[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

''Kimi my son, listen, I will give you my gold square Rolex if you action this and you will have your first penalty points and join the big boys, all the girls will go crazy over you''

[G MONEY]

Originally Posted by M3WC

Complete snoozefest of a race.

My man, you 1000% need to go into it knowing this is most likely going to be the case. It’s sad but it’s what it is. Wish there was some secret to making it somewhat competitive 😳😳. Anymore I have it on but it’s pretty much like background noise. I just can get excited for 10th place overtaking 9th place like the announcers can

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by G MONEY

My man, you 1000% need to go into it knowing this is most likely going to be the case. It’s sad but it’s what it is. Wish there was some secret to making it somewhat competitive 😳😳. Anymore I have it on but it’s pretty much like background noise. I just can get excited for 10th place overtaking 9th place like the announcers can

There is really only one was to make it more competitive, and that is with spec cars...but then at that point is it F1?

[G MONEY]

Originally Posted by HeelToeShift

There is really only one was to make it more competitive, and that is with spec cars...but then at that point is it F1?

I don’t know the answer. Mercedes had a run. Then RB. Now Mac. Williams next or Ferrari? Maybe Audi. Lol

[JeffinOregon]

Originally Posted by HeelToeShift

There is really only one was to make it more competitive, and that is with spec cars...but then at that point is it F1?

[G30M]

Originally Posted by M3WC

Complete snoozefest of a race.

Spare a thought for the Ferraris - neither of them saw each other or anyone else for 70 laps.

And then poor Liam. He was P9 after Kimi's crash into Max, then he didn't overtake a single car and ended up P6.

welcome to F1 2025

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Davil

Lawson outdrove Hadjar this weekend. Maybe he should take Yuki’s seat using this logic… oh wait.

[G30M]

i'm not sure if he actually said that but it appeared on my social media

[Roman]

Originally Posted by HeelToeShift

There is really only one was to make it more competitive, and that is with spec cars...but then at that point is it F1?

What I wouldn't give for this! And we'd finally have a definitive answer to the often-argued question that no one could dispute.

[RichardInCA]

Originally Posted by G30M

Definitely needs an extra Danny Ric photoshop in there….but otherwise chef’s kiss

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by Roman

What I wouldn't give for this! And we'd finally have a definitive answer to the often-argued question that no one could dispute.

I'd love it too but would be too many butt hurt fans watching Max obliterate their favorite driver.

[G30M]

[G30M]

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by G30M

i'm not sure if he actually said that but it appeared on my social media

Yes . Thats what Horner said .
And he didn't lie...

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

''Kimi my son, listen, I will give you my gold square Rolex if you action this and you will have your first penalty points and join the big boys, all the girls will go crazy over you''

It was Sunday morning at Spielberg . OK . 5H1T happens , but (!) => https://www.reddit.com/r/formuladank...xist_youre_no/

[Davil]

Originally Posted by G MONEY

My man, you 1000% need to go into it knowing this is most likely going to be the case. It’s sad but it’s what it is. Wish there was some secret to making it somewhat competitive 😳😳. Anymore I have it on but it’s pretty much like background noise. I just can get excited for 10th place overtaking 9th place like the announcers can

Yes you need to be a fan to understand it. I really enjoyed that race.

[Davil]

Originally Posted by Roman

What I wouldn't give for this! And we'd finally have a definitive answer to the often-argued question that no one could dispute.

I don’t think I’d watch it. I love the engineering and strategy battles. Lots of different winners and podium finishers this year too. It’s a great season.

[Artemis]

Summary: before the Dutch race weekend (Aug 29-31), Russell will either get a contract extension or the message that Verstappen will replace him in 2026. Red Bull Racing is not amused by this "noise" but has no full control over the situation anymore.

If Mercedes can meet Verstappen's expensive demands within the next couple of weeks: 2026 = exit Russell - enter Verstappen.

For Wolff, it's the second window of opportunity in his career to get Verstappen. This time around, on 1 July 2025, the stars have aligned. Getting Verstappen = strengthening Team Mercedes in performance and feedback + making him unavailable for other teams in years to come (substantially reducing Red Bull Racing's chances to end ahead of Mercedes in the next couple of WCC's) + getting an F1 Yoda for Kimi Antonelli.

"George Russell: Mercedes boss Toto Wolff gives timeline for 2026 driver line-up decision amid Max Verstappen links
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...rstappen-links
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff suggests "everything is going to be done" in their 2026 driver decision around the time of August's summer break
Sky Sports - Monday 30 June 2025 18:52, UK

