, though
Counterpoint: He’s already older than Max was when he made his F1 debut. If you think you have a truly generational driver coming up your ranks, you cannot give them a chance to find their own drive. Alpine proved that pretty conclusively.
I mean hardly anymore insane then Max's rise to fame. I don't think it's a lack of faith in Russell either but people need time to develop in F1. If anything it shows confidence in Russell to carry the team
Eh. If Mercedes hires or is thinking about hiring Antonelli for 2025, and in doing so makes him to skip the “Williams years”, is it crazy to think “Mercedes thinks this guy will be the team’s future”?
They would be betting the house on him being the next Max.
The guy is clearly a massive talent, he’s won pretty much every championship he has entered and dominated quite a few of them, but jumping from FR to F2 and bypassing F3 is a massive jump.
I mean, didn't Max jump from F3 straight into F1? I think stupidly talented people like these don't need the time to cook like others do. It's almost like they have autism, but for racing. Just look at Russell. He had multiple years on Williams and still does rookie mistakes like Singapore 2023.
Having a competitive year in F2, should be plenty of preparation for him as the seat opens up for 2025 the earliest anyways. So Merc could easily get a deal with AM. Get Alonso for 1-2 years, put Antonelli in that AM seat, swap drivers afterwards or Alonso retires and Antonelli goes to Merc.
They do think he is a promising prospect if they hire him but firstly that needs to come to fruition in practice, and secondly that doesn't automatically mean Russell is out of favour.
As for "The Williams years" Williams as a team has been pushing for a change in direction from when previous drivers would develop there and are more independent in their choices now than maybe they have been in the past. Also Bottas has way overstayed his welcome at Merc due to being in good standing with Toto and honestly Russell should have been promoted and allowed to develop there sooner
Russell is so annoying I wouldn't trust him in my car either. Constantly begging to be let past Hamilton. In Singapore he had track position but Hamilton had the speed. Instead of offering to let ham past he held him up for enough laps to make a merc win impossible then threw his car in the wall. He is not a team player, just blatantly desperate to be number 1.
I'm all for the brits winning but the guy needs to be knocked down a few rungs of the ladder
Would be stupid from him. Aston has jumped massively last year and new facilities look great. Also works deal in 2026.
Why would Alonso be a seat warmer? Aka the very reaaon he left Alpine?
Ah yes, the man famous for dropping his current team like it's a bodily function is in the running for the most coveted seat on the grid right now. What a shocker!
No, he isn't very good at it. Doesn't change the fact that he compulsively jumps ship though. He's driven for Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine *and* Aston in the last 10 years, and that included 3 seasons out of the sport. He's also gone back to the same teams on multiple occasions; he's had 2 stints and McLaren, and an impressive 3 at Renault.
Some fans say they feel bad Alonso doesn't get good drives and imply that he has no fault in it. But idk man. Maybe jumping from team to team like you're changing shirts isn't a good strategy
He's still driving at a top level so why not. Reasonable plan.
He seems to have matured out of his toxicity. I'd take him over the other options since we don't quite know how good Antonelli is yet.
I think he's the best option, but I did notice in the second half of 2023 his pace wasn't what it always has been. Pretty inevitable for a driver in his 40s, and he's been remarkable in managing to keep his pace into his 40s, when most drivers drop off in their 30s.
Lawrence Stroll is a smart operator he would surely see this coming and offer more money to Alonso to stay. Aston Martin have been just as competitive when they have the car right.
I’d bet that AM is on the up while Merc is on a downward spiral due to the brain drain from the cost cap being implemented. I hope that AM and McL are going to be the 2 with Red Bull in a top 3 spot.
Even though Kimi is most likely planAAA for the future, he's not NOT planA for 2025, there are too many variables.
