Mario and Michael Andretti were “devastated” by F1’s rejection of their team’s bid for a place on the grid. Photo / Don Kennedy
It has been far from a normal start and situation for some teams leading up to the first day of pre-season testing on February 21, and the first race in Bahrain on March 2.
Hot on the heels of the bombshell revelation that Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari in 2025, came the news that Red Bull boss Christian Horner was under investigation for alleged inappropriate and controlling behaviour with a female employee. Details have not been revealed by the team or Horner. The latter simply indicated he has done nothing wrong, and vehemently denies the allegation, while the Red Bull owners called in an independent lawyer to investigate the allegation.
“After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation,” the statement read. “This process, which is already under way, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister. The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
If the lawyer was appointed, and presumably paid by the Red Bull company, you could question how independent that investigation is. Social media suggests this may be part of an internal struggle between the family of the late Dietrich Mateschitz, the Red Bull magnate, Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko, and Horner. The allegation is said to be about Horner’s “controlling behaviour” around the female employee, who has continued in her employment, as has Horner, who has been in charge of Red Bull since the team entered F1 in 2005.
Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard is wary of social media comments on the matter.
“I’ve seen all sorts of overreaction on social media, you know, people calling for Christian to resign, and for him to be suspended … all of these sorts of things. But, as always, everybody deserves their moment to be able to explain their position,” Coulthard commented.
With the new car set to be launched on February 15, it is believed Horner will be absent from that event, as the investigation continues. He has apparently spent eight hours being interviewed by the lawyer; Red Bull was careful not to call it a hearing. Whatever the outcome, this is not the way the defending champions would want to begin the pre-season build-up. The negative publicity surrounding Horner could prove a distraction and adversely affect the title defence.
News of Hamilton’s move, and the Horner saga, came just after F1 stated it had rejected the application by Andretti-Cadillac to appear on the grid in 2025. Although the FIA had approved the addition of Andretti as the 11th team to the grid, the F1 owners, Liberty Media, rejected the bid with some scathing comments.
“Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the championship,” the F1 statement said.
“The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the Applicant would be a competitive participant.”
“While the Andretti name carries some recognition for F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around. We do not believe the Applicant has shown it would add value to the Championship. We conclude that the Applicant’s application to participate in the Championship should not be successful.”
The response from Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, was one of shock and disbelief. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) Andretti Senior said: “I’m devastated. I won’t say anything else because I can’t find any words besides devastated.”
His son Michael was set to be the team principal, so the F1 rejection is a major setback to the team’s plans. Given the United States is considered a huge market for F1, and now hosts three grand prix, the F1 decision is both surprising and alarming. Thanks to Netflix, F1 has found a whole new audience and a much younger one, but the F1 owners’ reasoning seems to fly in the face of logic and reality.
Andretti-Cadillac could still join the grid because the FIA dishes out the licences, not the owners, but it would mean the team would have no F1 funding and would have to pay a $200 million entry fee. So, unless Andretti can buy another team already on the grid, one of the most iconic names in motor racing circles will be absent from F1 at least until 2028 when they could try to enter again with General Motors as the engine supplier.
Hamilton’s move to Ferrari has continued to dominate the headlines and at least half a dozen drivers have been linked to the Mercedes seat that he will vacate at season end. Those drivers include Carlos Sainz, the driver Hamilton replaces at Ferrari, Mick Schumacher, who is a Mercedes reserve driver, and Alex Albon, currently at Williams, who many thought drove exceptionally well last year. Esteban Ocon, who is still part of the Mercedes driver programme, and Fernando Alonso, who at age 42 continues to defy the ageing process, are also possibilities. The sixth is Sebastian Vettel who has apparently hinted a return to F1 is on the cards as he is bored in retirement. Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff, has plenty of time to make a decision.
It is not going to be easy for Hamilton to spend a year at Mercedes when his heart is possibly already at Ferrari. Sainz will feel he has nothing to lose and have no loyalty to Ferrari as he sees out his contract. But of course, F1 drivers are there to win and that is the message Charles Leclerc will have for Hamilton when he arrives.
“To win the championship, this the only target I have, “Leclerc told the Daily Mail. “I’m only happy when I win, second place is not my target.’
Former F1 driver Marc Surer thinks Leclerc could be a problem for Hamilton, and the latter is taking a “big risk.”
“Leclerc is a big problem for Hamilton because Leclerc will be faster,” Surer claims.
“Anything else would be a big surprise. It reminds me a bit of the situation with Michael Schumacher during his comeback with Mercedes. A certain Nico Rosberg put him in his place. And Lewis Hamilton could feel the same way.”
To date, Haas, Stake, Alpine, Williams and Visa CashAppRB (formerly Alpha Tauri) have displayed the livery of their new cars. Most look very similar in design to last year’s cars. Stake, the former Alfa Romeo car has changed from a striking red and black livery to a green and white look, that is close to the Aston Martin livery.
Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is never far from the news, whether it be appearing in court on fraud charges, or making outrageous statements such as he would “take a bullet” for Putin. He was asked recently by the Mail who is the best driver in F1.
“Max is the best driver ever,” Ecclestone said. “I used to say Alain Prost. Now I would say Max. He’s the greatest. He is brightest with regards to getting the best out of the car. He doesn’t muck around. He gets right on with the programme. In my list he is above Lewis Hamilton.”
Prost, a four-time world champion and winner of 51 grand prix, revealed some frustration with his career, when talking to Motor Sport Magazine.
“I do ask myself sometimes how I am going to be remembered. It sounds like a joke but I’m completely underrated! I know that. I can see, I don’t know why, but it’s my brand in a way,” he explained.
His rivalry with Ayrton Senna is legendary but he says he’s had “other teammates like [John] Watson, [Rene} Arnoux, [Eddie] Cheever, [Niki]Lauda, Keke [ Rosberg] Nigel [Mansell] Jean [Alesi] and Damon [Hill]. Nobody talks about them. I had five world champions as teammates so it’s a bit of a shame, but it is the way it is.”
He too is a Verstappen fan.
“I like him very much because he’s a little bit different in the way he thinks and speaks,” Prost said. “Even in Vegas he was focused on racing and winning. People can like him or not, but at least you must recognize you are not obliged to have the same approach, for me its good to see a driver like him,” Prost added. “At least he says what he thinks and is not afraid of the political game. I like that.”
When it was suggested to Prost that he was a political figure, he denied it.
“I never asked anybody to set up my car, that is for sure. The other drivers couldn’t drive with my set-up, anyway. I always did my job. Political? I don’t accept that.
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