Christian Horner insists Red Bull should be “very proud” of 2024 achievements
Christian Horner believes 2024 was a year Red Bull should be proud of, despite the ups and downs. Speaking to the media including Sportskeeda after the Abu Dhabi GP race, the Red Bull Racing CEO reflected on a season that proved to be challenging both on and off the track.
The year started with personal controversy for Horner after accusations of inappropriate behavior from a female employee placed his personal life in the spotlight. However, after an internal investigation mid-season, Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing. On the track, Red Bull’s performance began to decline following the Miami GP, marking the start of a notable dip in form.
This was further compounded by the unexpected departures of key figures within the team, including Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s renowned aerodynamics expert, who announced he would be joining Aston Martin for 2025. Additionally, Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley revealed he would be leaving Red Bull to take up the role of Deputy Team Principal at Audi F1, further shaking the team’s stability during an already challenging season.
After the summer break, McLaren overtook Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, pushing the Milton Keynes team from first to third. Despite securing a record number of race wins, sprint victories, and a drivers’ title, the constructors’ title slipped out of reach by Abu Dhabi. Horner described 2024 as a busy and challenging season for Red Bull, both on and off the track. He emphasized that, without comparing it to 2023, it was still a commendable year. He praised how the team came together in the face of adversity, crediting the hard work and dedication of everyone at the factory and on track.
Asked by Sportskeeda if there was a sense of relief in putting this season behind, considering how it began both personally and on track, Horner replied:
“Well this season's been, it's certainly been a busy year, off track and on track. But I think what is the most important thing to reflect on this year is the way that the team has stuck together, has worked as a team. And whilst Abu Dhabi didn't go our way, one week ago we won a big race in Qatar, and the nine victories that we achieved, all those statistics [maximum race wins and sprint wins]. If you weren't comparing it to 2023, it's still a hell of a year. So all the men and women back at Milton Keynes that have worked crazy hours, they can be very proud of what they've achieved this year.”
Christian Horner: McLaren a deserving winner of the 2024 constructors championship
Christian Horner believes McLaren and its drivers are deserving winners of the 2024 constructors’ championship. Acknowledging the immense effort required to secure the title, he congratulated the team, including Zak Brown, Andrea Stella, and the drivers. He also noted that Red Bull did provide McLaren with a scare early on, as Max Verstappen made contact with Oscar Piastri on the opening lap, causing both drivers to spin. However, Horner felt that McLaren’s two competitive drivers delivered exceptional performances throughout the season.
After dominating the sport and winning both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships in 2022 and 2023, 2024 did not unfold as expected for Red Bull. Horner acknowledged that the team struggled to accumulate enough points collectively to defend its title. However, he pointed out a notable statistic: despite losing the constructors’ championship, Red Bull had won the most races and sprints in 2024, underscoring the team's continued competitive edge.
Starting the final print media session of the 2024 season, Horner said:
“I’ve just got to say congratulations to McLaren, to all the men and women there. We know how hard it is to win a constructors' world championship and the dedication and effort that has to go into that. So to Zak and Andrea and their shareholders and most of all the men and women at McLaren. Congratulations. They've been outstanding this year. They've had two drivers that have performed extremely well and we're deserving victors in the end.”
“I'm sure that we raised pulses and blood pressure at the start of the race with the moment with Oscar. But they deserve that constructors' championship this year despite the fact that we won more races, more sprint races, and obviously collectively we didn't put enough points on the board to defend that title. So very well done to them.”
McLaren concluded the 2024 season with a total of 666 points, narrowly edging out Ferrari, who finished second with 652 points. Red Bull secured third place with 589 points, 77 points behind the constructors’ championship winners. The season highlighted the growing convergence on the F1 grid, with competition becoming increasingly fierce. This close battle serves as a strong indication of the intense rivalry and high-level competition fans can expect in 2025.