Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Red Bull Racing

  • Maloney joins RB Juniors

    Zane Maloney has become the newest member of the Red Bull Racing Junior driver programme, as well as serving as one of the team’s reserve drivers for the 2023 Formula 1 season.

    Maloney finished the 2022 FIA Formula 3 season second, just five points off winning the championship in his rookie season. Driving for Trident, he rebounded from a tricky start to the year in style, capping off his maiden campaign in F3 with three consecutive Feature Race victories but fell just short of the title at Monza.

    Maloney was 2019, British F4 Champion with Carlin before making the switch to Euroformula Open for 2020, where he finished the season 8th. In 2021, the Bajan driver moved to Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, He took one win, as well as a further seven podiums on the way to finish fourth in the standings.

    Following the end of the 2022 F3 Championship, he took part in the post-season Formula 2 test with Carlin alongside fellow Red Bull Junior, Enzo Fittipaldi. Maloney finished the three-day event at Yas Marina Circuit with 246 laps under his belt.

    I am thrilled to announce that I will be a part of the Red Bull Racing Junior Team and F1 Reserve Driver in 2023. I am grateful for the opportunity and support, and look forward to getting the season started.

    Maloney on his new role.

  • Ricciardo returns ‘home’

    Red Bull have confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo will be returning to the squad where he won seven Grand Prix as a third driver for 2023.

    At the end of this season, Ricciardo departed McLaren to make way for compatriot Oscar Piastri, who races alongside Lando Norris in 2023. The eight-time Grand Prix winner – who took a win for McLaren at Monza in 2021 will return to Red Bull to assist with testing, simulator work and commercial activity.

    The 33 year old, hinted strongly at a return to Red Bull in a reserve capacity after leaving McLaren without another full-time role set up.

    The Australian made his debut for HRT in 2011, but joined the Red Bull feeder squad Toro Rosso the following year, before being called up Red Bull in 2014, there he partnered Sebastian Vettel, Daniil Kyvat and Max Verstappen.

    The smile says it all. I’m truly excited to be coming back home to Oracle Red Bull Racing as their Third Driver in 2023. I already have so many fond memories of my time here, but the welcome from Christian [Horner], Dr [Helmut] Marko and the entire team is something I’m sincerely appreciative of. For me personally, the ability to contribute to and be surrounded by the best team in F1 is hugely appealing, whilst also giving me some time to recharge and refocus. I can’t wait to be with the team and support with simulator work, testing sessions and commercial activities. Let’s go!

    Daniel Ricciardo on his move.

    It is great to bring Daniel back into the Red Bull family. He has enormous talent and such a brilliant character; I know the whole factory is excited to be welcoming him home. In his role as test and third driver, Daniel will give us the chance to diversify, assisting in the development of the car, aiding the team with his experience and knowledge of what it takes to succeed in F1. We’re very pleased to be working with Daniel again and look forward to everything he will bring to the team in 2023.

    Team Principal, Christian Horner.

  • Round 22- Abu Dhabi GP

    What a season, but more importantly the final race weekend of the 2022 season is complete which means it was Sebastian Vettel’s last race as well.

    The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the race where it decides the runner-up this season, as well as the closeness in the Constructors too.

    But it was Max Verstappen who wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix making it 15 wins in a season for the Dutchman, Charles Leclerc comes home to make it 2nd, and also second in the drivers championship too. Sergio Perez rounds out the podium, after falling short not being able to overtake the Monegasque driver.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Perez, P4: Sainz, P5: Russell, P6: Norris, P7: Ocon, P8: Stroll, P9: Ricciardo and P10: Vettel.

    First and foremost it was wonderful to see Seb get points in his last race, as well as Daniel too. Two out of four drivers leaving the sport this weekend, but managing to hold on and get points is probably more than what they could wish for!

    Not the best race for Mercedes, they had their first mechanical retirement of the season, as Lewis had to pit due to loosing power because of an hydraulic issue. Their fight for P2 in the constructors was then over.

    A good finish for Ferrari, after an up and down season I think they will be pretty pleased with 2nd in the drivers and constructors, there is definitely some things they need to work on if they want to be in the title fight again, but its all apart of learning.

