Tag: F1

Christian Horner sacked as Red Bull F1 team boss after 20 years

LONDON: Christian Horner was sacked on Wednesday by Red Bull after 20 years at the helm of the Formula One outfit.

The 51-year-old has been in charge since the team was formed in 2005 and led them to eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ crowns.

Dutchman Max Verstappen has won the past four drivers’ titles for Red Bull, matching the achievement of Sebastian Vettel, who dominated for the team from 2010 to 2013.

Horner’s dismissal as CEO and team principal comes 17 months after he was accused by a female colleague of “inappropriate behaviour”.

The Englishman was twice cleared over the claims by the Formula One team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH, and his wife, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, stood by him.

But there have been rumblings of discontent within the team, with several high-profile departures, while form on the track has nose-dived.

“Red Bull has released Christian Horner from his operational duties with effect from today (Wednesday) and has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Red Bull Racing,” said a statement from Red Bull GmbH.

Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of corporate projects and investments, paid tribute to Horner, thanking him for his “exceptional work”.

“With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1,” he said.

“Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.”

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Horner’s departure comes amid speculation that Verstappen may be tempted to jump ship to Mercedes.

Although the 27-year-old Dutchman won the title last year, he only topped the podium twice in the final 14 races of the season.

Red Bull have won only two races this season, with McLaren taking their place as the team to beat.

Verstappen is languishing 69 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri at the halfway point of the campaign and finished a disappointing fifth at Sunday’s British Grand Prix, having started on pole.

He showed frustration with his Red Bull during the race, saying: “This car is just so difficult to drive.”

Other key figures responsible for the team’s previous dominance have left since last year including design guru Adrian Newey, who signed for Aston Martin, and Sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, who joined Sauber.

Max Verstappen’s father Jos, a former F1 driver, had expressed his dissatisfaction with Horner even after he was cleared of the charges of inappropriate behaviour.

He warned the team was in danger of being “torn apart” if Horner remained.

Mekies, who has been promoted from Red Bull’s second team, Racing Bulls, has had a long career in Formula One, previously working as racing director for Ferrari.

“The last year and a half has been an absolute privilege to lead the team with Peter (Bayer),” the 48-year-old Frenchman said in a statement.

“It has been an amazing adventure to contribute to the birth of Racing Bulls together with all our talented people.

“The spirit of the whole team is incredible, and I strongly believe that this is just the beginning.”

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McLaren’s Lando Norris wins Miami Grand Prix for maiden F1 win

McLaren’s Lando Norris won the first Formula One race of his career with a shock victory over world champion Max Verstappen in the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.

Breathing life into an F1 season that risked becoming a one-man story again, Norris, in his 110th race for McLaren, beat Verstappen by over seven seconds with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finishing third.

Verstappen, who began on pole, had won four of the opening five races of the season and leads the world championship standings.

It looked like business as usual with the Dutchman, who had won the previous two Miami races, leading until lap 24 when he pitted and Norris’s McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri took over the lead.

Australian Piastri himself went into the pits four laps later, allowing Norris to grab the lead and the British driver never looked back.

Crucially, Norris was able to pit during a safety car on lap 30, earning him a valuable time advantage which he never relinquished.

The safety car came after Kevin Magnussen clipped Logan Sargeant, sending the American Williams driver into the wall, bringing a yellow flag.

Lando Norris, who had 15 podiums before his first win, took full advantage of the safety car and with Verstappen struggling to catch up, he secured his maiden victory.

It was the first time Verstappen has been beaten on track, when he finished the race, since Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz won in Singapore in September last year.

Norris was hoisted in the air by the McLaren mechanics as his long wait for a victory in the sport came to an end.

“About time huh?” said Norris, “I knew on Friday that we had the pace…today we managed to put it together. We had the perfect strategy, it all paid off,” he added.

“I guess a lot of people doubted me along the way. I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the last five years, my short career, but today we pulled it all together, so this is all for the team.

