Susie Wolff lands Christian Horner dig as Zak Brown disputes Palou’s Piastri claim – roundup
Christian Horner led Red Bull for more than two decades having been appointed team principal in 2005
Tuesday’s fast-paced F1 news includes Christian Horner on the receiving end of a Susie Wolff dig as Zak Brown responds to Alex Palou’s claim that he had little say on McLaren’s signing of Oscar Piastri.
With Fred Vasseur’s future under fresh doubt at Ferrari and Carlos Sainz set to miss an upcoming FP1 session, here’s today’s roundup…
Susie Wolff: Christian Horner ‘played a character’ at Red Bull
Susie Wolff, the head of F1 Academy and the wife of Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff, says Christian Horner “played a character very well” during his stint in charge of Red Bull.
Horner was sacked by Red Bull in the aftermath of July’s British Grand Prix after more than 20 years in charge of the Milton Keynes team.
As revealed by PlanetF1.com, Horner officially cut ties with Red Bull last month after agreeing a settlement worth $100million (£74.2m/€85.1m), opening the door to an F1 return at some point in 2026.
Read more: Christian Horner ‘played a character’ as Susie Wolff breaks silence on Red Bull exit
Zak Brown denies Alex Palou’s shock claim over Oscar Piastri signing
Zak Brown, the McLaren chief executive, has rejected Alex Palou’s claim that he had little say on the team’s decision to sign Oscar Piastri for the F1 2023 season.
The allegation emerged during McLaren’s legal case against Palou, the four-time IndyCar champion, last week.
McLaren is seeking more than $20million after Palou backed out of a deal to join its IndyCar team in 2023.
Read more: Zak Brown responds to ‘ludicrous’ Oscar Piastri claim amid Alex Palou legal case
Fred Vasseur under fresh scrutiny as Ferrari denies ‘heated confrontation’
Ferrari is ‘seriously considering’ replacing Fred Vasseur despite the team principal signing a new multi-year contract earlier this season, it has been claimed.
It comes after the team was forced to deny claims that Vasseur had a ‘heated confrontation’ with a senior engineer at the recent Singapore Grand Prix.
Ferrari remains winless in F1 2025 with just six rounds remaining.
Read more: Fred Vasseur ‘wobbling’ as Ferrari denies ‘heated confrontation’ – reports
Carlos Sainz to miss FP1 at Mexican Grand Prix as Luke Browning steps up
Williams academy driver Luke Browning will drive Carlos Sainz’s car in the opening practice session at the Mexican Grand Prix later this month.
Browning, 23, has enjoyed a competitive first full season in the F2 feeder series in 2025 and sits third in the drivers’ standings ahead of the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
The Cheshire-born driver previously deputised for Sainz at the Bahrain Grand Prix in April.
Read more: Carlos Sainz to miss Mexican GP FP1 as Williams junior steps in
Susie Wolff issues FIA legal case update after conflict of interest probe
Susie Wolff, the head of the all-female F1 Academy series, has confirmed that her legal case against the FIA remains active.
It comes after a short-lived investigation into a potential conflict of interest involving Wolff and her husband, the Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, in late 2023.
Mrs Wolff announced in March last year that she had filed a “criminal complaint” in France.
Read more: Susie Wolff issues fresh update on FIA legal case after conflict of interest investigation
