The Motorsport Thread (Part 2)

[Blumf]

Winner: Stupidest Christian Horner Story

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/264375/remarkable-rumour-u2-song-possible-reason-for-horner-s-resignation.html

Remarkable rumour: 'U2 song possible reason for Horner's resignation'

...

The main reason for dismissing Horner now anyway would be because the Irish rock band U2 is getting involved. This is because the brother of the woman at issue in the investigation is the brother-in-law of guitarist 'The Edge'. The band reportedly wants to release a song called: 'Don't be Horny, Be a Christian'. The band's pressure with this with their mega influence would have persuaded the Thai owner of Red Bull to fire Horner after all.

[Dex Sawash]

Scrub to about 3 minutes in where they are in the wooded bits. Miintul

[Mr_Simnock]

Max Verstappen to be suspended after allegations that he's just getting on with his fucking job and not joining in with the backstabbing.

EDIT: Now he's thrown in with Team Marko
That's all the big names, Horner's position must be untenable, surely?

the entire team has now suspended itself, it will soon investigate itself to see if it did any wrong doing

[Alberon]

I'm just thankful Red Bull are generating some suspense off the track as there is fuck all on it.

[Blumf]

Kinda liked the Saturday races, leaving Sunday free to get the shopping in, as God wanted.

[Jasha]

You like Portimao? You like overtaking? Well ITV are showing this weekends MotoGP (including all three classes on Sunday) for free. Hopefully they'll take the world feed too

[jobotic]

You like Portimao? You like overtaking? Well ITV are showing this weekends MotoGP (including all three classes on Sunday) for free. Hopefully they'll take the world feed too

Good news!

[Jasha]

Ivan Ortola forgetting he left the Level up team last year and it's not his bike anymore

https://www.tiktok.com/@motogp/video/7357765866508815649

[Ambient Sheep]

Hah!

[Bently Sheds]

BBC are reporting that Adrian Newey is leaving Red Bull. No word on what team he's going to, if any.

[Ambient Sheep]

Unhappy about the Horner business, apparently.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cmm3v9ny78eo

It's interesting, in that there were rumours a few weeks ago, at the height of the Horner stuff, that Newey was unhappy and wanting to leave over it, but since then I'm sure I've read that that wasn't the case after all and he was happy to stay...

[shoulders]

The headline is pitched as though that's been the sole trigger but reading the article itself it comes across as more of a combination. I hope Newey feels like clarifying in public otherwise this type of journalism risks weaponising something that may not be intended that way.

[Ambient Sheep]

Funny you should say that, I just saw this on Twitter:



(Source unknown, googling a quote led to some similar articles but not that one - paywalled?  Anyway, it came from this tweet.)

[touchingcloth]

In the presence of said wife.

[Ambient Sheep]

Haas have just issued a statement: Hulkenberg's off at the end of the year (presumably to Sauber/Audi, who have been known to be chasing him alongside Carlos Sainz).

https://twitter.com/HaasF1Team/status/1783773114288968180

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team
@HaasF1Team

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team and Nico Hulkenberg will part ways at the conclusion of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

#HaasF1



9:20 AM · 26 Apr 2024

[Ambient Sheep]

Yup, Sauber just confirmed.

https://twitter.com/stakef1team_ks/status/1783776252047827317

Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber
@stakef1team_ks

*Hülkenberg has been added to the group chat* 💬 💚

We're excited to announce Nico Hülkenberg will join Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber for the 2025 season.



9:32 AM · 26 Apr 2024

[mojo filters]

In the presence of said wife.

Additional context and clarity: "within earshot of said wife" (assuming she's not deaf!)

[Blumf]

Funny you should say that, I just saw this on Twitter:



(Source unknown, googling a quote led to some similar articles but not that one - paywalled?  Anyway, it came from this tweet.)

This, apparently:
https://f1-insider.com/formel-1-newey-kuendigt-red-bull-zu-ferrari-63035/

Might explain the odd phrasing, as we're reading a translation.

Find it hard to believe Horner could be that stupid.

[Ambient Sheep]

This, apparently:
https://f1-insider.com/formel-1-newey-kuendigt-red-bull-zu-ferrari-63035/

Might explain the odd phrasing, as we're reading a translation.

Ah brilliant, thank you!

Find it hard to believe Horner could be that stupid.

Oh I can, just about.  The guy's been a colossal dickhead for years now (I started avoiding/muting his interviews even before the second half of 2021) and has only been getting worse.

He has actually said in public interviews that it's not just Adrian, it's the whole team, and that Newey has some very good people just under him (e.g. Pierre Wache); at first I thought that was just an exercise in morale-boosting, but now I wonder.

At this rate he hasn't just (allegedly) fucked his P.A., he's fucked the whole team!

[shoulders]

If Newey's role these days is more of a consultant or overseer it seems fair to place that in context when you're trying to retain other talent that have been working more hands on.

Given Horner seems so far below Verstappen and Newey in terms of essential elements to Red Bull, some of this Popbitch-tier stuff seems like it should be taken with a pinch of salt.

It seems unlikely he would have been in charge for two sustained periods of success if he just blurted out stuff like "Oi, Newey, what have you done for me lately?".

We're in the middle of a period where Red Bull just need to turn up and press on to win. Perhaps that has fostered some complacency? Doesn't seem like that's his style or what made them all successful though.

I'm personally happy if all this disrupts the team and brings them down to Earth, but I need a bit more than this to just swallow rumours wholesale.