zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
The Red Bull-AlphaTauri Conspiracy Theory Doesn't Add Up
The Red Bull-AlphaTauri Conspiracy Theory Doesn't Add Up-June 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:48

Image for article titled The Red Bull-AlphaTauri Conspiracy Theory Doesn't Add Up

Sunday’s ended with a slew of fans crying “conspiracy” after AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda had a mysterious trackside stoppage that ended up playing into Red Bull Racing’s hands. Except, of course, a little extra digging shows that there wasn’t actually a conspiracy at all.

After a late-race pit stop, Yuki Tsunoda felt that one of his wheels hadn’t been properly fastened, so he pulled over to the side of the track quickly, preparing to abandon the car. Data from the team, however, showed that Tsunoda’s wheel was fine, so the team told him to come back to the pits.

It was admittedly a strange situation, only made more confusing by the fact that upon his return to the pits, Tsunoda’s crew were seen in the cockpit adjusting the driver’s belts, not attending to the loose wheel the driver had suspected. Tsunoda’s brief stoppage, though, brought out a virtual safety car that allowed Red Bull driver and race leader Max Verstappen to make a brief stop for tires without losing nearly as much time as he would have under green-flag conditions. Suddenly, things looked fishy.

Once the chaos settled down, it became clear that Tsunoda really did believe that his wheel was loose, and he’d loosened his seatbelts to prepare to evacuate the car. That’s why his crew was inside his cockpit, adjusting his harness so he could return to the track. The suspicious timing of the situation was just a matter of bad luck and coincidence.

But those moments of confusion were enough to spark rumors on social media alleging a massive conspiracy. Some fans speculated that Tsunoda had been instructed to stop, with the sole intention of giving an advantage to Verstappen. As the conspiracy theory went around the internet, Red Bull’s head of strategy, Hannah Schmitz, was from some F1 fans.

The conspiracy, though, was overblown, and you can tell as much by watching this posted on Reddit. If this truly was orchestrated by Red Bull pulling the puppet strings on AlphaTauri, not only would Tsunoda have to be totally fine sabotaging his own career for Verstappen’s — he’d have to be an award-winning actor. On the onboard video, the panic in Tsunoda’s voice is real. AlphaTauri would also have to be fine with throwing away points in the middle of a heated mid-field battle — points that translate directly to prize money at the end of the year.

It’s not like Verstappen needs a whole lot of help anyway. Mercedes’ strategy for Lewis Hamilton relied on the race going green all the way through. The fact that it didn’t was an unfortunate gamble on Mercedes’ part — but that can happen at any time in racing. That’s just the way things go.

And besides, Verstappen was already leading the Championship by 100 points. A single Hamilton win wasn’t going to dampen the dominance of the best driver piloting the best car in the field.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Here's What Happens When Your Camaro Gets Sideways At 195 MPH
Here's What Happens When Your Camaro Gets Sideways At 195 MPH
Weeks ago a fellow known as was driving a twin turbocharged LSX-powered Chevy Camaro on a closed runway at close to 200 mph. Something caught, or maybe something let go, and then all hell broke loose. As did the car. The video of the wreck from inside the car doesn’t...
Jun 12, 2025
This Insane Racetrack Crash Looks Like Something From A Final Destination Movie
This Insane Racetrack Crash Looks Like Something From A Final Destination Movie
Incredibly, nobody was killed in this that took place at in Trinidad and Tobago on July 24. Four people were injured, though watching the video it’s hard to believe it didn’t turn out worse. There’s a car flung like a toy into the damn crowd, even. Yikes. Looking at the...
Jun 12, 2025
What We Know About The $37 Million Kidnapping Of Bernie Ecclestone’s Mother-In-Law
What We Know About The $37 Million Kidnapping Of Bernie Ecclestone’s Mother-In-Law
Formula One impresario Bernie Ecclestone’s in Sao Paulo on Friday night, and is being held for the biggest ransom in Brazil’s history, $37 million, Brazilian website reports. Here’s everything we know about the kidnapping. That would be Aparecida Schunck, the mother of Eccelstone’s third wife Fabiana Flosi. Ecclestone, the iron-fisted...
Jun 12, 2025
Bernie Ecclestone's Mother-In-Law Kidnapped, Held For $36.5 Million Ransom: Report
Bernie Ecclestone's Mother-In-Law Kidnapped, Held For $36.5 Million Ransom: Report
Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone’s mother-in-law has reportedly been kidnapped in Brazil and held for a ransom demand of roughly $36.5 million, according to Brazilian magazine . According to the report, Aparecida Schunck, the mother of Eccelstone’s third wife Fabiana Flosi, was kidnapped in the Interlagos neighborhood of Sao Paulo...
Jun 12, 2025
Two Dead, Three Injured In Public Day Crash At Nürburgring (Updated)
Two Dead, Three Injured In Public Day Crash At Nürburgring (Updated)
A car crash at the Nürburgring this past weekend during an open track day left two dead and three others injured. A red 1990s Honda Civic that had the fatal wreck, crashed into the scene of another accident that a safety crew was already attending to on the track. The...
Jun 12, 2025
Target Cuts 27-Year IndyCar Sponsorship, Perhaps Realizing No One Cares About IndyCar
Target Cuts 27-Year IndyCar Sponsorship, Perhaps Realizing No One Cares About IndyCar
If there’s one company sponsor that’s synonymous with IndyCar, it’s Target. Sadly, that’s coming to an end, as Target will end its 27-year-long sponsorship of Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of this year, reports the . New Target chairman Brian Cornell says he’s streamlining the company’s marketing efforts, and...
Jun 12, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved