Christian Horner paid tribute to Dietrich Mateschitz but criticised fellow competitors. Photo / Don Kennedy
Don Kennedy on Formula One
Academy award-winning actor Brad Pitt was on a special quest at the USGP in Austin Texas, gathering information and support for a future F1 movie. But as great an actor, and film producer as he may be, it is unlikely he could write a script that would come close to matching the reality of the grand prix itself, that had intrigue, drama and emotion, and that was before the drivers had started racing!
Max Verstappen arrived at The Circuit of the Americas knowing another race victory would equal the record of 13 in one season, held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel, and give his Red Bull team its first Constructors' title in nine years.
The Austrian-owned team, based at Milton Keynes in England, last won the Constructor's title in 2013. But he couldn't have imagined that before qualifying, the news would come through that Red Bull magnate Dietrich Mateschitz had died following a lengthy illness, and the team would start the race under two dark clouds, one related to the ongoing saga of "Costgate" and the other, the effect on team morale, knowing the owner of the team was no longer with them. In the end, Verstappen and his team would overcome the emotions of losing their financial backer, to deliver yet another victory in the most trying of circumstances. Needless to say, Verstappen and team boss Christian Horner, would dedicate their success to the memory of Mateschitz.
Three weeks ago in Japan, Verstappen clinched a second consecutive driver's title, but arrived in Austin amidst rumours that both his 2021 and 2022 titles were under threat due to possible FIA penalties for breaching the cost cap rule by an undisclosed amount, said to be as much as $2 million by some rival teams. But Horner told Sky Sports the amount of the discrepancy was no more than $200,000, and he was irritated during a press conference with McLaren's Zak Brown who, he said, had effectively accused Red Bull of cheating.
Brown had written a letter to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali and explained in the press conference what it said.
"My letter set out that I think if a team spends more than the cap they are going to get an advantage, and the cap is a rule, no different to the technical rules in the sport," he said.
"We are not taking a view whether they did or didn't, my letter was if someone has, then here are the things that we think should be addressed, no different than if a ride height is incorrect or a flexi wing or whatever the case may be. I didn't mention any teams. It was a general response, now that we are into the cost cap era if someone breaches that, here's what we think some of the ramifications are."
"I have no idea what the number is, but if we had more money to spend-more people, more upgrades, whatever the case may be, we feel it is a performance benefit if someone has spent more than the allocated cost cap."
Brown's letter may not have mentioned Red Bull by name, but Horner seated next to him, was totally unimpressed with his competitor's insinuation.
"Zak's letter wasn't copied to us. Obviously, we've had sight of that letter and it's tremendously disappointing for a fellow competitor to be accusing you of cheating, to accuse you of a fraudulent activity is shocking," Horner protested.
"It's absolutely shocking that another competitor without the facts, without any knowledge of the details, can be making that kind of accusation. We've been on trial because of public accusations since Singapore.
And the rhetoric of cheats, the rhetoric that we've had this enormous benefit. The numbers put out in the media are miles out of reality. And the damage that does to the brand, to our partners, to our drivers, to our workforce, in an age when mental health is prevalent, we are seeing significant issues within our workforce," he noted.
"We are getting kids that have been bullied in playgrounds that are our employee's children, that is not right through fictitious allegations from other teams, and you cannot go around just making that kind of allegation without any facts or substance. So, we are absolutely appalled at the behaviour of some of our competitors."
That exchange took place on the Friday, but matters got worse for Red Bull the next day. Just before qualifying, Horner summoned all team personnel to the Red Bull headquarters in the paddock to inform that Dietrich Mateschitz, the 78-year-old co-founder of the Red Bull energy drink company, and owner of the Red Bull and Alpha Tauri F1 teams, had died. The Austrian magnate had an estimated wealth of US$24.5 billion and owns the Red Bull Ring in Speilberg, which hosts the Austrian GP.
