F1 2024

[1%er]

The Horner case
Things are slowly dripping out about this case. It appears that the investigation into Horner started 4 weeks before it ever became public, Red Bull were looking into Horner at the beginning of January when the allegations were first made, but it only hit the news when De Telegraaf published the story on the 5th of February. Red Bull did not specify what the allegations were in its initial statement confirming the investigation. The charges were characterised internally as “controlling” possibly “coercive” behaviour. The word on the street is that Horner was looking for sexual favours and there were WhatsApp messages and pictures offered as evidence.

There has been a power struggle at Red Bull racing since the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022, who always backed Horner against others who wanted Horner to have less power. Martin Brundle talked about this rift on Sky F1 and pointed out that the new Red Bull racing chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff wanted more control over the UK operation. Rumours begin circulating that Mark Mateschitz, son of Dietrich, who owns 49 per cent of the energy drink company, was in favour of getting rid of Horner, while Chalerm Yoovidhya, eldest son of Chaleo Yoovidhya, co-creator of Red Bull, was in favour of keeping him, quickly began to spread.

There were then further runours that Horner had fallen out with Helmut Marko and Jos Verstappen who wanted him out. There is evidence that the claimant is understood to have had a close relationship with Verstappen Snr. and that relationship went back to at least 2021. It is believed by many that it was Verstappen Snr. who leaked the story to De Telegraaf and that he and Marko were working together to get rid of Horner.

It is being claimed that because the claimant was very much involved in the WhatsApp messages and pictures, and in that chain of messages there was no evidence of controlling or coercive behaviour by Horner, also that both parties were consenting adults so there is no case to answer for Horner. He wasn't her boss and as she did not work for Red Bull racing (she worked for Red Bull GmbH) so he had no undue influence over her. As I said above I believe this story has not run it course and there is plenty to still come out, unless Horner, Marko and Verstappen Snr. can sortout their differences I see many more leaks and news leaking out.

[My view not a news story]

 

[1%er]

The Red Bull saga rages on: Horner cleared but tensions remain​

Christian Horner has been given the all-clear in the recent investigation into allegations of misconduct. Yet, the plot thickens as the drama within Red Bull Racing refuses to die down. According to France’s L’Equipe, “Horner is cleared, but the war is not over.” And they’re not wrong.

With the Bahrain Grand Prix just around the corner, Red Bull’s latest media statement leaves more questions than answers. The team insists on the investigation’s fairness and impartiality but keeps the juicy details under wraps, citing a respect for privacy. The over 100-page report remains confidential, with Red Bull GmbH stating, “We will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned.”

But why can’t Red Bull catch a break? The complainant, still part of the Milton-Keynes squad, might be eyeing a civil lawsuit, adding layers to this unfolding drama. And as if internal disputes weren’t enough, whispers of a power tussle between Red Bull’s Austrian and Thai factions add fuel to the fire. The rumor mill is abuzz with speculation that Adrian Newey and Horner might be at odds, while Toto Wolff from Mercedes seems to be wooing Max Verstappen for a 2025 switch. “Luckily Max is a very loyal driver,” says Dr. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s advisor.

Ralf Schumacher, a voice of experience, suggests the controversy has exposed and possibly worsened existing rifts within the team. The situation begs the question of Horner’s standing and the support he has within the team. Despite being in Bahrain, Horner was MIA for comments on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Verstappen, when prodded about his stance on Horner, preferred to remain neutral, emphasizing team unity over internal conflicts.

As the team gears up for the 2024 season, the saga involving Horner and the power dynamics at Red Bull Racing is far from over. With Verstappen, a pivotal figure in the team’s success, caught in the crossfire, this story is set to be a recurring theme. The paddock is rife with speculation, including rumors of leaks to the Dutch press, adding a layer of intrigue to the entire affair.

 

[a_chap]

The Red Bull saga rages on: Horner cleared but tensions remain​

With the Bahrain Grand Prix just around the corner ...

It's just around the corner, Horner.

 

[spitfire]

The Red Bull saga rages on: Horner cleared but tensions remain​

Christian Horner has been given the all-clear in the recent investigation into allegations of misconduct. Yet, the plot thickens as the drama within Red Bull Racing refuses to die down. According to France’s L’Equipe, “Horner is cleared, but the war is not over.” And they’re not wrong.