“I stuck with McLaren because I could believe in them and I did believe in them and today proved exactly that,” he added.

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The nearest Norris had come previously to winning a Grand Prix was in Sochi, Russia in 2021 when he led in the latter stages before failing to make a tyre change early in rain, costing him dearly.

Verstappen, who had complained about lack of grip in qualification and during Sunday’s race, said his Red Bull had been unable to keep up with Lando Norris once the McLaren driver switched to hard tyres.

“They just had more pace, Lando was flying. It was incredibly difficult for us, but on the bad days P2, I’ll take it right?

“I’m very happy for Lando, its been a long time coming and it’s not going to be his last one. He definitely deserves it,” said the Dutchman.

Leclerc echoed those sentiments.

“Very often he ran very close it but for one reason or another he didn’t make it. But today he did an incredible job and the whole weekend he has been on it,” said the Ferrari driver.

Sainz finished fourth with Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in fifth place but the pair swapped places after stewards imposed a post-race penalty of five seconds on the Spaniard for his collision with Piastri.

Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished sixth and eighth with RB’s Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda ending seventh.

As in the first two years of the Miami Grand Prix, held around Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, the race attracted plenty of celebrities.

Former France international footballer and coach Zinedine Zidane, singer Ed Sheeran, Super Bowl winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes and former US President Donald Trump were among those spotted at the race. Trump visited the McLaren garage before the race.

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Max Verstappen ‘very happy’ at Red Bull but could quit F1 in 2028

Triple world champion Max Verstappen reiterated on Thursday that he could walk away from Formula One when his Red Bull contract expires in 2028, but insisted he was “very happy” at the team.

The Dutchman won the first two grands prix of the season but he has endured weeks of off-track turbulence at all-conquering Red Bull.

He suggested in Saudi Arabia last month that he would consider leaving if the team parted company with long-term mentor Helmut Marko.

It followed his father Jos claiming that Red Bull faced being “torn apart” if team boss Christian Horner remained in his position.

Asked ahead of Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix if he would still be with the team next year, Verstappen said: “I’m very happy where I’m at, and we want to keep it that way.”

But the 26-year-old was less certain when talking about his post-Red Bull future.

“I have a contract with Red Bull until ’28 — after that, I first want to see if I even want to continue,” he said.

“That’s for me the most important — it’s not so much about where. These kind of things I don’t really think about at the moment.”

Max Verstappen arrives in Japan after failing to finish a race for the first time in two years at the Australian Grand Prix a fortnight ago.

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He retired in Melbourne after a brake issue caused smoke to billow from his car, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz taking the chequered flag.

Verstappen said he had no concerns about his car at Suzuka, where he has won for the last two years and clinched his second world title in 2022.

“If you look at Melbourne performance-wise, I think we were quick,” he said.

“We didn’t finish the race so that’s not ideal, but our car likes the high-speed corners so hopefully we can show that again this weekend.”

Verstappen was in formidable form in Suzuka last year, finishing fastest in all three practice sessions and taking pole position.

He cruised home in the race, finishing almost 20 seconds clear of second-placed Lando Norris of McLaren.

Max Verstappen said the Japanese circuit was “definitely one of my favourites”.

“It’s quite intimidating the first time you drive around the track,” he said.

“Even in the wet, because it’s so narrow, if you make a small mistake you can go off in the grass or the gravel. It just adds a bit more to it.”

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Verstappen holds off Hamilton at Mexican GP to set F1 season wins record

MEXICO CITY: Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the Mexico City Grand Prix with ease and sheer dominance, breaking the previous record of the most number of victories in a season.

With his 14th win this year out of 20 races, Verstappen has surpassed the tally previously held by Michael Schumacher, who sealed 13 wins from 18 races in 2004 and Sebastian Vettel, who took 13 from 19 in 2013. Verstappen has reached the landmark with two races still left.

The double-world champion also clinched the record for the most points in a season with his thumping win on Sunday.

