In a video that the F1 Chequered Flag shared,  Verstappen can be seen making his way to the Red Bull motorhomes. There, the group prepared the room with balloons and several photos in his honor, as he just won the world championship. One of the photos showed a young Verstappen, dressed in all red, sporting the Ferrari colors.

As soon as he saw that photo, Verstappen apologized to Christian Horner. Later in another interview, the Dutchman explained why he donned the Ferrari shirt. Verstappen’s father Jos, shared a good friendship with Ferrari and F1 legend Michael Schumacher, which contributed to his childhood fashion choice.

max explaining why he wore a ferrari shirt as a kid to the reporter so annoying (lovingly) pic.twitter.com/Jm5cS2JNjF

— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) February 20, 2024

He is happy to be at Red Bull, and even though he recognizes Ferrari’s amazing history, and brand value, Verstappen will not be lured away from Milton-Keynes.

Could Max Verstappen choose Mercedes?

Mercedes will now have to look for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton, before the 2025 season commences. Rumor has it that Toto Wolff was even open to having Verstappen drive for them. The reason behind this is simple. Verstappen is the best in F1 at the moment, and has won three consecutive world titles.

However, Red Bull will not be worried about Verstappen ditching them. Speaking about the same to OE24, team chief Helmut Marko reminded everyone of Verstappen’s history with Mercedes.

He said, ” Too much has happened in the past. I just remember Silverstone or the turmoil at the finale in Abu Dhabi. This runs deep.”

What Marko intended to convey is that Verstappen would never forget incidents like the 2021 Silverstone crash, and prejudice he experienced on social media after the 2021 Abu Dhabi Finale.

While winding up, the Austrian made it apparent that Verstappen is very committed to Red Bull. The Dutchman and Red Bull have inked a long-term deal that expires in 2028. The 26-year-old will therefore not be thinking about moving to Mercedes, at least unless Red Bull drop off massively.

The post Baby in Red, Champion in Blue- Max Verstappen Resists the Ferrari Temptation That Lured Lewis Hamilton appeared first on The SportsRush.

Verstappen stated, as per X (formerly Twitter), “We must also pay tribute to the entire group of people behind it [success]. Because it’s not just Adrian, it’s the whole group of engineers around him who also do an incredible job”. 

️ | Max on the importance of Adrian Newey in Red Bull

“Adrian has so much experience and knowledge. Both about the past and about the present. You can talk to him more in racing style.”

At the same time, we must also pay tribute to the entire group of people behind it. Because… pic.twitter.com/G0ONfhyt0x

— RBR News (@redbulletin) February 20, 2024

With 21 victories from 22 races in 2023, Red Bull has set yet another record that looks insurmountable. Now, the team from Milton Keynes will hope to achieve a similar kind of success in 2024 since the regulations remain relatively stable.

Max Verstappen does not believe 2024 will be as dominant as 2023 for Red Bull

In their pursuit of the 2023 Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship titles, Max Verstappen and Red Bull broke more records. While chasing perfection, Verstappen himself won a record 19 of the 22 races. In the process, the Dutchman also set another record as he won 10 straight races, beginning in Miami and ending in Italy.

That is not it as he also registered a record for the most podiums and points in a season. However, despite having such a stellar season last year, Verstappen believes that in 2024 the F1 field is going to converge.

During his chat with racingnews365.com, the three-time champion said, “The competition around us has been quite up and down. So I expect next year, people are learning a lot with this new regulation as well, that naturally [the field] will be quite a bit closer.”

Although Red Bull were a class apart last season, the competition was indeed very close behind them. Now, the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, and Aston Martin will hope that they have been able to use the learnings from the 2023 season and find some more performance for their 2024 cars.

The post “It’s Not Just Adrian”: Max Verstappen Honors Red Bull’s Unsung Heroes While Praising Newey’s Genius appeared first on The SportsRush.

Apart from these two companies, the Milton Keynes outfit also lost the support of other major companies such as Walmart and HP. That’s not it as the list also included AlphaTauri, Ocean Bottle, and BMC, as per Decalspotters. However, despite Cash App’s departure from Red Bull, they will continue to sponsor VCARB (formerly AlphaTauri).

