Latest news with #RB21
Newsweek
3 minutes ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda Open up About First Race With New Red Bull Boss
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda have opened up about the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, their first race with new Red Bull Racing CEO and team principal Laurent Mekies. Mekies, who led Red Bull's junior F1 team Racing Bulls, replaced Christian Horner after the British Grand Prix. Mekies is Red Bull's first team boss after Horner since the team's inception in 2005. While the reason for Horner's sudden ousting remains unknown, Mekies' promotion to Red Bull arrives at a time when the team has been experiencing ongoing struggles with its RB21 car. For the first time in the current ground effect era, beginning in 2022, Verstappen isn't leading the Drivers' Championship. Tsunoda was promoted from Racing Bulls after the Chinese Grand Prix, swapping places with Liam Lawson, who was demoted to the team. The Japanese driver has been struggling to adapt to the RB21, a challenge similar to the one that his predecessors, Lawson and Sergio Perez both experienced. Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing talk on the fan forums stage prior to final practice ahead of the F1 Grand... Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing talk on the fan forums stage prior to final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 28, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. MoreAdditionally, there are rumors of Verstappen's ongoing talks with Mercedes for a potential switch in 2026, which could concern Mekies. Speaking to about the upcoming race at Spa with Mekies, Verstappen said: "I was back at the factory last week to spend some time in the sim with the team. I'm looking forward to working closely with Laurent. "Spa is a classic and always my favourite track on the calendar, a very old school circuit where you have to do everything right to get a good lap. I enjoy the high-speed corners such as Eau Rouge, the layout which is different to other circuits and elevation changes that make the track more of a challenge to drive." Tsunoda's experience working with Mekies at Racing Bulls will help him bond again. He added: "We are coming into this race in a new era for the team and it will be good to link up again with Laurent. We worked really well together at... Racing Bulls. I know how he likes to work and our full focus is on pushing forward and for me personally to start delivering the performance we need. "Spa is a fun circuit and one that could suit us well. The Sprint always makes things tricky but the work and preparation we have done in this off time should set us up nicely. "I have spent the time off racing mixed between training very hard and using the break to mentally reset. I wanted to be the best prepared I could be coming into Spa and in better condition, mentally and physically. I am feeling strong and sharp and looking forward to these next two races before summer break."
Newsweek
3 minutes ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Liam Lawson Breaks Silence on Yuki Tsunoda's Red Bull Struggles
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson has commented on Yuki Tsunoda's ongoing struggles at Red Bull Racing, following his swap with Tsunoda early in the season. The Japanese driver has been experiencing challenges with the RB21 F1 car, leading to a significant gap in performance to his teammate, Max Verstappen. Lawson was promoted to Red Bull from the sister F1 team, Racing Bulls, after the 2024 season, replacing Sergio Perez. However, his underwhelming performances in the first two rounds of the 2025 season led Red Bull to swap him with Tsunoda. However, Tsunoda has been facing similar problems to those encountered by Lawson and Perez. He has been struggling to adapt to Red Bull's F1 car, which is reportedly suited to Verstappen. Perez, Lawson, and Tsunoda didn't come close to matching Verstappen's performance, a point that hints at the theory of the car being designed around the four-time world champion. Tsunoda has scored points in three races out of the 12 Grands Prix that have gone by thus far, with his best position being P9. Lawson has scored points in two races with a best finish of P6. Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls talk on the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at... Yuki Tsunoda of Japan and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls talk on the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on April 06, 2025 in Suzuka, Japan. MoreThe New Zealander revealed that he does feel less burdened when witnessing Tsunoda's difficulties with Red Bull's challenger, given his demotion after the second round in China. When asked by Sky Sports F1 if watching Tsunoda struggle reduced the pressure on him, Lawson said: "Potentially yes. At the same time, I had two races and honestly didn't get to grips with it at all in that time, so it is something I won't know. "It was a couple of very tough weekends, and I worked my whole career to get to Red Bull Racing, and it was a tough start to the season. "I'm super proud of the guys and girls because there has been a lot of work to help me get comfortable in this car, and it has felt good." Lawson revealed in another interview that Red Bull did not give him enough time to adapt to the RB21. Newsweek Sports reported: "I didn't have anywhere near enough time on two tracks that I had never been to to really understand [the car]. I didn't have enough feel for the car to be able to comment on what its speed is like or things like that. "We were working on things to improve it and make it better for me, and I never got the chance to use it, so all I can comment on is the Racing Bulls car because that's what I've spent most of my time driving."