With the Bahrain Grand Prix just around the corner, Red Bull’s latest media statement leaves more questions than answers. The team insists on the investigation’s fairness and impartiality but keeps the juicy details under wraps, citing a respect for privacy. The over 100-page report remains confidential, with Red Bull GmbH stating, “We will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned.”

But why can’t Red Bull catch a break? The complainant, still part of the Milton-Keynes squad, might be eyeing a civil lawsuit, adding layers to this unfolding drama. And as if internal disputes weren’t enough, whispers of a power tussle between Red Bull’s Austrian and Thai factions add fuel to the fire. The rumor mill is abuzz with speculation that Adrian Newey and Horner might be at odds, while Toto Wolff from Mercedes seems to be wooing Max Verstappen for a 2025 switch. “Luckily Max is a very loyal driver,” says Dr. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s advisor.

Ralf Schumacher, a voice of experience, suggests the controversy has exposed and possibly worsened existing rifts within the team. The situation begs the question of Horner’s standing and the support he has within the team. Despite being in Bahrain, Horner was MIA for comments on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Verstappen, when prodded about his stance on Horner, preferred to remain neutral, emphasizing team unity over internal conflicts.

As the team gears up for the 2024 season, the saga involving Horner and the power dynamics at Red Bull Racing is far from over. With Verstappen, a pivotal figure in the team’s success, caught in the crossfire, this story is set to be a recurring theme. The paddock is rife with speculation, including rumors of leaks to the Dutch press, adding a layer of intrigue to the entire affair.

The Horner case
Things are slowly dripping out about this case. It appears that the investigation into Horner started 4 weeks before it ever became public, Red Bull were looking into Horner at the beginning of January when the allegations were first made, but it only hit the news when De Telegraaf published the story on the 5th of February. Red Bull did not specify what the allegations were in its initial statement confirming the investigation. The charges were characterised internally as “controlling” possibly “coercive” behaviour. The word on the street is that Horner was looking for sexual favours and there were WhatsApp messages and pictures offered as evidence.

There has been a power struggle at Red Bull racing since the death of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022, who always backed Horner against others who wanted Horner to have less power. Martin Brundle talked about this rift on Sky F1 and pointed out that the new Red Bull racing chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff wanted more control over the UK operation. Rumours begin circulating that Mark Mateschitz, son of Dietrich, who owns 49 per cent of the energy drink company, was in favour of getting rid of Horner, while Chalerm Yoovidhya, eldest son of Chaleo Yoovidhya, co-creator of Red Bull, was in favour of keeping him, quickly began to spread.

There were then further runours that Horner had fallen out with Helmut Marko and Jos Verstappen who wanted him out. There is evidence that the claimant is understood to have had a close relationship with Verstappen Snr. and that relationship went back to at least 2021. It is believed by many that it was Verstappen Snr. who leaked the story to De Telegraaf and that he and Marko were working together to get rid of Horner.

It is being claimed that because the claimant was very much involved in the WhatsApp messages and pictures, and in that chain of messages there was no evidence of controlling or coercive behaviour by Horner, also that both parties were consenting adults so there is no case to answer for Horner. He wasn't her boss and as she did not work for Red Bull racing (she worked for Red Bull GmbH) so he had no undue influence over her. As I said above I believe this story has not run it course and there is plenty to still come out, unless Horner, Marko and Verstappen Snr. can sortout their differences I see many more leaks and news leaking out.

[My view not a news story]

 

[1%er]

FP1 available here

 

[1%er]

Lots of different drivers and teams setting fastest lap, Ricciardo pumps in the fastest time of the day so far with a 1:32.869s.

 

[Limejuice]

Re: Red Bull.

It's a known feature of teams in general that everyone over-estimates their own contribution to success and plays down everyone else's. I've personally seen the case where 10 members of a team all privately estimated their own contribution to ideas and success at about 25% each. Everyone else's was about 8%. (There was one character who straight-faced claimed he'd done 60%+, and had carried the rest.) The greater the success, the more people are biased in assessing their contribution to the team effort.

It may well be that some folks at Red Bull feel their personal contribution to the manifest success of the last 2 - 3 years was far more important than in reality. So, the real contributors - Horner and Newey - get played down, and the hangers-on and consultants, like Joss and Marko and the Fizzy Drink scions think they did it all. Or at least they could keep winning without a Horner.

