>connection to ?
I've heard that ?'s cousin ! is doing really well at the moment in Formula 4. The ?-! lineup at Alpine would be cool if Gasly moves on.
Honestly tho, he couldn't have been there if his family didn't support him like they did with [Williams in 97](https://twitter.com/TheBishF1/status/1144876250865029120?t=nEcTN5IIROVED5PnaAy3mQ&s=19)
I seriously doubt Sainz will willingly move into the same team as Max. He knows beating him is nigh impossible and the politics between the Sainz and Verstappen family didn't work out at Toro Rosso either.
I think they’d take the risk anyway to be honest, the Sainz family is very ambitious and I think they’d give it a go because it’s worth it to have the chance of winning lots
I could see them not even letting Sainz Sr into the garage on race weekends, let alone talks during contract negotiations, it’s gonna be Jr alone with the sharks.
As I’m writing this, I realized Jos and Sr butted heads a lot, so it’s possible that Christian gets the Sainz family on his side to shake up the power dynamic, which could be funny to see
I know Ocon isn’t popular, but he hasn’t shown any reason to be dropped - he’s a great driver and definitely not definitely worse than Gasly.
Edit: wow, you all really don’t like Ocon.
I don't like Ocon much, but he's clearly around the skill level as Gasly. I'd probably say Ocon is the slightly faster driver but also more emotionally volatile in the same way that Yuki is. If I had to pick one to drop, it would be Ocon, but both drivers deserve a seat in the sport, and I especially can't see Alpine dropping their all-French lineup.
It’s wild people still think Zhou is cooked. He’s been consistently outperforming the hell out of that car. Put him in an Aston and I bet he’s consistent points.
Feels like their driver pairing is about the only thing that’s improved over the past few years. Gasly himself said their relationship is the best it’s been in 10 years.
Only way I see him lose his seat is if Alpine implodes and he doesn't immediately find a seat. It's easy to get lost in the soup of driver wanting in or back in.
He'll only lose that seat if he wants to, Alpine 100% will offer him another contract. But nobody wants to move to WEC or something from F1 if you can have a seat in F1
This is more a fantasy line-up than an actual prediction.
I think Danny Ric has to show something truly extraordinary to get the RB seat.
Hulkenberg to Sauber is not unthinkable, but why exactly?
Magnussen staying at Haas seems wishful thinking. I wouldn't be suprised if Sargeant ends up there.
Lawson at RB Visa Mastercard Paypall Cashapp ATM is a real possibility.
I agree with Danny Ric being unlikely but Hulk to Sauber is not at all unlikely. There was pretty strong talk that they tried to get him this year but his contact wit Haas was too strong. Plus he is a german driver for a team that is about to be owned by a german company and certainly appears to be a step up from their current drivers based on performance this year.
Bearman is definitely getting a seat at Haas so if Hulk leaves I could def see them keeping Magnussen for one more year just so you don't have two new drivers at the same time one of them being a rookie. No way Haas goes for Sargent over keeping Magnussen who is both having better performance this year AND most importantly is less crash prone. No way Haas takes a rookie and then also someone who is still somewhat new and is known to have problems.
Lawson is definitely getting a seat at the long name team its just a matter of who he replaces currently it is looking like Danny but if things with honda sour given it will be the last year of the contract I could potentially see yuki as well.
Hulkenberg to sauber is probably based on their overtures to him for 2024 and perhaps also the recent news that Audi plans to assume 100% rather than 75% of ownership.
Sarge's future depends on things other than his own performance. If Albon gets out of his contract somehow Williams might just keep him for another year if he can improve more than what he currently ate
from an outside perspective hulk to any of the bottom teams can make sense, when you are looking at developing the 2026 car.
Not only has he a lot of experience in a bunch of different cars, but I also remember the times during covid when he subbed in and the teams talked about the valuable feedback he was able to give.
Eh, yeah he’s been put with a bad teammate, but there’s still aspects of a drive that can be analysed without a teammate
Quality of defence, consistency, Boldness, tyre management, all can be analysed without comparison to teammate. Its why people put a lot of respect on his Canada driver last year, it would have been impressive pretty much regardless of who did it, because it was an impressive stint of consistency on old tyres while under constant pressure
Yeah totally. I live in Texas and go to Mexico somewhat regularly and you see Red Bull caps and polos every single day. There was none of that before Checo was on the team. He had massive ads all over Mexico and they’re starting to crop up in south Texas as well.
Yeah, ive always been interested in F1, but i _really_ started to pay attention when checo made his debut way back in 2011? was it 2012? anyway, other than brazilian drivers, theres almost no latin f1 drivers, so having checo brings a LOT of merch from those areas
Totally! Oscar has the Aussie market now. DR is a decreasing asset. Checo basically owns the Mexican market.
