Quote:
Originally Posted by Artemis
Talking about kingmakers: Verstappen gets the 'right of first refusal' for the vacated Mercedes seat. Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1, the Mercedes-Benz Group and INEOS are eager to get him and got the financial ressources to meet Verstappen's demands for a shock move. With the Verstappens being disgruntled about Horner and as Newey has made up his mind to leave RBR because of Horner, there is momentum that was unfathomable in 2021 - for all involved on both sides, this is their brief 'window of opportunity' to strike.
Could also be that, as variant, with the RB20/RB21 in 2025 still best adapted to the current regs & rules, Verstappen commits to start racing for Mercedes from 2026 onwards (instead of from next season onwards). But it seems more likely that he will be donning the Mercedes track suit already in 2025 (as well as a 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans winner who set a 5000 km distance record, with a Dutch team mate, in a Porsche 917, that would stand for 39 years).
Sainz is just one of the (way cheaper) spare wheels of Wolff & C°. Kimi Antonelli got better talent cards and Merc time upon his sleeve for a long-term future at Mercedes, than Sainz. But Kimi is still 17 and will likely get prepared for a year or so at another team sporting a Merc engine. Carlos is 29.
If Sainz would get the available Merc seat, it will be for 2025 only and merely because Verstappen would have opted out for 2025. Sainz was very close to signing, but a supervening event abruptly stalled that plan: almost certainly that event was the Verstappens approaching Wolff with an 'invitation to treat'.
|
As I said : The real issue at Red Bull is 'not the Horner sex-soap .
It's all about Horners Ford PU and his decission to say goodby to HONDA..
Meanwhile It's already an open book how strong the 2026 Mercedes monster PU will be and the 2026 Honda PU is already running and shows incredible strenght and reliability , not only the Honda combustion engine but also the electric motors and batteries by the 50:50 power split in 2026.
(according to Koji Watanabe)
At this moment , Honers Ford PU runs down in terms of power , and there is no guarantee that MAX can get a strong and reliable PU in 2026.
That makes the atmosphere at the Red Bull Team extremely nervous ...
All this is Horners fault by his wrong decision to build his own RB Ford PU (Red Bull Ford Powertrains)
That's why I said : 'Never split a winning combination !
As we know the winning combination was to run with a HONDA PU .
According to Horner : Everything goes like it was plannned..
Horner will be put under even more pressure by his own big mistake to part ways with HONDA.
The Red Bull Team can fall completely appart by Horners wrong decision..
And Newey's 2026 super-active-aero package would be worth nothing if the Ford PU runs down in power !
Currently it looks like Horner destroyed his own Red Bull Team !
Of course It's not 2026 yet , but 2 strong 2026 PU's like Mercedes and Honda are having a big power advantage.
The tide can turn , but the clock is ticking for Horner and his Ford PU !