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Agree with this. I suspect it's a done deal for 2019, RBR already know it, hence their desire to lock in Max.

Hamilton and Ricciardo would be a frightening lineup! One of the best ever.

Somehow I see Dan as the odd man out here in the big picture. Mercedes now are firmly Hamilton's team and Ferrari are now Vettel's. Red Bull, it seems, are keen to be Max's team and McLaren are clinging on to the status of being Alonso's team. Ricciardo has #1 driver talent but he doesn't have a team of his own. Part of me feels like his best bet would be to swap with Sainz and become the main man at Renault rather than attempting to join Mercedes or Ferrari.

Part of me feels like his best bet would be to swap with Sainz and become the main man at Renault rather than attempting to join Mercedes or Ferrari.

What do you mean with the first sentence sorry, you've lost me?.

He's stuck with Dan for another year either way so it doesn't matter what he sees really.

In some ways, the best aspect of this announcement is that it clearly signals that Red Bull are in it for the long haul. I was starting to get the feeling that they might drop out. Glad that's not the case.

I mean he's giving due respect to both Hamilton and Vettel.

He said that having two #1s doesn't work so I said what does that make Ricciardo then?

Going forward from this I find it a bit disappointing with Verstappen carrying on the mantra of tier 1 drivers avoiding one another.

No, it comes across more like he doesn't want ot work with Hamilton or Vettel. He seems to like being teamed up with Ricciardo as they get along off the track.

I mean he's giving due respect to both Hamilton and Vettel.

He said that having two #1s doesn't work so I said what does that make Ricciardo then?

Going forward from this I find it a bit disappointing with Verstappen carrying on the mantra of tier 1 drivers avoiding one another.

Max signed because he feels good right now and can see that the team is improving the way they said they would. They let him in on information and what they are working on.

Marko never hid the fact that he likes to build the team around Max. Dieters himself said it that it is something he wishes the most: winning the title with Max. Horners speaks about it now and Max said being number 2 driver is not something he is going for. Ferrari have Seb, Mercedes have Hamilton.

He now has the confidence in the team that they are doing the best they can to give him that car.

In a Dutch interview Olav Mol (the Dutch commentator) talked about maybe a Mercedes again to Red Bull and that Mercedes is not scared of delevering this engine to their competitor.

Could Eddie Jordan be right and is Mercedes' future in F1 a role of engine supplier and not a team anymore, or is the Mercedes engine just another rumor...

One thing for sure is that we saw Max very relaxed a few weeks ago already. He knows what is going on behind the scenes and they let him in on tech stuff when building the car. Max knows a lot about the technical stuff and he said that testing in the windtunnel is fine but the new car need to be brought out sooner so he can feel what needs to be done.

Red Bull want another succes story like with Sebastian. Their best bet is keeping Max at all cost and build the team around him an give him the car. He sells merchandise, he sells tickets and is popular with the younger audience too. He speaks English very well and also German which in F1 is a great language to be able to speak. He is still young and his learning curve is steep and still going. A bargain at the price they signed him for and clearly could be the future F1 star to dominate the field.

I think Rosberg's treatment will be the exception rather than the rule. It was clear that Mercedes valued his loyalty to the team and certainly made moves to give him the best chance of beating Hamilton in a plausibly deniable way.

Bottas hasn't commanded the same respect. He was asked to move aside very early in the season and Mercedes were clearly a bit peeved that Hamilton gave the place back in Hungary.

By saying they don't want Max next to them and he doesn't want relegated to No.2 status?.

Maybe I'm interpreting what Max said wrongly but it reads to me like "I'd rather not go to Mercedes and Ferrari because Lewis and Seb are No.1's and I don't want to be a No.2. And I don't think they want me there anyway as two No.1 doesn't work like we saw in 2007".

He thinks the drivers wouldn't want him but do the drivers decide that?

What he says is actually confused because he says he doesn't want to be a #2 driver followed by two #1 driver's doesn't work.

I think Rosberg's treatment will be the exception rather than the rule. It was clear that Mercedes valued his loyalty to the team and certainly made moves to give him the best chance of beating Hamilton in a plausibly deniable way.

Bottas hasn't commanded the same respect. He was asked to move aside very early in the season and Mercedes were clearly a bit peeved that Hamilton gave the place back in Hungary.

i don't read that as being confused. He's basically saying that he wouldn't want to go there to be a #2, and both teams already have established #1s and wouldn't want another #1 alongside them,

Might not be a bad shout by the end of next season. Every time Renault enter as a works team they've won and they seem to be taking it just as seriously this time around with some of their recent moves like with Budkowski(sp).

Could be a great seat come 2019/20.

Fair enough, so we can rule out Ricciardo going to either Mercedes or Ferrari in 2019?

Hamilton and Ricciardo would be a frightening lineup! One of the best ever.

Somehow I see Dan as the odd man out here in the big picture. Mercedes now are firmly Hamilton's team and Ferrari are now Vettel's. Red Bull, it seems, are keen to be Max's team and McLaren are clinging on to the status of being Alonso's team. Ricciardo has #1 driver talent but he doesn't have a team of his own. Part of me feels like his best bet would be to swap with Sainz and become the main man at Renault rather than attempting to join Mercedes or Ferrari.

Vettel's stock with Ferrari will diminish if he doesn't deliver the 2018 title.

FTFY. I think Ocon has ultimately harmed his chances at Mercedes by being very consistently slightly slower than Checo. The Silver Arrows need someone faster than Bottas, not slower or similar.

Ricciardo is nailed on for the Mercedes drive in 2019. Hamilton will never face Vettel directly so will relish the chance of beating the man who beat Vettel, indirectly proving himself better.

Now I'm confused. I thought this was about what Max said, not Ricciardo?

Verstappen said that neither Ferrari or Mercedes would want to sign a #1 driver to partner Vettel or Hamilton.

So how does Max's opinion rule out Ricciardo going to either Mercedes or Ferrari?

He thinks the drivers wouldn't want him but do the drivers decide that?

What he says is actually confused because he says he doesn't want to be a #2 driver followed by two #1 driver's doesn't work.

Verstappen said that neither Ferrari or Mercedes would want to sign a #1 driver to partner Vettel or Hamilton.

It means that his opinion would be wrong.

Is it insane that a feel there's an outside possibility of a Hamilton/Vettel pairing at Ferrari?

Yep.

Drivers wishes are listened to for sure, especially drivers who are happy with the status quo and are delivering success but I very much doubt either actually decide or have anything in their deals precluding Max or anyone else.

I'm guessing he believes he wont get a fair crack of the whip at either Mercedes or Ferrari for whatever reason but that's just my take on the comments. Translated comments are a tricky beast as a lot of nuance can be lost though and I think I'm in a minority that got that impression from those comments to be fair.

I guess that's that then.

What do you think would be the main thing stopping the pairing?

He doesn't, he says he doesn't think Seb or Lewis want him there. He says he thinks having two No.1's is difficult.

Not necessarily. For all we know Ricciardo could go to Mercedes and end up being the #2 driver. But maybe Ricciardo will believe that won't happen and will sign up anyway. Or not. But either way Max's opinion will likely have no bearing on where Ricciardo chooses to go and there is no reason to link the two. max's opinion is valid for him only. What point are you making anyway? That no-one should have an opinion?

Is it insane that a feel there's an outside possibility of a Hamilton/Vettel pairing at Ferrari?

I guess that's that then.

What do you think would be the main thing stopping the pairing?