F1 LIVE: Christian Horner meeting riles up Red Bull star as Guenther Steiner lands new job

F1 Live: Meeting with Christian Horner infuriates Red Bull Star as Gunter Steiner takes new job

Express Sport brings you the latest F1 news ahead of the new season.

This time next week we will know the fate of the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain. Max Verstappen is the clear favorite to win and get off to a good start in defending his title in 2024, when the Red Bull star will claim his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship title.

Ferrari set the fastest time in pre-season testing despite running on ultra-fast C4 compound tyres. Carlos Sainz needs to prove his case at the Scuderia before being replaced by Lewis Hamilton in 2025. Written by Tutable

Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin will also try to grab Red Bull’s tail more effectively than they did last season, when the likes of Christian Horner wiped the floor with their rivals.

Follow his Express Sport below to keep up to date with his exciting F1 coverage ahead of the day… Ricciardo considers contract extension with AlphaTauri

Ricciardo considers contract extension with AlphaTauri

Oscar Piastri believes McLaren can still improve despite having fixed some flaws in last year’s car.

He said: “I think we could have improved in some areas. There’s still some work to be done, but I think we’ve certainly taken a step forward in some aspects of low-speed handling and overall handling.

“We weren’t able to do everything in the time we had during the offseason, so there’s still a lot of work to do to make the car a little more fun to drive.” So, as you can imagine, it’s pretty familiar from last season.

“None of the cars are that different from each other, so I think the differences will be pretty minimal, especially if you’re in the same team every year.”

Oscar Piastri insists McLaren is not a finished product yet

Leclerc warns FIA about driver safety

Charles Leclerc has warned the FIA ​​that there could be “serious consequences” if it does not resolve the drain plug issue that has twice delayed pre-season testing. Leclerc said earlier this week: “This is a serious issue because it can have serious consequences. We need to think about the future so that something like this never happens again.” “We were very lucky that it didn’t happen in a similar location or situation as in Las Vegas, but it was a pretty serious situation for Carlos (Sainz) in Las Vegas.

“But there is no doubt that everyone is paying attention to this problem and working to find better solutions. Hamilton admits he was ‘feeling’ a move to Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that his decision to sign with Ferrari for the 2025 season was a “gut feeling”.

He said: “The opportunity suddenly presented itself and I was like, okay, I have to think about it a little bit. “I didn’t have much time to think and had to rely solely on my intuition, so I decided to take this opportunity.”

“I haven’t talked to anyone. I didn’t even tell my parents until the day it was announced, so no one knew. I really wanted to do this for myself. ”

Marko explains factors that forced Verstappen to resign

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko expects Verstappen to consider his options if the team cannot deliver a competitive car.

They’ve certainly done that over the past three seasons, but this year’s RB20 looks like it’ll be tough to beat as well. But all that could change when new design rules come into effect from 2026.

“Like any F1 contract, there are provisions in case certain quality criteria for success are not met,” Marko told ServusTV. “They are also included in Max’s contract. I don’t think the unknown amount is a problem for Max. “If we can’t give him a winning car…of course he’s interested in being a successful racing driver. “You’re not young anymore. And if he doesn’t see the light at Red Bull and those standards come into play, it’s clear he’s going to look around. But where can you find something better?

Helmut Marko doesn’t think money matters in Max Verstappen’s future

What really happened between Günter Steiner and Haas?

Dutch F1 journalist Jacques Ploy has claimed that the relationship between sacked team principal Guenther Steiner and team owner Gene Haas has soured over a minor sponsorship deal. Steiner’s contract was not renewed by Haas and he was subsequently replaced by Ayao Komatsu.

Speaking to Ziggo Sport, Pluy explained: “Günter and I spoke at the beginning of the week, but I wasn’t allowed to hear how his relationship with Haas actually went and what he was going to do next. But then he messaged me and made me tell myself what happened.

“Gunter has found a £15.8 million sponsor, but he has informed Gene Haas that he wants to retain a stake in the team and continue the relationship. However, Haas did not agree to this and Steiner himself left the team.

Verstappen thwarts opponent in front of Bahrain

Max Verstappen insists he is not paying attention to the performance of his Red Bull rivals ahead of Saturday’s Bahrain Grand Prix. Pre-season testing suggests Ferrari will be Red Bull’s closest rival at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc recorded the two fastest lap times ahead of a potential fight for pole position. “I don’t really think about it,” Verstappen said. “We’re just looking at what we’re doing here. There is always more work to do and we always want to improve.