This in-fighting smells like a bid for glory and riches and control by people whose contribution was incidental, and Horner has been telling them to fuck off. Whinger may well be a creep. But it's definite that Jos and Marko are utter shits and I wouldn't put it past them to manufacture some pretext to defenestrate Horner.

Idle thoughts. Idle thoughts.

 

[1%er]

F1 2023 revenue soars 25% YoY to US$3.2bn​

Formula One revenues for the year ending 31st December 2023 rose 25 per cent year-over-year (YoY) to US$3.2 billion.

Confirmed:

• Revenue for Q4 2023 hits US$1.23 billion, a 63 per cent increase YoY
• Overall operating income increases 164 per cent to US$153 million in Q4 and 64 per cent to US$392 million for the year
• Team payments increase to US$1.2 billion for the season, although this represents a decrease as a percentage of adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortisation (OIBDA)
• Fan attendance increases five per cent YoY to six million
• Global TV viewership falls marginally to 1.5 billion, a 2.5 per cent YoY decrease
• Social media followers hits 70.5 million in 2023

Context:
Sponsorship revenue saw a vast increase as a result of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which was a huge contributor to the 63 per cent increase in Q4 revenue. Digging into the total revenue for the Liberty Media-owned series in 2023, the primary income drivers were race promotion fees (US$944.05 million), media rights fees (US$1.04 billion) and sponsorship fees (US$579.96 million). Multiple race promotion deals were secured towards the end of the financial year, including a new ten-year agreement signed with Madrid and extensions with the British, Japanese and Brazilian Grands Prix.

For media rights, a ten-year deal was recently reached with pay-TV broadcaster BeIN Sports in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Turkey, but a second annual fall in global TV viewership will be concerning for series executives. Formula One also agreed a multi-year extension to its ‘US$40 million-a-year’ contract with DHL, which locks in all of the series’ global partners beyond the end of this season. The attendance figures for 2023 also point to some struggling races. Monaco, Azerbaijan and Abu Dhabi did not release official figures last season, though Monaco reportedly averages around 200,000 fans per year. The official total for last season, factoring in the rumoured attendance at the Monaco Grand Prix, is 5.89 million. This means that around 110,000 fans in total attended the races in Azerbaijan and Abu Dhabi.

Comment:
Stefano Domenicali, president and chief executive of Formula One, said: “2023 marked another incredible season for Formula One. We had strong engagement across all platforms, with record race attendance and F1 holding its position as the fastest growing league on social media for the fourth consecutive year. F1 saw continued fan growth especially in the US market, strengthened by the successful Las Vegas Grand Prix, and across a younger and more female audience. Our sustainability initiatives remain a priority for F1 and our partners, and we look forward to running all seven F1 Academy races this season alongside the F1 calendar. We are excited for the 2024 season as we focus on deepening our relationships with fans and optimizing our commercial partnerships to bring incremental value.”

 

[1%er]

Practice 1 Results​

Thursday Practice Session 1
POS	DRIVER	NATIONALITY	ENTRANT	TIME
1.	Daniel Ricciardo	Australia	VCARB-Honda RBPT	1:32.869
2.	Lando Norris	Britain	McLaren-Mercedes	1:32.901
3.	Oscar Piastri	Australia	McLaren-Mercedes	1:33.113
4.	Yuki Tsunoda	Japan	VCARB-Honda RBPT	1:33.183
5.	Fernando Alonso	Spain	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1:33.193
6.	Max Verstappen	Netherlands	Red Bull-Honda RBPT	1:33.238
7.	George Russell	Britain	Mercedes	1:33.251
8.	Charles Leclerc	Monaco	Ferrari	1:33.268
9.	Lewis Hamilton	Britain	Mercedes	1:33.302
10.	Valtteri Bottas	Finland	Sauber-Ferrari	1:33.354
11.	Carlos Sainz	Spain	Ferrari	1:33.385
12.	Sergio Perez	Mexico	Red Bull-Honda RBPT	1:33.413
13.	Alexander Albon	Thailand	Williams-Mercedes	1:33.583
14.	Lance Stroll	Canada	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1:33.868
15.	Guanyu Zhou	China	Sauber-Ferrari	1:33.923
16.	Logan Sargeant	United States	Williams-Mercedes	1:34.213
17.	Esteban Ocon	France	Alpine-Renault	1:34.807
18.	Pierre Gasly	France	Alpine-Renault	1:35.144
19.	Kevin Magnussen	Denmark	Haas-Ferrari	1:37.477
20.	Nico Hulkenberg	Germany	Haas-Ferrari	1:37.938

 

[1%er]

Toto Wolff criticises Red Bull statement on Christian Horner investigation
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has urged greater transparency over the investigation into Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. On Wednesday, Red Bull chief Horner was cleared following an investigation into alleged inappropriate and controlling behaviour towards a female colleague, which he denied.

