Red Bull boss one step closer to joining Sir Lewis Hamilton in receiving a knighthood

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has moved one step closer to joining Lewis Hamilton in the league of F1 personnel who have been knighted by the British Royal Family.

Red Bull has enjoyed tremendous success under the leadership of team principal Christian Horner in recent seasons. The Brit has guided the team towards back-to-back Constructors' championship titles and three drivers' championships in a row.

The Austrian outfit took their dominance to the next level in 2023. They clinched the constructors' championship with a staggering 451-point lead over second-placed Mercedes, winning all races except one.

Now, adding to the list of honors for the Red Bull team principal, Horner has been awarded his CBE as part of King Charles III’s New Year Honours list. The 50-year-old was previously crowned as an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 2013.

Having been elevated to the status of Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Horner has moved one step closer to knighthood, an accolade also bestowed upon Sir Lewis Hamilton on the F1 grid.

Reacting to receiving the honor, Horner said (via Autosport):

"It was an unexpected distinction a decade ago to be presented with an OBE and to receive this second award, a CBE, is one for which I am hugely grateful and deeply honoured."

"I am enormously proud of what we have achieved with Red Bull in Formula 1 and in the wider high technology arena, and I am hugely honoured to be recognised for that effort," he added.

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When was Sir Lewis Hamilton knighted?

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was presented with the knighthood in December 2021 at Windsor Castle. After being the symbol of racing excellence for nearly a decade, the Brit, at the age of 36, was given the honor following the dramatic end to the 2021 F1 season.

That campaign saw Hamilton narrowly miss out on his eighth world title to Max Verstappen in a controversial season finale in Abu Dhabi. Despite the personal setback, Hamilton and Mercedes secured a record eighth consecutive Constructors' Championship in 2021.

At the age of 36, he became the fourth Formula 1 driver in history to receive the prestigious title, alongside Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, and Jackie Stewart.

The ceremony at Windsor Castle would have undoubtedly been a noteworthy occasion for Lewis Hamilton, with the Mercedes ace appearing alongside his mother Carmen, who witnessed her son's knighthood.