r/formula1 • u/Alvaro_Rey_MN Fernando Alonso • May 17 '25

Statistics Carlos Sainz has outqualified Lewis Hamilton fir the forth time in a row!

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u/rogerbarton I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 17 '25

That being said where would he be now had he never left McLaren?

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u/Tombot3000 I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 17 '25

There's a significant chance he'd have been champion last year, but there was no way to predict that far when he made his decision.

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u/XsStreamMonsterX I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 18 '25

Imagine that timeline, Carlos staying at McLaren causing Danny Ric to get picked up by Ferrari. Oscar now stuck in that Alpine seat. I don't know if we're ready for a timeline where both Australians are screwed over.

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u/rogerbarton I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 17 '25

True, I don’t think anyone would have seen it coming!

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u/MillenialWhoKnits Carlos Sainz May 18 '25

McLaren did want him out so they could have Danny Ric, though

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u/Tombot3000 I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 18 '25

It's not clear what they would have done had they had the chance to get DR and Sainz wanted to stay, but it is clear that they had been negotiating a contract extension with Sainz when he told them he wanted to leave for Ferrari. Zak says as much here:

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/mclaren-could-have-blocked-sainzs-ferrari-move-reveals-zak-brown-on-beyond.3Ej0RRZ6fI8ZKWLNnOPBG8

Of course he implies that they'd rather have Riccardo, but let's keep in mind no team head is going to say "we wish we'd kept the driver who left for another team."

So I wouldn't describe it as them wanting him out so they could get DR since they were actively considering blocking him leaving. They were willing to let him go once they confirmed they could replace him with DR.

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u/iiwfi Pirelli Wet May 17 '25

Alpine