Sieper wrote: ↑27 Apr 2024, 11:42
f1isgood wrote: ↑27 Apr 2024, 11:30
ME4ME wrote: ↑27 Apr 2024, 11:24
Exactly, I find that quite disappointing from Verstappen and Marko. I mean why would Marko even do such a thing, certainly not for the best of the team. Just to protect himself.
It undermines the strategic decision that Horner and Marko took to pay up big and secure Verstappen to bridge the transition period from Honda engines to RBPT, which I thought was such a wise decision at the time. Even in the case of initial under performance of the engine, Verstappen's performance would ensure that Red Bull wouldn't entirely fall off a cliff in the WDC.
And in Verstappens case he knew what he signed up for with RBPT always being a challenging prospect for Red Bull certainly on a short term basis. Since he backed Marko, Marko is now in his dept and will move aside if Verstappen requires him to. To use that to look around at Mercedes and Aston Martin betrays the trust and is in my opinion quite disloyal to the people at Red Bull and Red Bull Powertrains.
Even if Marko were to retire in say 1-3 year time. Newey to go elsewhere or retire himself. There is still a damn strong team of people and whatever anyone thinks of Christian you can bet he will do whatever it takes to make the RBPT project successfull. If Red Bull can keep Wache and the other top engineers then there is plenty of reason for them to continue to be at or near the front.
Verstappen said in Abu Dhabi that he could see himself race for Red Bull to the end of his career. Guess he really just ment Helmut Marko.
I am actually a bit surprised at why things soured between Max and Horner. Horner in 2021 was team Max more than team RB, and in some cases even downplayed the car a bit and fought for him at every chance against Mercedes.
Horner has been saying and doing things that are the opposite of what you say for the longest time. He is very good with words and politicking though. Also in 21 Newey said they had the best car, so that also sounds the opposite to what you say. Max had to fight against two Mercedes that whole year. Mercedes put a new engine in Bottas’ car in turkey so that max couldn’t take full points there while Hamilton was stacking up engines for later. That race itself and in Abu Dhabi was the only times checo was able to help out. That last race is where checo offered up his race, all other races he could fight for his own chances. Unlike Bottas.
We always get these narratives but this is still the redbull thread, be it as many people are now coming in to dish out, we here have been closely watching what is going on with the team for years.
Newey used the word probably and said quicker car after AD. I do remember that. And this was after Horner was projecting Max as being a hero doing magical things though and downplaying the car. Especially when Merc had 2 to 3 tenth race pace advantage towards the end, Horner did play up Max significantly, and I would even say rightly so given that's probably how you motivate your staff, especially when you are unable to provide them with the right resources to succeed. What I meant by downplaying the car is that RB still did have a car to comfortably get P2 those last 4 races. Bottas was a non-factor at that point, since he didn't have the "spicy" engine.
But yeah Horner is very good with words and politicking but generally speaking the entire team seemed so emotionally invested in Max's success that year, so I thought they would have a much stronger bond than it breaking up into pieces over a power struggle and Horner's transgressions at work, which he has been cleared of, by the team, all while they are enjoying so much success on track. I still remember the post AD scenes, it was almost stuff of dreams.
Bottas was definitely a better second fiddle than Perez that year no doubt. Max did have to fight two Mercedes at many races as well. I am just saying that Red Bull had a car to win both titles that year if you normalize for luck. Max was obviously the better lead driver, far more consistent, Perez was not as good as Bottas. These two, combined with a heavy dose of bad luck meant the constructors slipped away.
I think at the end of the day I think Mercedes won the constructors because of good luck, and Bottas being better than Perez.