AbsolutSurgen Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Ben Sulayem investigated for alleged attempt to interfere in F1 race result - Report WWW.MOTORSPORT.COM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinIon Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 I think it's way too early to speculate about what Max will do when we still don't know what will happen to Horner. Max is under contract until 28, is in the fastest car on the grid by a wide margin, and still has Newey on the team. I would expect him to keep out of the drama as much as possible no matter what happens. Now, if Red Bull completely screw up in 26 and Horner is gone, I can imagine Max looking for greener pastures, but I just don't see him ditching a great situation because of drama that he's not directly involved in. As for the race itself, I think it just confirms that there won't be competition at the front. Max will easily win the championship, it's just a question of how dominant the season will be. Could be that other teams score a few more wins, could be that Max wins 20+ races. That we'll have to wait and see. It does seem like the rest of the field is quite close together, so even though this race was a bit of a snooze fest, I think we'll get some excellent battles going forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 The European F1 press is on fire with rumours today. Christian Horner allegedly met with Max Verstappen's agent today. Video released of Christian Horner and Jos Verstappen having a spirited discussion over the weekend. Some credible German sources alleging that Jos Verstappen has told his inner circle that Max will leave RB if Horner stays. Toto Wolff allegedly having meetings with Max over the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 Max is gonna give up a car capable of being unstoppable in winning the WDC? He’d be throwing his F1 legacy away. But maybe he doesnt care about that. Maybe he is more principled than that. This just sounds like a threat from Jos though. It’s not like Jos is the pinnacle of virtue either. Fracturing a person’s skull in a fight, getting him 5 years in prison, and getting caught cheating on his wife. again, I think it’s more any non-Max fan is just hoping, praying, wishing as hard as they can that something will take Max out of that car and make it possible for anyone else to win a race. Even if some of this is true, I imagine it amounts to as much as a child stomping their feet in hope that they get their way. But they’re not really going to run away from home if they dont get their way. 2 hours ago, AbsolutSurgen said: Ben Sulayem investigated for alleged attempt to interfere in F1 race result - Report WWW.MOTORSPORT.COM Didnt Aston Martin also appeal? This seems like a thing that with or without Ben Sulayem it would have gone Alonso’s way due to precedent. He’s not exactly on the best of terms with FOM, especially after the scandal of calling for an investigation into Toto’s wife and insiders in the FIA leaking information to teams. Which I still believe the only reason every team was united behind Toto was because they ALL have an inside source that leaks them info about investigations and the like. I could see FOM using this as reason to call for Ben Sulayem to step down or be removed. Even doing the tried and true threatening that F1 will pull out of the FIA. Which always seems to work to get the FIA to backdown or make concessions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinIon Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 One way or another, I have to imagine that this whole Horner mess will be over well before this season is over. If the aftermath of the whole thing is that Ford, or Newey, or Marko, or whoever else end up leaving Red Bull, then I can imagine Max considering leaving, but I seriously doubt he's figuring out his next move now. On the other hand I totally believe that Jos would go to journalists claiming Max was considering it. As far as Ben Sulayem, this isn't exactly the first time he's been at odds with the paddock. I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being the thing that gets him pushed out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 11 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said: Max is gonna give up a car capable of being unstoppable in winning the WDC? If all the "ifs" that people are talking about happen, I think he would give up '25 to get a better seat in '26 and beyond. People said Lewis was giving up a championship seat when he left Mclaren for Mercedes. 11 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said: He’d be throwing his F1 legacy away. His legacy is secure either way. 11 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said: This just sounds like a threat from Jos though. It’s not like Jos is the pinnacle of virtue either. Fracturing a person’s skull in a fight, getting him 5 years in prison, and getting caught cheating on his wife. Half of the senior men running/involved with F1 teams are cheating on their wives. Based on the leak, Christian Horner is as well. 11 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said: again, I think it’s more any non-Max fan is just hoping, praying, wishing as hard as they can that something will take Max out of that car and make it possible for anyone else to win a race. Even if some of this is true, I imagine it amounts to as much as a child stomping their feet in hope that they get their way. But they’re not really going to run away from home if they dont get their way. No one is talking about him leaving mid season. This appears to be a political battle between Marko and Horner at Red Bull and/or Jos Verstappen angling to have Max move on for '25. 