Australian Formula One Grand Prix

[StevB]

Race Saturday night/Sunday morning at 04:00

Qualifying

1) Max Verstappen, [Red Bull]
2) Carlos Sainz, [Ferrari]
3) Sergio Perez, [Red Bull]
4) Lando Norris, [McLaren]
5) Charles Leclerc, [Ferrari]
6) Oscar Piastri, [McLaren]
7) George Russell, [Mercedes]
8) Yuki Tsunoda, [RB]
9) Lance Stroll, [Aston Martin]
10) Fernando Alonso, [Aston Martin]

11) Lewis Hamilton, [Mercedes]
12) Alex Albon, [Williams]
13) Valtteri Bottas, [Sauber]
14) Kevin Magnussen, [Haas]
15) Esteban Ocon, [Alpine]

16) Nico Hulkenberg, [Haas]
17) Pierre Gasly, [Alpine]
18) Daniel Ricciardo, [RB]
19) Zhou Guanyu, [Sauber]

Alex Albon is driving Logan Sargeant's car after he crashed and damaged his car in practice. Williams did not have a spare chassis with them in Melbourne, so Williams have only one car racing.

[StevB]

Sergio Perez has been given a three-place grid drop for impeding Nico Hulkenberg in qualifying. He will now start sixth.

[Ketchup2023]

Very early start. There were rumours recently that max could leave red bull and join mercedes, how likely would that be to happen? I think its to do with things off the track.

[StevB]

Very early start. There were rumours recently that max could leave red bull and join mercedes, how likely would that be to happen? I think its to do with things off the track.

Early start indeed.
The start time in Melbourne is 15:00, 3pm. Convenient time for them but very early start Irish Time.
All the European races start at 15:00, with the exception of the British Grand Prix that starts at 14:00.
Most of the fans live in Europe, so an attempt is made to have the races at a time convenient to Europe but this often conflicts with what is convenient locally.

[StevB]

Very early start. There were rumours recently that max could leave red bull and join mercedes, how likely would that be to happen? I think its to do with things off the track.

“Things off track” indeed. Simply, Jos Verstappen (Max’s father) vs. Christian Horner. That feud has been going on for eight years or so.

Christian Horner has a reputation of having an abrasive personalty. Jos Verstappen is a control freak, the power behind Max. But, his father is the driving force who had him racing carts and, in his early years, and made him the racer he is today. Two strong personalities at loggerheads.
Max is his own man, with Raymond Vermeulen as his manager, and may not side with Jos, but Jos is still his father.

Feud started (although they were two strong personalities likely to clash anyway) when Max Verstappen was moved from Toro Rosso to Red Bull by Helmut Marko in 2016, and winning in his first race at the Spanish Grand Prix as an 18-year-old. Helmut Marko is director of the Red Bull Formula One teams, and head of Red Bull's driver development programme.
Christian Horner was not convinced about putting a teenager in one of his cars. He soon changed his mind, but Jos saw his initial reluctance as a lack of faith in his son and has never forgiven him.

[StevB]

That Max may go to Mercedes is a threat Jos has made, but I cannot see that happening. Red Bull certainly needs Max, but Max also needs Red Bull. Even if Adrian Newey (and even Helmut Marko) followed him to Mercedes, that team is a few years away from producing a competitive car.

[StevB]

Jos Verstappen wants Christian Horner out. When Christian Horner faced an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague he waded in on the side of the complainant. Despite an investigation clearing Christian Horner he is still dragging this out claiming Horner should go.

Max Verstappen has insisted Christian Horner and Helmut Marko must stay. If Christian Horner went, then Helmut Marko may go and so may Adrain Newey.

Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, who died in 2022, and the late Thai businessman Chaleo Yoovidhya co-founded Red Bull in 1984. Mateschitz had 49% of the shares and Yoovidhya had 51%
Mateschitz’s son Mark took over his 49 per cent stake.
Chalerm Yoovidhya, who is the eldest son of Chaleo Yoovidhya, owns the remaining 51% of shares.

Dietrich Mateschitz, was a person who could keep order in Red Bull Racing but since he died in 2022, there has not been a replacement personality able to do this.

Christian Horner is Red Bull’s team principal. Under his leadership Red Bull have won six constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ championships. Christian Horner is undoubtedly a great leader and team principal but Helmut Marko is the brains behind the driver selection and strategy. [And Max Verstappen, (and Adrian Newey) their greatest assets].

Mark Mateschitz is unhappy with Christian Horner and the fuss generated by his relationship with the employee. But Mark Mateschitz has 49% of the shares of Red Bull.

Chalerm Yoovidhya, who has 51%, so far has backed Christian Horner. Clearly, the issue is causing friction in the racing team.

[StevB]

I am tempted to say that Jos Verstappen is almost the Enoch Burke of formula One.

If he was to just leave managing his son to Raymond Vermeulen, who is his manager, things would be better for all. Sometime I think Jos wants to run and control Red Bull Racing himself.

[Corsasport]

I am tempted to say that Jos Verstappen is almost the Enoch Burke of formula One.

If he was to just leave managing his son to Raymond Vermeulen, who is his manager, things would be better for all. Sometime I think Jos wants to run and control Red Bull Racing himself.

I read somewhere that the female employee that has reported Horner was actually Jos’s girlfriend,
Mabye that would explain why he’s pushing it all so hard..

[StevB]

I read somewhere that the female employee that has reported Horner was actually Jos’s girlfriend,
Mabye that would explain why he’s pushing it all so hard..

A girl he was having a relationship with, more accurate than "his girlfriend"
Often described as "someone he was friendly with"
Entire saga is a tangled mess. A mess that mature men (both of them) should have known enough to avoid.

But I still think the power struggle between the two is the driving force and the problem. The girl could end up suffering because of it.