BREAKING NEWS: SkySportsF1: McManus reportedly in talks with Mercedes AMG for 2023 position

BARCELONA, SPAIN - Rumors are flying around the paddock this weekend after Dakota McManus was seen leaving a Mercedes hospitality suite early this morning, ahead of the driver press conferences.

It seems like years ago when McManus announced she would not be renewing her contract with Scuderia AlphaTauri following the 2022 season, citing 'irreconcilable' differences between her and Red Bull Racing. In the past, McManus has been critical of the Milton Keynes based team and their approach to the sport, and she seems to have finally found enough voice to decide to move away from the parent company of her own team. 

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The crew chief seemed set to move to McLaren until pictures were leaked to the press containing images of her and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in a very compromising situation. Many offers that were likely to have come her way were then rescinded,  with Fred Vasseur and Jost Capito remarking how 'absurd' it was for the sport to even be in this position.

McManus has always had an almost familial relationship with Toto Wolff, and Drive to Survive viewers will remember that Wolff was the person who drove McManus to the hospital in 2019 when she suffered a debilitating migraine, and has looked out for her since.

( on screen interview with will buxton )

".... this was such an important moment for dakota. i think she's been struggling to find her voice in this sport for years, feeling like she's not being heard or respected. having this meeting with toto was her way of taking fate back into her own hands."

( on screen interview with dakota mcmanus )

"i'll be the first to admit how scared i was to reach out to toto." 

video footage shows dakota walking up the steps to mercedes hospitality. she is wearing a read maxi dress with bell sleeves as she holds her arms out to give toto wolff a hug. before they both go inside. they are sitting near a window, mugs of coffee in their hands as they talk animatedly with each other. 

both look happy.

"after mexico city, he said he's offer me a job at mercedes if i ever found myself in a position where i needed one. and i think that getting to a bigger team has always been my goal, and this year i realized that i was never going to get that with red bull. they didn't see my true potential. but from the moment i sat down with toto and told him what i wanted out of this deal, he said let's make that happen. he looked at me dead in the eyes and said that if it was something i wanted, he would train me to become a team principal one day. nobody at red bull ever said that to me."

TEXTS BETWEEN YUKI TSUNODA AND DAKOTA MC MANUS

love of my life 💗

so how did the meeting go?

love bug 🥰

shouldn't you be in a press conference?

love of my life 💗

fuck the press conference.

i want to know if my girlfriend got the promotion or not.

love bug 🥰

well..... i technically cant say anything yet

but toto may be hypothetically drafting a contract

and we may or may not have something to announce on sunday before the race start

TWITTER

DAKOTA GOING TO MERCEDES?!?!? MANIFESTING THAT SHIT RN

- marnie || MERC OR BUST

Reports out of the Paddock indicate that Dakota McManus has signed a lucrative new deal with Mercedes to become their new crew chief on Lewis Hamilton's side of the garage for the 2023 season.

An announcement has not yet been made, but trusted sources say we can expect confirmation in coming days.

- Will Buxton (WillBuxtonOfficial)

TUMBLR

bumblebeevettel posted

dakota after she announces her move to mercedes: