2025 Formula One Season Thread

"We will get back to you..." That radio comment from his "engineer/man Friday" to Lewis says everything you need to know about the relationship.. I am almost kind of in a way hoping that there is a revolution in the Luigi Kart Racing team.. That the mechanics get so fed up they bolt 4 full wets instead of hards.. Lewis I don't think this is a fight you want to have at this point in your career.. Truly just ask for a few Ferrari.. Pack your bags and move to WEC.. Do the 24 hours of Lemons.. Please..
 
LawVS posted a new video today about the UK rumors as well as Lewis hinting that he is pushing for internal changes to the Scuderia's management structure so it looks and operates more like what he was used to at AMG Mercedes. The Scuderia does things "the Italian way" with a rather heavy bureaucracy so Fred Vasseur does not have the authority of someone like Toto Wolff does as Team Principal.


Even if Coletta were to come over from WEC , I see no way having communications between Maranello and the UK are remotely compatible.
 
Lewis is trying to convince Italy that scotch eggs should be the national dish, he is going to fail, waste a lot of time and effort, as we know, Italy is not an easy place to go to as a driver, fans are extremely passionate, Lewis would be better served trying to adapt to pizza is just better than scotch eggs.. Maybe he would have better luck convincing Italy that ham and pineapple is a great topping for pizza..[It is a great topping, a hill I will die on defending..]
 
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LawVS posted a new video today about the UK rumors as well as Lewis hinting that he is pushing for internal changes to the Scuderia's management structure so it looks and operates more like what he was used to at AMG Mercedes. The Scuderia does things "the Italian way" with a rather heavy bureaucracy so Fred Vasseur does not have the authority of someone like Toto Wolff does as Team Principal.

Schmacher's remarkable run of success at Ferrari was unprecedented, and unlikely to be repeated again.

Key to that was the team management and personnel during that time, with Brawn, Byrne, and later, Todt, with Schumacher also doing his part to push the organization forward.

I think it's his greatest achievement, to lift Ferrari to that level, and not a common skill for drivers.

So I do think Hamilton has the right idea, but whether he could pull it off, as well as still contribute with his driving skills, is a different matter.

But, a more important question -- has Yuki fired his stylist yet (scroll down)? Whether it was himself, or the rubbish collector who gave him some spare sacks to wear?

And ugh, though this betrays my age -- trainers with a suit?
 
Lewis needs to give up the idea he is going to change Luigi Kart racing.. That is never going to happen, he has better change convincing Disney to change Mickey to Minny Mouse as the brand leader.. Lewis should just accept "We will get back to you.." as exactly that.. Just move on to 25 titles at Lemons 24.. Maybe 12 Dakar titles.. F1 is not for retired old men with grey hair and zimmer frames in the trunk..
 
Max’s Special Design for Austria, Belgian, and Zandvoort. Looks sharp IMO.

IMG_0319.jpegIMG_0321.jpeg
 
McLaren have confirmed that Lando Norris will sit out FP1 at Austria and will be replaced by current F2 points leader Alex Dunne. Charles LeClerc will also be on the sidelines, making way for Dino Beganovic.
 
So, Vettel has confirmed he is in talks with Red Bull to take over Marko’s position. Personally, I think Officer Seb would be a good fit to improve more than simply performance…

I don’t see Max at Red Bull without Marko. It will be interesting to see if George’s contract announcement is in fact at Silverstone. The rumored AMR offer IMO would only interest Max in order to fund his GT3 Team.

Gonna be a crazy break….
 
George is going to stay at Mercedes for the long term (2-3 years), so signing him at Silverstone makes sense to generate some excitement for the "home" race for him and the team. Wolff's latest comments to RacingNews365 about "only team players" are welcome to drive for the team is seen by some pundits as an acknowledgement he has given up on trying to land Max.

As for Max and Marko, Max is on record as not being happy with Marko changing his teammate every few weeks so as long as Marko is not kicked to the curb out in the snow, I think Max will stay at least for 2026. A move to Aston might happen, but if Adrian and company truly can work miracles with the car and Mercedes delivers a new best-in-class power unit and Alonso is able to return to his winning form, would Aston want to toss him for Max?

And putting Vettel in charge of the Red Bull young driver program strikes me as a good move.
 
