F1 2024 Season

Very interesting didn't consider that just assumed it would be Sainz leaving. I don't think it's for Leclerc but wonder where he'd go if it was - Perez RB seat?

I think Sainz has been linked to a new team so it's probably him however

Ok ignore that - the sky article says Charles signed a new contract with Ferrari last week
No way he ll go back to RB with Max there. Its no secret their dads in particular clashed and Carlos in general has been written about having a very sizeable team around him that makes it difficult for others to work with. Not to mention he himself along with his dad and brother are probably convinced he deserves to be the no.1 driver somewhere (and frankly, I'm not sure I entirely disagree with that).
 
Hamilton is moving to Ferrari next season, not this season, right?

What does he expect to win at Ferrari then, or is he just fulfilling a childhood dream?

I suspect he's hoping for the best but it's mainly the latter. He's always said if he left it would be for Ferrari and at the end of his career he's probably just taking the opportunity.
 
The two biggest fanbases in the sport finally come together, what a beautiful thing. As a tifoso, I’m buzzing, the best driver pairing on the grid by a country mile and we know that they get on well, what could go wrong? Oh wait…
Oh please. Lewis Hamilton gets along well with exactly nobody on the grid unless he's winning and if Leclerc is besting him early on, that place will get even more toxic than it already is very quickly. Only thing that can save this partnership is a really really fast and dominant car and as we saw with the Rosberg relationship, even that may not be enough.
 
Interesting!

Will everyone accept Toto is a prick when Hamilton isn’t there anymore?
 
Apparently been confirmed Sainz is leaving?

When is that team coming in he kept getting linked with?

Could he be a contender for the RB second seat if Perez is jettisoned? I don't think he's good enough to take on Max, but would we just get another Perez situation?
 
Apparently been confirmed Sainz is leaving?

When is that team coming in he kept getting linked with?

Could he be a contender for the RB second seat if Perez is jettisoned? I don't think he's good enough to take on Max, but would we just get another Perez situation?

He might be more competitive than Perez. Yeah it's been confirmed he's off at the end of the season, Audi start in 2026 but he may get a drive there a year early to bed in as lead driver. Seems most likely to me.
 
Hasn't Toto said multiple times, that Mick deserves a F1 seat? Time to put his money where his mouth is.
 
I want to see someone ask Toto if this means Lewis thinks the 2024 car is crap.
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The media seemed to have missed the obvious on this one. Loic Serra (Mercedes head of vehicle performance) has already been poached by ferarri for 2025. Serra was in the same camp as hamilton i.e. opposite to mile elliot (before he got sacked). Serra opposed the long wheelbase, slim sidepods and floor of the W13 and W14 and supported hamilton's input which elliot and co ignored.

Having Serra at Ferrari for 2025, helping the design of the new regs ferrari for 2026 will be of help to hamilton.

Wouldnt be suprised if more ferrari poach more tech staff from across the grid. After all working with Hamilton (and verstappen) must be a big draw for alot of the tech people.
 
Hasn't Toto said multiple times, that Mick deserves a F1 seat? Time to put his money where his mouth is.
Im more interested if the Mercedes italian wonderboy (17 years old) gets a superlicence for the 2025 season in F1. Forgot his name, hes making his F2 debut this season and is already expected to breeze through F2.

They signed him when he was 13 years old i think.
 
Im more interested if the Mercedes italian wonderboy (17 years old) gets a superlicence for the 2025 season in F1. Forgot his name, hes making his F2 debut this season and is already expected to breeze through F2.

They signed him when he was 13 years old i think.

I think Mercedes will go with Russell as team lead and one of their junior drivers. Kimi Antonelli will be the one to watch, starts F2 with Prema this year and in a couple of years will be the next big thing.

I think given his rise with Prema, they'll get him the super license no problem.
 
Hasn't Toto said multiple times, that Mick deserves a F1 seat? Time to put his money where his mouth is.

I cannot shake this bizarre feeling he's going to get it. They kept showing him in the garage during races last season

Obviously he should be nowhere near it, but I just can't shake this very weird hunch
 
I cannot shake this bizarre feeling he's going to get it. They kept showing him in the garage during races last season

Obviously he should be nowhere near it, but I just can't shake this very weird hunch

Nah, Toto's not that stupid. Albon would be a much better choice, or maybe he will try to poach a McLaren driver.
 