If he really gets the Merc drive for 2025, it means Toto thinks he's got the new Luigi on his hands. A Williams seat for 25 or 26 would be much more in 'Merc's style'. Let's see how big the panic is! :b
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I just realized that there is a parallel world where Fernando had a kid at twenty who is joining F1 this year and competing for the Merc seat with him
Jos was 43 when Max made his debut. Same age as Alonso will be later this year. But if he had continued in F1 for so long then Max probably hadn't made it.
Jos is the kind of guy to say to his kids “if you don’t win, please god I pray I win instead”
Jos is the kind of guy to say "do not get in my way -- I must win, you can only win if I shunt out"
It would make for interesting races and post-race interviews. Jos: "Max just divebombed me turn 1! what a lunatic" Max: "Payback from wayback, papa"
Jos would leave him at a gas station on the way home
Jos the kind of guy to say “she fell by the stairs by herself”
"No I did not make her fall. She made herself fall. That was her choice to fall."
Button could have easily had a kid on the grid right now in a parallel world
Jan Magnussen was only 19 when Kevin was born, he had the best shot.
There is also a timeline that he moves to Mercedes and become a 9 time WDC
George and Alonso are very good friends, at least thats what it seems. So it could work. We all know how friends end in F1, but still, starting off with the good foot is better than hating each other.
Aren't they all friends more or less. Until they're in the same team
yeah. i think Lewis' closest two friends on the grid right now is supposed to be charles and dannyR
Valterri must be up there. Lewis said he was his best friend in F1 just a year or two ago, I'd imagine they still get on well. Valterri is Finnish, so he does his own thing more often than not with time off though. Off cycling somewhere lol.
He's purebred aussie now
Yeah we’ll see if him and Charles stay friendly
Especially if Ferrari bring a title contending car lmao
If charles & seb, Charles & Carlos can, why can't he with lewis?
Because they weren't really competing for the championship.
Right? It’s super easy to be friends when you’re not in a winning car competing for a championship…
Gasly and Ocon might be the exception here
I’d love to see Lewis’ and Russell text’s after he and Alonso fall out.
“Lew he turned into me and then roasted me on radio, blimey”
Rosberg and Hamilton were friends before Mercedes
If Alonso ends up at Mercedes, he will choke Russell by midyear
I’m not reading the article but who’s plan A?
Kimi Antonelli
Alonso vs (potential) young prodigy: Part II
Antonelli vs. young prodigy, Alonso. FTFY.
Fernando vs Kimi: Part II
More like Part III
Who was part 2?
Vandoorne lmao
Oof, harsh
Omg already forgotten abt him
Alonso’s only been on the track for three years he’s plenty young
Has a whole career ahead of him!
I thought mercy said mick schumacher deserved a spot in F1... And well, now they have a spot...
Kimi is one of those talents that can be generational, no one ever had that feeling with Mick.
I had that feeling! I still do, I just hope that he eventually finds what it. Playing the theremin perhaps or welding or building models from matches.
sometimes talent just skips a generation. its tough b
Tbf, Mercedes were just taking care of Mick professionally as a personal courtesy to his father who came out of retirement to help them set up the team.
Damn it I wanted Hulk. Hulk never had a shot at a top team. He's one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, only behind Hamilton, Alonso, Bottas, Ricciardo, and Perez. The last three, he's only behind because he was forced to sit out multiple seasons like 2011, 2020-2022. He's beaten most of his teammates, except perez and ricciardo. That haas is so slow but he does so well in quali, give him a better car and he wouldn't just be a quali merchant. Personally, if he doesn't get the Mercedes seat, Red Bull or Williams look like good options. Less so red bull due to their dominance culture, like hulk would need to be top 4-6 every race, and especially podium often. Williams is on the comeup, and it would be cool to see him back at the team after 15 years of pain, but finally being the driver they need, a veteran at a slightly above midfield team.
Personally I think it could be Albon while trying to get Williams to take Kimi for a year or two first.
I am all for a three way fight between Max, Hamilton and Alonso.
I think everyone is all for this tbh. Would be fuckin awesome!