Wolff, who has been one of been one of the loudest senior voices on the matter since the investigation into Horner began, described Red Bull’s statement as “basic” and “vague”. "Well I just read the statement, which was pretty basic, I would say,” Wolff said on Thursday. "My personal opinion is we can’t really look behind the curtain. At the end of the day, there is a lady in an organisation that has spoken to HR and said there was an issue, and it was investigated and yesterday, the sport has received the message that it’s all fine, we’ve looked at it. I believe with the aspiration as a global sport, on such critical topics, it needs more transparency, and I wonder what the sport’s position is. We’re competitors, we’re a team and we can have our own personal opinions or not. But it’s more like a general reaction or action that we as a sport need to assess, what is right in that situation and what is wrong.”

Asked if pressure should be put on Red Bull’s parent company GmbH to reveal further details, Wolff replied: “Are we talking with the right moral approach, with the values based on the speculations that are out there? I simply think as a sport, we cannot afford to leave things in the vague and in the opaque on critical topics like this, because this is going to catch us out, eventually. We’re in a super transparent world, eventually things are going to happen, and I think we have the duty, the organisation has the duty to say well we’ve looked at it, and it’s OK, and then we can move on. It’s sometimes very short-sighted to try to suppress it. Not saying this has happened. We’re standing from the outside and looking at it. But just as a looking at statements or press releases or the timelines, it just seems that it’s a bit not as modern as things go in this world, in the real world out there. But maybe in Formula 1, we’re just our little bubble and we think that’s OK.”

McLaren boss Zak Brown echoed Wolff’s call for transparency. “I think the sanctioning body has a responsibility and authority to our sport, to our fans,” Brown said. “I think all of us in Formula 1 are ambassadors for the sport on and off the track, like you see in other sports. So I think they need to make sure that things have been fully transparent with them. I don’t know what those conversations are. It needs to be thorough, fully transparent, and that they come to the same conclusion that has ben given by Red Bull, and that they agree with the outcome. But I think until then, there’ll continue to be speculation, because there are a lot of unanswered questions about the whole process. So I think that’s what’s needed by those who run the sport to be really able to draw a line under it. Until then, I think there’ll continue to be some level of speculation by people and I don’t think that’s healthy for the sport.”

[I think Wolff and Brown may know more about the real situation than many others, so I find their comments very interesting]

 

[Limejuice]

I think Wolff could be shit-stirring for its own sake. Even if there's nothing sinister being covered up. Wolff and Horner aren't exactly best buddies, are they?

 

[1%er]

A friend of mine who lives in the Netherlands has just told me that De Telegraaf (the paper that broke this story) reported that the claimant rejected on offer of 650,000 UK pounds to settle this case (it isn't clear from the story who offered this money) and she is now taking legal advise, so things are already moving forward it seems.

(I can try and get a translater version of the story in the link for anyone who can't translate it)

 

[1%er]

Practice 2 Results​

Thursday Practice Session 2
POS	DRIVER	NATIONALITY	ENTRANT	TIME
1.	Lewis Hamilton	Britain	Mercedes	1:30.374
2.	George Russell	Britain	Mercedes	1:30.580
3.	Fernando Alonso	Spain	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1:30.660
4.	Carlos Sainz	Spain	Ferrari	1:30.769
5.	Oscar Piastri	Australia	McLaren-Mercedes	1:30.784
6.	Max Verstappen	Netherlands	Red Bull-Honda RBPT	1:30.851
7.	Nico Hulkenberg	Germany	Haas-Ferrari	1:30.884
8.	Lance Stroll	Canada	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1:30.891
9.	Charles Leclerc	Monaco	Ferrari	1:31.113
10.	Sergio Perez	Mexico	Red Bull-Honda RBPT	1:31.115
11.	Alexander Albon	Thailand	Williams-Mercedes	1:31.333
12.	Daniel Ricciardo	Australia	VCARB-Honda RBPT	1:31.516
13.	Logan Sargeant	United States	Williams-Mercedes	1:31.715
14.	Kevin Magnussen	Denmark	Haas-Ferrari	1:31.764
15.	Yuki Tsunoda	Japan	VCARB-Honda RBPT	1:31.881
16.	Pierre Gasly	France	Alpine-Renault	1:31.951
17.	Valtteri Bottas	Finland	Sauber-Ferrari	1:32.001
18.	Esteban Ocon	France	Alpine-Renault	1:32.027
19.	Guanyu Zhou	China	Sauber-Ferrari	1:32.048
20.	Lando Norris	Britain	McLaren-Mercedes	1:32.608

