Latest news with #RacingBulls
TimesLIVE
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Belgian Grand Prix kicks off new era for Red Bull as Mekies takes control
Formula One's Spa weekend marks a new start for Red Bull and reigning world champion Max Verstappen as the team go racing for the first time without Christian Horner at the helm. The Briton's sudden sacking after a 20-year reign of rare success, including the most dominant of seasons in 2023, has had the sport buzzing for weeks with plenty of questions to be asked in Belgium. A Saturday sprint will be the first race of new boss Laurent Mekies' tenure and the change, and how it affects four-time world champion Verstappen's future, remains the talking point. Horner has made no public comment and Red Bull's preview for the 13th round of the 24-race season made no mention of him. 'I was back at the factory last week to spend time in the sim[ulator] with the team and I'm looking forward to working with Laurent,' Belgian-born Verstappen was quoted as saying. Mekies, promoted from Racing Bulls who have handed over the reins to Alan Permane, arrives with Red Bull fourth overall and Verstappen a distant third in the drivers' standings behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. That intra-team title battle is likely to have extra sizzle at Spa-Francorchamps as Norris seeks a third win in a row — new territory for the Briton — and the chance to take over at the top. The sprint format offers more points than usual and Norris, whose mother is Belgian, is only eight behind the Australian going to a high-speed track that is a favourite for most drivers.
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
F1's Spa weekend kicks off a new era for Red Bull
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium - Formula One's Spa weekend marks a new start for Red Bull and reigning world champion Max Verstappen as the team go racing for the first time without Christian Horner at the helm. The Briton's sudden sacking after a 20-year reign of rare success, including the most dominant of seasons in 2023, has had the sport buzzing for weeks with plenty of questions to be asked in Belgium. A Saturday sprint will be the first race of new boss Laurent Mekies' tenure and the change, and how it affects four-times world champion Verstappen's future, remains the big talking point of the moment. Horner has made no public comment and Red Bull's preview for the 13th round of the 24-race season made no mention of him. "I was back at the factory last week to spend some time in the sim(ulator) with the team and I'm looking forward to working closely with Laurent," Belgian-born Verstappen was quoted as saying. Mekies, promoted from Racing Bulls who have handed over the reins to Alan Permane, arrives with Red Bull fourth overall and Verstappen a distant third in the drivers' standings behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. That intra-team title battle is likely to have some extra sizzle at Spa-Francorchamps as Norris seeks a third win in a row -- new territory for the Briton -- and the chance to take over at the top. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Judge asks prosecution for more information on Kpods in first case involving etomidate-laced vapes Singapore Male victim of fatal Toa Payoh fire was known to keep many things, say residents Singapore HDB launches 10,209 BTO and balance flats, as priority scheme for singles kicks in Singapore 5 teens arrested for threatening boy with knife, 2 charged with causing hurt Singapore Singapore's domestic recycling rate drops to all-time low of 11% Singapore Cyclist charged after allegedly hitting elderly pedestrian, killing him Singapore Money, housing and isolation the biggest struggles for youth leaving children's homes: Study Singapore Sota's parents portal taken down for urgent patching following global cyberattack alerts The sprint format offers more points than usual and Norris, whose mother is Belgian, is only eight behind the Australian going to a high-speed track that is a favourite for most drivers. Piastri, despite his generally unruffled exterior, may also be still simmering at the 10 second penalty that cost him a win in Britain and handed victory to Norris. He will want to hit back as Formula One kicks off a Belgium/Hungary double-header -- the first fast and often wet while the second is twisty and hot -- before the long August break. George Russell, his contract expiring at the end of the season and in danger of losing his Mercedes seat to Verstappen or having him as an uncomfortable teammate, is also not short of motivation. The Briton was stripped of victory last year at Spa when post-race checks found his car to be underweight, handing victory to then-teammate Lewis Hamilton in what remains the seven-times champion's most recent win in F1. Ferrari have yet to triumph, other than a Shanghai sprint, since Hamilton moved from Mercedes to Maranello in January but they are gathering momentum. The Italian team are second overall and Charles Leclerc has secured three podiums in the last five races while Hamilton was fourth at Silverstone. Nico Hulkenberg will also be getting back to business at Sauber after an emotional first podium at the 239th attempt at Silverstone ended his unwanted record of most races without a top three finish. Sauber, the future Audi works team, are on the move and have scored the fourth most points of any outfit on the grid over the last four races. REUTERS