    The Championship-

    Firstly looking at the Drivers championship, Leclerc finishes his highest in the championship, as well George Russell in his first year as a Mercedes driver. But one person I have to mention, Mr Lando Norris (Mr P7…) being best of the rest and beating out both Alpines.

    Now taking a look at the Constructors, Alpine beat McLaren to that all important P4. Alfa Romeo manage to stay ahead of Aston Martin due to Valtteri Bottas’s 5th place in Imola. Haas finish 8th ahead of Alpha Tauri and Williams in P10.

    Now, we have 105 days until the next race at the beginning of March and we obviously have testing aswell! It’s been a mad season, keep your eyes peeled for the latest news and some articles coming out soon on the 2022 season!

  • Fittipaldi joins RB academy

    Red Bull have added Brazilian racing driver and currently Formula 2 driver, Enzo Fittipaldi grandson of two-time former World Champion, Emerson Fittipaldi, to their junior academy.

    It has been a strong season for the Brazilian driver who drives for Charouz, having achieved a trio of P2 finishes and the same number of P3’s.

    Fittipaldi stated it ad been his performance back in Hungary where he finished P3 in the sprint and then P2 in the feature race which caught Red Bull’s attention before then having a meeting Marko at the Belgian GP round.

    The 21 year old, currently sits in P6 in the standings, and is one of three drivers tied on 126 points. Logan Sargeant in P3 who is set to join Williams next season should he secure his super licence, is only nine points further up, so a lot can change.

    I think after my result in Budapest, where I got two podiums on the same weekend, we started [talking more seriously]. I’ve always had a bit of contact since last year with Dr Helmut Marko and then at Spa this year we had a meeting — so after Budapest — and we were talking and I’m very happy to announce I’m now part of the Red Bull family. The junior team is an amazing opportunity for me.

    Enzo Fittipaldi on joining the RB Academy.

    It’s difficult to say now. I still have to do a really good job in Abu Dhabi. I’m fighting for third in the championship in Formula 2, I have the race this week, so it’s really important I do a good job there, so the goal is to finish top three this year. Let’s just say Abu Dhabi is very important for me. It’s very important I do a good job there. We’ll see what comes after. For sure, being part of a [Formula 1] team for me has always been a dream, especially Red Bull — the championship-winning team, the best team in Formula 1. It’s a dream for me. So all I can do is thank Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull, Christian Horner — it’s an unbelievable opportunity. Now is the time to work hard and keep pushing.

    Enzo on his future

  • Round 20- Mexico GP

    Round 20 is now complete, and it’s definitely safe to say that it wasn’t the most exciting race this season however a special record got broken after 9 years!

    Max Verstappen wins the 2022 Mexico Grand Prix, making it 14 race wins in a season passing Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel! Lewis Hamilton comes home in 2nd and Sergio Perez rounds out the podium – the exact same podium as the 2021 Grand Prix.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Perez, P4: Russell, P5: Sainz, P6: Leclerc, P7: Ricciardo, P8: Ocon, P9: Norris and P10: Bottas.

    What a day for the World Champion, we all know Max isn’t really one for records but this one I think feels a bit different for the Dutchman as the last person who equalled the record (Sebastian Vettel) was with Red Bull when he accomplished this! Not only this Max Verstappen has scored the most points in a season with two races to go!

    A great day for the Silver Arrows, they’re getting closer and closer to that win but will it be too late with only two races left? With Hamilton finishing 2nd and Sainz finishing 5th, Hamilton now sits in-front of Sainz in the Driver standings.

    A good race for McLaren with both drivers scoring points, even though Daniel got a 10 second time penalty for his collision with Yuki Tsunoda, he drove his heart out and managed to build up a big enough gap between himself and Esteban and stay in the same place!

    On the other hand for Alpine, it wasn’t the best of days for them, Alonso DNF’ing to an engine problem during the race and Ocon not doing as much as expected… It definitely brings McLaren back into contention for the fight for fourth in the Constructors.

    Not much can be said about Ferrari, the whole weekend they were off the pace or having problems with the car, it may be because we were in Mexico and we were quite high up, hopefully we see them bounce back in Brazil and they will hope so too as Mercedes are now only 40 points behind them in the Constructors.

