[Other Sport] F1 2024

[Audax]

As has been expected for a long time now, Oliver Bearman has been announced as a 2025 Haas driver.



My thoughts on the open seats (Bold is my prediction):

Mercedes: Antonelli (or Verstappen, which opens a Red Bull seat and would throw the cat amongst the pigeons)

Alpine: Sainz or Doohan or Schumacher

Williams: Sainz or Bottas

Sauber: Sainz or Bottas or Lawson or Pourchaire

Haas: Ocon

Sainz will unlock it as soon as he makes his decision. Alpine have made a late push to try to sign him, but I'm not convinced he'll go that way just yet. He's clearly waiting on better information ... where does Newey go? Will Alpine actually drop the Renault and get Mercedes? Does Audi elect to give him an exit clause in the long-term offer they've made?

 

[Iggle Piggle]

As has been expected for a long time now, Oliver Bearman has been announced as a 2025 Haas driver.



My thoughts on the open seats (Bold is my prediction):

Mercedes: Antonelli (or Verstappen, which opens a Red Bull seat and would throw the cat amongst the pigeons)

Alpine: Sainz or Doohan or Schumacher

Williams: Sainz or Bottas

Sauber: Sainz or Bottas or Lawson or Pourchaire

Haas: Ocon

Sainz will unlock it as soon as he makes his decision. Alpine have made a late push to try to sign him, but I'm not convinced he'll go that way just yet. He's clearly waiting on better information ... where does Newey go? Will Alpine actually drop the Renault and get Mercedes? Does Audi elect to give him an exit clause in the long-term offer they've made?

I appreciate Bearman isn't devoted to F2 this year flitting in and out of F1 testing as well but in the races I've seen he has been largely off the pace. Appreciate he did brilliantly at times last year (and was winning F2 races at 17) as well as taking the Ferrari chance he had this year but I do feel there are more proven drivers who never got the opportunity feeling a bit sore today.

For me, He hasn't got the superstar quality that Norris, Leclerc, Russell and Piastri had coming from that formula and isn't the near certainty to be a success they were. Time will tell.

 

[Audax]

I appreciate Bearman isn't devoted to F2 this year flitting in and out of F1 testing as well but in the races I've seen he has been largely off the pace. Appreciate he did brilliantly at times last year (and was winning F2 races at 17) as well as taking the Ferrari chance he had this year but I do feel there are more proven drivers who never got the opportunity feeling a bit sore today.

For me, He hasn't got the superstar quality that Norris, Leclerc, Russell and Piastri had coming from that formula and isn't the near certainty to be a success they were. Time will tell.

F2 this year is a little odd. They've got new cars, and it appears it has seriously shaken up things around which teams have understood the new car and which ones might be struggling. Bearman's still shown flashes of brilliance (sacrificed pole for his Ferrari chance, for example), but there's no consistency - suggests there's something going on with the team not getting things right to allow him to show his best side.

It's not unusual in F2 for there to be weird things going on - for example last year, Doohan should have won the F2 title. But for the first five rounds he was running with a cracked chassis. Once that was fixed, he was easily the top scorer.

 

[Audax]

Williams: Sainz or Bottas

or Daniel Ricciardo?! Rumours emerging that a) RBR are more likely to go with Lawson, which leaves Ricciardo without a seat; and b) Williams are sick of waiting on Sainz. Negotiations apparently underway.

This would push Sainz towards Alpine IMO. That in turn leaves Audi in a bind: Do they stick with Bottas? Unlikely IMO. Do they go with Pourchaire? Again, unlikely (they've already said priority is to place him in Indycar). In this scenario, Lawson is at VCARB, so he's no longer an option. Could Audi try to poach Doohan away from Alpine? I have a feeling that second Audi seat will be the last one to get filled.

 

[Audax]

Blimey. 2025 driver rumours gone a bit nuts today:

* Sainz back in the frame at Mercedes?
* Perez form is worrying Red Bull, they might trigger a performance clause to get rid and promote Ricciardo. Races between now and summer break could be key.

 

[A1X]

Just watching a recording of the F1 show from Thursday, did not expect to see David Stockdale involved

 

[Guinness Boy]

Just watched a very wet and incident packed F2 race at Silverstone. Track is damp, weather showery and more of the same forecast later and tomorrow. Could be an interesting weekend!

 

[A1X]

Another Perez disasterclass in qualifying, with Max limping and Leclerc out big chance for the Brits here

 

[Flounce]

Time to mess around with Lewis’ tyre pressures, he’s a bit too close to the front

 

[Bozza]

That’s a fine-looking grid for a British Grand Prix!

 

[Normal Rob]

Watching the fun that the rain is causing at Silverstone, making for a great race, I'm beginning to think they they should install football style watering systems by tracks that they switch on and off sporadically.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Now this is fun

British drivers (and an Australian) with seriously Big Balls. Intermediates are for wimps

 

[zefarelly]

McLaren Compleltely f***ed that up didn't they. Norris a sitting duck now.

 

[Simonf93]

McLaren Compleltely f***ed that up didn't they. Norris a sitting duck now.

should have gone mediums, lando would have been on lewis tail

 

[banjo]

Why can’t every race be like that.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Proud to be British

 

[A1X]

Brilliant, cannot be anything but pleased for Lewis after everything, and to do it here of all places is special

Shame Lando got screwed with the tyres

 

[Cordwainer]

What a fantastic race and result. Shame for Russell and fair play to all the drivers for racing skilfully but fairly especially in the wet.

 

[nicko31]

Great Britain we’re on a roll

1st time 2 Brits on the podium at Silverstone since 1999

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Could've should've been an all British podium