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George is going to stay at Mercedes for the long term (2-3 years), so signing him at Silverstone makes sense to generate some excitement for the "home" race for him and the team. Wolff's latest comments to RacingNews365 about "only team players" are welcome to drive for the team is seen by some pundits as an acknowledgement he has given up on trying to land Max.

As for Max and Marko, Max is on record as not being happy with Marko changing his teammate every few weeks so as long as Marko is not kicked to the curb out in the snow, I think Max will stay at least for 2026. A move to Aston might happen, but if Adrian and company truly can work miracles with the car and Mercedes delivers a new best-in-class power unit and Alonso is able to return to his winning form, would Aston want to toss him for Max?

And putting Vettel in charge of the Red Bull young driver program strikes me as a good move.
Will Vettel help the young drivers learn about following team orders? :)

Multi 21 Seb!
 
George is going to stay at Mercedes for the long term (2-3 years), so signing him at Silverstone makes sense to generate some excitement for the "home" race for him and the team. Wolff's latest comments to RacingNews365 about "only team players" are welcome to drive for the team is seen by some pundits as an acknowledgement he has given up on trying to land Max.

As for Max and Marko, Max is on record as not being happy with Marko changing his teammate every few weeks so as long as Marko is not kicked to the curb out in the snow, I think Max will stay at least for 2026. A move to Aston might happen, but if Adrian and company truly can work miracles with the car and Mercedes delivers a new best-in-class power unit and Alonso is able to return to his winning form, would Aston want to toss him for Max?

And putting Vettel in charge of the Red Bull young driver program strikes me as a good move.

Yes, I believe Lawerence would vacate Fernando for Max. I agree that Max will most likely stay put for 2026. I’m very interested in the details of George’s contract. Specifically what is set, and what are options. Max is positioning for 2027. He knows the RBRE/Ford is going to be a dog.
 
We need more F2 meat in the F1 sausage.. This abuse of really mouldy biltong is spoiling a great sausage.. Lewis, Alonso, anyone beyond 35, sorry, if you have not won at least 3 races or 1 title by 35th birthday, maybe consider a career in WEC or sims, or driving the catering team bus...

Age is an issue, you naturally become a mobile all weather hazard... "We will get back to you" is important as it how the team feels about Lewis, everyone in the team knows he will never be the same as he was in his 20's.. There might be an occasion that reaction time matters, and Lewis just due to age is too slow to react..where as a 19 yr old F2 champ might just be that much faster.. To me it seems F1 is not about F1, it is more about branding, selling fabric from China plastered with the symbols of old men from an era long ago...

To be honest I think Aston Martin couldn't do any worse right now if they had Paul de Resta and Bottas driving, hell, even Ralf Schumacher instead of Alonso or Daddy's nightmare..
 
Yes, I believe Lawerence would vacate Fernando for Max.

Lawrence might, but would the other stakeholders want to? Max is a better driver than Alonso at the current time, but if Alonso is winning, do they want to lose a year or more for Max to get up to speed with the car and the team? And how much longer will Max be racing? Especially if he somehow pulls out another WDC this year or next?

I agree that Max will most likely stay put for 2026. I’m very interested in the details of George’s contract. Specifically what is set, and what are options. Max is positioning for 2027. He knows the RBRE/Ford is going to be a dog.

Mercedes does have the advantage in that they control Russell as it relates to who he can drive for (Harry Soden handles his personal sponsorship contracts). So they could give him a single-year contract for 2026 with options, but I think they will give him at least two years plus options. It's pretty much a given that Antonelli will be given a multi-year contract (probably through 2029) and I think Mercedes will want to give George at least through 2027.
 
We need more F2 meat in the F1 sausage...

Outside of Isack Hadjar and (maybe) Gabriel Bortoleto, the current crop of F2 promotions have not really impressed. Of course, they deserve at least a year (if not two), to get comfortable and adapt, but the commercial realities of modern F1 no longer allows such luxury.
 
While the vultures are not yet circling, they do appear to notice a smell on the wind. The Race, LawVS, Josh Revell and others have all posted videos this week either directly or indirectly noting how Lando Norris' title chances are slipping away against Piastri and possibly even Verstappen. The consistent bottling in Q3 is the main point, though his going for a gap that didn't exist at Montreal and his attempt to pass Max on the grass at pit exit at Suzuka have also been noted.