“But I think we had a very positive test and we learned a lot from each change we made to the car. “I know what I want to do next week, so that’s what I’m going to focus on.”

Former F1 star Ralf Schumacher claims he has heard Sebastian Vettel wants to return to F1.

He is a four-time world champion who will retire after the 2022 season. However, Vettel may be tempted to return to the grid if Mercedes manager Toto Wolff offers him a seat instead of Lewis Hamilton.

“I heard that Sebastian Vettel would like to take the wheel,” Schumacher told Sky Germany. “Of course now we have to close the gap. If you look at what happened in the stock market after Lewis Hamilton went to Ferrari, that triggered something.

Sebastian Vettel spent his final season on the Aston Martin grid.

Important Audi figure resigns before entering F1

Ahead of F1’s entry in 2026, it has been reported that trouble is occurring behind the scenes at Audi. Markus Duesmann has already stepped down as CEO of the automaker.

Now, according to German news agency Bild, development director Oliver Hoffmann is also expected to take over. Hoffman is reportedly at odds with the new CEO over Audi’s future.

They naturally want to work in a more stable environment when they take over the network in two years. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were among those calling for stricter safety checks at circuits after two reports of faulty drain plugs during pre-season.

The incidents occurred in Bahrain on Thursday and Friday, cutting down on the time teams have to complete crucial rounds ahead of the new season. “Maybe we can test things like this a little more,” Verstappen said. “We know this is a potential problem with these cars and when you drive on certain highways you can see where the drain plug is. “So before you start driving on the weekend, make sure everything is in order, which is what you need for the upcoming track. [So that] there are no situations where the car gets destroyed again. This is to prevent it from happening.”

Meanwhile, Leclerc added: “This is a serious issue because it can have serious consequences.” »

“We have to think about the future so that something like this never happens again.” »

Mercedes boss identifies areas for improvement

Mercedes Trucks technical director Andrew Shovlin admitted the team needs to improve its lap pace for the new season. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell collided with a W15 during pre-season testing in Bahrain earlier this week.

“We’re still trying to finalize the set-up, but there’s definitely more to come,” Shovlin said in Mercedes’ social media report.

“Overall I’m happy and I’m definitely making progress. From a dynamics perspective, the long term is probably our strength at the moment.

“I still have one more lap to work on, but I’m hoping for a good result when I get back on track.

Carlos Sainz believes his impending departure from Ferrari could work to his advantage this season as the team will not “count on” him to develop next year’s car. This will allow the Spaniard to focus solely on driving and securing his place next season.

“[Ferrari] doesn’t rely too heavily on me in the development of the car, which allows me to focus on getting the most out of the SF-24 and myself,” Sainz told AS Told. “I will now sit down with everyone to see where each team stands and which projects best align with my intentions.”

Norris wants Alonso to break his F1 duck

“I want Fernando Alonso to win the race,” Lando Norris said ahead of last year’s Spanish Grand Prix, as seen on the latest season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive.

The double world champion’s last victory dates back more than a decade. Alonso’s early performances in 2023, coupled with significant development progress at Aston Martin over the winter, give fans hope that they could soon see Alonso on the top step of the podium again for the first time in over a decade. is increasing.

Norris was also part of that crowd. When asked about his pre-race predictions for the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix, the McLaren star replied: I’m going to win. Yes, I’m going to win. ”The 24-year-old was then asked, “What would you do if it wasn’t you?” and he answered, “Fernando. You know, I want Fernando to win the race.” Who isn’t?

Gunther Steiner has returned to work after being sacked by Haas at the end of last season. The former coach of the Italian team has become a cult hero thanks to his fiery rhetoric and pragmatic approach.

And now he’s ready to change direction, agreeing to become an F1 expert for German broadcaster RTL. Steiner will compete in seven weekend races this season, starting with next weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.

Encounter with Christian Horner infuriates Red Bull’s ace Lawson

Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson wasn’t too happy about being ignored in F1 last season. The New Zealander replaced the injured Daniel Ricciardo and contributed two goals for the team formerly known as AlphaTauri.

However, it was still not enough to overtake Ricardo and Yuki Tsunoda in the hierarchy. In the new episode of Drive to Survive, footage is shown of Red Bull boss Horner delivering the bad news to Lawson.