Red Bull's Christian Horner Cleared After Investigation into Grievance by F1 Employee
Feb 28, 2024
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - FEBRUARY 22: Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner in the team principals press conference during day two of F1 Testing at Bahrain International Circuit on February 22, 2024 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images)
Formula One's Red Bull Racing team announced Wednesday that team principal and CEO Christian Horner has been cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation into allegations of misconduct.
Per Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press, Red Bull Racing released a statement Wednesday expressing confidence that the investigation was "fair, rigorous and impartial" while also noting the the complainant can appeal if they so choose:
Earlier this month, ESPN's Nate Saunders reported that the investigation stemmed from a Red Bull Racing employee alleging that Horner was responsible for "controlling text messages and behavior."
At the time, a spokesperson said Horner "rejects these claims entirely," and he was subsequently allowed to carry out his usual duties without facing any discipline.
The 50-year-old Horner has been the head of Red Bull Racing's F1 team since its inception in 2005.
With Horner at the helm, Red Bull has enjoyed enormous success, winning six Constructors' Championships and seven individual driver titles. Sebastian Vettel won four in a row from 2010 through 2013, and Max Verstappen has won each of the past three.
The Englishman was a driver before becoming an executive, competing in the British Formula Renault Championship, British Formula Three, British Formula Two and Formula 3000 in the 1990s.
Red Bull Racing is once again considered the team to beat in 2024, as drivers Verstappen and Sergio Pérez finished first and second in the standings last season and combined to win 21 of the 22 races.
The only race they didn't win saw Carlos Sainz Jr. prevail in the Singapore Grand Prix.
F1's 2024 season will officially begin with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday, and Verstappen will begin his quest to become only the fifth driver in Formula One history to win four or more consecutive championships.
Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix 2023 Results: Sergio Pérez Tops Max Verstappen to Win Race
Apr 30, 2023
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - APRIL 30: Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing prepares to drive in the garage prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on April 30, 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Four races into the 2023 season, Sergio Pérez has already tied his career high in victories in a single season.
Pérez controlled Sunday's Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix, managing the gap to Max Verstappen to earn his second victory of the season. Red Bull has won all four races at the beginning of the 2023 campaign, with Pérez and Verstappen getting off to a dominant start for their team.
Charles LeClerc, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz Jr. rounded out the top five.
Pérez was also victorious in Saturday's sprint and currently sits just six points behind Verstappen, who also has two wins on the season. No other driver is closer than being within 30 points, and only three other drivers even have half as many points as Verstappen's 93.
Leclerc began the race on the pole but did not hold onto his lead for long. Pérez and Verstappen both easily breezed by him in the early going and did not let up as Red Bull continues to establish itself as the most dominant team in racing. The team has finished no worse than second in any of the last four seasons and has the sport's two hottest drivers leading the charge at the moment.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton's team at Mercedes continues to lag behind. Hamilton finished in sixth place Sunday and has only one podium through the first four races of the 2023 season. The seven-time champion has not won in his last 27 races, by far the longest streak of his career.
Mercedes has continually struggled the last two seasons to provide top-tier cars and has fallen significantly behind Red Bull in terms of performance.
Bahrain F1 Grand Prix 2023 Results: Max Verstappen Dominates Field to Win Opener
Mar 5, 2023
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - MARCH 05: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 leads Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Ferrari SF-23 during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 05, 2023 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Max Verstappen is picking up right where he left off.
The defending back-to-back Formula 1 champion got off to a dominant start to the 2023 season, bringing home the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.
Sergio Pérez finished in second place, while Fernando Alonso took the final spot on the podium in third in his Aston Martin debut.
Verstappen won an F1 record 15 races in 2022, putting up a jaw-dropping 454 points and winning his second championship.
Bahrain had never been kind to Verstappen in the past, as he posted more races with retirements (three) than podiums (two) at the track. This is Verstappen's first win in Bahrain and his first in a season opener.
After qualifying at the top of the field, Verstappen said he was happy with the result given the struggles in the past.
"Particularly happy, because my whole weekend up until qualifying was very difficult," Verstappen said. "I couldn't really find the comfortable balance I had in testing, and I was just struggling a lot to just get the car together, really. I went into qualifying and everything already felt a bit better but it was still not, let's say, perfect."
