Jun.28 (GMM) The Formula 1 driver ‘silly season’ revved into a higher gear as the sport’s players congregated in Austria ahead of this weekend’s grand prix.
Aston Martin confirmed that Lance Stroll has been re-signed by his father’s team, while Alpine – also as expected – revealed its new contract with Pierre Gasly.
“We now have to focus on improving the package we have,” said team boss Bruno Famin. “We are taking our time with the confirmation of his (Gasly’s) teammate, as we have some good options available.”
Alpine’s preferred option is Carlos Sainz, who declared on Thursday that he does not want to be distracted by a decision and contract signing amid an intense F1 triple-header.
“We’re all waiting for what Carlos decides at the end of the day,” Sauber’s Guanyu Zhou said. “Hopefully he can make his decision sooner,” he added, amid speculation that if Sainz decides against the Audi-owned project, Zhou or Valtteri Bottas may still be in the running.
“I feel like I’m not done with Formula 1 yet,” Bottas said in Austria, insisting he has up to three possibilities for 2025 – including staying at Sauber. “I’m not ready to retire.
“But in this sport, it’s not all about results. There’s nationality, sponsorship, things like that. That’s the nature of the game and it’s not always fair,” added the Finn.
Williams’ Logan Sargeant is another driver worried about his F1 career ending, admitting on Thursday: “I’m exploring all options within and outside of F1 at the moment.”
For his part, Kevin Magnussen sounds resigned to looking beyond Formula 1 as well,
“It has been a long journey,” said the endangered Haas driver, “and every year I have spent in the middle or at the back of the pack. If I’m at the end now, it means my (F1) career is empty.
“I still watch some of the races like Le Mans, Indy 500, Nascar, and I see the guys in there they look so happy. There’s a lot of great stuff outside of Formula 1,” added the Dane.