Renger van der Zande has already figured out what the grid will look like next year. The IMSA driver has a preference regarding the driver next to Max Verstappen, although he does not expect the Dutchman to stay with the Austrian racing team for long. There are also a number of drivers who, in his opinion, should be allowed to leave, to make way for younger drivers such as Liam Lawson and Oliver Bearman.
Even before the start of the 2024 season, there was already a lot of talk about the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Lewis Hamilton decided to start the silly season early by announcing that he will leave for Ferrari at the end of the year. This will free up a spot at Mercedes. Since the beginning of February, there has been speculation about who should fill that seat. Several names have come up: Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. The latter recently signed a multi-year deal with Aston Martin, so that chance is virtually nil. Verstappen indicates that he is satisfied with Red Bull, but now that Adrian Newey may be leaving, it could also be a reason for him to leave.
Sainz probably wants a multi-year deal, and that is not useful if Mercedes wants to recruit its junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli in 2026. Van der Zande thinks he has the perfect solution. “Sainz is going to Red Bull next year, because I think Verstappen will leave in the future, and then they need a good leader,” says the driver in the Ziggo Sport Race Café. “That’s not going to be Pérez, so he could be a good candidate for our friends at Mercedes, in addition to Russell,” Van der Zande continues. ‘I think Ricciardo is ready, so Lawson can prepare. I also think a little earlier than next year. Bearman will simply work at Haas with Magnussen, and Antonelli will be parked at Williams for a year.’
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That still leaves some riders, but Van der Zande also has a place for that. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon remain at Alpine, Yuki Tsunoda and Valtteri Bottas remain in place. Guanyu Zhou will then have to make way for Nico Hülkenberg, who will be part of Sauber from 2025, and then also of Audi. “Yes, I like that,” notes Ziggo pit reporter Jack Plooij. “What do you like about it then?” Van der Zande asks. “Well, a few years ago he was completely written off, so I think this is nice for him, that he still gets that opportunity to help build a team, I think that’s cool,” Plooij explains. ‘Podiums in that Sauber next year are not going to happen, but Seidl really wanted it because of that project with Porsche in the Le Mans. He will be in the top ten, but a podium…’
Ferrari code language will give Hamilton a headache
A number of drivers will find themselves in a different environment in 2025. In addition to Hülkenberg, Hamilton is of course also one of the drivers who is making a switch. Many have already said that he must prepare well for how things are going at the Italian racing stable. The gentlemen from Ziggo Sport give an example of the communication between Charles Leclerc and his engineer during the Chinese Grand Prix. Leclerc was suddenly asked to drive a different line, and that caused confusion for the Monegasque. “That is so typically Italian,” says Van der Zande. ‘That’s all noise. Leclerc didn’t even realize it, because his neck was hanging at the end of the race. Leclerc really knows what to do, but you have to give him clear instructions. So what else is going wrong behind the scenes?’
Van der Zande thinks it is very important that English is spoken behind the scenes, and not Italian. “Ferrari is always talking in code language, because they are terrified that the competition will become smarter from their messages,” thinks Plooij. “I’m so looking forward to Hamilton in that car with those kinds of instructions, it’s going to be delicious,” says the pit reporter, who is already rubbing his hands at the idea. ‘As long as it remains the same engineer, the language remains the same,’ adds Rick Winkelman. It is proposed that team boss Frédéric Vasseur will also work on this. ‘Maybe he does that too, or he has other priorities. After all, we see that things are getting better, and he can’t adjust everything at the same time.’
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