2024 Mercedes-AMG | Petronas F1 Team

[214270]

HAM was plenty fast in Monaco without this fabled wing. Attributing the performance jump to the front wing is a bit of a reach.

[zibby43]

HAM was plenty fast in Monaco without this fabled wing. Attributing the performance jump to the front wing is a bit of a reach.

To be fair, the new front wing wasn’t going to make a tremendous amount of difference around a place like Monaco. And the team admitted as much, as well.

I do agree that all the performance gain isn’t due to the wing, alone. There has been a steady stream of marginal improvements, including more in Montreal. The FW sets the table for all the flow downstream though, so can be quite powerful when you get it right. The new spec is just a much more traditional (for lack of a better word) design for this regs set, which is why it’s likely working better relative to the last spec with the legality wires.

Not buying into any of the flexi-wing crap.

[ringo]

Who are the potential drivers next year?
Antonelli or Sainz or Bottas again?
Anyone but Antonelli is going to have a 1 year contract.
The new rule allowing 17 year old to drive makes me feel like Sargeant will be let go for Antonelli in Williams. He would be monitored there and whoever takes the second seat for 2025 signs a 1 + 1 deal that depends on how ready Kimi looks.
If he sucks in the Williams then Mercedes take a medium term view on that other driver.

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Russell and Bottas. Mediocrity at its core

For me they should go all in on Antonelli. Give him all the free practices and testing km they can and even if he's not quite ready just put him in. It'll be better marketing than rehiring Bottas to be good a couple of times in the year but cede every position wheel to wheel

By the time mercedes are ready to make a decision with respect to Antonelli, Sainz will long be off the market. His move will be sorted in next 3 weeks

[PlatinumZealot]

Bottas was told it would be 1 year and he refused.

[Dunlay]

Bottas was told it would be 1 year and he refused.

Is there a source?

Any driver from the midfield teams would take a one year deal with Mercedes, including Bottas.

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Bottas was told it would be 1 year and he refused.

Is there a source?

Any driver from the midfield teams would take a one year deal with Mercedes, including Bottas.

I really don't think that's true. The Sainz situation is demonstrating as much; he will choose an unknown Audi situation or a struggling Williams rather than a 1yr deal at 'top team' mercedes. 1 year deal can leave you high and dry with no seat if there's no reshuffle in the grid for 2026 and Merc are ready to move Antonelli up -> there is a direct path for you to end up not on the grid at all. Maybe less of a risk for a Sainz, but if someone like Bottas or Ocon misses out for a season it's highly unlikely they'd come back to F1 after that.

1 yr of fighting for podiums / occasional pole or win and potentially drop out of F1 Vs 3+ more years earning in F1 and later opportunities to get a good seat with more job security

Psychologically being on 1yr contract is not easy. We know from what Bottas has said about this when at Merc

[Jurgen von Diaz]

Bottas is near the end of his career, so he should take a risk and go to Merc with the mentality that he will beat Russell, so it would be Russell who makes room for Antonelli. Unlikely, but one year at Merc versus about two years at the back of the grid again.

[214270]

Seems Merc isnt the target but just caught in the crossfire.

[venkyhere]

Russell and Bottas. Mediocrity at its core

Usually I dont comment on driver comparisons, but I can't help it here. RUS > BOT when it comes to racecraft. I don't even have one memory of BOT 'pulling off a move' or 'defending like a lion' (borrowing the phrase from Alonso). BOT is a 'within boundaries' driver, never goes to the ragged limit in the race on Sunday.

[PlatinumZealot]

Bottas was told it would be 1 year and he refused.

Is there a source?

Any driver from the midfield teams would take a one year deal with Mercedes, including Bottas.

I really don't think that's true. The Sainz situation is demonstrating as much; he will choose an unknown Audi situation or a struggling Williams rather than a 1yr deal at 'top team' mercedes. 1 year deal can leave you high and dry with no seat if there's no reshuffle in the grid for 2026 and Merc are ready to move Antonelli up -> there is a direct path for you to end up not on the grid at all. Maybe less of a risk for a Sainz, but if someone like Bottas or Ocon misses out for a season it's highly unlikely they'd come back to F1 after that.

1 yr of fighting for podiums / occasional pole or win and potentially drop out of F1 Vs 3+ more years earning in F1 and later opportunities to get a good seat with more job security

Psychologically being on 1yr contract is not easy. We know from what Bottas has said about this when at Merc

Bottas has been there and done that. He knows Merc would just use him as a place holder. Would you go back to the same work place that rejected you? The man Bottas said it himself.

[organic]

Is there a source?

Any driver from the midfield teams would take a one year deal with Mercedes, including Bottas.

I really don't think that's true. The Sainz situation is demonstrating as much; he will choose an unknown Audi situation or a struggling Williams rather than a 1yr deal at 'top team' mercedes. 1 year deal can leave you high and dry with no seat if there's no reshuffle in the grid for 2026 and Merc are ready to move Antonelli up -> there is a direct path for you to end up not on the grid at all. Maybe less of a risk for a Sainz, but if someone like Bottas or Ocon misses out for a season it's highly unlikely they'd come back to F1 after that.

1 yr of fighting for podiums / occasional pole or win and potentially drop out of F1 Vs 3+ more years earning in F1 and later opportunities to get a good seat with more job security

Psychologically being on 1yr contract is not easy. We know from what Bottas has said about this when at Merc

Bottas has been there and done that. He knows Merc would just use him as a place holder. Would you go back to the same work place that rejected you? The man Bottas said it himself.

Exactly.. he seems far happier where he is too

[ringo]

Thr only way Bottas may go to Merc is if he gets 3 years of pay in one year. Money is not everything but best to end it with a lot of money if regardless of where he went it would have ended anyway.
I think Bottas had enough years in a winning car to have a go at being a champion.
Even if he went to Redbull, he would not be treated equally. So he needs to accept this and call it a nice career with 10 wins.

Sainz is interesting. Best he goes to Williams for 2 years and wait for Perez to screw up. He is another driver that i feel had enough years in F1 to try fight at the front. He had 2 wins so far. Which isnt bad. He wont be beating Norris or Max in a front running car. So no sense to continue. We have seen enough of him.

The more i look at it Antonelli is the best pick for Mercedes. Less to worry about for the new regulations with a stable line up in George and Kimi.

[Chuckjr]

Surprised Bottas doesn’t take a one year deal at Merc, tbh. They seem to be recovering pretty nicely, and who knows, maybe grab a couple wins or podiums in 2025, and depart F1 with a bang. Certainly he has enough money to retire nicely. Why not give it a go for a year instead of continuing to play grab-fanny with all the mid and lower teams for another three? Maybe set himself up nicely for some non-F1 racing seats for 2026? Heck, he could drive Indycar for 10 years in a Penske and be very competitive for many years. Winning the Indy 500 would be a worthy pursuit, and he’s got plenty of years left to chase that as Indycar seems to cater to older drivers in many ways. Personally, I’d rather the shot at some more trophies for the case, and leaving F1 in style on a top team, than chasing back markers into irrelevancy.

[denyall]

Bottas is living his best life, he's an adopted Aussie Gin enthusiast with a cycling problem.

He's a multiple GP winner!

He left Mercedes on good terms, and going back to be a placeholder and fill in for media day sounds like a downgrade to me.

Mercedes needs to play aggressive and go with Kimi. No point in delay, he's either WDC material or he isn't but the slow role approach isn't viable when your the fourth best team. Lock him up in a contract or get the Piastru Prize.