I’m no great fan of Christian Horner but, when he was cleared by the
internal enquiry, I was minded to give him the benefit of any doubt and
felt that the response of pundits on the BBC F1: Chequered Flag podcast and
other media was simply demonstrating pique at being robbed of a salacious
story.

After today’s developments, however, when it was revealed that screenshots
of phone text conversations and pictures were sent to hundreds of F1 and
entertainment journalists, as well as leading members of F1, the FIA, and
the F1 teams, I have to wonder how long Horner can continue as team
principal.

Is it possible, given the cut-throat nature of F1, that one or more of the
other teams has connived to disadvantage Red Bull?

--
Sir Tim

On 2/29/2024 2:54 PM, Sir Tim wrote:
> Is it possible, given the cut-throat nature of F1, that one or more
> of the other teams has connived to disadvantage Red Bull?

Or that Horner's Austrian enemies are seeking to reverse the "all OK"
verdict dictated by the Thai owner of the brand?

<Fox News>Just raising a question</Fox News>.

--
Mark Jackson - https://mark-jackson.online/
I have tried to bring scientific thinking to literary
criticism, and there's been very little gratitude for this.
- Kurt Vonnegut

Mark Jackson <mjackson@alumni.caltech.edu> wrote:
> On 2/29/2024 2:54 PM, Sir Tim wrote:
>> Is it possible, given the cut-throat nature of F1, that one or more
>> of the other teams has connived to disadvantage Red Bull?
>
> Or that Horner's Austrian enemies are seeking to reverse the "all OK"
> verdict dictated by the Thai owner of the brand?

Yes, interesting question
>
> <Fox News>Just raising a question</Fox News>.

:-)

--
Sir Tim

On 1/03/2024 5:54 am, Sir Tim wrote:
> I’m no great fan of Christian Horner but, when he was cleared by the
> internal enquiry, I was minded to give him the benefit of any doubt and
> felt that the response of pundits on the BBC F1: Chequered Flag podcast and
> other media was simply demonstrating pique at being robbed of a salacious
> story.
>
> After today’s developments, however, when it was revealed that screenshots
> of phone text conversations and pictures were sent to hundreds of F1 and
> entertainment journalists, as well as leading members of F1, the FIA, and
> the F1 teams, I have to wonder how long Horner can continue as team
> principal.
>
> Is it possible, given the cut-throat nature of F1, that one or more of the
> other teams has connived to disadvantage Red Bull?
>
It's hard to think of a better way to destabilise a team.

On 1/03/2024 6:02 am, Mark Jackson wrote:
> On 2/29/2024 2:54 PM, Sir Tim wrote:
>> Is it possible, given the cut-throat nature of F1, that one or more
>> of the other teams has connived to disadvantage Red Bull?
>
> Or that Horner's Austrian enemies are seeking to reverse the "all OK"
> verdict dictated by the Thai owner of the brand?
>
> <Fox News>Just raising a question</Fox News>.
>
Maybe they're fed up with him being the face of Red Bull and getting all
the publicity.

keithr0 <user@account.invalid> wrote:
> On 1/03/2024 5:54 am, Sir Tim wrote:
>> I’m no great fan of Christian Horner but, when he was cleared by the
>> internal enquiry, I was minded to give him the benefit of any doubt and
>> felt that the response of pundits on the BBC F1: Chequered Flag podcast and
>> other media was simply demonstrating pique at being robbed of a salacious
>> story.
>>
>> After today’s developments, however, when it was revealed that screenshots
>> of phone text conversations and pictures were sent to hundreds of F1 and
>> entertainment journalists, as well as leading members of F1, the FIA, and
>> the F1 teams, I have to wonder how long Horner can continue as team
>> principal.
>>
>> Is it possible, given the cut-throat nature of F1, that one or more of the
>> other teams has connived to disadvantage Red Bull?
>
> It's hard to think of a better way to destabilise a team.

I don't think it's the other teams. While it would certainly create a
distraction, Red Bull could have easily made this less of a drama. There
must be (at least) some in the Red Bull or Red Bull Racing camp who are
happy to see this play out.

