Right. What do you have to do to be a part of F1 now? Everyone else may as well throw in the towel. This could bite them down the road. It’s ironic that the Hammy Ferrari deal comes out a day later.

Who knows if an updated Concorde Agreement will reduce the max grid from 26 to 20 cars.

That's one thing I wondered. If F1's argument is that a new team would have trouble building a competitive 2025 car and a competitive 2026 car at the same time, then why even make an invitation for new teams to submit applications? I mean, it sounds like the only applications that could even have a chance at that level of money and engineering and manufacturing expertise would be a works team from a major car manufacturer. And even then, F1 reasoned that creating a new chassis and new power unit (even one from GM) at the same time would be extremely difficult to make competitive. So what was the point of even fielding applications?

Re: Lewis to Ferrari. I wonder if this is going to be another example of where former F1 champions go to kill their careers.

So, the Sky presentation was interesting, but not unexpected in the overall discussion. What was interesting was the speculation of the various permutations of driver swaps, not so much for who was on their list, but for who was not. None of the talking monkies at Sky posited putting a female driver in the seat when Hambone leaves. Wonder why? What is the point of "promoting" women and diversity in f1 if the talking heads won't even consider to bother to mention the possibility? I want to see Doriane Pin in the Merc (and Abbie Pulling in the Alpine - definitely would rather look at her than that leprechaun they have). Hopefully she won't be another wasted talent fastened to the warmup bench, never to get in the seat, then sent packing two years later.

Thanks Jeff, other than all the stuff in the press I'd heard directly from a couple of people that had 1st hand information Andretti had severely under estimated what was required to start a team.

I'm sure without the Andretti over confidence, some might say arrogance when putting forward their application, maybe they're F1 application might have been more warmly recieved by FOM

For FOM to turn down GM, while trying to expand their American exposure, the Andretti side of the team partnership must have been severely lacking real substance in too many areas

Years ago I joined a 2yr old new start up F1 team called British American Racing, was Tyrell but by name only as the factory and 99% of people were new

Their slogan was a Tradition of Excellence and the team proudly claimed they would win their 1st race. In reality they had no F1 tradition/history, a long way from being excellent at anything and couldn't even score a single point in their 1999 maiden season with a recent world champion driving

The Andretti statements of intent remind me of the above but the big difference now is F1 is hugely more complex, difficult to impossible championship to compete in so an infinetly more difficult task

Wish we could all meet up in a bar some where as this would make good beer drinking topic over a very long evening :cool:

So do you think if Andretti was properly prepared that their application would have been accepted?

Good question Paul,

I'm sure FOM have deliberately taken their time in reviewing the application to try and get any approval covered in the next Concorde Agreement where they'll jack up the dilution fee massively to reflect a more up to date valuation of the exsisting teams

Also the timing of a new team powered by a new PU supplier is a major conflict of interest with regards to the new 2026 rules.

Current PU suppliers won't want their IP going to GM. Also current PU suppliers won't be interested in supplying an extra team in 2025 as this will be an unwanted distraction while they focus on getting ready for 2026. Also I have doubts GM would be competitive on the battery side of the PU. For 2026 rules 50% of the power is coming from the battery so the risk of GM PU being too slow/unreliable for F1 is very high

Question I keep asking myself is what on the Andretti side made FOM decline GM, the largest car manufacturer in the world entry into F1

F1 wants America, GM is America so I'm not sure F1 protectionism for the current teams was the major deciding factor in turning down Andretti as much as everyone thinks it is

I could be wrong but I'm trying to look at everything pragmatically as the F1 game is multi-layered complicated web of self interests

For example there is a power struggle between FOM and the FIA, Dominicalli is a clever guy. This makes me think he is steering events to more street orientated tracks is FOM setting up their chess pieces for going it alone without the FIA. The teams will follow the money, they won't think twice about dumping the FIA. F1 is ruthless, anyone and everything is dumped in a heartbeat if there is a better option available

Captain your inside knowledge of F1 is greatly appreciated by us couch race fans . So thank you for sharing what you can . If Andrettis proposal was poor/lacking/arrogant then the other 3 teams that were shot down must have submitted on a cocktail napkin . At some point in time either new teams will be accepted or new rules will say the grid is frozen at 20 cars .

