F1: Not So Silly Season

🏎️ The F1 Silly Season… That Isn't Very Silly!

Jacqui and Taylor are on deck this week to break down the F1 silly season — or, more accurately, the lack thereof — as the Summer Break delivered a wave of driver re-signings and very few surprises.

With most of the grid seemingly locked in, the team work their way through the drivers who have secured their seats and ask some of the bigger questions facing the paddock.

🔥 On this week’s agenda:

• 🇪🇸 Should Fernando Alonso go around once again in 2027?
• 🪑 When does Lance Stroll finally lose his spot on the grid?
• 🤔 What exactly is the point of Esteban Ocon?
• 🔵 What does Max Verstappen staying at Red Bull mean for the future?
• 😤 And why was Taylor so disappointed by the Verstappen news?

Plus, plenty of discussion about the current state of the driver market, who could still be under pressure heading into 2027, and whether F1's silly season has officially become… well, not very silly at all.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_03 0:05

Hello and welcome to F1 Drive to Describe, a Formula One podcast on all things Formula One. I am your Melbourne-based host, Jackie, and I'm joined today, first time ever that it's just been the two of us, by Over in the Middle East, by Taylor.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Just the two of us.

SPEAKER_02 0:23

Just the two of us. You and I. Hi, Jack.

SPEAKER_03 0:28

Long time. I'll see if I can work that music in there. It has been a while. You've been off celebrating. You've been celebrating Max Verstappen re-signing. Let's be honest. That's why we missed you last week. You were too hungover celebrating.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Don't know if celebrating is the word I would use, but uh, but yes, that that that news definitely hit my news feed quite hard. Um, no, I I have to apologize to all the listeners. This year has been uh has been really rough for my schedule. So I do appreciate uh all the three of you holding down the fort and uh and keeping me in the loop when I can. So I'm very excited to talk F1 today, finally.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

Anyone would think you had little children at home.

SPEAKER_02 1:09

Oh gosh, yes. Yes, and look, I love I love my two children like beyond measure. But anyone who tells you that, you know, oh you know, the first year is the hardest, and then everything gets easier after that. It's like it's just selective amnesia. It has to be because nothing, nothing seems to be getting easier. It's not necessarily harder, but yeah. Anyway, that's the uh that's the upcoming drive drive to describe dad's pod that uh that Sage and I might record one day.

SPEAKER_03 1:37

But uh we should have that one actually. We can have one for you and Sage doing that and one for James and I that are anti-children.

SPEAKER_02 1:45

Well, let's be clear. I'm anti-other children. I only love being a father has not made me love children anymore. I it's just just my kids are the only ones that I love.

SPEAKER_03 1:57

There we go, everyone. Taylor's kids are the only ones that matter in the world.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

That's correct. That's correct. It's on brand, Jackie. It's on brand.

SPEAKER_03 2:07

Well, you having the week off and Max Verstappen resigning actually leads us into the topic of this week's podcast. You and I are going to discuss all the drivers that are signed up for their contracts for 2027, who's signed up, who's not, and where we think people may end up going as we move forward.

SPEAKER_02 2:23

Not a lot of mysteries, but uh, but I think some good some good chat will be up there.

SPEAKER_03 2:28

Well, I'm a bit disappointed. Silly season hasn't been that silly.

SPEAKER_02 2:33

No. When's the last time Silly Season was silly?

SPEAKER_03 2:37

Oh, other than Lewis Hamilton's sudden announcement, probably Piastri before that, and it's been a few years. Everyone's been pretty predictable.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

Yeah, we've had a good couple of years. Even Lewis and Oscar wasn't um well, I guess the Oscar one was pretty nuts considering it was a rookie. And the Lewis one was big.

SPEAKER_03 2:57

I think the way that came about.

SPEAKER_02 2:59

No, but yeah, but you know, like um, there hasn't been that the grand reshuffle that we used to see. You remember in like the 90s and stuff where we just a domino would fall and then all of a sudden it was just chaos.

SPEAKER_03 3:10

Um you could easily have eight drivers on the grid move in a year.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I mean we've had we've had years, well, I say we, the probably the four of us and uh maybe a couple of listeners that are that have watched that far, but you know, we've had times where reigning world champions have left their team. Yes. So we've never seen anything that crazy, not for a while.

SPEAKER_03 3:33

And it does doesn't occur anymore. If you're the reigning champion, you're not going anywhere.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_03 3:39

I kind of miss those days because it would throw a real spanner amongst the works, have everyone in a fluster, who was going where, and then what would happen the next season.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

Yeah. Yeah, it's just not the same way. Yeah, yeah. And now it's just like the summer break is just people getting drunk or uh or drivers getting drunk or drivers being on jet skis or drivers being in tropical locations or drivers getting engaged. And I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

There was a lot of that this summer.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

Yeah, I'm not I'm not engaged with the engagement posts.

