2024 Formula 1 Season thread

[cyb3rdud3]

Haha sorry yes Austrian. Oh the media are stirring it up alright.
Max needs to be careful with what he says, his media training should help him.

Oh yes, presently they (the media) need real and actual quotes. What he said in Dutch is intelligent, avoids the subject of picking sides regarding Red Bull, yet focusses it on supporting family in general, and just wanting to race.

Either way doesn't matter what happens behind the scenes, like the other pro drivers once in the car it is 100% focus on the race and the race only. And no doubt he'll dominate again, sadly.

I don't mind the dominating, although I wish there was more pressure from within and other teams. I don't think we've seen yet what Max is truly capable off. Saying that, I'd love to see if he can extend the longest winning streak, and win every single race this season.

I want to see him lap himself

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

So it looks like Red Bull have suspended the lady at the centre of the complaint at Red Bull.

Horner could be staying with Red Bull's backing and this now would put the Verstappen's in a very difficult position after Jos Verstappens comments in the last week.

The plot thickens....

Red Bull suspend woman who accused Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour

The woman who accused team principal Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour is suspended by Red Bull.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Glideslope]

So it looks like Red Bull have suspended the lady at the centre of the complaint at Red Bull.

Horner could be staying with Red Bull's backing and this now would put the Verstappen's in a very difficult position after Jos Verstappens comments in the last week.

The plot thickens....

Red Bull suspend woman who accused Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour

The woman who accused team principal Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour is suspended by Red Bull.

www.bbc.co.uk

I don’t think this changes much. Must be some compelling storytelling for RB to actually suspend her.

Jos will back down. He can still see his children from various women. 😉

Max isn’t going anywhere as long as the RB20 is dominant.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

I don’t think this changes much. Must be some compelling storytelling for RB to actually suspend her.

Jos will back down. He can still see his children from various women. 😉

Max isn’t going anywhere as long as the RB20 is dominant.

Exactly, it is surprising that Red Bull actually suspended her. They must be very, very certain to do that, as employee rights would generally take a dim view about that, especially after a complaint was filed.

 

[Glideslope]

Exactly, it is surprising that Red Bull actually suspended her. They must be very, very certain to do that, as employee rights would generally take a dim view about that, especially after a complaint was filed.

Yup. I think the further this goes the greater the relationship between her and Jos will be the narrative. The media will continue to milk their own narrative based on clicks.

This really isn’t all that much different from any other failed power grab. Regardless of the employment sector. Jos most likely miscalculated.

If we go through this weekend with Horner still there it’s over for all intensive purposes.

 

[laptech]

So it looks like Red Bull have suspended the lady at the centre of the complaint at Red Bull.

Horner could be staying with Red Bull's backing and this now would put the Verstappen's in a very difficult position after Jos Verstappens comments in the last week.

The plot thickens....

Red Bull suspend woman who accused Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour

The woman who accused team principal Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour is suspended by Red Bull.

www.bbc.co.uk

The plot does thicken because only a few days ago it was either his wife or someone close to her that spoke to the press telling them that she (his wife) was not happy about the messages and issued Horner a couple of demands being that he is not to have a private mobile phone and that he is not to have any contact with the female employee. The problem is as mentioned by the press, the female employee in question cannot avoid Horner because her job entails having contact with Horner thus having his wife demand that he not have any dealings or contact with the female employee would be extremely difficult and then what do we see, a few day's later after his wife makes such a demand of Horner, the female employee is suspended on full pay.

Her lawyers are going to have a field day with this. Horner may think he is in the clear due to internal investigation find him having done no wrong but this is far from over, not by a long shot.

If Jos thinks RBR is making the female employee a scape goat so RBR can protect Horner, there will certainly be family tension because I would have no doubt Jos would be telling his son to quit RBR but if Max sticks by Horner, it will drive a wedge between him and his father. Is Max going to want that to happen or is he going to go to RBR and say he cannot have any family fights/arguments with his father over Horner and could put pressure on RBR by saying either Horner goes or I (Max) goes.

 

[CWallace]

Her lawyers are going to have a field day with this.

Are they, though? Per the BBC report, she was suspended for cause ("being dishonest" which I presume means in her testimony during the internal investigation). If Horner was cleared because her claims could not be collaborated and the investigators believe in whole or in part that was because she was not honest with them, then they probably feel they will prevail in any Employee Rights tribunal.

If Jos thinks RBR is making the female employee a scape goat so RBR can protect Horner, there will certainly be family tension because I would have no doubt Jos would be telling his son to quit RBR but if Max sticks by Horner, it will drive a wedge between him and his father. Is Max going to want that to happen or is he going to go to RBR and say he cannot have any family fights/arguments with his father over Horner and could put pressure on RBR by saying either Horner goes or I (Max) goes.

