ColatoxicPinto might not be pleased with this lol Jack Doohan is in the frame for a sensational switch to the all-new Cadillac entry for the F1 2026 season. As speculation grows surrounding who the all-new operation will hire, Doohan has emerged as one potential option.
Savvy view in my opinion: Jenson Button thinks Mercedes should drop Kimi Antonelli to make way for Max Verstappen Jenson Button's take on Mercedes driver line-up headache. “So, to replace Max with him, it just seems like a strange move. I know they've got the young Kimi Antonelli, who's 18, who could be a future star. But we still don't know that. “Whereas George is there, he is good, and you need two very competitive drivers with this new era of the sport. Next year, obviously lots of regulation changes, car change, engine change. So, for me, George and Max would be a better line-up.”
How Red Bull controls Max Verstappen’s future and why he can’t leave Mat Coch4 hours ago Max Verstappen's fate is in Red Bull's hands. Speculation linking Max Verstappen with a move away from Red Bull has remained rampant, but it is far from a foregone conclusion. https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bull-max-verstappen-contract-future-mercedes-why-he-cant-leave-crb
I hope it's Kimi and Max as teammates. George is fast, but Kimi got so much potential and is already showing he is as fast Russell.
Kimi has had a bad run of races and is not in my opinion Max-esque just yet. He completely destroyed his confidence in Monza last year and has admitted that event continues to bother him. He is not ready for a top team overall and should have had a year as a test/reserve or at Williams etc. They are in a bad position with him vs a Russell and Max potential team. I dont see that happening anyway. Max will ride out RedBull next year. Kimi and George will continue. Im thinking all the hype on a Max move is about first option deals made, possibly, for 2027 if Max feels RedBull is less than competitive in new PU/Aero trim. Jensen has a solid view of this overall. Toto probably knows this. Kimi not being at Mercedes but in another place is not the end of his world at all. Toto messed up by not taking Carlos and parking Kimi in Reserve. F1 should take its 'wealth' and separate in season testing from the idiotic Budget Cap and allow teams to test current cars and train new drivers in reserve. Driving old cars under zero racing stress is not optimal at all. It would also help Pirelli develop tires as well. This wont happen as Liberty needs coerced drama for its marketing machine so limit development and testing.