SPEAKER_03 4:10

I noticed that when I text the group chat for everyone listening, I text the group chat about George Russell's engagement and the the ring, and there was just crickets. The boys are just like, yep, okay. It's like, but did you see the ring? No, nothing from the three boys.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

Uh yeah, not to not to um clumsily fall into gender stereotypes, but yes, that was that was that.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

That was pretty stock standard that was a true post.

SPEAKER_02 4:36

You're like, anyone? Anyone? Someone give me something. Wasn't my reply. I was like, is that George's girlfriend? Like, I don't actually know who who we're talking about right now.

SPEAKER_03 4:47

Yes, you did question it. I just went by first names, you did question who I was talking about. That's right. And that actually made me think though, if we go back to the 90s when we all started watching, we didn't know who the wives and girlfriends were. And now they're everywhere. Yeah, it's not just a driver is married. Here's the driver, here's their partner, here's what they're doing in their life.

SPEAKER_02 5:09

Yeah, well, the partners are almost almost more important these days in some respects, you know.

SPEAKER_03 5:14

They are, especially in some of the coverage.

SPEAKER_01 5:17

Absolutely. Oh my god. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:20

That might be a nice little segue for us to start. Moving into partners and who are always always around. We always have Tiffany Cromwell floating around with us, uh, with Valkyrie Bodas and the Cadillac team.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:34

So Cadillac this year we've got Valtry Bodas and Sergio Perez. I don't actually know Perez's wife's name.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

Yeah, I don't know either. I don't think I don't think he does, given his track record. Given his track record.

SPEAKER_03 5:46

Well, yes, that's true. Let's focus on Tiffany Cromwell being the the wag of this team. So both drivers have signed, so first year with Cadillac this year, and both drivers have signed what is being reported as multi-year contracts for the two of them. So we've got them both again for next year uh and continuing on with their drive, which could be interesting for us. They're first year out in the team. I was excited they might do a little bit more this season. They'd be a little disappointing. But do we think that's okay keeping them for another year? Do we think they need two or three years to get the car right and have season drivers in there doing that?

SPEAKER_02 6:24

Yeah yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 6:28

Oh, you're not confident on that, yes.

SPEAKER_02 6:31

I actually think I think Valtory is I think he's a real asset, you know, and uh the the knowledge that he can bring from from his years at Mercedes obviously is uh is invaluable. You would think the same for Perez. Perez is 23rd out of 22 drivers on the grid.

SPEAKER_03 6:50

So like that's a pretty impressive effort. Thank you, Yuki Sonoda.

SPEAKER_02 6:54

Yeah, so you know, yes, this is this is again on brand for me to hate Sergio Perez, but you know, the he he had a glimmer, he had a you know, very small window where he was uh elite, or at least approaching elite. You know, those probably that season and a half at Racing Point, and then certainly uh his first season or first season and a half in in Red Bull was sensational. Um but I just don't know if is he the guy you want behind a a car that is you know, or a team that is brand new? You know, do you do you not wouldn't you not rather some young blood? Like at this point, what is the risk of having you know a geez, like any any of your any of the any of the development drivers, yeah, but even even like a Dan Tictim, right? Who I m some listeners may not know who that is, but he's very fiery, sort of former F2, now Formula E driver. He's got a lot of experience, he's very outspoken, he'd be great television, he'd be absolutely wonderful television. Yes, um, and you know, he could he could give them something, you know. Like I just don't know what Sergio is doing, and most weekends I forget that he's even on the grid anymore.

SPEAKER_03 8:05

So well, that's true. Is he seriously just a money driver in this team? He's bringing the extra funds in that they need, and Valtory's the one doing all the development for them.

SPEAKER_02 8:14

Yeah, yeah, has to be. Has to be.

SPEAKER_03 8:18

It is an interesting one that it's multi-year. I don't know what it sort of exit strategies that there are. I'm not sure either of them needs an exit strategy. Where else are they going to go at this point?

SPEAKER_02 8:28

Yeah, yeah. I mean, well, I mean, Valtry is uh getting quite quite serious into cycling. You see this?

SPEAKER_03 8:34

He uh he likes one of the cycling race. Yeah, he does it quite a lot. And back again to the wags, his girlfriend is a professional cyclist, she's an Australian Olympian. Um, but he's been doing really well with that in the offseason. He's out doing all these sorts of rides, gravel rides. He's not just on tarmac, he's doing all different sorts and performing. He's finishing top three quite a lot, and not just in his age bracket or his professional is not quite the word, his amateur category for it. Um in professional categories now.

SPEAKER_02 9:06

Yeah, he's he's maybe that's what he'll do after Formula One. Well, I mean, his his presence is like just night and day from from what things used to be. So, no, I mean, I think from a personality point of view, he is uh he's astounding, you know. But Sergio is just um he's just not there. So it's chalk and cheese from that perspective. Yeah, it's very strange. It's very, very strange. Anyway, I think we've spent enough time on Cadillac already.

