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Red Bull boss Christian Horner has admitted to not being bothered by the public's perception of him and is only out to do his best for the team.
Red Bull were the dominant force between 2010 and 2013 when Horner and Co. developed a reputation for being serial winners, sweeping up eight world titles during that period.
The Milton Keynes-based team returned to the top of the pile via Max Verstappen's maiden world championship in 2021. The intense rivalry with Mercedes was the main focus for most of the campaign and has boiled over at times.
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Horner's aggressive style and nature of management have seen him rub against the grain with those who disagree with him. The Red Bull team principal, however, is not fussed about it.
In an interview with former F1 driver Martin Brundle for Sky Sports F1, Horner said that when dealing with criticism and public perception, he follows the example of Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson. Horner said:
“If it bothers you, you shouldn’t do the job. My job is to do the best I can for the team and the people I represent. If I look at somebody like a Sir Alex Ferguson, I doubt he ever worried about what perception other managers or people thought about him in the sport.”
The Briton went on to add:
“My priority and my prerogative is to do the best I can for the people I represent. Whether it’s with the promoter, the FIA, whether that’s getting the right shareholders or sponsors, with the media, it’s doing the best that we can with the tools that we have.”
"There’s not been a lot of politics and bullsh*t" - Red Bull and Ferrari have genuine respect for each other in 2022
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is happy that his team's rivalry with Ferrari has not been marred by politics or other off-track issues this season.
The Briton believes there is a healthy amount of respect between Red Bull and the Scuderia this season. This has translated into some scintillating races between the two teams this season with no tensions flaring on either side, unlike last year.
Speaking in an interview with Eurosport after Max Verstappen's win at Le Castellet (Circuit Paul Ricard), Horner spoke about the ongoing rivalry with Ferrari. The 48-year-old said:
“There’s a respect between the two teams that is extremely competitive. We’re going head-to-head at each race and there is a genuine respect between the drivers and teams which is good to see. Certainly, today it’s been a competition that’s been about what’s happening on the track. There’s not been a lot of politics and bullsh*t with what’s going on off the track.”
The politics that the Red Bull team principal was alluding to could pertain to the FIA's impending technical directive about porpoising, which is poised to take effect from the 2022 F1 Belgian GP weekend. It could also allude to the fierce on-track and off-track rivalry between the Austrian team and Mercedes in 2021.
