Come on, people here need to read the article and not just headlines:

“I don’t know what exactly happened, because if we knew, we would have helped him. But the speed and, above all, this late braking, and then he goes left or right… in these last few years he tried but it was no longer there, the killer instinct was gone.”

And further

“[The timing] was related to a variety of factors and obligations,” he explained. “He was informed, and the worthy farewell performance was, I think, the fastest lap.”

“That still showed what potential he has, not continuously and not at the level that would have justified him coming to Red Bull Racing, but that was an impeccable performance.”

A very difficult interview considering that it’s pretty clear what will be happening but not official announced. Sad to see him go like this.

He’s the reserve driver for both Mercedes and McLaren, which means he spends a significant amount of time in simulators and occasionally gets test runs in their cars. He’s also done Pirelli tire testing and even had a shootout for Alpine. All done in more recent F1 cars than his Haas days.

No crashes, no complaints—just praise from several team principals. Steiner crafted a particular narrative around him, but without that, he’d likely be seen in the same light as Drugovich or any other experienced reserve driver familiar with Merc engines.

Come on. We are not on reddit, check the facts and make fair assumptions.

In the second half of his last F1 season Mick was much better than Magnussen and didn’t crash at all. In endurance he had no crashes at all and is besides the fastest driver for Alpine.

The boy is not the next Verstappen, but a solid driver that shows potentials, a really great team player and is learning from his mistakes. Give him a fair chance and judge afterwards.

Wasn’t it announced already Haas paid the $12 Mio. to Uralkali and Monza is safe?

Still don’t know how the Swiss court could rule in favor to Mazepin/Uralkalis with all that embargos in place against Russia.

Currently still a rumor, but Motorsport Italy is usually solid with its sources. It seems Doohan showed better times than Mick Schumacher in the shootout. For German fans, Mick still has chances with Audi.

And he’s not…or at least Mercedes screwed it up again

Edit: Sainz signed with Williams. Truly silly season. So Antonelli announcement for Mercedes soon?

I doubt that Sainz has a clause for Red Bull. This option is unlikely, as it’s tied to two scenarios:

1. Red Bull needs to kick out Perez, ideally during the summer break.
2. The replacement for Perez, probably Ricciardo, needs to underperform significantly in this interim role.

It’s clear that neither Lawson nor Tsunoda will get a shot for the second Red Bull seat. If they only decide to kick out Perez after this season, Sainz may have a chance at Red Bull, but so does Horners favorite Ricciardo.

Until then, Sainz will likely sign with Alpine or get the Mercedes seat, as Antonelli has publicly stated that he still needs some time to develop, which means either he takes a stint in the Williams seat or another year in F2.

Honestly, I doubt that Horner, who reportedly protected Perez so far and pushed for his contract extension, can keep him in his seat any longer.

Unfortunately, we likely won’t see Tsunoda or Lawson in Perez’s seat after the summer break; instead, Ricciardo will probably take over until end of the year.

This could also shift the driver market, possibly leading to Sainz moving to Red Bull if Ricciardo underperforms.

He wants the Red Bull or Mercedes seat, with Audi or Alpine (most likely his 3rd option) as fallback options. I see Carlos more likely replacing Perez, as RB seems hesitant to give Tsunoda or Lawson a shot next to Max. Ricciardo might get a chance this year to prove himself if they decide to replace Perez after Spa.

My bet is Andreas Seidl will takeover. A week ago I would have bet a return for Binotto for Alpine. Cyril returning would also be funny as hell though.

Honestly, it feels like Mercedes tries to catch a bigger fish right now. Probably aiming for Verstappen or Alonso, and maybe Sainz as a fallback. That’s why the hype around Antonelli gradually disappeard and his comment makes another year in F2 absolutely clear.

I always wonder what Hülkenberg would have achieved in a powerful machinery…

My guess:

• Audi: Sainz
• Williams: Antonelli
• Mercedes: Ocon
• Alpine: Schumacher
• Haas: Bottas / Bearmen

Sainz will most likely join the most promising team left on the grid.

Toto will likely try to get Antonelli on the grid, but I doubt he will immediately promote him to a Mercedes seat. 1-2 years at Williams would be good training and keep other egos (like Russell, who spent too long there) in check. Ocon will likely fill the gap at Mercedes, where two experienced drivers are needed.

Bottas and Bearmen are a safe game for Haas, as they probably look for someone with potential (Bearmen) and experience (Bottas). Zhou might be also an option due to the sponsorship money.

Mick Schumacher at Alpine is more of a hopeful guess, as I believe Briatore will want someone with experience and a team player. Doohan might be faster, but Mick brings insights from Mercedes, and Toto is very persuasive in French.

Looks like Logan’s last race was in Canada then.

I believe a decision was reached behind the doors, and Ocon won’t drive for Alpine next year. We might see a driver swap if Ocon continues his rampage, but for now, they are sticking with him since the team needs stability and he isn’t a bad driver after all.

Good. Ocon’s ego has caused multiple unnecessary accidents both within and outside of the team. If Ocon’s seat was already at risk, this will definitely push him out.

I hope Alpine can find more team players to develop the team from scratch. Maybe Mick will get a second chance in F1 now.

Sure. With Sainz Sr.'s history with Audi, Sainz is definitely their number one choice. However, Audi will likely have a pipeline of drivers, as Sainz’s chances for a seat at Red Bull or Mercedes are also strong. If Sainz isn’t available, I would have assumed Audi would try to grab Albon.

I would have bet that Albon was also a contender for the Audi or Mercedes seat. Williams must have a promising outlook if he decided to stay with them instead of gambling on a one-year stint at Mercedes.

I would have bet that Albon was also a contender for the Audi or Mercedes seat. Williams must have a promising outlook if he decided to stay with them instead of gambling on a one-year stint at Mercedes or a restart with Audi.