Max Verstappen ponders Adrian Newey's departure, Carlos Sainz dreams of Dutchman's Red Bull seat
02/05/2024 19:45
Carlos Sainz will leave Scuderia Ferrari. The Spaniard is racing this year with a deadline looming over him, as the Prancing Horse has chosen to bet on Lewis Hamilton’s vast experience for the foreseeable Formula 1 future. A shrewd move that is unlocking various situations. Firstly, the Lewis Hamilton operation will bring great know-how accumulated over his years at Mercedes. We refer to the working methodologies used and many other valuable insights into the award-winning team. Not to mention the economic returns of the upcoming partnership, capable of raising the Italian brand’s value. A partnership that will bring enormous publicity around the world, with significant effects on the revenue of the Maranello team.
But the seven-time Formula 1 world champion brings with him another astonishing asset. We are talking about the appeal that the historic Italian team is gaining. The British driver, displacing Carlos Sainz, is paving the way for the recruitment of several technicians and engineers, including the most brilliant Formula 1 designer of all time: Adrian Newey. The car designer will soon be terminating his contract with Red Bull. He will do so before the deadline, although he will continue to collaborate with the Austrian team in the development of the Hypercar RB17. A move that will allow the 65-year-old from Colchester to settle elsewhere in 12 months, in time to influence the cars that will be designed based on the new aerodynamic rules and regulations for the 2026 Formula 1 championship.
Scuderia Ferrari is finalizing the details to define the move of the century. A dream team that would be capable of producing a fantastic cycle at least on paper, akin to the golden age experienced by Michael Schumacher at the beginning of the new millennium. Adrian Newey is very close to the Scuderia. All we can do is wait, hoping that there are no last-minute changes of heart. Red Bull loses a fundamental piece that has written the history of the Austrian team. The swarm of technicians that continue to work for Red Bull, among whom Pierre Waché (Technical Director), Enrico Balbo (Head of Aerodynamics), Craig Skinner (Chief Designer), and Ben Waterhouse (Head of Performance) stand out, according to many, have all the credentials to carry on the projects and not make the Englishman regret his departure.
Verstappen ponders Newey’s departure, Sainz dreams of the Dutchman’s seat
The future of Max Verstappen in Formula 1 is far from defined. The Dutch world champion has an existing contract with Red Bull that binds him until the end of the 2028 F1 season. Given the length of his current deal, it’s indeed a long time, theoretically, to discuss any negotiations with other teams, yet it’s not the case at all. This sport is increasingly showing us how written agreements and their respective expiration dates can be torn apart in no time, as could be seen with Adrian Newey and Lewis Hamilton.
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Well, for Max Verstappen, things could be similar from different perspectives: the Dutch champion is on the verge of winning his fourth world title, but the environment around him at Red Bull seems to be weakening and less resilient day by day. Ever since the Christian Horner affair became public, the Austrian team has been feeling the effects of every ripple, which could, however, have much deeper roots, namely since the British team principal did not honor the agreement with Porsche and diverted elsewhere, to the extent of building power units in-house.
Max Verstappen is a super winner. No one like him has achieved a Formula 1 victory at just 18 years, 7 months, and 15 days, moreover, on his debut with Red Bull. We are talking about an amazing talent from a young age who, at 26, can now be considered a mature driver considering the experience gained over the last two decades. His putative father in the sport goes by the name of Helmut Marko. The 81-year-old native of Graz has always followed the Dutchman. The relationship between the two is extremely close, indissoluble. According to recent reports and what has been reiterated by many international media outlets, the relationship of this duo towards Christian Horner has been strained for some time now.
A situation already difficult in itself exacerbated by Adrian Newey’s departure. Losing Adrian Newey is a significant psychological blow for Max Verstappen. It’s not a lack of trust in those who remain, but rather in the person who couldn’t retain the British designer. We are referring to the team principal of Red Bull. At the moment, Mercedes doesn’t offer the guarantees that Max Verstappen would want, it seems obvious. Nevertheless, the offer sent to Milton Keynes is quite intriguing for the three-time Formula 1 world champion. This considering the enormous investment that the Brackley team is ready to make not only to secure the Dutchman but in general for the team.
In all this, Carlos Sainz is watching. The first choice for the current Ferrari driver, according to the latest news, has changed. Carlos Sainz has realized that he could have a chance to land at Red Bull with or instead of Max Verstappen. An even more tempting possibility if the Dutchman were to leave the team even for 2026, finding himself as the centerpiece of a top team. A situation that would allow the Spaniard to fulfill a dream: to have the concrete opportunity to fight for the Formula 1 championship. A hypothetical scenario that Audi does not seem capable of offering as a newcomer to Formula 1. Not to mention the mandatory sabbatical year at Stake fighting to at most enter the points zone.
For this reason, Carlos Sainz has not delivered the expected response to Audi because he is aiming for the Red Bull seat. Undoubtedly, the issue is not at all simple, and the danger of being left without a seat exists. However, Carlos Sainz is taking this risk because at almost 30 years old, he wants to secure the contract of a lifetime at all costs. Max Verstappen remains the deciding factor. A sliding door that, at least for the moment, the Ferrari driver does not want to close. The issue doesn’t seem likely to be resolved in the very short term. In the meantime, however, at least for the Spanish driver, he needs to showcase a performance of the highest quality with the Maranello team in the next rounds of the 2024 Formula 1 season in order to convince Red Bull, or as a second option, Mercedes, with clear actions that he is the right man for the job.
In this back and forth, it’s interesting to note how a driver of Carlos Sainz’s caliber is a “victim” of the choices made by others. Decisions that bring disappointment and regrets. The Spaniard is constantly maturing. An exponential trajectory since his arrival at Ferrari in 2021. Currently, he is experiencing the best phase of his professional career.
Several F1 insiders claimed that the arrival of French team principal Frederic Vasseur would penalize the son of the two-time rally world champion. The thought was based on one fact: the established professional and friendship bond that strongly ties Fred Vasseur and Charles Leclerc, a partnership born since the junior categories. However, this fear was unfounded, as the Ferrari boss has shown admirable impartiality, and because Carlos Sainz, once again, has so far been able to enjoy the same privileges as Charles Leclerc. Equal treatment, in short, where the always cheerful Fred certainly didn’t play favorites.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
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