As the on-track action got underway at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, off-track matters continued to dominate the Formula 1 headlines.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner faced a barrage of questions regarding the aftermath of Red Bull’s internal investigation into him, while also issuing a response after Jos Verstappen’s controversial comments post-Bahrain Grand Prix. All this and more, so let us dive into the action.
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Red Bull GmbH launched an internal investigation into Red Bull Racing team principal Horner following allegations made by a fellow employee, which were flatly denied from the start by Horner.
Red Bull ultimately dismissed the case, with it now emerging that Horner’s accuser has been suspended.
Following the F1 2024 season opener in Bahrain, Jos Verstappen, father of Red Bull’s three-time World Champion Max Verstappen, made the public call for Horner and Red Bull to part ways.
Horner got the chance to respond to these controversial comments when speaking to media ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, confirming a discussion took place following the Bahrain race, though he was proving a tough nut to crack in regards to what was said.
Ford and Red Bull are set to embark on a technical partnership from 2026, though that relationship was placed under scrutiny due to Ford’s reaction to the Horner investigation, Ford motorsport boss Mark Rushbrook and Ford Motor Company chief executive Jim Farley stressing the company’s standards and value respectively.
However, it seems there is no threat present to this link-up going ahead, as Ford branding features prominently on the Red Bull car racing in F1 Academy, the all-female series which is contesting its first race weekend of 2024 as part of Formula 1’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend.
The off-track troubles at Red Bull have generated exit speculation relating to several key figures such as Horner and Verstappen, with Hamilton stirring the pot on a possible Newey departure.
Hamilton is set to join Ferrari come 2025 and the seven-time World Champion said “anything is possible” after his move, including the prospect of Red Bull’s design guru Newey following him through the entrance at Maranello.
Before his Ferrari tenure gets underway, Hamilton still has a final season at Mercedes to negotiate, the second round of said season in Saudi Arabia not getting off to a positive start from a Hamilton perspective.
Hamilton stressed that “all I want is something with a stable rear and then I’ll be happy”, but he could not find that in the W15 as of the close of Thursday practice
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