Red bull cliff diving

Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen are Formula 1’s kindred spirits. Listen closely to the way they speak about each other and it soon becomes clear that they recognise many of their own qualities – driving skill married with a never-say-die spirit and unflinching commitment – in each other. Game recognises game, you might say. Yet in the time they have shared a place on the grid in Formula 1, their fortunes have been so wildly different that they each may as well have been playing a different game entirely. Verstappen arrived in F1 as a teenager in 2015 at the precise point Alonso’s career came off a cliff, that season the first of a number of years he spent in woefully uncompetitive machinery. As Max embarked upon a trajectory that would see him equal Alonso’s tally of two World Championships – and easily surpass his number of grand prix victories – in 2022, Fernando’s patience would be tested to the extremity that he saw fit to step away from F1 for a couple of years. … [Read more...] about Fernando Alonso: The driver to end Red Bull’s winning streak?

Helmut Marko said Red Bull have received “written assurances” from Honda that their new deal with Aston Martin will not affect their current partnership with Red Bull. Honda announced on Wednesday that they would be partnering with Aston Martin from 2026, marking their return as a works supplier to the grid but also the end of their relationship with Red Bull. The Japanese engine manufacturer has been supplying power units to both Red Bull and AlphaTauri since the 2019 season but had originally announced their intention to leave the sport at the conclusion of the 2021 season so that their brand could focus on electric vehicles. The rise in popularity of F1 combined with new power unit regulations and a change of CEO made Honda reverse their decision, confirmed in February when they were announced as one of six power engine suppliers for the 2026 season. Honda’s initial departure left Red Bull in a tough spot, with a bad experience at Renault making them uneasy about becoming a … [Read more...] about Red Bull made moves to stop becoming afterthought in Aston-Honda deal

Formula 1 business expert Mark Gallagher believes Red Bull will aim to sell the struggling AlphaTauri team before the next major rule changes are implemented in 2026. Red Bull have had a two-team presence on the F1 grid since 2006, when Italy-based backmarkers Minardi were bought by the energy drinks giant and rebranded as Scuderia Toro Rosso. Having brought through such drivers as Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, who took the team’s first-ever grand prix victory at Monza in 2008, the Italian outfit was reborn as AlphaTauri – Red Bull’s in-house clothing brand – in 2020. Although Pierre Gasly took another win for the team, again at Monza, AlphaTauri have struggled to maintain that form and currently sit second-bottom of the 2023 Constructors’ standings having scored just two points in the first five races. Red Bull have consistently denied reports that they are looking to sell the team, but rumours have persisted following the death of founder Dietrich Mateschitz that they … [Read more...] about ‘Red Bull will sell AlphaTauri before F1 2026, brand has no relevance’

Vitantonio Liuzzi said politics played a big part in him losing his seat with Toro Rosso as a result of internal politics at Red Bull. Vitantonio ‘Tonio’ Liuzzi became a Formula 1 driver with Red Bull in 2005 with the newly-revamped Jaguar team running Christian Klien for the first three races, and Liuzzi stepping in for the next four rounds. The intent was to have the pair share the second seat at the team with veteran David Coulthard in the lead role, but Liuzzi was sidelined after the first swap back as Red Bull realised the unusual approach wasn’t ideal for either driver, nor themselves. “The plan was to have four races for Klien, four for me, four for him… but after the first swap, we realised it was not good for him, nor for me,” Liuzzi told F1 Unlocked . “I decided to step out and Didi [Mateschitz, Red Bull owner and team founder] himself, he came to me and said, ‘Don’t worry, we are planning to buy another team, an Italian team, and I would like to make you as a … [Read more...] about Ex-driver opens up on Red Bull ‘politics’ and points finger at Gerhard Berger

Adrian Newey said wanting “a new challenge” and having “unfinished business” prompted him to move to Red Bull. Before Red Bull, Newey had designed championship-winning cars for some of the sport’s most historic teams in Williams and McLaren, which made it all the more surprising when the Milton Keynes outfit announced he was to leave McLaren and join them for the 2006 season. Back then, Red Bull were nowhere near the title contenders and F1 juggernaut they are today but instead, a team in its infancy who had competed in just one season and finished in seventh. Many speculated Newey, who had contemplated retirement the year previous, was moving for money with a reported $10 million contract on the table but his decision has since been vindicated several times over with the design chief masterminding all six of Red Bull’s Championship-winning cars. It was this chance to create a legacy that Newey recently revealed was his main motive to make the jump. “I felt I needed a new … [Read more...] about How ‘unfinished business’ convinced Adrian Newey to leave McLaren for Red Bull