Read today that the invite for a face to face meeting was sent via email by FOM to Andretti in early December. When this was announced the other day apparently Michael said he never got an invite . The invite was recently found ............... in a spam folder !!! Woops .

Would a face to face meeting made a difference ? Maybe or maybe not . But we will never know . I will say it is odd to me that an invite for something so important would be done via email vs a phone call . Your people call my people 😁 .

Yea, that smells to high heaven. Something that important would've been conducted via a phone call or similar. No way they would've stopped at an email.

FOM had no intention of ever letting Andretti in, for whatever reason. That's obvious.

love Mario and respect Michael. My wall next to the computer is filled with a collage of Mario and Michael huddled in the pits at Pocono in the early 90's, taken by yours truly in the days when CART still allowed mere mortals in hot pits during qualy.

I grew up in racing in 78 reading Rob Walker's accounts of Mario, and his winning and Ronnie dying made a great impression on a 17 y/o.
And I lived most of my life a half hour from Nazareth.

That said, no way Andretti Global goes to F1 and cleans up. They can't even dominate a spec series (Indycar) in the USA with 2 great drivers. They're spread thin.

But there was no need for those that wrote the manifesto to insult them, it looks petty.

But the point that made sense-why come to F1 this year, spend mega millions developing a car that will be obsolete when the regs shift in a season? Come back then. And this makes complete sense.

Hopefully they will. And I pray that Mario will be healthy enough to see it.

Thats to the Captain and others for bringing experienced insight and rationale to what has turned into an emotional issue.

I can relax and watch F1 again.

I too can relax now, knowing you'll still watch F1 :)

Hamilton to Ferrari, now this is a great F1 news story :cool:

So who does replace Hamilton? Sainz? What about Vettel? Is he really done? What an opportunity for him to get back in to a potentially good seat.

Toto last year said he was pushing hard to find Mick a spot . OK now you have an opening did you mean what you said ?

Champion vs Champions kid? I know which one i’d pick. But indeed I think Mick could also be a good choice.

Hamilton’s post is pure class!

“ It’s been a crazy few days which have been filled with a whole range of emotions.

But as you all now know, after an incredible 11 years at Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, the time has come for me to start a new chapter in my life and I will be joining Scuderia Ferrari in 2025.

I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfil another childhood dream. Driving in Ferrari red.

Mercedes has been a huge part of my life since I was 13 years old, so this decision has been the hardest I’ve ever had to make. I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve achieved together and I’m very grateful for the hard work and dedication of everyone I have worked with over the years and of course Toto, for his friendship, guidance and leadership. Together we have won titles, broken records and become the most successful Driver-Team partnership in F1 history. And of course I cannot forget Niki who was a huge supporter and who I still miss everyday.

I must also share my huge appreciation to the whole of the Mercedes-Benz board and everyone at the company in Germany and around the world for supporting me over these 26 years.

But the time is right to make a change and take on a new challenge. I still remember the feeling of taking a leap of faith into the unknown when I first joined Mercedes in 2013. I know some people didn’t understand it at the time but I was right to make the move then and it's the feeling I have again now. I’m excited to see what I can bring to this new opportunity and what we can do together.

However, right now, I’m not thinking about 2025. My focus is on the upcoming season and getting back out on track with Mercedes. I am more driven than ever, I am fitter and more focussed than than ever and I want to help Mercedes win once again. I am 100% committed to the job I need to do and determined to end my partnership with the team on a high.

Thank you to all of you who have been on this journey with me, you have all lifted me up as I chase my dreams and I hope I can continue to make you proud. As always, sending you my love and positive energy.”

So when does Mercedes place Hammy on 'gardening leave'?

I don't see this working out at Ferrari with Hammy. They seem to have a strategy problem or two and Mercs strategy has kept Hammy in a lot of races in the last few years. Plus, I don't see how him slagging off the team on the radio in just about every race is going to be received well at Ferrari.

The bolded statement might be his view but he was 'developed' by McLaren (Ron Dennis) and was on the McLaren team from 20007 to 2012.

Why would he say that?