Brundle puts down Zak Brown’s ‘naivety’ – With the Indycar season wrapped up over a month ago, Zak Brown is now an ever present figure for McLaren at each Formula One weekend. The American is currently waging war on Red Bull Racing for using a device that more quickly adjusts the height of the floor at the front of the car.

The FIA were recently called upon to issue their judgement on the legality of the Red Bull component in question which they subsequently stated complied with all the relative design regulations. They did however take the precaution of sealing the Red Bull adjuster for parc ferme purposes, to completely ensure Zak Brown’s accusations were unfulfilled.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports on Thursday he believes the FIA has taken action on his team’s cars to “perhaps satisfy some paranoia elsewhere in the paddock”.

 

 

 

FIA refuse Zak Brown’s demands

Despite the FIA declaring the Red Bull car legal, Brown persisted demanding F1’s governing body take a “lookback” to see if Red Bull had indeed broken parc ferme rules, but this course of action was dismissed by the FIA as impossible to ascertain.

Head of single seater racing Nicolas Tombazis mocked the idea that Red Bull could be breaking parc ferme noting that each of the team’s garages are monitored by camera and an appointed FIA official. Even the ‘easy to use’ Red Bull bib adjuster requires the pedals removing from the car, something which would e clearly seen on a recording of action within the garage.

Asked if the controversy is now a non-story, Tombazis concluded: “I think it’s certainly not a story from now on. I think we’ve done all that’s needed to stop there being any accusations, and then of course it is a tight championship, and people get rather excited about each other’s cars.”

Now the bib-story has been put to bed, the latest bone contention for the McLaren CEO is Red Bull and in particular Max Verstappen and what they deem to be acceptable driving standards. Back in Austria this year Brown was critical of how Verstappen closed the door on Lando Norris which de facto caused a big crash resulting in the retirement of the McLaren driver from the Grand Prix.

Verstappen SLAMS Brits, Norris lodges appeal

 

 

 

McLaren fail Norris

Then last time out in Austin, Verstappen ran Norris wide at turn one, costing him the lead of the race and again later in the race for which the British driver was penalised. With Max grabbing the apex of turn 12 at COTA, he claimed the right to the corner.

The Red Bull driver then ran himself and Norris out wide and outside track limits which the stewards penalised the McLaren driver for but not Max Verstappen.

Norris completed the move off track and was awarded a five second penalty at the chequered flag which saw him drop less than a second behind Verstappen who finished on the final step of the podium.

Most F1 commentators have noted McLaren should have instructed Norris to give the place back and use his excess speed to properly action the overtake in the remaining four laps.

Sainz warns Ferrari of “Achilles Heel” in Mexico

 

 

 

Brown calls for ‘1980’s style stewarding’

Zak Brown is now waxing lyrical again over F1 driving standards through his 1980’s rose tinted spectacles. His populist view is that drivers should be settling matters out on track as they did when Martin Brundle was still racing where the stewards interfered less than they do now.

“There weren’t these rules back when you were racing,” Brown said to Brundle. “You kind of raced and just settled your differences on the track. I think we need to back a little bit to how it was done in the past. It worked great then.”

During the 1984 F1 season Brundle was involved in a series crash in Dallas breaking both his ankles. Such was the seriousness of the his injuries, surgeons contemplated amputation before putting him back together. 

A decade later Brundle was hit on the helmet by Jos Verstappen’s Benetton car, escaping serious injury. Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger were not so lucky, losing their lives earlier that same year.

Bottas back with Mercedes?

 

 

 

Brundle puts down Zak Brown’s naivety

“If you went off [in that period], you were likely to break your legs or kill yourself,” Brundle retorted to Brown. “There was a little bit of a persuasion not to run too far off the track back then.”

The recent addition over the past twenty years of huge car park style run off areas at modern motor racing circuits has encouraged more track limits excursions given the drivers can recover and continue on with little harm done.

Allowing the modern F1 drivers more freedom to “settle their differences on track” would see the track configurations re-written each time one of them felt it appropriate for them to do so.

Lando Norris has been accused of not getting his elbows out enough when in wheel to wheel combat with Verstappen and back in Austin, Texas this was true at the start of the Grand Prix. Lando on pole position allowed Max Verstappen to take a run up the inside, control the corner and then run the McLaren driver off the outside pf the turn.

Hamilton calls for ‘Max to be stopped’

 

 

 

Norris needs better defence

This is something Martin Brundle believes the young Brit needs to pay more attention to. The Sky F1 commentator calls for Norris to stop “putting out the welcome mat” for Max when he makes his inside line darts and had Lando led out of turn one at COTA, the race story may have seen a completely different conclusion.

Lewis Hamilton believes the FIA have been letting Max ‘get away with it’ for a long time now. “It’s always been a grey area that’s why he’s got away with it for so long,” he said to RACER.. “They probably need to make some adjustments, for sure. Also, we have inconsistencies through rulings weekend-in, weekend-out obviously depending on which year it is.

“As a sport, we do need to level up on all areas. And if you look at other global sports, they have full-time refs, for example, and I’m sure that wouldn’t be a bad thing for our sport.”

The rotating system of race stewards worked well back in the day when F1 was yet formative. However, now as the most watched annual sporting competition on the planet this billion dollar circus needs to sharpen up its act and become more professional rather than depending on volunteer marshals and part time race stewards.

Piastri responds to Red Bull move

 

 

 

 

Horner signing Alonso: “…a two year deal…”

As Fernando Alonso’s 400th Grand Prix milestone arrives, the story appears to highlight recent negotiations with Red Bull as Horner further reveals several Red Bull missed chances to sign Alonso: “We wanted a two-year deal” – This weekend marks a significant milestone for Fernando Alonso as he celebrates his 400th Grand Prix in Formula One at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Known for his enduring presence in the sport, Alonso has raced for five different teams and made a total of 397 starts, missing three races due to various circumstances in Belgium (2001), Indianapolis (2005) and Russia (2019). Over the years, Alonso has been tantalisingly close to joining the Red Bull Racing Team on several occasions, according to team principal Christian Horner.

Despite Alonso’s extensive career and considerable talent, his path has never crossed with Red Bull, a fact that Horner reflects on as a missed opportunity. Speaking about Alonso’s monumental career and contributions, Horner gave an insight into the negotiations and close calls between the two parties throughout Alonso’s racing career… READ MORE