Red Bull may dominate the grid in recent times, but internally, they seem to be dealing with chaos. There is an ongoing power struggle that can tear the team apart. On October 22, 2022, Dietrich Mateschitz, the co-founder and 49% owner of the parent company, Red Bull GmbH, passed away. Since then, the Thai shareholders have backed Christian Horner, the F1 team principal, to gain an even more important position in the company. As a result, Horner’s future plans have been in direct conflict with senior advisors like Helmut Marko. Moreover, things got worse when a female Red Bull employee accused Horner of “Inappropriate behavior.”
Later, the father of the triple-time champion, Max Verstappen, told the media that because of Christian Horner, the team would tear itself apart. After the Saudi Arabian GP, even the reigning three-time champion defended his father, Jos, saying, “My father is not a liar.” Max Verstappen also mentioned that he was loyal to Helmut Marko. Hence, if, because of Horner, Marko leaves the Austrian outfit, Max might leave, too. On the other hand, Red Bull must also plan for the future of Sergio Perez. Fans wonder if the Milton Keynes team will be okay about letting Max go and keeping Checo.
Did Christian Horner Fly To Thailand From Brazil Last Year To Discuss Sergio Perez?
According to GPblog, Joe Saward, an F1 journalist, speculated on why the Red Bull team principal flew straight from Brazil to Thailand last year. There has been a rumor in the sport for a long time that Daniel Ricciardo is ready to replace Sergio Perez. After all, the Mexican driver has not been able to reduce the big gap between him and his triple-time champion. Hence, the Aussie is waiting down the line to get a callback to his former team. That’s what Saward says about Horner’s visit to Thailand. Moreover, the F1 reporter insinuates that Horner and the majority owner of Red Bull, Chalerm Yoovidhya, met for a summit meeting to discuss certain things, including Checo’s position.
The Thai boss can influence that situation as he owns 51% of the company. Moreover, Saward said Yoovidhya makes the important decisions about the Red Bull empire. Hence, he would be surprised if Horner and Chalerm’s meeting did not have the subject of Checo for discussion. Albeit, it is highly unlikely, that the Thai boss will interfere with the Red Bull F1 team. But the rumors suggest Horner and the big boss have a good understanding.
Will Red Bull Replace Checo With Fernando Alonso?
Joe Saward wrote in his Green Notebook that another F1 Journalist, Albert Fabrega, sparked rumors that Fernando Alonso can replace Checo. Moreover, if that happens, Sergio Perez can “Go back” to Aston Martin as the two-time champion can take his Red Bull seat. Later, the oldest racer on the grid reacted furiously to those rumors.
Moreover, Fabrega added that his speculating post on X “Did not allude to the driver swap between Spanish-speaking racers.” But Saward was not looking anything behind the rumors. However, he did find the angry reaction of Fernando Alonso striking. Moreover, the Spanish media, in particular, picked up Fernando’s angry reaction to the story.
Stay tuned to Sports News International for more such updates about your favorite F1 team.
