Author Archives: PressBox

Christian Horner has said Ferrari is the only Formula 1 team he would consider joining without taking an ownership stake, calling it both “the dream” and the sport’s “sleeping giant.” In an interview with The Times, the former Red Bull boss said he does not want to return as a hired hand, with Ferrari the lone exception to that rule, and added that he still feels he has “another dance” left in Formula 1. He said competitiveness, not retirement, would shape his next move.

Horner has been out of work since Red Bull removed him as team principal and chief executive just days after last year’s British Grand Prix, ending his 20-year run in charge. He said the continued speculation around him showed there was still demand for his services. He also said he would enjoy renewing his rivalry with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

The remarks have added to speculation around Ferrari’s leadership, with Fred Vasseur’s future coming under renewed scrutiny. Reports have said a Ferrari role could open if Vasseur’s position changes after the season. They have also raised the prospect of tension with Lewis Hamilton, who has clashed with Red Bull over the years, including in the 2021 title fight.

Max Verstappen headed final practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku with a late lap of 1 minute 43.922 seconds, edging Mercedes’ George Russell by 0.099 seconds and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by 0.111. Russell had led much of the session on medium tires before Verstappen improved on softs with a tow on Baku’s long straight, giving the Red Bull driver his first fastest practice lap of the season. Kimi Antonelli was fourth and Charles Leclerc fifth, with Pierre Gasly, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Isack Hadjar and Franco Colapinto completing the top 10.

The one-hour session was run in dusty, windy conditions that pushed several drivers off line. Russell, Hamilton and Leclerc all had run-offs, Verstappen also had off-track moments, and Lance Stroll hit the Turn 1 wall and stopped after damaging his front-left suspension. A brief virtual safety car came out when a tree branch landed on the track.

The final practice result set up qualifying later Friday as a battle that appeared likely to center on Verstappen and the Mercedes drivers. Russell had also led both earlier practice sessions, including a dominant FP2 run, before Verstappen’s late improvement denied him a sweep. McLaren struggled for pace in FP3, with Piastri seventh and Norris eighth, while teams used the session to focus on qualifying runs.

Red Bull brought its final major 2026 Formula 1 upgrade package to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, a five-part update that included a new floor, revised sidepod geometry and revised mirror assembly geometry. Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar were set to run the same specification this weekend, and technical director Pierre Waché said the update performed as expected in Thursday practice.

Team principal Laurent Mekies said the Baku package was most probably Red Bull’s last significant upgrade of the 2026 season, with most of the team’s resources already moving to the 2027 car. He said Red Bull was using the remaining races to keep learning, while acknowledging the team still has work to do to match the fastest cars and is still chasing its first win of the season. Mekies also pointed to recent progress, with Verstappen on the podium in five of the last seven Grands Prix.

Red Bull’s main concern remains a long-running rear-end degradation problem on the RB22. Verstappen said he has complained about the issue for years and does not believe it can be fully solved this season. Waché called it a “massive issue” and said he is not confident it will be fully fixed for 2027. Hadjar returned in Baku after missing the previous three races with a wrist injury, and said the car felt better than when he last drove it in Hungary.