F1 2024

[yellowperil]

I think he was mean to one of the women on Red Bull staff, and she/they didn't like it. Horner is a bit of a bully, wouldn't you say.
We'll see in a day or two what transpires

[rfuerst911sc]

To be clear I am not trying to defend any actions . I was just wondering what he is accused of doing . I think there may be a power struggle in RB taking place and this accusation may be the catalyst to end that struggle . Or I could be way off base

[Rtrorkt]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1 Intrigue as seen by the BBC

[Rtrorkt]

OOPs, didn’t post the link to the https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/68244253

After reading this and some of the comments on this board along with a couple of questionable YouTube videos, I am wondering what the employee who filed the compliant thought they were getting into when they joined a top line F1 team. Seems to me discipline is central to success. I am not a Horner fan though you cannot overstate his accomplishments. Seems to me given the interviews he is a pretty tough taskmaster.

Reminds me of this scene in League of Their Own.

[Deschodt]

I read somewhere that was definitely a post Mateschitz death power struggle between stock holders, and further triggered by the Helmut MArko / Verstappen camp. The original news break came from the dutch press... Horner was supposed to still have the support of the 51% thai side but putting him on the spot would help lower his support and evict him.. Grain of salt of course... This has been a fascinating off season in any case.

Apparently we won't hear until the first GP or thereabouts, they are not gonna decide today after all... I can't imagine the mood inside RB with whatever camps are fighting...

[Deschodt]

Motorsport:

News of the allegations made against Horner has seemingly shocked the team. It made a statement shortly after the accusations emerged which notified the public that an internal investigation was now under way, but has since deferred all communications on the subject to the company’s main base of operations in Austria.

While personal friendships with Adrian Newey, Helmut Marko and Jos Verstappen (father of Max) are said to able be under strain, Horner has long been reported to be involved in a “power struggle” in wider Red Bull company, which has been simmering since the death of Red Bull founder Mateschitz in 2022.

Instead of a single figurehead, the company is currently controlled by a board of directors including Franz Watzlawick (CEO), Alexander Kirchmayr (CFO) and Oliver Mintzlaff. The latter, who heads Red Bull’s corporate projects and investments department, is rumoured to be Horner’s greatest opposer.

“Mintzlaff wants Horner to depart,” a Red Bull observer told The Daily Mail. “Not least because he has become too senior and too expensive for their liking. But the Thais on the main board [composed of Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz, sons of the Red Bull’s co-founders Chaleo and Dietrich] aren’t so sure.”

Helmut Marko has also been identified as a possible opposer to Horner’s current position, and could be seeking “revenge” after negotiations over his last Red Bull contract turned sour. “Marko was given a contract renewal last year,” according to an F1 figure quoted by the newspaper. “But he saw his money halved. There is the notion that he wants his revenge on Horner, and wants him out.”

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Not sure what to make of it all

Not hearing anything about the situation from my grape vine of contacts but it feels like a Succession special edition episode for Netflix Drive to Survive

Whole thing reminds me of the saying, someone mentioned to me when the going all started to get a bit tough at work

'It's Formula 1 not Formula fun!'

This years off season has been more entertaining than last years race season

[Zeke]

It would be great to just go racing w/o the drama. I'm sure we passed that back in the CanAm days. I won't pay a dime to see any race but I'll watch anything with tires on it if it comes free. So I don't get to see much of F1 and don't miss that at all. The Indy Car races on ABC I watch. If not on broadcast, well too F'ing bad.

Commercials? Well I sit at my computer during a race. They go to commercial, I might get back in time to see 6 more minutes of racing before 6 minutes of commercials. There is always a summation on Youtube to see all you need to see. I watched the Daytona 25 hr in 20 minutes. All of it.

What am I saying here? Well, who really cares? If you do, you might take a look at your priorities. If there is a dirt track of kart track near you, go watch some real racing. Or do a DE day — attend an SCCA event.

What we are being sold here is professional wrestling ala WWE. And as far as I know, they rehearse but don't need simulators.

I'm not big on motorcycles but MotoGP looks pretty real to me.

Comments?

[GH85Carrera]

[Deschodt]

Originally Posted by Zeke

It would be great to just go racing w/o the drama.
Commercials? What we are being sold here is professional wrestling ala WWE. I'm not big on motorcycles but MotoGP looks pretty real to me.
Comments?

I have a somewhat opposite view (except on MotoGP - I agree with you it's real, closer racing but I can't get into bikes as much)... But it's all good...

To me Nascar is more drama (fights, cheats, wall hugging trick) and indycar also too a certain extent (spec chassis, yellows all the time to bunch up the pack, IMSA to an extent does this too).

