please log in to view this image Red Bull Racing RB21 From Motorsport web page. Ahead of F1's three-day winter test in Bahrain which kicks off on Wednesday, Red Bull was the last team to unveil its updated car design for the upcoming season, the final one under the current ground-effect based regulations cycle that will be driven by Verstappen and his new team-mate Liam Lawson.
Still not convinced it's the real car or maybe it's just lit to hide the 'interesting' bits. I am surprised they haven't had a 'filming' day as a shakedown.
The car was out running today - but it looks so much like the car that ran in Abu Dhabi 24, that it makes me wonder if they shipped the wrong one. Something really odd going on here, feels like we might see a zero pod like innovation some time between now and Aus.
Yep, all the tech heads online are adamant the photos were the 2024 car. It’s Red Bull- there’s always something up the sleeve. If it’s been shaken down however then that is odd. Mind you, don’t forget that their car was mighty early last season before they got a bit lost on development so perhaps they’re rolling it back a bit to its foundations and trying to build on it properly.
It is not something talked about these days but I read that the woman who was the PA to Horner is still suspended on full pay. I also read that she is expected to have her case heard at an employment tribunal in January 2026. Seems a long time to come to tribunal.
For some reason employment tribunals take a long time to get to court. It's like the employer wants to drag it out in the hope they give up and settle out of court. Hopefully this process will look at the situation with zero bias and no agenda.
If you can look past the title and the first couple of questions there’s quite a lot of interesting stuff in this interview with Helmut Marko. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/...pping-lawson-were-saving-his-future/10707869/
It was very good , thanks for posting . The problem I have with The Helmet , is I find it very difficult to believe anything he says .
Harsh - IMO - I find him to be quite honest, perhaps sometimes overly so especially for someone with views not entirely in step with today’s world. Admittedly, he’s not always opaque and I see how that might give the impression you have. What I thought was most interesting was the light it sheds on what RedBull need to do to keep Verstappen (contractually) and how that perhaps has shaped this early course correction in light of the need to maximise the early season opportunities that Ferrari (have) and Merc (will) offer up, that presumably will decrease as the season develops. It does also have reinforce that Sainz was always the right answer if they need a good constructors finish to keep their prize asset and they’ve created a huge risk by not taking him (Personal hunch - I suspect we’ll learn eventually that it wasn’t fully their call (when stuff seems to odd to be true, you’re often missing a key fact)).
Fair comment ref Mario , I just don’t like him . I’m sure I read that the reason Sainz didn’t get the offer of the seat was him and Max had issues when they were together before . True or not I don’t know , but it would make sense . I imagine has some sort of teammate veto .
Japan livery reveal. I know I’m probably the biggest RedBull advocate here and this won’t have the same impact for everyone else, but IMO the video beautifully encapsulates the spirit of the Honda and RedBull partnership. I suspect both have hard roads ahead, but I also believe we’ll see both be successful again. 石の上にも三年
I suspect similar, it was Sainz Sr and Verstappen Sr that had issues, so I expect it was more that Max’s management invoked the veto, simultaneously lessening the chances that RedBull would avoid triggering any exit clauses. If you’re looking to be able move him on (perhaps worried that they’re facing some huge future hurdles, in a post Mateschitz era, as they evolve into a full constructor and a second generation of key figures emerges) it’s a win-win from his that perspective as it opens up (reduces the cost of) options.
I didn’t realise it was the Fathers that had an issue , so thank you . As a side note , do you think if Max Leaves RBR , he could leave the sport ? I do .
Leave it permanently? No, I don’t think so. I think it’s more about positioning himself for the next phase of his career. If we assume RedBull don’t meet his performance clauses (which I guess are either become WDC or team is “close” to second in the WCC) then I think I see three options: 1) It becomes clear that one team will have an advantage in 2026 and wants him in their car - he goes there for 2026 2) He stays at RedBull anyway knowing if the car/engine isn’t competitive he can go somewhere else for 2027 anyway (assumes similar break clauses exist for next year) and uses that year to get better intel on where the next best move is. 3) He takes a sabbatical, spends a year with his newborn and then makes a decision for the following year with more info. A few weeks back I’d probably have been split evenly between the three, but this V10 thing seems to be real and could result in the next rules cycle being only 3 years, which maybe makes it more important, but also less costly to be proactive and stay in the sport with less data. As such I’m edging towards 1 being the most likely outcome, but it’s pretty clear that most of the dominant factors that will actually drive the decision aren’t public knowledge yet, so ultimately it’s just guessing with too little info.
It’s only because I am sure he said quite a while ago that he didn’t see his F1 career lasting that long , but perhaps I imagined it .