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Liam Lawson Claims Red Bull Didn't Allow Him Time to Fully Adapt to RB21
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson has revealed that Red Bull Racing didn't allow him enough time to adapt to the RB21 F1 car early this year. Lawson's struggles with the car led Red Bull to demote him to its junior F1 team after the first two races of the 2025 season. Lawson was assessed alongside Yuki Tsunoda at Racing Bulls (then VCARB) during the second half of the 2024 season when Sergio Perez struggled to score points in the RB20. Red Bull faced challenges with the car's balance, amplifying Perez's challenges. After the season finale, Red Bull decided to part ways with the Mexican driver and promoted Lawson to the seat alongside Max Verstappen. Tsunoda, on the other hand, missed out on the chance to race for Red Bull because the team claimed that Lawson performed more consistently. However, Lawson finished with a DNF in the opening round in Australia, followed by a P12 in China, prompting Red Bull to reverse its decision. The Milton Keynes-based team demoted Lawson to Racing Bulls, while Tsunoda was promoted to Red Bull. Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App RB speaks of delight in the media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria.... Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App RB speaks of delight in the media pen during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. MoreSince the demotion, Lawson showed signs of improvement by scoring points in Monaco and Austria. However, the New Zealander has now admitted that Red Bull didn't allow him enough time to get comfortable with the RB21. He told the media: "I didn't have anywhere near enough time on two tracks that I had never been to to really understand [the car]. I didn't have enough feel for the car to be able to comment on what its speed is like or things like that. "We were working on things to improve it and make it better for me, and I never got the chance to use it, so all I can comment on is the Racing Bulls car because that's what I've spent most of my time driving." Lawson then acknowledged that he was learning at Racing Bulls as the team looks for ways to improve the VCARB 02 F1 car. He added: "We're always learning and developing and trying things, and everybody has developed their cars, so we are not finding three-tenths of lap-time in an upgrade. "We're finding half-a-tenth, so it is small margins, and it is the first full season [I've had], so there are things along the way that I am learning." While the situation could be improving for Lawson, the same can't be said for Tsunoda, who continues to face challenges with the RB21. With the car more suited to Verstappen, Tsunoda has managed to score points in just three races thus far. He sits in P17 in the Drivers' Standings, trailing Lawson by just two points.