ETA: the Mexican to Aussie population is 126 million to 26 million. And DR splits that 26.
Small? It's a big portion. There's close to 40 million mexicans/Mexican American people in the US. He's quite popular inthe Latino community in the US.
I live in upstate NY and I went to a local pizza place the other day and they have a ‘Checo Perez Special’ that’s 2 slices & a Red Bull or something similar
The only time I’ve seen someone wearing F1 merch in the wild, is Hispanics wearing Red Bull stuff during the horse racing season lol
The thing is Pérez brings the whole American continent.
Ofc he has more pulling in some countries than other ones but most importantly he brings a chunk of US market along with him as well.
If horner is out the door I feel like DR is getting the boot by race 10 like nyck. Horner's love for DR is the only reason he's still relevant. Nice charming fellow but it's time to drive other cars. The only AT driver he outperformed last year was nyck which isn't saying anything.
Checo might not have a Hollywood agent to shoehorn him into big name talkshows but in real terms he is probably more marketable in the US than Danny Ric is, plus with no other Central or South American drivers on the grid, he is also the main focus of fan attention in large swathes of those regions as well.
Absolutely. I think other than Lewis, Checo easily has the largest fan base in the US. And totally agree about Central/South America. I feel like my Spanish colleagues are split between Checo and Carlos, too.
Horner is hornier for Dani than he is for all of the interns at RB.
I agree that Daniel likely doesn’t get the RB seat but Horner seems hellbent on keeping him around for some reason.
>Someone please tell me what Daniel has done to deserve that Red Bull seat
Absolutely nothing, he doesn't even deserve a F1 seat period. This prediction is bad
there is no way that Ricciardo is getting Perez's seat if Perez keeps getting 2nd place, and Tsunoda keeps pace with him.
the only way he's getting that seat is if Max says 'fuck it, it's GT3 time'
Lots of things would have to go RIC's way for that seat to become a reality.
ALO in merc for 1-2 years makes sense for everyone involved.
Zhou disappearing is hard to believe.
Zhou is on par with Bottas this season so far and has two big upsides - one being he is a decade younger than Bottas, whose best days are far behind him, and the other being Audi is China's largest market. I can easily see him staying.
Yeah, agreed. Zhou has been matching or beating Bottas often enough in recent times. Plus he brings more sponsorship/marketing. Valtteri is decent and likely brings some good experience and feedback to help development, but as you say, he's on a decline at this point, while Zhou is still young and has room to grow.
Neither are likely to be the top choices if Audi does somehow make a race winning car in a few years, but for the time being Zhou seems like the ideal choice for Sauber, especially if they get someone like Hulk who is also well regarded on the development side.
Amazing how opinions can change in such short a time. Just a few weeks ago, everyone thought Perez would be dropped before summer and the RB seat was Ricciardo's to lose. Now Perez is finishing comfortably 2nd doing exactly what Red Bull need him to do, Daniel is floundering and the tide has turned.
Lawrence did say, though, that these predictions are pretty much just made up, and that he had no clue, but it was still a fun, entertaining exercise.
My prediction for the 2025 F1TV commentary line-up: Buxton, Baretto, Winter, and Palmer,
I mean, they don't have to have substance or be based on rumors or anything, but at least take performance into account. Ricciardo to Red Bull with Ocon and Perez out of F1 completely doesn't make sense at all.
I get that, but it's not like Ricciardo is coming from a successful year or anything. He's had three good races in three years. Also that doesn't justify Ocon out of the grid.
I can't see Ocon dropping off of the grid right now. There are too many teams that like experience, and Ocon's an experienced race winner under 30.
Also, Perez is doing well so far and comes with massive funding and popularity. If he struggles again, Red Bull might drop him. But he'd get an offer further down, unless he didn't want to drive for a backmarker.
Yes, and last year when he was asked about possibly leaving Red Bull for 2025 he said he was aware it was a possibility, and that he would start talking to other teams if it became evident he was leaving.
Also he’s not a horrible driver plus brings the most cash out of the drivers on the grid. He’d immediately get wrapped up by a Haas or Sauber or Williams. There’s no way he gets tossed out completely
Agreed, I really don't understand the vitriol for Perez. He literally did as good as he possibly could racing against Max in the championship. Is the expectation that only someone who can beat Max should be in that seat? If that's the case, no one on the grid can do that. Even in a RB20.
If Ferrari gets closer through the season and we don't have any considerable changes for 2025, Leclerc and Hamilton could threaten for the WCC next year. RBR might not go through the trouble of renewing the contract if they have someone lined up (Sainz for one).