SPEAKER_03 9:32

So well, we go to the next exciting team after that.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

Oh, yeah, there's some good old Aston Martin Four.

SPEAKER_03 9:43

Now, when I was looking through some pictures to try and get images of these guys, this picture was actually titled Fernando Alonso and some other guy. And I kind of thought that sums it up perfectly, really. We've got Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll with Aston Martin. Uh, neither of them have a contract for 2027. I'm not sure Lance Stroll's ever had a contract with Aston Martin. Uh I guess he just says to his dad, I want to drive next year. Can I go again? Off they go.

unknown 10:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:14

Uh and Fernando Alonso is up in the air. Will he re-sign for 2027 or not? After his comments earlier this year at Catalunya, where he said it will more than likely be his last race at Circuit de Catalunya.

SPEAKER_02 10:27

Yeah, I think um let's let's start with uh Lance and then we'll move to I think our collective favorite between you and I. Um it is just I mean, this is a broken record at this point, but it is such a shame that we have Lance Stroll on the grid when he clearly uh just don't he just doesn't have the motivation to be there, whether that's uh intrinsic or whether it's just because he he does have this scene gifted to him. Like he came out, he came into this sport with so much potential, and I think people really forget like he had he had serious talent in his early days.

SPEAKER_03 11:05

Um he did drive, he had a podium as well early on.

SPEAKER_02 11:08

Yeah, yeah, yeah. In his rookie season, like this guy's no he has no slouch, but I think with anyone, you know, like you you just get gifted this stuff and all of a sudden well, why fight for it? Why why do I need to extend myself when I can just do whatever and I'll have a seat and I can live the life of a Formula One driver and life's good. Um but it is just such a shame. The the breadth and depth of talent that we have right now um for drivers is I think unheard of in the history of motorsport. You know, there is just the the popularity of the sport is so big, the uh the amount of drivers that you have in the wings, the amount of uh categories that we have now with Formula E, with um F2 like actually being a legitimate like second-tier sport now, indie car, like even even the girls, like even the women's driving is now at a stage where I think it's improving much better. That F1 Academy is they've done wonders. Whatever, whatever it was before, was it F uh what do they call it? Um before it was F1 Academy.

SPEAKER_03 12:16

It was F1W or something. Something was horrible and badly named.

SPEAKER_02 12:21

It was so bad. And so I think honestly, set women, women Formula One driving back a decade.

SPEAKER_04 12:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

Um, but the F1 Academy is solid and there's some incredible talents in there. Now, like what at this point, similar to Cadillac, like what have they got to lose? They could do something really interesting. Put someone in. They could have a they could have a really interesting lineup here. You've got Fernando Alonso, the old dog. Imagine, like, imagine the opportunity that presents for any young driver, female, male, whoever, like to learn from arguably one of the best drivers to ever sit behind a wheel. Like, it's gold and it's marketing gold, and it's just sitting there and they're just doing nothing with it, and it's such a shame. You know, they've got newy, they've they should be doing something more fun. It should be a really fun, old school, like you know, British team. Instead, it's boring and it's annoying.

SPEAKER_03 13:19

And it's the old guy and the rich kid.

SPEAKER_02 13:22

It's so bad. It's really bad for the Aston Martin brand as well. Doesn't make me want to buy a DB7.

SPEAKER_03 13:27

Not that I not that I could, but you know, and they've got Jessica Hawkins as their F1, their F1 Academy driver, their female driver. The marketing opportunities around that, and rightly or wrongly, I will get slammed for this, but being the woman on the pot, I can say it. She's also very attractive to be able to be fronting her up for things. She can be a very good spokesperson for the team. She can grab the attention for the right reasons and for the other reasons appropriately. And you could put her next to Fernando Alonso and be getting some results.

SPEAKER_02 13:58

Let's be honest, Jack. The the good-looking thing does not only uh sit here with the women, you know, those those drivers are marketable for other reasons other than the driving skills, right?

SPEAKER_03 14:10

Like Charlotte Claire.

unknown 14:14

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Charles Leclerc, I mean, I'm sure I'm sure his uh his rakish good looks are you know just as important for his contract and his driving ability at this point. Um, you know, so I I don't think it's I don't think it's uh misogynist to say those things. But look, uh I yeah, I just don't know. I don't know what they're doing. I don't know why we have to go through this. It's the the black stain on Formula One, on modern Formula One, and I just hate it. So I hope he goes off and plays tennis or does whatever he wants to do and doesn't race in Formula One next year, but pigs might fly.

SPEAKER_03 14:49

And I think that's the thing. As you said, in his early days, he was very strong. He was a solid driver coming through what is now F3 and F2, the previous feeder seasons before that. He was really solid with that, and it's just faded away the last few years. I've tried to defend him for a while, and I actually can't this season. He's now sitting 21st out of 22 drivers. He's just, we know their car's struggling. We know there are issues there, but he's just checked out. What do we think Fernando's going to do? Do you think he'll do one more year, or do you think this could be it? Will he try and give Adrian Newey one more year?