    We are back racing in just under two weeks for round 21, where the Sprint returns in Brazil which could shake a few things up for the drivers…

  • RB enter agreement with FIA over breach of ’21 Regulations

    Red Bull have entered an Accepted Breach Agreement (ABA) with the FIA following a breach of the 2021 Financial Regulations, F1’s governing body have said.

    For the first time in Formula One history, all 10 teams were required to submit their accounts of their annual spending against the Cost Cap for 2021 by the following March. On Friday in Mexico, the FIA announced that Red Bull was found to be in breach.

    The Cost Cap Administration recognised that Red Bull Racing has acted cooperatively throughout the review process and has sought to provide additional information and evidence when requested in a timely manner, that this is the first year of the full application of the Financial Regulations and that there is no accusation or evidence that RBR (Red Bull Racing) has sought at any time to act in bad faith, dishonestly or in fraudulent manner, nor has it wilfully concealed any information from the Cost Cap Administration. In these circumstances, the Cost Cap Administration offered to RBR an ABA to resolve this matter. That offer was accepted by RBR.

    The FIA.

    In the summary, it was revealed Red Bull exceeded the cost cap in 2021, of £118,036,00 by less than 5% by less than 5% ( £1,864.00 or 1.6%) which is a minor breach. The FIA said they acknowledge that had Red Bull applied “the correct treatment within its full year reporting documentation of their Notional Tax Credit within its 2021 submission of a value of £1,431,438” and therefore would have exceeded the cap by $432,652 or 0.37%.

    Regarding sanctions for breaching the cost cap, Red Bull must pay $7 million to the FIA within 30 days of the date of execution of the ABA.

    They also receive a minor sporting penalty in the form of 10% reduction in their allocated Restricted Wind Tunnel Testing and Restricted Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) limits. Based on Red Bull’s championship position, the coefficient used to calculate their allocation will drop from 70% to 63%.

    Non-compliance by Red Bull with any terms of the ABA will result in further procedural breach and automatic referral to the Cost Cap Adjudication Panel.

  • Round 19- US GP

    Wow, what a race! I was hoping for a mixed race due to the grid penalties and I think we got just that and more! However, on a weekend where Red Bull’s co-founder and owner, Dietrich Mateschitz has died, the team managed to take home their fifth Constructors title and the team made a tribute to him.

    Not only did they take the Constructors, they also took the win as Max Verstappen took home his 13th win this season, matching Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher. Hamilton comes home in 2nd after battling for the win and Charles Leclerc makes up ground and rounds out the podium.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen P2: Hamilton, P3: Leclerc, P4: Perez, P5: Russell, P6: Norris, P7: Alonso, P8: Vettel, P9: Magnussen and P10: Tsunoda.

    However, nothing stays the same as Fernando Alonso got given a 30 second time penalty which sees him drop out the points. The point scorers are: P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Leclerc, P4: Perez, P5: Russell, P6: Norris, P7: Vettel, P8: Magnussen, P9: Tsunoda and P10: Ocon.

    Not a good day for Carlos, a what could’ve been for the Spaniard as he got spun round on the first lap by Russell and then having to go back to the pits and retire.

    It’s mostly a mixed result for most of the teams, but one team did look like they were having a promising race until lap 21, Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel were on fire this weekend and showed a lot of pace, with both drivers being in the top 10 during the race, until Alonso went to overtake Stroll and it all went wrong – Stroll has been penalised for the incident with a 3 place grid drop.

    A good weekend for Mercedes, they showed some pace in the race and those upgrades they brought definitely seem like it brought them closer to the front, as Lewis was battling for the win. I think if George didn’t get a 5 second time penalty for the lap 1 incident, he could’ve been a bit further up the grid.

    The Championship-

    With Max Verstappen taken his second Championship the focus turns to the rest of the drivers, Leclerc is now in 2nd as he leap frogs Perez, George builds on the gap between himself and Sainz in P4 and P5, and Lewis closes in on the Spaniard.

