27/03/2023
NEWS STORY
Christian Horner claims that an unnamed rival sought to take advantage of the negativity surrounding Red Bull by courting its sponsors.
Along with drivers and a number of leading personnel, team PR is one of the costs that is not included in the budget cap.
In Red Bull's case this is probably just as well, for over the last couple of seasons the Austrian team's PR department has had its work cut out.
Throughout 2021 we witnessed a bitter battle between Red Bull and Mercedes both on and off-track, culminating in the controversy that was Abu Dhabi.
Though Mercedes had its own problems in 2022, Red Bull was once again mired in controversy, this time courtesy of the budget cap.
While such scandals may make great headlines and are manna from heaven for the F1 media when there is little else happening, it isn't a good look for the teams.
Consequently, it comes as no surprise to learn that one, unnamed outfit sought to take advantage of the negativity surrounding Red Bull by courting its sponsors.
"It tainted us," Christian Horner tells the i newspaper.
"These things get used by your rivals," he adds. "We had one of them contacting our sponsors and partners making suggestions that we would be bringing their brands into disrepute. That was just underhand."
Curiously, Horner claims that part of the reason for its perceived unpopularity is because it doesn't employ a British driver, indeed, since entering F1 in 2005, the Milton Keynes-based outfit has only had one British driver, David Coulthard.
"We are too easily seen as the bad guys," he declares. When asked what might improve the team's popularity, he responds: "Perhaps if we had a British driver like a certain team in Brackley.
"We play our music loud and have a smile on our faces," he said of his team. "It has to be more than a job. And that has to come from the top.
"An energy drink company taking on Mercedes Benz, Ferrari, Audi and whoever else, but why the f*** not? If we have the right people, the right resources, the right culture why can’t we do it?
"My wife has always said to me a pat on the back is only six inches from a kick up the arse," he says of the criticism. "(F1) is like the Kardashians on wheels.
"As long as you are comfortable with the decisions you are taking. That's how I live my life."