SPEAKER_02 15:22

I really this this might this might step onto uh onto other categories, but there is a part of me that just really wishes a big team just rolls the dice on him one last time.

SPEAKER_04 15:36

You know, like just I would love that.

SPEAKER_02 15:39

Like Red Bull, like come on, Max Max and Fernando are buddies. They want to do they want to do uh Lamon together. Like, let's just do it. Let's just like let's just roll the dice and get Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen, you know, side by side in a Red Bull. Yeah. And let's just see. Let's just see what happens. Even even if they're completely uncompetitive, which I think they're most likely to be. Um against the let them race each other.

SPEAKER_04 16:01

Yeah, yeah, let them race each other.

SPEAKER_02 16:02

It'd be great fun. Like, I it it's not again, it's not gonna happen. Um, but boy, I I wish. Yeah, look, I think he is a he's just he's just a racing driver. And I think he'll race until the wheels fall off. And the wheels are not not falling off yet. They're not, Jack. He's still got the speed, he's still got the pace.

SPEAKER_03 16:25

So there has been talk of him going back for Indie 500 next year. He still wants that triple crown and also wants to win Dakar. So we know he's done the Dakar rally. Um, it was with Toyota from memory with the Dakar Rally. Um I'd love to see him back if both of those trying it again. We know I'm a big Formula One fan, but I'm a bigger Fernando Alonso fan, and I would love to see him take these races. I always enjoyed him in the endurance championships. I saw him at Daytona for the Rolex 24 for a couple of years. Did you? I love him doing it. Yeah, yeah. Well, that's is that a story for this podcast or another one? I broke through security to get to his trailer at the Daytona Circuit. So he was there. It was uh 20, would have been 2017 was my first year at Daytona for the Rolex. He was actually racing with Lando Norris in the United Auto Sports car, and I'd been able to get my way into the paddock. Um, the paddocks are a little bit more easily accessible, and I got to the gate for all the trailers, and I could see him and Zach Brown and some Japanese. So Toyota was underlying them at that point. So I'm assuming it was Toyota representatives. And I just walked straight through like I belonged. I was by myself, and I just walked straight through the gate as if I deserved to be there, and then stood there for a little while, and Zach got Zach Brown's attention. It's like, I'm Formula One, I just want to see the two of you. That's and yeah, had a chat to them, got a picture with the two of them.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

2017 would have been Lando would have been like that, uh, the esports whiz kid, right? Like he wouldn't have been he wasn't anything at that point.

SPEAKER_03 17:57

He was reserve driver for McLaren. That was it. Um, he was still very new, very shy. I met him and had a chat to him actually on the car grid. You can actually walk through the cars at the start of the role X24. Um, so I met him there and had a chat to him, and it was Phil Hansen was their third driver.

SPEAKER_00 18:13

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:16

He does a lot of endurance racing now. So I like seeing Fernando in these other series and seeing how he goes in them. And I enjoy following it as it comes up every now and again. I do follow the other racing series, and I would like to see him, especially the indie 500, I would love to see him get the triple crown, especially before Montoya.

SPEAKER_02 18:35

This is maybe a topic for another pod entirely, but you know, I've been thinking about this sort of uh this concept that I'd love. I mean, you know, talk about FIA president for a day. You know, you do a motorsport world cup, and so you get every four years, you get the best drivers of all classes, and it's you know, an eight-race, nine-race series, and it's it's everything stock cars, indie cars, you know, enduro.

SPEAKER_03 19:01

Like the racing Olympics.

SPEAKER_02 19:03

Yeah, yeah.

unknown 19:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:06

It would be awesome because there's a lot of drivers across other series as well that can cross over.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

No one would do it. I mean, not one person, especially the Formula One guys. There's just they just would not do it, but it would be amazing. Anyway, Fernando Alonso, I think he's gonna resign. Um I think the new the newy component of all of that is uh is probably the main reason that he won't he won't retire just yet.

SPEAKER_03 19:30

I think the same thing. I think one year left.

SPEAKER_02 19:33

I honestly think he truly believes he's got another world championship in still.

SPEAKER_03 19:38

Yeah, his attitude certainly suggests that. The way he carries himself, he's not rolling up last minute, he's there early, he's working with the team quite consistently. He's not just doing the bare minimum.

unknown 19:50

No, not at all.

SPEAKER_03 19:52

I think he's got one left. I think 2027 will be it.

SPEAKER_01 19:55

We're agreed.

SPEAKER_03 19:56

We're nearly at the end of the duds. Williams. Both drivers have re-signed in the last few weeks. Albon's signed to the end of 2027, and Carlos Science has a multi-year deal, which is rumored to be the end of 28 with exit clauses.

SPEAKER_02 20:14

Yeah, look, they're both they're both in the same category for me, which is like I just wish they were.

SPEAKER_03 20:21

They're in the done category for me. Well, I just wish this team was better.