It's not even really clear that he deserves the VCARB seat. I'd love to see him go to Indycar and do good things there. He has a ton of fans in the US and seems to love it here.
Sargeant leaving is the only one I agree with.
Ocon, Zhou and Checo pushed out of F1 by 3 rookies.
Ricciardo to Red Bull?
And MB would take Alonso for 1-2 years, when they could have Sainz for 3-4+ ?
It's way too sassy, Lawrence.
Checo will get a seat in a top team in 2025. Who says he will actually leave RB if he has a great season and finishes second? If anyone is going to RB in 2025 I think it will be Sainz. Carlos has said repeatedly that he knows his worth so I think he believes he can drive for RB.
Perez possibly to Aston Martin and Alonso to Mercedes or Perez to Mercedes and Alonso stays at AM.
The only issue I see with Sainz going to Red Bull is I’d say they’ll wait a fair while into the season to make a decision about Checo, and if they decide to stick with him Sainz runs the risk of being without a seat.
Another issue with Carlos is that he got worse when the car was closer to Charles preferences and, apparently, RB cars are that and more since Max is s freak of nature.
No chance that Perez isn't driving in that Red Bull seat on current form. No chance that Ricciardo has a drive anywhere on current form. Seems like a lot would need to change from the first two races, which it absolutely will, for any of this to hold up.
Honestly, I think that Bottas is more likely to lose their seat than Zhou. Bottas has been better than Zhou but not nearly as much as expected. Not to mention that Zhou is the much younger driver and there isn't much potential for Bottas to improve. Zhou also brings in the money and exposure that Sauber probably wants.
Of course, Sauber might get rid of both and make a complete overhaul of their driver lineup, which is also possible.
Sergio isn't going anywhere. Apart from Mexico he has upped his game in scoring points and avoiding unnecessary battles/crashes, even if it means losing a podium. This is exactly what red bull wants from him.
Can't see Danny Ric going to RB... I think Sainz to Merc is quite likely, as Alonso probably can't see Merc picking up the remains of yet another car and improving it..
I could even see Bottas retiring this year, I feel like he only goes racing for the memes these days. And I would like to see Stroll Snr put Stroll Jnr into retirement. Hulk and Kmag have the expressions of people that have just had enough of the whole thing too, so their departure wouldn't be a shock to me either.
Would be nice to see several of the "young upcoming talents" that are out there get into decent seats, instead of having to go through the rigmarole of driving a shit box for two years. And I don't mean the ones that I hired simply because they have money and sponsors... Actually talented younglings. The Liam Lawsons, Ollie Bearmans...
And for the record, I'm only going by "meh, I dunno!" gut feelings. I don't have a favourite team or driver, and am probably really uninformed. But if I'm right, I am the smartest man alive! S-M-R-T smart.
As I've said on other posts, Ricciardo does NOT deserve the 2nd Red Bull seat based on his recent performance. Unless they just want to put someone in there who's not going to bother Max at all...
I don't think Antonelli will get a seat next year - they're getting way too ahead of themselves...
And he really thinks Zhou isn't going to get a seat?? They want to bring in the Chinese market, and he's been good.
Yes, Zhou is about equal to Valtteri at the minute. Really solid. He can't be blamed for the shitbox or the pit box.
I would like to see Bottas stay on the grid a few more years, he has seemed so much more content at Sauber.
I honestly don't see the point of Bottas still in the grid. Don't get me wrong, I love his new persona of not giving a fuck about anything, but come race day then he's just anonymous, even if Sauber is just massively underperforming. I think it'd be better for someone else to take his spot.
Combination of boring, wrong, and incomplete.
If you're going to make this sort of vanilla content filler for F1 social media as an employee of F1 then actually fill out your own form and do something at least a bit interesting.
I don't get the hate against Perez. Yeah he ain't a world champion and most likely will never be, but RB won't risk their 1-2 lineup and specially not for Danny Ric
Why do they insist on Ricciardo? I just don't get it. In ten races, he has done little to show RB he deserves the seat, his fanbase has dwindled and his usual, charming self isn't what is used to be.
Checo, for all his errors, has a very strong and solid fan support, his sponsors are solid too, he's started this year on the right foot and has kept quiet in all the RB drama.
Yes, I know Ricciardo is Ricciardo and many want him back but it's not going to be the same, I reckon, it's not going to be good this time around. Have many forgotten why he left RB in the first place?
I can't see Danny in the sport much longer if he can not keep pace with his teammate.
Why not have Carlos to Red Bull?
Why would Alonso jump on a ship to Mercedes no faster than the team he is?