Metro
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Metro
Red Bull decide to sack driver just days after Christian Horner exit
Just days after Red Bull axed Christian Horner, the Formula 1 giants have reportedly decided to sack one of their drivers. Last week, Red Bull announced that Horner had been 'relieved of his operational duties' having lead the team for over two decades. The dismissal of the team principal, husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, comes after months of tension within the team and a sharp decline in performance on the track. While Max Verstappen has won two races this season and sits third in the standings, he will relinquish his championship crown to either Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris of McLaren. The RB21 is proving incredibly difficult to drive, as evidenced by the woeful results of Verstappen's teammates, who have scored a combined seven points to the Dutchman's 165. Young Liam Lawson was picked by Horner to replace Sergio Perez for 2025 but was brutally axed after just two races, with the more experienced Yuki Tsunoda replacing him. The Japanese driver has not fared much better however, failing to finish higher than ninth and not scoring any points in the last five grand prix. And it seems patience has run out for the 25-year-old, with GPblog claiming that Red Bull have decided not to extend his contract, though he will be allowed to see out the rest of the season. It might not be the end of the road for Tsunoda however, as it is said his representatives recently held talks with Cadillac who are joining the grid in 2026, while he also continues to be linked to Aston Martin. If all this is true, Red Bull could have an entirely new driver line-up next year with four-time champion Verstappen in talks to join rivals Mercedes. More Trending Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar would be first in line to step up to the senior Red Bull team following his impressive start to life in F1, with Lawson also under consideration. This would open the door for 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad, a Red Bull junior and Formula 2 star, to be fast-tracked to Racing Bulls and become the fifth British driver on the grid after Norris, Sir Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Ollie Bearman. The F1 season continues with the Belgian Grand Prix on July 27. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Inside Christian Horner and Geri Halliwell's sprawling countryside homes with mini farm MORE: How much did Christian Horner make as Red Bull chief before dismissal? MORE: Inside Christian Horner's marriage to Geri Halliwell as he's sacked from Red Bull
Spectator
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- Spectator
In defence of Christian Horner
Christian Horner has very beady eyes. If you sit opposite him, his shark-like spotlights will dart around you, probably in the hope there's someone more important he can talk to, but also spying for threats and opportunities. His sacking as the team principal of Red Bull Racing after 20 years in the job has caught the paddock off-guard. We were at Eddie Jordan's memorial on Monday at Central Hall Westminster with F1 powerbrokers past and present and none of them knew this was coming. But Horner surely did, and I bet he's one step ahead. Christian has faced more threats than opportunities during the past 18 months. There was the embarrassing leak of sexualised text messages to a personal assistant which proved, at the very least, that he is no Marquis de Sade, and an accusation of coercive behaviour of which he was cleared by an internal review. There was the pained smile of his Spice Girl wife of ten years, Geri Halliwell, as they walked hand-in-hand down the Bahrain paddock for the benefit of the photographers. And there was a fight for the future of Red Bull Racing itself: half-owned by the Austrian scion Mark Mateschitz and the Thai scion Charlerm Yoovidya, Horner persuaded Yoovidya, who has the 51 per cent casting vote, to back him. After all, if sexting your secretary is forgivable in F1 it's positively encouraged in Bangkok. But that support appears to have now dried up. Star driver Max Verstappen's father, Jos (a belligerent know-it-all), and Red Bull's minister without portfolio Dr Helmut Marko (whose presence Horner has long resented) have been conspiring for Horner's P45 ever since Verstappen and the team did the double in 2023, winning both the drivers' and constructors' world championships. You'd think that would have strengthened their bond, but something went awry. This year's car, the RB21, is the team's worst since at least 2015, probably 2008. Why? Because the team have lost several key members, the most important being chief designer Rob Marshall (who left prior to sextgate and is achieving incredible results at McLaren), chief technology officer Adrian Newey (who's been given a chunk of equity in the Aston Martin team), and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley (who joined Sauber this season as team principal). The three drivers on the podium at last weekend's British Grand Prix were from McLaren and Sauber. Red Bull came fifth and last (though Verstappen was on pole position). Why did these men leave Red Bull? Moral reasons, I don't buy. I've no idea what Christian was or wasn't doing