SPEAKER_02 20:25

Like they're both good, right? I think people forget, similar to Lance Stroll, I think people forget just how good Albon could be, or or has or has shown that he can be in glimmers. You know, I think science is certainly in the I Sage will disagree with me until he's blue in the face, but I think Carlos Carlos is the Spanish Daniel Ricardo in that all the potential in the world, all the markability in the world, but just is that journeyman driver who can't get changes teams. Yeah. And if he was ever given a true, true, true number one spot at a team and had the chance to build, I think he could be something really special, just like Daniel, but they're just impatient and they're just chasing something, you know. They he goes from Red Bull to McLaren, from McLaren to Ferrari, from Ferrari to Williams. It's like I get it, it's it's great and you you're on the grid and you know you've got this stacked resume, I suppose. But what's he ultimately got to show for it?

SPEAKER_03 21:27

Yeah. So a couple of podiums in that season. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:31

So and and you know, Alex is uh probably that to a to a much, much, much lesser degree in that this is this is a guy, Red Bull, you know, handpicked to be to be next to Max Verstappen. Now he got mentally uh annihilated in that in that season, like half the season. And but he but he has been able, fair credit to him, he has actually been able to build himself back up into a very reasonable Formula One driver, and he deserves his place on that ground. But he deserves more than Williams. And this season, man, all this bluster, all this talk that they had for years. Oh, we're not developing because we're really focused on the 2026 regulations. And what was all that?

unknown 22:14

What was all that for?

SPEAKER_03 22:16

We're still waiting for that to come into play for them.

SPEAKER_02 22:19

But if that's true, like Val's got a lot to answer for. Because what have they done?

SPEAKER_03 22:27

Absolutely nothing. Sitting third last in the constructors championship, very few points to their name. And there's no real sign of hope in front of them this season.

SPEAKER_02 22:38

There's nothing.

SPEAKER_03 22:39

There's nothing. The car's still overweight. Nothing's been done yet to try and rectify that.

unknown 22:46

Nope.

SPEAKER_03 22:47

I don't know. I I think if there's exit clauses in Sign's contract, I don't think he'll be enacting them because I can't see where else he would go. Um as we move through and see what drivers are available in 27-28. I don't see a window opening for him to go anywhere else.

SPEAKER_02 23:02

This is this is the problem. This is the Daniel Ricardo problem, right? It's the same, it's the same thing. Yeah, he he hasn't established himself as a number one. And so therefore, like he's an old number two. And some teams that's important, but man, I mean, there's j there's just a lot of talent. There is so much talent now. And yeah, I uh I I don't know. I don't know what happens post-2028.

SPEAKER_03 23:30

So it'll be interesting to see where they wind up, and hopefully the team can turn something around next year and give them some hope because Williams are one of the old original teams that have always been on the grid. None of us like seeing them at the bottom like this, and especially with two drivers that do have some talent, but I I think their time's done. But speaking of done, the super sub continually returning and finally got his podium, Nico Hulkenberg, and Gabrielle Bortoletto over at Audi. We almost need Sage for this one because we know how much he loves Hulkenberg being on the grid.

SPEAKER_02 24:09

Yeah, he does. He does.

SPEAKER_03 24:10

Um both drivers have multi-year contracts in place.

SPEAKER_02 24:16

Yeah, I mean they've they've clearly put their stock in Gabby, um, which I think is is smart. Um he's still very raw. Um I really liked his rookie season. I thought his rookie season was fantastic. I don't think he has adapted to these new cars quite uh to the level that he needs to, but he'll get there. He proves that uh in his rookie season that he'll be fine. Nico is a safe pair of hands, right? Like you don't have you don't have that many drives, you know, if if you're not, so it makes sense, I think. Um but yeah, it would be it's again, you know, uh how when does Nico Holkenberg stop like when does his value run out?

SPEAKER_03 25:02

Uh it's always Fernando Alonso that he's just solid for a mid-field team. You know what you're gonna get, you know the consistency, he's not gonna trash the cars, he can help you develop them. Is he just gonna exist in these mid-teams for a few more years to come? Oh, geez. I would like to see that. I like Hulkenberg. I was very happy when he got a full-time drive again. Um, for those of you that started watching during the COVID years, he was actually out of Formula One during COVID and was the super sub. He was the one getting called back in when a driver would come down with COVID and be out for a few weeks. Hulkenberg was the one that would come in and jump in any car and drive it.

SPEAKER_02 25:39

And yeah, never sick and could drive any car. What a sort of super.

SPEAKER_03 25:43

And for him to drive any car as well, the picture here sort of shows it. He is one of the taller drivers. Formula one cars are designed effectively for someone no bigger than five foot seven, is the ideal height.

SPEAKER_04 25:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:53

He's pushing, I think he's pushing six foot. He's significantly taller than the others. And he was able to jump in smaller cars. He was able to jump in Sergio Perez's car and make that work. Now there's nearly six or seven inches between those two.

unknown 26:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:06

And I think that's where his val sorry. I think that's where his value lies, though. He can drive anything, he can manipulate anything, and he can help you develop a car. And in this case with Gabby, they seem to have a pretty good relationship together to be able to develop a younger driver with the team.

SPEAKER_02 26:21

Yeah. Yeah, that seems to be that seems to, for me anyway, that seems to be the chief reason of re-signing Holkenberg, because they seem to be getting on well, and he seems to be learning quite a lot, or Gabby seems to be learning quite a lot from him. So yeah, look, it's fine. Um do I really wish that Audi would just roll a big, big, big dump truck of money onto Seb Vettel's lawn and say, come on, let's go. Yes. I mean, that's I want I want a German driving a German car. Let's go. Um, it would be awesome. But uh, but yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen. So Nico Holkenberg will have to be a uh a Vettel substitute substitute at this point.

SPEAKER_03 26:59

The closest you're gonna get.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

I mean, we're different, we're different galaxies, we're different galaxies.

SPEAKER_03 27:06

One's got a few championships, one's got one podium.

SPEAKER_00 27:09

One podium.

SPEAKER_03 27:14

But moving on, one podium. He's got more than one podium. But Esteban Ocon, Ollie Behrman, and Haas. I forgot they were on the grid. When I was putting this together and just quickly thinking of the teams in the order, I forgot they were there.

SPEAKER_02 27:29

Yeah, me too. They've really been nothing and nowhere, haven't they? I mean, um yeah, this is this is fine, whatever. Um I'm I'm I sound just sound like a broken record on this whole pod, but you know, the Ocon stuff, like at one point do you sort of say, okay, we've given this a red hot go? Um let's just let's just get two two young'uns in. Behrman, I think, could could be okay, but the team is yeah, uh it's a lot of people.

SPEAKER_03 28:00

If we're going driver head to head, Behrman's on 18 points and Ocon's on three.

SPEAKER_01 28:05

Three, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:07

Which yeah, well, that's not a good place for him to be in.

SPEAKER_02 28:12

Yeah, I'm selling up all my stock on uh on Ocon Island, to be honest.

SPEAKER_03 28:16

It's uh both drivers have multi-year contracts in place, so they are both on the grid for 2027. But should he be?

unknown 28:24

No.

SPEAKER_03 28:25

Do Haas have an exit clause for him?

SPEAKER_02 28:27

They have to. They have to. I mean, I don't know if they can afford anyone else.

SPEAKER_03 28:33

Well, who else would they get?

SPEAKER_02 28:35

Yeah, I I think that's the hardest part. Um, but surely, surely there is a there's a driver somewhere with money who can just say to them, I'll pay. You know, like, gosh, the history of the history of Formula One is littered with paid drivers who are actually decent. So, you know.

SPEAKER_03 28:53

Where's Nikita Marzipin right now?

SPEAKER_02 28:58

I said actually decent.

SPEAKER_03 28:59

No, sorry, I was focusing on the money. But I I find this team a little bit disappointing in that because if they had a Behrman is still new, you know, he's still coming through. He's not doing too badly, but I just find Ocon's just not doing anything that he should be. They need a second driver in there that is achieving something for a midfield team, and he's just not. So I'd be happy if they exited him somehow. But it is a multi-year contract, so it looks like these two will be staying next year unless there's something in those contracts we're unaware of.

SPEAKER_01 29:38

Yeah, boring.

SPEAKER_03 29:40

Next, next it is. Next we move on to Alpine. Pierre Gasly. Can you say it like Sage does? Pierre Gasly. See, we make this work when the boy's sound effects aren't here.

unknown 29:55

We do.

SPEAKER_03 29:55

Uh and Colapinto, so he re-signed in the last couple of days as well. Gasly signed to the end of 28, and Colapinto signed to the end of 27.

SPEAKER_02 30:04

Yeah. Give Gasly a good car.

SPEAKER_03 30:05

So a bit of commitment from Gasly.

SPEAKER_02 30:08

Yeah, I mean, give him a good car, you'll see, you'll see results. I think that's he's proven that year and you know, time and time again. Um but he doesn't have one. Alpine or a shit show. So what a waste. Um, all Franco death threat collapinto. I'm gonna be very careful what I say on the bottom, Al Franco. Um they'll be coming after you. I mean, they can't they can't drop him, can they? They're gonna get uh there's gonna be hits out if Alpine dropped Franco Colapinto. So um look, I mean, he he this guy has just seriously underperformed ever since he got into Formula One. Um you know that that AI generated uh Mick Dwan Instagram post uh is the most accurate thing that I feel about uh Franco Colapinto. You know, I just don't understand uh I don't understand it. I really don't. But um yeah, I mean here he is. Uh don't come after me, Argentinians. I I apologize, but uh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:02

Well he's got 19 points to Gasly's 44, I think it is for Gasly.

SPEAKER_01 31:07

Enough said.

