Метка: Red Bull Racing

People come up with bizarre things

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Max Verstappen says he was baffled by the rumours swirling over the summer on Red Bull’s alleged use of asymmetric braking, and addressed rival Formula 1 teams trying to stir up trouble.

After a dominant start to 2024, Red Bull’s fortunes took a turn for the worse around May’s Miami Grand Prix, when McLaren brought a major upgrade package that revamped its MCL38 into a race-winning car, while Red Bull says it went down a wrong development path with its RB20.

Red Bull initially struggled to respond to its downturn in competitiveness, with its last win now dating back to Verstappen’s triumph in June’s Spanish Grand Prix, and has only just started turning the corner on its car’s handling issues in recent races.

Speculation over the source of Red Bull’s form dip mounted in the summer when the FIA tightened up its regulations around asymmetric braking, effectively closing a loophole for the 2026 regulations and retroactively applying the new phrasing to this year’s rulebook.

The FIA further confirmed the rule change had not been prompted by a current team using a system that the new wording outlawed, but that didn’t stop speculation from suggesting it was Red Bull that had been using a solution that it then had to remove from the RB20.

Speaking exclusively to Autosport, Verstappen reflected on the whole episode, and the flak his world championship-winning team received, with some amusement. «People always come up with different stuff,» he said. «I find it really bizarre how they come up with some of these things, but it is what it is. It’s part of the game, but I usually just let it go.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images

«I’ve been in F1 for 10 years now and I’m not wasting time on all those stories. I mean, I barely read anything about F1 anyway. Of course, sometimes I see something or someone else tells me: «Did you see what this and that person said?’ But I always say people can think what they want, I’m not going to waste my energy on that. So, I don’t really care about what other people say.»

Red Bull also caught flak from rival teams over its form dip and its off-track power struggles, which prompted McLaren CEO Zak Brown to say that Red Bull had been «destabilised». He later described the team as a «pretty toxic» environment.

«People that say all sorts of stuff should just focus on their own team,» Verstappen replied when the subject was brought up. «That’s nothing specifically against Zak Brown, by the way, it applies to everyone. People just need to focus on themselves, and that’s what I’m doing as well.»

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The Red Bull — McLaren rivalry has now also ignited on track, with McLaren overtaking Red Bull in the constructors’ championship and Lando Norris challenging Verstappen for the drivers’ title, including a collision between the pair in Austria. But the Dutchman doesn’t think things will get as tense as they were during a fraught 2021 title clash with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes.

«Yes, because right now we still have four teams at the front, while back then you just had the same two people up front,» he explained. «Of course, 2021 was my first world championship, so that was very different already. I think I’m a bit more relaxed about it now.

«Of course, I want to win and of course, I’m going to do my best to defend that [52-point] lead. But the feeling is very different from 2021.»



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Red Bull’s RB21 will be an ‘evolution’; team explains wind tunnel limitations

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Red Bull is planning an evolution of its current RB20 car for 2025, believing that investing in a bold revamp is not worth it.

With the Milton Keynes-based squad locked in a tight championship fight with McLaren, it is mindful that, if it does not make solid gains this winter, it could risk an even more difficult campaign next year.

However, a combination of cost cap limits, plus the need to ramp up efforts for the new rules revolution coming in 2026 when Red Bull will run its own engine, has prompted it to step away from doing anything radical.

Speaking about how the squad was dealing with the different requirements of now, next year and 2026, team boss Christian Horner said: “In this business, you’re always juggling and you’ve got to put one foot in front of the other.

“You can’t project too far into the future. Long term in F1 is about two and a half months and, basically, what we learn this year is relevant to next year.

“So next year’s car will be an evolution of this year’s car. I mean, there’s many components of last year’s car that have been carried over into this year, because with the way the cost cap works, unless there’s significant performance upgrade, it doesn’t make sense [to change].”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Engine challenge

Red Bull’s decision to not overstretch itself with car changes for next year comes as it ramps up to run its first F1 engine from the start of 2026.

It has invested heavily in its new Red Bull Powertrains division, which it is convinced will bring it gains despite the huge costs.