with his PA but there has always been a code in this sport that what goes on on tour stays on tour, and Enzo Ferrari never even bothered to hide his mistresses. Political instability, maybe. But most of my sources at Red Bull say the same thing: that Christian Horner was getting too big for his boots. He was taking too much credit for the cars and results. He was too pleased with himself for bagging a Spice Girl, being the pantomime baddie on Drive to Survive, and becoming irritatingly outré with his wealth. All that may be true, but Horner is still exceptionally competitive and driven. He is the longest serving F1 team principal of the modern era who, until now, has managed to defend against all attackers, and we haven't seen the last of him. When Red Bull GmbH bought the lacklustre Jaguar Racing team in 2004, the Milton Keynes outfit were seven out of ten in the standings. In 2005, Red Bull Racing's first season, Horner was the youngest team principal in history at 31 – nearly three years younger than his lead driver, David Coulthard. You can imagine the grandees on the pitwall, like McLaren's Ron Dennis, Ferrari's Jean Todt and Williams' Sir Frank Williams wondering if it was bring your kiddie to work day. Over the next few seasons, though, Horner proved he should be taken seriously, and in 2009 his team started winning. The company grew exponentially both in terms of employees and revenue. Over the last 15 years only Mercedes – run by his TV nemesis Toto Wolff – edges Red Bull for championship success. Let's compare Horner with the six team principals who've lorded it over Ferrari since 2005: He has won 124 grands prix, six constructors' titles and eight drivers' titles compared with the 65 wins, two constructors' and one drivers' championship that Ferrari has achieved in the last 20 years, and which required the combined efforts of Jean Todt, Stefano Domenicali, Marco Mattiacci, Maurizio Arrivabene, Mattia Binotto and current incumbent Frederic Vasseur. No, Horner is not solely responsible for Red Bull's success. Perhaps he wasn't as important to the mix as Newey, Wheatley and Marshall, or Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. But he was the man who brought all of those ingredients together. He is the Alain Ducasse of F1 chiefery. What will make his next move harder is he doesn't have many friends. He's pissed off a lot of people in this industry and beyond. He is also finally a victim of the footballisation of grand prix racing. There's a reason why Ferrari have gone through six team principals in two decades: Most TPs don't have a shareholding in their teams. Toto is a rare example. But go back 20 years and beyond and most did. Many had their names above the door – Williams, Jordan, Tyrrell for example. They weren't mere employees who could be dismissed after a string of bad results. Now F1 TPs are like football managers: a couple of bad seasons and it's time to get your coat. In a very complicated sport that sometimes requires years for regulatory and senior staff changes and even things like wind tunnels to properly embed – and everyone talking about five-year plans – short term fixes rarely translate into long term results. Look at the mess the French have made at Alpine. They've had four changes of team principal in four years. Since the news of Horner's termination was announced, bookies have cut the odds of Max Verstappen leaving Red Bull to join Mercedes for 2026. Whether Horner's exit will make the Verstappens wish to stay or go remains to be seen. It probably hinges on how good or bad next year's Red Bull/Ford power unit it. Perhaps that's what's caused Christian's firing, because there's speculation it's a bag of bolts and the Merc-engined cars will be well up the road. Cadillac are entering F1 next year and already have a team principal in Graeme Lowden (ex-Virgin/Marussia) who is building the new outfit's foundations. Horner would raise expectations were he to take over, and perhaps he could do for General Motors what he did for Dietrich Mateschitz, but that'd require starting at the back of the grid and taking a pay cut, which would go down like a cup of cold sick. No, it's much more likely Horner is thinking about Ferrari $$$$$. Fred Vasseur is rumoured to be getting the chop at the end of this year. Horner doesn't speak Italian, which is far from ideal, and such is his flair for rubbing people up the wrong way it is highly unlikely Lewis Hamilton would be willing to work for him. Despite this, my sources tell me that Ferrari's door is open, and Geri wouldn't say no to a Tuscan castello and an entrée to even higher society, for the prancing horse affords greater status than the bull off the drinks can. Is it a good idea? Almost certainly not. But that doesn't mean it won't happen – this is Ferrari were talking about. Such is Horner's ego and aggressive character, he'll be looking for revenge. And equity – which Ferrari won't give. Aside from Ferrari and Cadillac, there's Alpine and there are rumours about Hyundai coming in. He has the skills to turn Alpine around and to make a new team hit the asphalt with minimal wheelspin. Horner wants to win and get rich and famous doing it, and I don't think he's any less hungry than he was when I first met him 20 years then, I was the one looking over his shoulder for someone more important to talk to.
