Mercedes’ George Russell took his first victory since June by holding off Max Verstappen to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Verstappen’s Purple Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar accomplished the rostrum on his return after lacking three races with a damaged wrist.
Championship chief Kimi Antonelli completed fifth in Baku, which means his benefit over team-mate Russell has narrowed to 66 factors.
This weekend, Formulation 1 heads to Malaysia, the host of the Bahrain Grand Prix – an occasion initially as a consequence of happen in April however which was postponed due to the struggle within the Center East.
Earlier than the race in Sepang, BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson solutions your newest questions.
Does Christian Horner really need the group principal job at Ferrari, or actually have a shot at it? – Ben
This matter has turn into a topic for dialog in current days following an interview Horner did with the Times, external as he promotes his new e-book.
Horner mentioned: “At this stage in my life, there’s just one group for which I’d settle for non-participation in possession.”
Requested whether or not he would take a job there, he replied: “Would I take into account Ferrari? I imply, Ferrari is the largest model in Formulation 1. It is the dream. And arguably it is the sleeping big of Formulation 1.”
Ferrari group principal Frederic Vasseur made his views about Horner’s intervention fairly plain after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when he mentioned: “Mr Horner is in search of a job – that, all people is aware of – all over the place.”
Vasseur mentioned the hypothesis surrounding the group meant Ferrari were “not working in the perfect serenity”.
Horner’s feedback appear to make it clear that he would take into account a job supply from Ferrari. However the important thing questions are underneath what situations he may settle for it, and whether or not he can be supplied it within the first place.
Horner has made it very clear through the years that he believes an F1 group wants one individual in cost and in general management.
It is extremely unlikely he would get that at Ferrari, the place chairman John Elkann and chief govt officer Benedetto Vigna will all the time have extra authority than any group principal.
Even at Purple Bull, the place Horner had theoretical management on the F1 group, he was finally answerable to headquarters in Austria and that’s what led to his elimination in the long run.
It is laborious to think about how Elkann and Vigna might or would countenance any scenario the place they have been faraway from any enter into the F1 group.
And it is even tougher to think about a scenario the place that was not the de facto place even when a group boss had been given assurances they’d be left alone.
Then there may be the query of whether or not Ferrari would need Horner.
Horner comes with baggage. The entire above for a begin, and on prime of that there’s the cloud underneath which he left Red Bull.
There is no such thing as a doubt that he was a remarkably profitable group principal there, the group successful eight drivers’ titles, six constructors’ championships and 124 grands prix in his two-decade tenure.
Nevertheless, the group unravelled in his remaining 18 months in cost, within the wake of the accusations of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour that have been made towards him by a feminine worker.
Purple Bull dismissed these allegations after two inside investigations led by exterior attorneys.
However they have been a key think about Adrian Newey leaving his place as chief technical officer – together with inside politics during which Newey felt his position had been diminished by Horner.
Newey was adopted out of the door by long-time sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and head of technique Will Courtenay.
Horner was lastly dismissed following a stoop in kind which Purple Bull bosses concluded the group didn’t seem like able to arresting underneath his management.
Within the Instances interview, Horner says that the one justification he was given by Purple Bull for his sacking was “it was extra Christian Horner Racing than Purple Bull Racing”.
He provides at different factors within the interview: “I’m a little bit of a Marmite character. I do know I am not all people’s cup of tea. It is unattainable to be.” And: “I am the treatment and the issue.”
Clearly, any resolution as as to whether Horner is the individual you need to lead your F1 group would want cautious consideration.
It is also price mentioning that Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has made it fairly clear over the previous few years that he has little time for Horner.
