F1 Today | Is Horner preparing for the worst at Red Bull?

It's an off weekend in Formula 1, so the attention naturally turns to the driver market. Today's big news sees Christian Horner, Red Bull and Fernando Alonso in the spotlight. Talks are underway, and it's potentially a case that the Red Bull boss is preparing for the worst-case scenario at Red Bull.

No appeal from Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso received a 20-second penalty after the Australian Grand Prix. Alonso himself has already expressed his disagreement with the penalty. According to him, this is part of racing, and you are not responsible if you do not drive exactly the same way every lap. Team boss Mike Krack also disagrees with the penalty. In a statement, he reveals that the team wanted to appeal but failed without new evidence.

"To receive a 20-second time penalty when there was no contact with the following car has been a bitter pill to swallow, but we have to accept the decision. We made our best case but without new evidence we are unable to request a right of review," Krack said.

Honda to open UK base

After years of success as Red Bull Racing's engine supplier, Honda will supply engines for Aston Martin from 2026. Ahead of this partnership, the carmaker has announced that it will have a facility in the UK. In the run-up to their partnership with Aston Martin, Honda will have a base in the UK. Currently, all engines are still made in Japan, but that is about to change with the first factory in Europe. To bring about this location, Honda Racing Corporation has set up a new subsidiary, Honda Racing Corporation UK Ltd.

Wolff gives Sainz some praise

Mercedes has been dry in terms of race wins since Brazil '22, Ferrari managed to beat Red Bull Racing. After Singapore '23, Carlos Sainz also took victory in Australia. Toto Wolff would have liked things to be different, but the Mercedes team boss also admires the way his rival and friend Frederic Vasseur is allowing Ferrari to become increasingly competitive.

Red Bull conversations

According to the Telegraph, Horner has even had a "serious conversation" with Alonso. According to the newspaper, this is interesting because normally all matters concerning driver recruitment are done by Marko. He would not be involved in this interview, the newspaper reported. Incidentally, it is unclear whether Alonso is an option for Horner to replace Verstappen, or to recruit him as a second driver.