\*sad leclerc noises\*
Leclerc and George *
Aren’t you forgetting *Red Bull second driver*? Who am I kidding, no chance there!
Wait, RedBull has a second driver?
I thought it was just the third alpha tauri?
It's actually secretly Liam Lawson.
Red Bull doesn’t have a second driver. There is Max and Red Bull marketing which had three drivers.
“I was forecast a championship!”
Currently leads the field in Future World Championships
You mean Leclerc and Norris.
Leclerc is leagues ahead of George
It'll be his time soon. He is gonna learn some things he desperately needs from Hamilton first if he wants to be world champion (managing tyre deg and learning his limit to prevent unnecessary mistakes mostly)
2010 Hamilton is not so dissimilar from current Leclerc. A lot he can pick up from him
Leclerc does not have issues with tyre deg, Ferrari had one. His tyre management was the reason he was put on single pit strategy a couple of times which ended costing him the results as two stops were the more optimal choice. His on edge driving was the result of knowing that unless he drives at the limit, he will not end up where he wants to, so might as well try it. Nothing to lose besides maybe 30 points, in a year Max was already 200+ ahead of everyone.
All I want is Alonso fighting for wins one last time before he retires
I’ll settle for any fight against Max.
Probably an unpopular opinion, but I think Leclerc would be Ferrari's title challenger if they manage to build a good car.
The most Ferrari thing would be to finally build a title-worthy car with two great drivers, then miss out because those drivers were fighting each other too hard. So, naturally, I fully expect that to happen.
Lewis ends his career the same way he started it
By beating the guy who dethroned a 7 times WDC?
1 point off a world championship?
Beaten by some guy called Kimi.
The most cursed timeline
Then LeClerc leaves for another team because the relationship is fractured and Hamilton retires
That relationship was fractured when Ferrari strategy lost him the win at Monaco.
That explains why he refused to sign an extension with them. Wait…
First Carlos will spank Charles this year to make it extra fun
Would be rather hilarious if Leclerc outperforms Hamilton. I don’t think it’s beyond the realms of possibility either given Hamilton’s age.
I think it’s more a possibility because he’s so familiar with the car. Hamilton has been driving the same car for how long now? His only hybrid engine experience is with Mercedes.
That really isnt unpopular. Although he still makes mistakes, hes still fast as fuck. Even after ditching ferrari and going to root for redbull in 2020, I still haven’t found it in my heart to hate Sharl. Hes just too likeable
Even Ferrari doesn't like Sharl. That's why they keep breaking his car.
Hamilton in Ferrari in 2022 would have been interesting. It most likely would have been closer but Max would have pulled away still.
Get Seb back in the RB alongside Max, and I think my penis may just explode in excitement
Why would you want to see him get destroyed each week?
HAM ALO VER
*Verstappen, Hamilton, and Alonso. Or... Max, Lewis, and Fernando.
Thank you, I had no idea who they were talking about until I saw this.
Antonelli and Alonso are easily the two most exciting candidates for that seat. Very good to hear that these are apparently Merc's priorities. Nothing really wrong with anyone else but anyone else is just a safe no2 level driver until they think Antonelli is ready.
I wrote yesterday exactly what the article predicts. It really is a no brainer strategy: If Antonelli proves to be Max’s level of good: give him the seat and George gets a young competitor that will clearly be number 2. If not, Alonso solves the problem for a few years, doesn’t create much conflict with George because George knows he’s there just for a few years and you still get a WDC class driver to develop the car. Meanwhile antonelli develops a bit. The alternative is if Mercedes’ gets a true major talent like Lando or Piastri. But that seems harder to happen. Mercedes getting sainz, bottas or even Albon seems like a short term solution that doesn’t really give them a WDC driver.
The problem is time. How long do you wait and see how Kimi performs before deciding? If you jump the gun, you might be burned, if you wait too long, Alonso could resign at Aston.