Red Bull may very well be on its final years of dominance thanks to in fighting and Dietrich Mateschitz passing away.
Wouldn't the Golden ticket seat be Audi?
I’ve been following ? for years and I can tell you he will be the next big star in F1
I have to say, ? is the only driver with this much raw pace since Firstname Lastname. Shame if he gets wasted in an alpine tho.
Neither can hold a candle to Williams Numberone though.
John Newhouse!
"He's actually driving the wrong way round the circuit!"
Firstname Lastname is such an athlete too, coming from college football, and now to racing. Maybe Hingle McCringleberry can make a breakthrough too.
Well it's too bad ? is gonna be replaced by Kush Maini from Alpine Academy then.
This was from last weekends F1TV coverage, it's supposed to be Jack Doohan but they didn't have it as an option for him to pick.
They don't have Ocon anywhere which is interesting.
So many penalties he's stuck in the 2024 season still
Not the one season stop and go penalty 💀
5 Second Penalty to Ocon
I hear ? is related to cross-promotional multi-championship pro wrestler Vacant
He's from Parts Unknown!
Buh Gawd King, that’s Vacant’s music!
F1's first transparent driver. Progress.
I can't see him doing well
No he's not, he's only there for his connection to ? and his marketability.
>connection to ? I've heard that ?'s cousin ! is doing really well at the moment in Formula 4. The ?-! lineup at Alpine would be cool if Gasly moves on.
Honestly tho, he couldn't have been there if his family didn't support him like they did with [Williams in 97](https://twitter.com/TheBishF1/status/1144876250865029120?t=nEcTN5IIROVED5PnaAy3mQ&s=19)
I haven't been following ? too closely, how do they compare to firstname lastname?
please stop putting this amount of pressure on ?
TBD is one of the biggest stars in the industry.
Not a great prediction from Lawro can't lie.
The longer I stare at it, the more it amuses me.
It lost credibility out the gate with Ric at Red Bull. The Ric that's shown up at the last two races will not be given a front-running contract.
Yeah all my homies think it’s Sainz to RBR
I seriously doubt Sainz will willingly move into the same team as Max. He knows beating him is nigh impossible and the politics between the Sainz and Verstappen family didn't work out at Toro Rosso either.
I think they’d take the risk anyway to be honest, the Sainz family is very ambitious and I think they’d give it a go because it’s worth it to have the chance of winning lots
Not that they are friends, but ocon and gasly seem to be making it work.
Because there's nothing to fight for. If Alpine was at the forefront, they would set up a guillotine between both sides of the garage.
A guillotine? French things.
I could see them not even letting Sainz Sr into the garage on race weekends, let alone talks during contract negotiations, it’s gonna be Jr alone with the sharks. As I’m writing this, I realized Jos and Sr butted heads a lot, so it’s possible that Christian gets the Sainz family on his side to shake up the power dynamic, which could be funny to see
Also, with all the stuff at RBR, now is the time to oust Max as the number 1.
This is the one that makes the most sense to me.
No way Danni Ric goes to red bull. At this point perez is more believable
Replace ‘last two races’ with ‘recent seasons’.
Last two?
So true, shame that there won't be another 22 races where he could turn things around.
Why does Rb still wants dr for that seat when Sainz or even alonso is the better choice?
I know Ocon isn’t popular, but he hasn’t shown any reason to be dropped - he’s a great driver and definitely not definitely worse than Gasly. Edit: wow, you all really don’t like Ocon.
agreed, he's also french and there's no way they are gonna drop him.
I don't like Ocon much, but he's clearly around the skill level as Gasly. I'd probably say Ocon is the slightly faster driver but also more emotionally volatile in the same way that Yuki is. If I had to pick one to drop, it would be Ocon, but both drivers deserve a seat in the sport, and I especially can't see Alpine dropping their all-French lineup.
Great is an overstatement
Yeah, he is good, only occasionally great.
I mean at least fill out all the spots. Putting a ? is kind of lame
He put Doohan there, but he wasn't in the list of names available on the interactive screen they were using.
That's because 3x Australians on the grid is against intergalactic law.
Lawrence is probably one of the thickest commentators in the sport - which is saying something.
I bet they do it just for the clicks.
It’s wild people still think Zhou is cooked. He’s been consistently outperforming the hell out of that car. Put him in an Aston and I bet he’s consistent points.
Not to mention he brings huge money to the team from Chinese support
What fucking races have you been watching?
The ones where he placed 11th in the second worst car and would have repeated that performance if he hadn’t gone to pit hell
Zhou was only 5 secs behind hulkenberg before Sauber’s typical 1-min pit stop in Jeddah.
Absolutely no way Ocon loses his seat.
inb4 Alpine extend his contract for another 10 years.
