Motorsports (NASCAR, F1, etc) Discussion Thread • Page 97

This just makes it seem like its due to overall performance and they wanted a change

Christian Horner: Red Bull sack Formula 1 team principal

 

Yeah, I think if it’s linked to anything, it’s linked to Max being rumored to leave for Mercedes. Wouldn’t be surprised if this is a last ditch effort to keep him.

 

The total failure to create a car which both drivers can drive probably doesn't help. Who knows what's going on in the background with the engine development too. The rumours swirling that Max might be looking at Merc suggests he isn't very confident with whatever direction things are going.

I'm a bit surprised they'd go mid season with this though.

 

Yeah I wonder how their engine development is going, especially with Ford helping them out. Surely they have enough money to develop it; just depends on whether they have the right people doing the development. If I was Max I'd probably want a new challenge in my career at this point, and Mercedes would be a great place to land.

 

Brundle has been on Sky claiming Horner doesn't even know why he was sacked. Take that with a grain of salt, but if that's true, what on earth is the dynamic in there right now...

 

Shiiitttt, they bout to shell out the big bucks if true. Drop in the bucket for them though, so easy move for them.

 

It’s somewhere between $150-200 million. ESPN is currently paying $80-90 million

 

Seems it's on the lower end of that at $150m.

Curious to see what happens with F1 TV. I could see Apple simply simulcasting it and maybe F1 TV goes away in the US.

 

Apple closes in on ‘US$150m-a-year’ F1 US rights deal

"US viewership of Formula One dropped three per cent in 2024 but, after the 2025 British Grand Prix, the series is averaging 1.38 million viewers per race this year, which is currently the most successful season the championship has ever seen in the country.

It’s also important to remember that Formula One averaged just 539,000 viewers during its first season on ESPN in 2018, underscoring the sport’s upward trajectory in the US."

 

Them moving it to Apple would end my viewership, I just don’t want to add more subscription services to my budget.

 

I get it as part of Apple One (and for the most part think it's the new HBO) but I agree - too many services already that I pay for in some fashion.

The good thing is, if it's like MLS, you can buy it separately from Apple TV+.

 

Also, there’s a couple of good free streaming sites out there, that show races (all sports really) in pretty good quality

 

I really wish more sports would move to having their own streaming platforms. We're stuck with Sky for F1 in the UK (can't get F1 TV unless you do some clever VPN tricks) and we have much the same multi-provider issues with football, where we've got at least 3 different companies selling different packages of games to the domestic market. It's garbage.

 

They will once the cable money dries up.

 

The WEC has their own, which I’ve subscribed to, and it’s pretty slick. Both the phone app and the website work really well, and the phone app has live timing too.

 

I have no expectations of it coming back, of course, but it being on another weekend would mean I could actually go.

 

Weird rear lock from Lewis today in SQ1