The drivers’ silly season was followed by a spectacular team principals’ silly season, which closed up only last week as Alessandro Alunni Bravi was appointed as Alfa Romeo’s F1 chief. But one thing is certain, and always will be, that Christian Horner is not going anywhere and will be present as long as Red Bull is on the grid.
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Horner has been with Red Bull since 2005, their first entry, becoming the longest-serving team principal by quite some margin. He has seen his fair share of departures from different garages, the most recent of which was Mattia Binotto’s from Ferrari. And the departure itself was the trigger point of the silly season, which led to former Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur taking up the role.
Formula One F1 – United States Grand Prix – Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, U.S. – October 22, 2022 Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner during a press conference REUTERS/Brian Snyder
And Christian Horner, notoriously known for his sly comments and unparalleled leadership, was quick to take a dig at his opponent’s leader. Speaking with Motorsport Magazine, Christian Horner commented upon the appointment, saying, “Fred, it’ll be interesting to see if he’s still arguing about the same points that he was for Sauber in upcoming meetings! But again, he’s a very capable guy. So yeah, it’ll be very interesting. I’m sure they’re all very capable people. So we’ll get to see what the dynamics are at the next Formula 1 Commission meeting.”
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The season hasn’t even started, and the first blow, according to many, has been delivered at Maranello. It’s already Horner 1-0 Vasseur. If the season heats up even more, perhaps like in 2021 (fingers crossed), don’t be surprised if the score climbs into the 100s until the end of the year.
Christian Horner sympathizes with Mattia Binotto
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Mattia Binotto worked with Ferrari for nearly three decades until he was let go from the team after a disappointing season following a terrific start. Even though the season was tense for a few weeks, Ferrari and Red Bull were relatively quiet in comparison to Red Bull and Mercedes in 2021. And though the move didn’t find many sympathizers in the paddock or outside, including former Ferrari legend Felipe Massa , Christian Horner expressed his thoughts on the whole episode.
Formula One F1 – Saudi Arabia Grand Prix – Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – March 26, 2022 Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto during qualifying REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/Pool
Horner, in the same interview, said, “It has been interesting to watch the movement. I’ve sympathy for Mattia, because ultimately he’d done a good job. Last year, that was a big step forward from where they had been, so that must be tough for him after such long service that he had given to Ferrari.”
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Binotto’s time at Ferrari as the team principal was particularly challenging. Handing over his reins to Vasseur, the latter will have a task as Horner waits for him in the meetings.
