Christian Horner labels the seven years of Mercedes domination as ‘jail time’

Christian Horner stated that Red Bull kept working upwards during Mercedes' success years in F1.

Christian Horner labels the seven years of Mercedes domination as ‘jail time’

Christian Horner (image via GP Fans), Lewis Hamilton (image via Los Angeles Times)

Mercedes dominated Formula 1 from the start of the Turbo Hybrid era in 2014. The Silver Arrows achieved unprecedented success, with seven consecutive Drivers’ championships and 8 Constructors’ titles. Although, Red Bull managed to topple the German squad from its throne with Max Verstappen‘s title win in 2021. Now, Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner shared his views on the Brackley-based team’s period of success in the sport.

Horner compared the multiple years of Mercedes’ domination in F1 to prison sentences. The 49-year-old claimed that many crimes wouldn’t lead to such a long sentence in jail. He said, “Seven long years… that’s a long time. You get less for crimes!” The Red Bull team boss, made it clear that during this period, the Milton Keynes-based team worked towards defeating the Silver Arrows.

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Christian Horner explained, “We never lost that target, it was just about putting the missing pieces into place.” The Briton credited Honda for Red Bull’s success as well as the Japanese giant provided Milton Keynes with a power unit capable of challenging the Brackley-based squad. Previously, the Mercedes V6 Turbo Hybrid power unit had ensured a massive advantage for the German team.

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Christian Horner recalls the harsh times at Red Bull during Mercedes’ domination

Adrian Newey and Christian Horner (Image via GPfans.com)
Adrian Newey and Christian Horner (Image via GPfans.com)

The 49-year-old looked back over the period when Red Bull was simply not in a position to fight for wins with the Silver Arrows. Horner was convinced that those years truly tested the staff at Milton Keynes as many, including Adrian Newey decided to stay at the team despite receiving offers to jump ships. The Austrian team managed to push through those seasons and finally got back to winning ways in 2021.

Horner stated, “We were turning up at races and had no chance of success. I think that tested the team in many respects, it would have been very easy for a lot of people to have left the team at that point.” Red Bull did win a handful of races in the turbo hybrid era. However, such wins came when the Silver Arrows faced trouble. Such as Max Verstappen‘s victory on his Red Bull debut at the 2016 Spanish GP after Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collided on the first lap.

Thus, Christian Horner recalled the disappointing time during Mercedes’ successful years in F1. The 49-year-old mentioned that it was a difficult period for Milton Keynes personnel as they continued to work their way back up the pecking order. Although, Red Bull is now the team to beat in the sport as it enjoys a massive lead over its rivals, including the Silver Arrows.

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