Red Bull boss vows more to come
As if completing Formula One's 'double' by winning both the constructors' and drivers' world championship titles was not enough, Red Bull boss Christian Horner this week warned his rivals: 'You ain't seen nothing yet'.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: October 22, 2011 10:33 AM IST
As if completing Formula One's 'double' by winning both the constructors' and drivers' world championship titles was not enough, Red Bull boss Christian Horner this week warned his rivals: 'You ain't seen nothing yet'.
Horner, the architect of the Milton Keynes-based team's emergence as the dominant force in Grand Prix racing, said they still had several goals to achieve this season and had no intention of letting up in the final three events of the year.
That trio of races starts with next weekend's long-awaited Indian Grand Prix and is followed by the Abu Dhabi and Brazilian contests.
"We want to finish the year on a high, get Mark Webber into second in the drivers' championship and it would be great, of course, to see him win a race," said Horner, during this week's celebrations back at the team base.
"So, we are going to attack the final races. They are like cup finals for us now and we can really go for it with both titles resolved."
Red Bull have enjoyed a success-soaked October.
They carried defending champion Sebastian Vettel to his second drivers' title at the Japanese Grand Prix and then clinched the teams' title a week later in Korea.
Their success and continuing desire to succeed, as signalled by Horner's ambitions, reflects the deep hunger in a team that has been dismissed as merely "a drinks company."
Just as Benetton showed, some 15-16 years ago, when they were described as "a t-shirts business", determination allied to a motivation pricked by such insults can produce a phenomenal level of achievement and consistency.
Indeed, for Benetton in 1994 and 1995, it is safe today to read Red Bull in 2010 and 2011, two teams owned by men without backgrounds in engineering or motor racing, but inspired by competition and led from the front by a young German driver gifted with speed.
But where Benetton lost their way when Michael Schumacher departed, along with several key technical men including Ross Brawn, to Ferrari, Red Bull have remained united and focused.
"We have a deep hunger for success and a unique togetherness and spirit as a team," said Horner who, at just 38, has established himself as one of the best team chiefs of the modern era.
"We want to carry on and keep winning. We want to gain strength and learn our lessons year to year.
"But, at the same time, I know it would be very arrogant though to underestimate our rivals. Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes are huge teams with excellent pedigrees. We'll apply the lessons of this year, as we did in 2010, to next year's car.
"You can always learn in this sport, from the races you win as well as lose, and that will drive us forward. For now we will focus on the next three races and enjoy the moment."