Red Bull is famous for its chaotic contracts when it comes to drivers, and Red Bull drivers have often remarked on the rigorous and brutal processes that the Milton Keys-based team put them through. Jenson Button missed out on experiencing this environment in 2008 after Button failed to join the team.

In 2008, Red Bull were still in the early stages of development, but Christian Horner had laid his plan out for the future and looked promising to win championships shortly. Jenson Button then driving for Honda’s F1 team was eager to leave for a new squad. Button approached Horner for an available seat in Red Bull, but RB Chief Christian Horner turned him away, saying contracts were all set for the future.

So I asked around and my manager spoke to Christian Horner about a drive at his team and the junior team and they said 'No all the contracts are done'.

Jenson Button said on the This Morning show

Button’s team, Honda, was then infamously sold to Ross Brawn for $1, who then renamed it Brawn GP. They went on to win the Constructors’ Championship as well as the Drivers’ Championship with Button in its only season in Formula One. Mercedes bought Brawn GP and went on to win a record eight consecutive constructors’ titles.

Red Bull threatens to completely dominate in 2024 after solving Brazil’s issues

Red Bull have had the most dominant season in F1 history, breaking multiple constructor and driver records. The Milton Keyes team has won 19 of the 20 races that have taken place in 2023, and have had the fastest car on the grid in every race except Singapore.

However, some issues persisted, as shown in the Friday Qualifying in the Sao Paulo sprint weekend. Both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez said the car was being slowed down by gusts of wind that swept through the track. When asked about the issues, Adrian Newey said this would not be a problem in the 2024 RB20, as Red Bull have completely changed how the vertical load is distributed across the car.

Red Bull’s car has outperformed even legendary models like Mercedes’ W11 with Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s F2002 with Micahel Schumacher. Now, with Max Verstappen experiencing zero Did Not Finish (DNF) incidents in 2023, their reliability is remarkable. Red Bull is ahead in 2024 development, potentially securing the first-ever perfect season in Formula One, unless rivals such as Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren catch up.

In case you missed it:

• Gunther Steiner claims ‘questions will be asked’ about Red Bull owning two F1 teams in the future
• Christian Horner says Daniel Ricciardo ditched Red Bull despite getting a deal similar to Max Verstappen 

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