Hamilton throughout his career has never made any secret of his desire to drive for Ferrari, the only surprise it’s taken so long. To be fair, most F1 drivers dream of driving for Ferrari. I’m no Ferrari fan, but F1 is Ferrari and Ferrari is F1. Ecclestone’s right, without it neither would exist.
 
Honestly, don't know what to make of this. Hamilton is a great driver and he is gunning for No 8 to beat Schumi, who is my favourite driver. I guess if he does it in a Ferrari it will soften the blow. But I've never really liked Hamilton. Will have to support him now that he is in a Ferrari. Feels weird to me. But in a way exciting. I guess this is like the RvP move. If he comes to Ferrari and makes it win, I'll claim I always liked him :lol:

I'm sort of in the same boat when it comes to Schumacher and Hamilton but I'll have no problem supporting Lewis when he steps into a Ferrari, when that time comes he's our guy and I'll want him to take as many points and wins as possible. To me he's the 2nd most exciting driver that they could've signed so I'm buzzing over this and it's obviously a great move for F1 as a whole as well.
 
I'm surprised at this one, as I was expecting him to finish up with Mercedes. I'm guessing this is more of a vanity project for him now, as he gets to fulfill a dream of driving for Ferrari. With the regulations not changing until 2026, I can't see him being able to win the championship with either outfit, so realistically for him the team isn't going to matter overall. So might as well tick that childhood dream box.
 
Pity Lewis has been announced so early.
I was expecting plenty of driver movement towards the end of this season, but now it’s already starting.
Hopefully it won’t overshadow 2023 but I think it will.
Lewis going to Ferrari is huge, keeping that under wraps would have been gard
 
Pity Lewis has been announced so early.
I was expecting plenty of driver movement towards the end of this season, but now it’s already starting.
Hopefully it won’t overshadow 2023 but I think it will.
Lewis going to Ferrari is huge, keeping that under wraps would have been gard

A lot of the major stuff is sorted really

Mercedes: Russell and one vacant seat
McLaren: sorted
Ferrari: sorted
Red bull: max and probably one vacant seat
Aston Martin: probably sorted

You't think sainz will end up at Audi now, red bull seems unlikely unless Ricciardo has a horrible season and by then sainz may have already signed for someone else anyway.

At most three seats in the top five teams from last season are up in the air, with Aston likely to stay the same and red bull most likely to be Ricciardo.

The most interesting seat is the Merc one probably. Albon would be a good shout but they may just wait to see how their rookie does in f2. Would love to see an f2 driver get a seat in a top team straight away, as much as I think albon would do well there.
 
Boyhood dreams and speculation about Mercs car aside, money probably is the most likely reason :lol:. Fair play to Merc if they have their financial limits based on principle and they re sticking to them.
 
Those 400million coming out of the cost cap budget?

Hamilton’s salary won’t even feature in the cost cap. All of these projects are funding outside of the team.

Hamilton probably felt that Mercedes were taking him for granted a bit by not committing in long term deals, plus the 1+1 contract last year. I’d say they were surprised yesterday, as even Wolff had to dial in to the meeting as he was abroad.
 
With Honda coming in 2026, I think we’ll see Tsunoda in at Aston Martin if Red Bull do not deem him better than Perez.

Only if stroll leaves. Surely a tsunoda stroll line up does not happen.
 
That would be great. It might even be on the table to use his experience short-term whilst they wait for someone like Norris's contract to run out.
Or see if RB get the 2026 car wrong. Building their own engine in house will be a taunting task. Max may decide to jump ship for 2027 if 2026 RB is a chocolate piston machine.
 
NASCAR Fast Lane in Netflix. Basically DTS for Nascar is pretty good. Like the idea of the playoffs and that final race of the season always has four drivers who can become champion.
 
From what's come out since it's obviously money that's behind the decision over everything else.

Lewis didn't appreciate terms that didnt make him the most well paid driver and only offered a short term contract with a two-way break clause. Probably felt that Toto had his eyes on replacing him sooner than later.

The timing is horrible for Toto with Lando and Charles already renewing. Of course either might have secret break clauses.
Did you see the interview with him? He appears a bit rattled (understandably I guess)- and made the comment that George was basically on par with Lewis so since he already has that no 1 seat sorted he is not as worried about filling the other seat. Admire his confidence even if its PR talk, but surely he himself also knows thats a bit of silly talk.