    Red Bull have managed to grab their fifth constructors title, Mercedes are closing in on Ferrari with only 53 points between them and 3 races remain! Alpine are still ahead in P4 on 144 points, McLaren on 138 points just six points between them.

  • FIA announces cost cap breaches by two teams

    The FIA has announced that two teams have breached the 2021 Financial Regulations, as they announce their review into the regulations.

    According tot the FIA, who released their findings into a cost cap investigation on Monday, Aston Martin are in ‘Procedural Breach’ and Red Bull have committed a Procedural Breach and a Minor Financial Overspend (less than 5% of the cost cap) according to the FIA.

    Williams were found to have made a Procedural Breach on May 2022, that the team then rectified in a “timely, cooperative and transparent manner”.

    Procedural Breaches and Minor Overspend Breaches can result in a financial penalties and/or minor sporting penalties. The following could be penalties for Red Bull-

    • Public reprimand
    • Deduction of Constructors’ Championship points awarded for the Championship that took place within the Reporting Period of the breach.
    • Deduction of Drivers’ Championship points awarded for the Championship that took place within the Reporting Period of the Breach.
    • Suspension from one or more stages of a Competition or Competitions, excluding for the avoidance of doubt the race itself.
    • Limitations on ability to conduct aerodynamic or other testing; and/or reduction of the Cost Cap provided that the reduction specified shall only be applied with respect to the year following the punishment being handed out.

    The review of the Reporting Documentation submitted has been an intensive and thorough process, and all Competitors gave their full support in providing the required information to assess their financial situation during this first year of the Financial Regulations. The FIA Cost Cap Administration notes that all Competitors acted at all times in a spirit of good faith and cooperation throughout the process. The FIA would also note that with respect to this first year of the application of the Financial Regulations the intervention of the FIA Cost Cap Administration has been limited to reviewing the submissions made by the Competitors and that no full formal investigations were launched. The FIA Cost Cap Administration is currently determining the appropriate course of action to be taken under the Financial Regulations with respect to Aston Martin and Red Bull and further information will be communicated in compliance with the Regulations.

    The FIA on the findings.
  • Round 15- Dutch GP

    Round 15- Dutch GP

    Well, Round 15 is complete and what a race it was! From long pit-stops to running over wheel guns, to VSC’s and then a Safety Car, there was a lot of drama…

    It wasn’t easy for Max Verstappen, but he took the race win in his home grand prix. George Russell follows closely behind to finish 2nd, his highest finishing position so far this season and for Mercedes! Charles Leclerc rounds out the podium in third, it’s been a few races since we last saw him on their!

    But the full top were- P1: Verstappen, P2: Russell, P3: Leclerc, P4: Hamilton, P5: Perez, P6: Alonso, P7: Norris, P8: Sainz, P9: Ocon and P10: Stroll.

    It looked like Mercedes would be the one who was going to the the race win, when they done their first pit stops (the only team in top 3 to be doing 1 stop strategy), both Hamilton and Russell were flying on the hard tyres, so it is one of those ‘what if’ situations, if the VSC and Safety Car didn’t come out would it be a different story?

    A good day for Leclerc, he wasn’t really in contention for a podium until after the Safety Car so good work for him and to be on it when racing resumed and overtook Lewis for the final podium spot. The same couldn’t be said for his teammate though, a very long pitstop for the Spanish driver, he also got an unsafe release in the pitlane, which resulted in a 5 second penalty, he originally finished 5th, but dropped down to 8th.

    A very good day for Alpine, considering both drivers started out of the top 10, no-one knew how this race would go today but they made the most of it and got a double points finish.

    Not a good day for either Yuki Tsunoda or Valtteri Bottas, both pulling over on the side to the track but different reasons why. Tsunoda’s reason is still unknown, he thought his tyre’s weren’t fitted, so he managed to get back round to the pits and the team fitted a new set of tyres, and then started to do something with his seatbelt? For Bottas it sounded like it was a mechanical issue.

    The Championship-

    Verstappen now has over a 100 point lead in the driver championship, Leclerc remains second but he is level on points with Sergio Perez who is in third. Russell now goes to fourth, leap frogging Sainz who sits in fifth.