I don't see Max giving Red Bull Racing any sort of ultimatum. He may be the best driver on the grid right now (IMO), but he's racking up the WDCs in no small part to also having the best car under him and one of the best teams behind him and I don't see him willingly giving that up to go to AMG Mercedes (his "best" option for 2025). And Mercedes is certainly not going to give Max "Absolute #1" status, which appears to be what Jos is demanding of Red Bull Racing management.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I think she will still walk away with a financial settlement even after being suspended because Red Bull will want this now to go away very quickly. To file a grievance in the first place you need to submit evidence to back up a complaint so there would have been something to investigate in the first place. They may have found some dishonesty on her part but there is dishonesty on Horner's part too to some extent. I think he'll keep his job, she will exit the company by mutual consent and we will be left with a very awkward situation between Jos and the team.

Hopefully Red Bull ban him from their hospitality and Max can get on with racing without the politics and his father losing his shizzle in the back of the garage.

 

[laptech]

Red Bull claiming Horner's accuser of being dishonest which led to her suspension could be nothing more than Red Bull looking to find ways to make his accuser a scape goat so they can protect one of their extremely important assets because yes he would be classed as a very important asset and Red Bull most certainly would not be about to let their asset go. Very rarely do we see people at the top punished, it is always somebody lower in the ranks who gets the blamed pinned on them. To me Red Bull is doing just that to the female employee.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I think I’m only going to read this thread when there is a race on.
I’m into F1 not soaps.

Just another reason why I’m not on social media.

 

[Glideslope]

Fred looking very quick in P2 on race setup. Hopefully he can keep it for Saturday.

 

[CWallace]

Fred looking very quick in P2 on race setup. Hopefully he can keep it for Saturday.

He was second in P1, as well, so fingers crossed.

Multiple near-accidents during P2 due to cars on hot laps coming up on cars on slow laps not paying attention or not being informed of approaching traffic. Mercedes was fined 15K Euros for one of them.

 

[Glideslope]

He was second in P1, as well, so fingers crossed.

Multiple near-accidents during P2 due to cars on hot laps coming up on cars on slow laps not paying attention or not being informed of approaching traffic. Mercedes was fined 15K Euros for one of them.

Yes, there were several instances. I think unfortunately the regulators are going to be required to impose more minimum speed requirements. Especially after today. There are sections where you must ask yourself:

“Why on earth were they going so slow in that section.”

I just don’t see drivers being able to self police any longer.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Red Bull claiming Horner's accuser of being dishonest which led to her suspension could be nothing more than Red Bull looking to find ways to make his accuser a scape goat so they can protect one of their extremely important assets because yes he would be classed as a very important asset and Red Bull most certainly would not be about to let their asset go. Very rarely do we see people at the top punished, it is always somebody lower in the ranks who gets the blamed pinned on them. To me Red Bull is doing just that to the female employee.

You seem to be filling in a lot of blanks with information that you can't possibly have...

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Carlos taken ill and missing the GP. Appendicitis, ouch.

Cool to see a young talent given a chance though.

 

[Glideslope]

Well wishes toward Carlos as he recovers from Appendicitis. Very fortunate it didn’t burst during FP1 and FP2.

 

[laptech]

You seem to be filling in a lot of blanks with information that you can't possibly have...

What blanks are you referring to?

After the internal investigation cleared Horner of any wrong doing (Wed 28th Feb), the press said they spoke to a source who is close to the accuser saying the female employee is very unhappy and that the investigation was very one side and that she has been 'crucified' by the investigation. (source https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/26276687/christian-horner-accuser-sexts-leak/)

Then a couple of days later (somewhere around 3rd-5th March but most articles appearing on the 5th March) Geri Horner (Horner's wife) is claimed to have allegedly told her husband that he is to have no contact with his accuser (source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1873719/christian-horner-geri-halliwell-red-bull)

Then 2 days later (7th March) the female employee is suspended.

So the time line

28th Feb - Horner is cleared of any wrong doing
3rd - 5th March - Horner's wife allegedly tells him he is to have no contact with the female employee
7th March - Female employee is suspended.

It does not take a rocket scientist to see what is going on with that time line. Gerri Horner is a very influential woman in her own right being a member of the all female music group the Spice Girls. 2 Days after her alleged request of her husband, the female employee is suddenly suspended.

