[wizardofOz]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Spot on

BTW : And a triple header is coming up with Japan, Bahrain, and the Saudi Arabia GP.

So , 3 race weekends in a row . Just let it come ...

ready

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

All good except this, won't happen as a deal would have been done, like by now.

Toto Wolff 2021 versus Toto Wolff 2024/2025: anyone noticed how the tone of his comments when refering to Max Verstappen has changed from contempt to high esteem ? And even after the 2024 meeting between Max Verstappen, his manager Raymond Vermeulen, Toto Wolff and Jim Ratcliffe (INEOS billionaire), Wolff keeps on lauding Max. Ratcliffe is told to have the highest esteem for Max as F1 driver. And he has the financial means to meet Verstappen's financial demands.

The RBR Lawson murder may be the final straw that broke the bull's back. Verstappen will loyally give his level best for 2025 with the capricious RB21. But I expect the Verstappen-RBR love affair to end after the Abu Dhabi 2025 race. As his contract features an exit clause if the RBR car ain't competitve anymore to fight for a WDC, he can walk away 'no strings attached'. Rest assured that Wolff knows that very well.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Davil

Don’t let Piastri’s lack of words make you think he is placid. He has much more of a winning mentality than Lando. Also a fantastic dry sense of humour.
Vandoorne is a mister nice. He is one of the Aston Martin reserve drivers these days. He was at Melbourne GP.

With "placid" I meant a calm composure - grace under pressure.

More the sniper type of person: discreet but very determined to hit the target. Does the talking on track. As President Theodore Roosevelt often said: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.". As the saying goes: "still waters run deep" or "smooth runs the water where the brook is deep" (Flemish/Dutch: "stille waters hebben diepe gronden").

In August 2022 I posted the thread "Oscar Piastri: super talent on his way to F1 - McLaren (2023)"
https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1943433

Although Piastri had not raced a single F1 GP yet back then, I predicted a bright future and expressed my high esteem for his super talent. No pay driver - meritocracy (he deservedly got his F1 seat because of his excellent capabilities). For me, Piastri is better than Norris - Piastri takes no prisoners.

August 2, 2022 (from hindsight: interesting to hear in the video what Piastri said in the Summer of 2022):

Originally Posted by Artemis

With Alonso's seat up for grabs at Alpine, Oscar Piastri can at last enter Formula 1 in 2023.

Calibre: Leclerc, Russell, Sainz and Verstappen.



Dedicated training in 2022 by Alpine (English from 01:45 onwards):

Originally Posted by Artemis

If Alpine loses Piastri to McLaren, they should kick themselves for their major mistake of messing with a super talent. Not saying that "Ocon - Piastri" is like "Kyvat - Verstappen", but Alpine should not have wasted the 2022 season for Piastri. If this guy gets a good F1 car, he's capable of spicing F1 with nice battles with the very best.

And in the same vein as Piastri: in February 2024, I coined Kimi Antonelli as "Toto Wolff's own 'Max Verstappen'" and considered it realistic that he might get a 2025 Mercedes seat:

Originally Posted by Artemis

Andrea Kimi Antonelli (aka Kimi Antonelli) - °2006 - Italy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Kimi_Antonelli

Announced in 2019 (when he was only 12-13 yr) by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team as part of the Mercedes Junior Team.

Super talent expected to make waves in F2 this year (skipping F3 because he's really good).

Toto Wolff's opportunity to get his own 'Max Verstappen' in 2025, for way less money.

"Wolff shares his expectations for Mercedes’ latest junior F1 prospect after ‘immense’ rise":
https://formula1.com/en/latest/artic...ZbR7xaZCB.html

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Toto Wolff 2021 versus Toto Wolff 2024/2025: anyone noticed how the tone of his comments when refering to Max Verstappen has changed from contempt to high esteem ? And even after the 2024 meeting between Max Verstappen, his manager Raymond Vermeulen, Toto Wolff and Jim Ratcliffe (INEOS billionaire), Wolff keeps on lauding Max. Ratcliffe is told to have the highest esteem for Max as F1 driver. And he has the financial means to meet Verstappen's financial demands.