 

[1%er]

Journalist Jenna Fryer has claimed that WhatsApp messages and photos allegedly sent by Christian Horner have been emailed to journalists, team bosses and Formula 1 bosses by an anonymous account. Horner has recently been cleared of any wrongdoing having been subject to an internal investigation from Red Bull GmbH, after allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' were made by a female member of staff, allegations that he vehemently denies. The Red Bull team principal has stayed in his role throughout, and said during Bahrain Grand Prix practice that he was 'pleased' the process was over.

 

[spitfire]

Journalist Jenna Fryer has claimed that WhatsApp messages and photos allegedly sent by Christian Horner have been emailed to journalists, team bosses and Formula 1 bosses by an anonymous account. Horner has recently been cleared of any wrongdoing having been subject to an internal investigation from Red Bull GmbH, after allegations of 'inappropriate behaviour' were made by a female member of staff, allegations that he vehemently denies. The Red Bull team principal has stayed in his role throughout, and said during Bahrain Grand Prix practice that he was 'pleased' the process was over.

Thread takes off.

 

[1%er]

These are her texts apparently:

Jenna Fryer is a reporter for the Associated Press

​

@JennaFryer
·
Feb 29
A Google drive containing all the “Christian Horner evidence” has just been emailed from an anonymous account to hundreds of journalists

Jenna Fryer

@JennaFryer

Correction: In addition to journalists, it is sent to the other team principals, Liberty Media, Stefano Domenicali, and many others. The file contains photos of whatsapp messages and other photos.

@JennaFryer

I cannot ethically share any of this until AP has validated the authenticity of the information. There are enough people on the distribution list that someone will satisfy your urge to see the material soonest.


3:39 PM · Feb 29, 2024
·
219.8K
Views

https://twitter.com/JennaFryer

​

https://twitter.com/JennaFryer

 

[spitfire]

Well I’ve seen some of the alleged screenshots in a linked twitter account from Jennas above. I won’t reproduce them here as we don’t want to get Urban in trouble.

They’re really vanilla if they’re real. Light flirting at the worst. I’d be pretty pissed off if I was Geri but there must be more to it than this.

 

[1%er]

Well I’ve seen some of the alleged screenshots in a linked twitter account from Jennas above. I won’t reproduce them here as we don’t want to get Urban in trouble.

They’re really vanilla if they’re real. Light flirting at the worst. I’d be pretty pissed off if I was Geri but there must be more to it than this.

I've also seen a few but I understand from people "who should know" that some of the stuff sent would/should get Horner sacked if he worked for a public company or in the public sector. I think a lot of the posts and photos are being held back for legal reasons as they have only just been released and need to be verified.

Its also been clarified to me that it was Horner's lawyers reportedly offered a sum of €760,000 to settle the case

 

[spitfire]

Yeah. Few comments along the lines of “you haven’t seen the half of it yet”.

 

[1%er]

These are legal friendly and a very small sample



Only thing I learned from the texts is that horner likes Cocoa pops

 

[Limejuice]

Horner's going to need the €760k for his divorce lawyers.

Still, just because Horner's a little, er, horny, it doesn't mean they aren't out to get him.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Was the anonymous emailer VosJerstappen@ hotmail.com by any chance?

 

[Limejuice]

Was the anonymous emailer VosJerstappen@ hotmail.com by any chance?

It appears to be Helmetmurky@ arbul.com...

Impossible-to-trace throwway account, no doubt.

 

[spitfire]

No way they would have been that stupid.

Would have been one of those one off generated apple email addresses.

The giveaway was when it was signed.

"Greetz

Jos."

Every master criminal etc....