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Ferrari got off to a nightmare start with Charles Leclerc suffering an engine failure, ultimately finishing 19th. Leclerc was one of three cars to get a DNF, joining Esteban Ocon (18th) and Oscar Piastri (20th). Ocon had a dreadful first race, racking up penalty after penalty before eventually bowing out initially due to a starting infringement.
Lewis Hamilton got off to a solid start to his season with a fifth-place finish as he looks to rebound from a frustrating 2022. Hamilton finished a career-worst sixth in the standings last year amid the consistent struggles of Mercedes. George Russell, Hamilton's teammate, finished in seventh place.
McLaren also had a miserable afternoon, with Lando Norris coming in 17th place and Piastri bringing up the rear of the field. Norris' five pitstops due to reliability issues highlighted McLaren's struggles further.
Red Bull Racing, Ford Announce Formula 1 Engine Partnership Starting from 2026 Season
Feb 3, 2023
BARCELONA, SPAIN - 2022/11/23: The logo of the American automotive company Ford is seen on top of a dealership entrance in Spain. (Photo by Davide Bonaldo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Formula One announced Friday that Ford will return to the sport in a partnership with Red Bull Racing, beginning in 2026.
According to ESPN's Laurence Edmondson, it will mark Ford's first involvement in F1 since selling its Jaguar team to Red Bull in 2004.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali released a statement on Ford's impending return, saying:
"The news today that Ford is coming to Formula One from 2026 is great for the sport and we are excited to see them join the incredible automotive partners already in Formula One. They are a global brand with an incredible heritage in the racing and automotive world and they see the huge value that our platform provides with over half a billion fans around the world.
"Our commitment to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and to introduce sustainable fuels in the F1 cars from 2026 is also an important reason for their decision to enter F1. We believe that our sport provides the opportunity and reach unlike any other and we cannot wait for the Ford logo to be racing round F1's iconic circuits from 2026."
Red Bull Racing will continue to use Honda engines through the 2025 season after the Japanese manufacturer decided to continue the relationship with the team. Beginning in 2026 however, it will make the switch to Ford.
Ford and Red Bull Powertrains will work together at the team factory to meet the new engine regulations F1 is implementing in 2026. Ford stated in a press release that they "will provide expertise in areas including battery cell and electric motor technology as well as power unit control software and analytics" and "combustion engine development."
Red Bull has established itself as the dominant team in F1 over the past two seasons, as driver Max Verstappen has won each of the past two World Driver's Championships. It also won its first Constructors Championship since 2013 in 2022.
A Mercedes driver had won seven straight championships before Verstappen's back-to-back titles, but Red Bull is back atop the sport and it has an exciting new partnership lined up with one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world.
Daniel Ricciardo Signs F1 Contract with Red Bull Racing After Stint with McLaren
Nov 23, 2022
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 19: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and McLaren prepares to drive in the garage during final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on November 19, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Formula One Racing star Daniel Ricciardo is heading back to Red Bull Racing after spending the past two seasons with McLaren.
Red Bull Racing announced the move Wednesday on Twitter, and Ricciardo expressed excitement over returning to his former team:
After splitting his first three F1 seasons between HRT and Scuderia Toro Rosso, Ricciardo was part of Red Bull Racing from 2014 to 2018.
The initial stint at Red Bull Racing yielded the best results of Ricciardo's career, as he finished eighth or better in the points standings in each of his five years with the team.
That included third-place finishes in 2014 and 2016, plus Ricciardo picked up seven of his eight career F1 race wins as a Red Bull Racing member.
After leaving Red Bull Racing at the conclusion of the 2018 campaign, Ricciardo spent two years at Renault and then the next two years at McLaren.
Ricciardo has just one win over the past four seasons combined, and his best points finish was in 2020 with Renault when he came in fifth.
The 33-year-old Aussie did not win a race during the 2022 campaign, and he only mustered an 11th-place finish in the points standings, which was his worst result since finishing 14th as a member of Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2013.