F1 for all its warts is more pure, "make your own car from scratch, make your own engine or buy one of those 4" and somehow those guys end up within 2/10th of each other most years, it's amazing. I wish tire wars came back into it also. The poorer teams that cannot build it all buy some parts from other teams (limited by rules) but never amount to much.

I quit on cable and pay for F1TV. At $80 a year that is not that much vs my cable bill that was 100+ a month, and I get EVERYTHING, interviews, pre-race stuff, great analysis, the tech explanation from that funny spanish guy, ZERO ads, post race, I can skip shouty Crofty who was really annoying me, and I also get Porsche supercup which is my favorite racing series after F1 and WRC.

The drama in F1 is fun to me, team managers defending their drivers blindly, being totally hypocritical, transfers, teams backstabbing each other, it's a a few notches above WWE in my book and keeps the off season entertaining... Drive to survive is trying to be more WWE, granted, and I like it less now, but it did F1 a lot of good I suppose. But hey, if I've learned anything on this board is we all have varying tastes, all good!

[yellowperil]

I agree with the above post, I enjoy it all, from start to finish

[David]

I've been an F1 fan for over 40 years so it would be hard to lose me. I'm used to dominate cars and drivers, crazy rule changes, the occasional disqualification, and on and on. Just part of it.

I was very glad when ESPN got Mothers sponsorship and stopped having mid race commercials. They don't have Mothers now but still don't have commercials and not sure how they're doing that. I was in Croatia last year so I couldn't get ESPN and couldn't even find F1 on local TV so I quickly paid for F1TV so I could watch it. That was only about $80/year so I'll get that again this year just so I have 2 ways to watch.

My thought on Hamilton to Ferrari: I think he just wants a more interesting company car when off the track. I'm only half kidding.

[Deschodt]

someone beat you to that idea ;-)

[stealthn]

I’m looking forward to Hamilton at Ferrari, it will be interested in how they treat him (first, second driver) and how LeClerc feels about it.

Also, wouldn’t Mercedes want to jump on a Saints contract right away?

[Deschodt]

Originally Posted by stealthn

Also, wouldn’t Mercedes want to jump on a Saints contract right away?

Nah... It's F1... Too simple ;-) (but yeah it could happen)

Sainz has strong contacts with Audi via his Dad (the world rally champ and Dakar winner) and was seen as potential team leader for Audi in 2026 so he may jump in a Sauber-whateverit'scalled next year in preparation. He has a good rep as a good analytic mind on the car so that could be useful for a new team.

Toto Wolf has Ocon under contract, he's free in 25 (I'm not seeing it happen though unless he has an incredible year at Alpine).

Mercedes has Kimi Antonelli - a young italian prodigy, under contract also... People in the know say he's the second coming of Lewis. Maybe too soon in 2025, but if he does well in lower formula ? maybe ?

Alonso is out of contract in 2025. He'd drive a winning car for free possibly ;- ) So was the highly rated and friendly Albon...

I do not think they need to rush. Make good car again and all the drivers will be beating a path to your door.. If the car sucks, doesn't matter if you have Hamilton (oops he's gone). Save$

[rfuerst911sc]

I think Sainz signs a long term contract later this year with Sauber . That contract will be written to include the change over to Audi works team . The question is does he replace Bottas or Zhou . My money is on Bottas staying due to experience .

Mercedes being a works team used to winning needs a big splash big name in my opinion . Just don't know who . Mick Schumacher still lurking in the background as the reserve driver .

[astrochex]

We need car pics (from Autosport forums).

[stealthn]

SF-24 revealed today. Here’s some comments from Charles (always professional)

https://youtu.be/Z5r2iTQLwwI?feature=shared

[Reg]

The Aston looks great in that pic. Looks is one thing. 🙂

[Deschodt]

Someone was asking about Leclerc/hamilton and timing of the deal... read something on foreign press, quick translation of Leclerc speaking:

This type of contract isn't done overnight, I knew about the talks with Lewis before signing my own extension. So it was not a surprise for me at all

For the rest I'd rather not comment too much because it's disrespectful to Carlos, we spent good years together and we still have this year to complete. We'll do our best to finish on the best possible note.

"Obviously Lewis is a great driver, the most titled in history, with lots of experience that he brings to the team and also to me, which is great but again, it's great with Carlos and we still have a year to work together and do the best job possible"

This did not impact my discussions on renewal with Ferrari, nor my demands, it was not part of the discussion at all. It's nice the team was transparent about it but it changed nothing for me.