SPEAKER_03 31:08

So clearly there's a there's space there. I like the fact Gasly's committing to Alpine. I think that means there's definitely something behind the scenes. He sees some opportunity there with the car to try and grow himself as a driver, otherwise he'd be looking elsewhere.

unknown 31:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:20

Um, and I think he's capable of being elsewhere now. I wasn't a big fan of him in his early days, and I wasn't sad to see him be punted from Red Bull. Um, and I'm actually really liking him in an Alpine.

SPEAKER_02 31:31

Oh, he was excellent at um at Alpha Tori. He was so good. Yeah, he was so good.

SPEAKER_03 31:37

So no, I'm happy with him being there. Colopinto, yeah, I still need another season to decide on him.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

I don't finish in the bin. Put him in the bin, Argentinian bin.

SPEAKER_03 31:51

Well, in the bin or not in the bin, our next team has two drivers available for 2027. It is the racing bulls, Lawson and Linblad. Both of them only have contracts for 2026.

unknown 32:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:05

Not a surprise from the the Bulls outfit that they're not signed for next year. They do tend to keep people guessing right up to the start of the season.

SPEAKER_02 32:13

Yeah. I don't I don't know why. Yeah, I don't know why. I mean, I don't I don't think either of them have been that bad, especially Lawson. I mean, Lawson has um, I think had quite quite a strong season.

SPEAKER_03 32:23

Um he's definitely turned it round. We did like to give it to him last season. Yeah, he was on the hit list. He's done really well this season and has turned it round.

SPEAKER_02 32:33

Yeah, no, for sure. And you know, I think everything, everything wise, you know, his certainly his driving, but attitude seems to be really in check. Um, he seems to be having a good time. You know, he definitely wasn't having a good time last year. So um, yeah, and I I think I I would be surprised if they didn't re-sign Lawson. Um Limblad. I'm a big believer.

SPEAKER_03 32:56

He was meant to be the next big thing, wasn't he?

SPEAKER_02 32:58

Well, yes, but look, if you sign a rookie, you give a rookie two years. You know, we've we've seen this over and over again. I think Antonelli is the number one um the number one example of this. Oscar Piastri is another example of this, where first seasons are fine, but yeah, a bit a bit patchy. Um, but it's that second season where you really understand, you know, what they're going to do and how they're going to do it if all things remain equal. So yeah, I think uh yeah, I I'd be shocked if both of them weren't re-signed, but um but it's it's Red Bulls. It's the Bulls.

SPEAKER_00 33:37

So it could be could be anything. Yeah, could be anything.

SPEAKER_03 33:40

I'd like to see them both signed again. I think Lawson's really starting to find his feet and could be quite successful. The car's actually not too bad. Um, I think he could be quite successful in it going into 2027. And as you say, Lynn Blad just needs another year. He's just young.

SPEAKER_02 33:53

He's just young.

SPEAKER_03 33:54

But he's adapting.

SPEAKER_02 33:55

Very young. Yeah, he seems like he is.

SPEAKER_03 33:58

So I'd like to see it next year. Then the big boys, the main team, the Red Bull team. We know Max Verstappen has re-signed to 2030. Did you think that's a good move? Now, everyone listening, if you're not aware, you'd have to be aware. Taylor is the king of the Max Fossey. There is no bigger Max Verstappen fan than Taylor.

SPEAKER_02 34:18

I am. My uh my son's my son's name is Max after uh after his highness.

SPEAKER_03 34:25

Um are you happy that he signed again with Red Bull, or did you want to see him go somewhere else?

SPEAKER_02 34:31

I wanted to see him go somewhere else. I've said this from for a long time. I've been on the record saying this for a long time. And it's it was my chief complaint against Lewis before he went to Ferrari, which is if you are going to be uh considered among his greatness, and there is only one, uh, then you have to go to a team and you have to build it up. You have to you have to do something that is uh you have to take your DNA and apply it to a completely different uh different team. And that's what Schumacher did with Ferrari. You know, people forget what Ferrari was like before he got there. It was worse than a dog's breakfast, it was worse than what it is today. So, you know, he took that team and he made it into the absolute iconic powerhouse that it became in the 90s. Max has not done that, right? And I I accept that. He he is an incredibly gifted driver, I think one of the greatest drivers of all time. Um, but he came into a very, very, very polished Red Bull, a Red Bull who knew how to win, a Red Bull bull who had perfected uh you know, had perfected a whole uh series of uh decisions that that could make one driver um really successful, and that was Sebastian Bettle. So, you know, I was really excited at the prospect of him moving to not that not that he needed to go and change Mercedes, but you know, I think just the prospect of him going to Mercedes, the prospect of him going to a McLaren, um it's really exciting because he'd be out of his comfort zone completely. Um so but alas, not to happen. I also just think that Red Bull at the moment just do not have they just do not have the car, they do not have the package, um, they're not going to get that in a year. Um what what does that mean? This you know, it's such a waste of talent when you've got it's like you could argue Lewis for those few years in Mercedes, you know, he should have left much earlier because that was when he was likely to get his eighth world championship. He will not get an eighth world championship now. I'm almost certain of that, because he wasted those three years at Mercedes. Um, and I'm worried that this a similar thing's gonna happen to Max. You know, he is still absolutely prime, and he's got a dog of a car, and if he gets a whiff, even just a little whiff, he's on for a win. And that is just freakish behavior. So and that is what's good watching him.

