2024 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

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It's Alonso or Antonelli on the basis of what Mercedes plans are for the team. If they want stability, preparation and focus on getting off the blocks well with the car in 2026, it's Alonso. If they don't care about the preparation part so much and trusts George's feedback enough, then they can go bold with Antonelli. Anyone else is a waste of time, money and effort.

I think it depends on Antonelli and Russell to a large extent.

Let's say Antonelli wins F2 already first year, then he's made an amazing case to go straight in. Then you don't need to look for Alonso at all.

If Russell steps up massively and begins to feel like a team leader internally, then they can consider Sainz.

If Russell and/or Antonelli don't step up then you're looking at Alonso I agree

[mendis]

It's Alonso or Antonelli on the basis of what Mercedes plans are for the team. If they want stability, preparation and focus on getting off the blocks well with the car in 2026, it's Alonso. If they don't care about the preparation part so much and trusts George's feedback enough, then they can go bold with Antonelli. Anyone else is a waste of time, money and effort.

I think it depends on Antonelli and Russell to a large extent.

Let's say Antonelli wins F2 already first year, then he's made an amazing case to go straight in. Then you don't need to look for Alonso at all.

If Russell steps up massively and begins to feel like a team leader internally, then they can consider Sainz.

If Russell and/or Antonelli don't step up then you're looking at Alonso I agree

Question is, should George stepping up massively delay Antonelli's introduction? Why waste him by having Carlos? If George steps up as a team leader, it's a good case to bring Antonelli instead of Sainz. Isn't it? Unless you are talking about avoiding sparks between a stepped up leader and a hot rod. Assuming it's never going to be a 2014 to 2016 kind of situation where it's only team mates that are battling, then it's always good to have two strong drivers.

Carlos is not a good fit in race trim. He likes to battle his team mate than the opposition. I would see him as a liability. He can go to RB where it's solely Max's team and he would be ordered to comply and no one cares if he wants to win. They just need a driver that can finish on podium more often than not. Mercedes has a history of playing to both drivers and Carlos is going to be a a bump.

[AMG.Tzan]

Mercedes made the mistake already once by not getting Verstapen back in 2014 because “they had no seat available” (as if they needed Rosberg so much…)

So hopefully they won’t make the same mistake again and let Antonelli go because surely the rest of the teams will be hunting him and offering him a seat!

But all of this depends on how good Antonelli’s F2 season is of course…

[Tvetovnato]

As much as I respect Alonso as a driver, I’m not so sure his personality would be a good fit in any team with a very strong other driver in the other car. Last time he was properly tested against a top tier driver when running for a championship was back in 07. His competetiveness as a person has not dwinled since then, and there would be a risk of an explosion in the team if Mercedes would actually produce a winning car in which they could fight for the title.

This is only a problem if Russell is capable of challenging him of course, which I am sure he would given how close he is to Hamilton.

[chrisc90]

As much as I respect Alonso as a driver, I’m not so sure his personality would be a good fit in any team with a very strong other driver in the other car. Last time he was properly tested against a top tier driver when running for a championship was back in 07. His competetiveness as a person has not dwinled since then, and there would be a risk of an explosion in the team if Mercedes would actually produce a winning car in which they could fight for the title.

This is only a problem if Russell is capable of challenging him of course, which I am sure he would given how close he is to Hamilton.

Wasnt Alonso ahead of Russell when AMR gave him a good car?

[basti313]

But all of this depends on how good Antonelli’s F2 season is of course…

I fear you are jumping the gun a lot on this. Antonelli had one representative TEST...nothing else on the Pirelli rubber. In this test he did a glory run and on all long runs was more than a second per lap slower than his mediocre teammate.
There is still a very long way to go for him, a Mercedes F1 seat is more than unrealistic.

I think Carlos warms the seat for two years and Kimi comes in for 27.

I think such a switcharoo Sai vs. Ham is simply nonsense. No one will do this. Carlos to RedBull is in my point of view more realistic. Leaves Schumacher, Ocon and Albon.

[K1Plus]

But all of this depends on how good Antonelli’s F2 season is of course…

I fear you are jumping the gun a lot on this. Antonelli had one representative TEST...nothing else on the Pirelli rubber. In this test he did a glory run and on all long runs was more than a second per lap slower than his mediocre teammate.
There is still a very long way to go for him, a Mercedes F1 seat is more than unrealistic.

I think Carlos warms the seat for two years and Kimi comes in for 27.

I think such a switcharoo Sai vs. Ham is simply nonsense. No one will do this. Carlos to RedBull is in my point of view more realistic. Leaves Schumacher, Ocon and Albon.

Toto loves Ocon so...

[basti313]

But all of this depends on how good Antonelli’s F2 season is of course…

I fear you are jumping the gun a lot on this. Antonelli had one representative TEST...nothing else on the Pirelli rubber. In this test he did a glory run and on all long runs was more than a second per lap slower than his mediocre teammate.
There is still a very long way to go for him, a Mercedes F1 seat is more than unrealistic.

I think Carlos warms the seat for two years and Kimi comes in for 27.

I think such a switcharoo Sai vs. Ham is simply nonsense. No one will do this. Carlos to RedBull is in my point of view more realistic. Leaves Schumacher, Ocon and Albon.

Toto loves Ocon so...

Agreed.

