Following George Russell’s first win since June at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he narrowly held off Max Verstappen, BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson addresses the key questions facing the sport as it heads to Malaysia.
The victory narrowed championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s advantage over Russell to 66 points. Isack Hadjar completed the podium for Red Bull, returning from a wrist injury that kept him out of three races. Before the Sepang showdown, Benson analyzed fan inquiries regarding team principal movements, calendar stability, and technical controversies.
Speculation has intensified regarding Christian Horner’s future after he told the Times that Ferrari is the “dream” team he would consider joining. However, Ferrari’s current team principal, Frederic Vasseur, dismissed the rumors by stating Horner is simply “looking for a job.” Experts note that Horner’s desire for total control conflicts with Ferrari’s hierarchical structure under chairman John Elkann and CEO Benedetto Vigna. Furthermore, Horner’s departure from Red Bull—marked by internal investigations and the exit of key figures like Adrian Newey—adds significant baggage to any potential bid.
On the subject of the season finale, F1 remains committed to its original schedule in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. Despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, F1 assesses the risk in Qatar and Abu Dhabi as manageable, and neither nation has restricted travel. As a contingency, Imola in Italy is prepared to host the final race if security concerns force a cancellation of the Middle Eastern rounds.
Debate also surrounds race control’s decision not to deploy the virtual safety car after Valtteri Bottas crashed into the barriers on the penultimate lap. The FIA maintained that the slow corner allowed leaders to pass safely, utilizing double yellows instead. The call proved costly for Russell, who lost turbo power after lifting off the throttle, forcing him to rely entirely on his battery to survive the final meters by just 0.2 seconds.
Finally, analysts compared Williams’ recent upgrades to Aston Martin’s performance leap. While Williams showed promise in Baku due to their car’s strength on long straights, their performance in Malaysia will be a truer test given the circuit’s technical corners. Meanwhile, Aston Martin’s struggles at power-sensitive tracks like Monza and Baku highlight the limitations of their current Honda power unit, despite aerodynamic improvements that benefited them in Hungary and Zandvoort.
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