Latest news with #McLaren
News.com.au
an hour ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Zak Brown delivers savage swipe at axed Red Bull boss Christian Horner
McLaren boss Zak Brown has delivered a savage swipe to recently axed Red Bull supremo Christian Horner. Horner was sensationally sacked after 20 years with the team, in a move that caught the Formula 1 paddock by surprise in early July. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. But one man wasn't at all caught off guard by the axing with Brown saying the writing had been on the wall for his long-running rival. Watch the McLaren boss' blunt response in the video player above 'Maybe the timing, but not the result,' Brown told Canadian broadcaster TSN when asked whether he was surprised by the news. 'I think there's been a lot of drama there the last couple years, and it doesn't seem like that drama has been calming down. Maybe it's been getting worse.' The parting shot is just the latest chapter in the fiery feud between the two team bosses who have delivered barbs at one another over the years. It all went up a notch last year when Brown voiced his displeasure with the FIA over Red Bull owning two teams on the grid. Brown then took things up a notch in the wake of Horner's sexting scandal as he called for the FIA to conduct an open inquiry into the allegations. Horner was ultimately cleared of the allegations twice following a private independent investigation by Red Bull. The rivalry however exploded after McLaren flipped the script and stole Red Bull's mantle atop the F1 standings. As the Woking-based team asserted their dominance on the grid, Red Bull raised questions over their rise to supremacy. One of those questions raised in the latter stages of the 2024 season centred around the use of water being used inside of tyres to cool them down. The theory was that McLaren had worked out a way to inject water into the tyres through valves which would then keep them cool throughout a race and limit degradation. Despite the FIA conducting a probe into the accusations and finding no wrongdoings, Red Bull, and Horner, refused to let sleeping dogs lie. Brown once again didn't miss a chance to get a shot in at his rivals with a not-so-subtle jab during the Miami Grand Prix. With Brown getting one more swipe in, things inside Red Bull's garage could be set to go from bad to worse. Horner predicted the team could be set to fall even further behind their rivals when new engine regulations come into play from 2026 onwards. But that could just be the tip of the iceberg for the once dominant outfit with four-time champion Max Verstappen reportedly linked with a shift to join Mercedes. Despite being contracted until the end of 2028, it was reported that Ola Kallenius, Mercedes' chief executive, had given his tick of approval for the team to sign Verstappen. Mercedes are being tipped as the early frontrunner for when the new regulations come into play next season which could also be one of the reasons behind a potential Verstappen switch. It's believed Verstappen's contract with Red Bull contains a clause that could allow him to walk free at the end of the season. The exit clause can reportedly be activated if Verstappen is lower than fourth in the Drivers' Championship after the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 3, according to Planet F1. Verstappen is currently third on the drivers' standings with 165 points, George Russell sits in fourth on 147 points. With two races set to take place before the summer break, all eyes will be on the standings and where Verstappen sits.
News18
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- News18
'It's Like 2021...Only One Gets The Trophy': F1 Veteran On Norris-Piastri Title Battle
Last Updated: David Coulthard compared McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris' tight battle to the 2021 Verstappen-Hamilton duel for supremacy. As the 2025 Formula 1 season reaches its halfway mark, the fiercest championship battle isn't between rival teams—but between teammates at McLaren. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are locked in a thrilling duel for supremacy, with just eight points separating them after 12 races. Former McLaren driver and F1 veteran David Coulthard believes the internal rivalry mirrors the legendary 2021 title showdown between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton—two drivers at their peak, but only one eventual champion. 'If it were half a World Championship, Oscar's won," Coulthard told media. 'I don't think anyone could say he hasn't deserved to be leading—he was ahead even before the McLarens came together in Canada." Piastri has taken five wins so far to Norris's four, but Coulthard believes the second half of the season will determine who truly has championship steel. 'This is like 2021. Both Max and Lewis drove like World Champions that year, but only one could win. That's what we're seeing now with Lando and Oscar." 'This might be their only chance to win a world title—we don't know what 2026 will bring," he said. 'You've got to seize the moment." During his stint alongside Häkkinen from 1996 to 2001 at McLaren, Coulthard experienced first-hand how internal rivalries can escalate when both drivers feel capable of winning. 'Once both drivers think they can be world champion, it always gets more complicated." Don't Count Verstappen Out Yet Despite McLaren's dominance, Coulthard cautioned against writing off Max Verstappen, who trails Piastri by 69 points. He praised Verstappen's 'stellar qualifying" at Silverstone and noted that Red Bull still has the capacity to turn the tide. 'You can't rule Max out. They'll need an upgrade to regain consistency, but Red Bull have done it before, and Max is exceptional." With 12 races down and 10 to go, the 2025 F1 season is shaping up as a dramatic showdown—one that could go down in history like 2021. But as Coulthard puts it, 'Only one of them can get the trophy." (with IANS inputs) view comments First Published: July 22, 2025, 23:51 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Formula 1: What has gone right for McLaren as they head to Belgian GP on top of drivers' and constructors' races?
