Lewis Hamilton retirement ‘plan’ in place as Red Bull suffer Colapinto blow – round-up
Lewis Hamilton
Saturday’s F1 news includes Lewis Hamilton’s retirement plans and Red Bull potentially falling behind Alpine in the race to sign Franco Colapinto for F1 2025.
Let’s scurry through the day’s big headlines at breakneck speed…
F1 news: Lewis Hamilton retirement, Red Bull Colapinto blow and more
Lewis Hamilton ‘knows’ when F1 retirement will be
As he prepares to swap Mercedes for Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton has “got a very clear plan ahead of him” and knows exactly when he intends to retire from F1.
That is the claim of the author of a new behind-the-scenes book on the Mercedes F1 team.
Although he is fast approaching his 40th birthday, Hamilton is expected to remain in F1 for at least a couple more years having agreed a multi-year contract to join Ferrari from the F1 2025 season.
Read more: New Lewis Hamilton retirement claim made ahead of Ferrari move
Red Bull falling behind Alpine in race to sign Franco Colapinto?
Alpine could be set to move ahead of Red Bull in the race to sign Franco Colapinto for the F1 2025 season, with the Enstone-based team reportedly more open to a loan deal from Williams.
It comes after reports that Williams will not settle for less than €20million to release the Argentine sensation from his contract.
Red Bull are thought to be reluctant to agree to a temporary switch for Colapinto, with Alpine potentially moving into pole position for the 21-year-old.
Alpine already have a driver lineup of Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan in place for F1 2025, but a move for Colapinto could see the latter replaced before he even turns a wheel.
Read more: Red Bull suffer blow in Franco Colapinto chase as key Alpine bargaining chip emerges – report
Audi F1 set to sell minority stake to Qatar
Audi F1 have agreed to sell a minority stake in the Formula 1 team to the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar, it has been claimed.
According to reports, Audi F1 – who will take over the existing Sauber outfit in 2026 – have reached an agreement to sell a minor stake in the team to Qatar, which already owns shares in parent company Volkswagen.
It is expected that the new investment will help expand the team’s facilities in Hinwil, Switzerland, ahead of Audi F1’s long-awaited arrival.
Read more: Audi F1 set for big investment boost from sovereign wealth fund – report
Guenther Steiner aims new dig at Lance Stroll after Brazil GP ‘brain fart’
Guenther Steiner believes that Lance Stroll would not be in F1 if his father Lawrence did not own the Aston Martin team, claiming he has no passion to be a racer.
Stroll’s hunger and motivation have been regularly questioned since he arrived on the grid, aged 18, with Williams in 2017.
Steiner was speaking after Stroll’s disastrous weekend in Brazil, where the Canadian failed to start the race after beaching his car in the gravel on the formation lap, with the former Haas boss describing the moment as a “brain fart.”
Read more: Guenther Steiner’s intriguing Lance Stroll ‘wouldn’t be an F1 driver’ theory
Eddie Jordan picks Liam Lawson to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull
Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan believes there is “not a chance” that Sergio Perez will remain a Red Bull driver for F1 2025, tipping Liam Lawson as his replacement.
Perez, who trails team-mate Max Verstappen by 242 points, is highly likely to be dropped by Red Bull at the end of F1 2024, with Helmut Marko recently confirming that a final decision will be made after next month’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Jordan has hailed VCARB star Lawson as “the real deal” and is convinced that the Kiwi will be “ready to fly” as Verstappen’s new team-mate next season.
Read more: Eddie Jordan tells Red Bull who ‘should be’ in Sergio Perez’s seat