The RBR Lawson murder may be the final straw that broke the bull's back. Verstappen will loyally give his level best for 2025 with the capricious RB21. But I expect the Verstappen-RBR love affair to end after the Abu Dhabi 2025 race. As his contract features an exit clause if the RBR car ain't competitve anymore to fight for a WDC, he can walk away 'no strings attached'. Rest assured that Wolff knows that very well.

Not necessarily so, after the run races a decision had to be made as zero points from Lawson so far with no sight in the periscope that he would.. I wouldn't say improve as he is nowhere to be seen and the contract clause of MAX is, so far, just a rumour.
But I know why you are speculating the move, there are 22 races to go and even Wache and his team can't move slowly for ever.
Look, McLaren are set to lose their pace to a certain degree at Japan and beyond and they haven't exactly got a Newey in their fold too.

[M5Rick]

So far just fears and media speculation at this early stage.
Link
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...tract-clause/#

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

Not necessarily so, after the run races a decision had to be made as zero points from Lawson so far with no sight in the periscope that he would.. I wouldn't say improve as he is nowhere to be seen and the contract clause of MAX is, so far, just a rumour.
But I know why you are speculating the move, there are 22 races to go and even Wache and his team can't move slowly for ever.
Look, McLaren are set to lose their pace to a certain degree at Japan and beyond and they haven't exactly got a Newey in their fold too.

Failing to plan is planning to fail. Also for a multiple F1 WDC who is eager to compete for more WDC titles and not intending to stay around in F1 for another decade.

The 2026 Mercedes car is expected to be a competitive and reliable car. The 2026 RBR car remains a gamble.

Translation of an excerpt of a Dutch column published yesterday with the provocative title: "Verstappen already packing his bags after Lawson news" ("Verstappen al bezig koffers in te pakken na nieuws over Lawson"):

"Horner acknowledges “short-term pain” for Verstappen
The first signs of the new Red Bull-Ford power unit are not quite positive. While Christian Horner and Helmut Marko stress that they are simply "on track" with the new engine, they also acknowledge at the same time that there are "challenges". "It is by far our biggest challenge. We set up a start-up company, aggressively hired 600 people, built a factory, started the process and brought a group of people together to work within a Red Bull culture that has been so successful on the chassis side," Horner said at the time.
Even more, Horner has already sort of confirmed that Verstappen should not expect championship-worthy equipment in 2026 either. The Red Bull-Ford engine is not going to be an instant success formula. "It is inevitable that there will be short-term pain [growing pains]," Horner warned. Italy's Autosprint also wrote about it last year. They revealed at the time that the worrying/worrisome reports about Red Bull's own engine are true. The power source would not only be too slow, but also seriously lacking in reliability. De Telegraaf also confirmed these reports at the time."
(https://www.gpfans.com/nl/f1-nieuws/...on-de-druppel/)

Google translation NL to ENG: here.

[dfox]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Toto Wolff 2021 versus Toto Wolff 2024/2025: anyone noticed how the tone of his comments when refering to Max Verstappen has changed from contempt to high esteem ? And even after the 2024 meeting between Max Verstappen, his manager Raymond Vermeulen, Toto Wolff and Jim Ratcliffe (INEOS billionaire), Wolff keeps on lauding Max. Ratcliffe is told to have the highest esteem for Max as F1 driver. And he has the financial means to meet Verstappen's financial demands.

The RBR Lawson murder may be the final straw that broke the bull's back. Verstappen will loyally give his level best for 2025 with the capricious RB21. But I expect the Verstappen-RBR love affair to end after the Abu Dhabi 2025 race. As his contract features an exit clause if the RBR car ain't competitve anymore to fight for a WDC, he can walk away 'no strings attached'. Rest assured that Wolff knows that very well.

Max to Merc would be fun, but I'd feel bad for Princess George, since he would likely be the one to get the boot. No way they'd bail on Kimi.

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Failing to plan is planning to fail. Also for a multiple F1 WDC who is eager to compete for more WDC titles and not intending to stay around in F1 for another decade.

