Watch: Red Bull boss Christian Horner congratulates McLaren's Zak Brown for winning the constructors championship
Despite being arch-rivals on track, Christian Horner went up to Zak Brown and congratulated the McLaren boss on their triumph. Lando Norris’ win at the Abu Dhabi GP meant that McLaren won the 2024 constructor's championship. Red Bull, who led the championship midway through the season, finished third.
F1’s official Instagram account shared a video of the Red Bull and McLaren bosses on their story. In the video, Horner went to the McLaren hospitality area in the Abu Dhabi GP paddock and congratulated Brown. The Red Bull TP shook the American's hand and patted him on the back for a job well done. Horner added the story to his Instagram account as well. The caption read:
“Respect @zbrownceo @christianhorner”
Red Bull and McLaren were involved in an intense fight for the championship this season. However, while McLaren scored big chunks of points with both the drivers, Max Verstappen was the one keeping Red Bull's boat afloat. McLaren ultimately took the lead in the championship and never looked back.
Tensions rose between Christian Horner and Zak Brown as the two slammed each other. The McLaren CEO suggested that there had been an increase in Red Bull CVs in his mail and that sponsors will think twice before associating themselves with Red Bull following the Horner controversy. The Briton on the other hand reportedly accused McLaren of having a dodgy rear wing (flexi wing).
Verstappen and Norris were involved in the driver's championship fight and their rivalry spilled over into the team championship as well. The Dutchman suggested that he could've won the championship in the McLaren car. However, the gesture from Horner to congratulate Brown shows true sportsmanship and that the season ended on a pleasant note.
Christian Horner highlights the importance of having two competitive drivers after losing the 2024 constructor's title
Sergio Perez scored half of Max Verstappen's points during the 2023 F1 season. However, the Red Bull dominance meant that it didn't have any implication on the constructor's championship. However, with McLaren and Ferrari posing a challenge this year, Red Bull needed Checo to step up.
Unfortunately, the Mexican only scored 152 points throughout the season in comparison to Verstappen's 437.
Christian Horner said, speaking with media, including Sportskeeda:
“I think you can see the importance of having two drivers scoring on a regular and collective basis in the Constructors’ Championship is crucial. Ferrari will be strong with their lineup next year, and McLaren has a strong lineup. Mercedes will have an inexperienced driver in one of their seats. For us, it’s very important that both of our drivers are delivering and there’s not a significant gap.”
Perez's underperformance was arguably the reason why Red Bull lost the championship. As per the rumors, Liam Lawson is the favorite to replace Checo for the 2925 Red Bull seat with Isack Hadjar moving to the VCARB seat.