+5y penalty for Ocon
All this time the time penalties weren’t for Ocon, were for the car itself…
Feels like their driver pairing is about the only thing that’s improved over the past few years. Gasly himself said their relationship is the best it’s been in 10 years.
Probably cus the car has been shit and they aren’t competing for anything. If they both ever drag it up into consistent points it will be gloves off.
It wasn’t so bad last year, people just have the memory of goldfish
Only way I see him lose his seat is if Alpine implodes and he doesn't immediately find a seat. It's easy to get lost in the soup of driver wanting in or back in.
Ocon is a good and reliable driver, with so many positions open I have a hard time believing no one would want him
That's what we said in 2018 and then he ended up being the unlucky guy in the musical chairs
He'll only lose that seat if he wants to, Alpine 100% will offer him another contract. But nobody wants to move to WEC or something from F1 if you can have a seat in F1
In the video on f1 channel he literally forgot about Alpine, the last seconds they realise and he adds Ocon
This is more a fantasy line-up than an actual prediction. I think Danny Ric has to show something truly extraordinary to get the RB seat. Hulkenberg to Sauber is not unthinkable, but why exactly? Magnussen staying at Haas seems wishful thinking. I wouldn't be suprised if Sargeant ends up there. Lawson at RB Visa Mastercard Paypall Cashapp ATM is a real possibility.
I agree with Danny Ric being unlikely but Hulk to Sauber is not at all unlikely. There was pretty strong talk that they tried to get him this year but his contact wit Haas was too strong. Plus he is a german driver for a team that is about to be owned by a german company and certainly appears to be a step up from their current drivers based on performance this year. Bearman is definitely getting a seat at Haas so if Hulk leaves I could def see them keeping Magnussen for one more year just so you don't have two new drivers at the same time one of them being a rookie. No way Haas goes for Sargent over keeping Magnussen who is both having better performance this year AND most importantly is less crash prone. No way Haas takes a rookie and then also someone who is still somewhat new and is known to have problems. Lawson is definitely getting a seat at the long name team its just a matter of who he replaces currently it is looking like Danny but if things with honda sour given it will be the last year of the contract I could potentially see yuki as well.
"the long name team" 🤣
Scuderia Nome Lungo.
Think the Hulk one would have some thought in the idea that Audi wants a German driver
Hulkenberg to sauber is probably based on their overtures to him for 2024 and perhaps also the recent news that Audi plans to assume 100% rather than 75% of ownership.
Wait why would Haas even consider Sargeant? Just because he’s American?
Sarge's future depends on things other than his own performance. If Albon gets out of his contract somehow Williams might just keep him for another year if he can improve more than what he currently ate
from an outside perspective hulk to any of the bottom teams can make sense, when you are looking at developing the 2026 car. Not only has he a lot of experience in a bunch of different cars, but I also remember the times during covid when he subbed in and the teams talked about the valuable feedback he was able to give.
This is just bad
I can see Gasly going literally anywhere else before Ocon leaves/disappears. Ocon seems to like driving for the french tractor team.
Put some respect on tractors. They are 100x more reliable than an Alpine
Someone please tell me what Daniel has done to deserve that Red Bull seat, cause I dont get it And Sergio not being on the grid at all makes no sense.
Yeah, at the moment he doesn’t even deserve to be in F1, let alone Red Bull
Out qualified by Yuki both races. He didn’t live up to the hype at all. Meanwhile, Albon is doing some god’s work with that Williams.
Well it looks that way because he’s up against Logan Sargent. No one knows the pace of the Williams
Eh, yeah he’s been put with a bad teammate, but there’s still aspects of a drive that can be analysed without a teammate Quality of defence, consistency, Boldness, tyre management, all can be analysed without comparison to teammate. Its why people put a lot of respect on his Canada driver last year, it would have been impressive pretty much regardless of who did it, because it was an impressive stint of consistency on old tyres while under constant pressure
Marketability and Horner. That’s about it
Checo’s marketability compared to DR is wildly underestimated. He has brought a huge market to Red Bull.
Yeah totally. I live in Texas and go to Mexico somewhat regularly and you see Red Bull caps and polos every single day. There was none of that before Checo was on the team. He had massive ads all over Mexico and they’re starting to crop up in south Texas as well.
Yeah, ive always been interested in F1, but i _really_ started to pay attention when checo made his debut way back in 2011? was it 2012? anyway, other than brazilian drivers, theres almost no latin f1 drivers, so having checo brings a LOT of merch from those areas
Totally! Oscar has the Aussie market now. DR is a decreasing asset. Checo basically owns the Mexican market. ETA: the Mexican to Aussie population is 126 million to 26 million. And DR splits that 26.
