F1 2024 -Watchalong thread

[Brazilianadventure]

Happy New Year.

Thought I would start the 2024 thread given there is more political intrigue with the FIA.

2 resignations and one person choosing to not renew their contract. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/67906883

Plus allegedly another ex-Red Bull employee moving to the FIA. https://x.com/silverarrowsnet/status/1744375322131231089?s=46&t=lJm6-66fq4MtGcwwAsK6Kg

I think Sainz to Sauber/Audi and Albon for the free Mercedes seat.

I'd much prefer to see Alex in a Mercedes or McLaren seat than a Red Bull or RBR stable seat.

I'd love to see Alex at Mercedes

Carlos must be having a shit day

Mercedes announcement at 7pm tonight apparently

Killing myself laughing at the assertion that a guy who has routinely been slower than George Russell in the exact same car is going to be given #1 status ahead of Charles Leclerc and outperform him 😆

I don't know he has been routinely slower, has he?

Qualifying in 2023, they were about even stevens and in the races, Lewis had a more successful season, certainly as far as point results were concerned.

Not sure by what other criteria he could be said to be routinely slower?

@XDownwiththissortofthingX If you are talking about 2022 remember 2 things.

1. Lewis deliberately sacrificed the early race weekends trying to work out how to improve the Mercedes by testing loads of settings.
2. Lewis was bouncing back from AD2021 - mentally the strength to do that was impressive.

In 2023 Mercedes didn’t listen to Lewis on design and whilst his one lap pace maybe wasn’t as quick his race results meant he very nearly came second in the championship against a RB rocket.

Late to the convo, but how very... unexpected.

I just don't get it tbh. Going to Ferrari, the least diverse team of all? It feels like he's thrown away his principles because of a falling out, maybe over not feeling listened-to?

He can't really think that he has a better chance of winning with Ferrari over Merc, and it can't be about money.

And I really can't see them telling Lewis he can be their #1.

Make it make sense!

I'm shocked. I really hoped he'd get his 8th wdc but that seems unlikely now.

I hope he remembers to pull up to the right garage for his 1st pit stop at ferrari.

OMG just watching P1 with Matt & Tommy - suggesting Alonso to Mercedes! Yes it’s a silly season suggestion but it could be an option.

@TheSpottedZebra The lure of winning in a Ferrari like Michael, after both Seb and Fernando failed would seal his status as a great.

I wondered if Sainz had been offered a longer term deal with Audi where he'd be no.1 driver and Ferrari wouldn't match it, but I think that's wishful thinking really! Otherwise it just seems a bit unfair that Sainz was dumped because Lewis was interested.

It's the lure of Ferrari, the history, the romance. The possibility of being the one to bring them back to greatness. It's not about the winning or the money or even diversity. It's Ferrari.

Rumours that alonso & toto have been in contact recently but that Alonso wants to see how AM go this year

Toto has been telling everyone how great Mick Schumacher is and how he deserves a seat so my first thought was that he'd get the seat

I think this as well. They all want to be the one that wins in the Ferrari.

It's irresistible to so many of them.

I am thinking that if he joins in 2025, he has all of that year to prepare the new rules/regulations car for 2026 and if he doesn't get the Merc he wants in 2024 he'll definitely get the car he wants in either '25 or '26!

I would be surprised as Mick did not set the F1 world alight. Oscar Piastri is a potential option if Zac hasn’t got him tied down.

Exactly. He needs a year to settle in and can input to the Ferrari 2026 rule change car.

I also think the Ferrari engine has been better than the Merc engine.

Lewis judged the move to Merc perfectly and this could be the same or a disaster only time will tell.

I don’t think Mercedes can be guaranteed to produce a winning car anymore. Neither can Ferrari. I reckon the chances of either team winning a championship in the next two years is about equal.

Therefore he can see out his career with some more non-wins with Mercedes or he can mix it up, fresh team, fresh faces at the mighty Ferrari. Might still be a succession of non-wins but he’s at least got something out of it.

Very true

Sainz has been linked with Audi/Sauber for a while now, I think he was always going to move there for next year. I do wonder who will get the second Merc seat now. I can see Mercedes going for another up and coming driver, Kimi Antonielli maybe? There is a lot of talk about Antonelli being the next big thing and he would be 19 in 2025 I think.

As for Lewis, well I'm fond of him, just as I was fond of Seb, and somehow I don't see his time at Ferrari being better than Sebs. Or Alonsos. Or Charles' even. I wish him well though and would still love to see him get his 8th (9th) title.

I wonder if Lewis will follow Carlos’ example. He signed a year before he joined Ferrari and spent the year learning Italian. Carlos also spent a lot of time at Maranello in his first year at Ferrari to understand how the team and factory worked.

Genuinely shocked at this news - I never thought he'd leave in his final few years. I'm thinking Albon to Merc and then Ferrari will be lining up antonelli to take over from Hamilton in a couple of years.

This has made me really excited that Ferrari may actually have a car that can compete with Red Bull. I may be a Williams fan at heart, but I do think that Leclerc deserves some more race wins. And him and Lewis together makes for a very exciting line up.

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