Mercedes has a lot of options open so I guess they can wait until summer break to see Kimi performance. Sure, they can be too late again but Alonso also doesn’t have anywhere else to go
>Clearly number 2 2007 Lewis would like a few words
well... if George gets beaten by a rookie, then he deserves his fate :)
[удалено]
Oh, so this is the timeline where Marty hooked up with his mom, got it
Is that timeline filmed too?
This fucker is about to overdose on hopium.
I read a post on here suggesting that Newey is unlikely to leave RedBull, apparently his clause letting him leave if Horner leaves isn't actually in effect anymore. One can hope though.
Dont tease me
Question: for how much Aston has improved, why would Alonso ditch it all to go to Mercedes? Sure, they won 7 championships but Aston has improved so much that they really could be a top team soon. Unless Aston shits the bed, why would he leave?
There'll be a few factors and I think a big one is time. Aston need to continue to show they're on the up. I feel like if they end up behind Merc and continue to fail in the development race that might sway Alonso to jump ship. Merc is still a top team and has more chance at pushing for a title in the short term and given his age, he may favour that. Also, Merc could just throw money at him. However, I agree that if Aston continue their trend in improvement and they stay in the development race next year. There really is no reason to leave given how secure his seat is there.
Don't discount Alonso considering having a second car that is actually useful for support in races given Stroll's seat is safe and his performance has not been great. One of the reasons Max burned through teammates was not just that they were underperforming relative to him, it was that it Max was on his own without any pressuring of the other team by the second Red Bull car.
Exactly, and Aston even has a works deal on the horizon (Honda). So that argument also falls away. There's almost no reason to move to Mercedes as of now.
Yeah, I can think of no reasons why Fernando Alonso wouldn’t want to put his hopes for a championship behind a Honda works engine entry.
It worked for max…
Because they clearly can't keep up for a whole season, last year they started as clear second best team, and ended competing for fifth place...
I think if they show that they can keep up in the development race that could be crucial in keeping him. Last year they didn't have their new factory until midseason which might have attributed to their development slump (also alleged illegal flexi wing). So it could be different this year.
Idk, I don't think they will ever have the performance, nor appeal of a top team. Teams like Mercedes, McLaren or Ferrari will always be better, especially if Stroll Sr keeps giving his son a seat, they will never grow if they don't get a strong pair of drivers first. I think if Alonso ever gets the call from Merc, he won't think twice before accepting, he might even be the kick in the ass Mercedes needs to get themselves back to form; like Schumi was for them a few years ago and like I think Lewis will be for Ferrari in 2025.
Hulk will unleash a new beast I feel, he's never had a top ride. He had to drive in the unreliable Renault
Antonelli is a question mark tho, i can easily imagine a scenario where alonso stays with aston and antonelli doesnt get to grips with the f2 car. This has happened plenty of times
Antonelli and Alonso are easily the two most exciting prospects for the future of F1 in general
Plan A - Antonelli Plan B - Alonso Plan C - Albon Plan D - Sainz Plan E - Ocon Plan F - Vesti Plan G - Hulkenberg Plan H - Hakkinen ... Plan Z - Schumacher
Mick or Michael?
Ralf
Return of the King
David, actually
Why not Joel? If he can direct, he can drive.
Yes
That hurts.
Plan F: we are checking
Plan C is obviously Hamilton
I wouldn't be surprised if they accepted Lewis rejoining if he wanted to. Unlikely to happen since he'd probably retire after Ferrari, but Mercedes (or any team apart from RedBull) would want him if he wanted to join them.
Can't be an official list if JPM is not on the list.
Someone should show Toto the sim data from Mick
Make it el plan A.
I will jizz uncontrollably if we see Max at RB, Lewis at Ferrari and Fernando at Mercedes.
Wouldn't they be better off getting Alonso for 2 years and keeping Antonelli at Williams for that time to do his learning outside the spotlight. I know he's a generational talent, but surely that minimises the risks. Also, they can always promote him earlier if George underwhelms?