    Looking at the constructors, Red Bull are on 511 points, a 135 point lead. Ferrari are still in second on 376 but Mercedes have now closed that gap down to 30 points. Alpine are in 4th on 125 points and McLaren round out the top five on 101 points.

    We haven’t got long to wait, we are back racing next weekend and we are at the Temple of Speed, Monza for Round 16. The home Grand Prix of Scuderia Ferrari!

  • Round 13- Hungarian GP

    The final race of the first half of the season has came to an end, and it was definitely an interesting one, a certain team getting their strategy very wrong and a spin half way through from the leader…

    But through all of that Max Verstappen took the win after starting in P10, (who said you can’t overtake at the Hungaroring!) Lewis Hamilton finished second that makes it his 5th podium in a row and George Russell rounds out the podium, a second double podium in a row for the Silver Arrows.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Russell, P4: Sainz, P5: Perez, P6: Leclerc, P7: Norris, P8: Alonso, P9: Ocon and P10: Vettel.

    Not the way today was meant to go for Ferrari, another what was meant to be an ‘easy’ race for the Italian team didn’t turn out that way… they used the wrong strategy and put them on hards, which everyone (teams) knew that the window to get the hard tyres up to temperature was just not there…

    Another good weekend for Alpine, double points finish once again, if they carry on like this McLaren might be in a bit of trouble…

    Talking about McLaren, a good race for Lando Norris finish P7 a good amount of points for the Brit. But for Daniel a different story, finishing P15, not what the team expected and the collision with Stroll more than didn’t help the Aussie.

    Aston Martin finishing in the points a second weekend in a row, but this time its Sebastian Vettel in 10th, rather than last weekend it being his teammate.

    The Championship-

    Max extends his lead to now 80 points between him and Charles, Perez has closed down the gap a little bit more to the Ferrari driver. George Russell has taken P4 of Carlos Sainz but only two points separate the two. Hamilton is joining in on the fight for P4 now, as his only 10 points away from Carlos.

    Looking at the constructors, Red Bull almost have a 100 point gap to Ferrari but they have got bigger fish to fry as Mercedes are only 30 points away and if they carry on with their double podium finishes it wont take them long. Alpine are still in 4th but they haven’t pulled away from McLaren as expected, just four points seperate the two.

    Now as were at the summer break our next race isn’t until the 26th to 28th August and for the Belgian Grand Prix! But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop posting so sign up for notifications when I do!

  • Porsche set to enter F1, 50% stake in RB

    Details of Porsche’s Formula 1 entry have been revealed in legal documents, with an announcement expected early next month.

    A document from the Conseil de la Concurrence in Morocco has set out Porsche’s intentions to purchase 50% of the Red Bull Formula 1 operation which would make them equal partners in a 10 year agreement, reported by Motorsport-total.

    The document, reportedly submitted by Porsche AG and Red Bull GmbH, contains details of Porsche’s plans to buy half of Red Bull Technology. Antitrust regulations require authorities within the EU and 20 countries outside the EU must see the agreement, and details are reportedly set to be released by the Moroccan authorities as part of its legislative requirement to publish such agreements once they are agreed.

    Only Red Bull Technology is mentioned in the document, although an agreement will in all likelihood include AlphaTauri in being supplied with Porshe power, with the sister Red Bull team, remaining fully in Red Bull’s hands.

    The partnership between Red Bull and Porsche has long been rumoured to have been in the pipeline, with the German marque set to confirm their entry into Formula 1 once the 2026 engine regulations have been finalised and approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council.

    There had been lots of previous reports of an official announcement of the Red Bull-Porsche deal would come at the Austrian Grand Prix, but was delayed as the future engine formula was not fully agreed at the last World Motor Sport Council meeting at the end of June.

    Meanwhile, reports of Audi lodging a bid to purchase a majority share of the Sauber Group persist, although Porsche’s fellow Volkswagen Group brand is not said to be as far along in finalising how their proposed involvement in Formula 1 will take shape.