The 2026 Mercedes car is expected to be a competitive and reliable car. The 2026 RBR car remains a gamble.

Translation of an excerpt of a Dutch column published yesterday with the provocative title: "Verstappen already packing his bags after Lawson news" ("Verstappen al bezig koffers in te pakken na nieuws over Lawson"):

"Horner acknowledges “short-term pain” for Verstappen
The first signs of the new Red Bull-Ford power unit are not quite positive. While Christian Horner and Helmut Marko stress that they are simply "on track" with the new engine, they also acknowledge at the same time that there are "challenges". "It is by far our biggest challenge. We set up a start-up company, aggressively hired 600 people, built a factory, started the process and brought a group of people together to work within a Red Bull culture that has been so successful on the chassis side," Horner said at the time.
Even more, Horner has already sort of confirmed that Verstappen should not expect championship-worthy equipment in 2026 either. The Red Bull-Ford engine is not going to be an instant success formula. "It is inevitable that there will be short-term pain [growing pains]," Horner warned. Italy's Autosprint also wrote about it last year. They revealed at the time that the worrying/worrisome reports about Red Bull's own engine are true. The power source would not only be too slow, but also seriously lacking in reliability. De Telegraaf also confirmed these reports at the time."
(https://www.gpfans.com/nl/f1-nieuws/...on-de-druppel/)

Google translation NL to ENG: here.

Just talk, hearsay and head nodding doesn't prove anything and it could be that Ferrari and Red Bull may have their own rocket ships in the making behind the well guarded walls at Maranello and Milton Keynes, we have all heard of sandbagging.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by dfox

Max to Merc would be fun, but I'd feel bad for Princess George, since he would likely be the one to get the boot. No way they'd bail on Kimi.

Russell's contract expires at the end of this year. If Verstappen and Wolff strike a deal, Russell is out of Mercedes for 2026 (except if he accepts to become a reserve driver). The personal relationship between Verstappen and Russell is bad.

Wolff will keep the Italian gold nugget Kimi.

Kimi Antonelli - Jack Wolff - Toto Wolff (Monaco - January 2023):

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

So far just fears and media speculation at this early stage.
Link
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...tract-clause/#

Red Bull will travel to Japan-Suzuka with a RB21 white livery .

The White Bull 2.0

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by wizardofOz

ready

Popcorn my friend ?

I'm on the wallnuts with my big nutcracker ..

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Popcorn my friend ?

I'm on the wallnuts with my big nutcracker ..

I'm having me a shot of French brandy as a pick me up before hitting the sack, works wonders

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Red Bull will travel to Japan-Suzuka with a RB21 white livery .

The White Bull 2.0

It'll look like a VCARB then, Lawson will be confused

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

It'll look like a VCARB then, Lawson will be confused

Yuki will also be confused ,from the moment he has to tame the 'Frankenstein car with a setup mess...
Hopefully Yuki won't go down in his Japan home race . Same for HONDA (!)
MAX won Suzuka in 2022 , 2023 and in 2024 , but in the 2025 Frankenstein car it would be a miracle.

Helmut Marko : We have some things in the pipeline , but that will take time ...
The idiot Frenchman Pierre Waché needs to wake up ASAP because his French clock is ticking...

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

I'm having me a shot of French brandy as a pick me up before hitting the sack, works wonders

002

[dumptruck]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

002

Brutal 🤣😂🤣

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by dumptruck

Brutal 🤣😂🤣

Yeah and too funny (!)

[G30M]

Yuki does a (not sure what it's called) video selfie?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3wLrebl6U8w

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by G30M

Yuki does a (not sure what it's called) video selfie?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3wLrebl6U8w

YouTube Shorts .

[Artemis]

For personal and strategic reasons, Toto Wolff won't attend the Suzuka race weekend.

Bradley Lord will replace him.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Artemis

For personal and strategic reasons, Toto Wolff won't attend the Suzuka race weekend.

Bradley Lord will replace him.

explain in English?

edit: ok he's taking annual leave

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by G30M

explain in English?

It means that Toto Wolff wants to enjoy his usual well-toasted Pumpernickel breakfast in Europe.