There is nothing in the rules to prevent owning several teams. I believe it exist in other sports too.
So far, 75% chance of rain Sunday. This obviously could change for the better.... .or worse. It's Suzuka.
I cannot see George and Max as teammates, I just can't, they'd kill each other, but I suppose anything is possible. It's going to be dependent on how Kimi works this year but I believe he's going to be great, but I'm still not sure. The 'greats' drove the wheels off their cars from day 1, and I'm not seeing that just yet with Kimi, we'll see how he goes as times are different and this machinery takes some time so it's not an apples to apples comparison. I think Toto sees Kimi as the future so I would absolutely see Toto dumping George for Max. Now that Toto has a card to play with Max, Toto knows Max needs Mercedes now.
I personally think the Russell/Antonelli pairing is a very good one. Verstappen is superior to Russell, but I don't know if Verstappen is worth the price, even though he's an ace.
I think the question at this point is: a) the car is a Diva and we just have to find that one narrow tricky right setup but b) what if the car is just plain crap
The MaxBull and Ferrari are utterly Diva's lol. Mercedes are not as fast yet but are a more stable platform after so many Diva years.
I can see this overall. Good assessment I think. Growth for Antonelli could be really interesting vs George. Toto has been very complimentary in the press this week about George. I dont see him being sent off in favor of Max just yet. Of course - F1 anyone can be fired for just walking funny on this grid lol.
I don't think Toto Wolff would gladly have Jos Verstappen in the Mercedes pit, questioning his decisions like he does at RBR.
Hate to see so many people hoping for rain during an F1 race. Shouldn't we want to see the fastest, most technological cars performing at their limits? Unfortunately, hoping for rain says quite a bit about where F1 is, currently. But then again, I don't hope for inclement conditions to reduce performance in other sports, either.
Fair point. So why do they make these tracks with grippy surfaces? Wouldn't all racing be better if the tarmac were all made slippier? Or perhaps water them all down? Do you think this has been considered? Or a spec series would be even better? I guess I'm just not into that aspect. Much as I don't prefer seeing my favorites diminished when playing in rain and mud.
This is already part of the circus. Different tracks have different surface grip and conditions that cause varying degrees of graining/slip/deg...that's why at the last race in China, all teams adjusted their setups to maximize the newly resurfaced road, obviously some better than others.
I have to say whenever I've been at a truly great driver's circuit for F1, I never minded when it rained... Spa, Suzuka, and Monaco come to mind.
Mercedes hiring Max would be as big a mistake as Ferrari hiring Hamilton. Mercedes has good driver, they just need to work on the car. Ferrari had a good team and also should have put all their money on the car. At the end of the season, Red Bull and Ferrari will be fighting for third, and Mercedes and McLaren will be fighting for both championships. Is Williams the team witih the forward momentum and 5th place?
Correct. And driving well in the rain in an F1 car has always been a measuring stick that separates the men from the boys.
Yes, but rain makes it so much more entertaining to watch mortals in shining armor. Did you watch Turkey 2020 ?? Best race of the decade (so far). Did you watch Britain 2024 ?? Great race
I don't think so. The 2025 Aston Martin looks like a dud, but perhaps Newey can tweak some more speed out of it? AM has depth and deep pockets, Williams not.
