Parc Ferme: What now?

With the first half of the F1 season now at a close, you would have thought the tune would have stopped by now.

If Max Verstappen stays at Red Bull (almost certainly), Kimi Antonelli’s name is in Hamilton’s car next year. This might appear to be a headache for Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. The supposed “new max” is not really kicking the doors in Formula 2.

Visibly, he’s shown little form this season to indicate he’s ready for a pair of F1’s premier big-boy pants. However, Sainz is now at the Mercedes “B team” with an escape clause contract. A situation that suggests Toto has options for both drivers. Of all the Machiavellian F1 paddock manoeuvrings, Wolff seems to be in the best position. If Kimi doesn’t pick up the pace, could we see a Williams switcheroo?

Question: What do you get when you let a manufacturer run an F1 team? Answer: The all-French team from Enstone UK.

Having successfully got rid of the people who know how to do it, they are now suggesting they will become a PU customer team. This makes Alpine née Renault’s F1 raison d’être concept a broken pencil: pointless.

To demonstrate further their lack of ambition, they are apparently set to sign Jack Doohan. Unfortunately, he’s no Oscar Piastri, and while he’s put in some good F2 drives, he was never been a podium regular. Alpine are now further from their F1 vision than ever before, and it looks like they are eyeing up the exit sign. Hey Andretti, got a moment?

A return to the top tier of F1 no longer looks like a thing for Daniel Ricciardo. His form has improved recently, but it has hardly been Christmas. Perez’s confirmation for the balance of the season really underlines the fact that Red Bull sees no plausible substitute.

Meanwhile, the shadow of Liam Lawson looms large and makes more sense to the team for 2025. Fortunately for Ricciardo, not all Woodentop seats are taken, there’s one at Sauber Kick Audi that might still be available. However, if he finds Yuki Tsnoda a handful, then it will not get any easier with the “Hulk” in the next pit box. I’d sleep with one eye open if I were you, Daniel.

It’s been talked about, considered, and cogitated, but there’s still no official McLaren number one. Zak Brown has done an amazing job with the Woking family, dragging them from the back to the front of the grid. More impressively, he’s done it in an avuncular dad-like manner. Unfortunately, success has created a big problem—one of his own making: He now has to choose between two sons.

Lando Norris may be closest in points, but he will not catch Max this year. The Good Doctor identified it in uncharacteristically gentle terms saying that of the two, Piastri was the least flustered under pressure. I would agree and go one step further: Lando might be fastest over a lap, but the young Aussie is the race winner.

It’s time for Zak to rip the band-aid off. Once the deed is done, he might find McLaren’s race strategy meets the potential of his drivers and cars. F1 is a tough school.