Two US-based companies are among the companies leaving @redbullracing for 2024, as the team say goodbye to Therabody and Walmart.

PokerStars, who joined in 2022, are also departing the team.

Cash App, the team’s Financial Education Partner, gets replaced by Visa.#F1 pic.twitter.com/PTUmnlYPtX

— Decalspotters (@decalspotters) February 20, 2024

The mobile payment service company also have their brand name included in the name of the F1 team, which is Visa Cash App RB. Meanwhile, Visa, the principal sponsor of the Faenza-based team, also joined the Austrian team as a notable sponsor.

As Walmart left Red Bull, they decided to join forces with McLaren instead. Rob Walton, an American businessman, picked McLaren over the defending champions despite the latter’s dominance in recent times. Although McLaren have not achieved the kind of success Red Bull have in recent times, they yet do have the most sponsors.

The timing of the departure of the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s sponsors is interesting as the team is currently going through turmoil. Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, is currently under investigation for “inappropriate behavior” towards a female co-worker.

Did Red Bull’s sponsors cut ties with the team because of the controversy surrounding Horner?

The investigation surrounding Christian Horner has troubled Red Bull immensely recently. Firstly, they have faced immense reputational damage that took years to build.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner denies all allegations of inappropriate behaviour and also insists there is no rift in the team.pic.twitter.com/VHliii38LR

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 15, 2024

Secondly, the team is in huge trouble because F1, which is run by the American company Liberty Media, wants the Austrian side’s parent company to conclude their investigation soon. The controversy involving Horner also grabbed Ford’s attention.

The American automobile company, who are getting ready to enter Formula 1 with Red Bull in 2026, have also asked the team to conclude their investigation at the earliest. Since sponsors seemed concerned about Red Bull GmbH’s ongoing investigation, it seems that the controversy surrounding Horner has in fact impacted the team’s endorsements dearly.

The post $144 Billion Worth Companies Cut Ties With Red Bull Days Before 2024 F1 Season Kicks Off appeared first on The SportsRush.

The FIA is very excited about the news and it reflects how significant this partnership is. This means that the AlphaTauri branding will now be present across motorsport paddocks, not just F1. The FIA’s official Twitter (now X) account posted on the announcement, saying,

“We are thrilled to announce the partnership between AlphaTauri and the FIA as the first Official Clothing Partner, from 2024 to 2026. Get ready for a fusion of automotive technology and high fashion, redefining style in the world of motorsport!”

Just years ago, AlphaTauri came to F1 as a novel brand to fans, after Red Bull rebranded the Toro Rosso team in 2020. While it was not a hit, the brand made its place and people liked it to some extent, despite it being the Austrian team’s sister brand.

It is also pertinent to note that this is not the first time AlphaTauri will be part of the F1 realm in this domain. In 2021, they signed a deal with Formula 1 (not the FIA). It  made them their official clothing partner.

Exciting news
We are thrilled to announce the partnership between Alpha Tauri and the FIA as the first Official Clothing Partner, from 2024 to 2026.

Get ready for a fusion of automotive technology and high fashion, redefining style in the world of
motorsport! pic.twitter.com/NNXin5CjXR

— FIA (@fia) February 19, 2024

In 2023, Red Bull again decided to revamp its sister F1 team’s branding. The resultant name has been a mouthful of chaos – Visa Cash App RB or V-CARB in short. This already had fans raging over the champion team on why it made such a sponsorship-focused rebrand of its second team.

Meanwhile, the resumption and extension of the technical collaboration between Red Bull and V-CARB, has also got a lot of criticism in the F1 paddock. Add to that, AlphaTauri, Red Bull’s fashion arm partnering with the FIA is just making matters worse in terms of fans’ opinion.

Fans label the AlphaTauri-FIA partnership as a “conflict of interest” for Red Bull

Several fans have reacted with frustration and anger to FIA’s AlphaTauri partnership. The sentiments on social media forums suggest how this could be a potential conflict of interest situation.

