F1 News: Red Bull Chief's Subtle Jab In Congratulatory Message To McLaren Revealed

Saajan Jogia | Dec 11, 2024

May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull team principle Christian Horner sits in the F1 Village before the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner extended his congratulations to McLaren on securing its first Constructors' Championship since 1998 but couldn't resist a subtle dig. Horner highlighted that Red Bull had claimed more Grand Prix and Sprint race victories than McLaren, yet the title slipped away due to McLaren's consistent points-scoring performances from both drivers.

Red Bull dominated the first ten races of the 2024 season, with Max Verstappen clinching seven Grand Prix victories. However, the tide shifted mid-season as Perez's performance faltered, and McLaren found the key to extracting greater performance from its ground-effect car. This breakthrough allowed McLaren to consistently score points through both drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

However, Verstappen began encountering balance issues with his RB20 around the summer break, a challenge compounded by being the sole point scorer for Red Bull. While his remarkable efforts secured him a fourth Drivers' Championship title, Red Bull's Constructors' Championship hopes dwindled. The team lost the lead to McLaren after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and later slipped to third behind Ferrari following the Mexico City Grand Prix.

After a thrilling championship battle between McLaren and Ferrari that came down to the final lap of the Abu Dhabi season finale, McLaren clinched its first Constructors' Championship in 26 years. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner congratulated the entire McLaren team on their achievement but couldn’t resist pointing out how Verstappen "raised pulses and blood pressure" at McLaren with his opening-lap contact with Piastri, nearly jeopardizing their title hopes. Horner said:

“I’ve just got to say congratulations to McLaren, to all the men and women there.

“We know how hard it is to win a constructors’ world championship and the dedication and effort that has to go into that.

“So to Zak [Brown], Andrea [Stella], and their shareholders, but most of all, the men and women at McLaren, congratulations. They’ve been outstanding this year.

“They’ve had two drivers that have performed extremely well and were deserving victors in the end.

“I’m sure that we raised pulses and blood pressure at the start of the race with the moment with Oscar.”

While Horner admitted that McLaren deserved the championship victory, he stressed the fact that Red Bull won more Grands Prix and Sprint races. Verstappen secured nine race victories in the season, while Norris and Piastri together won six races. The Red Bull chief added:

“They deserve that constructors’ championship this year despite the fact that we won more races, more sprint races.

“Collectively, we didn’t put enough points on the board to defend that title. So very well done.”