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An email appeared on Thursday evening allegedly showing the WhatsApp chat between Christian Horner (50) and the Red Bull employee and photos. Really, right? That cannot be said for the time being.
The day’s victory of Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton ahead of teammate George Russell and old master Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin was no fake. The bright green Kick-Sauber was still on the road without an exploit: 17th Valtteri Bottas, 19th Guanyu Zhou. What a disappointment.
What’s happening there?
Topic number one remains – and will continue for some time to come – the Horner case. His ‘acquittal’ leaves many questions unanswered and immediately brings new rumors and speculation into the race.
Why did apparently only Horner see the hundred-page investigation report from a specialist lawyer and not Red Bull’s headquarters in Salzburg?
Did the verdict come from Thailand?
The press release about the fair and dignified investigation was apparently sent by the majority shareholder from Thailand (51 percent). Horner’s friends there probably saw the matter as a trivial offense.
Red Bull boss Didi Mateschitz, who died in October 2022, would never have allowed this scandal to take place here. Clear language would have been spoken immediately.
What’s interesting now is how Ford withdraws itself from the affair as a possible Red Bull partner. The Americans had demanded a quick decision. Are you satisfied with the ‘acquittal’ and the new theater?
Marko passed Horner without greeting
Even if it’s no one’s business: but what actually happened between Horner and the closest colleague? The ambitious Bullen boss, who probably strives for total power within the Bullen group, should immediately file a defamation case against this woman after his ‘acquittal’. However, you can still appeal! Or does she risk a civil lawsuit?
Blick photographer Lukas T. Gorys took the photo of the day: When Red Bull sports director Helmut Marko came to the team pavilion in the paddock in the morning, he walked past Horner and Newey’s table without saying hello.
The matter is far from over for Marko and the Verstappen clan. This adds even more fuel to the fire and that is why we unfortunately have to say: to be continued.
First training: Ricciardo
Around noon, the four drivers from Racing Bulls and McLaren-Mercedes, Ricciardo, Norris, Piastri and Tsunoda, were in the lead. They had put the soft rubber (here C3) on it.
Only Kick-Sauber opted for this qualifying mix, but only finished 10th (Bottas) and 15th (Zhou), who complained about a braking problem at the start.
Alonso was fastest on the yellow rubber (C2), ahead of Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc and Hamilton. So the normal suspects.
Mercedes shocks the opponents
At dusk things were discussed for the first time. And there, under the spotlights and palm trees, barely one stone remained on top of the other. Mercedes, which had hardly attracted much attention during the tests, suddenly took the lead with both cars. Before Alonso, Sainz and Piastri.
Early starter Bottas has to go to the FIA
World Champion Verstappen in the Red Bull Honda was in sixth place just ahead of Hülkenberg in the Haas Ferrari! Only the two Kick-Saubers barely got off the ground: 17th Bottas, 19th Zhou.
The Finn even had to go to the FIA commissioners after training. He started training from the pits four seconds early – with a red light. Shouldn’t happen to a professional.
The billion dollar cake
Formula 1 reports new record revenues for the 2023 season. Turnover increased from 2.573 to 3.222 billion. The teams will receive 1.215 billion of this. This is an increase of five percent compared to the previous year.
It is understood that the ten teams are still against Andretti joining in 2026. You don’t want to share the increasingly greasy cake, you want to eat it yourself. But with 24 races, the premier class has already exceeded its maximum. Alonso and Hamilton agree: “Interest is waning. This is how our sport is being diluted.”
Clean up quickly man
In the first qualifying for the second Formula 2 race in 2024 on Saturday, new Sauber Academy driver Zane Maloney (20) from Barbados reached the second row in fourth place. Next to the Frenchman Hadjar from the Red Bull Academy.
The Indian Maini is on pole – next to him is last year’s Italian Formula 3 champion Bortoleto. On Friday, Martins (Fr) and Barnard (Gb) will start at the front.
The results of the 2nd training
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
