Amid swirling rumors, Aramco’s potential takeover of Aston Martin F1 hints at deepening Red Bull’s internal conflicts, spotlighting the motorsport’s shifting dynamics.
This sensational development could even be tied to the ongoing Christian Horner saga at Red Bull, partially explaining why that team is now desperately seeking an internal “ceasefire” in the power struggle.
However, the media will continue to cover the Horner story this weekend in Melbourne.
The German newspaper Bild reports that one of the figures in the Red Bull power struggle—51% owner, the Thai billionaire Chalerm Yoovidhya—has placed an “observer” at Red Bull’s Austrian headquarters in Salzburg.
It now seems certain that the so-called “Helmut Marko clause” in Max Verstappen’s F1 contract, allowing him to break his agreement if Marko is ousted, was added after the initial signing, unbeknownst to Horner.
A Red Bull employee has engaged a press agency, which confirmed the call for an internal investigation at Red Bull and the filing of a complaint with the FIA. The appointment of this agency is seen as a precursor to a forthcoming public statement at some point.
The status quo continues to leave many dissatisfied. It has been suggested that Newey, Max Verstappen, and even Dr. Helmut Marko could move to Ferrari or Mercedes for 2025, with Verstappen replacing Hamilton, and Newey finally agreeing to leave England for Ferrari.
But Aston Martin could also make a bold move to capitalize on Red Bull’s troubles.
Lawrence Stroll, the current owner of Aston Martin, might be interested in selling the Silverstone-based team to its title sponsor, Aramco. If Verstappen and Newey were also part of the deal, it would surely be more than lucrative for the Canadian. With the support of Honda, highly valued by the Verstappen camp, which will provide a factory engine in 2026 to Aston Martin F1, anything is possible according to several sources.
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes that simply firing Horner would be a much simpler solution.
“Max knows exactly what has happened internally. He also knows that there’s a big risk Adrian Newey might soon no longer want to stay with Red Bull because of all the turmoil. Red Bull really can’t afford to lose Newey. But they could afford to lose Horner.”
Günther Steiner, former Haas F1 team principal, however, expects that we haven’t heard the last of the Horner saga.
“At the higher levels of the company, some are going to rethink what they want to do. I hope for the sake of Formula 1, they will put an end to it, and we can move on.”
Aramco Eyes Aston Martin F1 Amid Red Bull Turmoil. Aramco Eyes Aston Martin F1 Amid Red Bull Turmoil
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