“It is by far our biggest challenge,” added Horner. “We’ve created a start-up business, aggressively recruited 600 people into it, built a factory, put in the process and brought a group of people together to work within a Red Bull culture that has been so successful on the chassis side.

“Of course, many have come from other teams, competitors and suppliers in F1, and that’s a massive undertaking to get 600 people and all your processes, your supply chain, everything geared up to deliver for two teams in ’26.

“We also have the benefit of a great partner in Ford Motor Company and that relationship is working very well. But inevitably there will be short-term pain, but there is a long-term gain of having everything under one roof with engineers.

“We’ve already seen the benefit and the difference of having chassis and engine engineers sitting essentially next to each other as we start to integrate the ‘26 engine into the ‘26 car.”

Red Bull Ford Powertrains

Red Bull Ford Powertrains

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Wind tunnel factor

As Red Bull has dug deep into the factors that have hurt the progress of its current RB20, problems with wind tunnel correlation have been exposed.

It comes with the team still operating from the same Bedford facility that it has used since it entered F1 in 2005.

While work has begun on a new state-of-the-art facility at its Milton Keynes factory, that is unlikely to be up and running before 2026.

Horner insisted that Red Bull was always mindful that, while it has upgraded Bedford over the years, it is not as technically advanced as more modern facilities.

“We’ve always known the limitations of the tunnel,” he said. “But I think as we’ve really started to push the aerodynamics of these cars now and you’re into really fine margins, then the limitations show themselves up.”

He added that committing to invest in its new wind tunnel was only possible once it became clear that the idea of outlawing teams from using such facilities had been abandoned.

“There was a point in time that wind tunnels could have been banned,” he said.

“There was a discussion about whether that was going to be the case, and whether CFD would overtake it or not.

“Adrian [Newey] held off pushing for a new tunnel until there was clarity on that. But it got to a point where Aston Martin wanted a new tunnel and the FIA changed their stance.

“So it was a question of: ‘Look, we have to do this, and we have to do this now, because the regulations dictate that, within a cost cap, the tunnel that we’re running is grossly inefficient.’”

Asked what the challenges Red Bull faced with its Bedford tunnel were, Horner said:“We’ve got a facility that is a 60-year-old wind tunnel. It is a relic of the Cold War.

“It’s been good enough to produce some fantastic cars for us over the years. But it has its limitations.

“So anything under five degrees [centigrade], we can’t run it. Anything over 25 degrees, it becomes pretty unstable.”

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Why Verstappen thinks the worst of F1 2024 is behind him

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Max Verstappen is hopeful that Monza has been the low point of this Formula 1 season for Red Bull as the team is trying to find its form again with its 2024 car.

When Verstappen crossed the finish line at the opening race in Bahrain with a 22-second lead, consensus in the paddock was that 2024 would be a repeat of the two previous F1 seasons. Six months later, reality is very different with Red Bull having taken a wrong turn with the RB20’s development while its closest rivals, led by McLaren, have made immense progress.

Sitting down with Autosport in Singapore, Verstappen delves into the challenges that Red Bull has faced after starting off the year so well. «In the beginning I was surprised as well, but if you look at what our problems were, then I fully understand it,» the Dutchman says. «At some point, we have gone in the wrong direction. The other teams have either not faced that particular point yet or they developed the car in a slightly different way. That is always difficult to assess.»

With Verstappen still dominant in Japan and China, the Miami and Imola race weekends in May appeared to be a turning point, but the reigning world champion reveals he sensed much earlier than the outside world that things weren’t quite right at Red Bull.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

«Early on I realised that the feeling was very different from last year’s car in terms of balance,» he explains. «At that time our car was still a lot quicker than the others, or maybe I should say that the others were not so good back then, so at that stage we could still compensate for our difficulties. In the races after that it got worse and worse. At one point our car was just very difficult to drive and at the same time the others made real progress.»

