Christian Horner, former CEO and team principal of Red Bull, has shared the reasons that led him to prohibit the use of the name Mercedes among employees of his team’s power unit division. This decision was made at a crucial moment when Red Bull was preparing its own engine to face future challenges in Formula 1.
Based in Milton Keynes, the team had enjoyed a successful collaboration with Honda, which culminated in a world title won by Max Verstappen in 2021. However, Honda’s withdrawal as a supplier and the team’s subsequent decision to create an internal power unit division led Horner to adopt a defensive stance regarding external influences.
A fresh start for Red Bull
After announcing its withdrawal at the end of 2021, Honda decided to partner with Aston Martin starting in 2026. This forced Red Bull to search for new energy suppliers for the future. Horner emphasized the importance of making Red Bull a self-sufficient engine manufacturer, competing with well-established names like Mercedes, Ferrari, and Renault.
As part of the process of creating this new division, Red Bull negotiated with Honda to continue collaboration between 2022 and 2025 under the name RBPT. Simultaneously, Horner initiated an aggressive recruitment campaign to combine internal knowledge with the experience of professionals from other teams, including Mercedes.
Keeping the focus on the team
Horner noted that integrating new talents with previous experiences created a vibrant atmosphere. However, it also caused some employees to talk too much about their past experiences at Mercedes. This dynamic led Horner to decide to ban the mentioned references to the competition during meetings.
The purpose of this ban was to foster a team mindset genuinely focused on building a new future for Red Bull, away from the influence of the opposition and centered on the team’s internal objectives. With this strategy, the team aims to establish itself as one of the top competitors in the upcoming era of Formula 1.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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