F1 2025 - Watchalong Thread

[Brazilianadventure]

Happy New Year.

We start with the first all teams season launch on 18 February. Ferrari reveal their 2025 car the day after.

Pre season testing will take place on 26 to 28 February in Bahrain. Australia will host the opening race on Sunday March 16th.

Blimey, I’m shocked. The time to sack him was when all of this first came out.

I reckon that Jos has basically said to them, either he goes or we do.

I reckon Max will stay at Red Bull now. I always thought it was a bizarre thing, to think about moving teams when the regulations are changing and you don’t know how anyone will fare next year.

you all beat me to it

I'm thinking Max might stay with Red Bull now.

Just seen the news. I really thought he had ridden out the storm.

I agree this could be a Max/Jos vs Horner issue but it could be a wider Red Bull owner issue.

so much drama in F1 right now. I’m loving it 😁

Andrew Benson is saying Laurent Mekies has been promoted to RB Team Principal.

Lauren Mekies takes over as CEO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurent_Mekies

Must be something new has happened. Otherwise why now?

The court case is soon isn't it? Absolutely no way it's just on performance. Maybe they wanted to allow time to pass after the whole "we stand by Christian" malarky

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke!

So either it is an attempt to keep Max or Max has already left and that was the final straw so Christian had to go.

The next few weeks will be very interesting.

Team has been heading downwards for a while.

No chance of the constructors which is worth £££ to the teams. Car seems hard to drive by anyone but Max. Second driver not making any real contribution.

Plus a few key team members have left, esp. the car designer and I think I heard someone big in the aero team had left as well.

Maybe the management just decided since so many of the successful team had gone it was the best time to make a change.

I have a gut feeling he won't have difficulty getting a new job if he wants one. If I was a team principal of one of the lower teams I would be looking around nervously.

Does anyone think CH could go to Ferrari and replace Fred?

I had heard rumors that he's been in discussions with Ferrari for the last few weeks.

I would be so disappointed if any other team gives him a job.

I can't see Hamilton being able to work with Horner

Why ?

Horner never feels to me like he has been a guy that has trouble managing drivers.

I think Hamilton wants to win. And if Horner brings improvement to the team then he will be fine with that.

The big issue for Horner will be like it is with anyone coming into a new organisation and wanting to change the way things are done. Even with the power of team principle there will be a lot of forces working against him and my guess is Ferrari is a lot more insular than the rest of the F1 teams.

Ferrari is a bit like Man U for a new football manager, massive potential and opportunity, but also the potential to be the career ending graveyard, with a massive amount of stress coupled in to boot.

Me too.

This is F1. Personal conduct is meaningless. Alpine employed Flavio Briatore for goodness sake and he got a lifetime ban from the sport.

I reckon that Jos has basically said to them, either he goes or we do

But you can’t FIRE someone for that reason. Even team principals have rights. In that event it would’ve been a resignation or some other ‘mutual agreement’ fudge but they’ve made it quite clear that he’s been sacked.

It will be a compromise agreement.

According to the media Football managers are “sacked” all the time.

The RBR statement will not use the word “sacked” it’s just how the media is interpreting it.

Of course not, but Jos has made it pretty clear he wants Horner gone, and perhaps this Mercedes talk has finally made Red Bull take notice. They have the perfect excuse now, as results aren’t great and morale is low. Publicly they can say that it’s time for a change, whilst behind the scenes they may have a Verstappen walkout threat and a court case that might not go their way.

I don’t know. Released is generally understood to be corporate speak for sacked and given it would be highly defamatory to say someone had been sacked when they haven’t, the likes of the BBC and Sky must be sure.

@Hazeby they probably had ongoing talks including a “without prejudice” meeting to agree terms of a settlement agreement.

That was my thoughts. Part of a deal to keep Max
Couldn't be more pleased! Sacked with immediate effect