Verstappen has repeatedly stated he feels the front and the rear end of the car were not feeling connected any more and had been a visible departure from last year’s machine. At the car presentation in Milton Keynes last winter, Verstappen revealed he was shocked by the stark changes when he first saw the RB20’s sketches, which now raises the question whether or not the change of concept has been a mistake in hindsight: «I don’t think you can tell from the outside what went wrong, so that’s not the point,» Verstappen dismisses. «What the car looks like on the outside is not the issue.»

Does Red Bull’s outdated wind tunnel play a role?

Verstappen’s handling comments imply that Red Bull’s problem was at least partly connected to the floor. Unintended consequences of a new floor are a headache that many teams have faced under these regulations. Mercedes struggled for two years with the ground-effect cars, while Ferrari saw high-speed bouncing return with a floor update in Barcelona. «It seems trickier than that everyone thinks,» Verstappen acknowledges. «At the moment even McLaren is holding back a new floor, which they are not fully sure about. It’s a lot more sensitive with upgrades than under previous regulations.»

Teams are also facing difficulties correlating their sensitive floor upgrades in the wind tunnel with how the car actually behaves out in the real world, finding out the hard way that downforce in the virtual world didn’t always make a car quicker on track. That appears especially relevant to Red Bull’s case, given its relatively outdated wind tunnel, with the team working on plans for a new facility.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 2nd position, lifts the trophy in celebration

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 2nd position, lifts the trophy in celebration

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

«That is a very difficult topic to talk about, but it is more complicated to get that right than with the old cars,» Verstappen acknowledges, while playing down the impact of the team’s wind tunnel. «It’s true that we have a fairly old wind tunnel, but until this year it did everything right. Some things are just hard to understand. You see that with all the other teams as well, except McLaren. All teams have had their own problems, including teams with modern wind tunnels. I think it is just extremely difficult to fine-tune things perfectly or to get exactly the right data out of it. That can be down to a lot of things in the wind tunnel itself or how it correlates with the track.»

Has Red Bull found the beginning of a solution?

For Red Bull, its main objective is to now end its run of poor form and make step-by-step progress. According to Verstappen, that upward trajectory has already started with the floor upgrade in Baku. Verstappen took the wrong set-up choice in Azerbaijan, which makes comparisons difficult, but following a difficult spell team-mate Sergio Perez was able to fight for the podium before a late clash with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. A week later Verstappen took second in Singapore and while he was miles away from title rival Lando Norris in the McLaren, the fact that Red Bull finished second on what had been its worst track in 2023 was a positive sign.

The team only mentioned ‘subtle changes’ to the underfloor in Baku, but Verstappen is hopeful that this specific upgrade is the beginning of a solution: «Yes, it felt better. That was already a good step for us. I do think we are moving in the right direction now, it will take some time. You can’t turn something like this around in one or two weeks. But I do think the team was happy with what they saw in Baku as well.»

It’s not enough to compete with Norris and McLaren for race wins just yet, but Red Bull will bring another update package to the United States Grand Prix in Austin later this month. The magnitude and effectiveness of its latest upgrades remains to be seen, but Verstappen is hopeful that the worst of this F1 season — with a disastrous Monza race the absolute low point — is now behind him. «Yes, I do think so to be honest. Hopefully we can continue to make good steps from here.»

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Red Bull staff being poached is a “natural development” – Marko

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Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has downplayed the latest developments within the Milton Keynes-based squad, with key staff having been poached by rival teams.

In the last few months, chief technical officer Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and head of race strategy Will Courtenay have been signed by Aston Martin, Sauber/Audi and McLaren as managing technical partner, team principal and sporting director respectively.

Last year, chief engineering officer Rob Marshall also departed Red Bull to join McLaren, initially as technical director of engineering and design, shortly before taking on the chief designer role.

Following the Courtenay announcement last week, Jos Verstappen bitterly remarked about the brain exodus: “This is what I warned about… It’s too many people now [leaving].”

Marko’s point of view very much differs from the Dutchman’s, as shown by his interview with Autosport’s sister publication Formel1.de.

When asked whether the power struggle between team principal Christian Horner and himself might be to blame for the situation, Marko replied: “Well, I would say that it’s a natural development, when you’ve been as successful as we have been, that people are poached.

