The Official F1 2025 silly season *contains speculation*

[Forester1965]

The fundamental difference between now and before is most of the top teams are capable of running at an operating profit. More than that- they expect to. The second difference is the asset value of the teams has rocketed and so the owners are now fixated on how the sport and their interaction with it will affect the valuation. Hence no 11th team.

Teams used to be fixated on getting enough money to compete and win/survive. Now they're fixated on operating profit and asset valuation. Greedy and ruthless sports team owners were a million times more interesting than corporate boards trying to maintain balance sheet valuations.

[SpudLink]

Forester1965 said:

The fundamental difference between now and before is most of the top teams are capable of running at an operating profit. More than that- they expect to. The second difference is the asset value of the teams has rocketed and so the owners are now fixated on how the sport and their interaction with it will affect the valuation. Hence no 11th team.

Teams used to be fixated on getting enough money to compete and win/survive. Now they're fixated on operating profit and asset valuation. Greedy and ruthless sports team owners were a million times more interesting than corporate boards trying to maintain balance sheet valuations.

So what you're saying is "bring back Eddie and Flavio"?

[Forester1965]

Eddie yes, I think Flav pissed on his chips.

[Nova Gyna]

Flav's chips were soggy long before he got to F1.

[Petrus1983]

Nova Gyna said:

Flav's chips were soggy long before he got to F1.

I'm going to be lambasted for this - but sometimes I miss the Ecclestone/Dennis/Briatore/Williams/Todt/Sauber (and so many others) days. Beats the commercially written Press Statements.

[honda_exige]

FIA have just adjusted the rules to let 17yr olds race F1 cars.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with Kimi Antonelli still being 17 and Sargeant having binned it again last weekend...

[vaud]

honda_exige said:

FIA have just adjusted the rules to let 17yr olds race F1 cars.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with Kimi Antonelli still being 17 and Sargeant having binned it again last weekend...

Not sure why they bothered, they only had to wait until August for him to turn 18

[rallycross]

honda_exige said:

FIA have just adjusted the rules to let 17yr olds race F1 cars.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with Kimi Antonelli still being 17 and Sargeant having binned it again last weekend...

F1 does not need 17 year olds what the point of F3 and F2?

[ThingsBehindTheSun]

honda_exige said:

FIA have just adjusted the rules to let 17yr olds race F1 cars.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with Kimi Antonelli still being 17 and Sargeant having binned it again last weekend...

So they have lowered the age and removed the requirement to have a road driving licence.

His birthday is on the 25th of August, so you can only assume this means Sargeant will be sacked soon and Kimi will take his place to get some experience before getting the Mercedes drive next year.

Either that or there was no chance he would be able to get his road licence before the 2025 season starts?

Edited to add that the driving age in Italy in 18.

[Hustle_]

Hope it happens. Everybody wins.

[Nova Gyna]

How was Max racing in F1 at 17 years and however many days if they've only now changed the rules?

[SpudLink]

Nova Gyna said:

How was Max racing in F1 at 17 years and however many days if they've only now changed the rules?

I thought they introduced the current age limit after the concerns about how young Verstappen was.

[ajprice]

Nova Gyna said:

How was Max racing in F1 at 17 years and however many days if they've only now changed the rules?

Verstappen coming in at 17 made the FIA bring in the minimum 18 years old rule.

[honda_exige]

ThingsBehindTheSun said:

honda_exige said:

FIA have just adjusted the rules to let 17yr olds race F1 cars.

I'm sure it has nothing to do with Kimi Antonelli still being 17 and Sargeant having binned it again last weekend...

So they have lowered the age and removed the requirement to have a road driving licence.

His birthday is on the 25th of August, so you can only assume this means Sargeant will be sacked soon and Kimi will take his place to get some experience before getting the Mercedes drive next year.

Either that or there was no chance he would be able to get his road licence before the 2025 season starts?

Edited to add that the driving age in Italy in 18.

Yeah seems strange given as said he's 18 in Aug so my wild speculation/hope is that Logan has been sacked and Kimi will be in the car in Spain

[Nova Gyna]

SpudLink said:

Nova Gyna said:

How was Max racing in F1 at 17 years and however many days if they've only now changed the rules?

I thought they introduced the current age limit after the concerns about how young Verstappen was.

ajprice said:

Verstappen coming in at 17 made the FIA bring in the minimum 18 years old rule.

Thanks, both. I had no idea they changed it because of Max.

[thegreenhell]

It might not be anything to do with him replacing Sargent at Williams. The rule also applied to FP1 tests, so he was previously unable to do any official FP1 running for Mercedes until after August, and they have to have a rookie drive in FP1 at least twice each season.

[Sandpit Steve]

Interesting change. So they’re relaxing the rule they brought in after MV was considered too young and inexperienced.

Not difficult to want to see Seargant binned off and replaced with a promising teenager though.

[thegreenhell]

Joe Saward thinks Williams will announce the signing of Sainz at the Spanish GP next week.

[PRO5T]

thegreenhell said:

Joe Saward thinks Williams will announce the signing of Sainz at the Spanish GP next week.

Jesus (or Jesùs), that's either a massive statement of intent for Williams or more likely a massive downer for a man of Carlos' talent. I'm absolutely gutted for him but if it's so-how bad do Audi look if this is the better alternative?

[thegreenhell]

PRO5T said:

how bad do Audi look if this is the better alternative?

Ocon was their second choice, and he's about to sign for Haas instead.