11 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said: Didnt Aston Martin also appeal? This seems like a thing that with or without Ben Sulayem it would have gone Alonso’s way due to precedent. He’s not exactly on the best of terms with FOM, especially after the scandal of calling for an investigation into Toto’s wife and insiders in the FIA leaking information to teams. Which I still believe the only reason every team was united behind Toto was because they ALL have an inside source that leaks them info about investigations and the like. I could see FOM using this as reason to call for Ben Sulayem to step down or be removed. Even doing the tried and true threatening that F1 will pull out of the FIA. Which always seems to work to get the FIA to backdown or make concessions. How did you get that from this article? What I read suggested that he didn't successfully interfere with the stewards. But, simply made calls to try to. Or, did I read it wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 34 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said: His legacy is secure either way. Not necessarily if we’re talking # of wins and championships. Is Max a 3 time champion? Yes and he may very well become a 4 time champion after this season. Him going to another team that can’t make a winning car could see him unable or struggle to win anything again. So he never beats Lewis Hamilton’s career GP win number, never even get close to 7 WDCs. That’s the kind if legacy Im talking about. And maybe he doesnt care about those records. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 I will say if it’s true and Max does go to Merc that’s it for George Russell’s hope of being a #1 driver there. Jos and Max will not tolerate not being the favored driver in every way. You have a point if Ford pulls out over all the chaos, Red Bull may not be able to find another supplier and wont be anywhere near the front in 2026 and for who knows how long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 16 hours ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said: Not necessarily if we’re talking # of wins and championships. Is Max a 3 time champion? Yes and he may very well become a 4 time champion after this season. Him going to another team that can’t make a winning car could see him unable or struggle to win anything again. So he never beats Lewis Hamilton’s career GP win number, never even get close to 7 WDCs. That’s the kind if legacy Im talking about. And maybe he doesnt care about those records. Does anybody REALLY care about those records? My sense is that Max doesn't. 15 hours ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said: I will say if it’s true and Max does go to Merc that’s it for George Russell’s hope of being a #1 driver there. Jos and Max will not tolerate not being the favored driver in every way. You have a point if Ford pulls out over all the chaos, Red Bull may not be able to find another supplier and wont be anywhere near the front in 2026 and for who knows how long. I have no idea what is going on behind the scenes at Red Bull ATM, but where there is smoke, there usually is fire. At this point, we don't even know how competitive Ford's powertrain would be. (Or, the next gen Mercedes one for that matter.) With a formula change as large as the one being proposed for '26, we have historically seen a huge change in the running order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 Christian Horner was brutally 'not invited to' Jos Verstappen's birthday party last night - so is 'close friendship' between father of F1 driver Max and the woman at centre of the sexting scandal at the heart of his row with Red Bull boss? | Daily Mail Online WWW.DAILYMAIL.CO.UK Verstappen Sr marked his 52nd birthday at a luxury hotel in Dubai on Monday night with his son, 26, the star driver's manager Raymond Vermeulen and Helmut Marko, director of the Red Bull F1 team. Quote Jos Verstappen reportedly NFI'd Christian Horner from his birthday party but asked the rest of Red Bull's top brass as it emerged the father of star driver Max is close to the woman at the centre of the sexting scandal. Verstappen Sr marked his 52nd birthday at a luxury hotel in Dubai on Monday night with his son, 26, the star driver's manager Raymond Vermeulen and Helmut Marko, director of the Red Bull Formula One team, amongst the guests. However, team boss Horner, 50, was not asked along even though he is also staying in Dubai after the Bahrain Grand Prix, according to Bild. It came as Jos was dragged deeper into the Horner scandal amid claims that he is friendly with the woman the F1 boss is accused of sexting. There are also growing questions for Red Bull about what it knew about the unnamed employee's relationship with both men before Horner was cleared of wrongdoing six days ago. Sources have claimed that Jos has been friends with the female co-worker who complained about Horner for at least three years. There were even said to have looked cosy together on a yacht in Abu Dhabi in November 2021, celebrating Red Bull’s victory at a Grand Prix where his son famously overtook Lewis Hamilton to win the World Drivers' Championship. This alleged cosiness and Jos’s friendship with the Red Bull employee, are being put forward by Horner's supporters as being a potential actor in what appears to be a profound dislike of Geri Halliwell's husband by Jos. This controversy may actually get me to watch Drive to Survive next season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 It’s the Christian Horner paradox: F1 is now hideously dull, but the drama has never been better | Marina Hyde | The Guardian WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM Who cares if the races lack competition – you can tune into the Red Bull boss’s personal life for the latest episode of Keeping Up With the Carkrashians, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde She is not wrong on most counts, other than F1 being dull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TUFKAK Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 4 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said: It’s the Christian Horner paradox: F1 is now hideously dull, but the drama has never been better | Marina Hyde | The Guardian WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM Who cares if the races lack competition – you can tune into the Red Bull boss’s personal life for the latest episode of Keeping Up With the Carkrashians, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde She is not wrong on most counts, other than F1 being dull. Eh, it’s dull because we know who the champ is. The racing is great but we will not see a last lap season ever again, I can enjoy a 9th overtake but know most casuals won’t. