Formula 1 2024 Season

HOLY COW ITS OFFICIAL

I guess we're done talking about Andretti

In reply to red_stapler :

Who? All I can hear is the Italian Anthem and the song Lewis did with Christina Aguilera 

This should set off some excitement in securing drivers for 2025 now! I already have my clown costume and I am ready to buy some LH SF merch.

red_stapler said:

I guess we're done talking about Andretti

The timing does strike me as a bit coincidental.

Initial thoughts:

- is this basically everyone saying that RBR can just have 2024, and they've got no answer?

- Sainz takes Checo's seat at RBR?

- Maybe Merc is actually the big winner here.  They move on from a 40 year old driver, and George is comfortably in the #1 seat.  A lot easier to find a #2 driver.

- Will Lewis actually be faster than Charles in the same car?

I'm torn between whether or not sainz would go back to Red Bull. I thought he had made some comments that indicated he wouldn't want to.

I think he'll go to sauber before Audi takes over. 
 

Albon or Piastri to Mercedes...or maybe Checo to Mercedes?

In reply to ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) :

I'm not sure Lewis will be consistently faster then Charles but I'd expect him to be far more consistent. ;)

Piastri has a pretty solid contract.  So does Norris.

Albon is an interesting thought.

I do see Sainz to sauber (thought it would be after next year).

Ocon was a mercedes driver.  His contract is up after next year. 

Or, What about the hulk to merc?

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

Imho, merc is looking toward the future. Hulk is done enough. 

What about the obvious switch-a-roo, Sainz to Mercedes?

wvumtnbkr said:

Ocon was a mercedes driver.  His contract is up after next year. 

He really doesn't seem Merc worthy, I bet they would try a rookie from F2 before they put Ocon in the car. You already have George with 5 (I think) years experience at that point, go young and try to find the next star. 

In reply to maschinenbau :

I think Toto manages Albon and he was part of the Mercedes family so I'd lean towards him 1st.

Swapping Sainz in is the obvious choice.  As for wacky-off-the-wall, how about Mick Schumacher?

In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :

Given that Lewis replaced Michael, that has some real symmetry. Also shows just how long Lewis was at Merc.

Apparently Lewis ran the new Mercedes in the simulator just a couple of days ago. Then about 36 hours ago, he gave notice. That must be one good car.

ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:

- Will Lewis actually be faster than Charles in the same car?

He may not always qualify higher than Charles, but I'll bet he has better race results. Like his relationship with George. Lewis seems to be able to drag a car higher up the results on a regular basis.

From a David Land tweet:

Mario Andretti alone has more F1 wins than Sauber, Toro Rosso and Haas combined.

I'm kind of stunned by how quick it went together, but not stunned that he chose Ferrari.  It's been rumored a few times before in his career.  Still, as a looooong time Hamilton fan, I have to suck it up and root for Ferrari.  One of my wife's major highlight is to have been at Monza when Alonso won for Ferrari.  Maybe timing can work out for us.

Geez- just thinking about it, the two times we went to a race in Europe, Ferrari won both of them.

Related side story- back in 2010 when we saw the race in Monza, the crowd cheered a LOT when Hamilton was crashed out of the race.  Now they have to root for him, lol.

I'm both surprised, and not, at Lewis moving.

I wonder how many zeros on the cheque?

I have a feeling that a competitive car is more important at this point than the paycheck. He wants #8 after it was stolen. 

In reply to alfadriver :

 I don't root for any teams,just the drivers so that makes it easier when they play musical seats :)

I'm not that surprised by lewis going to Ferrari. He has expressed in the past how he would love to race for Ferrari but as long as he is winning in a Merc, he is loyal to Merc. Now that Mercedes seems to have lost the plot line, he may as well finish out his career at Ferrari and I will definitely, definitely be buying LH Ferrari gear. As for Lewis being competitive against Leclerc, you would be misguided underestimating a fired up, focused Lewis Hamilton and I would put money on him being ahead in the points next year.

La Mercedes e spazzatura............andiamo Ferrari.

#8 wasn't stolen and he shouldn't have had #1.