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Keeping tabs on every bit of F1 drama this silly season
We have reached the most fascinating part of the Formula 1 calendar.
“Silly season.”
With the teams on hiatus until the end of August, the days and weeks ahead will be filled with rampant speculation about driver lineups, new contracts, team principals moving, and more personnel decisions.
In an effort to keep you updated throughout silly season, we’ll be tracking all the rumors for you right here.
Sergio Pérez safe … for now?
August 1 — Over the past few weeks, the F1 driver under the most pressure was Nyck de Vries, who was eventually sacked by AlphaTauri and replaced by Daniel Ricciardo.
But just behind De Vries? Sergio Pérez at Red Bull. Some qualifying struggles had ramped up the pressure on Red Bull’s number two, leading to speculation that he too was on a hot seat.
Pérez has recently returned to form, scoring back-to-back podiums in Hungary and at Spa. That has led some to believe that the driver is safe, at least for now. F1 journalist Joe Saward’s meaty recap of the Belgian Grand Prix — Saward’s post-race stories are a must-read each time — outlines that given how Pérez has rebounded, coupled with how Max Verstappen could win the team a Constructors’ title on his own, makes it likely that the team decides not to make a change before the 2024 season.
But Pérez, who is under contract through 2024, could still make a change next season should he falter anew.
The hot driver is … Nico Hülkenberg?
August 1 — The first half of the season saw mixed results from Haas. The team continually showed strong one-lap pace on Saturdays, but race pace has been a different story.
The most impressive of their two drivers has been Nico Hülkenberg, who has advanced to Q3 six times this season and stunned the grid in Canada with his incredible P2 in qualifying. He was eventually dropped to fifth after a three-place grid penalty, but it was a massive performance for the driver, and the team.
His success in his return season has opened the door to speculation about his future. He was spotted walking into Red Bull’s paddock ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, leading to murmurs about a potential move to Red Bull in the future, and former driver Timo Glock speculated this week about how a move to Aston Martin could be in his future.
“I think he will still be driving with Haas next year because there is no other option,” said Glock to Speedweek. “After that, I’m sure that the teams have him on the radar, for example, Aston Martin. Mike Krack saw what Nico Hülkenberg can do in the car without any preparation and how he drives at the moment. He’s definitely on the list and I trust him to be able to show everything in a top team.”
Charles Leclerc to extend his deal with Ferrari?
August 1 — One of the first rumors to surface this silly season involves Charles Leclerc, and his future with the Scuderia. According to Funo Analisi Tecnica Leclerc, who is under contract with Ferrari through the 2024 season, is approaching a new two-year deal with the team, with an option for three additional years.
This “2+3” deal would keep him with Ferrari through at least the 2026 season, and potentially through 2029.
Carlos Sainz Jr. to reunite with Mattia Binotto at Alpine?
August 1 — The report from Funo Analisi Tecnica does not stop with Leclerc.
It continues to speculate about his teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr. According to Funo Analisi Tecnica, Sainz is hoping to receive the same “2+3” deal from Ferrari. Sainz is currently under contract with the Prancing Horse through the 2024 season, just like Leclerc.
However, reports are that the team and Sainz are yet to come to terms on such a deal, which has Sainz’s representation looking for leverage.
Leading to Alpine.
As has been well-documented, change is in the air at Alpine. New partners, new faces, and perhaps a new driver lineup in the future? Both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly are under deals that expire at the end of 2024, and Funo Analisi Tecnica believes that Alpine is looking to “mature” in the seasons ahead. That would me a move towards a veteran driver (Sainz), along with an experienced Team Principal.
Which is where Mattia Binotto could come into play.
Otmar Szafnauer headed to the States?
August 1 — Saward’s post-Belgium missive touches on a few other rumors, including those involving the Ferrari pair outlined above, but he also addresses the future for Otmar Szafnauer. Recently ousted as the Team Principal at Alpine, as part of that team’s ongoing restructuring, Szafnauer may not be out of work for long.
According to Saward, he might find a landing spot in the United States, as part of the Andretti-GM team looking to gain a spot on the grid. As Saward puts it, Szafnauer grew up in Detroit, and would make a lot of sense for an emerging F1 team:
It does not take long for speculation to begin in F1 and already there is talk of Otmar Szafnauer being likely to turn up with an American organisation bound for F1. This makes sense to some extent, as Szafnauer grew up in Detroit and before joining British American Racing back in 1998 he was employed for 12 years by the Ford Motor Company, running its US motorsport programmes. Rival GM might also benefit from someone who knows F1 inside out as the current F1 project is under the leadership of Dr Eric Warren, who has a background in NASCAR where he was employed by Richard Childress Racing Richard Petty Motorsport, Ray Evernham, Michael Waltrip and Penske with only one limited spell in open-wheeler racing in 2009 when he spent some time as head of aerodynamics at US F1, the team that made a lot of noise but never happened.
On that front, the application review process for prospective F1 teams was expected to run through July, so we may hear news in the coming days regarding a decision.