As for the comment about the importance of Horner, history is inundated with news articles of high value politicians, high value celebrities, high value sports people all doing wrong but have been cleared of any wrong doing because of their high status and their importance to their job and the people around them. Why can it not be the same for Horner? He has been extremely influential in the success and continued success of RBR. Do you honestly think RBR was going to find Horny guilty of wrong doing? knowing that if they found him guilty he would probably not be able to work at RBR again and thus RBR's dominance in F1 be put at jeopardy. Millions if not billions of $$$ or £££ would be at stake on the outcome of the investigation.

Horner is well known in the industry for being a hard task master with the question being did he take it a bit too far and now Red Bull is doing all it can to protect him because to lose him could cost Reb Bull billions in $$$/£££. No way are they about to let such a thing happen.

 

[CWallace]

Horner is well known in the industry for being a hard task master with the question being did he take it a bit too far and now Red Bull is doing all it can to protect him because to lose him could cost Reb Bull billions in $$$/£££. No way are they about to let such a thing happen.

You do realize that half of the ownership want Horner out? He'd probably have been sacked at the end of the 2023 season if not for the Thai's being majority shareholders and able to block it.

 

[CWallace]

The Astons quick again at night. Stroll second in Q1. Alpine and Stake still looking like utter crap. 1st through 15th covered by about a second.

Hulk's PSU gave up the ghost in Q2 so coming back from a Red Flag with 10 minutes to go.

 

[CWallace]

Lewis barely makes it out of Q2, 0.036 faster than Bearman in 11th. Six-tenths between 1st and 15th so even tighter than Q1.

 

[CWallace]

VER, LEC, PER, ALO, PIA, NOR, RUS, HAM, TSU and STR for Q3.

1.1 seconds across the field, but Max still three-tenths up on LEC.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

What blanks are you referring to?

After the internal investigation cleared Horner of any wrong doing (Wed 28th Feb), the press said they spoke to a source who is close to the accuser saying the female employee is very unhappy and that the investigation was very one side and that she has been 'crucified' by the investigation. (source https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/26276687/christian-horner-accuser-sexts-leak/)

Then a couple of days later (somewhere around 3rd-5th March but most articles appearing on the 5th March) Geri Horner (Horner's wife) is claimed to have allegedly told her husband that he is to have no contact with his accuser (source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1873719/christian-horner-geri-halliwell-red-bull)

Then 2 days later (7th March) the female employee is suspended.

So the time line

28th Feb - Horner is cleared of any wrong doing
3rd - 5th March - Horner's wife allegedly tells him he is to have no contact with the female employee
7th March - Female employee is suspended.

It does not take a rocket scientist to see what is going on with that time line. Gerri Horner is a very influential woman in her own right being a member of the all female music group the Spice Girls. 2 Days after her alleged request of her husband, the female employee is suddenly suspended.

As for the comment about the importance of Horner, history is inundated with news articles of high value politicians, high value celebrities, high value sports people all doing wrong but have been cleared of any wrong doing because of their high status and their importance to their job and the people around them. Why can it not be the same for Horner? He has been extremely influential in the success and continued success of RBR. Do you honestly think RBR was going to find Horny guilty of wrong doing? knowing that if they found him guilty he would probably not be able to work at RBR again and thus RBR's dominance in F1 be put at jeopardy. Millions if not billions of $$$ or £££ would be at stake on the outcome of the investigation.

Horner is well known in the industry for being a hard task master with the question being did he take it a bit too far and now Red Bull is doing all it can to protect him because to lose him could cost Reb Bull billions in $$$/£££. No way are they about to let such a thing happen.

Nice story and imagination; shame that it’s lacking evidence and facts 🤷‍♂️ Hence filling in the blanks. You, me, most people bar the legal team who investigated this know what happened. It’s as simple as that.

Sure they could have made a vindictive suspension but that would be a very ill informed action to have taken with UK and European employment laws. A far more likely conclusion is that there was actual cause uncovered. Not everything is a conspiracy

 

[Glideslope]

Fred still looking racy in Q3. Should be an exciting 1st lap tomorrow….. 😉

I just don’t think Ferrari, McLaren, or AM have the race pace. Maybe I’ll be wrong?

 

[CWallace]

I just don’t think Ferrari, McLaren, or AM have the race pace. Maybe I’ll be wrong?

I think LeClerc does. Bearman will still be learning the car and, starting 11th, could be swarmed at the start.

Alonso looks good too, as you noted and McLaren looked better than Mercedes.

 

[Populus]

VER, LEC, PER, ALO, PIA, NOR, RUS, HAM, TSU and STR for Q3.

1.1 seconds across the field, but Max still three-tenths up on LEC.

What? Is this the final qualification? I didn’t expect to see the great ALO in the fourth place, after how his car behaved last week. Good for him!