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Max Verstappen issues statement ahead of Belgian GP as new Red Bull F1 boss faces debut
Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing head into the Belgian Grand Prix without Christian Horner steering the ship for the first time ever, as new boss Laurent Mekies makes his competitive debut in the role Max Verstappen says he is looking forward to striking up a close working relationship with new boss Laurent Mekies. The Dutchman was speaking ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, the first race since the bombshell news of Christian Horner being removed from his positions as team principal and CEO. The Spa-Francorchamps race is always a milestone moment for Verstappen, who is half-Belgian and sees it as one of his two home races alongside the Dutch Grand Prix. And he will be hoping to get back to winning ways at a venue which means to much to him on a personal level. But he must do so after two weeks of significant upheaval which saw Horner ousted and also plenty of intense speculation about his own future. But for now he will, like his colleagues, adjust to life under new boss Laurent Mekies, who was called up from sister team Racing Bulls to take on the top job. "I was back at the factory last week to spend some time in the sim with the team," said Verstappen as he previewed the trip to the Ardennes Forest. "I'm looking forward to working closely with Laurent." He added: "Spa is a classic and always my favourite track on the calendar, a very old school circuit where you have to do everything right to get a good lap. I enjoy the high-speed corners such as Eau Rouge, the layout which is different to other circuits and elevation changes that make the track more of a challenge to drive." Claims that Verstappen could hold a press conference in Belgium this weekend to make an announcement about his future are understood to be unfounded. But he continues to be strongly linked with a switch to Mercedes. In the immediate future, though, he and team-mate Yuki Tsunoda will get a first taste of life under a new boss in Belgium. The latter in particular will be hoping that Mekies' methods can help inspire a change in his fortunes on track, having scored just seven points since be was elevated to the seat in April. "We are coming into this race in a new era for the team and it will be good to link up again with Laurent," Tsunoda said of his former Racing Bulls boss. "We worked really well together at Racing Bulls. I know how he likes to work and our full focus is on pushing forward and for me personally to start delivering the performance we need. "Spa is a fun circuit and one that could suit us well. The Sprint always makes things tricky but the work and preparation we have done in this off time should set us up nicely. "I have spent the time off racing mixed between training very hard and using the break to mentally reset. I wanted to be the best prepared I could be coming into Spa and in better condition, mentally and physically. I am feeling strong and sharp and looking forward to these next two races before summer break."
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Liam Lawson slams Christian Horner's 'completely false' claim about Red Bull F1 axe
Liam Lawson was demoted from Red Bull Racing down to junior team Racing Bulls just two races into the 2025 Formula 1 season with Christian Horner claiming the Kiwi had crumbled under the pressure Liam Lawson insists he did not suffer a crisis of confidence during his extremely brief stint as a Red Bull Racing driver. The New Zealand driver was called up to partner Max Verstappen over the winter but survived for just two races before he was demoted back to sister squad Racing Bulls. That decision came off the back of an extremely poor start to the season, in which the Kiwi failed to score a single point across two race weekends in Melbourne and Shanghai. Lawson was sent back down to the junior team with the more experienced Yuki Tsunoda called up to take his place. But the Japanese has also struggled, scoring just seven points since being promoted to the top Red Bull squad with a best Grand Prix finish of ninth place. Regardless, former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who made the decision, felt it was the right call and claimed Lawson's confidence had been destroyed by the pressure that comes with the seat. He said: "It was something that was very clear to the engineering side within the team, just how much Liam was struggling with it all. You could see that weight upon his shoulders. The engineers were coming to me very concerned about it, and at the end of the day, I think it was the logical thing to do. "Sometimes you've got to be cruel to be kind, and I think that in this instance, this is not the end for Liam. I was very clear with him, is that it's a sample of two races. I think that we've asked too much of you too soon. We have to accept, I think we were asking too much of him too soon. "So this is for