The driver market for 2025 is in full swing. Not only the already announced move of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari and the multi-year confirmation of Alonso in Aston Martin, but also an Audi that moves under the radar but in a decisive way is shaking the world championship Circus as if it were a silent earthquake.
Helmut Marko, consultant for Red Bull Racing, had already revealed how much pressure Audi was putting on the market with the following words: “The Driver market for next season exploded in April… Usually no one talks in April. It's ridiculous, but we will not play this game. We will wait and see and, only then, we will make the best choice for us. I don't know what is happening.”
“I've heard that Audi is pushing in the market, but it's a bit strange that a newcomer is pushing in the Drivers' Market. Red Bull will wait until it has a clear picture of what's best for it.”
Today it was Ayao Komatsu's turn. The Haas team principal underlined in turn how the market is moving rapidly, all under constant pressure from Audi which is looking for a top driver and an experienced driver.
“There is obviously a team that is pushing really hard to make sure that this market moves very quickly. Right? So yes, it's difficult to say how quickly we will move to make our moves. I would say in any case in the next 2 months , towards the end of the major. I think that most of the riders who are without a contract today will have already signed at that point.”
Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team and Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“What if our drivers have also signed? Well, it's a market. So if you don't do anything during this period, everyone else will have signed. So yes, clearly, everyone will be active in this period. For some drivers to sign in this week could be the right time. Or next week. Others could find agreements when the European season begins.”
Komatsu also explained the criteria with which the American team chooses its drivers from both an economic and sporting point of view. As often happens, what wins out in choices is compromise, therefore the right expense for a yield at least sufficient to guarantee results of a certain level.
“Gene Haas never told me: 'Ayao, this is the money – I won't spend a cent more'. Nothing like that. He always puts the pros and cons. If we sign this driver: these are the pros and these are the cons This could be the impact on the championship.”
“Of course, a championship position in terms of price is huge, right? So you have to take all these aspects into consideration. This guy costs X times more, but what if this guy is going to make a difference in a championship position?”
“It's hard to say, of course, but you can evaluate it, for example, with the average of previous years, with circumstantial evidence, etc. But yes, the main thing is that we have a very good conversation, frequent. That's the key” .
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