Many fans have been complaining about how the FIA has been allegedly favoring Red Bull in the past few years. This is a natural sentiment against any champion team, and so it has been with Red Bull. Though, now some fans will double down on this by saying that the FIA officials will be wearing “clothes made by Red Bull”.

Do you think it will look a bit sus if the stewards and race control are literally wearing clothes made by Red Bull?

FIA: pic.twitter.com/kAO8pO1rNQ

— Spanners (@SpannersReady) February 19, 2024

A fan named Rob Myers, lambasted the partnership as an “absolute clown show” by citing how partnering with a team’s private fashion arm upholds “fairness”?

What was that the @fia were just saying about “upholding the highest standards of integrity, fairness and inclusivity”?

You could not make this up. An absolute clown show of a governing body. #F1 pic.twitter.com/kSvR3xq3zX

— Rob Myers (@RobLMyers) February 19, 2024

One fan also contrasted this situation with the Susie Wolff saga. Given how that investigation was under the pretext of a conflict of interest, fans may also question if this is a similar case for Red Bull’s fashion brand.

so let me get it straight, susie wolff being married is a conflict of interest but the fia partnering with alpha tauri (red bull) is okay?

— marco¹⁴ (@RT3NENBAUM) February 19, 2024

Already there was a lot of criticism against Red Bull owning two teams. The entire rebrand of RB has also enraged fans. To top that, even the FIA has been under persistent attack for its inconsistency in race decisions since Abu Dhabi 2021.

Even if it was entirely above board and super separate from the racing elements of the business, no right-minded organisation would utilise a brand from one of the sports teams it governs – because it’s such a massive and unnecessary conflict of interest.

Bizarre. But standard… https://t.co/5f3CX0QOjD

— Brad Philpot (@BradleyPhilpot) February 19, 2024

Overall, it seems as though FIA and Red Bull can’t catch a break with anything they do. A lot of it could have to do with the dominance of the latter, especially after they won 19 out of 22 races in 2023.

The post “Absolute Clown Show”: Outrage Erupts With Accusations of FIA Selling out to Red Bull With Disastrous AlphaTauri Deal appeared first on The SportsRush.

“May be suspicious so let’s see the car that rocks out on day one at Bahrain because I’m not sure. It’s going to be that car like this could just be a oh we’re just having a joke,” said Collins on the Sky Sports F1 podcast. In response, Matt Baker phrased it as a “dummy car.” 

“Yeah exactly so so I’m I’m highly suspicious,” said Collins further. She also said that Red Bull had no need to make major transformations from last year’s concept. Considering, everything was going well for the team which lost only one race last year. They had no reason to discontinue the work which did wonders for them.

Adrian Newey, who is the chief technical officer at Red Bull and whom many believe to be the mastermind of the current Red Bull dominance, calls it an evolution of last year’s car. Moreover, he credits his team for adding an immense amount of innovation.

The drivers also got to look at the car when the Red Bull livery launch happened. And the initial feedback by both drivers has been somewhat affirmative of the actions done by their team.

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen are impressed by Red Bull

Autosport quoted Perez calling the RB20 a “brave” move by his team. He, like others, reiterated that Red Bull has a cushion with their last year’s dominance and had no need to make major reforms in the concept. For him, this shows the immense amount of hunger his team has for excellence.

“Max is on top form, it will be really hard to beat him, but we definitely have to improve on last year”

Sergio Perez on his aims for the 2024 season pic.twitter.com/060Hkk9rS8

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 15, 2024

On the other hand, Verstappen got a peek inside the new design three months before the fans, and he revealed his initial reaction. He claims that he was amazed by the new design and was pleased to witness a move away from being conservative.

Both drivers agree that the RB20 first needs to hit the road before all the hype around it. Though, experts tout Red Bull as the favorite to win the title at this stage of the year, a radical change can indeed bite back.

Excited to get back in the car this week pic.twitter.com/hpz5RyYk5u

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) February 19, 2024

Meanwhile, there is excitement around the new concepts by Ferrari and Mercedes. Also, McLaren’s late rise in the season has also aroused expectations. Lastly, the current car designs are expected to be transferred into 2025 as it will be the last year of the current regulations. Thus, making mistakes even more unforgiving.

