Ferrari delivered the strongest performance on the opening day of practice in Baku, topping the timesheets in both Friday sessions. Former Formula One driver and Dutch TV pundit Christijan Albers even called the Scuderia the outright favourite for this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, citing the car’s mechanical grip as the decisive factor on the twisty street circuit. In contrast, McLaren’s drivers struggled with errors throughout the day, while Red Bull appeared to have difficulty with the bumps and kerbs that characterise Baku.
Speaking on Viaplay, Albers was critical of McLaren’s performance and also raised eyebrows by commenting on Christian Horner’s ongoing saga. The former driver claimed that rumours of a substantial severance buyout package for Horner, potentially amounting to one hundred million dollars, were circulating in the paddock. However, Albers questioned whether this figure adds up when compared to Horner’s known contract terms, raising doubts about how such a sum could be justified.
Ferrari are the favourites in Baku
Ferrari’s speed in Monza earlier in the year was dismissed by many as little more than qualifying glory runs. Yet in Baku, Albers believes their pace is genuine.
“Ferrari is always strong in terms of mechanical grip, particularly in the slower corners, and that suits the nature of this track,” he said. Unlike Monza, where high-speed sections dominate, Baku rewards cars that can rotate quickly through ninety-degree turns. On that basis, Albers sees Ferrari as the frontrunner.
The prospect of Ferrari taking control in Azerbaijan adds an intriguing twist to the championship narrative. McLaren had been setting the pace in recent races, and Red Bull have historically performed well on street circuits, with Max Verstappen’s aggression and adaptability often compensating for deficiencies in the car. But for now, the Scuderia appears to hold the upper hand.
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McLaren had a troubled day
Albers did not mince his words when discussing McLaren: “They built a really good car, but those two drivers… come on,” he said.
The former driver pointed to repeated mistakes by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, suggesting that the team’s title campaign is being undermined by poor execution rather than engineering issues. Norris hit the wall twice in one lap, while Piastri had several scruffy moments of his own.
Albers is frustrated by the squandered track time. On a challenging circuit like Baku, clean data from every lap is vital, particularly on Fridays when teams are fine-tuning their set-up choices. By overpushing, the McLaren drivers deprived themselves of valuable information and put their engineers at a disadvantage.
“Qualifying is the only time it really matters,” stressed Albers, “and they’ve thrown away a lot of preparation.”
Nevertheless, McLaren’s car remains the best in the field. Albers acknowledged its speed, but suggested that the drivers could now be at a psychological disadvantage. With Ferrari finding form and the McLaren drivers faltering, Saturday’s qualifying session will be crucial in reshaping expectations.
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Red Bull are searching for answers
Red Bull had a quiet start to the weekend. Verstappen, who is usually reliable for competitiveness on any layout, did not stand out in either session. Albers admitted to being surprised by the lack of pace.
“Despite Helmut Marko insisting it would be fine, I wasn’t overly impressed. The kerbs and bumps here are an issue for Red Bull; they play a major role,” he said.
It seems that the limitations of the RB21’s set-up, which have been evident on other bumpy circuits this season, may prove costly in Baku. Red Bull will hope that Verstappen’s raw speed can compensate for this, but based on what we have seen so far, they are going to find it difficult to keep up with Ferrari.
Horner buyout rumours
Away from the track, Albers ventured into more explosive territory by discussing Christian Horner’s uncertain future. The Red Bull team principal, who was suspended earlier this season amid an internal investigation, is reportedly negotiating an exit. According to Albers, whispers in the paddock suggest that the severance package could be worth almost one hundred million dollars.
However, the numbers do not align neatly: Horner’s reported annual salary of eight million dollars over the remaining five years of his contract would amount to forty million dollars. Albers questioned where the remaining sixty million dollars could be coming from. While he admitted that the speculation is difficult to verify, the suggestion of such a generous severance package has sparked widespread interest.
Horner, for his part, has been linked with potential moves elsewhere in Formula One. Rumours have linked him to Haas, and there have even been suggestions that he could buy into the team. Alpine has also been mentioned as a possible destination. Cadillac is less likely, given the involvement of a former Red Bull employee in the legal dispute that has overshadowed his career in recent months.
Horner’s golden ticket
It seems that Formula One has now reached a point where a team principal’s buyout package could exceed the combined career earnings of multiple drivers. One can almost picture Horner leaning back in the paddock hospitality suite, calculating how to spend his supposed windfall: a vineyard, a football club or perhaps just a small island?
The idea of receiving nearly one hundred million dollars for not going to work borders on parody.
If true, Horner’s severance package would be worth more than winning multiple drivers’ championships and would be far more reliable than Red Bull’s latest upgrades. Perhaps the real lesson is that, in Formula One, political manoeuvring can be as richly rewarded as wheel-to-wheel racing.
Meanwhile, McLaren drivers would do well to take Horner as an example. Mistakes in Baku cost track time and data, but in the boardroom, mistakes can apparently be worth tens of millions. For Ferrari, however, the mission remains simple: keep the car off the wall and deliver on Friday’s promise when the points are at stake.
The stage is set for a fascinating qualifying battle, with Ferrari’s grip, McLaren’s missteps and Red Bull’s struggles creating a three-way tension that could define the weekend. Off the track, the Horner saga continues to rumble on, providing yet another subplot to an already intriguing season.
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