“[Courtenay] had an offer that was significantly more attractive in terms of position and financially, and that was the case for most of the people mentioned.”

Hannah Schmitz, principal strategy engineer at Red Bull Racing

Hannah Schmitz, principal strategy engineer at Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

The Austrian also clarified that principal strategy engineer Hannah Schmitz would be the one and only candidate to replace Courtenay as head of race strategy.

“We have to stand together and do everything we can to ensure that this world championship is won this year and that we also build successful cars for next year and the year after that, because that’s the basis for being able to keep a Max Verstappen,” Marko insisted.

Verstappen’s future at the team is not guaranteed, with Mercedes having considered a move for the three-time world champion before promoting highly-rated junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli to a race seat for 2025. His signing to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton has led team principal Toto Wolff to acknowledge the team should stop flirting with Verstappen.

Meanwhile, strengthened by Newey’s arrival, Aston Martin is now openly courting the Dutch driver, who remains coy about this prospect.

Asked whether Newey could have solved Red Bull’s current predicament, Marko said: “That’s an illusory rhetorical question. We have a diverse team, and they have to – and will – solve this.”

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Red Bull will however look forward to completing work on its new wind tunnel, with its current model in Bedford no longer up to date.

“A more modern wind tunnel would help,” Marko admitted. “Our wind tunnel is a post-war model that the British army built.

“We are no longer up to date – by a long way. And I hope that in 2026, our new wind tunnel will be up and running.”



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Singapore GP steward Herbert explains Verstappen’s FIA swearing penalty

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Johnny Herbert has explained the decision making behind Max Verstappen’s penalty for swearing, having been part of the FIA stewards panel at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.

Verstappen has been issued with a community service order by F1’s governing body for swearing in a live televised press conference.

PLUS: What happened the last time Verstappen did community service

It comes after an Autosport exclusive interview with the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in which he urged drivers to curb their foul language.

In the article, Ben Sulayem said: «We have to differentiate between our sport — motorsport — and rap music.
 We’re not rappers, you know. They say the F-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That’s them and we are [us].»

While Herbert — who was a race steward at the Singapore GP where the Dutchman swore in the press conference and was punished — says the sanction was not a direct result of Ben Sulayem’s wishes to target bad language, he has provided insight into the decision.


«At the press conference in Singapore, Max used the ‘F’ word about his car. The press conferences are beamed around the world,» he told CasinoHawks. 

«There is more swearing than there ever has been. A press conference is not the place for it.

«Some journalists have said the sport is trying to make robots out of the drivers. That’s not the case. You are just asking them not to swear, which I think is the right thing. Most drivers don’t swear.

Johnny Herbert, former driver and FIA steward, arrives at the track

Johnny Herbert, former driver and FIA steward, arrives at the track

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

«The incident was referred to us as stewards. We had a good open chat with Max for about 20 minutes, half an hour, in what was a difficult situation. 


«You could see in his face he was really worked up about it. But when he left, he appeared to be mollified about the process and why it’s there. He did not blame us as stewards.

«As stewards, we have a range of tools to punish drivers. We are there to implement the rules and make a decision together.

«We could have fined him, but we felt it would be more beneficial to get him to do something socially responsible. It is up to Max and the FIA what that is.

«It all blew up afterwards because he went to the press conference and gave one-word answers then held his own impromptu press conference outside in the paddock.

«That showed Max’s rebellious streak. I love that side of him, it is what makes Max, Max, his honest and outspoken character. But there is a time and a place.

«Personally, I think there is too much swearing. I don’t want my five-year-old grandchild listening to that sort of language.»

Herbert also admitted that Ben Sulayem’s controversial interview «did not go down very well with the drivers» and claims they were «antagonised».

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President

Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images

He added: «There is an FIA code about not using foul language. A week before, the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem had talked about swearing and saying F1 drivers shouldn’t swear, and they were not ‘rappers.’ 


«That did not go down very well with the drivers who were antagonised, especially Lewis [Hamilton] who felt it was a racial slur.

