London: Christian Horner has warned his vanquished rivals that his Red Bull team, winners of eight world titles in four years, are in the sport for the long haul.
Red Bull’s staggering success in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships has led to speculation that their owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, could pull out of the sport once his team stop winning, which could well be next year when there will be major regulation changes.
But Horner said on Wednesday: “Red Bull has committed to the future of Formula One until at least 2020. We have signed up to the new Concorde agreement.
“Dietrich has been involved in and around the sport from around the second year that Red Bull existed. That was supporting Gerhard Berger, then supporting the Sauber team, before owning the Red Bull team. You only have to look at motorsport to see the presence Red Bull has across all of the disciplines, to see the commitment there is to motorsport in general, and that ultimately comes from Diertrich himself.”
Red Bull have often been likened to the fashion brand Benetton, who raced in Formula One between 1986 and 2001. Without having any tradition in the sport they landed two drivers’ and one constructors’ world championships before quitting.
But Horner says: “Benetton ran out of steam. They didn’t have the attraction to be able to retain Michael [Schumacher] at that time. Red Bull has the same DNA as Benetton in many respects, but we’ve grown with it. The outlook for the future looks extremely positive.”
A damp Milton Keynes was hardly a land fit for heroes as Sebastian Vettel returned to the factory for the first time since winning his fourth straight world title in India 10 days ago fog at a local airport had delayed his flight. But Vettel matched Horner’s enthusiasm for the future.
“I believe the biggest moment in my life is yet to come, otherwise it would be quite sad, at the age of 26, to look back and think the greatest moment has gone, and to have nothing to look forward to.”
Asked what made him stand out, Vettel replied: “I’m not thinking I stand out. I’m not completely aware of what it means, the achievements over the last couple of years, and I’m happy not to be aware.
“I enjoy racing. When I was a child that was the dream, and it’s just a dream to be in Formula One. To be as successful, of course I take it, and it makes me very, very proud. “But every race, every year is a new challenge, so I’m not lacking any motivation because I know how hard it is to deliver every single time inside the car, to do everything right.”
But why has it taken some people so long to recognise Vettel as a truly great racing driver? Horner said: “To have become a four-times world champion at such a young age, to have won 37 races, is absolutely mind-blowing. With any great sportsmen it takes time to earn that respect. But I think people are now recognising the talent, the skill the dedication that he has.”
Vettel is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2015. Some critics say he will not prove his true greatness until he enjoys success with another team. It is a flawed argument, since the two drivers widely accepted as the greatest of them all, Ayrton Senna and Jim Clark, won their titles with one team, McLaren and Lotus respectively.
Vettel said: “Even if I go to another team, I will still have people who doubt or don’t like who I am and what I do, et cetera, but it doesn’t change much in the end. At the end of the day you have to be happy with yourself and right now I can assure you I’m very happy with who I am and what I do.”
