- F1 is in Barcelona this week, and most teams have brought upgrades to their cars.
- Aston Martin's major overhaul, resembling another car on the grid, has been dubbed "the Green Red Bull."
- During the first practice session, Christian Horner and others were drinking cans of green Red Bull.
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has never been shy about taking digs at his rivals, and at this week's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, he has put Aston Martin at the top of his hit list.
The Spanish Grand Prix is traditionally where most teams introduce major upgrades to their cars, based on early-season results. And this year, nine of the 10 teams — Haas being the lone exception — have introduced new designs.
While incorporating or adapting ideas from other teams is common, some feel that Aston Martin's new design seemed to go too far. Their cars have now been dubbed "the green Red Bull."
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Horner appeared to reference this new moniker during the first practice session, as he and other team members were seen drinking dragon fruit-flavored Red Bulls, which come in a green can.
The dig was not lost on Sky Sports commenter Will Buxton.
"Is Christian Horner drinking a can of green Red Bull?" Buxton said with a slight chuckle. "That, I think, is a fairly thinly veiled comment from Christian Horner and the Red Bull pit wall, wouldn't you say? ... Oh, come on, that is not even subtle, is it?"
The nickname is also a reference to Aston Martin's 2020 car, which some felt looked much like Mercedes' car. That design earned Racing Point (as they were known then) the nickname "the pink Mercedes."
The most obvious similarity between the Red Bull cars and the new Aston Martin design is in the sidepods and the venting above the pods, which you can see here. The top photo is from the Miami Grand Prix two weeks ago, and the bottom photo is from the first practice in Barcelona.
Formula One's governing body released a statement that it investigated Aston Martin's revised car after "it became apparent that a number of features on the Aston Martin resembled those of another Competitor." However, Aston Martin was cleared of any wrongdoing.