SAKHIR-. He Bahrain Grand Prixfrom Thursday to Saturday, kicks off the Formula 1 World Championship with all eyes on Red Bullfor his superiority on the court and for the situation of his boss, Christian Horner, acquitted of “inappropriate behavior” this Wednesday.
The 50-year-old British manager, husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, was accused of “inappropriate behavior” (towards an employee, according to the press), facts that Horner denied.
Following a “fair, rigorous and impartial” internal investigation, the energy drink company Red Bull GmbH, based in Austria, reported that the complaint “has been dismissed.”
The ‘Horner case’ had monopolized the spotlight since it broke out at the beginning of February, which had led both the championship promoter and various actors to ask for a prompt resolution.
“It is a very important moment for the sport make sure that we remain faithful to our values,” declared this Wednesday, shortly before Red Bull’s decision was announced, the British Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, demanding a quick solution “because it is affecting the sport“.
Verstappen goes for the four-time championship
If Horner’s future was in question, there were fewer doubts in strictly sporting matters, where the Max Verstappen-Red Bull duo seems unbeatable for now. The Dutch driver will begin his fight for his fourth consecutive title with the question of whether any of his rivals will be able to stand up to him, unlike last year, where the Dutchman won 19 of the 22 races contested.
It didn’t even seem like the “Horner case” could affect him: “I’m very focused on the car and myself and, hopefully, it will be resolved soon,” he declared to the press this Wednesday, a few hours before the announcement.
In the only pre-season tests, last week at the Sakhir circuit, the same one where the championship will start, Ferrari was especially fast, but will it be enough to catch up with the RB20?
“My first impression is that Red Bull still has a good advantage,” admitted Monegasque Scuderia driver Charles Leclerc.
Last year, only Ferrari and the Spanish driver Carlos Sainz were able to win a race against Red Bull (to Verstappen’s 19 victories, two were added by the Mexican Sergio Pérez), in Singapore.
According to some specialists and commentators, the Mercedes W15 would also be able to compete with Red Bull and Ferrari… but already from the first race?
The Grand Prix of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia next week “will allow us to better understand the work done so far,” commented Mercedes director Toto Wolff, a team that has designed a car “very different” from its predecessor.
“But we have an excellent base to work on,” added Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, who begins his 12th and final season at Mercedes before racing for Ferrari in 2025.
Racing on Saturday
In Bahrain, where he will begin a record season with 24 races, Verstappen won almost everything he could win, except for the additional point for the fastest lap on the track.
A year ago, veteran Fernando Alonso had a spectacular start with a third place in his first race with Aston Martin, kicking off what he himself called the “best” season of the last decade. Will he repeat the good start this season?
“Let’s wait for a few races to have a real assessment of the level of the teams,” declared this Wednesday the Spanish driver, double world champion (2005 and 2006).
As for McLaren, the team that evolved the most last year, it is expected to continue with the momentum of the final stretch of 2024 and show all the power of the MCL30 from the first training sessions… starting on Thursday and not the traditional Friday.
Indeed, in the first two events of the year (Bahrain and Saudi Arabia), the entire program is brought forward one day, so the races will be on Saturday and not Sunday in order to adapt to Ramadan, the holy month for the Muslim world.
Source: AFP