AlphaTauri will remain a Red Bull-owned team and act as their junior squad, though the CEO has ordered closer cooperation, according to Helmut Marko. Red Bull’s second team are not going through the happiest of times right now, having finished P9 in the 2022 Constructors’ standings, while F1 2023 is already shaping up to be a battle to avoid dropping to the very bottom of the classification. All of this has led to the team’s advisor Marko making his dissatisfaction public, and change is indeed afoot. Current team boss Franz Tost, who has been with the team since its formation in 2006, has decided that he will retire at the end of the 2023 campaign, paving the way for Red Bull to name current Ferrari race director Laurent Mekies as his ultimate successor, with Peter Bayer to arrive as the new CEO. But what is not set to change is who owns the team, with Marko confirming that Red Bull will continue in that capacity. AlphaTauri had also been upgraded to the status of Red Bull’s … [Read more...] about Helmut Marko reveals AlphaTauri stays with Red Bull under condition set by CEO

With Red Bull “much stronger on all tracks”, Charles Leclerc knows he is up against it for a home win in Monaco, though this unique track does offer a potential lifeline. Ferrari went into F1 2023 very much hoping to challenge Red Bull for the titles, having started so strong last season, only to fade away in dramatic fashion. But that recovery is yet to happen for the Scuderia, who in the opening five rounds of F1 2023 have largely found themselves battling Aston Martin and Mercedes for the right to be ‘best of the rest’ behind a Red Bull team way out in front. Leclerc did take pole for the Azerbaijan sprint and Grand Prix, but was powerless to resist the Red Bull onslaught in race trim during both the shortened and full-length offering. The next battleground though is Monaco, a home race for Leclerc, and one which takes place around a truly unique circuit set in the streets of Monte Carlo. Leclerc has certainly endured rotten luck on home turf to date in his racing career, … [Read more...] about ‘No doubt’ Red Bull ahead on Sunday…unless Charles Leclerc Monaco plan delivers

Helmut Marko concedes Red Bull won’t have it all their own way at the Monaco Grand Prix as the very nature of the circuit negates their RB19’s advantages over rival cars. Red Bull head to Monte Carlo chasing a sixth win of this season and a fifth 1-2 result such has been their dominance over the chasing pack. But the one area they haven’t dominated is qualifying with Charles Leclerc claiming two front row grid slots, including pole position in Baku, while George Russell and Fernando Alonso have also lined up P2. And in Monaco everyone knows qualifying is of the utmost importance given how difficult it is to overtake. As such Marko worries Red Bull’s winning streak could come to an end this Sunday. “We can’t play to our racing strengths in Monaco. Whoever drives in front sets the pace,” Marko said in an interview with Motorsport-Magazine.com . “Tyre wear will not be decisive, and there are no straights where our speed advantage comes into play.” PlanetF1.com recommends … [Read more...] about Concern for Red Bull at Monaco with rivals ready to pounce

Max Verstappen says that the circumstances of Honda’s switch to Aston Martin have been “unfortunate” for Red Bull. Earlier this week, Honda confirmed that they will become power unit supplier to the Aston Martin team from 2026, switching over from their current agreement supplying engines to Red Bull and AlphaTauri. Honda are an unofficial engine supplier to F1, having officially withdrawn as a company at the end of 2021. However, due to the introduction of an engine freeze that resulted in no further performance research and development, Honda continue to manufacture and ship engines to the two Red Bull teams for use in Formula 1. With Red Bull going off and teaming up with Ford for their Powertrains department from 2026, Honda were left on the sidelines with no team to supply having declared their intention to return officially – that was until Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin came to an agreement with the company. Max Verstappen: Honda’s indecisiveness ‘a bit of a shame’ … [Read more...] about Max Verstappen brands Honda’s switch to Aston Martin a ‘shame’ for Red Bull