Red Bull Racing easily won the team points title in 2022, as points champion Max Verstappen and third-place finisher Sergio Pérez combined for 17 race wins.
Ricciardo's return to Red Bull Racing will likely do little to cool talk of Pérez potentially leaving the team in the near future.
Per Luke Chillingsworth of Express, a feud began between Verstappen and Perez during the second-to-last race of the 2022 season in Brazil when Verstappen ignored a team request to let Pérez pass him so he could have the advantage over Charles Leclerc for second place in the points standings.
Leclerc ultimately edged out Pérez for second place by three points when he finished second in the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi, while Perez finished third.
Regardless of what happens with Pérez, bringing in an experienced and successful driver like Ricciardo likely ensures that Red Bull Racing will continue to be the dominant team in F1 next season.
Max Verstappen Wins 2nd Straight F1 Title After Controversial Japanese GP Race
Oct 9, 2022
SUZUKA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 09: Race winner and 2022 F1 World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates with his team after the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka International Racing Course on October 09, 2022 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Max Verstappen successfully retained his Formula One crown after winning the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Dutchman beat out Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc on the podium. He called the achievement "crazy."
"[I’ve got] very mixed emotions," Verstappen said. "What a year we’ve had so far — it’s been incredible. It’s something I could never have imagined happening after last year already, fighting to the end and having such a good car again this year."
Inclement weather wreaked havoc on the event. First, it was delayed for two hours because of rain, and then the conditions limited the race to just 28 laps.
As a result, Verstappen was unsure whether his wait for the F1 championship would have to wait another week.
"Was it going to be half points?" he said. "I didn't know how many points I was going to get."
And a post-race penalty for Leclerc was ultimately what sealed the deal. The 24-year-old finished second but was handed a five-second penalty after race officials determined he cut a chicane while jostling with Perez on the last lap.
2021: Perez holds Hamilton up in Abu Dhabi to give Verstappen a chance of winning the title.
2022: Perez forces Leclerc into the mistake that seals Verstappen's second title.
As a result, Verstappen's coronation wasn't without some controversy. Had he not cemented the title Sunday, it would've still been only a matter of time before he did.
With 12 wins in 2022, Verstappen is just one away from tying the single-season record set by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. He has been far and away the best driver on the grid.
Winding up head and shoulders above the competition this time around has to feel good for the 25-year-old after his 2021 championship was shrouded in controversy.
Four races remain in the season, with the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, the next stop. While Verstappen's victory Sunday removed the drama on that front, his bid to chase down Schumacher and Vettel will provide plenty of excitement down the stretch.
Max Verstappen Wins 2022 F1 Dutch Grand Prix; Lewis Hamilton Drops Out of Podium Late
Sep 4, 2022
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen leads at the start of the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix at the Zandvoort circuit on September 4, 2022. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)
Max Verstappen won his home race at the Dutch Grand Prix to continue his dominance of the 2022 Formula One season.
The Dutch driver started on the pole and finished first ahead of George Russell in Sunday's race at Zandvoort, Netherlands, much to the delight of the orange-clad fans in attendance.
It represents the fourth straight win for Verstappen, who now has 10 victories in 15 races this season. He continues to build his lead in the driver standings as Red Bull heads toward the constructor's championship.
Russell finished in second after a controversial strategy with teammate Lewis Hamilton, who fell into fourth place after leading late. Charles Leclerc grabbed the last spot on the podium after an eventful race.
It's become a bigger surprise when Verstappen doesn't win races this year, as he ended up pulling away from the next closest competitor by more than four seconds:
It was still far from an easy path, as several drivers seemingly had a chance to win. Pit strategy was a major story in this race, and it helped create a divide between the top competitors.
Ferrari—as it has done often this year—hurt itself with a mental mistake.
Carlos Sainz began the race in the third spot, but a long pit stop might have been enough to take him out of contention early:
Replays show Ferrari didn't have the left rear tyre ready for Sainz. Seemed to be a back-up wheel-gun that Perez drove over, but still shouldn't have been where it was clearly.
Mercedes then attempted to win by making fewer stops than the other teams.
While Verstappen held the lead for much of the day, Hamilton remained a top contender with the initial one-stop strategy. After the British star dropped to fourth following a short pit, he drove past Sergio Perez into third position and up to second when Leclerc made his pit stop.
