Red Bull team principal Christian Horner rebuffed suggestions the pressures of the championship fight prompted his criticism of a marshal in Qatar, for which he was formally warned.
Dieter Rencken's articles on RaceFans
Dieter Rencken has held full FIA Formula 1 media accreditation since 2000, during which period he has reported from over 300 grands prix, plus other categories such as World Rally Championship, MotoGP, World Endurance Championship, World RallyCross Championship and Formula E for a variety of media outlets. He joined racefans.net as special contributor in 2018. Dieter is recognised as an authority on global motorsport politics and economics. He writes the annual 'What F1 Teams Spend' and F1 earnings guides and his weekly columns provide behind-the-scenes analysis of the sport. In 2012 he first unpicked F1’s previously opaque financial and governance structures, and has been credited with bringing much-needed transparency to F1. He has 'scooped' several of the sport’s biggest news stories, including the Aston Martin/Red Bull Valkyrie project, Haas F1’s formation, Carlos Sainz Jnr's shock move to Toro Rosso, Fernando Alonso’s Daytona and Dakar entries, and, more recently, Canadian Lawrence Stroll’s acquisition of Force India (Racing Point) and his subsequent take-over of Aston Martin.
“I don’t know how much slower I can go”: Inside Ricciardo’s unnecessary economy run
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onDaniel Ricciardo’s team radio messages from the Qatar Grand Prix reveal his bemusement after having to slow down to save fuel – unnecessarily, as it turned out.
‘Max is like Kimi – straightforward, talented, focused and indifferent’ – Todt
2021 F1 season
Posted onFIA president Jean Todt gave his view on title contenders Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton as he prepared to conclude his final term in charge of the governing body.
Williams expected “struggle” after mid-season points haul and Russell’s qualifying heroics
2021 F1 season
Posted onWilliams’ downturn in form over recent races came as no surprise to the team following its mid-season run of points scores.
Debate over racing ethics after Interlagos left ‘all parties not happy’ – Seidl
2021 F1 season
Posted onF1 drivers’ discussions with the FIA over the racing rules in light of events at Interlagos left questions over what is considered fair racing, says McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl.
Mercedes’ chief aerodynamicist heading to Aston Martin
2021 F1 season
Posted onAston Martin has made another high-profile signing as part of its recruitment drive as it seeks to become a world championship contender.
F1 should spare us the 20-hour steward debates and ‘Judge Judy’ antics
RacingLines
Posted onInterminable, 20-hour waits for Formula 1 stewards to hand down verdicts did the sport no favours during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend.
‘No regulator in the world will be popular’ with a title fight this intense – Masi
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onThe Formula 1 stewards will face criticism whatever decisions they take because the title fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton is so close, says FIA race director Michael Masi.
Why drivers backed Hamilton’s call for clarity after meeting over Verstappen incident
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onSeveral drivers questioned the stewards’ handling of the controversial incident between the title rivals, and backed Lewis Hamilton’s call for clarity and consistency.
Ferrari has little to fear from the possible loss of its biggest F1 sponsor
News Focus
Posted onThe future of Ferrari’s relationship with its long-standing sponsor PMI is uncertain, but the potential financial impact of a split has been exaggerated.
Lessons to be learned from handling of Verstappen yellow flag incident – Horner
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onRed Bull team principal Christian Horner believes there is “room for improvement” in how yellow flag incidents are handled after Max Verstappen received a grid penalty in Qatar.
Red Bull “played it safe” due to Bottas tyre failure says Perez after missing podium
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onSergio Perez says he missed out on a podium finish in the Qatar Grand Prix after Red Bull switched to a two-stop strategy for safety reasons following the tyre failure Valtteri Bottas suffered.
Paddock Diary: Qatar Grand Prix part two
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onBetween interminable waits for stewards’ decisions in Qatar, talk in the paddock often turned to whether the next circuit Formula 1 visits will be completed in time.
Car damage prevents Mercedes using Bottas to deny Verstappen bonus point
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onValtteri Bottas’ car was so badly damaged after his puncture even a fresh set of tyres wouldn’t have helped him beat Max Verstappen to the fastest lap.
“Attack” on volunteer marshals not acceptable says Masi after Horner comments
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onFIA F1 race director Michael Masi strongly criticised Red Bull team principal Christian Horner’s “rogue marshal” comment in Qatar.
Hamilton faster than simulations predicted in Qatar despite “less powerful” engine
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onLewis Hamilton was further ahead of Max Verstappen than Mercedes expected in Qatar despite not running the fresher and more powerful of his two available engines last weekend.
The yellow flag confusion which hit Verstappen’s title hopes in Qatar explained
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onHow did Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas collect costly yellow flag penalties while others managed to avoid them during qualifying in Qatar?
Ferrari’s fight with McLaren “not over yet” as lead grows again in Qatar
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onFerrari aren’t taking third place in the constructors’ championship for granted despite extending their lead over closest rivals McLaren in Qatar.
Gasly laments AlphaTauri’s “shocking” pace after failing to score from front row start
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onPierre Gasly was mystified by his loss of pace in the Qatar Grand Prix as he failed to score after starting on the front row of the grid.
Hamilton “mobilised superhero powers” after Interlagos adversity – Wolff
2021 Qatar Grand Prix
Posted onLewis Hamilton has been spurred on by the challenges he faced at Interlagos to deliver his best as the championship fight enters the final rounds, says Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
