Congratulations on winning the 2024 Formula One World Championship, Max Verstappen. How are we going to entertain ourselves this season? By making gallopingly bizarre but just-possible predictions for the future of F1, of course.
All of this starts with the winter’s bombshell move from Lewis Hamilton, swapping into red fireproof pyjamas. But that’s only the start of the F1 butterfly effect.
Here’s my totally uninformed set of Formula One dominoes. Are you ready, Netflix?
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So, Max Verstappen cruises to a fourth world title in the RB20, but the season is dogged by the leadership civil war brewing at Red Bull, which suffers more internal leaks than the Titanic. Unable to reconcile, Max (and Jos) Verstappen sensationally dump Red Bull in 2025 and announces a move to sworn enemies Mercedes, betting that the Anglo-German outfit have got it right with the 2026 engine regs.
Aero genius Adrian Newey also decides he’s done all he can for the decorated Milton Keynes outfit, and – like Lewis – decides to crown his glittering career with one last great Italian adventure. He takes his brightest and best brains to Ferrari, aiming to give the seven-time world champ Hamilton an aerodynamically unbeatable machine to claim one more title. At last.
But who gets the Red Bull seat(s)? Well, with incoming Ford influence an American driver is desired, but first things first: ex-Red Bull junior and spurned Ferrari pilot Carlos ‘smooth operator’ Sainz ousts Checo ‘twenty seconds behind’ Perez.
He’s teamed with America’s hottest single seater prospect, Colton Herta, for almost fifteen minutes of FP1 before Helmut Marko fires the IndyCar hotshot. And writes ‘Daniel Ricciardo’ on the monocoque instead.
The resulting title fight between all of the above and a resurgent McLaren duo is so white-hot, no-one notices Alpine wave the white flag and slink away from the sport entirely, as parents Renault grow ever more tired of ploughing millions into a sport they don’t win at. So, Andretti finally get their opportunity for a shot at the big time?
Nope. Honda (already confirmed as a works engine supplier for Aston Martin in 2026) decide to take on the Enstone factory and have yet another crack at motorsport’s top table. And they’re terrible at it… right up until the moment they decide to leave the championship. Again. When they win both titles at a canter.
Sounds dumb, I know. But it’s happened before…
Oh, and at the end of it all? Fernando Alonso turns fifty years old while driving an F1 car, and wins Driver of the Day.
Anyone else got some F1 premonitions they’d care to share?
Note: This story first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
