All eyes on on Carlos Sainz as the Formula One driver market merry go round begins to slow. The Spaniard is being ousted from his home in Maranello to make way for Lewis Hamilton in 2025.

Ironically Ferrari have been no where over the last two Grand Prix weekends, while soon to be Hamilton’s ex-team Mercedes have claimed P3 and P4, with Russell on the podium in Canada and Hamilton on the presentation rostrum for the first time since the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix.

Of course it was just 0.035 seconds that covered the Mercedes and Ferrari duo’s in Barcelona qualifying, so all is not lost for the Scuderia. Further,  had the race been run over just one lap more, Charles Leclerc would have passed the struggling George Russell who was running on the team’s poor choice of hard tyre for his final stint.

 

 

 

Mercedes ironically beat Ferrari again

It is true that McLaren are now regularly challenging Red Bull, in particular Lando Norris on Max Verstappen. With the exception of Monaco where both drivers were off the podium, Lando and Max have shared the top two steps of the winners rostrum now at five of the last six Grand Prix.

The circuit de Catalunya is the best all round teat on the calendar for a Formula One car. It has a variety of corners which test the aero package and a long start/finish straight which will hurt any F1 car with too much drag, or a lack of grunt.

Yet Ferrari and Mercedes were still 18-31 seconds of the pace of the race winner, which equates to around 3/10ths pace deficit each lap for Hamilton and almost 5/10ths for the struggling Carlos Sainz. These gaps were not affected by safety cars or red flags and so are a decent indicator as to the real differential between the Scuderia/Silver Arrows and the front runners.

Much of the talk prior to the weekend surrounded the impending announcement of Carlos Sainz joining the Williams team for 2025. Yet the recent appointment of Flavio Briatore as “consultant” to the Alpine appeared to put a spanner in James Vowles well oiled publicity machinery.

Aston Martin boss responds to Newey move

 

 

 

Sainz announcement delayed

Briatore was seen talking to Carlos father and senior Alpine executives were shuttled between the Sainz Jar camp and the French team’s ‘motorhome.’ Clearly Alpine made a last ditch play for Sainz having decided to part ways with Esteban Ocon and it was this which stalled the final signature required by the Williams team.

Clearly Sainz was irritated by the delay forced upon his management team, given Briatore is not a paddock character to be ignored. The Spaniard is usually witty and up for the driver FIA press conferences yet prior to the race in Barcelona his demeanour was different.

When asked about his next move, Sainz was curt: “The latest is that a decision will be taken very soon. I don’t want to wait any longer.

“I think it’s getting to a point where it’s taking space out of my head, for quite a few weeks and months now. It’s time to make a decision and the decision will be taken soon.

Squabbles at Mercedes. What is going on?

 

 

 

Carlos set for Austria

Now racingnews365.com confirm that Sainz is set to announce his move to the iconic Williams team before the Austrian Grand Prix, having been unconvinced Alpine is the competitor it once was the last time he drove for the Enstone team.

Things are looking up for Pierre Gasly after the Spanish Grand Prix. Alpine managed to qualify both drivers in the top ten and bring both their cars home in the points. Something which was not lost on Fernando Alonso who recently re-signed for the Aston Martin team.

“They [Alpine] were ahead in Monaco and very close in Canada. Here they are ahead, too. They improve and we get worse,” said Fernando. The Spaniard went on to imply his Silverstone based team will continue to struggle until after the British Grand Prix in two races time.

However, following the recent spat between Alpine team boss and Esteban Ocon in Monaco, Pierre Gasly is sitting pretty given he team will not wish to lose two drivers in the same season. Alpine’s renewed for may be just enough to ensure the Frenchman signs on the dotted line for 2025 and beyond.

Hamilton deluded after email scandal

 

 

 

Gasly a riches of choice

Yet its not a given Gasly will remain with Alpine given he is being courted by Sauber/Audi to drive alongside Nico Hulkenberg from next year onwards. While the next domino in the driver market is set to fall before the race in Spielberg, it could be that Gasly plays a watching game over the next five races to see if the currently hapless Sauber show any signs of improvement.

The Sauber/Audi project will only come together at the END of 2026 according to comments made by the team’s technical director over the winter. This timescale may just be too far over the horizon for Gasly and Alpine known him well and his experience cold help bed in a rookie driver such as Jack Doohan.

Finally, two drivers who are no longer on the market having signed contracts last month are having a rather torrid time on track. Yuki Tsunoda started this season eclipsing his senior team mate Daniel Ricciardo. But its all gone pear shaped for the Japanese driver since he inked in his future, as Ricciardo has eclipsed Yuki in qualifying in Canada and Spain, finishing ahead of him in the races too.

Similarly Sergio Perez got a shiny new contract before Monaco, then failed to make it out of qualifying one for the next two race weekends and outside the top ten in Barcelona. Perez stumbled home in P8 last weekend and questions remain as to whether Max Verstappen will be forced again to win almost single handedly the 2024 F1 constructors’ title again.

Vasseur plays down Ferrari meltdown

 

 

 

Red Bull part ways with Perez?

Sergio Perez’s recent struggles on the Formula One circuit have sparked controversy and concern, with Red Bull’s Helmut Marko accused of giving the Mexican driver the ‘kiss of death’. As Perez’s performance continues to falter, the pressure is mounting on both driver and team to turn things around. Indeed F1 pundits and commentators world wide are increasingly struggling to understand how the Austrian team can justify keeping on the Mexican driver.

Despite signing a new contract with Red Bull at the beginning of June, Sergio Perez has experienced a dramatic decline in form. His failure to finish on the podium in four consecutive Grand Prix, most recently in Canada, underlines his current struggles. Perez, who has just six Grand Prix wins to his name, has spent the last three and a half seasons with the dominant Red Bull team, but has been consistently overshadowed by teammate Max Verstappen… READ MORE