«The drivers were not happy about it. They all bandied together with Max.

«I have noticed that the drivers are a much closer-knit bunch than I have seen for many years. They have much stronger opinions on issues.

«Swearing is something Ben Sulayem is wanting to stamp out. You can’t so much in the heat of the moment during a race in the car when emotion comes out.

«I hope common sense prevails on F1 drivers swearing moving forward — the drivers and FIA need to work together.

«There has to be an understanding that both sides need to work together. I know the FIA President is unhappy with foul language. 

«There is an understanding among drivers that swearing at a press conference is not right. It is just something that built up from the President’s initial ‘rappers’ comment which some found offensive to then Max being dragged before the stewards in Singapore.»

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, in the post Qualifying Press Conference

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, in the post Qualifying Press Conference

Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images

Herbert also says that there has since been a meeting with the F1 drivers and that the exact details of the community service punishment dished out to Verstappen are yet to be agreed.


He said: «We had a meeting with the drivers afterwards when at least one, who I won’t name, made clear that in his opinion, swearing was not acceptable.

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«There are many youngsters around the world who love the sport and worship the drivers. Drivers have to understand that they are role models.

«We made the decision that there was a case to answer if you like. It is between Max and the FIA to agree what the sanction should be and what it would be. That part is out of our control.»



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Red Bull will consider its juniors, not Russell, for the future

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Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says the Austrian brand will mainly look at its junior drivers for the future, rather than established Formula 1 stars.

Red Bull is searching for the best driver to partner Max Verstappen in the future, due to incumbent Sergio Perez – who is under contract for next year – having struggled to match his team-mate.

Perez has scored only 41 points in the latest 12 grands prix, just 21% of Verstappen’s tally of 195, which has cost Red Bull dearly in the constructors’ title race, with McLaren taking a comfortable lead.

Hiring race winner George Russell could be an option for Red Bull, given his contract with Mercedes runs to the end of 2025. Yet, while Marko praises the Englishman, he says this is not a likely course of action.

«George Russell is on a par with [Lewis] Hamilton in qualifying, if not faster,» Marko admitted in an interview with Autosport sister publication Formel1.de.

Watch: Why RB have Dropped Ricciardo for Lawson with Immediate Effect

«But Russell is Mercedes-Benz-affiliated, and now we are focusing on our juniors.

«We see this with [Franco] Colapinto, for example, he was relatively inexperienced and not very successful in the junior series, although it has to be said that he never had the best teams, but what an incredible performance he is putting in now.

«And now let’s see what our juniors or even a Yuki Tsunoda can do. He can also be described as a junior. But as I mentioned earlier, how does he compare to a Lawson?»

Crucially, Liam Lawson is back on the Formula 1 grid, this time as a full-time driver, replacing Daniel Ricciardo for the last six rounds of the 2024 campaign after the veteran’s performance failed to match Red Bull’s expectations.

Lawson will go up against Tsunoda, who has retained Red Bull’s trust but is yet to convince team leaders to give him a chance in the main squad.

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, Consultant, Red Bull Racing

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, Consultant, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Additionally, 20-year-old Isack Hadjar has been fighting for the Formula 2 title, while fellow Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad finished fourth in Formula 3 this year.

Hadjar’s F2 rivals Colapinto and Oliver Bearman have made their mark in their first F1 races, with the Argentinian driver’s eighth place for Williams in Baku a standout performance, which Marko believes is evidence youngsters can be trusted to get results.

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«[Colapinto] is definitely someone for the future,» the Austrian said. «What he showed in Baku and in Singapore was very, very good. But I gave that as an example.

«You could also mention Bearman, who shows that juniors from Formula 2 have the potential to impress in Formula 1. Therefore, contrary to the past, as a top team you don’t necessarily need drivers that already have three or five years’ worth of experience.»



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McLaren’s one-second-a-lap dominance is “alien” to Verstappen

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Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is worried that McLaren’s Formula 1 advantage has turned into “a whole new world” lately, with reigning world champion Max Verstappen equally astonished.