The post ‘Suspicious’ Ex-McLaren Engineer Jokes Red Bull Is Presenting a Dummy Car Before They Actually Unleash Their True Self appeared first on The SportsRush.

As per Autosport, Perez said, “It just shows how much this team is looking to move forward and pushing all the boundaries. It’s really great to see. It just shows the hunger that there is in this team.”

“You know, we had such a dominant car last year that you wouldn’t imagine us changing the concept as much, and I think it’s really brave from Red Bull to do that.”, stated the Mexican driver.

Newey had no reason to go for a drastic change like this after their mega dominance in 2023. The Milton-Keynes-based team took 21 wins out of 22 races. With this, they took their tally to 38 wins in 44 races in two years following the introduction of new regulations in 2022. In terms of points, Max Verstappen and Co. were miles ahead of the rest.

Season 2024 pic.twitter.com/uJk3IRGGTC

— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) February 16, 2024

Therefore, Red Bull had the luxury to subtly improve their car and release the RB20. But Newey had other ideas. He knew rivals would try to close the gap this year. Teams like McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes have good chances of cracking the winning code and Newey knew he had to stay a step ahead.

As Red Bull expectedly may provide Perez with a race-winning car once again, fans would expect him to step up in 2024. After a dismal season in 2023, the Mexican star is set to be back in his groove and win races.

Can Perez perform at Red Bull this year?

Sergio Perez had an underwhelming season where he claimed only two wins, compared to his teammate Max Verstappen’s 19. The 34-year-old also finished 290 points behind the Dutchman in the Drivers’ Championship. Verstappen amassed 575 points, while Perez claimed 285 points.

As Perez gears up for his 14th season in Formula 1, he is more cautious than ever. He explained that he had issues with the car while engineers developed his car. With much of the development being done, Perez expects to be at his very best in 2024.

Can’t wait to see this helmet out on track pic.twitter.com/wCVsBltduS

— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) February 14, 2024

Nonetheless, the 34-year-old needs to perform. Firstly because he couldn’t prove his worth in Red Bull while driving the RB19 alongside Verstappen. Secondly, this is his last contractual year at the Austrian team. Therefore, the Mexican star needs to up his game if he wishes to stay in contention for a Red Bull contract in 2025.

Daniel Ricciardo, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda are all waiting in the wings for their Red Bull berth. Hence, Sergio Perez needs to be more than just a support driver in Red Bull to help them claim the Constructors’ Championship.

The post Sergio Perez Lauds Red Bull for Its ‘Bravery’ as No Major Car Concept Overhaul Was Asked Amidst Domination appeared first on The SportsRush.

According to Motorsport.com, the Dutchman revealed this detail during the unveiling of the RB20. He said, “When I arrived at Red Bull eight years ago, I basically adopted this design from Daniel [Ricciardo] and it hasn’t changed much since then. Yeah, I copied it all from him.”

Max Verstappen highlighted that Ricciardo‘s steering setup goes well with his aggressive driving style. Hence, the three-time world champion believes it was a “logical thing” to take such insights from his senior teammate. So to date, he uses the same design, with minor changes over the years.

Verstappen then also justified why he doesn’t wish to change his steering wheel setup. He mentioned if he is “happy with how the steering works”, then he sees no need to change anything as such.

Over the years, Max Verstappen has had to make some adjustments to his steering wheel. This was when Red Bull Racing switched engine suppliers in 2019 from Renault to Honda. However, the Dutchman cited that those changes were not major and not very relevant. It was just to get it more in line with Honda’s requirements.

The quirks of an F1 Steering wheel

When Walter Koster cited in the famous 2014 press conference how Sebastian Vettel once stated that he had to start his car like a computer, it gave people an idea of how complicated an F1 steering may be. That is the reason every steering wheel is customized as per a driver’s needs.

Normally, an F1 steering wheel has roughly 25 different buttons and switches, according to Mercedes F1’s official website. So, teams have to customize the layout of all these buttons to ensure the driver is comfortable and knows the positions of all his switches.