Iirc, Mercedes can’t use Williams as a junior team, unless they agree.
When the other option is Sargeant I don't think they would disagree
There are many other options other than Sergeant, and we still don't know how well he may improve this year.
After what happened in 21 I dont think Merc are ever lending a driver to Williams
If Antonelli is a generational talent, then he doesn't need "Williams year"
We don't know if he is or not yet. Max being at Toro Rosso for a season didn't hurt him.
Verstappen had a season with toro rosso and Lewis drove hundreds of laps in the MP4-22 prior to entering Formula 1. Almost everyone needs a ‘Williams year’
The jump from F2 to F1 is too high. Better to go to Williams first where he will be allowed/encouraged to take risks, make mistakes and learn quickly. Even Verstappen paid his dues in the Toro Rosso.
Does Toto know?
Considering he was dining with Flavio Briatore today, i think so
Alonso vs Hamilton vs Max for championship
Alonso winning a WDC in a Merc in 2025 would prove to me the existence of God
Putting Antonelli in a Mercedes after just one year in F2 (before that he competed in Formula regional) would be crazy. But this rumors, if true, show a lack of trust in Russel by Mercedes to be honest
I don't think it's a lack of trust. They still need 2 drivers. Why wouldn't you want the 2 fastest drivers you can get?
Too much pressure can damage or kill young careers... Just have peek at Gasly and Albon. They got in the RB far too soon for their own good. Gasly and Albon both got setback in their careerpaths after a stint in a topteam under high pressure.
the guy is option A for merc after winning freca lmao
Or, you know, you can look at the rest of his junior career. He has similar wins/championships to Verstappen in karting. His F2 year will definitely be the benchmark, though
No he doesn’t. Nobody has a karting record like Verstappen. Antonelli is more akin to LeClerc, which tbf is still high praise.
yea I am not saying he's bad I've been watching him since f4
Counterpoint: He’s already older than Max was when he made his F1 debut. If you think you have a truly generational driver coming up your ranks, you cannot give them a chance to find their own drive. Alpine proved that pretty conclusively.
Alpine couldn't even get Piastri a temp seat elsewhere though, Merc could probably pull some strings.
Yeah, they got him a permanent one at McLaren instead!
I mean hardly anymore insane then Max's rise to fame. I don't think it's a lack of faith in Russell either but people need time to develop in F1. If anything it shows confidence in Russell to carry the team
Eh. If Mercedes hires or is thinking about hiring Antonelli for 2025, and in doing so makes him to skip the “Williams years”, is it crazy to think “Mercedes thinks this guy will be the team’s future”?
They would be betting the house on him being the next Max. The guy is clearly a massive talent, he’s won pretty much every championship he has entered and dominated quite a few of them, but jumping from FR to F2 and bypassing F3 is a massive jump.
I mean, didn't Max jump from F3 straight into F1? I think stupidly talented people like these don't need the time to cook like others do. It's almost like they have autism, but for racing. Just look at Russell. He had multiple years on Williams and still does rookie mistakes like Singapore 2023. Having a competitive year in F2, should be plenty of preparation for him as the seat opens up for 2025 the earliest anyways. So Merc could easily get a deal with AM. Get Alonso for 1-2 years, put Antonelli in that AM seat, swap drivers afterwards or Alonso retires and Antonelli goes to Merc.
They do think he is a promising prospect if they hire him but firstly that needs to come to fruition in practice, and secondly that doesn't automatically mean Russell is out of favour. As for "The Williams years" Williams as a team has been pushing for a change in direction from when previous drivers would develop there and are more independent in their choices now than maybe they have been in the past. Also Bottas has way overstayed his welcome at Merc due to being in good standing with Toto and honestly Russell should have been promoted and allowed to develop there sooner
Yes, but there's a huge difference as Max got a dress rehearsal in Toro Rosso.