The world champion held off a challenge from Lewis Hamilton in the first part of the race before pulling away leaving the Mercedes driver to fend off Sergio Perez for the runners-up spot.

ā€œI never thought I would be able to win 14 races in a year, I am incredibly proud,ā€ he said. ā€œWeā€™re definitely enjoying it and weā€™ll try to go for more.ā€

After a race that was devoid of any real thrills and entirely focused on tyre strategy, Red Bull’s Perez came in third ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell in front of his jubilant home crowd.

Mercedes’ bet on taking hard rubber over Red Bullā€™s medium apparently looked convincing strategy but, with the degradation not as severe as expected, they remained hapless to take down the world champion.

George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes while Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc took fifth and sixth position for Ferrari. Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris were seventh and ninth for McLaren, Esteban Ocon eighth for Alpine and Valtteri Bottas 10th for Alfa Romeo.

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Verstappen edges past Hamilton to win French GP after Ferrari crash

LE CASTELLET: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crash handed an easy victory to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the French Grand Prix, who kept Mercedes Lewis Hamilton at bay to triumph in his seventh race of the season.

Leclerc, who was in dire need of good results in an attempt to keep his title hopes alive, remained unlucky as the outcomes proved to be completely contrasting.

The Ferrari driver lost control at the Beausset right-hander two laps after the Red Bull had made its first pit stop.

The disastrous crash handed a comfortable position to Red Bull’s Verstappen, who dominated the rest of the race by holding off Mercedes Hamilton to finish at the top of the podium.

Competing in his 300th Formula 1 race, Hamilton appeared to have gathered the momentum as he took a strong second followed by his teammate George Russell, who experienced a frantic duel with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in the closing laps.

Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, on the other hand, came in fifth and once more questioned his team’s strategy to make a second pit stop shortly after he had passed Perez for third place with 11 laps remaining.

With 10 races remaining, Verstappen has increased his championship advantage over Leclerc by 63 points following another top-podium finish. On the other hand, 13 points behind Leclerc, his colleague Perez stayed in third place.

Charles Leclerc holds off Max Verstappen to win Austrian Grand Prix

SPIELBERG: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc avoided a late-race scare as he held his nerve calm to overcome Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to win the Austrian Grand Prix 2022 and ended his dismal run in the season.

Leclerc, who dominated the majority of the sprint, found a late halt in his triumph as his throttle pedal started to stick, made downshifts difficult and allowed Verstappen to close to within 2.3 seconds.

The Ferrari driver, however, held his nerve calm in the late-race scare and won his first sprint after Round 3 at Melbourne. Whereas, Verstappen missed out on his third straight race despite claiming the pole here.

Another Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, who was challenging Verstappen for the second spot and was right on the former’s tail, had an unpleasant end to his race as the fire at the rear of his Ferrari signalled the end of his race.

Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton benefitted the most from Sainz’s retirement as the former champion who had battled from P8 to P4, earned a final podium berth.

 

Hamilton’s teammate George Russell was a distant fourth despite starting there as he lost time in his first pit stop and also a five-second penalty tacked on as he collided with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez early on.

Following a much-needed victory, Leclerc has cut Verstappen’s championship lead by 38 points. Sainz, on the other hand, moved eight points away from the third-ranked Sergio Perez.

 

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Austrian GP: Max Verstappen claims pole as both Mercedes crash

SPIELBERG: Red Bullā€™s Max Verstappen cruised away to a dominant victory as he held his Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc at bay in an enthralling Austria Grand Prix qualifier to claim the pole.

The Red Bull driver edged past his Ferrari rival Leclerc in the opening minutes of the sprint before speeding away from the latter’s reach before taking the chequered flag at the end of the 24th lap.

The Ferrari driver, however, did not let his second position slip as he finished behind Verstappen to secure a front-row spot.

Leclerc teammate and British GP winner Carlos Sainz finished in third despite making his best effort to leave behind the former.