  • Round 11- Austria Sprint

    Round 11- Austria Sprint

    Our second sprint of the season is complete and what a race, drama from left right and centre, and even before we got racing…

    The yellow flags, come out on the formation lap when Fernando Alonso’s Alpine failed to get off the grid, forcing him out of the Sprint, this was before Zhou Guanyu’s brief stoppage at the final corner approaching the grid, which the field then had to do another formation lap, as we saw the Alfa Romeo driver start from the pitlane.

    But, Max Verstappen won the sprint as he dominated from lights out to the checkered flag. The two Ferrari’s follow him closely, with Leclerc in 2nd and Sainz in 3rd.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Sainz, P4: Russell, P5: Perez, P6: Ocon, P7: Magnussen, P8: Hamilton, P9: Schumacher and P10: Bottas.

    What a drive from Perez! Started P13 and to finish 5th is really good! Could we see him try and battle for a podium or maybe a win today?

    Zhou Guanyu, done really well considering he started from the pitlane, he finished 14th, I’d say keep an eye on him today, he could score some points and do some very nice overtakes!

    The McLaren boys made up a few places each Norris starting 11th today and Ricciardo 12th. I think there will be lots of battles throughout the race later!

    One person I’d say you would have to really watch is Esteban Ocon, his been looking strong all weekend, so I won’t be surprised if we see him up there later today.

    Predictions-

    My top five are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Hamilton, P4: Perez and P5: Russell.

    I think we are going to have a bit of a crazy race today, there are plenty of overtaking spots but there is also track limits so drivers need to keep that in mind…

  • Round 11- Austria Qualifying

    Round 11- Austria Qualifying

    F1 really knows how to keep us on the edge of our seat, on a weekend where we have more drama than normal because of the Sprint, but to add to that we had an eventful qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring.

    Qualifying set the grid for the Sprint later on today, which will then set the grid for tomorrow’s Grand Prix. The top eight from the sprint will score points, so it’s a good way to get up the field a bit more.

    But it was Max Verstappen who took pole position infront of the Orange Army, but he was followed closely by the two Ferrari’s, Charles Leclerc in 2nd and our newest race winner, Carlos Sainz in third.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Sainz, P4: Russell, P5: Ocon, P6: Magnussen, P7: Schumacher, P8: Alonso, P9: Hamilton and P10: Gasly.

    Sergio Perez, actually qualified P4, but after qualifying, it came out that he breached track limits in his Q2 lap, the stewards deleted that time, alongside his Q3 laps so he will now be starting 13th! Not a good start to his weekend, but this is where the Sprint comes into play, it gives the drivers an opportunity to get a little further up the grid.

    Oh Mercedes… it was looking like pole for Lewis Hamilton, as he was strong in Q1 and Q2. But once again, things just don’t go that way in F1. Hamilton went into the barriers at Turn 7 to bring out a red flag in the middle of the session, leaving him 10th. George then thought he would add to the mix, with a spin and then crash at the final corner, however he had already put down a banker lap. Not a good start for the Mercs, but they can still have a good fight.

    Both Haas’ in the top 10!! Wow, the car so far seems to like the track, definitely big points on offer for them this weekend, and it will be interesting to see if they can get their strategy right and optimise on other peoples misfortune.

    Mr Alex Albon, starting P11 today, he only has to make up 3 places and he’ll score points… This is why part of me likes the Sprint, its for the teams who are close to scoring points on a normal weekend, but add the sprint into their they have more of a chance to score on Sunday.

    Predictions-

    My top five are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Russell, P4: Hamilton and P5: Ocon.

    I feel like we are going to get a crazy sprint, later today and its going to cause carnage… But if it does happen, then we are in for a crazy race on Sunday.

    Times for the weekend-

    Saturday 9th-

    • Sprint Race F3- 09:35am – 10:20am (BST)
    • Free Practice 2 F1- 11:30am – 12:30pm
    • Sprint F1- 15:30pm – 16:30pm
    • Sprint Race F2- 16:55pm – 17:40pm

    Sunday 10th-

    • Feature Race F3- 07:35am (BST)
    • Feature Race F2- 09:05am
    • Race- 14:00pm

  • RB terminate Vips contract, but keeps F2 seat…

    Red Bull have terminated the contract of their test and reserve driver, Juri Vips after he used a racist slur during a gaming stream.