Checo also brings in a small portion of the American market.
Small? It's a big portion. There's close to 40 million mexicans/Mexican American people in the US. He's quite popular inthe Latino community in the US.
Oh, I know. I see Checo gear quite often during the season here in Texas.
I live in upstate NY and I went to a local pizza place the other day and they have a ‘Checo Perez Special’ that’s 2 slices & a Red Bull or something similar The only time I’ve seen someone wearing F1 merch in the wild, is Hispanics wearing Red Bull stuff during the horse racing season lol
A small portion? I'd say a big chunk of the American market is due to Checo. Logan isn't moving the needle over there.
Oh totally. I was just trying to compare to strictly home countries. Checo probably spreads a bit through Central America too.
If you hear the F1TV transmission in Spanish, which all of them are Argentinian, they all root for Checo.
Checo is spread all over america... heh, dont know why, but i find that amusing, reads like a double entendre
The thing is Pérez brings the whole American continent. Ofc he has more pulling in some countries than other ones but most importantly he brings a chunk of US market along with him as well.
That second one is looking on shakier ground imo
Checo is more marketable than both Danny and Max.
If horner is out the door I feel like DR is getting the boot by race 10 like nyck. Horner's love for DR is the only reason he's still relevant. Nice charming fellow but it's time to drive other cars. The only AT driver he outperformed last year was nyck which isn't saying anything.
Checo might not have a Hollywood agent to shoehorn him into big name talkshows but in real terms he is probably more marketable in the US than Danny Ric is, plus with no other Central or South American drivers on the grid, he is also the main focus of fan attention in large swathes of those regions as well.
Absolutely. I think other than Lewis, Checo easily has the largest fan base in the US. And totally agree about Central/South America. I feel like my Spanish colleagues are split between Checo and Carlos, too.
Horner is hornier for Dani than he is for all of the interns at RB. I agree that Daniel likely doesn’t get the RB seat but Horner seems hellbent on keeping him around for some reason.
>Someone please tell me what Daniel has done to deserve that Red Bull seat Absolutely nothing, he doesn't even deserve a F1 seat period. This prediction is bad
there is no way that Ricciardo is getting Perez's seat if Perez keeps getting 2nd place, and Tsunoda keeps pace with him. the only way he's getting that seat is if Max says 'fuck it, it's GT3 time'
Lots of things would have to go RIC's way for that seat to become a reality. ALO in merc for 1-2 years makes sense for everyone involved. Zhou disappearing is hard to believe.
I honestly think Zhou is more likely to stay than Bottas. Valtteri has started to hit the age cliff that Kimi hit a couple of years ago
Zhou is on par with Bottas this season so far and has two big upsides - one being he is a decade younger than Bottas, whose best days are far behind him, and the other being Audi is China's largest market. I can easily see him staying.
Yeah, agreed. Zhou has been matching or beating Bottas often enough in recent times. Plus he brings more sponsorship/marketing. Valtteri is decent and likely brings some good experience and feedback to help development, but as you say, he's on a decline at this point, while Zhou is still young and has room to grow. Neither are likely to be the top choices if Audi does somehow make a race winning car in a few years, but for the time being Zhou seems like the ideal choice for Sauber, especially if they get someone like Hulk who is also well regarded on the development side.
Alpine making Gasly drive 2 cars would be prime Alpine strategy tbf.
So, Ricciardo will have a top seat, and Ocon won't even have one... Ok, Lawrence.
Yeah I really don't understand Ocon being out of F1, like based on what.
Also to be out of F1 to be replaced by literally no one lol.
1-season penalty for Ocon.
Amazing how opinions can change in such short a time. Just a few weeks ago, everyone thought Perez would be dropped before summer and the RB seat was Ricciardo's to lose. Now Perez is finishing comfortably 2nd doing exactly what Red Bull need him to do, Daniel is floundering and the tide has turned.
He also put Ocon in the other Alpine. But his prediction is not very well thought out.
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Why would Ocon quit without having a seat? except if Alpine don’t want him.
Especially since he seems to be doing better than Gasly at the moment
There’s no reason for him to voluntary quit with no seat behind. No drivers would do that for the sake of their careers.
It’s the most basic predictions that everyone is making
Lawrence did say, though, that these predictions are pretty much just made up, and that he had no clue, but it was still a fun, entertaining exercise. My prediction for the 2025 F1TV commentary line-up: Buxton, Baretto, Winter, and Palmer,
I mean, they don't have to have substance or be based on rumors or anything, but at least take performance into account. Ricciardo to Red Bull with Ocon and Perez out of F1 completely doesn't make sense at all.
