Sure, let’s dive in.
—
So there’s this whole Red Bull thing going on, right? A bit of a circus, if you ask me. I mean, Verstappen’s out there making it look easy, snagging 19 out of 22 wins in ’23. Wild, huh? Meanwhile, his teammate, Sergio Perez—let’s just say things didn’t go his way after the first few races. He snagged two wins early on, and then? Well, it’s like he hit a wall of molasses or something. Weird.
Fast forward a bit (or rewind, maybe this all blends together), they stick with Perez for ’24 too. Not that he turned it around or anything. By May, his groove was already missing. And then, get this, during Monaco—where dreams are made or broken—Horner goes and signs Perez up till 2026. Was it the sun? The sea air? Baffling move. Seriously.
Now, let’s put on our hindsight glasses. December 2024, and it’s like Red Bull finally wakes up from a weird dream. Perez is out, cost ’em a nice chunk of change too—18 million euros! Just peanuts for a giant brand, but still. Feels a bit like watching someone accidentally toss their wallet in a lake. Oops.
Next up in the saga, Liam Lawson steps in. Just 11 grands prix under his belt at that point. Brave choice or rash decision? Flip a coin. Turns out, it didn’t pan out. After two races, he’s benched and in comes Yuki Tsunoda. Now, Yuki’s been around—four seasons of tire screeching and all that jazz. But comparing him to Verstappen? Eh, maybe not.
Here’s a little musing—what if someone like George Russell or Charles Leclerc got a shot with Red Bull? Talk about a “what could’ve been” scenario. Instead, it’s been the Horner and Verstappen show. Kinda predictable, don’t you think? And the team’s not exactly tearing up the constructors’ championship lately. Missing their second driver magic, perhaps?
Now, here’s a detour in our story—Horner’s got his eyes set on V10 engines. A trip down nostalgia lane? Rivals think it’s about Red Bull’s potential next-gen engine struggles. Mercedes in their sights, maybe? Or just a rogue whim, for ‘the sport’s good,’ some whisper. But with Red Bull’s new buddy Ford and hybrid rules kicking in come ’26, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher. Awkward timing, right?
And don’t even get me started on the dramas with McLaren and the sidebar chats with Ben Sulayem. Bit like watching a soap opera, if racing’s your channel. Racing politics, eh? Messy but ever so entertaining.
So there you go—a tale that bounces and blunders, just like real life. No neat conclusions, just the chaotic dance of wheels on tarmac and decisions that make you go, “What were they thinking?” Fun, isn’t it?
