Parc Ferme: Formula 1 U-Turns

Of course, you may not have liked what he was saying, but it was reliable, and you could make your plans accordingly. That was also true of any public statement he did or didn’t make following his pledge. With Bernie, you knew, if asked, he would state the position directly or deflect. Maybe it was his honesty here that made him so economical with his words.

Those days have sadly passed by. Ask Jack Doohan. What was a surefire, contract-guaranteed, twenty-four-carat gold confirmed drive with Alpine suddenly appeared to be in the bin! Turns out that they were considering replacing him with Gabriele Bortoleto.

A few weeks earlier, Parc Ferme highlighted the strength of the young guns entering Formula 1 in 2025. The final paragraph singled out Bortoleto as one of the biggest talents in the 2024 Formula 2 lineup.

However, he had yet to be signed at the time of writing. That wrong now seems to be righted, although fortunately for Doohan, no longer at his expense. The young Brazilian will now drive a Sauber or Audi or A.N. Other in 2025. Jack, you can breathe out now.

To be fair to Alpine, I would’ve picked the Fernando Alonso-managed Brazilian over all the others entering the fray in 2025. To quote Max Verstappen, signing Gabrielle was a “no-brainer,” but until he pointed it out, yeah, it wasn’t.

However, Alpine seem to have been gazumped once more. This time, it's the easily flummoxed Mattia Binotto in the frame. The ex-Ferrari Team principal has been prevaricating over whether to keep Valtteri Bottas or not. That is until Verstappen did Alonso’s driver management company a solid.

There is already one piece of deadwood in the Sauber/Audi seats; only by chance have they appeared to avoid a second.

The much-touted arrival of Audi in 2026 also suddenly looks jelly-like. VW, the German automaker family's bankrolling member, looks a few Deutsche Marks short. Questions have arisen over its ability to fund the venture while it is navigating a severe economic crisis.

Pumping money into Formula 1 is not a good look when there's financial blood on the walls. Fortunately, rumors are circulating that the Qatari Sovereign fund is ready to buy in and prop up the package, no doubt with a team name rebrand.

Back in 2009, when the Formula 1 teams were considering a breakaway series supported by the auto manufacturers, Ecclestone warned them that they (the automakers) were fair-weather friends.

By the end of the year, that prophecy was fulfilled as the 2008 economic recession bit home. There is no recession this time, but his point remains valid.

However, the most significant U-turn of the week had to be Toto Wolff’s trash-talking his previous bromance with Lewis Hamilton.

Suddenly, he always wanted to bin him; he just didn’t know how to end it. It was probably a similar feeling on Lewis’s behalf, except he got on and did it.

The seven-time F1 world champion seems to have misplaced his groove. However, the presumption that he’s hit the magic life number and can no longer metaphorically “get it on” is a big mistake.

Hell hath no fury like a driver scorned. Beware of red cars offering overtaking gifts in 2025, Kimi Antonelli. It might be a one-way payback trip to the hedge for your new dad.

Trust amongst the Formula 1 paddock seems to be extinct these days...