Red Bull never stopped dreaming about winning both F1 championships despite Mercedes' dominant spell, says Christian Horner

Red Bull boss Christian Horner revealed that the team never stopped striving for its goals despite Mercedes's eight-year-long dominance in F1. This admission was made during Horner's talk about honoring former team owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

While speaking to Motorsport, the Red Bull boss reflected on what it meant to finally win the two championships in 2022:

"So after eight long years, we've never stopped believing, we've never stopped picking ourselves up, brushing ourselves down, and never lost sight of what our goals and objectives are, which were to get back onto the top of both world championships. And we've done that, and that is testimony to the hard work of all of our staff, the contribution of all of our partners, our suppliers."

Red Bull won the constructors' title after learning of the sorrowful passing of their former team owner. Horner revealed how the title was dedicated to the Austrian billionaire's life and legacy:

"We felt determined to go out and really honour him in a way that would make him proud. So there were no black armbands, there was no minute's silence, there was the embodiment of celebrating him. And the best way to do that, obviously, was the performance on circuit."

Red Bull currently faces allegations of cheating during their 2021 campaign. However, the team denies foul play and stands firm that they did not overspend. Nevertheless, as expected by many, the outfit is set to face a mighty penalty that might hurt their 2023 title chances.

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Mercedes boss claps back amidst Red Bull claims of no foul play

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes that the nine teams (who followed the cost cap) are the victims of Red Bull's breach. Wolff's statements directly responded to Horner's claims of their team being targeted by rival camps.

The Mercedes boss was incredulous of Horner's claims that they maintained the cap limit in 2021, despite the FIA report. As reported by F1Briefings, he said:

"I almost had to squeeze out a tear when I heard that [Horner's statement]. The facts are that nine out of ten teams were under the cost cap. One team is now arguing that they slipped over it with supposed non-performance topics, but these apply to all of us. We [Mercedes] also thought about how many sandwiches we give people and how we deal with various other cost pools."

The team is currently negotiating its penalty with the FIA. It is believed that the association 'offered' to reduce the Austrian outfit's wind tunnel time by 25 percent, which was rejected by the team. As the discussions continue, many believe the Milton-Keynes-based team should not escape heavy punishment.