SPEAKER_03 36:56

He will go for any gap he sees.

SPEAKER_02 36:58

Yeah, so good. So look, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 37:02

Um it at least Does he see something there that we don't know about? Is the car going to turn around? Do they have plans in place for 28-29? Yeah, possibly. Provide it with a successful car.

SPEAKER_02 37:13

And look, it's better than the alternative, which is him not being on the grid.

SPEAKER_03 37:18

I'll give you that. I'm not a fan of Max Verstappen. It's been well documented, but I do think we would be poorer if he wasn't on the grid. So it is good that he is still remaining and staying around for a couple more years.

SPEAKER_01 37:28

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 37:30

And at least to 2030 now. But then Isaac Hadja, he's the last one we've got on our list that does not have a contract for 2027. He's the third driver of the Bulls that doesn't have an agreement for next year. Do we think he'll be re-signed?

SPEAKER_04 37:44

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 37:47

I think he's definitely gonna be re-signed. There's no one else to come through unless they promote Lynn Bladder Lawson. And I don't think either of them, while driving well, I don't think either of them are driving well enough to get the second Red Bull seat away from Hajjar. So I think that's definitely what keeps him there. So I definitely see that the two of them will stay. They'll be the ones there in 2027, and that will keep them driving because there is nowhere for Hajar to go. There's no point demoting him and bringing up either Lynn Blad or Lawson. No, agreed, and that just leaves us with the top three teams, which are rather boring. They're all signed. Uh, starting with McLaren, we've got Oscar and Lando both on multi-year agreements. Lando is now signed to 2030, and Piastri is just again that multi-year contract. There's no known end date to it. Yeah. Um, I do believe it was around 2028, was originally the gossip on that one.

SPEAKER_02 38:48

Yeah, I mean, look, I'm not surprised by any of this. Um, I don't I don't know how much time we really want to spend on the top three teams, Jack. I mean, it's um, you know.

SPEAKER_03 39:00

They're there, there's nowhere for them to go. That's it. But moving on across to Ferrari with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. So both of them have still got 2027 to go. LeCleur is signed to 2028 as well. Uh, Hamilton's contract is simply a multi-year contract, with the rumour being that it was a three-year multi-year contract, which puts him to the end of 2027. So that could be an interesting one for us as to where he winds up and what happens to him moving forward. Do we think he'll go past 2027? I can see him starting to wind it up. I think he's done his time at Ferrari by then. He'll have been there three years and he'll just be ready to move on. He's starting to find other things in life now. He's done everything in Formula One. He always wanted to drive for Ferrari, and this time he'll have done it. So it looks like we've actually lost Taylor off the podcast. Uh, as you would have seen, he jumped out. Uh he's obviously got to work. He's heading off to work this morning. But that just leaves us anyway with Mercedes, George Russell, and Kimi Antonelli, both signed uh moving forward to 2027. They're both contracted to the end of next year. And I think that could be a good time for both of them to actually wrap up and see who re-signs and who doesn't. We know that there's the championship fight going on this year between the two of them. Uh at the moment, we feel like it is actually Kimi Antonelli that is being favoured uh over George Russell. Whether that winds up continuing or not, we'll never know. Uh, I think it will. I think Toto Wolf is very much in the camp of Kimi Antonelli getting the world championship. So, where will that leave George Russell to move on in 2027 if that does happen this year? He's still with Mercedes then, but then will he start looking at his options in 27 to contract somewhere else in 28? That could be Ferrari if Lewis Hamilton doesn't re-sign, there'll be an opening there. It could be Aston Martin if he wants to head down there with Lance Stroll and drive with the Astons and Adrian Newey. Everyone wants to work with him, even though he's had a bit of a rough year. Or will a spot possibly open up at McLaren depending on Piastro's contract? So that could be an interesting one, but we'll see how that winds up at the end of 2027. But that is our podcast. Just me left here now with Taylor's having a few technical difficulties and can't get back in. We've got Sage and James out and about around the world. So we'll have them back next week as well for Monza. Next race is the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza Circuit. Always fast, always quick. It could be an interesting race to see what happens there. And I actually think it could be it'll be a Mercedes win. And I think there could be a red car up on that podium as well. Probably Charles Leclerc. So it could be an interesting outcome at Monza. But thank you everyone for tuning in. We hope you enjoyed this little podcast of where the contracts are at, so you know where all the drivers are for next year and next season. And we'll see you all next week at the end of Monza. Again, we are F1 Drive to Describe, and we'll see you soon. Bye.