Needless to say, the touted possibility of Verstappen activating certain exit clauses to move before the end of his 2028 deal has put rival teams on high alert.
Since Hamilton’s departure announcement, numerous drivers and their managers have thrown their hats in the ring and contacted Wolff about his vacant seat, but until Verstappen either pledges his loyalty to Red Bull or announces a shock exit of his own, Mercedes won’t be in a hurry to decide.
“As much as we were taken aback by Lewis’ decision so quickly, now I really want to take my time,” Wolff told Fox Sports Australia in Melbourne.
“We have a slot free, the only one in the top teams – unless decides he goes, then the slot is not going to be free with us anymore.
“There are a few options that are really interesting for us – from the very young super talent to some of the other ones, who are very experienced.
“That’s not going to happen in the next few weeks or months. I want to continue to monitor the market. It depends on what Max does.”
Sainz’s case is the most pressing, as unlike his aforementioned colleagues he doesn’t have the option of staying where he is. Sainz was collateral damage in Ferrari’s audacious push for Hamilton and is now actively looking for a job.
Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Initially, Verstappen seems to dictate which top seat remains open for Sainz to slot into.
“You’ve had a very fast, unemployed driver win today’s race, so the market is reasonably fluid with certain drivers. Based on a performance like that [from Sainz] you couldn’t rule any possibility out.”
Regardless of whether Red Bull will have one or two seats to fill, incumbent Sergio Perez has so far done what he needed to do to strengthen his case. Add the apparent lack of momentum behind Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo’s tough start to 2024, and Perez’s odds appear to have improved.
“Obviously Checo was compromised [in the Australian GP], commented Horner. “He’s had a great start to the season too, so we’re not in any desperate rush.”
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing, is interviewed after Qualifying
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Alonso similarly seems affected by Verstappen’s fate, with the options ranging from staying with Aston Martin, targeting Mercedes or Red Bull, or retiring from F1 altogether.
But that’s not how the 42-year-old sees it, as he will not let others “dictate my destiny”.
“I’ve been always that way. Sometimes it did help me, sometimes it did hurt me to be the owner of my destiny,” Alonso said. “I chose when to go from a team, when to join a team, I chose when to stop Formula 1 and I chose when to come back.
It will be fascinating to see which of the numerous possible scenarios will play out over the coming weeks and months. Who is going to end the game of musical chairs in the plum seats, and who is going to miss out when the music stops?