It is naturally up to the driver to handle all the settings of his steering wheel during a Grand Prix. To juggle the concentration of keeping the car on track at 200 mph and hitting the right buttons at the right time is all the talent and skill that drivers get millions of dollars in salary for.

Shifting gears using the gear paddles, and changing their brake balance for different corners, all these aspects need hours and hours of testing and practice. Naturally, drivers get used to it, and making changes to their steering wheel becomes a part of their subconscious.

The cost of an F1 steering wheel is around $50,000, according to Red Bull’s official website. However, there are no reliable reports that accurately estimate the price of F1 steerings of different teams and drivers.

Still, the approximate range will be around $50k to $100k. Given a driver carries around three to four steering wheels at a race, this cost is estimated to be between $200k and $300k.

The post Max Verstappen Admits ‘Copying’ All of Daniel Ricciardo’s Steering Wheel When He Joined Red Bull appeared first on The SportsRush.

Amid the shocking allegations against Horner, Auto Motor und Sport put out a report that reveals the various individuals that can replace the 50-year-old if Red Bull GmbH does end up sacking him. As per the report, “If there is an internal solution, team manager Jonathan Wheatley could take the helm. Brand ambassador David Coulthard would also be an alternative”.

Although Coulthard may not have achieved the kind of success that Vettel achieved with Red Bull Racing, the Scottish driver was yet one of the most prominent figures of the team. After racing for McLaren for nine years, Coulthard joined Red Bull Racing in their formative years, building the foundation before Vettel replaced him in 2009.

He competed in four full seasons for the Milton Keynes-based outfit and clinched two podiums with them, including the team’s first at the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix. While Coulthard was arguably a part of one of Red Bull Racing’s most cherished memories, it is pertinent to note that he does not have any significant leadership experience.

When it comes to leadership, Red Bull Racing just cannot look past Horner. The 50-year-old has led the side from their very first season in 2005. Since he is such a key figure, the team have not taken any decision to sideline him. They just await for Red Bull GmbH’s investigation to conclude and for a decision to come from the parent company.

Christian Horner has denied allegations of “inappropriate behavior” altogether

Christian Horner has made his stance clear on the allegations of “inappropriate behavior” by denying any wrongdoing. In a recent interview with Sky Sports’ Craig Slater, Horner revealed that he is just waiting for the investigation to conclude, one that he labeled as a mere “distraction” for his side.

Although Horner may have denied the allegations, F1 seems to be growing increasingly impatient. They recently released a statement, urging Red Bull GmbH to conclude their investigation as soon as possible.

Since the nature of the allegations is so serious, F1 perhaps does not want to begin the 2024 season and have a team principal who is still under investigation. What makes matters worse is that there have constantly been all kinds of reports that add to further speculations about why is Red Bull GmbH finding it so difficult to make a decision.

For example, as per a report from the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Horner’s lawyers shockingly attempted to reach a settlement with the female employee following her allegations of “inappropriate behavior” against the Briton. The report adds that Horner’s lawyers attempted to pay the employee $820,000 in compensation.

However, despite such allegations, Horner was present for Red Bull’s RB20 launch. For him and the rest of his team, it seemed business as usual. The Red Bull Racing team simply ignored the background chatter and had a successful launch.

The post Christian Horner Can Be Replaced by Sebastian Vettel’s Predecessor at Red Bull appeared first on The SportsRush.

As quoted by Fastest Pitstop’s X handle, F1’s statement reads,

“We have noted Red Bull has instigated an independent investigation into internal allegations at Red Bull Racing. We hope (the) matter will be clarified at (the) earliest opportunity, after a fair & thorough process. Will not comment further at this time“.

F1 too, seems to be growing increasingly desperate for Red Bull to come to a conclusion since an ongoing investigation against a current team principal will not bode well for the sport. What makes the matter worse is the nature of the allegations against the British boss.

Contrasting reports have emerged recently that gives more depth into these allegations made against Horner. Most reports suggest that Red Bull GmbH is investigating him after receiving an “inappropriate behavior” complaint from a female employee of the team.