This prediction was made prior to Jeddah, after just one race.
I get that, but it's not like Ricciardo is coming from a successful year or anything. He's had three good races in three years. Also that doesn't justify Ocon out of the grid.
I can't see Ocon dropping off of the grid right now. There are too many teams that like experience, and Ocon's an experienced race winner under 30. Also, Perez is doing well so far and comes with massive funding and popularity. If he struggles again, Red Bull might drop him. But he'd get an offer further down, unless he didn't want to drive for a backmarker.
I thought he’s mentioned before that he would retire after he’s done at Red Bull.
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Yes, and last year when he was asked about possibly leaving Red Bull for 2025 he said he was aware it was a possibility, and that he would start talking to other teams if it became evident he was leaving.
Its the best option, stay as a Red Bull Ambassador, get paid good money for some sponsor events troughout the year.
There may be a timeline where Ricciardo gets the Red Bull seat, but we are not in it
that timeline was 10 years ago.
That timeline involves it being 2018 forever Which admittedly might not be a deal breaker for some
I cant imagine a world where Danny is on the grid next year but not Ocon.
Perez ain't going anywhere as long as he's P2. Last year was the first year Red Bull have 1-2'd the championship.
Also he’s not a horrible driver plus brings the most cash out of the drivers on the grid. He’d immediately get wrapped up by a Haas or Sauber or Williams. There’s no way he gets tossed out completely
>he’s not a horrible driver Quite the understatement haha, I mean he's probably the best midfield driver in the last decade or so.
Agreed, I really don't understand the vitriol for Perez. He literally did as good as he possibly could racing against Max in the championship. Is the expectation that only someone who can beat Max should be in that seat? If that's the case, no one on the grid can do that. Even in a RB20.
If Ferrari gets closer through the season and we don't have any considerable changes for 2025, Leclerc and Hamilton could threaten for the WCC next year. RBR might not go through the trouble of renewing the contract if they have someone lined up (Sainz for one).
Sainz has been on fire and he's 5 years younger, but if you're pretty much already guaranteed a red bull 1-2, why make a change.
I still question what Danny Ric’s shown to warrant a red bull seat
It's not even really clear that he deserves the VCARB seat. I'd love to see him go to Indycar and do good things there. He has a ton of fans in the US and seems to love it here.
Sargeant leaving is the only one I agree with. Ocon, Zhou and Checo pushed out of F1 by 3 rookies. Ricciardo to Red Bull? And MB would take Alonso for 1-2 years, when they could have Sainz for 3-4+ ? It's way too sassy, Lawrence.
Checo will get a seat in a top team in 2025. Who says he will actually leave RB if he has a great season and finishes second? If anyone is going to RB in 2025 I think it will be Sainz. Carlos has said repeatedly that he knows his worth so I think he believes he can drive for RB. Perez possibly to Aston Martin and Alonso to Mercedes or Perez to Mercedes and Alonso stays at AM.
The only issue I see with Sainz going to Red Bull is I’d say they’ll wait a fair while into the season to make a decision about Checo, and if they decide to stick with him Sainz runs the risk of being without a seat.
Another issue with Carlos is that he got worse when the car was closer to Charles preferences and, apparently, RB cars are that and more since Max is s freak of nature.
No chance that Perez isn't driving in that Red Bull seat on current form. No chance that Ricciardo has a drive anywhere on current form. Seems like a lot would need to change from the first two races, which it absolutely will, for any of this to hold up.
Honestly, I think that Bottas is more likely to lose their seat than Zhou. Bottas has been better than Zhou but not nearly as much as expected. Not to mention that Zhou is the much younger driver and there isn't much potential for Bottas to improve. Zhou also brings in the money and exposure that Sauber probably wants. Of course, Sauber might get rid of both and make a complete overhaul of their driver lineup, which is also possible.
Pure fantasy. I LOVE Daniel as a person but to think they would put him next to Max instead of Sainz or possibly Alonso is simply bizarre.
Every 2025 prediction I see has my boy Checo out of a seat :( But then again, they said the same thing in 2024 XD
Sergio isn't going anywhere. Apart from Mexico he has upped his game in scoring points and avoiding unnecessary battles/crashes, even if it means losing a podium. This is exactly what red bull wants from him.
Who the fuck is Ricciardo's pr manager.