    The team suspended Vips last week, pending an investigation when the clip emerged online, but now have announced his contract has been terminated.

    Following its investigation into an online incident involving Juri Vips, Oracle Red Bull Racing has terminated Juri’s contract as its test & reserve driver. The team do not condone any form of racism.

    Red Bull’s statement.

    The 21 year old, is racing for Hitech Grand Prix in Formula 2, for a second year. It is not confirmed at whether Vips will continue as a member of the Red Bull Junior Team.

    Vips had served as Red Bull’s reserve driver at several events in 2020 before taking up the post more permanently for the 2022 season. He competed in one free practice session for the team at Spanish Grand Prix, and it looked like he was set for more appearances this season.

    HiTech have spoken out on Juri Vips, and he will continue to compete with the team in F2 for the remainder of the season, with a chance to ‘redeem himself’.

    I have made a decision for Juri to keep his F2 seat with Hitech for the remainder of the season, a decision we have seriously debated. Allowing him to complete his season with Hitech is an opportunity for him to demonstrate, through his actions, the type of person he is. I have made it clear that I think the language used was totally unacceptable, but I choose to give him the chance to redeem himself. Hitech GP employs an inclusive work force and has never condoned racism or offensive behaviour in any forms. That said, if we live in a society where no one can make a mistake, then genuinely apologise, have the chance for redemption and learn from it – what does it say about our society? I don’t know why he said what he said. I don’t know why he was streaming and playing COD [Call of Duty] at that time of day. Certainly, there are things which would have been far more beneficial for his career! What I do know is that having his contract terminated by Red Bull as a result of his actions is a crushing experience for him, a deservedly severe punishment. The reality is there will not be unanimous agreement whether that punishment is sufficient, and that is totally understandable.

    Oliver Oakes, HiTech Boss

    Where as, Formula 2 made an announcement after HiTech to see what the team was going to do…

    Following the recent incident involving Juri Vips, F2 would like to reaffirm that the use of racist or discriminatory language cannot be tolerated in any environment. Hitech Grand Prix’s decision today is surprising and not one we would have taken. We will monitor the situation carefully with them to ensure that such behaviour is properly addressed.

    Formula 2’s statement.

  • Juri Vips suspended of all RB team duties

    Red Bull Racing, has suspended reserve and junior driver Juri Vips from all team duties with immediate effect.

    Footage emerged of Juri Vips, on social media using a racist slur whilst streaming on Twitch.

    Red Bull Racing has suspended junior driver Juri Vips from all team duties with immediate effect, pending a full investigation into the incident. As an organisation we condemn abuse of any kind and have a zero-tolerance policy to racist language or behaviour within our organisation.

    Red Bull issued the above statement on social media.

    Vips has been apart of the Red Bull junior team since 2018, and drove for the Formula 1 team during FP1 at the Spanish Grand Prix. As well as this, he has represented the team at two end of season tests in Abu Dhabi.

    I wish to unreservedly apologise for the offensive language used during a live gaming stream earlier today. This language is entirely unacceptable and does not portray the values and principles that I hold. I deeply regret my actions and this is not the example I wish to set. I will cooperate with the investigation fully.

    Juri Vips statement on social media.

    Vips is set to race next at the British Grand Prix in just over a weeks time, for HiTech Grand Prix in Formula 2, who have yet to issue their own statement on the matter.

  • Verstappen launches racing team

    Max Verstappen has unveiled his own racing team ‘Verstappen.com Racing’ which he has launched with full support from Red Bull.

    The World Champion, is well known to be a fan of racing in both the virtual and real worlds and his new team will bring the two together, with the drivers running under the moniker in real life and on screen.

    His father, Jos Verstappen will compete with the Verstappen.com Racing team when he takes part in the Belgian Rally Championship, whilst young Dutchman Thierry Vermeulen will race with the team’s support in the ADAC GT Masters series this year.

    Looking at the virtual aspect of it, Verstappen.com Racing is going to be represented by Team Redline- the team in which Verstappen has won races with in the Virtual Le Mans 24 Hours in the past.