Lando Norris was unrivalled in the recent Singapore Grand Prix, outqualifying Verstappen by two tenths for pole position before winning the race with a 21-second margin on the three-time champion – the gap having been as high as 29 seconds.

This marked the continuation of an eight-race winless drought for Red Bull and Verstappen, with just one pole position and three podium finishes to the Dutchman’s name in that period, while McLaren racked up four poles, as many wins and 11 top-three results.

Verstappen and Marko had “a long conversation” on the phone last week on Tuesday, during which Red Bull’s performance struggle compared to McLaren was brought up.

Asked in an interview with Autosport sister publication Formel1.de what his driver told him then, Marko mentioned: “Well, that Lando’s dominance is alien, especially on medium tyres – he took nine tenths to one second per lap from us.

“Even if our car had been, let’s say, optimised, he couldn’t have driven those times on the medium. And we’re all wondering how he did it.

“When Norris takes nine tenths to one second per lap from us, then it’s a whole new world. And don’t forget, in the second stint, [Charles] Leclerc was just as fast as Lando or almost a bit faster. So for us, I would almost say that second place was like a victory.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images

While McLaren built its successful form on continuity, having opted to keep the same floor since the Miami Grand Prix back in May, Red Bull brought a “subtle” update to its own ahead of the Baku and Marina Bay rounds.

“It is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough,” Marko said of the upgraded Red Bull floor.

“They have worked very, very hard and have gained certain insights. It wasn’t a completely new floor, but parts of it were new. But I think the deciding factor will be performance in Austin, and there are a lot of other things coming.”

Team principal Christian Horner had described the Monza race as “the low point” for Red Bull after Verstappen finished sixth with a 38-second deficit to race winner Leclerc, and Marko agreed that it had been “more than a wake-up call”.

“It was the worst race since… I don’t know, I can’t remember when we got it so wrong in terms of strategy, pitstop, speed, everything,” he enumerated.

“But we are now on the right track. The car needs to have a wider operating window – not one where relatively small changes, or temperature differences of six or seven degrees, can affect performance.

“And then more speed and also more bandwidth so that Max can attack. We know that he needs a car with front-end bite. Because just relying on coming in second is not good enough,” he added, referring to the fact that Verstappen can still afford to take second place in every remaining race to win the drivers’ title.

However, with Red Bull now 41 points away from McLaren in the constructors’ championship and having scored 119 fewer points in the last six rounds – in no small part thanks to Sergio Perez failing to finish a single race in the top five since the Miami event – Marko conceded that this title battle was likely over “with the performance we currently have”.

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, Consultant, Red Bull Racing

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing, Helmut Marko, Consultant, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“But I’m optimistic that if Max wins races again and Sergio can then achieve third or fourth place, then things will look different again,” he added. “But the focus is primarily on the drivers’ title for now.

“But if we achieve that – and I believe that’s only possible if Max wins at least two more races – then it will also look a bit more promising in the constructors’ championship.”

Watch: Why RB have Dropped Ricciardo for Lawson with Immediate Effect



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Hard Rock striking right chord with Red Bull as extended partnership deal announced

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Red Bull and Hard Rock have announced a three-year extension to their partnership agreement that will see the two brands working closer than ever before.

Hard Rock, which boasts more than 250 Hard Rock Cafes across the globe, has also moved into the hotel and business sectors in recent years and the deal with Red Bull — as well as a presence at both the Miami and Las Vegas Grands Prix – has also seen the company commit to building its brand within Formula 1.

The expansion of what the two call a “global alliance” will see the Hard Rock logo featured more prominently on Red Bull cars and overalls from next season, while in their role as an official team partner will also host watch parties during grand prix weekends.

“We are proud to extend our partnership with Hard Rock for an additional three years and are looking forward to continuing working together with such an exciting and iconic brand,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

“Hard Rock doubling down on their commitment to the team is testament to the unwavering partnership we have forged, and this solidifies what we have achieved with them over the past three years, both on and off the track.

“I have no doubt that we will continue to impress audiences around the globe, working together on more activations, and we look forward to seeing even more innovation and collaboration together over the course of the partnership.”