 

[Limejuice]

I thought it read:

"ganz viel Liebe, Helmy"

Probably my macular degeneration.

 

[1%er]

Rules that could hurt Horner
The International Sporting Code is most often applied to drivers and is more tailored towards dealing with matters related to on-track incidents. Its specified penalties include grip drops and fines – indeed the maximum F1 fine quadrupled to €1 million for 2024 but they also leave scope for suspension and even exclusion for grave or exceptionally grave offences. However, it does specify that an ASN (National Sporting Authority) hands out those punishments though – rather than the FIA themselves or the stewards – which would further complicate the case.

12.10.1 – In addition to that provided for in the Code and in the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, a sentence of Suspension may also be pronounced by an ASN, and shall be reserved for grave offences.

2.10.2 A sentence of Suspension, for as long as it remains in force, shall entail the loss of any right to take part in any capacity whatsoever in any Competition held within the territory of the ASN which has pronounced such sentence or within the territories of any country in which the authority of the FIA is recognised, according to whether such Suspension is national or international.

12.14.1 Except in the cases provided for in the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, a sentence of Exclusion can be pronounced only by an ASN, and will be reserved for offences of exceptional gravity.

However, article 12.2.1.f of the FIA International Sporting Code does forbid: “Any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motor sport and on the values defended by the FIA.

Additionally, the FIA changed another rule for 2024 making it easier to punish personnel for misconduct. Article 12.2.1.k now deems ‘any misconduct’ a breach of their sporting code, when that section previously specified: “Any Misconduct towards, but not limited to: licence-holders, officials, officers or member of the staff of the FIA, members of the staff of the Organiser or promoter, members of the staff of the Competitors, suppliers of products or services to (or contractors or subcontractors to) any of the parties listed above; doping control officials or any other person involved in a doping control.”

Horner himself has previously fallen foul of article 12.2.1.k, receiving an official warning at the 2021 Qatar GP when he blamed the yellow flag that wiped out Max Verstappen‘s best qualifying time on a ‘rogue marshal’.

 

[1%er]

Link for FP3

 

[Bingoman]

Rules that could hurt Horner
The International Sporting Code is most often applied to drivers and is more tailored towards dealing with matters related to on-track incidents. Its specified penalties include grip drops and fines – indeed the maximum F1 fine quadrupled to €1 million for 2024 but they also leave scope for suspension and even exclusion for grave or exceptionally grave offences. However, it does specify that an ASN (National Sporting Authority) hands out those punishments though – rather than the FIA themselves or the stewards – which would further complicate the case.

12.10.1 – In addition to that provided for in the Code and in the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, a sentence of Suspension may also be pronounced by an ASN, and shall be reserved for grave offences.

2.10.2 A sentence of Suspension, for as long as it remains in force, shall entail the loss of any right to take part in any capacity whatsoever in any Competition held within the territory of the ASN which has pronounced such sentence or within the territories of any country in which the authority of the FIA is recognised, according to whether such Suspension is national or international.

12.14.1 Except in the cases provided for in the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, a sentence of Exclusion can be pronounced only by an ASN, and will be reserved for offences of exceptional gravity.

However, article 12.2.1.f of the FIA International Sporting Code does forbid: “Any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motor sport and on the values defended by the FIA.

Additionally, the FIA changed another rule for 2024 making it easier to punish personnel for misconduct. Article 12.2.1.k now deems ‘any misconduct’ a breach of their sporting code, when that section previously specified: “Any Misconduct towards, but not limited to: licence-holders, officials, officers or member of the staff of the FIA, members of the staff of the Organiser or promoter, members of the staff of the Competitors, suppliers of products or services to (or contractors or subcontractors to) any of the parties listed above; doping control officials or any other person involved in a doping control.”

Horner himself has previously fallen foul of article 12.2.1.k, receiving an official warning at the 2021 Qatar GP when he blamed the yellow flag that wiped out Max Verstappen‘s best qualifying time on a ‘rogue marshal’.

Could Horner be out of Red bull by the end of the weekend or by next week?

 

[1%er]

Could Horner be out of Red bull by the end of the weekend or by next week?

No idea, he may well be there for years. Its well above my pay grade

 

[Limejuice]

Could Horner be out of Red bull by the end of the weekend or by next week?

If the anonymously-supplied files have reached the present Mrs Horner, he could be picking up his boxers and socks from the matrimonial domicile's front lawn before next weekend.