Speaking to Sky Sports, George Russell admits it's normal for Mercedes to have chats with other drivers, but is unconcerned following his strong performance this season
Toto Wolff says Mercedes will make a decision about who drives for them in the 2026 season in Formula 1's August summer break amid fresh links to Max Verstappen.
Focus on Mercedes' driver line-up for next year was heightened at the Austrian Grand Prix after George Russell disclosed in an interview with Sky Sports F1 that the team were talking to Verstappen, Red Bull's reigning four-time world champion.
Russell and rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli are yet to find out whether they will be retained by Mercedes for 2026.
Team boss Wolff later confirmed that there were "conversations behind closed doors" taking place in order to explore "what a four-time world champion is going to do in the future - and that can be long into the future". However, expressing his happiness with his current pairing, Wolff also said that it was still more likely that Russell would be driving for them in 2026 than Verstappen.
Red Bull, meanwhile, have described Mercedes' comments about their driver as "just noise" with Verstappen on a contract with them that runs until 2028, although one which is understood to contain performance clauses to allow an earlier exit in certain scenarios.
Speaking after Sunday's race, Wolff said Mercedes were comfortable with the situation they were in, but did indicate that a final call on their 2026 line-up would be made relatively soon. There are three more races in Britain, Belgium and Hungary to go over the next five weeks before the F1 season pauses for almost a month.
"You need to be respectable towards the stakeholders in all of that process - the organisation, the drivers, everybody," said Wolff on the timeline for a decision.
"You need to understand the way forward. I don't want to be sadistic in letting a driver wait or not taking any decisions when it should be taken.
"I feel we are in a good space, we're [in] June, there are lots of discussions around.
"I've been open with it, transparent. And at a certain stage, in the next couple of months, until the summer break, everything is going to be done."
Asked if he meant a decision would be made at the start or end of the summer break - which runs from after the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 3 to the start of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend on August 29 - Wolff quipped: "Maybe in the middle!"

'You've got to understand what other people do' - the Mercedes view
Toto Wolff revealed Mercedes are having chats with Max Verstappen
Wolff had spoken to Sky Sports F1 on Saturday at the Red Bull Ring about where they stood with deciding on their line-up for next season, the first year of the sport's big rules overhaul:
"I think when you look at the situation we have with Kimi and George, we have a perfect line-up that we very much enjoy and that we believe is the future.
"But, at the same time, there is a four-time world champion that needs to decide what he is going to do in the future and that is just, as a team principal, you need to see where that is going.
"But I think I give it a very little probability that it's going to happen."
Did Wolff mean that 'there was "little probability" forever or just for 2026?
"You don't know what's going to be in three or five years, that's why you need to look at what is it that should be considered on the long term."
And what needed to go in their favour amid a timeline for a final call?
"Nothing needs in a way to come favourable for us, because with George and Kimi is what we want to be and what we want to continue.
"But in order to plan right for the long-term future you've got to understand what other people do."

'I think Max gets quite annoyed by it' - the Red Bull view
Red Bull boss Christian Horner is confident Max Verstappen will remain with the team and that he won't replace George Russell at Mercedes
Christian Horner, Wolff's counterpart at Red Bull, was later asked after qualifying by Sky Sports for his response to Mercedes' remarks:
"It is a lot of noise. I think Max gets quite annoyed by it. We are very clear with the contract that we have with Max until 2028.
"So, anything is entirely speculative that is being said, but we tend not to pay too much attention to it."
Had an attempt been made to destabilise Red Bull at their home Grand Prix, perhaps?
"I can imagine that George is frustrated he hasn't been given a contract yet, but that's between him and his team.
"The situation with Max, we know clearly where we're at and obviously as does Max.
"Everything is subject to noise and, obviously, within any contract it remains confidential between the parties."

'You would look next year at the performance of the top teams' - the pundit view
George Russell and Max Verstappen have had a fractious on and off track relationship over the past 12 months
Sky Sports F1's Karun Chandhok gave his take on what he thinks is really going on:
"We don't know what the thresholds are in terms of him being able to extricate himself from the Red Bull contract, but if you were Max Verstappen, you would look next year at the performance of the top teams and then pick and choose where you want to go in the future.
"Because I think any of the teams of the grid would want to have Max in the car. He's the standout driver of recent times.
"And from Max's side, the new generation of rules and power units could set the tone for the next five or six years, like what happened with Lewis back in 2014.
"For next year, there's a bit of a dance going on where people are trying to gauge the situation. And then for 2027, the market could go completely mad."

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

It was Sunday morning at Spielberg . OK . 5H1T happens , but (!) => https://www.reddit.com/r/formuladank...xist_youre_no/

They're good drivers the Austrians

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Summary: before the Dutch race weekend (Aug 29-31), Russell will either get a contract extension or the message that Verstappen will replace him in 2026. Red Bull Racing is not amused by this "noise" but has no full control over the situation anymore.

Helmut seems to think Max is not going anywhereh

“He has a contract until 2028, like all top teams, there are release clauses based on performance, and as things stand, there’s no reason at all why this contract couldn’t be fulfilled.

Marko was asked about Verstappen’s Red Bull exit clause and whether the parameters that would allow it to kick in have now been met.

He responded: “They are currently such that there is no concern whatsoever about an exit.

“You don’t get any details! Unfortunately, I find it difficult to calculate the details of the points difference, and I don’t remember them either.”

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/hel...ix-retirement/

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Yes . Thats what Horner said .
And he didn't lie...

Wonder if someone is already concocting taking MAX out at Silverstone and no prizes for guessing who.
With Sahara temps still on the cards we might as well plan our weekend for some fishing or the like

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by G30M

Helmut seems to think Max is not going anywhereh

“He has a contract until 2028, like all top teams, there are release clauses based on performance, and as things stand, there’s no reason at all why this contract couldn’t be fulfilled.

Marko was asked about Verstappen’s Red Bull exit clause and whether the parameters that would allow it to kick in have now been met.

He responded: “They are currently such that there is no concern whatsoever about an exit.

“You don’t get any details! Unfortunately, I find it difficult to calculate the details of the points difference, and I don’t remember them either.”

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/hel...ix-retirement/

Helmuts thinking is what's needed to stop the rot from the media and such like.