Nothing marks the closer ties between the pair than their commitment to raising money for breast cancer awareness in the coming months.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Hard Rock’s PINKTOBER campaign will once again fundraise for vital research and its logo on the Red Bull cars and race suits of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will be pink at both the Mexico and Brazil Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, an auction selling off signed driver overalls, among other lots, will raise money that will be split between Wings For Life, Red Bull’s charity, and the Hard Rock Heals Foundation.

Hard Rock also has a growing presence in the wider scope of Formula 1 and was a founding partner of the Miami Grand Prix that takes place around the Hard Rock Stadium and is one of the wealth of US sponsors that have become attracted to the sport as part of Liberty Media’s expansion effort in the country.

The Hard Rock Beach Club at the Miami race hosts what is now an iconic swimming pool and cabana set-up, bringing real sand to an F1 track as it holds day-long parties which have provided some of the more memorable images and sounds of the first two races in the city.



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Marko wanted Ricciardo out after Spanish GP, reveals Horner

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Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko wanted Daniel Ricciardo out of the RB seat after the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Christian Horner has revealed.

Ricciardo’s F1 career appears to be over after RB chiefs decided to replace him with Liam Lawson for the remainder of this campaign.

It brings to an end a hugely successful career for the Australian, who won eight races for the Red Bull and McLaren teams.

But while there has been some criticism aimed at Red Bull for not allowing Ricciardo to see out the season, Horner has offered some fresh insight into the battle he faced to even keep him in the RB seat up until now.

Speaking to the F1 Nation podcast in the wake of the RB driver shuffle, Horner said that Ricciardo’s exit had been triggered by a lack of consistency – that had already tested Marko’s patience earlier in the campaign.

“He [Ricciardo] started the season roughly, and then Miami was a weekend of two halves,” said Horner. “The Friday and Saturday morning was fantastic, and it looked like the Daniel of old defending against the Ferraris and out-driving the car.

“But then the Saturday afternoon and the Sunday were disastrous. So even around Barcelona, Helmut wanted him out of the car, and there was already a lot of pressure on him there.

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“By the time we got to Montreal, it was actually dear old Jacques Villeneuve who got him properly wound up by giving him a hard time, and it definitely fired him up, because the way he drove the car that weekend, he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and put together a very strong race weekend.

“So I did say [to Ricciardo] give Jacques a call every time every grand prix, for the rest of the year, because whatever he said, it definitely worked.”

Horner said Ricciardo’s fate was effectively sealed by him not hitting the peaks of form that his bosses wanted from him to show he deserved a return to the Red Bull squad.

Although Sergio Perez’s repeated frustrations left his position in doubt, Ricciardo never did enough to be an automatic candidate to slot in as replacement.

Horner added: “I’ve done my very best to buy him as much time in the car to allow him to deliver. Otherwise he would have been out of the car after Barcelona.

“All the drivers are under pressure to deliver, but the reason that Daniel was in that car was to get himself back into a position to ultimately be there to pick up the pieces if Checo didn’t deliver.

“The problem was they both had issues with form at varying times. Checo started the season very well, very strongly, and Daniel was struggling. And then, obviously, as Checo lost form, Daniel found a bit of form. But it was never compelling enough to say, ‘okay, we should switch the two drivers’.”

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Horner also explained that the decision to get Lawson racing immediately is all about ensuring Red Bull knows what the New Zealander is capable of as it weighs up what to do with Perez long term.

“We need answers for the bigger picture in terms of drivers,” said Horner. “With six races remaining, it’s the perfect opportunity to line Liam up alongside Yuki [Tsunoda] to see how he performs over the remaining six grands prix.”

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He added: “This goes beyond VCARB. It encompasses Red Bull Racing. Obviously, we’ve got a contract with Sergio for next year, but you’ve always got to have an eye out in terms of what comes next.

“And is that going to be Liam, or do we need to look outside the pool? Or will one of the other juniors step up in the fullness of time of this, like Isack Hadjar or Arvid Lindblad.”

Watch: Why RB have Dropped Ricciardo for Lawson with Immediate Effect



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