• Sainz-Ferrari: History of an agreement
  • 2020 World Cup: an F1 on the verge of collapse

The transfer market in Formula 1 has experienced a formidable rebound since Sebastian Vettel confirmed his departure from Ferrari at the end of the season. The butterfly effect triggered by the four-time world champion affects the other 15 drivers on the grid who finish their contract in December.

In the absence of official confirmation of the signing of Carlos Sainz by Ferrari, the only ones who have a guaranteed seat for 2021 are Charles Leclerc , who will be the companion of the Spanish, Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Esteban Ocon (Renault) and Sergio Pérez ( Aston Martin).

So in the next few hours a succession of movements is expected in the Great Circus. The most immediate could come at McLaren, which aims to fill the gap left by Sainz with Daniel Ricciardo . A year ago, the Australian was already one step away from the Woking team, although he finally opted for Renault, where he has not achieved the expected results.

Even with Alonso

The growth of the Woking team, with Andreas Seidl at the forefront, is the best argument to convince Ricciardo, who would lead the project in the World Cup where the British will mount, 15 years later, Mercedes engines.

Ricciardo's departure would therefore leave a vacancy at Renault, which will require a partner for Ocon. In the last hours, the British press has speculated with a return of Fernando Alonso in 2021, although the Asturian has had enough of confirming that he would never return before the regulatory revolution, scheduled for 2022. The other candidate would be Vettel, although the German's plans rather they point to withdrawal.

"There is no place for two alpha males"

Among all these uncertainties, Mercedes is emerging as the only redoubt of stability. The great dominators of the World Cup since 2015 will be able to bet on the continuity of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas , a solid duo with perfectly defined roles. The 35-year-old Briton still has the ambition to break the record of Michael Schumacher , accompanied by his faithful squire, who also rang in the last hours as a candidate for Ferrari.

Finally, Red Bull will have to decide whether Alexander Albon is still at Verstappen's side, with a contract until 2023. At the moment, the only thing that Christian Horner has wanted to clarify this Thursday is that he does not see any option to recover Vettel. "There is no place for two alpha males," revealed the head of the Austrian team.

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  • Sergio Perez
  • Sebastian Vettel
  • Valtteri Bottas
  • Michael Schumacher
  • Racing de Santander
  • Max Verstappen
  • Lewis Hamilton
  • Fernando Alonso
  • Daniel Ricciardo
  • Formula 1

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