And speaking of Marko and drivers, Arvid Lindblad will be participating with FP1 at Silverstone, either replacing Yuki at Red Bull or Liam at Racing Bulls. This is expected to be in preparation for him being promoted to either team in 2026 to benefit from the draw he has in Britain, Sweden and India.
 
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Lawrence might, but would the other stakeholders want to? Max is a better driver than Alonso at the current time, but if Alonso is winning, do they want to lose a year or more for Max to get up to speed with the car and the team? And how much longer will Max be racing? Especially if he somehow pulls out another WDC this year or next?



Mercedes does have the advantage in that they control Russell as it relates to who he can drive for (Harry Soden handles his personal sponsorship contracts). So they could give him a single-year contract for 2026 with options, but I think they will give him at least two years plus options. It's pretty much a given that Antonelli will be given a multi-year contract (probably through 2029) and I think Mercedes will want to give George at least through 2027.

I just refer back to Alonso's contract when I look at this. He has a guaranteed position within AMR Management/Ownership after he retires from driving. He might not be as hesitant as we think. There are many roles he could become very successful in.

I'm just unsure where I want to fall on George and his contract speculation. I can't stop thinking that if Toto had complete confidence George he would have been signed to a guaranteed 3yr by know. I don't think a one plus one can be ruled out yet. A two plus one does seem the most logical at this point though.
 
Thing is with 2026 being such a role of the dice, no one knows if they are signing for a competitive car or not. Yes the odds would suggest that some names will more likely have got it right than others, but it’s not guaranteed.

Without Adrian Newey I would say RBR are a big gamble. If Max decides to move on, then most (all?) teams would be making an offer.
Interesting times ahead.
 
I just refer back to Alonso's contract when I look at this. He has a guaranteed position within AMR Management/Ownership after he retires from driving. He might not be as hesitant as we think. There are many roles he could become very successful in.

Alonso definitely has a future with Aston-Martin outside of driving their F1 car. But if the 2026 car and engine combination start out as strong as the 2023 car does and this time, Aston doesn't screw it up with their in-season development so Alonso consistently scores podiums and even wins some races, I am inclined to think he is going to want to extend at least another year to build on that momentum.


I'm just unsure where I want to fall on George and his contract speculation. I can't stop thinking that if Toto had complete confidence George he would have been signed to a guaranteed 3yr by know. I don't think a one plus one can be ruled out yet. A two plus one does seem the most logical at this point though.

Historically, AMG Mercedes announces their contract signings in July-August so that they have not re-signed George yet is not out of character for them and an announcement during the Silverstone weekend or the Summer Break would "fit the narrative".



Thing is with 2026 being such a role of the dice, no one knows if they are signing for a competitive car or not. Yes the odds would suggest that some names will more likely have got it right than others, but it’s not guaranteed.

Without Adrian Newey I would say RBR are a big gamble. If Max decides to move on, then most (all?) teams would be making an offer. Interesting times ahead.

On the one hand, it does seem logical that any team that could afford Max would make a play for him if they could. But on the other, you have teams like McLaren and Mercedes (and to a lesser extent, Ferrari) who have solid driver line-ups in place and adding Max to that mix could win you WDCs or it could really mess up those dynamics in a possibly bad way.
 
Austria FP1

Close overall, with Alexander Dunne making a very impressive debut.
The Haas is still absolute junk and I hope Yuki is working his contacts in WEC for 2026.