 

Former world champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s respective clashes proved out to be a double disaster for Mercedes as neither could claim the podium. Russell finished fourth despite the crash, while Hamilton remained unable to recover from it as he finished ninth.

 

Following the qualifying victory, Verstappen has extended his championship lead by eight points clear of his teammate Sainz.

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Red Bull’s Verstappen holds off Ferrari’s Sainz to win Canadian Grand Prix

MONTREAL: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen held his nerves calm to edge past Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz after a tense duel to the finishing line to win the Canadian Grand Prix 2022, here on Sunday.

Verstappen, who dominated the majority of the race found a major threat in Sainz as the latter benefited from the virtual safety cars’ strategy; interrupting Vertsappen’s lead twice.

The safety car played into Sainzā€™s hands near the end, allowing him to attack Verstappen in the closing stages, but he just couldnā€™t find a way past as the former, despite heavy pressure by Sainz, held on with the older tyres.

Another Red Bull driver Sergio Perez remained in the second place despite retiring from the race with an engine problem but is only three points ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who has been struggling in the ongoing season finally claimed his first podium as he finished third just ahead of his teammate George Russell.

 

Fernando Alonso of Alpha Tauri, who excelled in wet qualifying to earn a spot on the front row for the first time in ten years, finished seventh behind teammate Esteban Ocon due to a dubious Alpine strategy and some technical difficulties.

Following the conclusion of the Canadian GP, Red Bull retained their lead to 76 points clear of the second-ranked Ferrari, while Mercedes remained in third.

 

Verstappen, on the other hand, extended his championship lead over Leclerc to 49 points. Whereas, Perez holds the second.

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Max Verstappen wins Azerbaijan GP as both Ferrari drivers retire

BAKU: Red Bullā€™s Max Verstappen cruised to a comfortable victory at the 2022 Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix as both Ferrari rivals Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz retired.

Verstappen, who had a troubled start to the defence of the title, has now begun to gather the momentum as the Dutch driver has extended his lead in the world championship by winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on a disastrous day for Ferrari.

Verstappen’s team – Red Bull made his triumph easier by shuffling his teammate Sergio Perez out of the way and allowing the former to take a dominant lead.

Perez, however, held on to his spot and finished second while also setting the fastest lap time. Verstappen now leads Perez by 21 points and his Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc by 34.

 

Team Ferrari had a day to forget in Azerbaijan GP as Carlos Sainz retired following a hydraulic failure earlier while Leclerc with a blown engine later.

Mercedes’ George Russell pounced on the situation and seized the opportunity with both hands as he finished third after Verstappen and Perez, after starting fifth.

Russell’s teammate Lewis Hamilton finished fourth after complaining of back pain due to his porpoising car. Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri on the other hand, came home fifth, whom Hamilton passed on Lap 44. It was the best result for both Hamilton and Gasly.

Following the conclusion of the Azerbaijan GP, Red Bull have extended their lead to 80 points clear of the second-ranked Ferrari, while Mercedes remained in third.

 

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Sergio Perez wins Monaco Grand Prix in a rain-affected race

MONACO: Red Bull’s Sergio Perez claimed his first win of the season as he won the Monaco Grand Prix following his brilliance on a wet-dry track, here on Sunday.

Perez claimed his first triumph of the season in a breathless race as the rain-affected competition was contested under a two-hour timing rule. The Mexican passed the finishing line 1.1 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

Perez’s teammate, series leader, and world champion Max Verstappen, on the other hand, finished third, a further second adrift.

 

As a result of heavy rainfall, the race was delayed by an hour, causing some issues for the drivers early in the competition.

The drivers faced difficulty getting to the pits, especially early in the race, with Haas’ Mick Schumacher spinning out and crashing on the 27th lap.

 

It is apropos to mention here that Verstappen is currently leading the Drivers’ championship with 125 points, nine points clear of the previous leader Ferraris’s Charles Leclerc. Perez, on the other hand, firmly holding the third.

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