As Formula One arrives in China for the first time in five years once again the driver market is receiving top billing. Since the Japanese Grand Prix last time out, Fernando Alonso has confirmed a contract extension with Aston Martin which will see the Spaniard remain with the team for at least two more seasons.

With new regulations coming in 2026 and Aston Martin securing Honda works team status, Fernando clearly believes the £200m infrastructure development in the Silverstone factory base is beginning to pay off. 

 

 

 

Mercedes considering Ocon

Yet team principal Mike Krack now reveals he was uncertain whether Fernando would re-sign or retire from Formula One completely. Alonso has spoken of the toil the new 24 race schedule takes out of him given he is the kind of driver who knowns how to give nothing less than 100%.

“So considering that I had some concerns that he was going to say, ‘No, I want to do something else in life’, I was very happy to see that he loves F1 more than private life,” Krack now reveals.

With the door at Aston Martin now closed, Carlos Sainz has one less option for next season following the shock news that Lewis Hamilton is taking his place at Ferrari next season. Mercedes are as yet undecided on whether they take a stop back experienced driver for 2025 or promote star junior driver Kimi Antonelli.

TJ13 reported yesterday that Toto Wolff is now considering Esteban Ocon as the short term experienced driver option and given his career is still managed by Mercedes, this would appear to be their no brain option.

Toto Wolff contradicts Hamilton assessment

 

 

 

Red Bull unsure of Perez

This leaves Sainz with a reported big offer from Audi/Sauber or the opportunity to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing. The world champion team are concerned their number two driver to Max Verstappen might again see his performances fall off a cliff. To this end Daniel Ricciardo was brought back into the fold, but his struggles to beat his team mate are set to continue for the forseale future.

The Red Bull option looks remote for Sainz at present with Sergio Perez having upped his game at the start of the 2024 campaign. Checo has brought home three Red Bull 1-2 finishes this year and for now is proving to be doing the job the team require from him. 

As the inevitably the Formula One field closes up to Red Bull, 

The team need a driver capable of picking up the pieces should anything prevent Max Verstappen from his current inevitable march to victory.

Ricciardo “doesn’t deserve his seat” says fellow driver

 

 

 

Checo: ‘no more radical setups’

Having missed ten final qualifying sessions last year, Dr. Helmut Marko now explains the troubles Checo faced and even that they were self inflicted.

“It is clear that Checo is currently driving his best season for us,” Marko tells Kleine Zeitung. “If he continues this performance, like the strong qualifying in Japan for example, then he is definitely the best option for Red Bull in 2025.

“He works for the team and has now also realised that his radical approach last year was wrong. His set-up is now closer to Max’s and that helps him.”

The mis-match in form between the two Red Bull drivers in the same machinery was the cause of heated speculation for most of the 2023 season, that Red Bull would drop Perez in favour of Ricciardo.

Horner delivers update on Reed Bull 2026 engine

 

 

 

Marko confirms talks with Sainz

Then Daniel broke his hand and was forced to sit out for five consecutive Grand Prix, returning only as the heat of competition had died into the glowing embers. Ricciardo has failed to look convincing up against his team mate this season, and with Liam Lawson in waiting in the wings, his seat at RB looks to be in imminent jeopardy.

Now with rumours surfacing again this weekend that Red Bull is preparing to sell off the RB outfit to a consortium led by Guenther Steiner, the Faenza based team could be another option for Carlos Sainz.

Dr. Helmut Marko now confirms the team have considered options beyond Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz is most definitely in the frame.

“We are talking to Carlos,” Marko asserts. “He is having his best season in Formula 1.”

McLaren boss issues warning ahead of Chinese GP

 

 

 

Audi break the bank for Carlos

However, the 81 year old Austrian also reveals Sainz has had a big money offer from Audi, who have issued an April deadline along with the proposed deal.

“Carlos also has a very lucrative offer from Audi and we cannot match or exceed that,” said Marko. “Of course we know him from the Toro Rosso era, when he was already driving with Max. It really hurt him then that we were supporting Verstappen at Red Bull and not him.”

Carlos joined Toro Rossi in 2015 along with Max Verstappen and while the end of season points tally favoured Max 49-18 Sainz had performed well alongside the future world champion. A run of four consecutive retirements with electrical failures at the Austrian and British Grand Prix, then a fuel pressure issue in Hungary and a power unit failure in Belgium were typical of the bad luck Sainz encountered during his year racing alongside Verstappen.

Hamilton “had his time” says F1 driver

 

 

 

Audi issue deadline to Sainz

After just four races the following season, Verstappen was promoted to the senior Red Bull team at the expense of Daniil Kvyat. At the time a debate raged amongst F1 observers as to whether it should have been Sainz given the opportunity rather than Max, something recently confirmed by Dr. Marko.

“Sainz is, without a doubt, a great driver,” he told Marca publication. “He was almost on par with Max in Toro Rosso. The bad thing for him is that he was unlucky to have Verstappen as a team mate.”

Red Bull are clearly hoping Perez’s change in form since last season is permanent, but will take some time to ensure the Mexican doesn’t again fall of a cliff. The problem for Sainz is his deadline offer from Audi may well expire before Red Bull believe themselves to be in a position to replace Checo.

Worrying news for the Chinese GP

 

 

 

Horner hits back at Wolf

Is the current Formula One season really all about who finishes second behind Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen? Verstappen’s team boss, Christian Horner, has spoken out on the subject, taking a little dig at his Mercedes colleague and rival,Toto Wolff.

For former constructors’ champions Mercedes and their team boss Toto Wolff, the situation in Formula One is already clear four races into a record-breaking season that includes 24 Grands Prix… READ MORE