POS.NO.DRIVERTEAMTIME / GAPLAPS
163
2025mercedesgeorus01right.webp
George Russell
2025mercedeslogowhite.webp
Mercedes
1:05.54234
21
2025redbullracingmaxver01right.webp
Max Verstappen
2025redbullracinglogowhite.webp
Red Bull Racing
+0.065s30
381
2025mclarenoscpia01right.webp
Oscar Piastri
2025mclarenlogowhite.webp
McLaren
+0.155s33
489
2025mclarenaledun01right.webp
Alexander Dunne
2025mclarenlogowhite.webp
McLaren
+0.224s29
510
2025alpinepiegas01right.webp
Pierre Gasly
2025alpinelogowhite.webp
Alpine
+0.238s34
65
2025kicksaubergabbor01right.webp
Gabriel Bortoleto
2025kicksauberlogowhite.webp
Kick Sauber
+0.332s35
723
2025williamsalealb01right.webp
Alexander Albon
2025williamslogowhite.webp
Williams
+0.404s35
855
2025williamscarsai01right.webp
Carlos Sainz
2025williamslogowhite.webp
Williams
+0.475s33
944
2025ferrarilewham01right.webp
Lewis Hamilton
2025ferrarilogowhite.webp
Ferrari
+0.557s20
106
2025racingbullsisahad01right.webp
Isack Hadjar
2025racingbullslogowhite.webp
Racing Bulls
+0.568s33
1112
2025mercedesandant01right.webp
Kimi Antonelli
2025mercedeslogowhite.webp
Mercedes
+0.588s35
1227
2025kicksaubernichul01right.webp
Nico Hulkenberg
2025kicksauberlogowhite.webp
Kick Sauber
+0.598s32
1318
2025astonmartinlanstr01right.webp
Lance Stroll
2025astonmartinlogowhite.webp
Aston Martin
+0.618s32
1414
2025astonmartinferalo01right.webp
Fernando Alonso
2025astonmartinlogowhite.webp
Aston Martin
+0.628s32
1530
2025racingbullslialaw01right.webp
Liam Lawson
2025racingbullslogowhite.webp
Racing Bulls
+0.647s34
1643
2025alpinefracol01right.webp
Franco Colapinto
2025alpinelogowhite.webp
Alpine
+0.704s34
1722
2025redbullracingyuktsu01right.webp
Yuki Tsunoda
2025redbullracinglogowhite.webp
Red Bull Racing
+0.720s30
1838
2025ferraridinbeg01right.webp
Dino Beganovic
2025ferrarilogowhite.webp
Ferrari
+0.827s32
1931
2025haasestoco01right.webp
Esteban Ocon
2025haaslogowhite.webp
Haas
+0.968s32
2087
2025haasolibea01right.webp
Oliver Bearman
2025haaslogowhite.webp
Haas
+1.196s30
 
I miss the old F1 site from just a few weeks ago. lol

It had the timer on the front page that told you how long until the next session.... :(
 
FP2

McLaren on another level for most of the session. Stroll looking actually racy through most of FP2 and Yuki finally finding some form.

POS.NO.DRIVERTEAMTIME / GAPLAPS
14
2025mclarenlannor01right.webp
Lando Norris
2025mclarenlogowhite.webp
McLaren
1:04.58035
281
2025mclarenoscpia01right.webp
Oscar Piastri
2025mclarenlogowhite.webp
McLaren
+0.157s35
31
2025redbullracingmaxver01right.webp
Max Verstappen
2025redbullracinglogowhite.webp
Red Bull Racing
+0.318s24
418
2025astonmartinlanstr01right.webp
Lance Stroll
2025astonmartinlogowhite.webp
Aston Martin
+0.442s32
516
2025ferrarichalec01right.webp
Charles Leclerc
2025ferrarilogowhite.webp
Ferrari
+0.610s32
663
2025mercedesgeorus01right.webp
George Russell
2025mercedeslogowhite.webp
Mercedes
+0.649s34
722
2025redbullracingyuktsu01right.webp
Yuki Tsunoda
2025redbullracinglogowhite.webp
Red Bull Racing
+0.712s31
85
2025kicksaubergabbor01right.webp
Gabriel Bortoleto
2025kicksauberlogowhite.webp
Kick Sauber
+0.831s31
914
2025astonmartinferalo01right.webp
Fernando Alonso
2025astonmartinlogowhite.webp
Aston Martin
+0.877s31
1044
2025ferrarilewham01right.webp
Lewis Hamilton
2025ferrarilogowhite.webp
Ferrari
+0.931s34
1112
2025mercedesandant01right.webp
Kimi Antonelli
2025mercedeslogowhite.webp
Mercedes
+0.957s35
1230
2025racingbullslialaw01right.webp
Liam Lawson
2025racingbullslogowhite.webp
Racing Bulls
+0.963s31
136
2025racingbullsisahad01right.webp
Isack Hadjar
2025racingbullslogowhite.webp
Racing Bulls
+0.967s34
1410
2025alpinepiegas01right.webp
Pierre Gasly
2025alpinelogowhite.webp
Alpine
+1.033s36
1531
2025haasestoco01right.webp
Esteban Ocon
2025haaslogowhite.webp
Haas
+1.118s31
1623
2025williamsalealb01right.webp
Alexander Albon
2025williamslogowhite.webp
Williams
+1.185s37
1755
2025williamscarsai01right.webp
Carlos Sainz
2025williamslogowhite.webp
Williams
+1.234s37
1887
2025haasolibea01right.webp
Oliver Bearman
2025haaslogowhite.webp
Haas
+1.255s35
1927
2025kicksaubernichul01right.webp
Nico Hulkenberg
2025kicksauberlogowhite.webp
Kick Sauber
+1.338s35
2043
2025alpinefracol01right.webp
Franco Colapinto
2025alpinelogowhite.webp
Alpine
+1.596s34
 
