The thing is, Red Bull is currently regretting the hell out of building everything around Max and letting his camp get so involved with decisions. Because they're sitting around powerless while Max deliberates what to do and they can't get an answer from him until October. So many of their sponsors could pull out, so many (more) of their talent could leave, and they won't know until October.
And that's Max. He has historically had no desire to move anywhere else, and now only wants to because the combination of new shit regulations and Red Bull having internal power struggles and hemorraging talent was too much.
Antonelli is almost certain to leave for Ferrari. Generously, I'd say within the next 10 years. Realistically, I can't see it being more than 7. He's a genuinely stupid choice to build a team around.
I can only see two semi-realistic (somewhat) long term plans:
1. Torger uses the prestige of the level of involvement he's allowing in Mercedes to keep the Antonelli's around for the full 10 years, while also using their involvement in the junior formulas to fast-track Jack to replace Antonelli at the end of those 10 years.
2. Torger *AND* the Antonelli's leave within the next 5 years or so, leaving a heavy gap in management due to both their heavy involvement. They already have a much weakened junior program, which would also potentially leave them without an obvious 1st driver, the combination plunging them into the midfield. Torger gets to be a "legend" the entire mercedes team relied on.
Alternatively, Torger is being played like a fiddle by Jos Verstappen 2.0 because Marco Antonelli knows how to cater to his massive ego, is assuming Kimi will stay at least a decade also because of said massive ego, and is going to have a very rude awakening in a few years.
In any case, it's rich old white men playing rich old white men games, with zero regard to logic or anyone else's dreams/loyalty/livelihood. May it backfire on them all.
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