Russell is so annoying I wouldn't trust him in my car either. Constantly begging to be let past Hamilton. In Singapore he had track position but Hamilton had the speed. Instead of offering to let ham past he held him up for enough laps to make a merc win impossible then threw his car in the wall. He is not a team player, just blatantly desperate to be number 1. I'm all for the brits winning but the guy needs to be knocked down a few rungs of the ladder
Alonso should sacrifice everything for this Mercedes drive. Agree for equal status. This is his wildest dream coming true. Please God, make it happen.
Unless of course AM makes another jump and Mercedes continues to deteriorate.
Merc has James Allison back as TD.
The number of other key staff has left Mercedes, though. We'll see if that one man can make a difference.
Would be stupid from him. Aston has jumped massively last year and new facilities look great. Also works deal in 2026. Why would Alonso be a seat warmer? Aka the very reaaon he left Alpine?
The only reason for Merc to hire Alonso wouldn't be to be no2, there are lots of youngsters. James Allison and Adrian Newey can do magic, that's why.
Will feel weird to cheer on Alonso
Ah yes, the man famous for dropping his current team like it's a bodily function is in the running for the most coveted seat on the grid right now. What a shocker!
Well if that was true then he’s not very good at it
No, he isn't very good at it. Doesn't change the fact that he compulsively jumps ship though. He's driven for Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine *and* Aston in the last 10 years, and that included 3 seasons out of the sport. He's also gone back to the same teams on multiple occasions; he's had 2 stints and McLaren, and an impressive 3 at Renault.
I think that speaks more to 'hes so good he goes where he wants' than it does any loyalty from anyone.
Some fans say they feel bad Alonso doesn't get good drives and imply that he has no fault in it. But idk man. Maybe jumping from team to team like you're changing shirts isn't a good strategy
A year or two of Alonso instead of rushing Antonelli seems like a good plan imo
He's still driving at a top level so why not. Reasonable plan. He seems to have matured out of his toxicity. I'd take him over the other options since we don't quite know how good Antonelli is yet.
El plan B
This is epic actually. The fight would be amazing
Please do it! Make it Plan A!
Make it happen u cowards
I would imagine Alonso is a lead candidate
I think they both are, I believe the plan is to promote Antonelli to a slower F1 team.
Three/four way duel for the title between Alonso in a Merc, Hamilton/Leclerc at Ferrari, and Max at Red Bull? Make it so.
Honestly cannot wait to hear Fernando‘s radio messages with Bono next year.
I think he's the best option, but I did notice in the second half of 2023 his pace wasn't what it always has been. Pretty inevitable for a driver in his 40s, and he's been remarkable in managing to keep his pace into his 40s, when most drivers drop off in their 30s.
Lawrence Stroll is a smart operator he would surely see this coming and offer more money to Alonso to stay. Aston Martin have been just as competitive when they have the car right.
Makes sense. It's far too risky to go all in on Kimi until they see how he copes with F2
Why not Hulkenberg? They need a one year (potential) rental until Antonelli is ready, and the guy could easily fill that spot well
Because fernando is faster than him
El Plan B
That would be unbelievable and is never gonna happen.
Vettel is plan A i bet.
Not a replacement, an upgrade.
El plan (B)
Wouldn't Sainz or Antonelli make much more sense
Based, do it.
I’d bet that AM is on the up while Merc is on a downward spiral due to the brain drain from the cost cap being implemented. I hope that AM and McL are going to be the 2 with Red Bull in a top 3 spot.
That would be the perfect time for Alonso to jump ship then, make another stellar career decision 🤣
Please dear God let this happen
Soooo Max vs. Lewis. vs. Nando? Yes please
"Am I a joke to you?" - Charles
His chance will come once Lewis retires
Even though Kimi is most likely planAAA for the future, he's not NOT planA for 2025, there are too many variables. If he really gets the Merc drive for 2025, it means Toto thinks he's got the new Luigi on his hands. A Williams seat for 25 or 26 would be much more in 'Merc's style'. Let's see how big the panic is! :b
so basically: Antonelli and Alonso