The last few years, 1 word "robbed" makes me wonder why Interpol is not sending in PC Plod to every event to arrest crims.. Some say a certain British Passport holder was robbed in 2021, again the same crime in 2024 to yet another Brit.. Maybe not hire British drivers??
 
FP3

McLaren has to be the favorite for pole, so the only question is will Norris still have the pace in Q3 or will it be another bottle and Piastri benefits?

POS.NO.DRIVERTEAMTIME / GAPLAPS
14
2025mclarenlannor01right.webp
Lando Norris
2025mclarenlogowhite.webp
McLaren
1:04.32421
281
2025mclarenoscpia01right.webp
Oscar Piastri
2025mclarenlogowhite.webp
McLaren
+0.118s20
31
2025redbullracingmaxver01right.webp
Max Verstappen
2025redbullracinglogowhite.webp
Red Bull Racing
+0.210s28
416
2025ferrarichalec01right.webp
Charles Leclerc
2025ferrarilogowhite.webp
Ferrari
+0.250s20
544
2025ferrarilewham01right.webp
Lewis Hamilton
2025ferrarilogowhite.webp
Ferrari
+0.466s23
663
2025mercedesgeorus01right.webp
George Russell
2025mercedeslogowhite.webp
Mercedes
+0.694s18
712
2025mercedesandant01right.webp
Kimi Antonelli
2025mercedeslogowhite.webp
Mercedes
+0.729s18
818
2025astonmartinlanstr01right.webp
Lance Stroll
2025astonmartinlogowhite.webp
Aston Martin
+0.738s20
922
2025redbullracingyuktsu01right.webp
Yuki Tsunoda
2025redbullracinglogowhite.webp
Red Bull Racing
+0.815s17
105
2025kicksaubergabbor01right.webp
Gabriel Bortoleto
2025kicksauberlogowhite.webp
Kick Sauber
+0.858s18
1130
2025racingbullslialaw01right.webp
Liam Lawson
2025racingbullslogowhite.webp
Racing Bulls
+0.858s19
1214
2025astonmartinferalo01right.webp
Fernando Alonso
2025astonmartinlogowhite.webp
Aston Martin
+0.919s21
1327
2025kicksaubernichul01right.webp
Nico Hulkenberg
2025kicksauberlogowhite.webp
Kick Sauber
+0.959s18
1423
2025williamsalealb01right.webp
Alexander Albon
2025williamslogowhite.webp
Williams
+0.990s22
1555
2025williamscarsai01right.webp
Carlos Sainz
2025williamslogowhite.webp
Williams
+1.002s21
1687
2025haasolibea01right.webp
Oliver Bearman
2025haaslogowhite.webp
Haas
+1.042s21
1710
2025alpinepiegas01right.webp
Pierre Gasly
2025alpinelogowhite.webp
Alpine
+1.042s26
1831
2025haasestoco01right.webp
Esteban Ocon
2025haaslogowhite.webp
Haas
+1.195s21
1943
2025alpinefracol01right.webp
Franco Colapinto
2025alpinelogowhite.webp
Alpine
+1.222s26
206
2025racingbullsisahad01right.webp
Isack Hadjar
2025racingbullslogowhite.webp
Racing Bulls
+1.699s18
 
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