And he likes Schu, but who is a hot potato for him due to Media. Maybe he helps both by luring Ocon to Merc and opens the Alpine seat for Schu.

[Tvetovnato]

As much as I respect Alonso as a driver, I’m not so sure his personality would be a good fit in any team with a very strong other driver in the other car. Last time he was properly tested against a top tier driver when running for a championship was back in 07. His competetiveness as a person has not dwinled since then, and there would be a risk of an explosion in the team if Mercedes would actually produce a winning car in which they could fight for the title.

This is only a problem if Russell is capable of challenging him of course, which I am sure he would given how close he is to Hamilton.

Wasnt Alonso ahead of Russell when AMR gave him a good car?

How do you mean? Russell and Alonso were not team mates in AMR.

[Tvetovnato]

But all of this depends on how good Antonelli’s F2 season is of course…

I fear you are jumping the gun a lot on this. Antonelli had one representative TEST...nothing else on the Pirelli rubber. In this test he did a glory run and on all long runs was more than a second per lap slower than his mediocre teammate.
There is still a very long way to go for him, a Mercedes F1 seat is more than unrealistic.

I think Carlos warms the seat for two years and Kimi comes in for 27.

I think such a switcharoo Sai vs. Ham is simply nonsense. No one will do this. Carlos to RedBull is in my point of view more realistic. Leaves Schumacher, Ocon and Albon.

Hm, I did not write what you quoted ”me” on..

[zeroday]

As much as I respect Alonso as a driver, I’m not so sure his personality would be a good fit in any team with a very strong other driver in the other car. Last time he was properly tested against a top tier driver when running for a championship was back in 07. His competetiveness as a person has not dwinled since then, and there would be a risk of an explosion in the team if Mercedes would actually produce a winning car in which they could fight for the title.

This is only a problem if Russell is capable of challenging him of course, which I am sure he would given how close he is to Hamilton.

Wasnt Alonso ahead of Russell when AMR gave him a good car?

How do you mean? Russell and Alonso were not team mates in AMR.

I figure he confused the teams. That or he thinks by both teams using the same engine (MER) it's more comparable?!? which it isn't. So, I agree to what you're alluding, that it's not a fair comparison.

... which I am sure he would given how close he is to Hamilton.

I agree with you about Alonso and it's a potential ticking time bomb waiting if he goes to MER w/RUS there. But let's not wallpaper over the fact that Russell was ONLY close to Hamilton when it came to quali. It was rarely a contest during races, which in the grand scheme of things is what only matters. You saw aimilarities these past few years with LEC v VER in quali vs races (but tbf, LEC usually is significantly better than Max in quali, while RUS and HAM are pretty much on par in Quali). In 2023, Hamilton had a respectable chance to claim P2 in WDC (last 2 races really doomed that), while RUS was down at P6 (or was it P8?). That isn't close! Hamilton was always far superior. And also, lets not forget, MER has had a dog of a car for 2 years, so we aren't technically seeing the true Hamilton (or Russell, to be fair) since Hamilton is clearly holding back out of fear the car will end up in the wall; something Leclec probably should learn a thing or two about doing when your car isn't stable.

That being said, i feel Alonso would probably be a handful for Russell. And i figure Alonso would relish it. Hamilton was always just a bit better than Alonso historically, but Alonso is way more ruthless (e.g. Hungary 2007) which would result in way more visible tears on Russell's face. But my biggest concern is the team harmony. Alonso would bring a lot of chaos to the team. What we see at AMR is not the real Alonso. He is behaving because Daddy stroll pays him to be muted. And is why i would not want him. Love and respect his skill and entertainment at other teams, but i love MER and would hate to see it set on fire, especially now that they've lost their most important ingredient to a rival team.

[Tvetovnato]

I see what you are saying and I do believe Hamilton is better in race trim especially, but the difference between the pair is not even close to what the points difference last year suggested, just as it wasn’t in 2022 when it was the other way around. I have seen flashes of really good and really quick race pace from Russell as well, it’s just the consistency that needs sorting.

But I fully agree with you about that it’s not the real Alonso we see right now. It’s very easy to play the daddy role and be the good guy when nothing is at stake and you are demolishing your team mate, but once the stakes get higher and pressure comes, you tend to come back to who you really are. Given the stories Button told about Alonso when they were at McLaren when nothing was on the line, imagine what will happen when things really are. So no, Mercedes does best in choosing someone else I believe.

[mendis]

As much as I respect Alonso as a driver, I’m not so sure his personality would be a good fit in any team with a very strong other driver in the other car. Last time he was properly tested against a top tier driver when running for a championship was back in 07. His competetiveness as a person has not dwinled since then, and there would be a risk of an explosion in the team if Mercedes would actually produce a winning car in which they could fight for the title.

This is only a problem if Russell is capable of challenging him of course, which I am sure he would given how close he is to Hamilton.

Would it have been different if Lewis continued?

[denyall]

Merc is invested in GR, there is absolutely to reason to bring in Alonso and all his baggage. They obviously have a lot of confidence in GR or they would have extended their 7 time WDC 40yo driver with a more meaningful contract. The fact that they were willing to sign a deal with Lewis that would allow him to leave means they do not value a steady hand. There are plenty of excellent drivers that would be able to fill the seat while they wait for Kimi to develop..

[F1Krof]

Did anyone think of a scenario where W15 turns out to be a RBR beater!

What will Hamilton feel?