him to, again, nurture that talent that we know that he has, back in the Racing Bulls seat, whilst giving Yuki the opportunity and looking to make use of the experience that he has. I think with everything that we saw in Australia and China, you could see that it was really affecting Liam quite badly." Lawson's scoreless run continued after his return to Racing Bulls, but he has since found his feet. His sixth-placed finish in Austria at the end of June was his best in F1 and saw him leapfrog Tsunoda in the drivers' standings. And, in a new interview, the Kiwi said he did not feel he was given enough time to make an impression at Red Bull Racing, and denied any suggestion that his confidence had taken a hit from the experience. "Between the first couple of races, to the team switch, then going to Japan, mentally for me nothing changed," he said. "It's been very heavily speculated that my confidence took a hit and stuff like this, which is completely false. From the start of the year, I felt the same as I always have. I think in two races, on tracks I'd never been to, it's not really enough. Maybe six months into a season, if I'm still at that level, if the results are still like that, then I'd be feeling something – maybe my confidence would be taking a hit. "I was well aware that those results weren't good enough, but I was just focused on improving, fixing and learning, basically. I was in the same mindset as I have been since I came into F1. I think that was the biggest thing going into a team like that, in a car like that... It was going to take a bit of time to adjust and learn. "With no proper testing, the issues in testing, the issues in Melbourne through practice – it wasn't smooth and clean. I needed time, and I wasn't given it. I haven't really talked much about it, because I think for a big part of this year, I've just ignored everything that happened and I've just focused on trying to drive the car. "But I know there was a lot of stuff that went out that was speculation about how I was feeling. My confidence hasn't changed since the start of the year to now."
Newsweek
a day ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
New Red Bull F1 Boss Warned About Media Heat at Upcoming Belgian GP
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. Red Bull Racing's new CEO and team principal, Laurent Mekies, has been warned by former driver and pundit Jolyon Palmer about the media attention and scrutiny he will likely face this weekend at Spa Francorchamps, given that this will be his first public appearance after taking on his new role. Mekies was promoted from team principal of Racing Bulls after Christian Horner's sudden ousting following the British Grand Prix. He now has more weight on his shoulders in heading a team that dominated most of the ground effect era that began in 2022. The 48-year-old arrives at Red Bull at a time when the team appears to be struggling on several fronts. From reported issues with the RB21 F1 car, to rumors about Max Verstappen's potential move to Mercedes in 2026, and Yuki Tsunoda's challenges in adapting to his car, Mekies has several areas to address urgently. Mekies' Red Bull arrival comes at a tricky time, and Palmer believes the upcoming race weekend in Belgium will be "intense" for him. He said on the F1 Nation Podcast: Laurent Mekies, Incoming CEO and Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing poses for a photo during an Oracle Red Bull Racing Filming Day at Silverstone Circuit on July 10, 2025 in Northampton, England. Laurent Mekies, Incoming CEO and Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing poses for a photo during an Oracle Red Bull Racing Filming Day at Silverstone Circuit on July 10, 2025 in Northampton, Oracle Red Bull Racing "I imagine he's obviously going to be set for the lion's den of the media scrum, and it is going to be a really intense week for him. "He's going into a championship-winning team, and his experience with Racing Bulls is so different in terms of how it operates and what they expect, but Red Bull still has the ingredients for a really strong weekend. "They've still got a great race team and they how to execute races, and they've got a driver who can massively over-perform when he's back is against the wall in Max Verstappen, who is always good at Spa, and the team are good at Spa. "So if you are Laurent heading into his first weekend, you're going to absorb life within a top-line F1 team, it is going to be very different for him personally with the media pressures and scrutiny and the questions." To add to Mekies' pressure, the upcoming weekend features a sprint race. As a result, Palmer thinks this could be Red Bull's moment to show support to its new team principal. He added: "It is a sprint weekend, so there'll be talking points on track immediately, and you're just hoping Red Bull hits the ground running, but the team will be gearing up behind him. "After the fallout of everything in the last year-and-a-half, and the key personnel who have left Red Bull, there are a lot of people in the team looking around and thinking: 'Who is going to go next?' "The team was very unsettled, and this is the chance for the rest of the team to re-galvanise and put their support behind Laurent."