By Amrit Prakash The 2025 season has come up like a reward for long years of sweat and toil for McLaren. Ahead of the Belgian GP this weekend, the McLaren team is leading both the drivers' and constructors' standings. With both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at the top and both commanding over a 60-point lead over the dominant champion Max Verstappen, McLaren is starting to dream about its first champion since they had the modern-day great Lewis Hamilton in their stables in 2008. With a commanding lead of over 200 points over Ferrari, which is placed a distant second in the constructors chart, McLaren looks well within reach to repeat the 2024 constructor's title win, which it won after a long two decades in 1998 when Mika Hakkinen successfully won the championship with active support from David Coulthard. McLaren's dream run of 2025 isn't due to luck or a single innovation. It's the result of an amalgamation of a sweeping technical overhaul supported by strong leadership and trust in the sustained efforts of various team members. As former team owner Ron Dennis once said, 'You don't expect to be at the top of the mountain the day you start climbing.' The team has been charting its way back to the top gradually since the fall from the top in the 2013 season. Andrea Stella, who took over from Andreas Seidl as team principal in the 2023 season, has been with McLaren since 2015, prior to which he had worked with Ferrari and F1 legend Michael Schumacher. He has overhauled the team by bringing in Rob Marshall, ex-Red Bull honcho, who revamped the car architecture. Peter Prodromou, the veteran aerodynamicist, made improvements in the chassis and aerodynamics of the car. This gave the winning combination of the MCL39 car of 2025 with active support from the pool of young talent. 'It's not about shortcuts. It's about culture, science, and belief,' Stella once said. The belief is visible in the MCL39 car. There have been changes in the chassis design with reoriented suspension. Front and rear suspension redesign has also helped the MCL39 reduce wearing down of tires and helped stabilised the aerodynamic platform. Rob Marshall's architectural innovations have overhauled the diffuser and the cooling package of the car. Work was also done on the thermal management of the car with improvement on the airflow in the sidepods and engine cover. The McLaren team has also introduced advanced use of telemetry with AWS and Splunk, providing them with real-time simulation for tire prediction and aero modelling. Behind the wheel, UK-born Lando Norris has been McLaren's consistent driver for the last seven years, while the Australian Piastri has been with the team since 2023 when he replaced fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo. Both Norris and Piastri are technical, adaptable, and collaborative, which was absent in previous pairings of MCL39 initially suited Piastri's braking style, but Norris adapted to it by tweaking his technique, contributing to a stronger mid-season surge in performance. What's also important is that Piastri and Norris don't just coexist—they push each other to their limits, giving McLaren its desired results. With nine constructors' titles, McLaren is only behind Ferrari in the all-time list, making it one of the most consistent teams. But the last decades have just seen the downfall of this glorious team. After Mika Häkkinen's retirement in 2001, McLaren struggled to maintain title-contending form with the Mercedes chassis issue of 2004. Then came the 2007 Stepneygate Scandal, where McLaren was fined $100 million for possessing Ferrari technical data, and banned from the championship race. 2008 gave them a winner in Hamilton, but they lost to Ferrari in the Constructors race. Their real downfall started when the new chassis policy in the Mercedes engine was adopted, which resulted in the disastrous season of 2013-14. But things turned worse from there, with the Honda Gp2 engine also facing public criticism from the drivers. The seasons of 2015-17 gave McLaren its worst finish since its origin. With another transition to Renault for three years, McLaren again returned to Mercedes in 2021 which has laid the foundation for the team to regain its long-lost glory. McLaren is one of those teams that has supported raw talent, be it in the case of 1976 champion James Hunt or Niki Lauda, who later won with McLaren in 1984. Hamilton, who won the 2008 F1 title, was also a raw talent. Jenson Button, who won the F1 title with Brawn, was a McLaren find too. Same is the case of current drivers, Piastri and Norris, who helped McLaren win the 2024 constructors title, the first since 1998. After the British Grand Prix 2025, the point difference between Piastri and Norris is eight points, and the intra-team rivalry is starting to emerge. Will this lead to a split between the winning pair, like we have seen throughout the history of McLaren in famous rivalries between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna or the British pair of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton? The performance of Norris and Piastri is getting compared with three-time Champion Senna and four-time champion Prost, who dominated the F1 for the decade with the McLaren team. With 12 races to go in the season, it is for these drivers to prove that they are worthy of this comparison.