The more interesting question to me is who is leaking because it seems
to me they are making it look "Dutch" by leaking via the Netherlands.
Now, while it could be that it's the Verstappen camp behind it, that
would be *really* obvious and unsubtle. It could (obviously) be a
double-bluff because no-one would expect them to be so stupid.
Alternatively, it could be someone deliberately leaving a trail to let
the Verstappens be implicated and further destablise the team.

I really dislike these kinds of dirty tricks. I have zero time for
Christian Horner, but I also dislike people who trade in gossip,
innuendo and trying to throw shade by insinuation.

Let's just get on with the season and, if there's an issue with Horner,
let that be dealt with by the proper authorities not by tittle-tattle in
the F1 press box.

On 1/03/2024 8:34 pm, keithr0 wrote:
> On 1/03/2024 6:02 am, Mark Jackson wrote:
>> On 2/29/2024 2:54 PM, Sir Tim wrote:
>>> Is it possible, given the cut-throat nature of F1, that one or more
>>> of the other teams has connived to disadvantage Red Bull?
>>
>> Or that Horner's Austrian enemies are seeking to reverse the "all OK"
>> verdict dictated by the Thai owner of the brand?
>>
>> <Fox News>Just raising a question</Fox News>.
>>
> Maybe they're fed up with him being the face of Red Bull and getting all the publicity.

In case anyone here cares to look at the 'evidence' this is the google drive folder that was
emailed out:
<https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OlV2wb51s1WhjLFq0Lsp4inRU60qvdhY>
--
Shaun.

"Humans will have advanced a long, long way when religious belief has a cozy little classification
in the DSM"
David Melville

This is not an email and hasn't been checked for viruses by any half-arsed self-promoting software.

On 2/29/2024 6:32 PM, Sir Tim wrote:
> Mark Jackson <mjackson@alumni.caltech.edu> wrote:
>> On 2/29/2024 2:54 PM, Sir Tim wrote:
>>> Is it possible, given the cut-throat nature of F1, that one or more
>>> of the other teams has connived to disadvantage Red Bull?
>>
>> Or that Horner's Austrian enemies are seeking to reverse the "all OK"
>> verdict dictated by the Thai owner of the brand?
>
> Yes, interesting question

Possibly answered by (in German - use Google Translate):

https://www.motorsport-total.com/formel-1/news/neue-entwicklungen-in-horner-affaere-mintzlaff-wollte-ihn-schon-kuendigen-24030308

Cites the March issue of /BusinessF1/, while omitting some details from
there. Says Oliver Mintzlaff prepared papers to terminate Horner, the
latter's lawyers enforced a clause in his contract calling for an
independent investigation. . .

"But then the Thai Yoovidhya clan, majority owners of Red Bull GmbH, are
said to have placed their protective hand over Horner. On February 28,
the results of the Horner investigation were presented in a brief press
release - and to the surprise of many who had seen the evidence, Horner
was exonerated."

--
Mark Jackson - https://mark-jackson.online/
Everything that needs to be said has already been said.
But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again.
- André Gide

keithr0 <user@account.invalid> writes:
> On 1/03/2024 5:54 am, Sir Tim wrote:
>> I’m no great fan of Christian Horner but, when he was cleared by the
>> internal enquiry, I was minded to give him the benefit of any doubt and
>> felt that the response of pundits on the BBC F1: Chequered Flag podcast and
>> other media was simply demonstrating pique at being robbed of a salacious
>> story.
>>
>> After today’s developments, however, when it was revealed that screenshots
>> of phone text conversations and pictures were sent to hundreds of F1 and
>> entertainment journalists, as well as leading members of F1, the FIA, and
>> the F1 teams, I have to wonder how long Horner can continue as team
>> principal.
>>
>> Is it possible, given the cut-throat nature of F1, that one or more of the
>> other teams has connived to disadvantage Red Bull?
>
> It's hard to think of a better way to destabilise a team.

A $100M fine is a pretty good disrupter.

Phil
--
We are no longer hunters and nomads. No longer awed and frightened, as we have
gained some understanding of the world in which we live. As such, we can cast
aside childish remnants from the dawn of our civilization.
-- NotSanguine on SoylentNews, after Eugen Weber in /The Western Tradition/