The Sky Sports team covering qualifying, at first thought the team gathering related to some dramatic turnaround in the cost gap breach case, but it soon became apparent that the issue was one of personal sadness for the 100's of F1 personnel who can thank Mateschitz for his interest in F1 as both a fan and as a business opportunity to expand the Red Bull brand worldwide.
There were plenty of sceptics around when Red Bull joined F1 in 2005, but it only took them six seasons to win the first of four world championships in 2010, through to 2013, with Sebastian Vettel as the champion driver.
Despite the dramatic pre-qualifying news, Verstappen managed to qualify second on the grid behind pole-sitter Carlos Sainz, while Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso all took grid penalties for engine-related replacement issues.
Lewis Hamilton has ominously qualified third, and Mercedes promised it would race with an aggressive race strategy. And so it would prove.
Sainz's race ended at the first corner when he was turned around by George Russell, the Mercedes driver incurring a 5-second time penalty for his trouble. Two safety-car periods followed, one to retrieve the stricken Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas and the other for the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll which was hit from behind by Alonso's Aipline. That was because Stroll had moved over slightly as Alonso went to pass him down the long back straight.
The Alpine was launched into the air and landed with a thump against the barrier. But miraculously, Alonso was able to pit and resume. He would drop to the rear of the field, but from there he drove an aggressive race and crossed the finish line in 7th place. The driver of the race you would think, but that honour went to Vettel who found himself leading a grand prix for the first time this year, albeit on a different strategy.
As the Sky sport commentators noted, Hamilton, after overtaking Vettel, had a great chance of winning his first grand prix for the season, to maintain his record of having won a grand prix every year since entering F1 in 2007. But it wasn't to be, as Verstappen, who lost two spots due to a slow pit stop, passed Leclerc and then took off in pursuit of Hamilton, catching and then overtaking him with six laps to go. Victory number 13 was his, joining M Schumacher and Vettel on that record number, but with still three races to go to set a new mark. Horner was on the team car radio.
"Max Verstappen, you are world champion! We are world champions Thank you Dietrich Mateschitz. This one's for you."
Talking later to Sky Sports, Horner explained the team's emotions with the passing of Mateschitz.
"It means the world to us, I'm just so happy that he got to see Max retain the Driver's [championship] in Japan," Horner said. "And the Constructor's, that's been a big one as well, because eight years and we were out of it for a few of them, but we've never lost hope and we never stopped fighting and believing in ourselves. And so, to be able to come back and do this is testament to every man and woman in the team, in the company."
"It's been a hugely emotional weekend and that was the best possible way we could have won that race. I think Dietrich would have been very proud of that."
Verstappen echoed the sentiments expressed by Horner.
"It's been a tough weekend for us and that's why we really wanted to do well today," he said. "It was all looking great up until that pit stop and then we had to work for it a little bit harder than we would have liked. This is I think a typical race Dietrich would have loved to have seen. Without him, I wouldn't be sitting here today."
For Hamilton, it was a question of what might have been, but also a warning that Mercedes is close to returning to its winning ways.
"I feel shattered," Hamilton told David Coulthard. "The car was a handful today. It felt amazing firstly to be in the lead. That's something we've been working so hard on as a team through the year and I felt so much hope. But it's okay, we'll hold on to that, we'll keep pushing. Go try and get everything we can in these next three (races). It will come to us at some stage."
The next race is in Mexico this weekend, and Stroll will have a three-pace grid penalty for causing a collision with Alonso. The latter thanks to a protest lodged by the Haas team, was given a 30-second time penalty because a wing mirror, damaged in the crash with Stroll, flew off during the race, which the race stewards deemed dangerous, noting he should have received a blue and orange flag but didn't.
Alpine has lodged a counter-protest, noting that Perez wasn't given a penalty for having a front wing plate fly off during the race, questioning how that was deemed safe, yet Alonso's mirror loss wasn't. Red Bull might consider it got away with one, but still faces an FIA penalty for exceeding the cost cap limit. The championships may have been decided, but the results are not yet final.
- Sources: F1.com, Sky Sports F1.