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 Yeah I can see where a casual fan might find it boring. Bad Tv direction doesnt help either when there are battles taking place and we get replay of stuff that doesnt matter or a shot of something far less interesting than two cars on track fighting for position. It may be a bit of copium, but Max winning races by a mile means the tv direction can focus on other drivers and battles happening down the grid. Instead of where a driver makes up like 13 places moving through the field and we never saw a single overtake. And these are often the same drivers featured in Drive to Survive that a new audience may feel a connection to. Really, I think the biggest place you feel the dominance hurting the entertainment of F1 is in the latter half of the season where there no longer a chance anyone can get their shit together and challenge for the championship. That story line is closed. But there have been some really good story lines all the way through the finale. Even at Red Bull with whether or not Perez would get his shit together and whether or not Ferrari would hold on to #2 in the WCC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 TV direction has dramatically improved over the years. It wasn't all that long ago that F1 broadcasts focused solely on the lead car, and had very little passing before DRS. The racing is often great in the mid-pack, and watching someone start at the back (due to mechanical failures or penalties) can be very entertaining. Brazil 2016 was one of the most entertaining races I've watched, and it had nothing to do with the championship. For anyone who hasn't watched it, and if you subscribe to the the F1TV feed, I suggest you watch it: F1 TV F1TV.FORMULA1.COM F1 Live Grand Prix Streaming Service Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TUFKAK Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 5 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said: TV direction has dramatically improved over the years. It wasn't all that long ago that F1 broadcasts focused solely on the lead car, and had very little passing before DRS. The racing is often great in the mid-pack, and watching someone start at the back (due to mechanical failures or penalties) can be very entertaining. Brazil 2016 was one of the most entertaining races I've watched, and it had nothing to do with the championship. For anyone who hasn't watched it, and if you subscribe to the the F1TV feed, I suggest you watch it: F1 TV F1TV.FORMULA1.COM F1 Live Grand Prix Streaming Service Yea I agree, I love watching mid pack over takes. Im one of the few losers who watches f2 races because of the app. We’re preaching to the choir here though, it’s not how most people think and enjoy racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Red Bull suspends alleged harassment victim in snowballing F1 scandal ARSTECHNICA.COM After accusing team boss of "inappropriate behavior," female F1 employee suspended. Christian Horner accuses F1 chiefs and media of exploiting Red Bull furore | Formula One | The Guardian WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM The Red Bull team principal believes others in the sport are taking advantage of the scandal engulfing his team Red Bull's Christian Horner on scandal: It's time to move on - ESPN WWW.ESPN.CO.UK Christian Horner said it is time to move on from the scandal which has swirled around him for weeks and insisted he and Max Verstappen will continue working together at Red Bull in the long run. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
best3444 Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 24 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said: Red Bull suspends alleged harassment victim in snowballing F1 scandal ARSTECHNICA.COM After accusing team boss of "inappropriate behavior," female F1 employee suspended. Christian Horner accuses F1 chiefs and media of exploiting Red Bull furore | Formula One | The Guardian WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM The Red Bull team principal believes others in the sport are taking advantage of the scandal engulfing his team Red Bull's Christian Horner on scandal: It's time to move on - ESPN WWW.ESPN.CO.UK Christian Horner said it is time to move on from the scandal which has swirled around him for weeks and insisted he and Max Verstappen will continue working together at Red Bull in the long run. Haha never seen that gif! That's hilarious 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 8 Author Share Posted March 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 Ferrari's Sainz to miss Saudi Arabian GP with appendicitis - ESPN WWW.ESPN.CO.UK He will be replaced by 18-year-old Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman, who was due to race in Formula 2 this weekend in Saudi Arabia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 8 Author Share Posted March 8 Sucks for Sainz. Good luck to Bearman who's only got 1 practice session to get used to the car and setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 Zhou has a huge shunt in FP3, can't see Sauber having the car ready for Qualifying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 8 Author Share Posted March 8 Bearman is surely going to make a full time driver look pretty bad by late season where they remain 21st in driver rankings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 28 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said: Bearman is surely going to make a full time driver look pretty bad by late season where they remain 21st in driver rankings. Logan Sargent doesn't need Bearman in the field to look bad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 8 Author Share Posted March 8 Im gonna try and on demand Qualifying over lunch after it wraps here in a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinIon Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 I was rooting for Bearman to get into Q3 and he was so close! Still a good showing for someone's first time in an F1 car with (most of) one practice session. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 8 Author Share Posted March 8 I didnt think he got that much practice with Zhou causing a red flag during FP3. But yeah I was wanting to see a Q3 appearance. So question is, will Ferrari fuck Bearman on strategy to get data to help Leclere, or will he be able to have a good race himself and maybe work his way up into the point? I was also hoping to see Alonso on the front row, but second row isnt too bad. Id like to see him podium. Will Perez have more race pace than Leclere? All McLaren row 3 could keep them in play too, but probably wont. I suspect the Mclarens will be by themselves and several seconds back will be both Mercedes cars. Yuki qualifying way ahead if Ricciardo isnt surprising either, but I also wont be surprised if Yuki and Lance come together going into turn 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Not the best race in the world. 1) Looks like Red Bull will dominate again this season 2) Oliver Bearman will have a seat in F1 next year 3) Mercedes is so fast in a straight line. Damn. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 Way to go Bearman. Nice debut. Perez still looking to be exactly what Red Bull needs him to be so far in the season. If Magnissen hadn’t racked up 20 seconds in penalties he’d have been worthy of driver of the day too. Stroll continuing to drive like a rookie. Ricciardo still mid and getting out performed by Tsunoda. McLaren is going to struggle if they cant get faster in a straight line. To be so good around corners they must have some bad drag issues. But good on Lando for holding off Hamilton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 4 hours ago, AbsolutSurgen said: Not the best race in the world not as much action as one would have liked, but there was some real drama on the track that at least added tension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 20 Author Share Posted March 20 Yep. “Nothing to see here” Ben Sulayem cleared of wrongdoing after FIA investigation US.MOTORSPORT.COM I didn’t expect there would be anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 lol right after that decision a lawsuit is announced against the FIA by Susie Wolfe. F1 really wants to get thus guy to resign. Interesting that Williams benches Logan Seargent due to a lack of parts to repair Albon’s car. Ferrari and specifically Leclere fans are very excited. lol Maybe they’re right and he can win, but I think they’re just setting themselves up for heartbreak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 F1 team bosses urge transparency from FIA amid controversies - ESPN WWW.ESPN.CO.UK With a dark cloud continuing to linger over Formula One in the form of various controversies, team bosses have urged for greater transparency from the FIA. Lewis Hamilton: FIA trust weakened by F1's recent scandals, controversy - ESPN WWW.ESPN.CO.UK Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said it is becoming increasingly difficult for fans to trust Formula One's governing body, the FIA, adding that its president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has never had his support. FIA has always been a little "sus". 3 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said: lol right after that decision a lawsuit is announced against the FIA by Susie Wolfe. F1 really wants to get thus guy to resign. Interesting that Williams benches Logan Seargent due to a lack of parts to repair Albon’s car. Ferrari and specifically Leclere fans are very excited. lol Maybe they’re right and he can win, but I think they’re just setting themselves up for heartbreak. It's really bizarre that Williams doesn't have a spare chassis with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spawn_of_Apathy Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 10 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said: FIA has always been a little "sus". FIA, FOM and team principals all seem sus. This all seems wholly political where it’s all a series of corruption, greed, power grabs. 18 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said: It's really bizarre that Williams doesn't have a spare chassis with them Yeah I don’t remember any Williams crashes in the first 2 races, which makes me wonder if either had crashed then we could have seen this even earlier in the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutSurgen Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 3 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said: FIA, FOM and team principals all seem sus. This all seems wholly political where it’s all a series of corruption, greed, power grabs. Yeah I don’t remember any Williams crashes in the first 2 races, which makes me wonder if either had crashed then we could have seen this even earlier in the season. I think its pretty unusual to need to revert to the 3rd chassis, has to be a relatively large crash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwinIon Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 After reading about the changes that Williams underwent over the summer, like moving away from tracking everything in Excel, it doesn't shock me that they didn't have a third chassis available. Watching the crash, I'm surprised it necessitated one, and it sucks for Logan that he doesn't get to race, but putting Albon in the car is probably still the right decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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