During the summer break, it seemed to some that this summer was unusually calm in terms of rumors of possible team reshuffles – some even feared that there was nothing to talk about.
But now the break in the championship is over, the teams are back to work and the rumor mill is turning again. We were not promised any special sensations, but some familiar names suddenly sounded again. For example, Nicholas Latifi, but not because he wants to get behind the wheel of a racing car again – he has no such plans, and the Canadian is going to do something completely different. But the authors of the text that appeared on RacingNews365 mentioned Latifi for a completely different reason.
It is clear that Alex Albon is showing impressive speed behind the wheel of far from the fastest car, and he is nothing to worry about. But because of the debutant of the season, Logan Sargent, there are still no points, but firstly, Grove is generally satisfied with his progress, and secondly, the supposedly American racer is provided with solid sponsorship. which, in monetary terms, is an even bigger chunk of the Williams budget than the Latifi family ever brought to the team.
Therefore, contrary to all kinds of rumors about Williams’ interest in Mick Schumacher, the team’s line-up is unlikely to change. However, he is not the only driver with any hope of becoming Alex Albon’s new teammate: Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovic is also mentioned in this context, as are Jack Duhan and Frederic Vesti, two fast and promising racers competing in the Formula 2 this year. But their chances are slim.
But in Haas the composition may change, and this is due to the fact that in 2024 Alfa Romeo will become its new sponsor – they say that this will be the name of the Ferrari power plants used by the American team.
At the same time, the extension of the contract with Niko Hulkenberg is only a matter of time, while Kevin Magnussen’s position is not nearly as strong. Antonio Giovinazzi, the Ferrari factory driver who won this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, has been mentioned as one of the possible contenders for his spot. An Italian driver driving a car with an Italian engine is a good combination in theory, but we will know soon enough how everything will be in practice.
However, he is not the only one whose candidacy for Haas, along with their new sponsor, could be considered for next year: there is at least Theo Purscher, who leads the Formula 2 drivers’ standings. reserve driver, and he is well known in Alfa Romeo. In addition, Purcher’s career is none other than Frederic Vasseur, the head of the Ferrari team, and this is also an essential point.
But to increase his chances of moving up to Formula 1, Theo needs to win the junior series title.
Changes are not excluded at Alfa Romeo/Sauber, although the reason to talk about this is not the most convincing: if Valtteri Bottas has long-term deals with the Swiss team, Guanyu Zhou’s contract will expire this year.
On the one hand, the Chinese driver has clearly improved and sometimes manages to outrun a more experienced partner, on the other hand, will this be enough to convince the team’s new co-owners, Audi?
The decision partly depends on the generosity of Zhou’s Chinese sponsors, partly on the preferences of Andreas Seidl and his entourage, which are still not completely clear, but why not bet on the same Purscher? Or another up and coming F2 driver?
The personnel situation in AlphaTauri has changed quite recently and it is likely that the composition of the Italian team will remain stable for some time. That. Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo will continue to perform next year.
But it is better to watch Sergio Perez and the development of his relationship with Max Verstappen in the second part of the season: if something goes wrong for whatever reason, Ricciardo can still return to Red Bull Racing. However, the likelihood of such a scenario should not be exaggerated.
But certain changes in Faenza’s team are not excluded, and this is due to the position of the Red Bull management, and what it is is not yet very clear. But different scenarios have already been mentioned for a reason, up to the sale of the team, and it could at least change the name and title sponsor.
One thing is certain: Laurent Mekis, who will replace Franz Tost as head of the Italian team next year, is now carefully analyzing the driver market with a longer-term view.
German fashion brand Hugo Boss could become its new sponsor, and since in 2026 the Faenza-built cars will be powered by Red Bull Powertrains-Ford instead of Honda engines, chances are that Yuki Tsunoda’s place will sooner or later goes to someone. then to another that will be more in line with all these changes.
Could this driver be Liam Lawson, whose speed is beyond question? Among the participants of the Red Bull youth program, he is the most promising, he has a very rich experience of winning in different series and he dreams of Formula 1. But let the New Zealander first win the Super Formula title and then we will see.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
