Christian Horner opens up about fulfilling Red Bull’s ambitions after winning first race in F1

Red Bull Racing has solidified its place in F1 history after winning its 100th Grand Prix. The Austrian team joined the sport in 2005 and invested heavily to achieve success. Many disregarded the Milton Keynes-based team as an energy drinks maker who would quit F1 soon after. However, Red Bull proved the critics wrong and has won multiple titles since. Team boss Christian Horner opens up about his emotions after the team’s first win.

Milton Keynes achieved its first F1 win at the 2009 Chinese GP as Sebastian Vettel crossed the chequered flag in first place. Horner reflected back on that time in the team’s history when it was working to be competitive in F1. The energy drinks giant owned by Dietrich Mateschitz did want to simply race in F1 but to be competitive at the front of the pack.

Christian took a trip down memory lane back to when he took the trophy back home on a flight. The Red Bull team boss was convinced that after the first victory, the team had done what it had to. He said, “I remember collecting the trophy that day and then getting on the plane to go home that evening and thinking, ‘Well, at least we’ve won one. If nothing else happens, we’ve won a race!'”

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“He was a racer,” Christian Horner remembers Dietrich Mateshitz

The 49-year-old praised the late owner of Red Bull, Dietrich Mateschitz for his determination for succeeding in F1. Horner highlighted that Dietrich was keen on doing things differently in F1. The former Red Bull owner wanted his F1 team to not be like a corporate puzzle. Instead, Mateschitz wanted the team to bring something new to the sport.

The Austrian billionaire introduced a variety of things such as the Energy Station and the Red Bulletin. Although, Christian Horner insisted that despite such projects, Mateschitz wanted Red Bull to win the sport. Horner stated, “He was a racer. He was a fan of Formula 1 and passionate about the sport. And, of course, F1 for him and for Red Bull was a great way of marketing the brand and the product.”

Thus, Christian Horner shared his thoughts from the past. The 49-year-old might have felt that he had done his job after the team’s first win. However, the Red Bull team boss still had a hunger for more. Even today, when Milton Keynes has won 100 races in the sport, Horner and his team will continue to work their way to many more wins in the future.

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