The outlook changed with just over 20 laps remaining after Yuki Tsunoda was unable to continue, forcing a virtual safety car. The move helped Verstappen pit without losing time, keeping him in the first position.
That VSC ruined what was going to be a thrilling race to the finish, and helped Max big time.
Can't wait to hear Alpha Tauri's explanation for what any of that was.#DutchGP 🇳🇱 #F1
A few laps later, a safety car due to Valtteri Bottas' retirement meant Verstappen could pit for soft tires while Hamilton stayed out on mediums with the lead.
Max got a break, now Lewis got a break. And all of us watching just lucked into some 2021esque drama. This is going to be fun.
It was supposed to create a true race to the finish, but Verstappen showcased his talent immediately by passing Hamilton on the first turn after the restart.
George Russell, who could have helped Hamilton by blocking Verstappen, instead chose to change his tires. He later flew past his Mercedes teammate shortly after the restart.
Hamilton couldn't keep up and failed to reach the podium.
It led to what became an easy win for Verstappen after a nervy middle of the race.
The Formula One season will continue next week in Italy as everyone tries to catch the Dutch star in first place.
Porsche's Plans to Buy 50% of Red Bull F1 Racing Team Detailed in Public Document
Jul 28, 2022
Le pilote Sergio Perez (Red Bull) lors du Grand Prix de France sur le circuit Paul Ricard le 24 juillet 2022 au Castellet. (Photo by Victor LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Porsche is reportedly planning to purchase a 50 percent stake in Red Bull's Formula One operation, per Laurence Edmondson of ESPN.
Morocco's Conseil de la Concurrence published a document containing the automotive company's plans.
Red Bull confirmed ongoing discussions for Porsche to join the company by 2026, but denied that anything was finalized.
"Further to speculation that has been reported about a potential future involvement from Porsche into Red Bull Powertrains and Red Bull's Formula One team. As has been previously stated, the companies remain engaged in constructive discussions," Red Bull said in a statement to ESPN.
"We all are looking forward to the satisfactory finalisation of the FIA's various sporting, financial and technical regulations for 2026."
Red Bull engines have been produced by Honda since 2019 before it withdrew from F1 at the end of the 2021 season. Red Bull created its own powertrain division last year and planned to build its own engines by 2026, although it could now feature a partnership with Porsche.
Porsche has not been involved in F1 as a manufacturer since 1964.
Red Bull Racing, meanwhile, has become one of the most successful teams in the sport and currently leads the constructor standings for the 2022 season. Max Verstappen is in first place in the driver standings as he seeks his second straight title while his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez is currently in third.
The team is looking to end an eight-year run of constructor championships by German manufacturer Mercedes, led by superstar Lewis Hamilton.
Porsche, also based in Germany, could help further boost the rivalry that has dominated Formula One for more than a decade.
F1 Star Sergio Perez Signs New Contract with Red Bull Through 2024
May 31, 2022
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - 2022/05/29: Sergio Perez of Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium after winning the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco. (Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images)
After getting his first win of the season at the Monaco Grand Prix, Sergio Perez has signed an extension with Red Bull Racing through 2024, per Sky Sports.
Thank you for all the trust and for making me part of this family for two more years! Vamooos!
Perez is coming off an impressive showing in Sunday's race, starting in third place but taking over the lead early and holding on for his third career win.
The Mexican driver has been in Formula One since 2011, signing with Red Bull ahead of the 2021 season.
Perez had his best career season after signing with Red Bull, earning 190 points that included one win with five total podiums on his way to a fourth-place finish. The 32-year-old also finished fourth in 2020 with the Racing Point team.
Checo is off to an even better start in 2022, currently sitting in third place through seven races in the driver standings. He is only 15 points behind leader and teammate Max Verstappen.
In addition to his recent win, Perez has three runner-up finishes and hasn't been worse than fourth in any of the last six starts.
The consistency is enough for Red Bull to stick with the driver for at least two more years as the team tries to bring home its first title since 2013, when Sebastian Vettel won the last of his four consecutive drivers' championships.