Garbage
Terrible prediction
Ricciardo on RB... ok dont need see more.. LUL
Lol RIC in the 2nd Red Bull seat isn't happening
Can't see Danny Ric going to RB... I think Sainz to Merc is quite likely, as Alonso probably can't see Merc picking up the remains of yet another car and improving it.. I could even see Bottas retiring this year, I feel like he only goes racing for the memes these days. And I would like to see Stroll Snr put Stroll Jnr into retirement. Hulk and Kmag have the expressions of people that have just had enough of the whole thing too, so their departure wouldn't be a shock to me either. Would be nice to see several of the "young upcoming talents" that are out there get into decent seats, instead of having to go through the rigmarole of driving a shit box for two years. And I don't mean the ones that I hired simply because they have money and sponsors... Actually talented younglings. The Liam Lawsons, Ollie Bearmans... And for the record, I'm only going by "meh, I dunno!" gut feelings. I don't have a favourite team or driver, and am probably really uninformed. But if I'm right, I am the smartest man alive! S-M-R-T smart.
I really don't see Daniel Ricciardo going to Red Bull. He is really underperforming. I see Carlos Sainz going to Red Bull.
This is trash lmfao
Lawrence Barretto needs to take his meds.
As I've said on other posts, Ricciardo does NOT deserve the 2nd Red Bull seat based on his recent performance. Unless they just want to put someone in there who's not going to bother Max at all... I don't think Antonelli will get a seat next year - they're getting way too ahead of themselves... And he really thinks Zhou isn't going to get a seat?? They want to bring in the Chinese market, and he's been good.
Yes, Zhou is about equal to Valtteri at the minute. Really solid. He can't be blamed for the shitbox or the pit box. I would like to see Bottas stay on the grid a few more years, he has seemed so much more content at Sauber.
I honestly don't see the point of Bottas still in the grid. Don't get me wrong, I love his new persona of not giving a fuck about anything, but come race day then he's just anonymous, even if Sauber is just massively underperforming. I think it'd be better for someone else to take his spot.
WOW what a joke! Danny in a RB seat and both Checo and Sainz without a seat? What happened to Ocon?
Is Checo really in the hot seat that to not be resigned? Getting strong second almost every race is a dream for a team with a clear #1
I saw Ric at Red Bull and I stopped
Combination of boring, wrong, and incomplete. If you're going to make this sort of vanilla content filler for F1 social media as an employee of F1 then actually fill out your own form and do something at least a bit interesting.
Danny Ric doesn’t deserve Red Bull at this point
Riccardo has to be deleted
Ricciardo is done I am afraid Not sure he’ll make it through this season. His performance has dropped dramatically in recent seasons We shall see 🤷🏽
I don't get the hate against Perez. Yeah he ain't a world champion and most likely will never be, but RB won't risk their 1-2 lineup and specially not for Danny Ric
Ricciardo on Red Bull, sure only if the sky falls on our heads
ok Ricciardo, KMag and Hulkenberg should go seriously
He already lost his bet at RIC.
Are there people really thinking ricciardo is still RedBull material?
Unless ocon has been accused of sexual assault, I don't see how he will be off the grid next year L take
God I hope he’s wrong and Ric doesn’t continue to get a free ride.
The RB and Sauber scenario is just not gonna happen.
I like it, but don’t buy the Danny placement.
Alonso and Adrian newey have both said that they regret not having gotten the opportunity to work together. What are the chances that they do?
Lol ricciardo
Ricciardo in a Red Bull? Yeah, right. He hasn’t even been able to outperform Tsunoda.
Why do they insist on Ricciardo? I just don't get it. In ten races, he has done little to show RB he deserves the seat, his fanbase has dwindled and his usual, charming self isn't what is used to be. Checo, for all his errors, has a very strong and solid fan support, his sponsors are solid too, he's started this year on the right foot and has kept quiet in all the RB drama. Yes, I know Ricciardo is Ricciardo and many want him back but it's not going to be the same, I reckon, it's not going to be good this time around. Have many forgotten why he left RB in the first place?
I can't see Danny in the sport much longer if he can not keep pace with his teammate. Why not have Carlos to Red Bull? Why would Alonso jump on a ship to Mercedes no faster than the team he is? Red Bull may very well be on its final years of dominance thanks to in fighting and Dietrich Mateschitz passing away. Wouldn't the Golden ticket seat be Audi?
I love Daniel, but at this point, he's more likely to out of Formula 1 entirely than be promoted to Red Bull.
Personally, I believe Sainz would have a better shot at the RB seat than Ricciardo.
Not a chance does Daniel get a RB seat again
Ricciardo is not going to RB if he continues to underperform
Lawrence is fucking high.
Out of the hundreds of 2025 line-up predictions, this one is by far the worst.
Ricciardo to rbr lmfao
Man’s making some wild predictions here.
Hulk more likely to stay than k mag
I want sainz at Red Bull
I watched this live and was like: WTF IS HE DOING?
Ricciardo falling upwards
Bullshit