Glasgow Times
20 hours ago
- Automotive
- Glasgow Times
Christian Horner's sacking no surprise given Red Bull ‘drama'
Horner's tenure as boss of Red Bull was dramatically brought to an end on July 9, ending a 20-year chapter in charge of a team he led to 14 world championships. His departure came 17 months after he was accused by a female staff member of 'inappropriate behaviour'. Horner, 51, always denied the claims and was twice exonerated. Red Bull have struggled on the track this season, with four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who is 69 points off the title pace ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, consistently linked with a move away from the team. Brown was not surprised by Horner's departure (David Davies/PA) Against that backdrop, Brown, whose McLaren team lead the way in both constructors' and drivers' championships, says he was not shocked to see Horner dismissed. 'I'm maybe (surprised by) the timing, but not the result,' Brown told Canadian TV channel TSN. 'I think there's been a lot of drama there the last couple of years and it doesn't seem like that drama has been calming down – maybe been getting worse.' Verstappen has a contract, which includes a performance-related release clause, until 2028, but Mercedes are interested in signing him and the Dutchman has been hesitant to say he will see out his Red Bull deal. Verstappen's future has dominated the agenda this season (David Davies/PA) Horner was the youngest F1 team principal when he took charge of the team in 2005 and has overseen two spells of dominance, with Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen both winning four consecutive drivers' titles. Brown believes Horner could return to motorsport in the future, adding: 'Given his age and his history in motor racing, I'd be surprised if he didn't show up somewhere in motor racing. 'But I don't know his other interests, whether he wants to go run a football team or what have you. So, we'll see.'
Newsweek
a day ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
McLaren CEO Breaks Silence on Christian Horner Ousting: 'Lot of Drama'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown admitted that he wasn't "surprised" by Red Bull Racing's decision to part ways with Christian Horner, seemingly suggesting that his ousting was imminent. Brown highlighted that there was "a lot of drama" at Red Bull that kept getting "worse." Horner's Red Bull split arrived after he had served the team for twenty years, shocking the world of F1. However, Brown likely saw it coming, given the controversies that made headlines when the 2024 season had just begun. The former Red Bull team boss was accused of inappropriate behavior by a female colleague, which led to an internal investigation. However, he was cleared of any wrongdoing by Red Bull GmbH. Horner reportedly received flak from Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, for what had unfolded. This followed reports of an internal power struggle between Horner and senior advisor Helmut Marko. High-profile exits from Red Bull, such as Adrian Newey and Jonathan Wheatley, soon followed, leading to a management shuffle. McLaren CEO Zak Brown walks in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on April 18, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. McLaren CEO Zak Brown walks in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on April 18, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Bull's RB20 F1 car also began to suffer from balance problems, which, combined with McLaren's resurgence, led to Red Bull losing the top spot in the 2024 Constructors' Championship. While Red Bull didn't reveal the reason for Horner's immediate departure, Brown suggested that he saw it coming. In an interview with TSN, the McLaren boss was asked if he was surprised by Horner's exit. He said: "Maybe the timing, but not the result. There's been a lot of drama there the last couple of years and it doesn't seem like that drama has been calming down, maybe even been getting worse. So, I'm not surprised, anytime in the middle of the season." Brown revealed that he was more focused on the F1 season ahead, with both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris leading the Drivers' Standings in the same order. Verstappen is placed third in the championship, 69 points adrift of Piastri. Brown added: "But, we're head down on our Championship. They've got Max still knocking on the door, so we've got to pay attention to that. But, tremendous amount of success they had." With Horner linked to Ferrari and Alpine F1 teams, Brown predicts he could return to motorsports in the future. He said: "I think given his age and his history in motor racing, I'd be surprised if he didn't show up somewhere in motor racing. "But I don't know his other interests, whether he wants to go run a football team or what have you. We'll see." Asked if he was following news about Horner, Brown said: "Yeah. But couldn't be happier with Oscar and Lando. So, sure to be the interested spectator. I'm very happy with my driver line-up. So, I don't want to spend any time on other than what pops up on my phone."
