Will Mercedes be taken over by Ineos? "That is why Hamilton has not yet signed"

Team is not ready for the championship

"To finish seven seconds behind Bottas in the Russian Grand Prix is of course very positive", said Robert Doornbos in the new Crashen in the Kitchen at Ziggo Sport. "And the Mercedesses split in qualifying is also very positive. But it took some luck for him. A Hamilton being punished in the race, Bottas giving him a slipstream... At the bottom of the line he is not yet ready for the championship. He is ready for the championship but the team is not ready yet."

As Red Bull are once again not competitive enough to beat Mercedes, the question keeps coming back and that is whether Verstappen will have to change in 2022. Too early to say, admitted Doornbos: "That's really looking into a crystal ball, so much is changing. You cannot say that Mercedes will be dominant in 2022, then the whole structure must remain the same."

Sale of Mercedes

Doornbos then adds another story, as Eddie Jordan told the Formula 1 Cafe news that Ineos would like to take over the Mercedes team. This is denied by Toto Wolff, but Doornbos claims to have heard new information and that indicates that there is something in it.

"Mercedes' racing team is, of course, separate from the Daimler Chrysler group, but Mercedes does own it. Toto Wolff has 30%, Niki Lauda has 10%. Sixty percent is with Daimler Chrysler. Now the story goes that 300 million is paid for 40%.

"This means that a large minority stake will be sold to Ineos, Toto Wolff will cash in... but will he stay on? Do you still want to sit with Mercedes after 2022 or will Toto Wolff go to Aston Martin?" 

"So will Verstappen have to go to Mercedes in 2022? I never said that, because after six seven years of dominance it is enough...

"Too many slides are still open. Too many interests in the teams playing and therefore Hamilton has certainly not signed up yet."