F1 rumour mill turns into overdrive: Alonso next to Verstappen in 2024?

The rumour mill restarted on Monday after tweets from some prominent figures in Formula 1. It is no secret that there is tension in several different areas. The big question is: which bomb will blow first? After the Mexico GP, here is the state of play on some lingering issues in the sport.

The seat next to Max Verstappen

Sergio Perez has been under pressure at Red Bull Racing all year. First, Perez wanted to compete for the world title, but now he seems to be losing his seat with the team. In front of his home crowd, the Mexican could have scored important points for the standings but threw away all his chances at the first corner. Red Bull supported him afterwards, but internally, the situation will be discussed differently.

This cannot go on like this. Not only is Perez simply too slow compared to Verstappen, but he is also too big a cost for the team at the moment. The 33-year-old driver has already caused a lot of damage with his crashes, which is far from ideal with the budget cap.

Daniel Ricciardo did make his mark in Mexico of all places by qualifying fourth, ahead of Perez in the RB19. Ricciardo also drove a decent race, although it must be said that Yuki Tsunoda came very close until his crash. So, the race pace is not quite where it should be yet. The Japanese driver himself showed once again he is able to control his emotions and therefore not ready for Red Bull.

Perez is not performing well enough for Red Bull Racing's standard, but is Ricciardo the best alternative? Alexander Albon shows weekly at Williams that he has also grown immensely, but Helmut Marko argues that they cannot now cut the Thai loose at Williams. Talks have also been held with Lando Norris, but he would prefer a longer stay at McLaren over a place alongside Verstappen.

Then perhaps Carlos Sainz? An old friend of Red Bull and the ideal second driver to Charles Leclerc. However, Sainz wants to win himself and knows from experience that he will be in trouble alongside Verstappen. So, the options are limited.

The sale of Aston Martin

After Aston Martin's disastrous performance in Mexico, it also seems likely that Lawrence Stroll will soon pull the plug on the F1 project. The Geely Group is reportedly looking to take over, and given that son Lance's motivation has dropped away, Lawrence would do well to sell the lot.

The team started the F1 season so well but has taken completely the wrong direction with the development of the car. This will certainly not please Stroll. The RB18 was copied well at the beginning of the year by Dan Fallows and his team, but over the year, it became clear that copying still does not show that you understand the idea behind it.

The Stroll family has tried in Formula 1. First at Williams, then at Aston Martin. Mega amounts of money were put into the teams, but now the dream seems to be coming to an end.

Fernando Alonso's retirement

With the whole Aston Martin saga, a big question mark also appears behind Fernando Alonso's name. At 42, Alonso is the oldest F1 driver on the grid, and where he was still so positive at the beginning of the year, the whole Aston Martin project has somewhat collapsed. Alonso still has a deal until 2024, but will he sit out that deal?

Alonso previously left Formula 1 because he was done with McLaren's mediocre performance. The same is happening now at Aston Martin. Alonso must also blame himself. Yes, the Spaniard is still among the best drivers on the grid, but no team has grown under his leadership over the years. Then you also have to look in the mirror.

Still, there may be one glimmer of hope for a spectacular end to Alonso's career: a move to Red Bull Racing. The Austrian racing team are looking very hard for a driver who can get closer to Verstappen and always has a preference for certain characters. Alonso has been spoken to on several occasions in the past. So, is this the time for the switch?

For this, Max Verstappen, in particular, will be looked at. Alonso can be a destructive force within a team. Does Red Bull want to bring this in, and does Verstappen want that on his side? Alonso and Verstappen get on well, but how long will that be the case if they are teammates? Verstappen does not shy away from any fight, but is such a driver really what Red Bull needs now that it is breaking record after record? On the other hand: it's the best possible driver you can get, and you won't get a more grateful Alonso if you give him the chance at 42 to still win races.