Meanwhile, there is also another report that Horner is being investigated for harsh behavior towards his employees. Irrespective of what the nature of the allegation is, it is pertinent to note that Horner has denied any kind of “inappropriate behavior“.

Since Horner is such a key part of Red Bull Racing, he will continue as the team principal at least until the investigation continues. The team will ask him to step down, only if he is found guilty. However, since the nature of the allegations against Horner is so grave, the reports just do not end here.

Christian Horner’s lawyers reportedly tried to reach a settlement with the employee

According to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Christian Horner’s lawyers reportedly tried to reach a settlement with the employee, who launched the “inappropriate behavior” allegations against the Briton. The report adds that Horner’s lawyers offered the unnamed female employee $820,000 in compensation.

However, Horner has mentioned these reports as mere “distraction(s)“. The 50-year-old, who was present during Red Bull’s RB20 launch, said that his sole focus for 2024 is to help his side achieve success on the race track. He denied the allegations even then and said that he hopes that the ongoing investigation concludes soon.

Considering the nature of the allegations, no one from the team has spoken much about it. Even Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko, who is usually a nightmare for the team’s public relations department, chose to stay tight-lipped when asked about the allegations.

The Austrian simply stated (as quoted by planetf1.com), “I can’t say anything else on this subject. As long as the investigation is ongoing or there is no result, you won’t hear anything from me. It is an ongoing process“. Now, not just Red Bull, but the entire F1 fraternity is eagerly awaiting for the investigation of the team’s parent company to conclude.

The post Christian Horner News: What Did Formula 1 Say About Red Bull Boss’ Investigation? appeared first on The SportsRush.

Verstappen has, on more than one occasion, slammed the concept of Sprint Races. However, even with F1 revamping the schedule, the #1 driver is least interested. Soymotor.com quoted the 26-year-old as saying, “The change makes a little more logic, but I am not more excited about winning or fighting in this type of races.”

F1’s sprint race format is set to be reshuffled for 2024 with grand prix qualifying to be moved to Saturdays, following a recent #F1 Commission meeting

Are you a fan of the potential changes? pic.twitter.com/yUGuPIMeXB

— Autosport (@autosport) February 11, 2024

The new Sprint format is intended to make the Grand Prix weekend more exciting than before. With a Qualifying session each on Friday and Saturday along with two races back-to-back, the entire weekend will have full-throttle action non-stop.

That being said, Verstappen still remains unimpressed. He has always been a very strong critic of the concept, and has even gone as far as saying that the idea is to only generate maximum revenue.

However, despite his criticism, he is yet the most successful driver during Sprint Race weekends. The Dutchman has so far won a whopping  7 out of the 12 Sprint Races that have taken place.

Why does Max Verstappen disagree with Lewis Hamilton about Sprint Races?

When the concept was first introduced for the 2021 season, even Lewis Hamilton was apprehensive about it. However, soon after, the Briton began enjoying such weekends. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen continues to remain unimpressed.

Back at the 2021 Sao Paulo GP, the stewards forced Hamilton to start from P20 in the Sprint Race. After a heroic performance, he scrambled up to P5 for the main race on Sunday. He then again got a 5-place grid penalty.

However, from P10, he went on to win the race. After his win, Hamilton dubbed the race as “the most special race of my career,” per Formula1.com.

One of the most iconic F1 2021 moment is definitely in Brazil when the marshal snatched the flag from a verstappen fan and ran to hand it over to Lewis Hamilton.

What we witnessed during that weekend too was a true champion’s drive. pic.twitter.com/L9Rb9I6CNX

— (@lewisstargirl) May 25, 2022

On the other hand, Verstappen has never been inspired by any of the Sprint Races he’s taken part in or won. Despite winning more than 50% of the Sprint events, he still remains one of the harshest critics of the concept.

Moreover, the extreme commercialization of the sport has also irked the Dutchman. As a result, he has been touted to drop out of the sport before he even turns 30.

The post “I Am Not More Excited”: Despite Reforms From Formula 1, Max Verstappen Isn’t Keen on Participating in Sprint Races appeared first on The SportsRush.