    Racing has always been my biggest passion in life, from the moment I first stepped into a go-kart until today. Besides my own Formula 1 career, racing is what I dedicate most of my time to. I am truly happy that, with the Verstappen.com Racing team, I can share the love for racing with drivers and teams I feel closely connected to. Apart from the fun it brings me, I can also share my racing knowledge with them, which hopefully helps everybody to improve themselves. After agreeing upon a long-term deal with Red Bull Racing earlier this year, I am very happy to be part of the Red Bull family for many years to come. T he close partnership with Red Bull as a company is also reflected in the fact that they are supporting the Verstappen.com Racing team for the coming years, which makes me very proud. I can’t wait to get started and keep pushing flat out.

    Max Verstappen on his racing team.

  • Drivers contracts

    With the new season about to start in the next few weeks, we shall be expecting drivers to sign new contracts throughout the season. So lets take a look at when they run out.

    This year we have 10 drivers from 8 different teams, whose contracts are running out. Some older drivers may think about leaving the sport depending on whether they can get a contract extension or a new contract for a different team. Other drivers may consider switching teams.

    We could potentially see some drivers from Formula 2 come up for 2023 as there is lots of young drivers in F1 teams programme, so teams may want to use their sister teams to get their backed driver in the sport. As well as this we also have Oscar Piastri who is a reserve this year waiting for a seat for next year.

    Lance Stroll is on a multi year contract, no-one officially knows how long it is but it is to be expected either till the end of this year or 2023, which will then make it 11 drivers contracts running out this year.

    With Max and Lando both getting contract extensions already this year, we could potentially see some more drivers get longer contracts too. Carlos Sainz is said to be negotiating a new contract with Ferrari.

    DriverTeamContract end
    Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing2022
    Carlos SainzFerrari2022
    Fernando AlonsoAlpine2022
    Yuki TsunodaAlphaTauri2022
    Pierre GaslyAlpha Tauri2022
    Sebastian VettelAston Martin2022
    Mick SchumacherHaas2022
    Nicholas LatifiWilliams2022
    Alex AlbonWilliams2022
    Guanyu ZhouAlfa Romeo2022
    Lewis HamiltonMercedes2023
    George RussellMercedes2023
    Daniel RicciardoMcLaren2023
    Charles LeclercFerrari2024
    Esteban OconAlpine2024
    Valtteri BottasAlfa Romeo2024
    Lando NorrisMcLaren2025
    Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing2028
    Lance StrollAston MartinUnknown
  • Verstappen signs until 2028

    Verstappen signs until 2028

    World champion, Max Verstappen has signed a bumper five year contract extension with Red Bull, which keeps him with the team until at least the end of 2028.

    The Dutchman took the victory on the final lap of Abu Dhabi in which he clinched his maiden world championship, after a spectacular season fight with Lewis Hamilton.

    Red Bull, now enter a new era this year, as the team departed from engine partner, Honda and have taken over the intellectual property for the engine and set up their own division on their campus in Milton Keynes.

    Verstappen’s previous deal ran until the end of next season (2023), but both Max & Red Bull were keen to extend a successful partnership.

    The new contract is said to be worth in the region of €40-50m (£33.3 – 41.7m) a year, which would make it among the most lucrative in the history of F1.

    Verstappen said: “I really enjoy being part of Red Bull Racing, so choosing to stay to the 2028 season was an easy decision. I love this team and last year was simply incredible. Our goal since we came together in 2016 was to win the championship and we have done that, so now it’s about keeping the number one on the car long-term.”

    Red Bull boss Christian Horner added: “To have Max signed with Red Bull through to the end of ‘28 is a real statement of intent. Our immediate focus is on retaining Max’s world championship title, but this deal also shows he is part of the team’s long-term planning. With the Red Bull Powertrains division working towards the new engine regulations for 2026 we wanted to make sure we had the best driver on the grid secured for that car.”

    My Opinion-

    After, Max winning the championship last year we all knew a new contract would happen and to add 5 years on to his exisiting contract shows how much both Max & Red Bull have faith and trust in each other.

    I cannot see Max going to another team, as all his known is Red Bull, having been brought up by the junior team in his career, to then move to Toro Rosso and then RB, they seem like the perfect fit.