Red Bull’s Christian Horner is reflecting on a tough 2024 season that saw his team finish third in the championship, marking a significant shift in Formula 1’s power dynamics.
McLaren shocked everyone by clinching the constructors’ title, beating Ferrari by just 14 points and leaving Red Bull 77 points behind.
It’s a new kind of challenge for Horner, who’s been running Red Bull Racing since 2005. That’s pretty remarkable – he’s now the longest-serving team boss in F1, with Mercedes’ Toto Wolff trailing at 12 years.
“They’ve scored six victories to our nine,” Horner said after the Abu Dhabi finale. “But they’ve had two cars starting from the front row so many times. That’s a huge advantage in the constructors’ championship.”
He’s got a point. McLaren’s strength came from having two consistently strong drivers fighting at the front.
Red Bull’s story was different. While Max Verstappen kept delivering, Sergio Perez struggled through most of the season. That inconsistency ultimately cost them – and Perez his seat with the team.
It’s quite a change from 2021, when Horner and Wolff were locked in one of F1’s most intense title battles ever between Red Bull and Mercedes.
Interestingly, Horner and Wolff are now the only team bosses who’ve kept their jobs since 2022, showing just how brutal F1’s management game can be.
The McLaren victory marks a major shift in F1’s competitive landscape. After years of Mercedes and Red Bull dominance, there’s a new force to be reckoned with on the grid.
